Chapter 3: Decisions

Yakko sighed as he stepped away from his work, running the back of his wrist across his forehead, his dust-clad glove soaking up the small droplets of sweat as he did so. He smiled as he looked around the small room, no longer as filthy as he found it.

The young prince woke early that morning filled with intent on cleaning up the secret room with the writing desk. It had taken him a few long hours, but the wood floor and desk were now polished to a spotless finish. He had just finished wiping the dust and grim from the window pane, smiling at his reflection in the warped glass.

Yakko opened the window to wipe down the outside of it, taking care to get in between every crevice, even dusting off the stone sill. The cool air swept through his sweaty fur, sending a pleasant wave of goose bumps across his skin as it aired out the tiny room.

He pulled out the chair from the desk, sitting down to rest his muscles and back, sore from bending over and cleaning. He brushed off some of the muck that had attached itself to his cream colored top and brown vest. He was sore, but content to bask in the feeling of a job well done. Living out on the streets had taught him how rewarding doing something yourself could be.

Sure he could have snapped his fingers and had several people clean this room for him, but Yakko was not one to abuse his power in that manner. That was reserved for when he really wanted an ice cream sundae and a game of Simon Says.

Besides, this room was his find. He wanted to treat it with the respect it deserved.

Yakko's gaze fell on the journal he had placed back on the writing desk after retrieving it from the throne room this morning. He leaned over, gingerly plucking it from its spot and flipping to the last journal entry he left off at, grinning in anticipation.

Maximus insisted that the ceremony be small and tactful with only a handful of witnesses, given the circumstances. We were wed on the third day in the early morning hours. When I was young and naïve (though I suppose the point could be argued that I am still as such) my thoughts concerning weddings always included elaborate sceneries, churches filled with white flowers, doves, long shimmering veils, loving gazes… cliché images like that.

My wedding was none of that, though I really shouldn't have expected it to be anything more than what it was. Maximus was very understanding though, assuring me that I wouldn't have wanted that kind of scene while being married off to him. He was right of course. Apparently his age had spent so much time decimating his body; it had left his mind completely intact.

The coronation took place the evening of the wedding and it too was simple and very down to business. I was queen of Warnerstock in less than an hour.

I expected to be sharing a bed with Maximus that night, but was surprised when he wished me sweet dreams in front of my own chambers. He must have noticed my confused look because he chuckled and told me it had been a long busy day and that I must be exhausted because he was.

xxx

Adela sighed and sat back in her bed as she closed the journal and set it down on her nightstand. It had been four days since she had been married to the king of Warnerstock and still she found herself retiring for bed alone.

She wasn't complaining, she thought as she pulled the golden comforter around herself, snuggling into her silken pillow case. She was just confused.

If she hadn't known any better she could have sworn Maximus was stalling.

Adela had accidently walked in on her new husband and his advisor in a strained discussion. They had quieted once they saw her, masking their true moods expertly and greeting her with smiles. But she knew Marcus had been pestering the king about his unwillingness to instigate the very thing Adela had been brought to Warnerstock to do.

She rolled over on her back and stared up at the canopy of the bed. Perhaps it was a physical thing. Maybe he just couldn't. That was very possible; the man was practically the walking dead. But still he was male. Her older sister, Bethany, loved to go on and on about the male species and how their thoughts revolved around that act, and only that act. Adela had had little to no experience with the opposite gender, but Maximus was proving Beth's assumptions to be very wrong.

It wasn't that Adela was disappointed; no, she was scared to death actually. The issue had been on her mind ever since the carriage ride to Warnerstock. She just wanted to get it over and done with as fast as possible.

She sighed and relented, closing her eyes. He'd be ready soon enough, even though she never would be. She was here, after all, to produce an heir.

-

The next morning, Adela woke to the sound of rushed footsteps outside her room. She slowly sat up in bed, sweeping a hand through her ebony locks, pushing them out of her face. Jostling her muscles out of the night's sleep, Adela slipped out of bed and made her way to the chamber doors.

