Lest We Forget

**"Lest We Forget"**is the twelfth episode of *War* and the 61st episode overall.

The episode was published on March 14, 2021.

In the episode, the War reaches a turning point, sending two royal families fleeing for their lives.

## Appendix

Episode Title Card**A:** Map of the War, 716**B:** Mallardian Royal Family, 716**C:** Willonian Royal Family, 716**D:** Simenese Republic, 716**E:** Beakfield Manor, Anatoidea, Mallardia**F:** Muzenzollern Castle, Mus, Willie**G:** Vinesteeple, Primatia, Simeone**I:** The House of Intended Design, Yefoxerinburg, Vulpus
## The Episode

*—Diary of Lana Loudoun—*

*-July 2, 716-*

*The horrific battle in Mallardia between the Granite Bloc and Summer Sun has at last turned in one of their favors. The unfortunate bit is that the favor lies with the Summer Sun. The foxes are marching on Anatoidea, and will be there by morning. The capital is completely surrounded. King Bacon has asked the country to wish for the safety of the royal family and every duck, for it is now apparent that Mallardia will fall. This will give the deer, foxes, and chipmunks the chance to attack Willie with all their might. They have already severed the train line and blockaded their ports.*

*We have a few photographs of the battles of these past few months. And I can barely describe them without feeling ill and mortified. But I shall.*

*The first was of a village in Mallardia being raided by foxes. They used guns, lances, and bombs to gain control. A mother was cradling her two dead ducklings, screaming. Blood was pouring from her head. Her face was turned to the sky, in disbelief that such evil is allowed on this earth. Behind her, a fox was aiming his gun at her.*

*The second depicted a naval battle in Amethyst Bay. Mallardian ships are sinking, and have not dealt enough damage to the superior Scuridian fleet to equalize the pain.*

*The last was the most jarring. It is from a prisoner-of-war camp in Cervidium, allegedly. Hundreds of soldiers propped against a wall, and all of them are decapitated. Their heads sit in their laps, eyes open, staring blankly at the camera. In the foreground, two deer are smiling, posing for the picture.*

*I’m sorry, I cannot write anymore. I’m too upset.*

—Beakfield Manor, Anatoidea, Mallardia—

—Kingdom of the Ducks—

-That Night-

There was no time to escape the city. The foxes overcame the trenches with such force and sudden ferocity that the window to flee rapidly closed, leaving everyone trapped in the capital. Hiding became the only solution. By nightfall, the foxes were already at the city limits.

Senator Jeanette Kinnar of the Mallardian Senate was on the committee to defend Anatoidea, though their mission had been a complete failure. The defenses were easily breached, and foxes were now upon the city. Screams were heard, flames lit the sky, and despair was ubiquitous.

The focus now turned to the royal family, whose escape was the utmost priority. A team had been assembled to smuggle King Swan XX, Queen Isadora, and Princess Bella out of Anatoidea via the sewers. Swan’s nephews, Bosworth and Albion, as well as Bosworth’s son Thomas, were supposed to accompany them.

As preparations were being finalized, Jeanette watched from one of the windows in the Gallery of Beakfield Manor as Anatoidea burned. The foxes would be at Beakfield in minutes. The royal residence was hardly a castle, more of a magnificent manor home. The river over which it spanned should have been a source of protection, but it could be attacked from either side.

The original Mallardian royal residence had been located in the center of Anatoidea, but was ugly and drafty. The Mallard family had it torn down four centuries ago and relocated to their summer house at Beakfield Manor.

Of course now the original castle would have been far preferable, with its fortified ramparts and tall tower walls. But dwelling on that would not save the King.

“She’s here!” Thomas Mallard, Bosworth’s eight-year-old boy screamed from the other end of the gallery. Jeanette turned to see him sprinting across the checkerboard tile, his father racing behind him.

“Who?” Jeanette asked.

“The Vixen Queen,” Bosworth panted.

Jeanette shuddered.

“How do you know?”

Thomas wrapped his little flippers around himself.

“She’s wearing a big pointy crown.”

“Where’s the King?” Jeanette asked Bosworth.

“My brother is helping him gather important documents. The guards will hold off the foxes as long as possible.”

Jeanette could hear bangs and cries on the floors below, and did not imagine that would last long.

“We have to go.”

The Senator, Bosworth, and Thomas hastened down the Gallery. As they neared the opposite side, its door opened and the royal family entered. King Swan XX, Queen Isadora, and 13-year-old Princess Bella Mallard.

“Albion’s gone down to the sewers,” Swan said. “He’s taken most of Mallardia’s documents with him. I just need to get the Granite Bloc docket out of my office.”

“Hurry,” Jeanette urged.

“The Vixen Queen is here,” Bosworth muttered. Isadora’s eyes widened. Swan raced to the middle of the Gallery, where his office was. He unlocked it and hurried inside. He emerged moments later with a thick folder.

