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Part of Mickey’s renewed plan to stop being selfish and think of the world around him involved worrying just as much about Horace as the rest of the servants. It’d been several days now, and no one had seen him. The Queen had sent out guards to search for him, but no clues had turned up. Everyone tried to hope for the best despite how long it had been. Minnie managed to continue her lessons, and had also finally dropped off her locket to the local blacksmith to get it repaired. The questions surrounding Segreto poked and prodded at her, but she never had a good time to bring it up again, as far as she believed.

That day had brought about heavy clouds that threatened rain, but never let loose a single drop. Occasional peaks of sunlight broke through, nearly becoming beacons of heaven’s glory as they graced the kingdom. Due to the unpredictably of that day’s weather, Minnie decided that the day’s lessons would be held indoors entirely, just in case. However, she decided to take a different route throughout the castle’s complex hallways in order to give Segreto a different sense of scenery. This hallway had the specialty of stain-glass windows, each one depicting different stories of times long passed.

He had always been fascinated these windows, and as she walked she had to stop every so often to check behind her to see if Segreto was following her or was admiring the windows. Perhaps a month or two ago, she would had admonished him with a snippy tone, but in the short time she had gotten to know him, he had nestled deeply into her heart and refused to budge. Now when she patiently waited for him to catch up, she wore a bemused expression, and was more than happy to explain the origin of each window. “The royal guards told me these stories.” She told him, their footsteps echoing back and forth in the empty hallway. “And they were told by their elders, and so on, and so forth. That’s how stories are supposed to work, of course. You tell the young ones so they live with it, and can pass it down to their own.”

Segreto nodded with a sweet smile of understanding. Minnie had learned to pick up on certain facial features of him. One such example was the certain way his smile would perk to a side – that meant he was looking forward to hearing more of her past. He showed that perkiness now, and Minnie quickly turned her face away from him. She knew about his body tics, but not the reason behind them. Why was he so utterly curious about her every step? She was nothing more than a simple lady-in-waiting to Her Highness. Yet ever since this mute mouse had literally stumbled into her life, he wanted to be at her side constantly. This obsession with her, combined with his lack of a voice, and his secret origins… he was a mystery in every meaning of the word. His name was apt now more than ever, and even as she felt closer to understanding him, the truth still seemed so far away.

“These are my favorites.” She spoke again once she was confident. “They’re stories about the ocean. They’re many of them in the library.” Mickey’s eyes widened, and he was easily distracted by the windows they were upon. Blues and greens mixed together as they depicted images of unique fish swimming around imagined corals. There were strange creatures that appeared to be half mortal and half fish, swimming to the surface to lure their love from boats above. “There are so many legends sailors bring home from the ocean… and even though so many are impossible, how much do we really know about the sea?” Minnie noticed that some of the clouds were parting off in the distance. “It seems so endless. I don’t think we can ever really explore all of it… and maybe that’s for the best. Don’t you?” She looked to him, but for once, she was not the center of his attention.

His eyes were locked onto the oceanic window, as frozen in time as the images. The sun peaked through the clouds, casting light through the window, and the sea hues of beauty delicately rested on his face. In his eyes were reflected the very depths of the ocean, both enriching and sad at the same time. In that instant, he appeared to be royalty, regal, something more than mortal understanding. In the span of seconds, that one memory came over Minnie’s eyes - sad eyes, trapped under the forbidden ocean, unable to breathe, cold lips…

Her lungs seized up, as during her pause she had somehow stopped breathing, and the memory shattered back to being forgotten. She coughed twice, and when she looked up, Segreto was his normal unique self, and the sunlight was gone. His arms reached over to her, grabbing her by the shoulders and looking her over in worry. She gently gave him a small push, embarrassed. “No, no, I’m fine… I was just watching you.” Segreto became equally embarrassed, scratching the back of his head and offering a small glance back at the windows. “You just seemed very… sad.”

They both looked at the windows now, side by side. “… May I ask you something?” Segreto nodded, once again his attention full on her and nothing else. “Does this… remind you of home?” She knew nothing of his home, but that kind of sadness emitting from him seemed to be connected to a feeling of something lost. Segreto reacted with widened eyes, surprised that he had been so obvious. He bit his lip, looking down, and then nodded solemnly. “Do you miss it?”

Minnie had expected just another nod, since of course anyone would miss their home. Yet when Segreo met her eyes, he was momentarily lost in thought. There was change in his eyes, trying to make a decision. There was an answer he didn’t want to know. Minnie could never guess at the heavy choices weighed in his heart, and the sacrifices he had made for the sake of following true love. There was a tremble in his body, seen in a fight to hold back tears. Then, suddenly, his arms lashed out, and she was forced into his tight embrace. She squeaked, surprised, but instead of shoving off his odd affections as always, she found herself going still as she felt his shakes. He was in a pain she could never fathom.

Slowly, unsure of what else to do, she returned his hold, as if to comfort a crying child. Perhaps, like she, he had lost his family? That all ties to his bloodline were also gone forever? Maybe all along he had been able to sense a similar sadness in her, and sought her out in an effort to ease one another. It was all guesswork. “It’ll be all right.” She finally spoke again, quietly. “You’re not alone. You’re never truly alone.” Her Highness had given Minnie the same words when she became an orphan, and never did she think she would repeat them to another for the same effect.

She felt his warm cheek brush by her own when he pulled back. She had expected to see comfort in him, and she did, but it was in amidst an overpowering expression of devotion, centered entirely around her. Typically he was prone to stares of cheerful admiration, and boyish glances of crushes and flirtations. Yet whenever they were alone and he had her all to himself, his eyes would swallow her up in this state of eternal longing that she couldn’t begin to grasp at understanding. It was if he existed only for her, and that to look upon her was one of life’s greatest treasures. Such moments left her as speechless as he was.

His hands touched her cheeks, tilting her head upwards. For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her again – it seemed like centuries ago when he had that obsession with kissing, quickly taking her lips and then touching the scar on his throat, looking quizzical and disappointed and ignoring the yelling punishments for such invasions of personal space. That was not his aim this time, though. Instead his kiss was to her forehead, and she felt a wave of gratitude flow through his lips to her. She swallowed hard – had she actually been disappointed that it not been her lips? No, no, surely not! This was just… unexpected. That was all.

“You’re… w-welcome.” She stammered once he released her, and she was quick to turn her back to him. “Yes, well… we must get going. We’re going to have little time for your lessons if we keep wasting time like this.” She hurriedly went down the hallway, her dress in her hands, desperately trying to drown out the sound of her beating heart. What would have happened if she allowed herself to remain in his arms any longer? To even think the question was blasphemous. Yet the thought lingered.

Mickey watched her leave, and then settled for one last look at the windows. He knew the scar would still be there, yet he tugged down on his clothes to feel it under his fingers. He was so lost in his past that he didn’t hear the relieved cries up ahead until the third time.

“Horace! You’re back!”

Up ahead, Minnie was looking into the throne room, as several maids and servants flocked in to see their good friend. Mickey jogged over to catch up, glad that his last worry was laid to rest. He put the useless sadness of his scar behind him, catching Minnie’s relieved sigh. He took her by the hand, and led her inside, glad that balance had been restored.

But when he looked inside the throne room, his past found him instead.

There, standing beside Horace, was the Sea Wizard. He smiled as calmly and naturally as if had belonged there all along, no gills on his throat and his robes far more regal than before. Black insignias covered his white clothes like ink stains on paper, and the overwhelming amount of violet was now only in his eyes. Horace’s own eyes appeared to be dull, shaded over in darkness. He bowed to the Queen, ignoring all of the maids around him. “My apologies for my prolonged absence, your highness… When I was inspecting the boardwalk, I fell and injured my head. This brave gentleman found me, and stayed by my side until I was well again. I owe him my life.”

The wizard laughed, a hand under his chin. “Come now, Horace, it was a bump on the head. I am only grateful I could escort you home and meet your famous Queen.” He bowed deeply, arm under his chest. “My name is Macchia Nera. I have gone far and wide in my travels, searching for a place to call home. I was almost going to make the mistake of passing this beautiful kingdom by, when I found this poor young man.”

Mickey darted his eyes around, but the only window in the room was the gigantic set behind the throne, and that wasn’t able to show a single tree. There was no way his time could already be up! Surely only a few leaves had begun to fall! He couldn’t be here to collect the debt! He shook in place, missing Minnie’s concern for him.

Sitting in her throne, the Queen nodded her head once Macchia’s story had finished. “You have our gratitude, Sir Nera. For aiding my servant and returning him home, name your reward. Kindness of any length should always be rewarded.”

Macchia stood back up, almost pushing Horace aside to take several steps forward. “Then I ask only two things… The first, to be given stay here in your glorious kingdom.”

“Why, of course.” Millicent replied, waving a hand aside. “We welcome everyone to live here, saviors or not.”

“Then my second request will sound most unusual, I imagine.” He chuckled, smoothing out his thin mustache. “My strengths are lacking, and my skills are worse… but there is one thing I have always been able to take pride in. If you will allow me, your highness… may I sing for you?”

The Queen tilted her head for a moment, but then gestured forward with her hand. “What a lovely sentiment. Please, feel free to share your song with us. It has been so long since I have been able to hear such a thing. The honor would be all mine.”

