Evie said hello to the fellow members of the dance committee and the meeting began. Since the dance was so close, almost all the details had already been agreed upon. The menu had been approved, and Mr. and Mrs. Darling had volunteered to chaperone along with Roger and Anita Radcliffe. Lonnie was going to be the DJ, and would be bringing her own equipment. All that was left was to decide on a theme for the decorations.

“We could do an imperial banquet?” suggested Lonnie.

“How about a sultan’s feast?” asked Jordan. “We could tent the whole area!”

No one seemed to like any of those ideas, least of all Evie, who argued that since it was Castlecoming, the theme of the decorations should reflect the school colors—royal blue and gold.

“Yes, you have a point there,” said Audrey. “But don’t you think pale pink and baby blue are so much prettier?”

“It’s not a baby shower,” Evie mumbled under her breath.

“I’m sorry, did you say something?” asked Audrey, pretending not to have heard.

“I agree with Evie,” said Allie. “But can we do something more psychedelic maybe? In Wonderland, we have the most amazing flowers of so many different hues.”

“Mmm,” said Evie, looking around at the lush, cream-colored carpet and exquisite Auradon Prep tapestries already hung on the ballroom’s walls. “Both sound lovely, but I do think blue and gold would be best. It fits the existing color scheme in the room.”

“If you say so.” Allie sighed. “I suppose that is traditional.”

“So we’ll go with a gold balloon banner? And blue velvet ribbons around all the columns?” said Evie, pen poised at the ready.

“Maybe we can have bunches of violets in gold vases?” said Allie. “Violets are actually blue.”

“Perfect!” She smiled at Allie.

“And we can trim the tables with gold leaf,” said Lonnie helpfully.

Audrey frowned. “If you guys really think that’s best.”

Evie smiled. She knew when she had won, and she could be gracious in victory. “Audrey, Lonnie, do you want to come over and try on your ball gowns?” she asked. “I’m pretty much done with them.”

If Mal was famous for helping with hair, Evie’s talents as a fashion designer and seamstress were starting to become legendary. A number of girls had asked if she would make dresses for them for the dance, so when Mal had said they would need to leave Auradon undercover, it had given Evie an idea.

“Ooh, I can’t wait!” said Audrey. “Did you put on the swan bustle like I asked?”

“It was difficult, but I did it,” said Evie with a smile.

“I can’t wait to see mine!” said Lonnie. “Is it red and gold like we talked about?”

“You’ll look like an empress,” Evie promised.

The girls followed her back to her room and Evie handed them their gowns. There was much oohing and aahing over the gorgeous dresses. Audrey’s gown featured pink and blue panels that changed color depending on how she twirled her skirt. “It’s like magic!” Audrey sighed, unable to keep her eyes off her reflection.

“I think Cinderella’s mice are going to be jealous!” said Lonnie, who looked stunning in a traditional imperial column with a pretty lotus print. “Mary’s definitely going to want to hire you when you graduate from here.”

“Thanks, guys,” said Evie with a smile.

After they’d changed back into their school clothes, Audrey wandered over to Evie’s vanity table, which was littered with numerous tiny glass pots filled with different colors. She stuck her finger in one. “What’s this?”

“Oh, just some batches of lip gloss I’ve been experimenting with in the lab. We always had to use expired cosmetics on the Isle of the Lost, so when I got here and discovered I could learn to make my own makeup, I was thrilled. I’ve even been able to enhance them with the right chemical compounds,” said Evie. “Look, here’s one that changes from pink to blue in the light.”

Audrey squealed. “Can I have it?”

“It’s yours,” said Evie.

Lonnie held up a clear gloss. “What does this do?”

“Glows in the dark,” said Evie. “I thought it would be fun when the lights go down during the dance.”

“Cool,” said Lonnie. They crowded around the vanity, picking up tubes and pots and trying every color. Lonnie held up a purple one. “And this?”

“Don’t you hate when your lip gloss disappears in the middle of the day? So I figured out how to make one that never fades,” said Evie.

Lonnie and Audrey nodded in agreement.

“Are you sure I can have this one?” asked Audrey, holding up her blue-pink pot.

“I made it for you, of course,” said Evie. “Which one do you want, Lonnie?”

“The glow-in-the-dark one, thanks. That way everyone can see me smiling up in the DJ booth,” said Lonnie.

“Perfect.”

The girls thanked Evie and left with their dresses. Mal walked in a few minutes later. “All set?” she asked.

In answer, Evie opened the closet door, which held two identical dresses to the ones she had made for Audrey and Lonnie. “Try yours on,” she said. “I want to see if it fits.”

Evie had stayed up way too late the night before, but she’d gotten them done. If they were going to leave Auradon, they would do so disguised as princesses. Lonnie and Audrey often left school to visit their home castles and kingdoms, and no one would question their use of the royal limousine. Jay and Carlos would be dressed as their chauffeur and bodyguard, respectively.

“How’s your mom, by the way?” asked Evie as she zipped Mal up into the replica of Audrey’s dress. “Did she tell you anything the other day?”

Mal shook her head. “Not unless she was communicating by sleeping. I really don’t see how it could be her, but who knows. We’ll just have to assume the worst.” She caught her reflection. Her purple hair framed her horrified face as the dress shimmered in waves of sparkly pink and blue. “Oh, my goblins, I look like such a princess! It’s so…pink…and blue!”

Evie laughed. “That’s the point! Though I have to say, these really aren’t your colors.”