“Go on!” he shouted. “To the sewers!”

Bosworth, Thomas, and Isadora went first. Bella, adorned in a modest navy dress, waited for her father. Jeanette stood beside her. Swan was locking his office. He strode to a cracked window and tossed the entire set of keys into the river.

Then, the Gallery’s door at the far end burst apart, shattered by an explosion. Jeanette and Bella backed through the other side’s archway. Swan knelt and slid the docket as far as he could toward his family.

“Go, Bella!” Jeanette cried, running forward to grab the docket. Bella was rooted where she stood.

“Dad!”

“BELLA!” Jeanette shrieked. “GO!”

When Jeanette reached the Princess, she was gazing with her mouth agape into the Gallery. And she had good reason. The Vixen Queen was at one end, and King Swan at the other.

Jeanette was frozen, unable to move though she desperately wanted to run. Bella was clinging on to her arm, equally terrified. The Gallery door was ajar just enough so they could see the scene, but perhaps not wide enough for the foxes to realize they were there.

“King Swan,” the Vixen Queen droned. She was holding a bloody sword. The crown atop her head was a dark metal—iron?—and nefariously sharp. She had a wave of soldiers behind her, staring down the King.

He just had to turn and run. He could make it to the door, and they could escape.

“Your family abandoned you,” the Vixen Queen taunted. Jeanette pulled Bella away from the cracked door and pressed on it gently so that it would close a bit more. Queen Vixen didn’t know they were there.

“My family has left the capital,” Swan replied. “They’ve already taken refuge in Simeone. Did you really think I’d keep them here?”

The Vixen Queen laughed, a chilling sound.

“Oh, Swan, dearest. You’re lying to me. Did I not just see the sweet Princess Bella running away from the Gallery?”

A pause.

“I think you’re mistaken. We have many young children here. Children I doubt you’ve had the heart to spare.”

The Queen scoffed.

“Do I have your surrender?”

“No, I don’t think so. You may control the capital, you may control all of Mallardia, but I will never yield to you.”

The Queen clucked her tongue in agitation. Jeanette wished she could see what was going on, but didn’t dare show herself. Her attempts to shoo Bella away to safety were for naught. The Princess was firmly pressing her own ear to the door.

“That’s a pity. Your stubbornness is the reason we’re here nine years on. If you had only agreed to the ultimatum…”

“That ultimatum was designed to be rejected. You wanted a much larger conflict, did you not?”

“I want only peace,” the Vixen Queen exclaimed. Jeanette harbored a deep contempt for her. She was vile.

“Now you’re lying,” Swan deadpanned. Jeanette could have cheered for him.

“Hmph,” the Vixen Queen huffed. “Where’s the Princess? And the others? Your cousins? You know it’s useless for you to resist now. I will have you exterminated.”

Jeanette glared at Bella and mouthed “run!” But she shook her head.

“Probably enjoying tea with Ham Mercury in Vinesteeple. I hear the Major of Simeone enjoys games. They might be playing one now.”

The Vixen Queen groaned.

“Swan, this is ridiculous. Fine, we’ll simply burn your city to the ground. But first, what to do with you?”

The King was quiet, and Jeanette sincerely hoped he was going to make a run for it. She lifted her ear from the door in case he barged into it. In her head, she laid out the map of Beakfield Manor and the route that would take her to the sewers.

A clang of metal hit the tile. Jeanette’s heart beat faster. What was that?

“Pick it up,” the Vixen Queen ordered. Jeanette and Bella locked eyes with each other.

“No,” came the King’s response.

A sword unsheathed. Bella squeezed Jeanette’s flipper so hard that it hurt.

“Pick it up, Swan. I challenge you to single combat.”

“Why?”

“Because,” the Vixen Queen yawned, “I enjoy the sport.”

“What would I have to gain from that? If I win, your army will still raze my city.”

“Ah,” the Vixen Queen sighed, “but wouldn’t you want the satisfaction of having my head right before losing your own?”

Jeanette heard enough. This was the King’s end, and she had to protect Bella. As she stepped away, yanking on Bella’s arm, she heard the King pick up the sword. The Vixen Queen let out a yell, and through the crack of the ajar door, Jeanette and Bella saw her impale the King of Mallardia.

Bella yelped a cry before Jeanette could clamp her mouth shut.

“Go,” the Vixen Queen said to her soldiers. “Find them and kill them all.”

Jeanette took off running, with Bella in tow. Their flippers were locked together.

“THERE!” a fox yelled behind them. Jeanette threw Bella into the stairwell.

“Run!” she hissed.

They tore down the stairs with abandon, not looking back. Jeanette was overcome with admiration for how swift Bella was moving even though she had just witnessed her father’s death.

“This way,” the Princess intoned, pulling Jeanette in a different direction. They entered the back staircase and descended to the servant’s quarters. Bella grabbed a key from a hook and unlocked a supply closet. Inside, she lifted a rug and opened a trapdoor.

