The Ratking

CHAPTER 6 – Plotting

Tilly had just started to wonder when it would be appropriate to launch another attack on Princess Clarissa's sense of self-preservation when one afternoon the princess called her to her room. Neither the ladies-in-waiting, nor the personal trio were present. Princess Clarissa came right to the point.

"You are going to marry the rat-king in my place. Don't think that this is because you resemble me. It is just that you are the most expendable person of my staff; the roads are littered with scullery maids. And anyway, rats and sculleries go together. You'll get on fine with the vermin."

The princess had to believe this was all her idea and that it had never entered Tilly's head that she resembled the princess. That is why Tilly said, "Oh, Your Highness, I could never convince anyone that I'm you."

"Hold your tongue! You'll do as I tell you. Those rats are too stupid to notice the difference, especially if you wear a veil and a big wedding dress. I will teach you how to walk like me although I don't think you can do it. But as long as you don't charge down the aisle it will be alright."

Tilly said that she would do as she was told.

"Of course you will," said Princess Clarissa. She decided to start the training immediately.

"I don't know if you'll be even vaguely able to walk like a princess," she said. "Walking in dresses with long trains and shoes with high heels is not that simple. You'll soon find out."

Tilly, who'd never worn high heels before, did find out. A whole week she was locked up with Princess Clarissa, first learning to walk in heels, then with the heaviest dress with the longest train in the princess' wardrobe. Tilly stumbled, occasionally fell but the princess was not inclined to help her. To the contrary. Never had Tilly been shouted at so much, never been kicked and slapped so much, and all for the slightest reasons. Eventually Tilly managed to walk in heels as if she'd always worn them and the long train on the dress was no longer a problem. Finally Princess Clarissa was more or less satisfied.

"At least you won't fall over anymore while walking down the aisle. I'll make sure you'll have time to practice more before the wedding day. You'll need it," she sneered.

Then she went to the rat-king to tell him that she would be his wife.

"I have no choice," she said to him. "It is my duty towards my people. I'm their princess, I am … I was their future queen. My feelings don't count, theirs do. I do this for the greater good. Rat-king … I'll be your wife."

It was a performance that would have gained her great acclaim on the stage of the most renowned theatres.

If Princess Clarissa had been able to see it, she would have noticed relief and happiness in the rat-king's eyes. As always she could not see beyond the shiny black rat's eyes.

"Thank you," said the rat-king. "You won't regret this. You'll never regret this."

He kissed Princess Clarissa's hand. The touch of his snout on her hand made her shiver. She ran to her room in the guests' palace, rubbing the back of her hand. The whole day she kept washing it, over and over again.

.

To celebrate that Princess Clarissa had finally accepted him, the rat-king organised a magnificent engagement party. He had invited everyone on the island humans and rats. The princess stood next to him, receiving congratulations and handshakes from every guest, including Tilly, who saw the happiness in the rat-king's eyes and thought of the disappointment that awaited him.

"A pretty disgusting affair," the princess said to Madeline that evening. "I'm surprised that rat hadn't invited the livestock."

"Oh, Your Highness, you're so brave," sobbed the lady-in waiting.

She, like the rest of the staff, still didn't know the deception Princess Clarissa and Tilly had planned.

ooOOoo

The repairs on the Falcon had been started immediately after the engagement party and soon it was ready to sail.

As the day of the wedding was coming closer, Tilly was getting nervous. She was after all gambling on the character of the rat-king whom she had only seen a few times. He walked and talked like a man but how much of him was a rat? She wasn't so sure anymore that he wouldn't kill her. But there was no turning back; the princess would make her go through with it. Besides, everybody looked so happy at the thought of going home; she couldn't disappoint them.

To make sure that she didn't take the risk in vain, the ship had to be on its way before the fraud was discovered. Tilly mentioned this to the princess, again counting on her instinct for wriggling out of her responsibilities.

"Your Highness, forgive me for saying this but I fear you are still in danger. If the ship isn't gone before the rat-king finds out he's been cheated, it will be recaptured. Then he's sure to force you into marriage."

Princess Clarissa was ready to storm out and make some extra demands but Tilly stopped her by blocking the door of her room. She had to shout to get through to the princess.

"Your Highness! Please! You need to try a more gentle approach. He thinks you have succumbed to his demands. He sees you as his future wife now. If you ask him kindly he's more likely to agree to your requests."

"Are you suggesting I should go snivelling and begging to that thing? I'm a princess, you stupid girl, and I can demand anything. Get out of my way."

"Yes, Ma'am, you're a princess and he is a king and can ignore your demand. A gentle plea by the woman he wants to marry, on the other hand, will carry a lot more weight and may get you a positive answer a lot sooner."

This time the princess didn't try to remove Tilly by force. She started to think about what had just been said. After a lot of pacing up and down her room, with Tilly still standing firm against the door, the princess finally relinquished.

"You obviously have a better understanding of rats than I do. What do I say to that thing?"

Tilly told the Princess what to say and how to say it.

"Just remember, Ma'am, if being kind to him becomes too difficult for you, think of it as a practical joke you're playing on the rat-king. You're just pretending and you'll be laughing at his credulity when you sail away on the Falcon."

Tilly hated the things she had to say to convince Princess Clarissa. She hated it that she had to treat the rat-king as vermin and she hated the princess for making her do this. She even considered telling the king about the scam but she couldn't disappoint the people who were looking forward to seeing their families again.

.

Princess Clarissa, who wanted to make her escape a certainty, arranged another meeting with the king and said exactly what Tilly had suggested.

"Your Majesty, please don't take this the wrong way, but I have a request," said the princess in her sweetest voice, even though inside she was fuming. "I don't doubt your honesty. I don't doubt that you will let my people go." Here she hesitated a moment, as instructed. "I'll become your wife, as I promised, but before I commit myself, I'd like to be sure that my people will not be recaptured."

"I can understand you reluctance to believe the word of a rat," said the king with a slight bitterness to his voice.

"No, it's not that, Sire, but could you, please (she nearly choked on the word) wait with the ceremony until the ship with my people is out of sight? It is more for them than for myself that I ask this."

Her kindness and gentle voice gave the king hope for his marriage to Princess Clarissa. Perhaps Melina had seen something in her that he was still to discover. What could he do but grant her wish.

"I'll allow the ship to sail as soon as the wedding ceremony has started. Then we wait until it has passed the last row of cliffs that surround the island. When you know they are safely out of reach, you can pronounce your vows and we will be husband and wife. Can you agree to this?"

More like rat and scullery maid, thought the princess while she said: "Thank you, Your Majesty, you're too kind."

Everything was now planned as Tilly had imagined it.