Realization hit Mickey harder than a punch to the face. He grasped at the scar of his neck – his voice had not been destroyed, but handed over! The wizard now had the merfolk’s powerful voice that could take over a mortal’s mind and have them do their bidding! He looked around wildly, but how was he supposed to warn anyone? The maids looked eager to see what would come from the handsome man’s throat, but Minnie was touching Mickey’s arm. “Segreto, what’s the matter? You look so afraid…”

As the wizard – Macchia?! He had a name?! – opened his mouth, Mickey knew he had no chance of saving everyone right now. All he could do was stick his fingers deeply into his ears, trying to block out all sounds. Minnie tried to ask again what was going on, and Daisy was chiding him for being so rude.

Mickey had never paid attention to his voice, and his singing lessons were a terrible bore. Regret filled every bone in his body. If only he had been a better student, maybe he could have remembered how to cure this venomous singing! But in his deaf state, all he could do was watch Macchia belt out his mystical voice, the faces of everyone starting to change. Much like Horace, their eyes began to dull in color, and their arms fell to their sides. They stared in unison, losing all traces of emotion and thought as they listened to him. Mickey helplessly tried to nudge Minnie with his leg, but she didn’t move, no matter how hard he pushed. As far as the hypnotized victims were concerned, the only thing that mattered was Macchia and his singing.

Even the Queen had clearly fallen under the same trance, her body falling into a slump on the throne. She started to loosen her grip on the staff – the same staff that, as Mickey recalled, the Queen had never let go, not even when she was hugging her precious Minnie. As it started to fall from her fingers, Mickey dashed forward, running while still plugged up, and only popped out his fingers from his ears to catch the staff in the last second. Thankfully Macchia had allowed himself to be interrupted, closing his mouth as he smiled wickedly at Mickey.

All of the victims simultaneously looked up, surprised that the song had ended. Some of the color had returned to their eyes, but a hint of dullness remained, as the maids started to applaud, cheering how beautiful his performance was, how amazing Maccia was, and begging him to stay in the castle. The Queen released a heavy sigh, as if awakening from a peaceful slumber, before noticing her empty hand. She jerked, and quickly grabbed it from Mickey, gripping it tightly all over again. “My… goodness. Thank you, Segreto.” Then, easily ignoring him, she stood up and started to walk down the velvet stairs. “And thank you, Sir Nera… thank you for gracing us with something so beautiful. In all my life, I’ve never heard anything like it.”

Macchia bowed again, but kept his eyes on the Queen – more specifically her staff, as Mickey noticed. “It was my pleasure. Sharing my talent like that is my single greatest joy. Music has such a wonderful way of bringing people together, don’t you think?”

“Yes…” Millicent had a hand to her chest, breathing softly. “Yes, it does… About your stay here… it must be in the castle, here, with us.”

Mickey scrambled to get down the stairs, meeting Millicent at the bottom. He tugged on her dress, flailing to point at the scar of his neck. Millicent looked down, and gave Mickey a pat on the head. “It looks like our dear Segreto wishes you to stay as well.”

Mickey’s jaw dropped – there was no way she could misinterpret his panic and fear. It must have been the song, dulling everyone’s senses to Mickey’s actions. Macchia was amused, stroking the ends of his mustache. “So this is Segreto… Horace has told me so much about him. Perhaps he could show me my new living arrangements.”

Mickey frantically shook his head to Millicent, trying to make a big X out of his arms to veto the idea. But his silent pleas went ignored as she nodded, giving him a gentle push forward on his shoulder. “What a splendid idea. Segreto, by now you should know this place better than any maid. And once he’s settled in…” She faced Macchia again, her voice soft and tender as she had only shown one other man before. “… He can grace us with another song.”

“It would be my pleasure.” Macchia grabbed Mickey by the shoulder, fingers painfully jabbing in. Mickey had no choice but to start walking, and no one was stopping them. Minnie and Daisy merely waved him goodbye, arms moving like that of a marionette. He didn’t dare look at Macchia as they entered the hallway, and so he headed back for his room, his heart ready to explode out of his chest. Despite the good deed Macchia had done for him by turning him human, there was absolutely no good reason to enchant the entire castle. The wizard said nothing on their walk, but Mickey could feel the same awful smile boring into his back.

Mickey carefully opened his door, and when his fish friends saw who came in with Mickey, they started to swim around in fear, thereby increasing Mickey’s own fright. Macchia released Mickey and shut the door behind him. “Now now, why all the unhappy faces? I brought you back together, and I mean you no harm, as long as we all get along.”

‘Back together’? Mickey looked at the fish bowl, then back to Macchia. Macchia calmly began to stride over to the fish bowl. “I guess you could say I’m a stickler for details… everything has to be planned, even the most wild of circumstances, including what happens to a few meddlesome fish who should stay out of other people’s business.” He stuck a finger into the bowl, and the three family fish backed up as far as they could to avoid it as he moved it around in the water. “Shame about the big fellow… he managed to get away. He would have made a delicious snack.”

Mickey’s fear began to be overshadowed by his anger, and he bore his sharp teeth, wondering if he could perhaps intimidate Macchia as he did Mortimer. Alas, this only got a hearty chuckle out of the wizard. “You must be impatient for answers… no, I’m not here to give you back your merman form. In fact, as far as I’m concerned, you have plenty of time to attain love’s true kiss, and keep that body for the rest of your days. You and your Minnie can live happily ever after.”

Mickey was reminded of back when he first met Macchia, about the deal that was too good to be true. Back then, Mickey took it without much questioning. But he wasn’t going to make the same mistake, he wasn’t going to be selfish and act only for himself. He stomped on the floor once, indicating he wasn’t budging without an explanation.

Macchia tsked, slowing down his finger. “Well, if you insist, I could tell you why I’m here… but with those shameful eyes, I have to wonder what you’d believe. Maybe this should come from a more trustful source.” He then grabbed Marlin, and after a brief glow of violet light, he yanked the fish from the water, pressing hard onto his gills.

Marlin gasped and spoke! “M-Mickey!” he gagged, needing water, but tried to speak as much as he could. “You have to get away from him! This guy’s going to take over the land and water! If he gets his hands on that staff, we’re all-” Macchia then dropped him back into the bowl. He was forced to be quiet again, as Dory and Nemo held him close.

“More or less.” Macchia added on, snapping his fingers to get rid of droplets of water. “I have big plans for her highness, and thanks to you and your voice, everything will go as it should. I’ll get my powers back, and my rightful place as ruler. You can be a good little citizen and subject yourself to my will. It’s not as much world domination, as it is the world being handed over to me.”

Mickey was stunned to hear it all, but he wasn’t going to let it overwhelm him. There was no way anyone was going dethrone anyone else! He tried to charge at Macchia with his hands stretched outward, but Macchian grabbed him by the throat, and with impossible strength began to lift Mickey up. “And here I thought Daisy was making you in a gentleman.” Mickey began to stop resisting as horror crept in. “Yes, I’ve been watching you for a while, Mickey… I know exactly who means what to you. So don’t go getting any dumb ideas. Remember our deal? What would happen if you dared reveal your connection to me?”

The color drained from Mickey’s face, but his mouth opened and closed in rapid thought. There had to be a loophole, there had to be a way to warn everyone without losing his legs. In the next second, he found himself slammed into the wall, Macchia keeping him pinned there. “I can see your clever mind at work, dear… nephew. And rest assured, if you try to stop my master plan in any way, I won’t just turn you back into a merman.” His grip tightened, and his smile grew, taking sadistic delight in Mickey’s panic. “Before that, I will erase every trace of you from their memories. The Queen, Donald, Goofy, Daisy, and yes, your darling Minnie… every single one of them will forget you! Every moment, every touch, I will make it so it never happened at all! You won’t even be recalled in dreams!”

All of the strength in Mickey’s body was drained at once. There were no loopholes or escape strategies with that threat. That wasn’t an ‘if’ situation. Macchia could make that happen, there was no doubt about it. Mickey’s arms began to fall at his sides as every sweet memory he had made during his time on land was now threatened to be extinguished. Every one of Minnie’s lessons, playing with the schoolchildren, Daisy’s dancing, Donald and Goofy and Pluto and the Queen, every good time with them be gone. To be forgotten all over again – the very idea of it was enough to bring tears to Mickey’s eyes. He could not stand to lose his friends after all they had been through.

Satisfied with Mickey’s misery, Macchia let the boy drop to the ground, and then stepped away from him. “I’m glad we could come to an agreement. Why don’t you take a moment to clean your face? You’re a mess… and I need to find myself a good room.” He walked to the door, waving goodbye. “Not to worry, I won’t stay there long. The Queen’s chambers will welcome me soon enough.”

Mickey didn’t bother to move as the door closed and Macchia’s footsteps echoed away. Nor did he bother to move as Nemo, Dory and Marlin tried to signal for him, wanting to help. Mickey sat with his sins, going through imagined scenarios of every friend asking ‘Who are you’? What was the point of existing if everyone you cared for didn’t even know who you were? Faced with the disgust of his selfishness and his love for the land, Mickey stayed on the floor, hugging his knees as rain began to pour outside.