“What in the…”

“Crawl space,” she mumbled. “I used to explore as a kid.”

She was a kid. She was barely thirteen.

And…now she was Queen.

“Hurry,” Bella urged, locking the supply closet door and dropping into the trapdoor. Jeanette followed and slammed the lid shut.

They were in darkness, but Bella suddenly activated a flashlight.

“The architects keep them down here,” she explained, “in case one of theirs dies.”

She handed one to Jeanette.

“Bella,” she gasped, “I am so sorry about your father.”

The new Queen shook her head.

“It’s not your fault. We must get out of here. I can mourn then.”

She’s strong, Jeanette thought. Stronger than most. Bella led the way through the narrow and short tunnel into the sewers. Jeanette heard voices. Quacks.

Bosworth, Albion, their wives, Thomas, and Isadora Mallard were all clustered in the middle of the largest sewer tunnel, their ankles soaked in waste. Thomas was on his father’s shoulders. They were surrounded by advisors, staff, and others that were able to get out. A large briefcase held all the documents that Swan and Albion had so painstakingly saved. Jeanette silently handed Albion the docket from the Gallery.

“Where’s the King?” Isadora asked.

“The Vixen Queen killed him,” Bella immediately replied. Gasps and cries burst around the group. Isadora let out a wail, but she was hushed by one of her maids.

“My Lady…we must be quiet.”

Bosworth was the first to bow to Bella. The others followed.

“Long live the Queen…”

—Burrow Court Palace, Sylvia, Leprolia—

—Kingdom of the Rabbits—

Sterling Oldman, King Cottontail IX’s oldest son, entered the King’s study. He was out of breath from running.

“Majesty,” he breathed. “Father…the Summer Sun has overcome our trenches. We have been forced to retreat to a new trench line inland Leprolia. The Summer Sun now has the edge on our country.”

The King closed his eyes.

“Mallardia?”

“Conquered. The royal family is unaccounted for.”

“Willie?”

“They plan to flee.”

Cottontail sighed loudly.

“How did this happen…?”

Sterling did not have an answer, and so the two remained in pensive silence.

—Beneath Anatoidea, Mallardia—

—Kingdom of the Ducks—

The sewers were disgusting. Bella Mallard was unbothered by the crawl space, even in its dismal gloom, but she steered clear of the sewers. All of the capital’s waste dumped into them. Beakfield Manor was only connected to them for this precise reason: escaping a siege.

The royal family had locked the sewer’s main entryway with a special key. There was only one, and now it was in Bella’s pocket. The foxes would not be able to follow them, unless they accessed the sewers by another means.

To focus on the task at hand, Bella drowned out the images of her father being stabbed in the stomach by the Vixen Queen. It was something too horrible to describe, and much worse to bear. Mom was crying incessantly. Her emotions were valid.

The family trudged through the sewers for an hour, even when the cold liquid beneath them came up to their waists. Bosworth and Albion held the document package over their heads to keep it dry.

“Here’s the ladder,” Bosworth announced when they finally reached the exit. A servant went up first to check that the coast was clear. Bella was relieved to hear that it was.

On the surface, five vans were quietly parked in a field. They had been moved there weeks ago as part of an emergency escape plan. They had full tanks of gas, food, drink, and other supplies.

In the distance, Bella could see Anatoidea on fire. Beakfield Manor, which was closest to where they stood, was also aflame.

“Bastards,” Mom scowled. “I’ll cut that bitch’s throat!”

“Is Your Majesty alright?” one of the maids asked Bella. She glanced at her and nodded.

Albion and Bosworth attempted to calm Mom, but there wasn’t much use. She was distraught and furious all a the same time. Bella was too stunned to feel either right now.

“Where do we go from here?” Jeanette Kinnar asked.

“East, Senator,” an advisor muttered. “The Lord of Grasse can help us escape into Willie before the foxes conquer the rest of Mallardia.”

It was a gamble, and Bella knew it. She had seen the war map that very morning, with her father. All of Mallardia was under Vulpine control except the north. That was likely to change now that they held the capital. Lords would surrender to spare their citizens, and of course there was no King Swan XX to guide them. And their new, young, inexperienced, naïve Queen was hurrying into exile.

They only needed four of the vans, and left the other one in the field. They drove east along the shoreline. The ships of Scuridiae were sailing closer, ready to help Vulpus level the country. Each van drove recklessly, speeding as quickly as it could.

Bella, Isadora, and Jeanette shared a van with some members of staff. Bosworth, Albion, and Thomas were in another. Since they had a few hours to drive, Bella finally wept for the loss of her father. She leaned on Mom, crying.

“My child,” Mom whimpered, “oh…”

The hours wore on, and thankfully there was no sign of invading foxes on the road. The last trench lines were hopefully giving them hell, buying Bella and her entourage enough time to reach Grasse.

