ACT XI: Comet I, the Chef Part 3: Betrayal

Mars paced around the castle halls with his magic mirror, trying to call Lake for the fifth time to apologize. But the countess had refused to even answer his calls, much to his frustration. Once again, he heard the answering machine's voice.

"Lake! I know you're there! Pick up the damn mirror!" Mars ordered. "Lake, how dare you ignore the future king of Mewni! If you don't answer me right now, I swear I will… I will… call you back! And I'm not afraid to do it, either! Don't think I won't!"

Just then, Ramsey entered the room, carrying a large to-go bag. "Your highness?"

"Uh… just a minute." Mars turned back to his mirror. "Lake, I'm sorry. I was stupid. Please, call me back."

The prince groaned as he followed his father's squire into the kitchen. "I didn't want your order to go to waste." Ramsey explained. "So I packed everything in reheatable bowls in case you want to patch things up with Countess Lake. Speaking of which, did you catch up with her yet?"

"I've tried calling her, but she won't answer." Mars sighed.

"Well, maybe if you hadn't said all those horrible things about her back at the restaurant." Ramsey remarked, trying not to sound too judgemental. "I mean, you know she's not your girlfriend. And she knows she's not your girlfriend. So why does it matter if anyone else thinks she's your girlfriend?"

"Well, I mean…" Mars struggled to find an answer. "It's just so… absurd that anyone would think that! I mean, she's not even my type."

"Not your type?" Ramsey scoffed as he counted on his fingers. "Let's see; you both like the same music, you both like the same pets, you both come from Mewni's most important families, you both like the same Earth-dimension movies, and you both love making funny faces at each other."

"Well, yeah, but other than that we don't have anything in common!"

Ramsey finished putting the food away and crossed his arms at the prince. "It's her weight, isn't it?" Mars' silence was the only answer the squire needed. "You may have noticed that my wife is overweight. And you may also notice that I could care less. Because I love her. And that is more than skin deep. Think about that."

Mars watched as the squire gathered a cart and loaded it with half of the pies prepared for the meeting with the monsters and wheeled it off towards his catering carriage. He took out his mirror once more to check for any messages from Lake. When he saw no replies, he sadly pocketed the mirror and went off to prepare for the peace treaty's afterparty. However, his path was blocked by his father.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, young man." Comet held a hand out in front of the boy. "Why aren't you dressed for the peace treaty yet?"

Mars rocked back and forth on his heels as he awkwardly faced his father. "Oh, yeah, dad, I actually wanted to talk to you about that…" He began. "You see, it was going to be a surprise, but a couple of my friends and I were planning a party for you after this meeting with the monsters, and apparently they need my help setting up a few more things so you can truly appreciate it. Because I'm, like, really proud of you, dad! I don't wanna be selfish and let your party be mediocre!"

Comet was not impressed. "Mars, you are not skipping out on this peace treaty to go goofing off with your friends. This treaty is the foundation of our future! And if all goes well, tonight, no mewman will ever have to be afraid of monsters again."

"Okay, but that's your job." Mars reasoned. "You're the king who wants peace. I'm the prince who just got the scepter. I'm not prepared for all this boring political stuff."

Mars tried to walk away, but Comet roughly grabbed his son and spun him back around. "Mars! Look at me when I'm talking to you! You're a prince! Start acting like one!"

Mars looked offended. "I have been acting like one! What do you call all those weeks of studying I did to get the scepter?!"

"It doesn't stop there, boy!" Comet scolded. "What do you think's gonna happen when you turn twenty and inherit the crown?! You have responsibilities to this entire kingdom! Now, I expect you to go upstairs and get ready for the meeting, or you're grounded."

"That's so unfair!" Mars whined, angrily. "Stump, no wonder mom left you!"

Comet was rendered speechless as his son stormed up to his room. The king silently made his way into the library where he found the Great Book of Magic. As he sat and skimmed through the pages, he looked at multiple pictures of previous kings and their own sons, as well as reading about the complex relationships they had. In Simon's chapter, he read about Ryan's neglect and high standards, leading to the shy prince to testify against him without remorse for killing his mother. Next, he read about how Ryan grew bitter and resentful towards Crescento for forcing him into an arranged marriage he didn't want. Even Dirhenno's bizarre poems spoke volumes of how he didn't enjoy Festivio's odd behavior. Now, he feared he and Mars were doomed to have a similar relationship.

