"WHAT?" thought Peppermint as the guard took her to La Palais for the word of judgment of her disqualification. The senators and everybody made room for her. Queen Chocolat stood up and said, "So, Peppermint, it appears that you may be disqualified. We have a backup candidate for that. Stand up, Honey Bonne." A girl with rosy cheeks, a long honey-colored side-braid and golden-brown eyes stood up. Her witch dress was yellow and black, like a honeybee's. "Yes, Queen Chocolat," she said.
Queen Chocolat looked at the senators. "Sirs, shall we disqualify Peppermint Mieux?" she inquired, sitting back on her throne. Two said yes, one no. "What about you, Queen Chocolat?" asked a senator. Peppermint's heart was beating fast. Sweat trickled down her red face, and she fidgeted with her opal and indigo pendant as she stared at the floor. "Peppermint!" said the Queen sharply. Peppermint (meeker than she usually was) looked up and gasped shakily, "Ye-yes?" Queen Chocolat said, "It would be fair to disqualify you, but at the same time, you must compete because your mother was a candidate, but there's Honey. Please, have a seat while we decide. Guards! Get her some refreshments, please." Honey Bonne was trying her best to not scream in fury. The guards marched Peppermint to a small room with a table, two chairs, and a sink. She uneasily gulped down her grape juice and pretzels as the Queen and senators decided.
After fifteen minutes, a guard came to her and said sternly, "Peppermint-san!" She looked up while gulping her last sip of juice. "Yes," she almost squawked. "The verdict is ready." Even more scared than ever, she ran to the palace and sat before the Queen, looking at the ground. "Peppermint," said the Queen, kindly, yet firmly. Peppermint looked up. "Y-yes, Queen Chocolat?" she said unsteadily. "Stand," said a senator. Peppermint dragged herself to her feet and bowed, waiting for the word of judgment. She looked up slowly. Queen Chocolat was smiling! She said to everyone, "Clear out." Everyone evacuated the Palace. "Come here, Peppermint," said the Queen, snapping a finger. A soft chair appeared in front of her. Peppermint sunk into the comfy chair. Queen Chocolat laughed and said, "Let me tell you a little story." Peppermint looked up intently. The verdict was still not given.
Queen Chocolat twisted a lock of orange hair around her finger. "When I was your age…eleven, right? Yeah. I was in the Queen Candidacy, too. Robin had told us the instructions of the contest, including not coming here without permission. I wasn't listening. Instead, I was exploring the luxurious rooftop home. You live there, right? I missed the instructions. I came here alone. I was supposed to be disqualified, like you. The reason I came is that the previous Queen Candy had sent a box of yummy bone candies to us. Your Mama's familiar, Blanca, said they were only for Vanilla and shouldn't be wasted on me. I got angry and came here. Then, I was to be disqualified. Just then, Vanilla-I mean, your Mama- came to the palace alone, too! She said it's her fault that Blanca blabbed. I was shocked and touched, and I said it's my fault and Vanilla shouldn't be a scapegoat. Then, Queen Candy let us go because we stood up for each other, and that is a good quality to be a queen. I was so relieved."
Peppermint told the story of the spice dragons and Muffin. The Queen said, "Were you listening when Robin told you the rules?" Peppermint admitted that she was looking at her mother's left-behind treasures in her room. The Queen laughed gently. "Okay, Peppermint. I'll let you go this time. But don't do it again, OK?" Peppermint smiled and stood up, bowing. "Thank you, Queen Chocolat! Bye!" And she left for Robin's rooftop home on her broom. She met Robin at the door. He was smiling coolly. "Oh?" he said. "You almost got disqualified, I hear. Queen Chocolat made the same mistake, eh?" Peppermint's face turned red in embarrassment and rage, and then turned pallid white, then normal. She said, "Uh…yeah, ahoho..." as she scuttled inside. Her witch dress returned to her normal clothes. Cerise was sitting in her magenta-and-white pajamas on the couch, her hair in two cute buns tied with lime green ribbon. She grinned. "Peppermint-chan!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around her friend. Peppermint smiled and said, "I nearly got disqualified." Cerise said, "I prepared a bath for you." Peppermint thanked her friend and ran to the bath. She bathed quickly and threw on her favorite indigo-and-white pajamas.
Before the girls went to bed that night, Peppermint asked under the covers, "Cerise?" Cerise turned on her floral-patterned little lamp and hugged her frilly pink heart-shaped pillow. "Yes?" she replied. Peppermint said, you "If you were the queen, would disqualify a candidate who came to the magic world alone?" Cerise shook her hear. "No," she said. "I wouldn't be a princess if Mama got disqualified, so…yeah."
Peppermint got out of bed and walked to Robin's room. He opened the door and said, "Yeah, baby? You should be in bed by now." She asked him the same question as she asked Cerise. He nodded. "Yes, it means that they ignored me! How can you defy Robin, baby?" She shook her head and ran to her room. She pulled the mini portal-mirror out of her box of treasures. It was her tenth birthday present from her magic teacher. It was never used and had a beautiful wooden handle with pictures of flowers and nature engraved in it. She whispered, "Sugar sugar rune, Peppe Rune! Mama, talk to me!" Instantly, Vanilla Mieux's image appeared on the mirror. They smiled and talked a bit, and then the girl said, "Mama! If you were Queen, would you disqualify a candidate who came to the Magic World alone?'
She shook her head no. "My friend, the Queen, was and still is an explorative, curious, enthusiastic person, which is why she explored the home alone. That is a good Queen quality. Now, it is time for us all to sleep. Good-night, Peppermint!" and they hung up.
Peppermint went back to bed. She thought to herself, "This world is made by all sorts of people. Sweet and quiet like Mama...Brave and bright like Queen Chocolat...Sweet, shy like Cerise, rocking like Robin..." and she went to sleep.