When she pushed them open a bit though, she caught the attention of one of her waiting maids that was part of a group hurrying down the hallway.

The plump, middle-aged woman turned heel and came back to Adela, ushering her back into the room. "Mornin' m'lady. Let's get you dressed then, shall we?" said the little woman, a few inches shorter than Adela. The maid did a horrible job of masking her nervousness behind her chattering voice.

"What's going on?" Adela asked, still half asleep as the woman shuffled her around the room, pulling garments out of the closet and soaps out of the vanity in a whirlwind of motion.

"Nothing to worry about, m'lady, how's about a warm bath this morning, hmm?" But the maid didn't give her any time to answer as she hurried Adela into the bathroom and started running the water.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Adela yawned, watching the soap mix with the water as it splashed against the white porcelain bowel of the tub. She had bathed yesterday; she wondered why she needed another so soon. But she made no objections as she settled into the comforting water and suds, the smell of lavender enveloping the bathroom.

After taking the time to lather the soapy water into her fur and enjoy the relaxing bath, Adela dressed in a teal colored, sleeveless gown. Perky from the cleaning, enjoying the freshness of her soft fur, Adela headed out of her room. She planned on finding Marcus, wondering what the day would consist of. Maximus would probably still be sleeping. He was sleeping in much more often now.

The maid looked up from making the bed and started to call out for her, but she was already gone.

Out in the hallway Adela's smile faded as she noticed the crowd of people gathered at the end of the hall just outside the large chamber doors of Maximus' room.

Confused as to what the commotion was about, Adela headed that way as the waiting maid came out of her bedroom, her nervous features paling even more as she saw Adela heading towards the crowd.

A few servants at the back of the crowd saw her and turned, all of them with worried looks plastered across their faces. They shot looks to one another, exchanging silent conversation and gesturing towards their new queen. They looked as if they were making an attempt to keep her from going any farther than them. Their silence grew to small whisperings of what they should do, Adela making out a few different phrases here and there when she perked her sensitive ears.

Some were saying to let her through, others saying no, she shouldn't be seeing this. A louder voice broke through the hushed murmurs.

"No, let her in…" the voice from the head of the crowd demanded, parting it like the Red Sea as he spoke. Marcus walked up to Adela, taking her hand in his. His eyes were grim, his lips pressed together in a thin, stiff line.

"Your highness," he bowed to her respectfully. "…he wishes to see you."

Adela could only nod as she looked around the rest of the crowd, letting Marcus lead her past them and into the dark chamber. Her sensitive red nose twitched slightly.

He fur bristled uncomfortably when she saw the room filled with even more people. Something was indeed wrong and it wasn't until they parted enough that she could see the large bed in the center that she knew exactly what it was.

Her breath left her when she saw Maximus lying very still on one side of the bed, the only movement he made was the gentle rise and fall of his chest. Marcus led her around the side of the bed closest to him, pulling out a seat for her. She couldn't take her eyes off the king though and Marcus had to guide her into a sitting position himself.

Adela folded her hands in her lap, biting her lip as she stared at the frail shell of a man before her. He was even more feeble than when she saw him yesterday and she hadn't thought that was possible.

The lavender smell of her fur drifted over Maximus, stirring him. His eye lids fluttered, his pale blue eyes searching the darkness. His voice startled her.

"Like it wasn't depressing enough in here, for goodness sake…" he wheezed slowly. "Someone open a window…"

A nervous chuckled washed over the crowd and someone opened a few of the thick curtains, bathing the room in the morning light. Adela now saw why it had been kept dark though, the man was not a sight for sore eyes.

Maximus tilted his head to look towards Adela. It seemed like it took all the effort he had left to smile at her, lifting his right hand an inch off the bed in a small gesture. She understood it and grasped it gently with her own, her black fur a complete contrast to his pale white skin.