He was about to go upstairs and talk to his son when his watch alerted him that there was only one hour until their meeting with Queen Batra. He closed the book and hurried back to the kitchen to finish gathering up the pies and load them into the catering carriages. Thankfully, the Magical High Commission, Etherio, and Ramsey were already lending a helping hand. While they prepared, Comet explained his situation to his faithful squire.

At last, the clock struck nine o clock, and Mars was nowhere in sight. The king let out a disappointed sigh. "I guess he's not coming."

Ramsey placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "He's young and lashing out. He didn't mean what he said."

"That'd be a comfort… if I didn't believe him." Comet frowned. "I've thought about the reason why Lazuli left all those years ago. And I've always wondered… what I did… what I said… that made her leave her own son."

"Oh! Pull yourself together, man!" Etherio snapped, having eavesdropped on the conversation. "We're about to sign a peace treaty, and you're worried about your blue-haired bastard?!"

Comet growled at his brother's harsh tone. "That 'blue-haired bastard' is my son, Etherio. And your future king."

"We don't have time for this!" Ramsey shouted, pushing the brothers apart. "Come on, Comet. You can ride with me to the meeting."

The king took a seat next to his squire and the journey began. The further they approached the rendezvous, the more Comet's spirits began to lift. Never since King Eclipsine's reign had a king of Mewni attempted to make peace with the monsters. General Loveberry and five other Solarians set up the tent where the negotiations would take place. And as promised, Queen Batra and her lizardwomen generals arrived right on time to finally end any and all hostilities between mewmans and monsters. A few minutes later, Comet pocketed his mirror and entered the tent to begin signing the peace treaty.

"This is a historic moment, Queen Batra." Comet smiled as he poured two glasses of wine. "Thirty years ago, could you even imagine that this would be happening?"

Queen Batra graciously accepted the glass. "Well, your father didn't make it easy to believe it was possible. No offense."

"None taken." Comet waved a dismissive hand and took the treaty out of his satchel. "Now, as agreed, all kingdoms of Mewni shall hereby recognize the Forest of Certain Death as sovereign territory. In return, no monsters shall be granted unauthorized access to mewman soil and vice-versa."

"Agreed." Batra took out her glasses and dipped her pen in the ink to sign her name. "It's been a pleasure doing business with you, your majesty."

"Likewise." Comet happily nodded as he was about to sign his own name.

Suddenly, one of the lizardwomen with long black hair entered the tent and knocked a torch down onto the table, setting the treaty ablaze. "Not so fast." She hissed. "This mockery won't continue any longer."

"What is the meaning of this?!" Comet demanded as he and Batra backed away from the fire. The monster general grabbed the king by the arm as mewman screams echoed around the camp. "What are you doing?!"

"I am taking control." The general responded. "The treaty has been cancelled."

"Under whose authority?!" Batra spluttered in shock.

"Mine." She spat back. The king tried to use his free hand to conjure an attack spell, but the lizardwoman's tail slithered around his neck and pulled him back. While he was still vulnerable, she drew a dagger from her belt and plunged the blade into the king's stomach.

A bitter, liquid warmth rose up in Comet's throat as cascading waves of fear rippled through his body. He tried to activate his mewberty form to fly away and get help, but his body wouldn't listen to his mind's commands. At last, the tail uncoiled from his neck, allowing a stream of blood to erupt past his lips as he fell to his knees.

"W-w-why…?" Comet gasped as his hands weakly wrapped around the knife. "All I w-wanted… w-was peace."

"'Peace?'" The lizardwoman sneered. "Your people came to this land and tried to wipe us out two thousand years ago, and you claim you want peace? There will be peace when all mewman's are vanquished. Sorry to disappoint you, your majesty. But if it's any consolation, we did like the pies."

The king managed to get away from the treasonous monster even as his vision began to blur. Stumbling around the collection of tents, he followed the sounds of screams until he could find someone to help him. Just when all hope seemed lost, he spotted the unmistakable five-pointed star cheek marks of his younger brother.

"Etherio!" Comet gasped as he grabbed his brother's sleeves. "Etherio…! Brother…! Help me!"

Etherio smiled, wickedly, as he gazed into his brother's dying eyes. The former prince pushed Comet to the ground, slipped a pair of gloves over his hands, and pulled the knife out of his brother's stomach. "Long… live… the king." He sneered before driving the blade back into Comet's heart.

