Disclaimer: I don't own TT or the tale of despereaux

Chapter Five: I honor you

"He simply cannot be my son," Gar's father said, stunned. He clutched his whiskers with his front paws and shook his head from side to side in despair.

"Of course hi is your son," said his wife. "what do you mean he is not your son? This is a ridiculous statement. Why must you always make the ridiculous statements?"

"You, this is your fault. Your mother was always a little off. Your family's blood has made him crazy."

"Mine? My blood? Why must it always be I who takes the blame? If your son is such the disappointment, it is as much your fault as min." she said and crossed her arms, turning her back on him.

"Well whoever's fault it is something must be done!" yelled the father. He pulled on a whisker so hard that it came loose. He waves the whisker over his head and then pointed it at his wife. "He will be the end of this mouse community. Sitting near a human princess, letting her touch him! Unbelievable, Unthinkable!"

"Always so dramatic," Gars mother said holding her paw out and studying her painted nails. "He is such a small mouse, how much harm could he do?"

"If there is one thing I have learned in this castle, it is that mice must act like mice or they are destined to bring trouble. I will call a meeting of the Mouse Council. Together we shall decide what will be done about your son Garverde."

Gar's mother ignored the statement about 'your son' "You and that council of the mouse. It is a waste of time."

"Don't you see? He must be punished. He has to be brought up before the tribunal." He pushed past her and dug furiously through a pile of paper scraps, until he uncovered a thimble with a piece of leather stretched across its open end.

"Not that accursed drum." His wife said, putting her paws over her ears.

"Yes, the drum is needed." He started to pound it; one long beat with his tail then two short ones with his paws. The rhythm of the drum was a signal for the members of the mouse council. It would let them know an important decision would have to be made.

What was our own favorite member of the mouse community doing while the sound of the Mouse Council drum echoed through the walls of the castle? For Mento hadn't seen the worst of it. Garverde sat with the princess while she played song after song, and at one point, Rae picked Gar up gently and put him on her shoulder, where he sat under her violet curtain of hair and looked down upon the keys, and up into her face in turn.

"I've never seen a mouse with pointed ears." She said at one point. "But then again I've never seen a green mouse before either." She didn't say it hurtfully, as Gar's relatives did, but as a compliment.

"Richard," Rae said after she finished a song by Chopin, "I am going to keep this mouse, and we will be great friends.

The king looked at Garverde nestling on his sisters shoulder. His eyes narrowed. "A mouse. That's a rodent."

"What?" Rae said shocked.

"Put it down so I can squash it!" He commanded.

"No, I won't, and you will not do such a thing either." She stood up.

"But It's a mouse!"

"I know that, I told you it was a mouse in the first place."

"I wasn't thinking."

"Of what?"

"Of Slade."

"Slade…" Rae said, looking into the distance.

"Mice are rodents, they are related to rats, you know how this castle feels about rats, we don't associate with them.

Rae shook her head. "He's not a rat, He's a mouse, there's a difference.

Richard shook his head, "He's related to Slade, Slade must die!" He yelled, lunging at Rae and knocking the small mouse off her shoulder, Gar fell to the piano, not seriously hurt, just surprised.

"Dude! What is your problem!" he said, but not loud enough to be noticed.

The king started towards the mouse but Rae held him back.

"Richard, stop acting like an obsessed lunatic!" She yelled.

Gar took the opportunity to run towards the hole in the wall. He turned one last time to see Rae kick the king, knocking him to the floor, and her defense for him broke his heart and made it swell from happiness at the same time. He broke the last of the great, ancient rules of mice. He spoke. To a human.

"Thank you!" He shouted.

"Don't speak to her you Slade lover!" The king yelled, and he was trying to get up, but being held down by the princess.

"My name is Garverde!" He yelled to the princess.

"Garverde?" She asked wrinkling her nose. "What a funny name."

"You can call me Gar!" He said with a smile.

The king tore away from Rae and started to crawl towards Gar.

"I honor you!" Gar shouted.

"I honor you" was what the knight said to the fair princess in the story that Garverde had read in the library. Gar had muttered this phrase to himself many a time, but he had never said it aloud, now that he said it to someone it took on a new taste in his mouth, one sweeter then before.

"Rawr!" Said the paranoid king.

"Dude, get a life!" Said Gar, disappearing into the hole. He looked back once he was safe, and saw the princess looking at him, right, directly into his soul.

"Garverde." She said, trying the name out again. He saw his name on her lips.

"I honor you." Gar whispered. "I honor you." He put a clawed green paw to his heart and bowed to the ground mocking the price in the story. He gave her a fleeting fanged smile and scurried away. He was a mouse deeply in love.

Like it? Love it? Hate it? You can tell me what you think with one click of a mouse and 10 seconds of your time! I hope you like the character development I gave to robin; I made him especially crazy for my favorite and only reviewer to this story; Strix Moonwing, thanks for all the support!