Chapter 1: The Princess and the Butler
Knock, knock, knock. There was a shriek and the sound of glass breaking. "Globbity glob it!" a sweet voice exclaimed.
Peppermint Butler opened the door to find a startled and frustrated Princess Bubblegum bent over trying to pick up pieces of broken glass on the ground. He rushed over to help his sovereign. "My apologizes, your highness! I didn't mean to startle you! Allow me to clean up." He hurried to the corner to collect the broom and dustpan from the closet and came back to clean the mess. To himself, he was grateful the beaker seemed empty when it fell. Who knows what sort of dangerous experiment the princess was working on?
Bubblegum stood up and stretched back, pushing her pelvis out with a groan and rubbing her swollen eyes. "Peppermint Butler! I thought my instructions were clear! NOT to disturb me tonight!"
Peppermint Butler kept his eyes on his work. Without looking up, he started, "Princess, it's morning… I was-"
With a panic, Bubblegum threw her arms up in the air. "Morning?! It's not possible! I've only been here for a few hours!" She ran to the window and pushed open the shutters. Bright sunlight hit her pale pink face and she winced in the blinding glare. "Oh no! I have so much to do today!" She began trying to straighten up her lab, finishing notes before putting books away, and putting stoppers on various vials.
Throwing the last shards of glass in the trash, Peppermint Butler replied, "Actually, since the Candy Council is in recess and you've completed almost all of your important obligations yesterday, I was going to suggest you go to Lemongrab. There isn't much pressing at the moment. Nothing that can't wait until tomorrow, or even the next day."
The princess stopped and looked hard at Peppermint Butler. True, it was a bit more difficult to focus her eyes on him after hours of pouring over books and papers by candlelight, but she still couldn't decipher his meaning. "Grabby….?" she asked in a daze.
The butler gave a slight cough. "It's been a few months since you've seen him at his castle. You know how much more, er, unstable he becomes when you haven't visited for a while."
Like a flash her mind cleared and she went to her bookcase. She ran her fingers over several books until she found what she was looking for. Pulling one out, she opened it where a ribbon held the place. Bubblegum murmured a few things to herself and skimmed previous pages. "You're right. He's overdue for his assessment. Even with his new companion, he can't be left alone for too long. Peppermint Butler, please prepare my swan and some food for my trip. I shall leave post-haste!" She tucked the book under her arm and walked swiftly out of the lab towards her bedroom.
Peppermint Butler, trained with years of chasing the princess all over the castle, ran to keep up. "With all due respect, your highness, shouldn't you get some sleep first? You've been up all night!"
"No! Just because I stayed up all night doesn't mean I can ignore my responsibilities! I'll sleep when I return." With firm resolution, Princess Bubblegum closed the door on her doting servant.
He heaved a heavy sigh. "She never listens to me… I don't even know why I try…"
Peppermint Butler hummed to himself as he swept through the kitchen. He was looking through the many cabinets for the princess's favorite basket, which he knew she hadn't used in a while. Long ago, while she was still in royal training, she used to have dinnertime picnics and had very distinct instructions on what she was to bring. Thinking the basket would bring her some joy on her journey, he found it deep in a corner cabinet with the same red and white basket linen she had always liked to use. The butler knew how little time the princess took for himself, and hoped that she would find some time to relax on her visit. He filled it with various delicious foods. A few apples (one of the princess's favorites), sandwiches, pastries, cookies, juice boxes and water all went into the basket. He was looking around, trying to remember what Lemongrab liked to eat when Cinnamon Bun wandered into the kitchen.
"Over the hill and through the woods, to Lemongrabby's house we go!" He was slowly waddling about, with a vacant grin on his face.
"Cinnamon Bun! What are you doing here?! The princess is about to leave any minute now! I don't have time for this…" Peppermint Butler tried to push the older pastry-man out of the door. The servant huffed irritably and shook his head. He never understood how Cinnamon Bun always found ways to insert himself into different situations. Naturally, many of the candy people stayed in the castle too but they usually kept to themselves. Secretly, he blamed Princess Bubblegum. She always found Cinnamon Bun amusing, and never drove him away. In fact, she encouraged his company.
"But I want to goooo! I never get to go anywhere!" Cinnamon Bun whined. His face fell as Peppermint Butler continued to usher him out. He continued to make indiscriminate noises of disappointment.
"Starchy!" the butler looked around desperately and called out into the hallway. "You CANNOT go with the princess. Now go out to the gardens and… oh, I don't know, keep the benches warm."
The old janitor made his way jauntily to where the two candy people were arguing. "Someone call ol' Starchy?"
Peppermint Butler turned to Starchy and said with a huff, "Starchy, please escort Cinnamon Bun to the gardens. The princess is leaving for a trip to Castle Lemongrab and I need to finish collecting her things!" He gave one last shove of the whining Cinnamon Bun.
The butler turned and stormed back into the kitchen to complete his task for the princess.
Starchy took Cinnamon Bun by the hand and dragged him down the hall towards the garden. Seeing that they were holding hands, Cinnamon Bun's eyes lit up and he swung their hands happily to and fro. "You're my friend!"
Starchy shrugged. "Starchy's friends with everyone. Everywhere. You can count on ol' Starchy." The two walked out into the warm sun when they reached the garden. Starchy closed the palace doors, leaving Cinnamon Bun outside by himself.