~*~

For the next two days, Mickey was afraid to leave his room. He lived in fear of upsetting Macchia and having his friends memories utterly destroyed. Yet he also could not convey to anyone why he was so afraid, lest the same consequences arrive. Minnie asked again and again why Mickey wouldn’t leave, and all she got was a distant, pained look in his eyes. She settled for giving him his lessons in his room, while keeping him updated about the going-ons of the castle. Macchia was constantly with the Queen, so Minnie said, and singing to her every chance he took. Some of the maids tried to follow them around in order to hear more of his magnificent voice.

But Minnie noticed whenever she spoke of Macchia, Segreto appeared to clench up, holding something back in the depths of his stomach. Minnie had only heard Macchia sing once, and so after a few times of mentioning his name and noticing Segreto’s discomfort decided to simply not mention him again. After all, there were more important things to talk about. For starters, about his mysterious origins that she had yet to pry out of him. The rain had continued on this bleary day, and Minnie had put down her chalk to sit on the bed next to Segreto. “Maybe when the rain clears up, we can walk outside.” She suggested, hoping to cheer him up. “Have you ever watched anyone bake something before?”

He lifted his head, grateful for the distraction. He hadn’t, and began to scribble what few letters he knew onto his notebook, holding it out for Minnie. ‘B-A-K-E-R-Y?’

Minnie shook her head, smiling as she gently pushed the notebook down. “No, we won’t go there to watch. I want to bake something myself. It’s not something I do too often… but it’d be a nice lesson for the both of us. And then you can have all you like of what I make.”

A hint of a smile crept onto Segreto’s face, clearly liking the idea. He thought, and then wrote again. ‘C-H-E-R-R-Y P-I-E’. Next to it he made a comical drawing of Goofy, slightly exaggerating his long ears and teeth. Minnie looked over to see the finished product, and a musical giggle bounced out of her. “My goodness, yes! We should definitely share it with Goofy! I feel like we haven’t seen him in ages.”

Segreto flipped the page and drew once more, tapping on the finished word with his pencil. ‘I-D-E-A?’

“How did I come up with the idea?” Minnie interpreted. “It was Daisy, actually, who gave me the idea.” She looked away, embarrassed by what had happened. “She said any girl who wants to get a rich husband should be able to cook with rich flour. Honestly, can you believe her? Sometimes I think she wants me to get married more than she wants to do it herself.”

Mickey thought he’d heard that word more than once – marry, marriage, married. It seemed to be something vastly important with the young girls of the kingdom. He tapped on Minnie’s shoulder, which had become his symbol when he wanted clarification. Minnie looked back towards him, trying to figure out which word he wanted a better explanation of. “… Married? You don’t know what that is either?”

When Segreto shook his head, Minnie felt a shy lump start to form in her throat. Her eyes went down, and she twiddled her thumbs as she came up with the best she could. “It’s… well… it’s a very special ceremony between two people. It tells everyone in the world that they love each other, and they will always love each other. They exchange rings as a symbol of their bond. And everything that they own will be shared.”

What a pleasant thing, Mickey thought. It sounded very similar to mating rituals under the sea, and then his tail started to flick about as he entertained ideas and feelings he hadn’t touched in a long time. Since he could no longer do the sea rituals, perhaps he could do this ‘marry’ thing with Minnie sometime. He tapped her shoulder again, wanting to hear more about it. Minnie’s cheeks started to burn even more. “I haven’t really been to many myself, but… you wear the rings on this finger.” She held up her hand, pointing out the special intended finger. “And you announce vows in front of everyone there. You talk about how much you love that person, how you met, what made you fall in love…”

Segreto’s smile began to droop into a troublesome frown. Obviously he could speak in public, and Minnie fumbled to correct herself. “It doesn’t have to be that way exactly! When you get married, I’m sure you’ll be allowed to write them out!”

Segreto raised an eyebrow at her, an Minnie realized her word folly. “… If… I meant if! If you get married! I don’t know if you would or not…” But Segreto wasn’t going to let it go, judging from that playful smirk. He leaned sideways toward Minnie, hands pressed together, enjoying Minnie’s desperate attempts to get mad at him. “Don’t you think I’ve forgotten those kisses! You still have a lot to learn before you can get married to anyone… And who says I wanted to get married to you?” She turned her head away, but Segreto continued to lean on her, and she knew him well enough to assume he hadn’t stopped beaming. “Who says I like you at all, you silly little boy? Maybe I don’t, have you ever thought about that?”

It was a pathetic attempt on her part, given how her mouth was making a shaky smile. Segreto poked and prodded at her cheek to point out her smile. She was just too adorable, that was the problem. “Quit it! Q-quit it! I don’t like you at all!” Segreto tossed his notebook away and now began poking Minnie all over, finding her ticklish areas. Minnie erupted in laughter, falling backwards, kicking her small feet around. “You’re terrible! I’m not going to bake anything for you! Knock it off!” She rolled onto her stomach, laughing into her arms. Segreto scooped her up and had her sit on his lap, where she twisted and giggled until she wore herself out.

Once she had collected her breath, she made no move to leave his arms. Instead, she made herself comfortable, a hand on his chest and her head on his shoulder. She would have been content to stay like that until she felt Segreto kiss her forehead. That familiar sensation brought her way back to the beginning, and she shyly looked up at him, unsure of how to approach the subject. “So, maybe… I like you, a little… after I got to know you… but… what about you? … If you like me, then… when? When did you start to…” She swallowed, as if afraid that saying the word love would make it more real than she was prepared for. “I was thinking for a long time, you must have liked me when you first saw me… and that was why you kissed me, but… that wasn’t when you first saw me.”

Segreto’s hand took hers, and he kissed the top of it. He smiled at her, and Minnie pulled his hand closer to her. “You’ve known me for a while, but even after all this time, I feel like I’m only just catching up. Is it really… possible… to like someone, even if you don’t know that much about them?” But while her lips spoke one thing, her mind was asking another. Was there a difference in how kisses felt when it was wanted by both parties? It had become so very warm in the room, and he was so very gentle, and he was so very close. She was scared, but felt a strange sort of pleasure from the fear, daring to try something new, and she closed her eyes, waiting.

Three sounds came in rapid succession after each other. The first was the knock to the door, the second was the Queen’s voice “Minnie, are you in there?” and the third was Minnie falling onto the floor. This time she and Mickey wore equal expressions of annoyance on their faces, but it was only Mickey making obscene gestures with his fingers in frustration. Minnie managed to get up and smoothed down her dress. “Coming, your highness.” She opened the door, and curtseyed to her superior.

Millicent chuckled underneath her veil. “My apologies for the interruption… but I have wonderful news to give to the entire kingdom, and I cannot do it if you are not here.”

Minnie was flattered of course, but that didn’t wash away her confusion. “… All of a sudden? Right this moment?” If the Queen was going to make a royal declaration to the people, that tended to take time and planning.

The Queen nodded, holding out her hand for Minnie to take. “It cannot wait. It must be said as soon as possible… I have the guards gathering everyone outside. I’m almost fit to burst!” Without waiting for another moment, she began to walk away with Minnie. Mickey followed, supposing he could always catch up on what they were doing after this little oddity was done with. Most of the maids and servants were gathered at the front door, equally confused as Minnie. Daisy herself shrugged when Minnie looked at her. Mickey wasn’t paying too much attention, figuring it was perhaps some new law being put into effect. The doors opened, showing the gathered townspeople – and Macchia.

In that instant Mickey’s terror returned, and he instinctively grabbed Minnie’s hand, afraid to lose her. As the Queen began to walk outside, she let go of Minnie’s hand. She stood beside Macchia, linking hands and arms with him as the crowd of people bowed and curtseyed at her presence. “Thank you all for arriving so quickly.” Millicent began, bowing her head in return. “I know this is sudden, but I assure you, I would not have acted this way if I did not want to share my joy with all of you. Soon, you will all get to know Sir Macchia Nera and love him as deeply as I do. For he shall be your new king, and my new husband, tomorrow night.”

If there was a world record for simultaneous jaw drops, then the Nereid Kingdom set it that day, as every man, woman and child gaped in awe at the announcement – Mickey included. Even as Macchia put an arm around the Queen to hold her close and stroke her veil, there was not a doubt in Mickey’s mind that the wizard had no love for Millicent. The audience uneasily started to applaud, looking over at each other as if their neighbor had an explanation for this incredibly quick proposal. Some of the maids were more jubilant in their congratulations, no doubt thanks to the influence of Macchia’s constant singing. Mickey uneasily watched the unnatural couple, but as his eyes fell upon Millicent’s staff, his heart seized in place.

Whatever belonged to one, would now also belong to the other. Marlin had used his only chance to speak in order to warn that Macchia must not get his hands on that staff. The world moved on without him, as Millicent continued to announce preparations for the wedding – it would be held within the castle, and everyone was welcome to attend. He couldn’t listen, too lost in his mind. If Macchia wanted the staff so badly, why go to these odd lengths? Why not use his magic to forcibly take it himself? Yet Mickey knew he could not ask Marlin, or even understand any of his answers anymore. He was only snapped out of his frantic thoughts when Millicent had approached the mice, lightly touching Minnie’s cheek. “And naturally, you would be my maid of honor. I couldn’t even dream of getting married without my dearest Minnie near my side.”

Minnie had needed some time to let the announcement sink in as well, and as a result she blinked five times in rapid succession before acknowledging what Millicent had said. “M-Maid of… If you wish for it, my lady, I will do it, but…” She did her best to avoid looking at Macchia, despite how he was looking at her. “It has hardly been a week… Are you sure you wish to marry him?”