"An angel come to collect me?" He closed his eyes and chuckled. It melted into a strained cough and Adela reached forward to grasp his hand with both of hers, willing her touch to help ease his pain. She smiled at his line though, however cheesy it had been.

Maximus recovered from his cough, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. He looked up into her dark eyes. "So many questions you must have," he smiled, "I apologize. I don't have the time to answer them."

"You knew, didn't you?" Adela asked, realization coursing through her mind. Why he was avoiding her was very clear now.

He nodded. "I told you before… guilt and all that," he winked at her, making her laugh only slightly though. "Think of it as my last chance to thoroughly piss off the council."

"I'll never hear the end of it," Marcus had his hands on Adela's shoulders supportively. He was smiling down at the king.

Maximus smiled, "You listen to him, Adela," the king gestured towards his advisor. "Marcus has been nothing but a loyal friend. He'll serve you well…"

She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. Time was running out very quickly.

Adela remembered a time when she was five and her father had given her a parakeet. She had loved letting it perch on her wrist and shoulder, walking around the castle with it and mimicking its whistles. One day though she had walked to her room to fetch it from its cage next to her bed. She had stopped in the hallway a few yards from her door. She was overcome with a powerful scent that nearly knocked her back onto the floor.

Upon entering her room, she found her little winged friend on the bottom of his cage, his tiny talons curled up to his stiff body. That had been the first time she had ever smelled death.

The little bird had only been dead for an hour at the most, but her anthronian senses were strong.

At the moment, Adela was having a hard time not covering her own red nose with her hand, instead, choosing to just breathe out of her mouth.

Maximus let out a trembled sigh as he gripped Adela's hand tighter. "My dear… I thank you again for taking over my kingdom. A bit of advice though…"

She leaned closer as his voice got softer. His smiled never left though.

"Don't make the mistakes I made. Give love a chance. There were probably plenty of times it made itself known to me, but I stubbornly ignored it," he pat the top of her hand.

Adela watched as Maximus leaned back against his pillow, his eyes still on her. "And once you find it… do not take it for granted."

Adela wiped her tears with the back of her hand, one stray one falling upon the parchment of her journal.

In his last remaining moments, Maximus was smiling. And like the first time I met him, even though the tears were falling freely, I found his smile to be incredibly infectious.

xxx

Yakko lifted his ears at the sounds of laughter that drifted through the open window of the small room. Closing the journal, the prince stood, craning his neck to see through it. Looking down, he had a perfect view of the West side of the castle.

Racing down the dirt path that led from Acme Falls were his brother and sister on horseback, both shouting insults to one another in their usual game of banter.

Yakko, slightly depressed from the last entry in the journal, found his mood lightening at the sight of his siblings. He smiled and shut the window before leaving the small room, replacing the bookcase back in front of it. Dusting off his clothes, Yakko made the short trek down to the stable area to meet his siblings as they arrived.

"Don't worry Dot, someday we'll get you a horse that doesn't have four left feet…"

"Har Har, very funny. Good sportsmanship isn't in your vocabulary, is it?"

"Oh if that's not the pot calling the kettle black, Miss. Queen of Gloating!"

Yakko shook his head in amusement as he entered the stables, listening to their back and forth bantering. Wakko was removing the saddle from a Rocky Mountain stallion while Dot was standing atop a stool to reach her Belgian mare's main with the brush.

"You two have a good ride?" Yakko smiled to them as he walked over, waving to the stable hands as he did so. When he was a few yards from his siblings, a dark Bay leaned its head out of the stall, obstructing his path.

Yakko stopped in his tracks, his back going rigid and the end of his tail frizzing slightly.

The horse stared at him for a few very long seconds, its pointed ears following the sounds of the stable hands. It shook its massive head with a light whinny before trying to reach Yakko's ear for a testing nibble.

Yakko grit his teeth and closed his eyes, frozen in spot as the horse sniffed at his twitching ear and the top of his head. His breath left him and all he could do was hold still and pray.

