A Fickle Fingered Fate

Chapter 4

Mirror, Mirror, on the wall...Call Mom

The door swung open softly as Toffee stepped into the room, gesturing around. "You'll be staying here for the night, so make yourself comfortable," he stated as she stepped in after him. "Once the ceremony is over you can either stay here or move into the master room with me. The choice is yours." He watched her take in the space, studying her reaction carefully. It was a lot smaller than any room she had likely lived in, and nowhere near as richly decorated. Compared to what he guessed she had seen growing up, it probably looked like the inside of a log cabin to her.

Drapes of green wool hung over the only window, blocking out most of the sunlight, and the magic light fixtures on the walls and bedside table were iron, turned black with age and use. The walls were stone, sanded down until the rough cut rock was smooth, and the rug on the otherwise bare floor only covered the middle of the room and had seen many guests' footprints, its colors darkened with age. The bed was built for two, and had no posts or curtains, but the mattress was soft and stuffed with feathers. However, instead of blankets, it was covered with furs and a light sheet underneath, something he knew was distinctly un-Mewnian.

She turned to him at last, a slight smile on her lips. "It's so charming. I've never seen anything quite like it." Moving over to the bed, she sat on the edge, hands automatically folding over her lap, and if she weren't wearing such a long skirt, he was certain he would have seen her even crossing her ankles, displaying perfect lady-like posture. "Is this a typical decorating style?"

Innocent curiosity shown in her blue eyes. He was pleased that she apparently felt some interest in his culture, and nodded. "Monsters tend to build and create things from what nature provides, so most of what you'll see will be somewhat similar. Most things in the castle are also old and have been in use for a long time, so a lot of it is pretty worn by this point. We don't tend to replace things until they can no longer be repaired, you'll notice the things we've fixed up over the years rather easily." He gestured with a nod to the bedside table beside her. "That piece for example; notice how each leg looks different, and how the wood for the drawer doesn't match the rest of it? Its been here since my great-grandfather reined. There's a story behind every added piece, lots of memories."

Her eyes widened slightly, and she softly caressed the top of the table as if it were fragile glass. "Wow, that's...pretty amazing, and kinda cool." She looked back to him with a smile. "I'll have to get you to tell me some of the history around it some time, and anything else with an interesting story I come across."

A slightly smile curved his mouth. "We'll see, Princess." He flicked his tail as he rested a hand on the door handle. "I'll see that your things are brought up. Go ahead and sleep for a bit, it'll do you good. If you need anything, just pull on the servant's cord." He gestured to a red rope hanging by the door, which disappeared into the ceiling. "I'll come for you when dinner is ready."

She stood up as he started to leave. "One thing, before you go?"

"Yes?"

"Do you have a mirror I could use to call my mother?" she asked shyly, as if slightly embarrassed. "I just want to let her know what's going on so she doesn't worry."

The king stepped back into the room, and crossed over to a large cabinet on the wall next to the window. He opened the doors, revealing a simple framed mirror. "I can't guarantee it'll reach a Mewnian mirror, but you're free to try," he stated. "Just be careful with what you say. After the invasion, we're not exactly looking for our next battle right away."

She nodded. "Understood. Thank you...for letting me use it."

He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "What's mine is as good as yours, Mia. Use it as much as you like." His hand moved before he realized what he was doing, and he gently squeezed her shoulder as he moved past her and out the door. Once it closed behind him, he frowned to himself, shaking his head. Perhaps on some level she reminded him of Renata, she was the only person he ever did that to, after all.

Mia sighed softly, turning to the mirror. "Well, I guess it's now or never." She lightly cleared her throat, and took a deep breath. "Mirror, Mirror on the wall-call Queen Rosetta Apis."

