Before Nicola had time to react to Meredith's quip, the old woman vanished as did her store and even the streets, people and surrounding buildings outside, until Princess Nicola and James the frog were left alone in what looked like the countryside but felt more idyllic yet, at the same time, more threatening and unpredictable.
"Good, that grotty shop was far too common for a Princess. This seems a much more suitable surrounding"
"But this isn't real" the frog piped up in James' voice "The costumes sent us here somehow"
Nicola knelt down in a ladylike fashion and regarded the talking critter "What is a toad doing addressing royalty? And who gave you the power to talk?"
"I could always talk remember?" James answered "the costumes have transformed us and sent us here"
Nicola looked herself up and down "I don't feel any different. But I do remember having a servant named James. So someone has cursed you hmm? What am I supposed to do about that?"
"I think you might have to kiss me or something" James asked hopefully.
"Kiss a frog? Yuck! No way! But you can accompany me to my castle and we'll see if anyone there can help you"
"Your castle?" James croaked.
"Look, over there!" Nicola gestured at a grand looking palace in the distance "that must be mine right?"