Dot, seeing her older brother's distress, hopped down from her stool and came over to Yakko, grasping his hand. With a gentle tug, she pulled Yakko away from the horse, jostling his nerves enough so that they would work on their own.

Ever since they could remember, Yakko had never been comfortable around horses. He still had issues walking through the stables, let alone actually riding one. If it was necessary, he'd ride with one of his siblings.

Yakko's fur bristled slightly as his breath came back to him. He didn't exactly know what it was about the enormous animals that always made him clam up, but no matter how hard he tried to fight past his unnatural fear, the prince constantly found himself frozen whenever one came too close. He did better if he was in the company of others and he was finally able to come into the stables without freaking out, but his fur still stood on end whenever he was around them.

Wakko watched as Dot pulled Yakko over to her mare, gently slipping his hand through the handle of the finishing brush and guiding him through the motion of brushing her. Wakko smirked as he watched the two of them, Yakko making lame jokes to hide his fear and Dot giggling at them. That was very common for the three of them, to hide behind humor when they were uncomfortable.

"How's the village doing?" Yakko asked, having had enough of the brushing and handing the grooming tool down to his sister. She climbed back up onto the stool to finish the job.

"Really good, the crops are coming in nicely," Wakko answered, leading his mount back to its stall. "Slappy asked about you."

"I'll come next time, I promise…"

"What were you doing this morning anyway?" Dot asked, standing on her tip toes on the stool to see over the horse. "You got up really early…"

Yakko, fearing she would fall, came around behind her to lift her off the stool. Being the oldest and their guardian, his mind had a tendency to make everything look higher, sharper, or more threatening than it actually was. Balancing her on his hip, he walked over to the shelf where she could put the brush away.

"I had something I wanted to do," he said.

After making sure his own horse's stall was closed, Wakko lead Dot's mare to her own station. "Like what?"

Yakko's tail swished in thought, wondering if he should inform his siblings about the secret room and the journal. He was almost completely certain it belonged to their mother, and if it did, Wakko and Dot had a right to know about it. Perhaps they could even read it together.

Before Yakko could tell them though, a voice announced itself as it entered the stables. The trio turned their attention to the particularly loud set of vocals belonging to a particularly small set of wind pipes.

The prime minister, one large cranial mouse, approached the three royals. Dressed in his normal black robes, Brain bowed in a simple greeting. "Your majesties… I trust the visit to Acme Falls went well?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary," Wakko smiled and leaned down to offer his outstretched palm to their advisor. Brain stepped onto his white glove, appreciating the gesture to be at eye level to the ones he was talking to.

"The baker's wife is expecting a baby soon though!" Dot exclaimed happily, hugging her brother's neck. Yakko smiled, nuzzling her cheek. He found Dot's fascination with the village gossip very amusing.

Brain nodded. "Good to hear. That means we should discuss possibly departing tomorrow for the rest of the kingdom to make the other rounds. I've been in contact with the Prime Minister from Anvilania and she'd like to meet with you three to discuss the anvil stocks."

Yakko thought about how long the trip to Anvilania would take. Probably almost a week to get there. It would certainly be a trek, and since they had been inducted, he and his siblings hadn't gone farther than the three villages within walking distance of the castle. He wondered if it was such a good idea at the moment, especially since they were still adapting to palace life.

Wakko seemed to be contemplating the same thing and looked over to his older brother, waiting to see what the answer would be.

"Eeeeh, let's discuss it over dinner," Yakko said, setting Dot down and petting the back of her head as she continued to cling to his waist.

Brain nodded, "As you wish, Sire." The mouse, still perched on Wakko's hand, glanced around the stables. "Have uh, either of you three seen my assistant?"

Wakko smiled and nodded his head, tongue lolling out of the corner of his mouth in its usual fashion. He carried the Prime Minister across the stables to a horse stall much larger and more elegant than the rest. The youngest Warner brother whistled sharply and was quickly answered by a white, blue-eyed mare, poking her head over the side of the stall and whinnying a reply.