“I have rarely been so certain in all of my life.” Millicent replied without a beat of hesitation. “Love works in mysterious ways, after all. I don’t want to waste another day being known as anything else but Queen Millicent Nera.” More applause, stronger this time, rang out through the townspeople. Soon people began coming forward, offering their profoundest wishes to the couple. Macchia basked in the glory, while Millicent shook hands and thanked them for their kindness. An awkward line formed, and Mickey could not feel the will to move anywhere in his body. Minnie was looking to him for comfort, but it was something he could not provide.

Minnie made a tiny gasp, causing Mickey to finally notice that Goofy was in the crowd. He hadn’t joined the line, standing off to a side as Pluto whined at his feet. Instead of his usual droopiness and tilted limbs, ready to trip over any second, he was frozen and rigid in one shape. A lump the size of an apple wiggled in his throat, and then was swallowed down, as Goofy grabbed his hat to cover his now welling up eyes. Pluto’s black tail fell down, but then his head whipped around to glare hotly at Macchia. The pet arched its shoulders, startling to snarl at the supposed new king.

Goofy took a step backwards, ready to leave, but Pluto began to bark wildly, charging through the crowd and heading right towards Macchia. Mickey found fuel in fear, as he sprinted away from Minnie, hoping to stop Pluto before he incurred the wizard’s wrath. He tackled down the dog, to the gasp of others, but Pluto continued to claw at the ground, snapping his teeth and barking with hot spit at Macchia, who only frowned as specks of spittle flew onto his shoes. The crowd backed away as Mickey formed a reluctant headlock around Pluto’s neck, struggling to drag him away.

“Pluto! Knock it off! Down boy, I said down!” Goofy jogged up to the disaster, and he knelt before his friend, grabbing Pluto by the muzzle to force him into silence. “That ain’t like ya at all, now quit it! Bad! Give the fella an apology!” He forced Pluto to bow his head down, and the canine began to quiet, whimpering at his master’s voice. Mickey let him go, sighing with relief that they managed to stop him.

Goofy took off his hat, looking up at the superior couple. “I’m real sorry, he ain’t like that usually! Musta gotten inta a bad mood… but it ain’t no excuse. The both of us are sorry.” He tried to keep focus on only Macchia, but he could not resist looking at the Queen, and Mickey could practically feel pain echoing off of Goofy. “I… Um… I’m, uh…real… happy fer ya, yer highness. I hope he makes yah happy. Cause he’s about ta become the luckiest fella in the whole wide world.” He smiled, which confused Mickey most of all. How in the world was Goofy smiling at this situation? Hadn’t he and the Queen spent so much time together? Hadn’t they meant something to one another?

Millicent herself said nothing, but Mickey could make out movement underneath the veil. It was difficult to tell what it was, exactly, but it was not anything confident or planned. It was if she was procrastinating on giving him any kind of answer, unsure herself of how to react. Her fingers began to flex, but then Macchia held onto her even tighter, getting her back into place. “Duly appreciated, I’m sure.” Macchia shook his foot, trying to get the bits of spittle off. “But in anticipation of all the change that will take place when I rule…” he reached down, and picked up Pluto by the collar, causing the dog to yip and yap while trying to move about. “I’d rather not have such disgusting behavior present at my wedding. Consider the mutt and the bigger mutt banned.” He then haplessly tossed the dog at Goofy, and while Goofy caught his friend, they both tumbled to the ground. “In fact, a lot of you aren’t going to be able the castle willy-nilly anymore. This is royalty, not a playground. I’ll fill you all in on the big changes after the wedding. Now, go off and do whatever it is that peasants do.” With a flourish of his hair, he headed back inside, tugging Millicent along, and though she turned to face Goofy once more she still said nothing.

With the two disappearing back into the hallways, both servant and townsfolk erupted in talk, talking about what to wear and what to bring, gossiping about what sort of fellow this Macchia must be. Goofy had managed to sit up by this time, and now he was surrounded by Mickey, Minnie, Daisy and Donald who had caught up to them in the mess. No one was sure to say first, if there was anything that could be said at all. Eventually Donald made an attempt. “Aw, weddings are dull anyway. You wouldn’t want to go. I’ll probably sleep through the entire thing.”

“I feel uneasy about the whole thing.” Minnie confessed, lingering back to the doorway. “I mean, the man seemed nice enough when he first came here, but to marry someone so quickly…” she reached over to pet Pluto, making sure he wasn’t injured. Pluto licked her hand, whining again. “And you were spending so much time together… I thought you two were… well, you know…”

Goofy put his hat atop his head, smiling again in that impossible way Mickey didn’t understand. “We were just friends, that’s all. I mean… it’d be dumb for a lady like that ta be with any kinda fella like mahself. Sides, that Macchia guy musta made her super happy ta make her wanna marry him right away.” He stood up, dusting himself off as if he was chipper and cheery as he had always been. “I couldn’t afford ta give her no fancy weddin’ gift either, so bein’ banned, shucks, just gives me more time ta fish. I ain’t been doin’ that much as I ought ta.” He stretched a bit, rubbing his eyes afterward. “Now, whatcha standin’ around here fer? Ain’t ya got dresses and tux’s ta wear? Tomorrow evenin’s already gettin’ closer with every word we say!”

Daisy played with her hair, as uncomfortable with it as her friends. “… You know, we could always… hang out afterwards. We’ll slip out, no one will even notice.” She paused. “… You will clean up your house so it doesn’t smell like gross fish, right?” Minnie elbowed her for the remark. “What? If I’m going to comfort him, I don’t want to be gagging the entire time!”

Mickey was the last one to offer something, and since he had no words of consolation, the most he could do was open his arms for a hug. Goofy bent down to take it, giving Mickey an appreciative pat on the back. “Ya’ll are worryin’ too much. But if ya really wanna come on down, I ain’t gunna stop ya. Gosh, I’ll get us a real big catch, and we’ll have a swell dinner! Yer gunna be full for days!” He chuckled, and then pulled away, snapping his fingers to signal to Pluto. “We all got a bunch ta prepare for. I’ll see ya’ll tomorrow!” He then turned on his heel, hands in his pockets, whistling about how the world owed him a living.

The friends watched him walk away, with Donald letting out a huge sigh of air. “Either that guy’s the greatest actor the world’s ever known, or his heart flip flips more than his legs do.”

“He has a point, though.” Daisy shrugged. “The Queen has to be doing this because she’s happy. Why else would she marry him? The tailor’s going to be busy all day making dresses for everyone, we’d better get there first before a long line forms.”

Minnie frowned, crossing her arms deeply. “… I’ll just wear my uniform.” Three heads swiveled to look at her, all equally surprised. “… It just doesn’t feel right. There is no way anyone could fall in love that fast. I’ve known her majesty long enough to know how she thinks and feels, and she’d never drop Goofy like a used shoe. I’m going to the wedding, but I can’t find any honor in being her maid of honor.” Then she took Mickey’s hand, making him forced to face her fully. “You agree with me, don’t you?”

Mickey was startled that his opinion was so desired. In another time and another moment, he would relish in this and agreed with her instantly. But he knew information she did not, and again the threat of being forgotten increased his cowardice. He wanted to console Goofy better, and warn his friends, but the echoes of his own family asking who he was repeated endlessly before his eyes. He was swallowed up by his despair, and so he dropped Minnie’s hand, not wanting to see how she reacted to it. He was a terrible person. No matter how hard he had tried to change things, he was still a terrible, selfish person. He could feel of their eyes on him and his despair grew more and more until it threatened to devour him entirely.

He started to run back into the castle, ignoring Minnie calling after him. He raced back to his room, slamming the door behind him, and dropped to his knees, clutching his head. The loudest place in the world was within in his own mind, memories mixing in with his own voice condemning for what he did do and what he could not do. He locked the door so he would not be disturbed, and he despaired, and he despaired, and he despaired.

He slept.

~*~

Starting from the early hours of the morning, almost every single person in the castle was busy with preparations for the wedding. The chefs toiled over perfectly precise meals and the maids hung freshly picked flowers from the walls. Blindingly white decorations and clothes were chosen by hand, and volunteers from the town brought in chairs and pews to fill up the throne room. No one could afford to stop and think what they were doing, which was a blessing for several of them. No one dared to voice how quick and strange the entire thing was, as they voiced the same mindset as Goofy – as long as this was the Queen’s decision, how could it possibly be wrong? It was not their business to question.

Yet Minnie stood outside of Segreto’s doorway, wanting to get confirmation for her own paranoia. As she had promised the other day, she had not bought a fancy new dress or even a new bow. Her maid uniform was good enough for this confusing spectacle. She would still attend the wedding, but she wanted company, and the only company she thought she could confide in wasn’t responding to her. She knocked again and again, but got nothing in return. “Segreto, please.” She begged, leaning on the door. “I know you must feel the same way I do over all this. The way we met, all we’ve been through… you know better than everyone what it’s like to instantly care for someone. Won’t you just listen to me…?”

Over and over she tried to appeal to him, but she did not know she was speaking to no one. Inside the room was a glass bowl of worried fish, and beside them an open window.

End Of Chapter Six.