The road sign welcoming them to the northeast region blew past. Bella stared out the window. She had been to Grasse a few times, but not once since the war began. She had been only four when Vulpus invaded Mallardia, and could scarcely remember a time before.

Grasse was known for its flowers. Outside, Bella could see lush fields of tulips and sunflowers. A bit of beauty in an ugly world. The Lord of Grasse lived on a perfumery estate, which Dad had told her was delightfully fragrant.

“We’re here,” the driver said, coming to a stop outside the gates of the Grasse Perfumery. He rolled down the window to address the gate attendant. Behind them, the other three vans parked.

“The Queen of Mallardia has urgent business with the Lord of Grasse.”

The armed gate attendant leaned into the window and nodded at Mom.

“Majesty.”

The driver coughed uncomfortably.

“King Swan is dead. His daughter is now Queen.”

The gate attendant gasped. He completely bowed before the car, then buzzed them in.

“I will wake his Lordship.”

The vans drove through the open gate and up the long drive to the manor. It was made of stone, with vines snaking through the cracks. Lights were rapidly coming on as the household awoke.

Senator Jeanette Kinnar helped Mom and Bella out of the van. When Bella’s flippers touched the pavement, the front door of the manor was tossed open. The Lord of Grasse gripped the doorway in a nightgown, then lowered himself.

“Your Majesty…I am absolutely gutted to hear the news of your father. I welcome you most sincerely to my home, and beg how I can be of assistance.”

“We need to escape, my Lord,” Bella spoke. “We need safe passage into Willie. I know you have good relations with the border patrol.”

Grasse was stunned. His wrinkled face was gazing at her sadly. But he eventually nodded.

“Of course. Yes…it’s only about a ten minute carriage ride from here. I’m afraid you can’t take your vans. The path is too treacherous.”

Grasse turned to speak to one of his servants.

“My Lord?” Bella interrupted. “I’m afraid I must impress on you the urgency of this call. The foxes mean to kill me and my family. I recommend you come with us over the border, for they’ll surely kill you too.”

Grasse swayed.

“Leave my home?”

The question hung in the air, as he was addressing dozens of ducks who had just fled their homes. Seeing Beakfield Manor on fire was the surety that Bella would never return to it. Grasse put on slippers and descended his front steps.

“This way to the carriages.”

“Are you coming with us?” Mom asked.

“I am not,” Grasse sighed. “I am old, and my family is fighting in the trenches. I must stay here for if they return. I’ll send my household with you, if that’s alright. Those that want to go, at least.”

Bella agreed.

Grasse took them into a large stable, where automatic carriages were stocked. He explained that they were used before the war to help farm the flower fields, as well as offer guided tours to those visiting the estate. He spoke with nostalgia, for a world long since gone. The flowers remained but tourism was dead.

The drivers of the vans agreed to drive the carriages, which sat about the same amount. The household members fleeing with them would control their own. Once they reached the border, where there were thankfully no trenches, they would have to appeal for asylum.

As Bella waited for their departure, Mom wiped away a few tears.

“I am so sad,” she murmured. “Everything is falling apart.”

Bella closed her eyes. She saw Dad get stabbed again, his blood spurting through his back. She quickly reopened them.

Grasse returned with his household.

“Your Majesty,” he bowed. “I bid thee godspeed, and farewell. I do not think we shall see each other again.”

“Thank you,” Bella responded. “Thank you for helping us escape. And I’m sorry that we will not be able to return your carriages.”

Grasse waved a flipper.

“You need not apologize for anything. But perhaps your Majesty may help me with one thing before you go?”

“Anything.”

“A pardon. For me. I was once against your father, King Swan XX, at the start of this war. I had supported Richard Mallard, my Lord Severn, in his coup. I was quickly reminded of my true loyalty when the gracious Emmeline of Capet addressed the court, but I have never quite forgiven myself. Nor do I think Swan forgave me. I was hoping you may ease my conscious as I pedal toward what will be my final days?”

Bella stood and regarded the Lord of Grasse.

“You are forgiven. My father never bore any ill will toward you. Bless you, sir. May your soul be spared from the Vixen Queen.”

Grasse inhaled.

“Goodbye, your Majesty. I hope you find peace.”

The open-topped carriages moved in unison out of the stable, heading for the Willonian border. The starry sky gave them more than enough light to see where they were going.

“You are a natural ruler,” Jeanette Kinnar commented. She was smiling at Bella.

“Why do you say that?”

Bosworth smirked. She glared at him.

“What’s so funny, Uncle Bosworth?”

He shrugged.

“You just spoke to the Lord of Grasse as an equal, and with eloquent poise too. You are my cousin’s daughter.”

She had indeed felt like her father when she spoke to him. His words and lessons came rushing to mind.

“And in the palace,” Jeanette continued. “You took over even though you were in grief. You helped us both escape.”

Mom squeezed Bella’s leg.

“They’re right,” she whispered. “You’ll be a wonderful Queen.”