The mirror lit up, displaying the words 'Calling Queen Rosetta Apis'. She waited, rapidly tapping her fingers against the back of her hand, lightly rocking on her heels. Almost a full minute went by, and her hope dwindled, until a flash of white and the image of a woman took up the surface. Bright red hair was piled high on the top of her head in curls and braids, held by jeweled pins and clips. Her jade green eyes were surrounded by dark moss colored paint, pink flowers marking her cheeks, her lips full and wine red and curved into a smile as soon as she realized who her caller was. "Mia! Oh hello, my sweetie," she greeted. "How have you been? I haven't heard from you in forever!"

Mia couldn't help but smile. "Hi, Mom, its good to see you too. I'm sorry I haven't called before now." Her smiled melted away. "I just wish the reason behind it was a better one."

"Sweetie?" Rosetta asked with concern. "What's happened? Are you okay?"

Taking a deep breath, she tightly gripped her skirt. "Mom...I'm getting married tomorrow."

There was a moment of silence, her mother staring at her as if she'd sprouted a second head. But she shook it off as she cleared her throat. "O-oh, well...that's, uh, wow. I didn't think you'd accept Thomas's proposal after that, um, 'incident'-"

"It's not Thomas, Mom." she interrupted, glancing away. "His name is Toffee."

"Toffee? I don't think I know a 'Toffee'. Is he a duke?"

"No, he's uh...he's a king."

"Oh my, how wonderful," she murmured. "At least you won't have to worry about your comfort if he's wealthy. But I can't recall a King Toffee-where's his kingdom?"

"Mom...Toffee is...King of monsters."

She held her breath, watching the information sink in, seeing turmoil rolling behind her mother's eyes. She opened her mouth to calm her mother, only for the mirror on her mother's end hit the floor. "Dias! Ready my warnicorns at once!"

"Mom, wait-!" The image disappeared with a crackle of static, and then she only saw her own reflection. "Oh dear..."

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

Toffee slowly pushed a set of heavy oaken doors open, stepping into the large room beyond. A large round table sat in the center, most of the chairs already occupied. The doors locked with magic behind them, a spell sealing the room, preventing anyone from the outside to know what would take place within the walls of the Council room. Folding his arms behind his back, he calmly walked to one of the only empty seats as the others stared at him, settling himself comfortable before glancing around at the others. "If we are all ready?" he asked, and nodded when they all bobbed their heads. "Very well then, let's begin."

Across the table, a monster with a crystal for a head and snakes for arms slammed the table. "How can you be so casual about this?!" he demanded. "Don't you realize what you've done? You'll bring the wrath of every Mewnian kingdom down on us!"

To Toffee's left, a humanoid monster with yellow horns sprouting from her long red hair and a black tiara with a tiny flame floating above the center of her head scoffed. "Oh please, Rhombulus. Like the rest of them will care that one princess was taken. Besides, it's not like she's dead or anything."

"He should have just killed the king as planned," said Omnitraxus Prime-a creature with a body that seemed to be made of stars and galaxies with a skull for a head and swords sticking out of the crown of his head. "It would have kept things simple."

"It would have caused more problems." On Toffee's right sat an anthropomorphic goat with four horns and leathery wings. "Taking the princess of her own free will was the best course of action. Toffee did what was needed, even if it's not ideal."

"Thank you, Lekmet, at least you and Hekapoo are on board with this." said Toffee. "It was far from easy to do, but it seemed the better alternative to killing that murderer."

Hekapoo leaned her cheek on her hand, smirking slightly. "So, what exactly made you take her as a bride? Got a thing for Mewman women?"

Toffee narrowed his eyes slightly at her teasing. "I did what was necessary," he stated. "Uniting our people will offer us some legal protection, and King Apis will be less likely to attack if he fears it would harm his daughter. Her looks have nothing to do with it."

"But you didn't say you didn't like what you saw~"

"Are we seriously talking about this?!" Rhombulus snarled. "She's a Mewnian! The first chance she gets, she'll find something to use against us and run home to her father and we'll all be destroyed!"