The horse's erratic movements awoke the sleeping mouse buried in the bushy set of bangs atop her head. The thin framed rodent yawned widely as he parted the long strands of hair and peaked down at the visitors in front of the stall. Smiling sleepily, he climbed out of his make shift nest and slid down the horse's forelock, coming to a stop on her velvety nose.

"Morning Bwain!" Pinky greeted as the horse lowered her muzzle to Wakko. The young prince dug deep into the pocket of his grey slacks, pulling out a few stored sugar cubes and offering them to the mare. She gladly nibbled them out of the palm of his hand.

"Good evening, Pinky," Brain narrowed his gaze, putting a deep accent on the word 'evening'.

"Is it evening already?" Pinky answered, scratching behind one of his large rounded ears and looking back up at the horse. "Pharfignewton, you didn't wake me!"

The horse shrugged, grunting in response and returning to pestering Wakko, sniffing at his hat and ears in hopes of being offered more treats. Wakko giggled and relented, pulling out a few more cubes.

"Never mind," Brain waved off his comrade. "Come, I need your help in the records room. If we're leaving tomorrow, I have things that need to be taken care of tonight."

"Naaarf…" Pinky pushed himself to his feet, leaping off Pharfignewton's nose and onto Wakko's hand. The prince lowered them to the ground and watched the two mice make their way out of the stables, Pinky pestering Brain about what business needed to be taken care of and Brain muttering something about the same business they tended to every night. Wakko missed the rest of the conversation as they turned the corner.

Yakko and Dot walked up next to their brother, Dot reaching up to pet the white horse's nose.

"We really gonna go tomorrow, Yakko?" Wakko asked, looking to his older brother.

Yakko shrugged, making sure he was standing a few feet away from Pharfignewton. "I guess it wouldn't be so bad. What do you think?"

Wakko folded his hand behind his head casually, "That's a long trip…"

Yakko nodded. His younger brother would know after all. Wakko was the only one out of the three who really knew what other places outside Acme Falls looked like. Yakko watched as Wakko dug more sugar cubes out of his pocket to hand to Dot who excitedly fed them to the horse.

Perhaps he'd let this issue be Wakko's call. After all, his brother was the most mature nine-year-old he knew. And despite the fact that sometimes his behavior mirrored his name to an extreme, Wakko could be incredibly empathetic. Yakko thought it was a good quality for a leader to have. It was in his younger brother's nature to make others happy and do the right thing.

That was why he wasn't surprised in the least that it was his little brother who suggested he travel to find work in an attempt to raise money for their ill sister. Of course Yakko had never been ecstatic about that idea, especially because at the time, Wakko was only seven. But with Dot completely consumed with pneumonia, what choice did he have?

Yakko smiled as Wakko lifted their younger sister up a little higher so she could scratch behind Pharfignewton's ears. He could still feel that sense of pride bubble up inside of him every time he looked at his younger brother. Though he had at one time doubted his brother's decision making skills, Wakko always seemed to know what he was doing, even if it didn't seem logical to anyone else. Who would have thought that just two hay pennies would solve so many problems?

Yes, Wakko was completely capable of making decisions such as this. He was, after all, just as much of the ruler of Warnerstock as Yakko was. He deserved the chance to exercise his power as well.

Yakko took Dot's hand as Wakko set her down and placed his other hand on his brother's shoulder. "What do you think?"

"What do I think about what?" Wakko looked to him, walking beside his brother as they made their way out of the stables.

"About going to Anvilania," Yakko shrugged. "Your call…" he said, keeping his tone serious so his brother would understand that he wanted his honest opinion. All too often nothing but sarcasm came from the three of them, but they had certain ways of letting their fellow siblings know they weren't playing around.

Wakko shot Yakko a brief glance, slightly shocked that the statement was directed towards him. These sorts of things were usually left to the oldest, and frankly that was okay with Wakko. He trusted Yakko to make the right decision. He doubt there was anyone better for the job; he had always viewed his brother as a genius.

