Chapter 4

Princess Gwenalot ran straight back to her cave and flopped melodramatically into bed, wrapping herself in her covers.

Her mirror looked on in concern. "Princess Gwen, are you alright? Did you crack that blue rock?"

Princess Gwenalot replied in a muffled voice, "I haven't been yet."

The mirror nodded as best she could. "Ah, so you were afraid to go there, huh?"

The Princess threw off her covers and glared teary-eyed at her mirror. "I was not afraid! I was Fragglenapped! I woke up in this strange room with all these 'weapons' and little bug things called 'fairies' and I had to ask for help from some huge mountain of fur who bellowed and made this great big boulder jump out of the way and --."

"Whoa, hang on," the mirror interjected, "I can't keep up with all this excitement!"

"And I had to live it – can you imagine?" the Princess screamed. She buried her face in her pillow and muffled, "I'm going to just stay in my room until I grow gray!"

"Figures … hairy Fraggle only want to stay in bed," a rough male voice taunted.

The Princess looked up. A green Fraggle stood in front of her mirror, his yellow rectangular earrings dangling from each side of his head out from under his large brown cap. His arms were crossed, his tail wagging slowly back and forth. His face wore a permanent droll expression. She sat back up and nodded, rubbing her snout.

"Does Princess dare to wembley in front of her subject?" he asked incredulously.

"I'm not scratching my nose … I'm wiping away some dust, is all," she replied. She stood and dusted herself off some more. "How can I help you?"

"I am Fishface of the Cave of the Great Hole," he told her.

"You mean the Great Hall?"

"No, that is what hairy Fraggle say when they disrespect local tongue," he grunted. "I hear Princess looks to crack the blue rock. I come to mock your failure."

Princess Gwenalot sighed slightly. "I didn't fail, Fishface. I just haven't been yet."

"So, Princess is not coward … Princess is just lazy," he said with a satisfied smirk.

"I am not lazy," she scowled. "You're one to talk, you know … all you want to do is sit on your tail all day and boss Fraggles around."

"That what real leader do," Fishface retorted. "If Princess studied the Legendary Rum-poop more often instead of dancing and laughing and playing with sacred minstrels, she would know of importance of being leader."

The Princess's throat tightened, as well as her fist. "How dare you imply that me an' Crooner --?"

"Imply nothing," Fishface told her. "Only blind Fraggle not see what goes on around here." He grinned darkly. "Even then – sacred Minstrel sings about it everywhere he goes."

The Princess gasped. Her knees felt weak. "What does he say?" she whispered.

Fishface laughed. "True Leader would know these things," he replied as he turned to leave. "Princess should crack the blue rock before the Great Freeze … or someone else might be leader soon." He continued to laugh as he walked out of her cave and the Princess caught him glancing momentarily at the two swords by the exit.

The mirror stared in the direction of the exit for a few moments and glanced back at Gwen. "It only takes one guess to figure out who he thinks should be leader."

Princess Gwenalot slumped down beside her bed, still stunned at the revelation that Crooner was bragging about a relationship that she felt was all in his mind. She nodded slightly. "But he doesn't do anything," she whispered.

"Crooner, or Fishface?" asked the mirror sympathetically.

The Princess buried her head in her hands. "What does it matter?" she mumbled. Suddenly, she looked up, wild-eyed.

"What is it?"

She slapped herself on the forehead. "I left my invisibility cape in that stupid tunnel!"