Lekmet held up a hoof. "Calm down, Rhombulus. I highly doubt she's a spy, but if it will put us all at ease, I will meet with her and test her." The goat monster turned to the king. "Is this acceptable, My Lord?"

Toffee nodded. "It'll be for the best in the long run. Might as well get it out of the way for now. Do it when I bring her to dinner, that way she won't suspect anything and the results can't be argued with." He sent Rhombulus a pointed look, silently daring him to complain. When he didn't protest, Toffee stood. "Then if that is settled, I have other things to attend to."

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

"This is ridiculous! How could you do this?!" Renata made her seamstress's job all the more difficult by constantly turning back and forth in order to yell at her brother. "She's a Mewnian, Toffee. You can't marry her! Tell her sign a-a treaty or something! But don't throw your life away over her."

The lizard shook his head. "Re, stand still or your dress will be crooked. As for the marriage, my wedding is my own business. This will ensure that the Mewmen won't be attacking us any time soon. I think my bachelor status is a small price to pay for our safety."

"Except you aren't the only one who has to deal with her." The girl jumped off the stand she'd been perched on and disappeared behind a changing screen with the seamstress. "She'll be living here, sitting at our table, eating our food, and taking up your time. What am I supposed to do if she tries to cozy up to me?!"

"You act like an adult and treat her with respect," he stated firmly, folding his arms. "Don't forget that our mother was a full blooded Mewnian as well, Renata. I should think you of all people should understand that species doesn't determine who is a good person and who isn't." She stepped out from behind the screen, wearing a simple cream and lavender striped dress. A smile curled his lips. "I'm counting on you to set a good example for your people. She needs a friend and who better than her new sister-in-law?"

Renata folded her arms with a pout. "I don't want to be friends with her."

Toffee sighed, rolling his eyes. "Re, do it for me. Please. Everyone else is turning on the idea and I could really use your help. I'm not asking you to be swapping dresses and shoes while you gossip, I'm asking you to show a young lady a bit of kindness. Just talk with her, politely, and help her along." He stepped over to her as she looked away, folding her arms, and drew her into a tight squeeze. "Come on, grumpy goose," he teased, playfully pinching her cheek. "Do it for your big brother."

She couldn't fight the smile growing on her face, or the giggle that slipped out. Giving him a playful shove, she turned away with her nose in the air. "Fine, since you begged for it." She turned to give him a sly look over her shoulder. "But it'll cost you."

"Fine," he relented, shaking his head. "Archery lessons, as you've asked for. We'll start after the wedding, deal?"

She took his outstretched hand, linking their pinkies together. "Deal."

He chuckled, jerking her forward into a hug and ruffling her hair. "I knew I could count on you, though I'm a little disappointed that I had to bribe you," he joked, making her laugh into his chest. "Come on, let's go collect our new family member and get to dinner."

"Fine, but I still get to sit by you, right?"

Toffee rolled his eyes. "Yes, Re, you still get to sit by me. You'll just have to sit across from Miakoda from now on."

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

The dining room was rather small compared to what Mia was use to. In fact, it looked like a table that belonged to a large family rather than royalty. Twelve seats lined the polished wooden table, each place set with plain white dishes, goblets, and silverware. Toffee escorted her to the chair to the left of the head of the table, while his sister claimed the right hand side. As she sat down, the double doors at the other end of the room opened, and she immediately stood back up even though she didn't know who was entering.

Toffee greeted Lekmet with a nod as the goat approached the table. "Evening. Please, have a seat," he offered, and looked to his bride. "Mia, this is Lekmet, a member of my council. He'll be joining us tonight."

The princess smiled, and dipped into a curtsy. "Good evening, Councilman Lekmet," she greeted formally, staying bowed as she waited for his reply. But a baaing startled her into straightening. "P-Pardon me?"