Back At Castle Dragonfly

Mars and his friends had gone ahead and started the party in a premature celebration of peace. However, the prince was very much bored to tears as he listened to his uppercrust friends drone on about what they would do with their inherited political power. Presently, Countess Mildred was giving a lengthy anecdote.

"...and so, I said to the tailor, 'I demanded that my blouse be dyed mauve! Not magenta!'" She huffed. "But, of course, my plight fell on deaf ears as that lazy old man claimed that he had 'run out' of my best color. Can you believe it? So now, that is why I must suffer the indignity of wearing magenta to this party."

"Wow, that story is fascinating." Mars remarked, sarcastically. "Have you sold the movie rights yet?"

"... I don't get it." Mildred shrugged.

Mars shook his head in annoyance, wondering what he ever saw in the countess. He would even go so far as to say that he wished he had gone with his father instead. But in reality, the only thing that would cheer him up would be to make peace with his best friend. "I wonder what Lake's doing right now." He murmured to himself.

Mildred looked over his shoulder before answering. "She's dancing."

Mars blinked in confusion at his girlfriend's statement. "What? How do you know that?"

"She's over there." Mildred pointed in the direction behind the prince.

Much to his disbelief, Mars saw that Countess Lake Johansen was indeed dancing with a well-dressed nobleman. "What?!" Mars shot up from his seat. "What's she doing here?! She's supposed to be home not answering my calls!"

Excusing himself from the table, the prince slowly made his way over to the Johansen countess. Not wanting to seem desperate for her attention, he grabbed a glass of punch from one of the waiters and walked backwards until he lightly bumped into her. "Oh, Lake! I'm sorry! I didn't see you!"

The nobleman who had been dancing with Lake gasped at the sight of Mars before politely bowing. "Your highness! It is an absolute honor to make your acquaintance!"

Lake cleared her throat. "Um, Count George, this is Prince Mars. He and I used to hang out."

"Well, that's no surprise!" George exclaimed, enthusiastically. "It stands to reason that a strong and mighty Johansen would be friends with a member of Dragonfly nobility! Allow me to go get us some punch!"

Mars snorted and rested a hand on Lake's shoulder. "What kingdom is he from? 'Suck-Up-topia?"

"Mars, I'm on a date, okay?" Lake brushed the prince's hand off of her shoulder. "Y'know? When a boy likes a girl? Takes her out? And then when they get there, he still acts nice to her? I mean, I do go on dates."

"Lake, I just thought-"

"You just thought that because I'm not a size six nobody would ask me out." She remarked, bitterly. "Well, not everybody thinks like that. That's just your problem."

"Look, Lake…" Mars' eyes were glued to the floor; too ashamed to face her gaze. "I'm sorry, alright? I shouldn't have said all that at the restaurant. You're my friend and I still wanna hang out with you."

"You wanna be my friend, but only as long as no one thinks I'm your girlfriend." Lake huffed, tiredly. "Well, I'm sorry, but that's just not good enough for me."

Before the prince could answer, General Loveberry kicked the door open and dragged Queen Batra into the room in chains. "Out of the way! GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY!" He ordered, sternly.

The delegates and nobles cleared the way as the Magical High Commission helped the general escort Batra to the dungeon. Mars managed to push through the crowd just as Etherio followed the Commission into the room. "Uncle Etherio? What's going on? What happened-?"

"Not now!" Etherio hissed.

"Mars!" Ramsey ran up and hugged the confused boy. "Thank Stump you're alright!"

"Uncle Ramsey, wasn't that Queen Batra? What's going on?"

"Treason! Betrayal!" Ramsey stammered. "The monsters turned on us at the peace rally. We only managed to escape by taking their queen hostage."

"The monsters betrayed us? Wait…" Mars' eyes widened as a deep feeling of dread clutched his heart. "... w-where's dad?"

"Your highness…"

"Dad…?" Mars pushed past the squire and rushed towards the medical carriage. "Dad...? Dad...?! DAD!"

No magic on Mewni was greater than Comet

And his kitchen creations,

But he was defeated by Taffy,

Lizard princess of the dark monster nations.

Author's notes: And so ends the reign of Comet, the Chef. Next, we'll see how his son deals with the consequences of his past mistakes. I'm sure we all saw this coming, so I hope I made things extra spicy by throwing in a DOUBLE betrayal! As always, read and review!