Description
Part of Mickey’s renewed plan to stop being selfish and think of the world around him involved worrying just as much about Horace as the rest of the servants. It’d been several days now, and no one had seen him. The Queen had sent out guards to search for him, but no clues had turned up. Everyone tried to hope for the best despite how long it had been. Minnie managed to continue her lessons, and had also finally dropped off her locket to the local blacksmith to get it repaired. The questions surrounding Segreto poked and prodded at her, but she never had a good time to bring it up again, as far as she believed.

That day had brought about heavy clouds that threatened rain, but never let loose a single drop. Occasional peaks of sunlight broke through, nearly becoming beacons of heaven’s glory as they graced the kingdom. Due to the unpredictably of that day’s weather, Minnie decided that the day’s lessons would be held indoors entirely, just in case. However, she decided to take a different route throughout the castle’s complex hallways in order to give Segreto a different sense of scenery. This hallway had the specialty of stain-glass windows, each one depicting different stories of times long passed.

He had always been fascinated these windows, and as she walked she had to stop every so often to check behind her to see if Segreto was following her or was admiring the windows. Perhaps a month or two ago, she would had admonished him with a snippy tone, but in the short time she had gotten to know him, he had nestled deeply into her heart and refused to budge. Now when she patiently waited for him to catch up, she wore a bemused expression, and was more than happy to explain the origin of each window. “The royal guards told me these stories.” She told him, their footsteps echoing back and forth in the empty hallway. “And they were told by their elders, and so on, and so forth. That’s how stories are supposed to work, of course. You tell the young ones so they live with it, and can pass it down to their own.”

Segreto nodded with a sweet smile of understanding. Minnie had learned to pick up on certain facial features of him. One such example was the certain way his smile would perk to a side – that meant he was looking forward to hearing more of her past. He showed that perkiness now, and Minnie quickly turned her face away from him. She knew about his body tics, but not the reason behind them. Why was he so utterly curious about her every step? She was nothing more than a simple lady-in-waiting to Her Highness. Yet ever since this mute mouse had literally stumbled into her life, he wanted to be at her side constantly. This obsession with her, combined with his lack of a voice, and his secret origins… he was a mystery in every meaning of the word. His name was apt now more than ever, and even as she felt closer to understanding him, the truth still seemed so far away.

“These are my favorites.” She spoke again once she was confident. “They’re stories about the ocean. They’re many of them in the library.” Mickey’s eyes widened, and he was easily distracted by the windows they were upon. Blues and greens mixed together as they depicted images of unique fish swimming around imagined corals. There were strange creatures that appeared to be half mortal and half fish, swimming to the surface to lure their love from boats above. “There are so many legends sailors bring home from the ocean… and even though so many are impossible, how much do we really know about the sea?” Minnie noticed that some of the clouds were parting off in the distance. “It seems so endless. I don’t think we can ever really explore all of it… and maybe that’s for the best. Don’t you?” She looked to him, but for once, she was not the center of his attention.

His eyes were locked onto the oceanic window, as frozen in time as the images. The sun peaked through the clouds, casting light through the window, and the sea hues of beauty delicately rested on his face. In his eyes were reflected the very depths of the ocean, both enriching and sad at the same time. In that instant, he appeared to be royalty, regal, something more than mortal understanding. In the span of seconds, that one memory came over Minnie’s eyes - sad eyes, trapped under the forbidden ocean, unable to breathe, cold lips…

Her lungs seized up, as during her pause she had somehow stopped breathing, and the memory shattered back to being forgotten. She coughed twice, and when she looked up, Segreto was his normal unique self, and the sunlight was gone. His arms reached over to her, grabbing her by the shoulders and looking her over in worry. She gently gave him a small push, embarrassed. “No, no, I’m fine… I was just watching you.” Segreto became equally embarrassed, scratching the back of his head and offering a small glance back at the windows. “You just seemed very… sad.”

They both looked at the windows now, side by side. “… May I ask you something?” Segreto nodded, once again his attention full on her and nothing else. “Does this… remind you of home?” She knew nothing of his home, but that kind of sadness emitting from him seemed to be connected to a feeling of something lost. Segreto reacted with widened eyes, surprised that he had been so obvious. He bit his lip, looking down, and then nodded solemnly. “Do you miss it?”

Minnie had expected just another nod, since of course anyone would miss their home. Yet when Segreo met her eyes, he was momentarily lost in thought. There was change in his eyes, trying to make a decision. There was an answer he didn’t want to know. Minnie could never guess at the heavy choices weighed in his heart, and the sacrifices he had made for the sake of following true love. There was a tremble in his body, seen in a fight to hold back tears. Then, suddenly, his arms lashed out, and she was forced into his tight embrace. She squeaked, surprised, but instead of shoving off his odd affections as always, she found herself going still as she felt his shakes. He was in a pain she could never fathom.

Slowly, unsure of what else to do, she returned his hold, as if to comfort a crying child. Perhaps, like she, he had lost his family? That all ties to his bloodline were also gone forever? Maybe all along he had been able to sense a similar sadness in her, and sought her out in an effort to ease one another. It was all guesswork. “It’ll be all right.” She finally spoke again, quietly. “You’re not alone. You’re never truly alone.” Her Highness had given Minnie the same words when she became an orphan, and never did she think she would repeat them to another for the same effect.

She felt his warm cheek brush by her own when he pulled back. She had expected to see comfort in him, and she did, but it was in amidst an overpowering expression of devotion, centered entirely around her. Typically he was prone to stares of cheerful admiration, and boyish glances of crushes and flirtations. Yet whenever they were alone and he had her all to himself, his eyes would swallow her up in this state of eternal longing that she couldn’t begin to grasp at understanding. It was if he existed only for her, and that to look upon her was one of life’s greatest treasures. Such moments left her as speechless as he was.

His hands touched her cheeks, tilting her head upwards. For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her again – it seemed like centuries ago when he had that obsession with kissing, quickly taking her lips and then touching the scar on his throat, looking quizzical and disappointed and ignoring the yelling punishments for such invasions of personal space. That was not his aim this time, though. Instead his kiss was to her forehead, and she felt a wave of gratitude flow through his lips to her. She swallowed hard – had she actually been disappointed that it not been her lips? No, no, surely not! This was just… unexpected. That was all.

“You’re… w-welcome.” She stammered once he released her, and she was quick to turn her back to him. “Yes, well… we must get going. We’re going to have little time for your lessons if we keep wasting time like this.” She hurriedly went down the hallway, her dress in her hands, desperately trying to drown out the sound of her beating heart. What would have happened if she allowed herself to remain in his arms any longer? To even think the question was blasphemous. Yet the thought lingered.

Mickey watched her leave, and then settled for one last look at the windows. He knew the scar would still be there, yet he tugged down on his clothes to feel it under his fingers. He was so lost in his past that he didn’t hear the relieved cries up ahead until the third time.

“Horace! You’re back!”

Up ahead, Minnie was looking into the throne room, as several maids and servants flocked in to see their good friend. Mickey jogged over to catch up, glad that his last worry was laid to rest. He put the useless sadness of his scar behind him, catching Minnie’s relieved sigh. He took her by the hand, and led her inside, glad that balance had been restored.

But when he looked inside the throne room, his past found him instead.

There, standing beside Horace, was the Sea Wizard. He smiled as calmly and naturally as if had belonged there all along, no gills on his throat and his robes far more regal than before. Black insignias covered his white clothes like ink stains on paper, and the overwhelming amount of violet was now only in his eyes. Horace’s own eyes appeared to be dull, shaded over in darkness. He bowed to the Queen, ignoring all of the maids around him. “My apologies for my prolonged absence, your highness… When I was inspecting the boardwalk, I fell and injured my head. This brave gentleman found me, and stayed by my side until I was well again. I owe him my life.”

The wizard laughed, a hand under his chin. “Come now, Horace, it was a bump on the head. I am only grateful I could escort you home and meet your famous Queen.” He bowed deeply, arm under his chest. “My name is Macchia Nera. I have gone far and wide in my travels, searching for a place to call home. I was almost going to make the mistake of passing this beautiful kingdom by, when I found this poor young man.”

Mickey darted his eyes around, but the only window in the room was the gigantic set behind the throne, and that wasn’t able to show a single tree. There was no way his time could already be up! Surely only a few leaves had begun to fall! He couldn’t be here to collect the debt! He shook in place, missing Minnie’s concern for him.

Sitting in her throne, the Queen nodded her head once Macchia’s story had finished. “You have our gratitude, Sir Nera. For aiding my servant and returning him home, name your reward. Kindness of any length should always be rewarded.”

Macchia stood back up, almost pushing Horace aside to take several steps forward. “Then I ask only two things… The first, to be given stay here in your glorious kingdom.”

“Why, of course.” Millicent replied, waving a hand aside. “We welcome everyone to live here, saviors or not.”

“Then my second request will sound most unusual, I imagine.” He chuckled, smoothing out his thin mustache. “My strengths are lacking, and my skills are worse… but there is one thing I have always been able to take pride in. If you will allow me, your highness… may I sing for you?”

The Queen tilted her head for a moment, but then gestured forward with her hand. “What a lovely sentiment. Please, feel free to share your song with us. It has been so long since I have been able to hear such a thing. The honor would be all mine.”

