A large bell tolled three times, signalling the start of the long awaited visiting hours. Pepe looked up nervously, clutching a basket of fruit to his chest. He had been waiting for a years for his chance to meet the Queen, but now that the day had come he wanted nothing more than to run away from the ornate golden doors in front of him. He tried to shelter the basket of food from the rain and wind that was pouring down, but it was all in vain. He hoped the Queen would accept slightly soggy fruit.

At last, one of the large gold doors was pulled open from the inside and a palace guard emerged.

"The Queen will see you now," he droned. Pepe gulped, nodding shakily. The guard turned, heading into the castle. Pepe followed, all too aware of the mud and water that he was dragging in from the outside.

Pepe had never seen the Queen before. He had heard of her, everyone in Hetalia Ville had, but few ever got the chance to see her in person. The few that did came back with tales of a long golden coat and eyes as large as the moon. They spoke of the Queen's irresistible beauty, but almost nothing was ever said about her personality. Generations of memes had come back to their farms, all telling of the same queen and her ageless beauty. Pepe's grandfather had once gone to see the Queen and had said the same thing. No one knew how the queen seemed to be immortal, but Pepe didn't care. He wasn't there to uncover the secrets of the castle or question the unseen Queen. All he wanted was one simple favor; for the Queen to call off the builders that were planning on knocking down his house.

Though Pepe had his mind set solely on this task, he couldn't help but notice the intricate designs that covered the palace walls from floor to ceiling. The walls themselves were pale shades of blue and pink, and glittered as though made of a thousand diamonds. Thin lines of gold spun and interlocked in a never ending pattern over the pastel walls. Pepe wasn't one for jewels or sparkles, but even he was struck by the delicate beauty of the castle. And that was just the entry hall.

When the guard came to a stop at the end of the long hallway, Pepe was again faced with a set of ornate gold doors. They towered to almost three times his height. He wondered if the castle had been designed to purposely intimidate beggars such as himself. Pepe glanced down at his tattered clothes and green skin, taking a deep breath, suddenly aware of how out of place he was in a palace such as this. He was just a poor frog boy, come to save his simple house. Why would the queen bother with someone like him?

Before he could calm himself down, the palace guard yanked open the doors. Pepe looked up, unsure what he would see. He gasped. The throne room made the halls look like dirt by comparison. Crimson fabric and golden ribbons hung from each wall. A silver chandelier dangled from the high, swooping ceilings. But none this compared to the large silver throne that sat at the end of the long room. Its back was tall and carved with dainty designs and its seat was covered with a sparkling red pillow.

"ALL RISE FOR THE MEME QUEEN," the palace guard shouted. Pepe looked around at the empty room. Before he could point out that that were the only ones there and that they were already standing, a small, simple door opened on the back wall.

All the air was sucked from Pepe's lungs as a lone figure emerged from the door and walked slowly to the throne, which seemed dull in comparison to the figure's glorious gold fur.

Pepe had prepared a speech for the occasion, saying how honored he was to be in the Queen's presence, and begging for help to save his farm, but he couldn't recall a single line of it. All he could see was the Queen as she leaped gracefully on all fours onto the throne. Her golden fur sparkled in the sun and her long, pointed ears swivelled constantly, picking up all sounds from the room. Her long tail shished once before she settled down, gazing at Pepe with huge brown eyes.

The guard nudged Pepe forward. "YOU MAY SPEAK TO HER MAJESTY."

Pepe stepped forward, trying to snap out of the trance that he queen's beauty had thrown him under. He placed his offering of fruit by the throne. He stood up, taking a deep breath.

"Your Majesty," he croaked, "It is an extreme honor to meet you. I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to hear about my dilemma."

The queen blinked, but remained silent.

Pepe gulped, continuing. "You see, my humble home is miles from this castle, to the north. I have lived there for many years, and I have a farm that is my only source of income. Recently, a building company has decided to tear down my farm to build apartments. I am not rich, and I do not know what I would do without my home and my farm. Please, I beg that you stop the builders. Let me keep my farm. Thank you."

The queen looked Pepe up and down. Pepe was very aware of his dirty, torn clothes. Finally, the queen spoke.

"Wow."

To be continued