“Of what?” Bella retorted. Her country was being obliterated behind her. “I have no crown, no throne, no court, no castle. Nothing.”

“You have the ducks,” Mom asserted. “That is what a monarch has. Loyalty, support, and duty. Everything else is ceremonial.”

Bella supposed that was true. She couldn’t imagine what being Queen would be like now that she would be one in exile. Queen Roxanne II of Felexa was ruling from Canis, even though her country was under Summer Sun occupation. Bella would write to her as soon as they got to Willie.

As the carriages passed through the trees over bumpy terrain, the floodlights from the border of Willie appeared ahead. It was loosely guarded, since Mallardia and Willie were peaceful. And here, in the farmlands of Grasse, there was really no risk of defection.

A single mouse soldier held up a hand to stop the carriages. Bella’s was in the front, and halted first. She disembarked.

“Name and business,” the soldier demanded.

“Bella Mallard. Queen of Mallardia. We are all seeking asylum in Willie.”

The soldier was confused.

“I’m sorry, but isn’t Swan XX the King of Mallardia?”

“Not anymore,” Bella’s voice cracked.

The soldier angled his head.

“One moment…your Grace.”

He leaned into his radio on his shoulder and began muttering. A response crackled back.

“Your asylum is granted. You’ll proceed two miles east to the city of Burbank. They’ll take care of you.”

No one said anything as the carriages crossed into Willie, leaving Mallardia behind forever. There was minimal gratitude and zero joy. Only sorrow.

—Musenzollern Castle, Mus, Willie—

—Kingdom of the Mice—

-The Next Morning-

King Mickey XI collapsed when he learned of the fate of the Mallardian King and his family. Swan XX, or Beck as he had always been to Mickey, was a good friend and trusted ally. They had stood strong together in opposition to Vulpine tyranny, and now his body was ashes in the rubble of Beakfield Manor.

Yes, it was true that the remainder of the royal family and those close to them had managed an uncanny escape into Willie, but their asylum could only temporarily be granted. Now that Mallardia had fallen, the foxes were moving into Willie. They had already taken the south of the country.

Musenzollern Castle, one of the oldest fortresses in all of Cartonia, rested on the top of Mount Mus. Similar to the Mallards, the Mus royal family had ruled Willie ever since the inception of the Harmony Crown. The dynasty was the namesake for the capital, the mountain, the castle, and much more. Though Musenzollern was far superior in location and strength to the small and defenseless Beakfield Manor, King Mickey had ordered an evacuation of the Mus dynasts and all government leaders. It was clear that the foxes meant to knock over the Willonian domino in the same manner as Mallardia.

“Where are the Mallards?” Mickey asked Minerva Taylor, his historian and advisor. She was flipping through telegrams.

“In Musco. They should be here by tomorrow.”

“We’ll be gone by then,” Mickey said truthfully as he helped his valet close the remainder of his suitcases. “Send a telegram that they should continue toward Vinesteeple. Simeone remains untouched and likely will remain so.”

Minerva took off for the telegram center. Mickey sighed. He dreaded to think of Mus in flames, of his citizens suffering. A mass evacuation to Simeone could not be arranged fast enough. Those that had the ability to escape were encouraged to. The Willonian-Simenese border was going to be flooded.

The valets took all of Mickey’s suitcases to the carriage. He headed down the hall toward his wife’s chambers. She was gazing around the near-empty room.

“Minnie? Are you alright?”

Her shawl slid off her shoulder, and Mickey tenderly lifted it back into place.

“This is our home,” she whispered, frightened. “I grew up here. I fell in love here. I had children here. Grandchildren…”

Mickey pulled her into a tight embrace. A teardrop fell from his cheek onto her head.

“We’ll return,” Mickey said emptily. He didn’t know if he believed it. The foxes would not destroy Musenzollern Castle, but only because of its strategic importance. It was the King’s sincerest wish that the army would be able to defend attackers, and hold Musenzollern. Though he wanted to stay and wait out a potential siege to show his strength to the people, it was a unanimous council decision to send the royals into exile for their own safety. In this war, the monarchs were not only leaders but figureheads. If they were dead, as in Gallix, there was no hope.

“Come,” Mickey muttered, “let’s go see the children.”

Mickey and Minnie Mus had three of their own, who were now all adults. Prince Mickey, who went by Mitch to differentiate from his father, had five kids. His sister, Daisy, had two. The youngest child of King Mickey, Donald, was unmarried and had no offspring.

Prince Mitch was in the courtyard helping lift suitcases into the carriage. He was still wearing his army uniform. Two of his kids were chasing each other around.

Princess Daisy and her two daughters were already in a carriage. They were all wearing matching green traveling cloaks. When she saw her parents, she clambered out and walked over to them.

“They’re scared,” she said quietly. “They’ve heard too much about Gallix and Felexa, now Mallardia…all these royal families that are being hounded out of their homelands.”