Realization hit Mickey harder than a punch to the face. He grasped at the scar of his neck – his voice had not been destroyed, but handed over! The wizard now had the merfolk’s powerful voice that could take over a mortal’s mind and have them do their bidding! He looked around wildly, but how was he supposed to warn anyone? The maids looked eager to see what would come from the handsome man’s throat, but Minnie was touching Mickey’s arm. “Segreto, what’s the matter? You look so afraid…”

As the wizard – Macchia?! He had a name?! – opened his mouth, Mickey knew he had no chance of saving everyone right now. All he could do was stick his fingers deeply into his ears, trying to block out all sounds. Minnie tried to ask again what was going on, and Daisy was chiding him for being so rude.

Mickey had never paid attention to his voice, and his singing lessons were a terrible bore. Regret filled every bone in his body. If only he had been a better student, maybe he could have remembered how to cure this venomous singing! But in his deaf state, all he could do was watch Macchia belt out his mystical voice, the faces of everyone starting to change. Much like Horace, their eyes began to dull in color, and their arms fell to their sides. They stared in unison, losing all traces of emotion and thought as they listened to him. Mickey helplessly tried to nudge Minnie with his leg, but she didn’t move, no matter how hard he pushed. As far as the hypnotized victims were concerned, the only thing that mattered was Macchia and his singing.

Even the Queen had clearly fallen under the same trance, her body falling into a slump on the throne. She started to loosen her grip on the staff – the same staff that, as Mickey recalled, the Queen had never let go, not even when she was hugging her precious Minnie. As it started to fall from her fingers, Mickey dashed forward, running while still plugged up, and only popped out his fingers from his ears to catch the staff in the last second. Thankfully Macchia had allowed himself to be interrupted, closing his mouth as he smiled wickedly at Mickey.

All of the victims simultaneously looked up, surprised that the song had ended. Some of the color had returned to their eyes, but a hint of dullness remained, as the maids started to applaud, cheering how beautiful his performance was, how amazing Maccia was, and begging him to stay in the castle. The Queen released a heavy sigh, as if awakening from a peaceful slumber, before noticing her empty hand. She jerked, and quickly grabbed it from Mickey, gripping it tightly all over again. “My… goodness. Thank you, Segreto.” Then, easily ignoring him, she stood up and started to walk down the velvet stairs. “And thank you, Sir Nera… thank you for gracing us with something so beautiful. In all my life, I’ve never heard anything like it.”

Macchia bowed again, but kept his eyes on the Queen – more specifically her staff, as Mickey noticed. “It was my pleasure. Sharing my talent like that is my single greatest joy. Music has such a wonderful way of bringing people together, don’t you think?”

“Yes…” Millicent had a hand to her chest, breathing softly. “Yes, it does… About your stay here… it must be in the castle, here, with us.”

Mickey scrambled to get down the stairs, meeting Millicent at the bottom. He tugged on her dress, flailing to point at the scar of his neck. Millicent looked down, and gave Mickey a pat on the head. “It looks like our dear Segreto wishes you to stay as well.”

Mickey’s jaw dropped – there was no way she could misinterpret his panic and fear. It must have been the song, dulling everyone’s senses to Mickey’s actions. Macchia was amused, stroking the ends of his mustache. “So this is Segreto… Horace has told me so much about him. Perhaps he could show me my new living arrangements.”

Mickey frantically shook his head to Millicent, trying to make a big X out of his arms to veto the idea. But his silent pleas went ignored as she nodded, giving him a gentle push forward on his shoulder. “What a splendid idea. Segreto, by now you should know this place better than any maid. And once he’s settled in…” She faced Macchia again, her voice soft and tender as she had only shown one other man before. “… He can grace us with another song.”

“It would be my pleasure.” Macchia grabbed Mickey by the shoulder, fingers painfully jabbing in. Mickey had no choice but to start walking, and no one was stopping them. Minnie and Daisy merely waved him goodbye, arms moving like that of a marionette. He didn’t dare look at Macchia as they entered the hallway, and so he headed back for his room, his heart ready to explode out of his chest. Despite the good deed Macchia had done for him by turning him human, there was absolutely no good reason to enchant the entire castle. The wizard said nothing on their walk, but Mickey could feel the same awful smile boring into his back.

Mickey carefully opened his door, and when his fish friends saw who came in with Mickey, they started to swim around in fear, thereby increasing Mickey’s own fright. Macchia released Mickey and shut the door behind him. “Now now, why all the unhappy faces? I brought you back together, and I mean you no harm, as long as we all get along.”

‘Back together’? Mickey looked at the fish bowl, then back to Macchia. Macchia calmly began to stride over to the fish bowl. “I guess you could say I’m a stickler for details… everything has to be planned, even the most wild of circumstances, including what happens to a few meddlesome fish who should stay out of other people’s business.” He stuck a finger into the bowl, and the three family fish backed up as far as they could to avoid it as he moved it around in the water. “Shame about the big fellow… he managed to get away. He would have made a delicious snack.”

Mickey’s fear began to be overshadowed by his anger, and he bore his sharp teeth, wondering if he could perhaps intimidate Macchia as he did Mortimer. Alas, this only got a hearty chuckle out of the wizard. “You must be impatient for answers… no, I’m not here to give you back your merman form. In fact, as far as I’m concerned, you have plenty of time to attain love’s true kiss, and keep that body for the rest of your days. You and your Minnie can live happily ever after.”

Mickey was reminded of back when he first met Macchia, about the deal that was too good to be true. Back then, Mickey took it without much questioning. But he wasn’t going to make the same mistake, he wasn’t going to be selfish and act only for himself. He stomped on the floor once, indicating he wasn’t budging without an explanation.

Macchia tsked, slowing down his finger. “Well, if you insist, I could tell you why I’m here… but with those shameful eyes, I have to wonder what you’d believe. Maybe this should come from a more trustful source.” He then grabbed Marlin, and after a brief glow of violet light, he yanked the fish from the water, pressing hard onto his gills.

Marlin gasped and spoke! “M-Mickey!” he gagged, needing water, but tried to speak as much as he could. “You have to get away from him! This guy’s going to take over the land and water! If he gets his hands on that staff, we’re all-” Macchia then dropped him back into the bowl. He was forced to be quiet again, as Dory and Nemo held him close.

“More or less.” Macchia added on, snapping his fingers to get rid of droplets of water. “I have big plans for her highness, and thanks to you and your voice, everything will go as it should. I’ll get my powers back, and my rightful place as ruler. You can be a good little citizen and subject yourself to my will. It’s not as much world domination, as it is the world being handed over to me.”

Mickey was stunned to hear it all, but he wasn’t going to let it overwhelm him. There was no way anyone was going dethrone anyone else! He tried to charge at Macchia with his hands stretched outward, but Macchian grabbed him by the throat, and with impossible strength began to lift Mickey up. “And here I thought Daisy was making you in a gentleman.” Mickey began to stop resisting as horror crept in. “Yes, I’ve been watching you for a while, Mickey… I know exactly who means what to you. So don’t go getting any dumb ideas. Remember our deal? What would happen if you dared reveal your connection to me?”

The color drained from Mickey’s face, but his mouth opened and closed in rapid thought. There had to be a loophole, there had to be a way to warn everyone without losing his legs. In the next second, he found himself slammed into the wall, Macchia keeping him pinned there. “I can see your clever mind at work, dear… nephew. And rest assured, if you try to stop my master plan in any way, I won’t just turn you back into a merman.” His grip tightened, and his smile grew, taking sadistic delight in Mickey’s panic. “Before that, I will erase every trace of you from their memories. The Queen, Donald, Goofy, Daisy, and yes, your darling Minnie… every single one of them will forget you! Every moment, every touch, I will make it so it never happened at all! You won’t even be recalled in dreams!”

All of the strength in Mickey’s body was drained at once. There were no loopholes or escape strategies with that threat. That wasn’t an ‘if’ situation. Macchia could make that happen, there was no doubt about it. Mickey’s arms began to fall at his sides as every sweet memory he had made during his time on land was now threatened to be extinguished. Every one of Minnie’s lessons, playing with the schoolchildren, Daisy’s dancing, Donald and Goofy and Pluto and the Queen, every good time with them be gone. To be forgotten all over again – the very idea of it was enough to bring tears to Mickey’s eyes. He could not stand to lose his friends after all they had been through.

Satisfied with Mickey’s misery, Macchia let the boy drop to the ground, and then stepped away from him. “I’m glad we could come to an agreement. Why don’t you take a moment to clean your face? You’re a mess… and I need to find myself a good room.” He walked to the door, waving goodbye. “Not to worry, I won’t stay there long. The Queen’s chambers will welcome me soon enough.”

Mickey didn’t bother to move as the door closed and Macchia’s footsteps echoed away. Nor did he bother to move as Nemo, Dory and Marlin tried to signal for him, wanting to help. Mickey sat with his sins, going through imagined scenarios of every friend asking ‘Who are you’? What was the point of existing if everyone you cared for didn’t even know who you were? Faced with the disgust of his selfishness and his love for the land, Mickey stayed on the floor, hugging his knees as rain began to pour outside.

