As he met the curious eyes of the other children, Oswald couldn't help wondering why he'd even left his room. It wasn't as if any of these kids would want to make friends… at best he was something new for them to gawk at and at worst an intruder, especially to the bluebloods.
"Huh! So what's this?"
And it starts.
Oswald turned to face the owner of the mocking voice. A tall young mouse glared down his long, ugly nose at him, sneering. It was no surprise to see that he was one of the fancier dressed ones.
"So you're the brat the king pulled outta the gutter? Hope he doesn't make a habit out of making us mix with riffraff."
A lump rose in Oswald's throat, but he refused to show his hurt and glared back at the taller kid.
"At least he cares enough to step foot outside," he said coldly. "What's your biggest worry, how fancy you can dress without looking like a girl?"
To his surprise, several of the other boys snorted in amusement and a few of the girls burst into giggles. The tall one's face reddened and twisted with anger, then he snatched Oswald's collar and jerked him off his feet so they were eye to eye, prompting startled gasps from the onlookers.
"Listen, brat!" he growled. "You might be in a castle but you're still just a filthy peasant! And if I've gotta remind you of that…"
"What's going on here?"
The next thing Oswald knew, he was dropped on the floor. He shook his head and looked toward the new voice.
Another young mouse, shorter than the other one and nowhere near as ugly, was approaching the group. He looked like one of the youngest, and only a few boys were shorter, but everyone stepped back to make room. Even the tall bully backed up a step.
"I-it was the commoner, sire…" he stammered. "He insulted me and…"
The newcomer shot him a cold look.
"Sorry, but I wasn't asking you, Mortimer."
He looked at Oswald, then scanned the small crowd. Finally he nodded toward a lanky, awkward-looking boy who looked to be one of the older ones.
"Goof, what happened?"
The other boy stepped forward, and Oswald was puzzled to see that he didn't look at all offended by the nickname. At least, he hoped it was a nickname.
"Mortimer started it, Mickey. He was sayin' the new kid was pulled outta the gutter, n' he hoped the king didn't make 'im mix with other guys like him."
The boy, Mickey, gave Mortimer a disgusted look.
"Why am I not surprised?"
The kid he'd called Goof nodded and continued.
"Then the new kid asked Mortimer f' all he worried 'bout was if he looks like a girl."
This prompted more chuckles from the others and Mickey's mouth quirked.
"N' I can guess what happened after that." His smirk vanished when he looked back at Mortimer.
"You've really got some learning problems, Mortimer. I know your dad hasn't been too happy with how you've been actin' already, and he's not gonna like this. You better go start thinking up some good excuses… you'll need 'em."
Mortimer stood as if frozen, his eyes wide. Mickey crossed his arms and narrowed his own eyes; his chilly tone made even Oswald shiver.
"You're dismissed."
Mortimer's face went pale and without a word, he turned and scrambled down the castle hall. Several of the other kids began laughing as the group broke up.
"Stupid coward," Oswald heard one boy mutter. "Hope he gets kicked out after this."
He realized Mickey was now looking at him, and he slowly got to his feet, looking back at him. He couldn't see any hostility in the young mouse's face, only a friendly curiosity, but that didn't mean much. He could just be pretending.
Finally, the lanky boy coughed uneasily.
"Uh, Mick… don't cha think ya ought t' tell 'im who y' are?"
Oswald glanced at him with a slight frown.
"Mickey," he said. The young mouse smirked, but it looked almost sad.
"Well, that's what my friends call me. My full name's Michael… Michael Walter Mouse."
Oswald felt his eyes stretch almost twice as wide when he heard the name. He didn't have to be a political expert to know he'd been staring down the prince of Anaheim. He bowed, hoping it wasn't too clumsy.
"Y-your Highness," he mumbled. "I'm sorry about…"
He was startled by a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Mickey grinning at him.
"Ya don't have to apologize, you're not the guy who caused it. 'Sides, Mortimer deserved what ya gave him. He'd never admit it, but nobody likes him."
His smile grew more gentle.
"Dad told me about ya. Your name's Oswald, right?"
Oswald slowly nodded, a smile tugging at his face.
"Yes, your Highness."
The prince patted his shoulder, still grinning.
"Call me Mickey."
A painful crick in his neck pulled Oswald back into reality. He shot upright in the chair, but stopped and groaned at the sudden dizziness. How did he drop off like that? He shouldn't have fallen asleep at all!
He shook his head and glanced across the room as his vision cleared. The large window was dark now, and the fire burning in the nearby hearth cast long, deep shadows past the furnishings. A soft whine from Pluto returned Oswald's attention to the bed, where the heartbroken dog was curled up beside his master.
The rabbit sighed as he reached out and gently scratched Pluto's ears.
"I know, boy. We're all worried too."
Oswald felt a sudden surge of resentment as he thought about the council's frantic reaction, and their fearful discussions of possibly losing their future king. After about ten minutes, he'd had to storm out of the room to keep from punching the nearest man in the face.
Now they decide he's good enough. Had plenty of time before, and now they get it through their thick skulls.