Minnie whimpered. Mickey placed a reassuring paw on Daisy’s shoulder.

“They’ll be alright. Simeone is safe. We have many allies, and many who would rather protect us than hurt us.”

One of Mitch’s daughters shrieked as she fell on the ground. Mitch’s wife Marley hurried to help her.

“Is the plan still to split up?” Daisy asked. Mickey nodded, though it grieved him. Princess Daisy, her daughters, and Prince Donald would travel north into Simeone, directly over the border. Mickey, Minnie, Mitch, and his children would go east into Willonian-occupied Capricon and then over the border into Simeone with the intent of reaching Canis. The idea was to avoid putting all jewels in one box, in case the Vixen Queen wanted a gem or two. King Mickey also wanted to be in Canis with Bentley Connelly. They were the closest of allies, bound together when they volunteered to back Mallardia in the war.

“I think Mitch and his children should go to Phantine,” Daisy proffered. “That way our family is spread out enough yet geographically close in case we need to combine again.”

Mickey shook his head.

“I need Mitch with me. He’s my heir, and needs to be close in the event of my death.”

Daisy shrugged in agreement.

“Your Majesty?” the head coachman said with a quick bow, “all luggage is packed. Departure is now possible.”

Daisy exhaled.

“Is this it?”

Minnie, Daisy, and Mickey turned again to Musenzollern Castle. It was much more than home. It was a beacon of Willonian culture. Mickey saw the Head Royal Sentinel standing menacingly at the front gates. He beckoned to him.

“Protect this castle, and this Kingdom. Do not let Musenzollern fall to the foxes.”

“I swear it, your Majesty!” the Sentinel cried as he took a knee and beat a paw over his chest. Mickey lifted him back to his feet.

Minnie called to Donald and Daisy’s daughters. They jumped off the carriage to say their farewells. Mickey knelt so that he could hug his granddaughters.

“Anya,” he said, “Tatyana. I need you both to be so brave. Remember, you are Princesses of Willie. You are solid, like granite. Courageous, as mice. Bound in your duty to your Kingdom. Do you understand?”

Anya and Tatyana Mus bobbed their heads.

“Your mother is going to look after you,” Minnie choked, “but I need you to also look after her.”

“I promise, Grandma,” 7-year-old Anya vowed.

“When will we see you again?” 5-year-old Tatyana inquired.

“I am not sure, my sweet,” Minnie responded through her tears. “But soon! If you are ever missing your Grandpa and I, do you have your koalas?”

Anya ran back to the carriage and pulled two stuffed grey koalas off the seat. They were gifts from Mickey and Minnie. One had a purple vest, and the other in pink.

“They’re right here!”

“Very good!” Mickey exclaimed. “They will keep you safe, and happy.”

When Mickey stood, Prince Donald embraced him.

“Goodbye, father. Safe travels to Canis.”

“Farewell. May you make it to Simeone too. Send word to Highland Castle when you’re there.”

As Minnie hugged Donald, Mickey enveloped Daisy. She held tight.

“May I visit you in Canis?”

Mickey chuckled.

“Of course you may. Give it a few months, and we’ll see how things are settled.”

Daisy pulled away, and gazed into Mickey’s eyes.

“Father, may I ask…in your own opinion…will this war end in our favor?”

Mickey blinked, and then frowned.

“I don’t know. That’s a cop-out of an answer, but I can’t say with any certainty that this war will end at all. It is now inevitable that the Summer Sun will gain more territory, but the northern nations have so far persisted with noble effort. We may be stuck in a gridlock forever, or perhaps another month like this one will tip the scale in one of our favors.”

Daisy was not satisfied with the answer, and looked almost annoyed with her father. Mickey sniffed.

“But I do know this. They can topple our crown, crush our throne, burn our castle, and demolish our city. They can subjugate our people and slaughter us like beasts, but they cannot obliterate our resolve. The Vixen Queen, the Stag, the Macaw, the Chequer…none of them have the power to control our thoughts and emotions. Willie will live on in all of us. In our memories, she will be immortal.”

He leaned down and kissed Daisy’s forehead. Minnie hugged her again, and she gave one final embrace of farewell to Mickey.

“Travel safe, your Majesties. I love you both dearly.”

Minnie and Mickey waved as Daisy climbed back into the carriage with Donald, Anya, and Tatyana. It backed out of its spot and then drove through the gates of the courtyard, and down the hill. Anya and Tatyana’s faces were pressed to the back window, waving wildly.

Several other carriages destined for Simeone as well were now getting ready to depart. Various members of the royal household were to join them. Mickey spotted Minerva Taylor hoisting her own suitcase into one of the trunks.

“I thought you were coming with us to Canis,” he called. She blushed.

“I was,” she admitted, “but Maximilian Walters and Lionel Lazoy have asked me to meet with Ham Mercury first. He has some records we wanted to inspect.”