~*~

For the next two days, Mickey was afraid to leave his room. He lived in fear of upsetting Macchia and having his friends memories utterly destroyed. Yet he also could not convey to anyone why he was so afraid, lest the same consequences arrive. Minnie asked again and again why Mickey wouldn’t leave, and all she got was a distant, pained look in his eyes. She settled for giving him his lessons in his room, while keeping him updated about the going-ons of the castle. Macchia was constantly with the Queen, so Minnie said, and singing to her every chance he took. Some of the maids tried to follow them around in order to hear more of his magnificent voice.

But Minnie noticed whenever she spoke of Macchia, Segreto appeared to clench up, holding something back in the depths of his stomach. Minnie had only heard Macchia sing once, and so after a few times of mentioning his name and noticing Segreto’s discomfort decided to simply not mention him again. After all, there were more important things to talk about. For starters, about his mysterious origins that she had yet to pry out of him. The rain had continued on this bleary day, and Minnie had put down her chalk to sit on the bed next to Segreto. “Maybe when the rain clears up, we can walk outside.” She suggested, hoping to cheer him up. “Have you ever watched anyone bake something before?”

He lifted his head, grateful for the distraction. He hadn’t, and began to scribble what few letters he knew onto his notebook, holding it out for Minnie. ‘B-A-K-E-R-Y?’

Minnie shook her head, smiling as she gently pushed the notebook down. “No, we won’t go there to watch. I want to bake something myself. It’s not something I do too often… but it’d be a nice lesson for the both of us. And then you can have all you like of what I make.”

A hint of a smile crept onto Segreto’s face, clearly liking the idea. He thought, and then wrote again. ‘C-H-E-R-R-Y P-I-E’. Next to it he made a comical drawing of Goofy, slightly exaggerating his long ears and teeth. Minnie looked over to see the finished product, and a musical giggle bounced out of her. “My goodness, yes! We should definitely share it with Goofy! I feel like we haven’t seen him in ages.”

Segreto flipped the page and drew once more, tapping on the finished word with his pencil. ‘I-D-E-A?’

“How did I come up with the idea?” Minnie interpreted. “It was Daisy, actually, who gave me the idea.” She looked away, embarrassed by what had happened. “She said any girl who wants to get a rich husband should be able to cook with rich flour. Honestly, can you believe her? Sometimes I think she wants me to get married more than she wants to do it herself.”

Mickey thought he’d heard that word more than once – marry, marriage, married. It seemed to be something vastly important with the young girls of the kingdom. He tapped on Minnie’s shoulder, which had become his symbol when he wanted clarification. Minnie looked back towards him, trying to figure out which word he wanted a better explanation of. “… Married? You don’t know what that is either?”

When Segreto shook his head, Minnie felt a shy lump start to form in her throat. Her eyes went down, and she twiddled her thumbs as she came up with the best she could. “It’s… well… it’s a very special ceremony between two people. It tells everyone in the world that they love each other, and they will always love each other. They exchange rings as a symbol of their bond. And everything that they own will be shared.”

What a pleasant thing, Mickey thought. It sounded very similar to mating rituals under the sea, and then his tail started to flick about as he entertained ideas and feelings he hadn’t touched in a long time. Since he could no longer do the sea rituals, perhaps he could do this ‘marry’ thing with Minnie sometime. He tapped her shoulder again, wanting to hear more about it. Minnie’s cheeks started to burn even more. “I haven’t really been to many myself, but… you wear the rings on this finger.” She held up her hand, pointing out the special intended finger. “And you announce vows in front of everyone there. You talk about how much you love that person, how you met, what made you fall in love…”

Segreto’s smile began to droop into a troublesome frown. Obviously he could speak in public, and Minnie fumbled to correct herself. “It doesn’t have to be that way exactly! When you get married, I’m sure you’ll be allowed to write them out!”

Segreto raised an eyebrow at her, an Minnie realized her word folly. “… If… I meant if! If you get married! I don’t know if you would or not…” But Segreto wasn’t going to let it go, judging from that playful smirk. He leaned sideways toward Minnie, hands pressed together, enjoying Minnie’s desperate attempts to get mad at him. “Don’t you think I’ve forgotten those kisses! You still have a lot to learn before you can get married to anyone… And who says I wanted to get married to you?” She turned her head away, but Segreto continued to lean on her, and she knew him well enough to assume he hadn’t stopped beaming. “Who says I like you at all, you silly little boy? Maybe I don’t, have you ever thought about that?”

It was a pathetic attempt on her part, given how her mouth was making a shaky smile. Segreto poked and prodded at her cheek to point out her smile. She was just too adorable, that was the problem. “Quit it! Q-quit it! I don’t like you at all!” Segreto tossed his notebook away and now began poking Minnie all over, finding her ticklish areas. Minnie erupted in laughter, falling backwards, kicking her small feet around. “You’re terrible! I’m not going to bake anything for you! Knock it off!” She rolled onto her stomach, laughing into her arms. Segreto scooped her up and had her sit on his lap, where she twisted and giggled until she wore herself out.

Once she had collected her breath, she made no move to leave his arms. Instead, she made herself comfortable, a hand on his chest and her head on his shoulder. She would have been content to stay like that until she felt Segreto kiss her forehead. That familiar sensation brought her way back to the beginning, and she shyly looked up at him, unsure of how to approach the subject. “So, maybe… I like you, a little… after I got to know you… but… what about you? … If you like me, then… when? When did you start to…” She swallowed, as if afraid that saying the word love would make it more real than she was prepared for. “I was thinking for a long time, you must have liked me when you first saw me… and that was why you kissed me, but… that wasn’t when you first saw me.”

Segreto’s hand took hers, and he kissed the top of it. He smiled at her, and Minnie pulled his hand closer to her. “You’ve known me for a while, but even after all this time, I feel like I’m only just catching up. Is it really… possible… to like someone, even if you don’t know that much about them?” But while her lips spoke one thing, her mind was asking another. Was there a difference in how kisses felt when it was wanted by both parties? It had become so very warm in the room, and he was so very gentle, and he was so very close. She was scared, but felt a strange sort of pleasure from the fear, daring to try something new, and she closed her eyes, waiting.

Three sounds came in rapid succession after each other. The first was the knock to the door, the second was the Queen’s voice “Minnie, are you in there?” and the third was Minnie falling onto the floor. This time she and Mickey wore equal expressions of annoyance on their faces, but it was only Mickey making obscene gestures with his fingers in frustration. Minnie managed to get up and smoothed down her dress. “Coming, your highness.” She opened the door, and curtseyed to her superior.

Millicent chuckled underneath her veil. “My apologies for the interruption… but I have wonderful news to give to the entire kingdom, and I cannot do it if you are not here.”

Minnie was flattered of course, but that didn’t wash away her confusion. “… All of a sudden? Right this moment?” If the Queen was going to make a royal declaration to the people, that tended to take time and planning.

The Queen nodded, holding out her hand for Minnie to take. “It cannot wait. It must be said as soon as possible… I have the guards gathering everyone outside. I’m almost fit to burst!” Without waiting for another moment, she began to walk away with Minnie. Mickey followed, supposing he could always catch up on what they were doing after this little oddity was done with. Most of the maids and servants were gathered at the front door, equally confused as Minnie. Daisy herself shrugged when Minnie looked at her. Mickey wasn’t paying too much attention, figuring it was perhaps some new law being put into effect. The doors opened, showing the gathered townspeople – and Macchia.

In that instant Mickey’s terror returned, and he instinctively grabbed Minnie’s hand, afraid to lose her. As the Queen began to walk outside, she let go of Minnie’s hand. She stood beside Macchia, linking hands and arms with him as the crowd of people bowed and curtseyed at her presence. “Thank you all for arriving so quickly.” Millicent began, bowing her head in return. “I know this is sudden, but I assure you, I would not have acted this way if I did not want to share my joy with all of you. Soon, you will all get to know Sir Macchia Nera and love him as deeply as I do. For he shall be your new king, and my new husband, tomorrow night.”

If there was a world record for simultaneous jaw drops, then the Nereid Kingdom set it that day, as every man, woman and child gaped in awe at the announcement – Mickey included. Even as Macchia put an arm around the Queen to hold her close and stroke her veil, there was not a doubt in Mickey’s mind that the wizard had no love for Millicent. The audience uneasily started to applaud, looking over at each other as if their neighbor had an explanation for this incredibly quick proposal. Some of the maids were more jubilant in their congratulations, no doubt thanks to the influence of Macchia’s constant singing. Mickey uneasily watched the unnatural couple, but as his eyes fell upon Millicent’s staff, his heart seized in place.

Whatever belonged to one, would now also belong to the other. Marlin had used his only chance to speak in order to warn that Macchia must not get his hands on that staff. The world moved on without him, as Millicent continued to announce preparations for the wedding – it would be held within the castle, and everyone was welcome to attend. He couldn’t listen, too lost in his mind. If Macchia wanted the staff so badly, why go to these odd lengths? Why not use his magic to forcibly take it himself? Yet Mickey knew he could not ask Marlin, or even understand any of his answers anymore. He was only snapped out of his frantic thoughts when Millicent had approached the mice, lightly touching Minnie’s cheek. “And naturally, you would be my maid of honor. I couldn’t even dream of getting married without my dearest Minnie near my side.”