"Baaaaa," he said, bowing at the waist before holding out his hoof. Not knowing what else to do, she placed her hand on it, only to snatch it back it surprise as she felt a slight shock. "My apologies, Princess. My translation spell is a little startling, but it is necessary for you to understand me."

Mia cradled her hand as she blinked owlishly. "Oh, ah, thank you?" she replied.

Renata giggled. "Don't let that smile fool ya'," she said. "He likes to freak people out with it the first time he does it. It's like a prank he gets to pull over and over again."

Lekmet chuckled, shaking his hoof at her. "Don't go spoiling my fun, young lady, or you'll be getting a pop quiz in your studies."

Toffee placed a hand on her shoulder, grabbing her attention. "Lekmet cannot speak Common's Tongue like most people, so he uses a personal translation spell so only those he deems trustworthy can understand him," he explained, and gestured to her chair. "Now that we can all communicate, shall we eat?"

He took the head of the table, while Lekmet set himself next to Mia, and Renata pulled her feet up into her chair. Servants in the form of furry monsters that looked like woodland critters flowed into the room carrying their meals. A squirrel monster set down her plate and filled her cup without a word, but the look in her eyes said enough. Even she didn't like her. Mia turned her attention to her plate, and cocked her head, not sure what she had in front of her.

Strips of a meat she didn't recognize were coated in a thick white gravy, and set next to them were some sort of roots, leaves, and even bluish-lavender flowers. The only thing she recognized was the bread, but even it looked strange-flat and pale with spots of black that she suspected were seeds. Renata frowned at her from across the table, pushing her glasses up her nose. "What's wrong? Don't tell me you think it's poisoned." She jerked when her brother's tail smacked her knee, and ducked her head.

"The thought hadn't even crossed my mind," she replied honestly. She figured if a monster was going to try to kill her, they'd want to do it somewhere away from their king. "I'm just...well, I have no idea what this is and I was trying to think if I'd seen it before."

"I'd doubt it," said Toffee, taking a sip from his glass. "The meat is wild Kelder with a milk gravy, the steamed roots are burdock, the boiled leaves are clover, and the flowers are chicory. Most of our food is gathered and hunted. What little we farm we try to let grow as natural as possible by churning the soil and removing any weeds. Aside from keeping the area clear and occasionally watering it, we leave the rest up to the plants."

"Wow, low impact farming. Impressive, that's not easy to do for such a large group. You'll have to show me some of the crops some time."

"Are you interested in farming, Princess?" asked Leket, ripping his bread apart.

"You can just call me Miakoda," she replied. "But yes, I had a small garden of my own at my father's castle. Mostly I grew flowers, but I grew strawberries too. I liked to make them into baked goods when my cousin came to visit-tarts, pies, cakes, and the like."

"So you bake as well as garden." The goat nodded as he used a piece of bread to pick up a pinch of the leaves and popped them into his mouth. Mia glanced at their silverware, and noticed something particular. None of them had forks. Instead, they were using their flat bread to pick up their food.

Ripping off a piece of her own bread, she attempted copy them, though the results were less than successful. "Oh yes, I love to do both. Though I must admit I haven't mastered baking any sort of bread. I've yet to make an edible loaf," she admitted, giving a slight laugh. "But my cookies practically fly off the plate. They were a favorite of my guards."

The goat chuckled, and patted her hand. "Then I must get on your good side so I might get some myself." He gave her a playful wink. "But what else interests you, my dear? Do you dance? I've heard that is a popular pastime for many a Mewni princess."

A slight blush colored her cheeks, which she tried to cover by lifting her glass to her lips. "I can dance...I'm just not the sort who looks appealing while doing it."

"Well I have two left feet, as the saying goes, so you won't have to worry about me asking for a waltz," he joked.

"Toffee is a great dancer," Renata chimed in, looking rather proud. "Our mom taught him all kinds of Mewnian dances, but our dad showed him all of our dances."

Mia risked a glance at her betrothed, and blushed when she discovered he was already looking at her. "You must be quite graceful."