“Ah,” Mickey mused. “Well, then I suppose we’ll see you in Canis before long.”

She curtsied.

“Majesty.”

Mitch and his wife and children were already in their carriages, awaiting departure. Mickey gave one last look at Musenzollern’s eminence. Silently, he promised he would return.

He removed his crown once he was inside the carriage, and Minnie sat across from him. Mitch, his son, and youngest daughter were in one carriage. Marley Mus and her triplets were in a third.

Mickey gave the order, and they departed. The carriages rumbled down the mountainside into the city of Mus. King Mickey’s childhood home and ancestral seat grew distant behind him. In only the presence of his wife, he finally wept.

—*Summer Sun Edict #33—*

*—July 9, 716-*

*To the nations of the “Granite Bloc,”*

*King Poultrus III is dead. Gallix has fallen.*

*Queen Roxanne II is in exile. Felexa has fallen.*

*King Swan XX is dead. Mallardia has fallen.*

*King Mickey XI is captured. Willie has fallen.*

*The occupied zones of Capricon are falling under Summer Sun control.*

*The Granite Bloc is crumbling, and should now know that victory is impossible. The Summer Sun shall emerge victorious. Submit yourselves now, surrender now, and you will be spared.*

*Signed,*

*Queen Vixen VII of Vulpus*

*Stag Ellis of Cervidium*

*Macaw Arini of Psittancyna*

*Chequer Vincent of Scuridiae*

—Yefoxerinburg, Vulpus—

—Kingdom of the Foxes—

-July 11, 716-

When the Willonian royal family was captured in Willonian-occupied Capricon, they were taken by complete surprise. The deer who ambushed them had been lying in wait for many weeks, and they had finally caught their prey.

The King, Queen, and their offspring were separated from the rest. Everyone else—the maids, cooks, servants, advisors, councillors—were shipped off to a prisoner-of-war camp. The deer took Mickey and his family south into Cervidium. They were then handed off to a skulk of foxes, and boarded onto a train.

The foxes were their captors, and did not tell them where they were going. Only the Yefoxerinburg Train Station sign indicated to Mickey just how far they had traveled. The industrial mining town was only a few miles from the Vixen Cliffs. They were deep in enemy territory.

Mitch and Marley were doing everything they could to convince the five children that everything was fine, and that they were just going on a fun trip. It was difficult to convince them, since they were all terrified of foxes. Only their youngest, Sharon Mus, who was but one year of age, had peace of mind.

“What’s in Yefoxerinburg?” Mitch hissed in Mickey’s ear as they disembarked the train carrying their own luggage. Most of it was dumped out and taken by the army, but they were allowed a few outfits each.

“Miners,” Mickey replied quietly. “Mines. It’s relatively insignificant. I don’t know why we’re here.”

“Why do you think?” Marley murmured in despair. “We’re prisoners.”

Two burly foxes were waiting for the family outside a van.

“Luggage in the back,” one of them said. The other opened the side door. The children and Marley went in first while Mickey, Minnie, and Mitch loaded up the trunk. The van was hot, and there was no air conditioning. Mickey asked the captors to open the windows, but they refused.

The van ride was thankfully short, only to escort the royal family from the train station to a nondescript house on a city block. It had a walled front yard and four guards posted at the gate. The windows were painted over in Vulpus black.

“Out,” the driving fox commanded.

Mickey helped his grandchildren out of the van as Mitch and Marley unloaded the luggage. Once they were all on the curb, the van drove away, leaving the royal family in front of the blank building. To the side of the gate, behind one of the guards, was a bronze plaque. It had recently been drilled into the surface.

*18 Lica Road*

*House of Intended Design*

*Yefoxerinburg, Vulpus*

Marley stared at Mickey with horror.

“Intended design?” she trembled.

—Vinesteeple, Primatia, Simeone—

—Republic of the Monkeys—

After a rather arduous journey, twice delayed due to the weather being so hot that the leather was literally melting off the tires, Daisy Mus and her family reached Vinesteeple. Daisy was desperate for news, especially about her family. Last she heard, they were ambushed by deer in former Capricon.

The elegant residence of the former Simenese royal family was beautiful, and Daisy had always thought so. She missed being able to travel freely to the different royal palaces. Each one was unique in its own way.

The attendants took control of the arrivals’ luggage and an escort led Daisy, her daughters, and Prince Donald inside. Historian and advisor Minerva Taylor joined them. The rest of the staff was shown around the back.

Inside the foyer, familiar faces were standing in greeting.

“Welcome,” Major Ham Mercury bellowed, “to Vinesteeple!”

Daisy grinned.

“These are my daughters,” she introduced, “Princesses Anya and Tatyana. And of course you know my brother, Prince Donald, and our historian, Minerva.”

Ham flashed a smile at each of them. Daisy had met Ham a few times, but before the war when he was just a Chancellor. Everyone had been surprised when Ham chose not to elevate himself to King but instead rule Simeone as a republic. It was a historic first, but the government was stable and he was quite popular.