A faint moan interrupted Oswald's thoughts, and he looked at Mickey with pricked ears. Several moments passed, but the only sound was his usual labored breathing. Finally Oswald sighed heavily and let his ears droop again. A sad smirk tugged at his face.
"You really are an idiot, ya know that?" he murmured. "Runnin' off to meet some girl ya barely know, bein' all secretive about it… yeah, that won't lead t' trouble."
He sighed again and glanced down at the floor, shuffling his feet.
"S'pose I should've figured it out, though. I was wondering if you were up t' something… never asked any questions, though."
A lump rose in his throat, making his voice quiver.
"Guess that makes me an idiot, too."
A soft knock on the door made him jump a little. He quickly swiped at his eyes and turned, smiling as it opened.
"Hey, Goofy."
The tall dog smiled sadly in return as he stepped inside. Oswald noticed him keeping a careful eye on his feet and felt a sudden urge to laugh; since Mickey had first introduced them as kids, Goofy had quickly shown the reason behind the nickname almost everyone called him by. The rest of the staff joked that he might trip over any and everything on the way, but he was never late.
Goofy glanced at Mickey and his face grew even more worried.
"How's he doin'?"
Oswald felt his ears droop and looked down.
"They say he's got a chance, but with that fever… it's not lookin' good."
A short silence passed, and then he could hear the tightness in Goofy's voice when he spoke.
"Well… th', uh, meeting's gonna be done soon, so th' queen's gonna be comin'."
A sick feeling of guilt hit Oswald at those words. No matter how much she'd thanked him, he couldn't forget Queen Lillian's face when she saw her son. He couldn't stop that nagging feeling that it was his fault, because he hadn't figured all this out sooner, hadn't acted on that one tiny speck of suspicion…
Goofy's hesitant voice broke into his thoughts.
"I, uh, I don't got nothin' else t' do, so, um… mind f' I wait 'round for a while?"
Oswald shook off the guilt and gave him a small grin. As with so many others, he knew Goofy's concern for Mickey had nothing to do with rank… it was simply fear for a friend.
"You know ya don't have t' ask that, ya goof."
…
"What do you mean, nothing so far?!"
Daisy felt somewhat gratified when the guard cringed a little under her glare, but it still didn't change the answer.
"There's a lot of ground to cover, ma'am, and the scum's got plenty of places to hide out there. But don't worry, we're on his trail and some Anaheim soldiers are helping us close off the area… he won't get away. Now please, I must ask you to remain with her Highness. Her safety and yours must be top priority until we find him."
Daisy narrowed her eyes, wanting to continue the argument, but she could tell it wouldn't do any good. With an irritated huff, she turned and let the guard close the door behind her. Her annoyance quickly turned into sadness at the sight that greeted her.
Minnie was still on the window seat, her head buried in her arms. When she looked up, tears streaked her face and her eyes were red. Daisy's face must have shown the answer, because the tears began coming even faster.
"Th-they won't let anyone leave… will they?" she whispered.
Daisy lowered her eyes and shook her head. She hated herself for not being able to do more, knowing Minnie was worried sick over her friend and desperate to find out what was happening to him.
"My lady, I'm so sorry…"
Minnie slammed her hands onto the windowsill, startling her. The female mouse had turned to the window, staring out at the dark forest. Her voice quivered with emotion as she spoke.
"I can't do this anymore, Daisy. I can't just sit around and wait."
Daisy bit her lip and stepped forward.
"Your Highness…"
Minnie turned to face her and the determination in her eyes made Daisy stop, unease filling her. She wasn't sure what to expect, but what came far exceeded anything she might have.
"We need to find some way get out of here, pretend we've been called home. The guards are busy with the search, they won't ask questions."
Daisy stared at her friend in complete disbelief. There was some logic in the idea, but its desperation seemed far more in abundance. And hearing this from Minnie, who hardly ever lost her head, only made it even more shocking.
"Are you crazy?!" she gasped, propriety forgotten. "With that… that brute still out there? And what about when they catch him? They'll figure it out and, and…!"
Minnie looked fearful at those questions, but she only shook her head.
"I'll worry about that when it happens. I'm sorry, Daisy, but I can't just sit here waiting. I… I have to know if he's all right."
Her voice broke a little on the last few words, but there was no sign of caving. She reached out and gave Daisy's hand a gentle squeeze.
"I won't ask you to come… I know there'll be a risk and I don't want you in trouble."
The urge to argue suddenly began to fade; Daisy could tell from the look on Minnie's face that she'd do this with or without her help. Everything she'd ever been taught about propriety and obligation suddenly came to mind. She knew what her job was as a lady-in-waiting… to keep her mistress safe even if she didn't want it.
But what about her job as a friend?
Daisy suddenly thought of what might happen if they stayed here. She didn't have to be a doctor to know that Mickey had been in bad shape, and it was very possible the worst could happen. Even if Minnie could forgive Daisy, she would never forgive herself for not being there.
With that thought, Daisy made up her mind.
"If you think I'm gonna let you go tromping through the woods without me, you've got another thing coming."
Minnie's eyes widened, then a grateful smile lit up her face. Daisy returned it with a nod.
"Give me minute… I think I know just who can help."