"I don't exactly dance much," he replied. "But oddly enough it helped with my combat training."

"Really?" she asked, leaning slightly closer. "Do tell."

He shrugged. "Learning rhythm and how to move in a swift and fluid manner just translated over from one skill to the other. In a way, a sword fight in like a dance. You must predict what your opponent will do, and keep up with them as you move about without breaking eye contact." His eyes shifted briefly, but he continued. "But I did enjoy being able to dance with my mother and sister when I was young. I taught Re to dance by having her stand on the toe of my shoes."

Mia couldn't help but smile at the mental image it brought up. A young Toffee glancing down constantly as his mother talked him through the standard steps of a dance, then holding his little sister's tiny hands as she watched their feet and giggled the whole time. "That must have been nice," she murmured, and picked up her glass again, taking a slow sip. It seemed to taste sweeter to her.

"Well I dance on my own now," said Renata. "But if he's nice to me, I let Toffee share a dance with me during the winter feast."

"How did you learn to dance, Miakoda?" Lekmet asked, pulling down his sleeves that seemed to have slipped down to pool at his elbow. "Which of your parents taught you?"

Her eyes drifted back to her place as she dabbed her bread into the gravy. "I was taught by a tutor. I only danced with my father when I was came out socially on my sixteenth birthday. After that, I only danced with potential suitors."

Renata paused, her food halfway to her mouth. She slowly lowered it to her plate. "Really? You only danced with your dad one time? I thought he was still alive."

"Oh, he is," Mia assured, and couldn't help but spare a glance at Toffee. "He just doesn't dance. But its tradition for a princess to have her first public dance with her father, or a prince to dance with his mother."

The purple-haired girl glared down at her plate. "If my dad was alive, I would dance with him every chance I could." Toffee reached out, resting his hand on hers. She squeezed it briefly and then went back to her meal.

O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O

After dinner, Toffee returned Mia to her room while Renata headed to bed herself. He then headed to his study, where Lekmet was waiting for him. Toffee locked the door, then turned to the goat, who was sitting in a chair in front of his desk. "Well?" he asked as he took his own seat, leaning back as he folded his hands together. "What's your verdict?"

Lekmet lightly stroked his chin. "The potion I put into her drink worked as expected. If she had had any ill intentions towards us, she would have become sick within minutes. We dined for over an hour, and she showed no discomfort. I believe the results speak for themselves. She's trustworthy." Toffee nodded slowly, brows furrowed in thought. "However, I feel there is something I should mention."

The reptilian frowned. "What did you find?"

"I cast a second spell that activated at the same time as my translation spell. I wanted to see what sort of magic this woman has, as Mewnian women tend to be gifted with powerful magic. However, my findings were...inconsistent." He pushed himself to his feet, shuffling his leathery wings. "I sensed magic within her-low mewberty magic, though nothing abnormal. The strange part is this; I sensed a second type of magic. I believe she may have talent magic."

Toffee's frown deepened. "Talent magic? I've never heard of such a thing. What is it?"

"Well, normally Mewnians are filled with raw magic-basically blank energy they tap into to fuel their spells. But talent magic is like having a pre-written spell already inscribed into their magic, meaning it only has one predetermined use." He moved over to the fireplace, where a fire burned cheerfully. "For example, if my talent was starting fires, I wouldn't need to say a spell. All I would have to do it gesture at or touch what I wanted to light, and the fire would simply start."

Pushing back his chair, the lizard stood and moved around his desk. "Did you find out what she can do?" Lekmet shook his head. Toffee sighed, glaring into the flames. "Then we'll have to keep an eye on her until we know what it is. She could be dangerous if she doesn't even need to speak to use magic."

"Do you think her dangerous, Toffee?" Lekmet asked. "Do you think she might turn on us should something unpleasant happen?"

Toffee shook his head. "I don't know, old friend. I just don't know."