This was not to say that Yakko didn't asked their opinions, but sometimes it was just easier to take care of all that formal stuff himself. A nine and six-year-old didn't need that kind of pressure. Then again, Wakko thought, neither did a thirteen-year-old.

Wakko figured this issue fell under that category of trivial royal duties that Yakko would take care of, but perhaps it was more important. And if Yakko trusted him to make an important decision, well he would make darn well certain he made the right one.

Wakko looked down towards the dirt path, rubbing his chin in thought and chewing on the inside of his cheek. Brain had said the Prime Minister of Anvilania really wanted to meet with them, and that was important right? The profits that the anvils made did contribute a lot to funding the kingdom. But then again, they had only been at this job for less than a year. Did they have the experience to make this kind of trip yet? How would they know what to say when attending a meeting about stocks? He could barely stay awake during the boring meetings with the council that Lance dragged them two. They were still getting used to making the rounds to the villages that weren't a week's worth journey away; making sure everything was running smoothly there.

Wakko shrugged. But they would never learn what to do if they didn't take the plunge. Besides, the Prime Minister of Anvilania had been doing her job for awhile now, maybe she could give them some good advice. And if she really wanted their advice, why deny her of it. They were rulers of an entire kingdom now. They're decisions effected more than just themselves.

"We should go," the middle Warner finally answered, nodding his head matter-of-factly to further emphasize his opinion.

Yakko smirked at his seriousness. It was rare, but Wakko could be passionate about things every now and then. "Then we'll pack after dinner…"

"How long is the trip, Wakko?" Dot looked to her brother, taking the hint that he was the one with the answers for this situation.

"Took me about a week, but I had to walk most of the way because the train didn't go through Anvilania. You think we'll take the train, Yakko?"

"Part of the way," Yakko responded, stretching his arms as they entered the castle, white paws touching down on crimson carpet. His stomach announced its displeasure to being empty and Dot giggled at the odd noises coming from it. It was definitely time for supper.

The oldest smirked as they made their way to the back of the castle where the kitchen was located. "Shall we pay Luanne a visit?"

"Dibs on the spoon! Dibs on the spoon!" Wakko shouted, jetting off through the large open doors into the ballroom. Dot bolted after him.

"You got to lick it last time! It's my turn!" she leapt at her brother, tackling him from behind and sending the both of them tumbling down onto the red carpet. The two commenced in climbing over one another, pulling at each other's clothes, tails, and ears to keep their sibling from reaching the destination first.

Dot squirmed away from her brother, but only made it as far as the first step of the grand stair case before Wakko seized her from behind. He deposited her behind him before clambering up the stairs himself. She growled and caught hold of his ankle, tripping him up and pulling him back down, attempting to crawl over him, but only succeeding in getting caught in his grip and held down against the steps.

Yakko rolled his eyes as he walked past the two, ignoring them as they shouted for him to reprimand the other. He rarely intervened when the two of them went at it like cats and dogs, and they never got too carried away. Every now and then a stray kick would be aimed too low, or too hard by accident and he'd have one or the other running to him for consoling. But the offending sibling would usually be stumbling over themselves to apologize and make up.

The current rough housing was nowhere near the danger zone. Wakko and Dot were laughing and enjoying the competition to see who could reach the kitchen first, both knowing full well that they would each be getting something to taste test once they arrived regardless who won.

Dot was currently in the lead, breaking free from Wakko when she pulled his hat over his eyes and sprinting up the stairs past Yakko. Wakko righted his head apparel and quickly ran after her.

Yakko smiled as he reached the top of the stairs, watching them pass him up and disappear down the long hallway. The oldest Warner's ears perked and he turned his attention once again to the large painting hanging on the mantle above the stair case. As always he stopped to stare for a minute, his eyes locking with the former queen's painted ones, before continuing on his way.