Minnie had needed some time to let the announcement sink in as well, and as a result she blinked five times in rapid succession before acknowledging what Millicent had said. “M-Maid of… If you wish for it, my lady, I will do it, but…” She did her best to avoid looking at Macchia, despite how he was looking at her. “It has hardly been a week… Are you sure you wish to marry him?”

“I have rarely been so certain in all of my life.” Millicent replied without a beat of hesitation. “Love works in mysterious ways, after all. I don’t want to waste another day being known as anything else but Queen Millicent Nera.” More applause, stronger this time, rang out through the townspeople. Soon people began coming forward, offering their profoundest wishes to the couple. Macchia basked in the glory, while Millicent shook hands and thanked them for their kindness. An awkward line formed, and Mickey could not feel the will to move anywhere in his body. Minnie was looking to him for comfort, but it was something he could not provide.

Minnie made a tiny gasp, causing Mickey to finally notice that Goofy was in the crowd. He hadn’t joined the line, standing off to a side as Pluto whined at his feet. Instead of his usual droopiness and tilted limbs, ready to trip over any second, he was frozen and rigid in one shape. A lump the size of an apple wiggled in his throat, and then was swallowed down, as Goofy grabbed his hat to cover his now welling up eyes. Pluto’s black tail fell down, but then his head whipped around to glare hotly at Macchia. The pet arched its shoulders, startling to snarl at the supposed new king.

Goofy took a step backwards, ready to leave, but Pluto began to bark wildly, charging through the crowd and heading right towards Macchia. Mickey found fuel in fear, as he sprinted away from Minnie, hoping to stop Pluto before he incurred the wizard’s wrath. He tackled down the dog, to the gasp of others, but Pluto continued to claw at the ground, snapping his teeth and barking with hot spit at Macchia, who only frowned as specks of spittle flew onto his shoes. The crowd backed away as Mickey formed a reluctant headlock around Pluto’s neck, struggling to drag him away.

“Pluto! Knock it off! Down boy, I said down!” Goofy jogged up to the disaster, and he knelt before his friend, grabbing Pluto by the muzzle to force him into silence. “That ain’t like ya at all, now quit it! Bad! Give the fella an apology!” He forced Pluto to bow his head down, and the canine began to quiet, whimpering at his master’s voice. Mickey let him go, sighing with relief that they managed to stop him.

Goofy took off his hat, looking up at the superior couple. “I’m real sorry, he ain’t like that usually! Musta gotten inta a bad mood… but it ain’t no excuse. The both of us are sorry.” He tried to keep focus on only Macchia, but he could not resist looking at the Queen, and Mickey could practically feel pain echoing off of Goofy. “I… Um… I’m, uh…real… happy fer ya, yer highness. I hope he makes yah happy. Cause he’s about ta become the luckiest fella in the whole wide world.” He smiled, which confused Mickey most of all. How in the world was Goofy smiling at this situation? Hadn’t he and the Queen spent so much time together? Hadn’t they meant something to one another?

Millicent herself said nothing, but Mickey could make out movement underneath the veil. It was difficult to tell what it was, exactly, but it was not anything confident or planned. It was if she was procrastinating on giving him any kind of answer, unsure herself of how to react. Her fingers began to flex, but then Macchia held onto her even tighter, getting her back into place. “Duly appreciated, I’m sure.” Macchia shook his foot, trying to get the bits of spittle off. “But in anticipation of all the change that will take place when I rule…” he reached down, and picked up Pluto by the collar, causing the dog to yip and yap while trying to move about. “I’d rather not have such disgusting behavior present at my wedding. Consider the mutt and the bigger mutt banned.” He then haplessly tossed the dog at Goofy, and while Goofy caught his friend, they both tumbled to the ground. “In fact, a lot of you aren’t going to be able the castle willy-nilly anymore. This is royalty, not a playground. I’ll fill you all in on the big changes after the wedding. Now, go off and do whatever it is that peasants do.” With a flourish of his hair, he headed back inside, tugging Millicent along, and though she turned to face Goofy once more she still said nothing.

With the two disappearing back into the hallways, both servant and townsfolk erupted in talk, talking about what to wear and what to bring, gossiping about what sort of fellow this Macchia must be. Goofy had managed to sit up by this time, and now he was surrounded by Mickey, Minnie, Daisy and Donald who had caught up to them in the mess. No one was sure to say first, if there was anything that could be said at all. Eventually Donald made an attempt. “Aw, weddings are dull anyway. You wouldn’t want to go. I’ll probably sleep through the entire thing.”

“I feel uneasy about the whole thing.” Minnie confessed, lingering back to the doorway. “I mean, the man seemed nice enough when he first came here, but to marry someone so quickly…” she reached over to pet Pluto, making sure he wasn’t injured. Pluto licked her hand, whining again. “And you were spending so much time together… I thought you two were… well, you know…”

Goofy put his hat atop his head, smiling again in that impossible way Mickey didn’t understand. “We were just friends, that’s all. I mean… it’d be dumb for a lady like that ta be with any kinda fella like mahself. Sides, that Macchia guy musta made her super happy ta make her wanna marry him right away.” He stood up, dusting himself off as if he was chipper and cheery as he had always been. “I couldn’t afford ta give her no fancy weddin’ gift either, so bein’ banned, shucks, just gives me more time ta fish. I ain’t been doin’ that much as I ought ta.” He stretched a bit, rubbing his eyes afterward. “Now, whatcha standin’ around here fer? Ain’t ya got dresses and tux’s ta wear? Tomorrow evenin’s already gettin’ closer with every word we say!”

Daisy played with her hair, as uncomfortable with it as her friends. “… You know, we could always… hang out afterwards. We’ll slip out, no one will even notice.” She paused. “… You will clean up your house so it doesn’t smell like gross fish, right?” Minnie elbowed her for the remark. “What? If I’m going to comfort him, I don’t want to be gagging the entire time!”

Mickey was the last one to offer something, and since he had no words of consolation, the most he could do was open his arms for a hug. Goofy bent down to take it, giving Mickey an appreciative pat on the back. “Ya’ll are worryin’ too much. But if ya really wanna come on down, I ain’t gunna stop ya. Gosh, I’ll get us a real big catch, and we’ll have a swell dinner! Yer gunna be full for days!” He chuckled, and then pulled away, snapping his fingers to signal to Pluto. “We all got a bunch ta prepare for. I’ll see ya’ll tomorrow!” He then turned on his heel, hands in his pockets, whistling about how the world owed him a living.

The friends watched him walk away, with Donald letting out a huge sigh of air. “Either that guy’s the greatest actor the world’s ever known, or his heart flip flips more than his legs do.”

“He has a point, though.” Daisy shrugged. “The Queen has to be doing this because she’s happy. Why else would she marry him? The tailor’s going to be busy all day making dresses for everyone, we’d better get there first before a long line forms.”

Minnie frowned, crossing her arms deeply. “… I’ll just wear my uniform.” Three heads swiveled to look at her, all equally surprised. “… It just doesn’t feel right. There is no way anyone could fall in love that fast. I’ve known her majesty long enough to know how she thinks and feels, and she’d never drop Goofy like a used shoe. I’m going to the wedding, but I can’t find any honor in being her maid of honor.” Then she took Mickey’s hand, making him forced to face her fully. “You agree with me, don’t you?”

Mickey was startled that his opinion was so desired. In another time and another moment, he would relish in this and agreed with her instantly. But he knew information she did not, and again the threat of being forgotten increased his cowardice. He wanted to console Goofy better, and warn his friends, but the echoes of his own family asking who he was repeated endlessly before his eyes. He was swallowed up by his despair, and so he dropped Minnie’s hand, not wanting to see how she reacted to it. He was a terrible person. No matter how hard he had tried to change things, he was still a terrible, selfish person. He could feel of their eyes on him and his despair grew more and more until it threatened to devour him entirely.

He started to run back into the castle, ignoring Minnie calling after him. He raced back to his room, slamming the door behind him, and dropped to his knees, clutching his head. The loudest place in the world was within in his own mind, memories mixing in with his own voice condemning for what he did do and what he could not do. He locked the door so he would not be disturbed, and he despaired, and he despaired, and he despaired.

He slept.

~*~

Starting from the early hours of the morning, almost every single person in the castle was busy with preparations for the wedding. The chefs toiled over perfectly precise meals and the maids hung freshly picked flowers from the walls. Blindingly white decorations and clothes were chosen by hand, and volunteers from the town brought in chairs and pews to fill up the throne room. No one could afford to stop and think what they were doing, which was a blessing for several of them. No one dared to voice how quick and strange the entire thing was, as they voiced the same mindset as Goofy – as long as this was the Queen’s decision, how could it possibly be wrong? It was not their business to question.

Yet Minnie stood outside of Segreto’s doorway, wanting to get confirmation for her own paranoia. As she had promised the other day, she had not bought a fancy new dress or even a new bow. Her maid uniform was good enough for this confusing spectacle. She would still attend the wedding, but she wanted company, and the only company she thought she could confide in wasn’t responding to her. She knocked again and again, but got nothing in return. “Segreto, please.” She begged, leaning on the door. “I know you must feel the same way I do over all this. The way we met, all we’ve been through… you know better than everyone what it’s like to instantly care for someone. Won’t you just listen to me…?”

Over and over she tried to appeal to him, but she did not know she was speaking to no one. Inside the room was a glass bowl of worried fish, and beside them an open window.

End Of Chapter Six.