“This is my own daughter,” Ham gestured to the teenager beside him. “Mizzie Mercury. And then, I don’t think my other guests need introducing.”

Indeed not.

“Your Majesty,” Daisy uttered, dipping into a curtsy before Bella Mallard, the new Queen of Mallardia. Her family was around her. The survivors.

Mizzie approached Daisy’s daughters.

“Girls, why don’t we get you settled so your mother can speak with the Major of Simeone and Queen of Mallardia?”

Anya and Tatyana squeezed their stuffed koalas.

“Go on,” Daisy encouraged.

“I’ll come with you,” Prince Donald said to the girls. Feeling more secure, Daisy’s daughters went off with Mizzie Mercury.

Ham let out a huge sigh.

“Daisy, Minerva, shall we go into the Steeple?”

Bella, Dowager Queen Isadora Mallard, and Ham went into the Steeple with Daisy and Minerva. Everyone else dispersed. Daisy did not have enough time to marvel at the enormous hollow Steeple before Ham hit her with the bad news.

“The Summer Sun released an edict, stating that King Mickey has been captured. Our spies and soldiers confirm this to be true. They were ambushed by the deer in Capricon, and taken into Vulpus custody. They were on a train bound for the south of Vulpus, but we cannot say where.”

Daisy choked on her words.

“Everybody?”

“Yes,” Ham murmured. “Except…anyone who was not of royal blood was sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.”

“How horrible,” Minerva whispered.

“That’s not all,” Bella stated, which caught Daisy off-guard. How old was this girl? “Mallardia has been completely conquered and occupied. Anatoidea has burnt to the ground, and with it Beakfield Manor. Willie is also now under the unbridled control of the Summer Sun. Leprolia has been invaded, and half of occupied Capricon has reverted to the Summer Sun.”

Daisy’s head was swimming.

“Musenzollern?” she managed.

“Under siege,” Ham replied in a quiet tone.

“Then…” Minerva heaved, “half the continent is controlled by the Summer Sun…”

Ham nodded gravely.

“Indeed.”

Daisy gasped for breath.

“My family!” she wailed. “What can we do…?”

“Nothing,” Ham exhaled. “They’re too deep inside Vulpus. We can only negotiate with the Vixen Queen.”

Bile surged into Daisy’s throat, and she ran for a bathroom.

There was no negotiating with the Vixen Queen. They were as good as dead.

—The House of Intended Design, Yefoxerinburg, Vulpus—

—Kingdom of the Foxes—

-July 16, 716-

The Mus family had spent six days in the House of Intended Design, and conditions were bleak. Their belongings were consolidated into one wooden chest in the one living room allocated to them. They were housed in three bedrooms: Mickey and Minnie in one, Marley, Mitch, and infant Sharon in a second, and the four other children in the last. The rooms were joined by a common space that also served as the upstairs hallway. Every window inside was painted black, so they could not see outside. They were allowed an hour outside in the front garden each day.

The royal family was the House’s only occupants on the second floor. Their guards lived on the first floor below them. The head of the House’s guard was a snooty fox named Jakob Jäger. He hardly ever spoke to them, but instead leered over the family. He seemed absolutely disgusted with King Mickey.

Mitch’s children were getting increasingly scared inside the house. Lillian, Marie, and Dionne—the triplets—were fidgety and had trouble sleeping. Mitch’s eldest, who was also named Mickey but called Mickle to set him apart, was old enough to realize what was going on. He was fourteen, and second in line to the throne.

Contact with the outside world had been severed from the moment they boarded the train. There was no opportunity to send a telegram, and none of the guards were friendly enough to beg for a favor.

Well…that wasn’t entirely true, Mickey thought. There was one guard who was affable enough, but he was never with the family alone. His name was Captain Matthew Palmer.

To Mickey’s fortune, Matthew Palmer brought the family their dinner trays, and he came by himself.

“What’s it tonight?” Marley asked, her arms crossed over by one of the painted out windows in their common space.

“Soup,” Matthew replied. “I think potato.”

He set a bottle of baby food down for Sharon, which Marley promptly took into the bedroom. Dionne sniffed the soup and wrinkled her nose.

“I don’t like it,” she whined.

“Eat it,” Mitch commanded.

Before Matthew could leave, Mickey hurried to his side. He leaned into his ear.

“I wonder if you could help me send a message.”

Matthew pulled away and stared in confusion.

“I apologize if I gave your Majesty any impression…”

Mickey made a slicing motion at his neck, silently signaling Matthew to lower his voice. The fox stopped talking. Mickey tried a different avenue.

“What is going to happen to us here? Why are we being kept for so long?”

Matthew’s eyebrows went up.

“Oh. I thought Commander Jäger would have informed you. You are being kept here until a ransom can be negotiated with the Granite Bloc. Their surrender for your release.”

Mickey exhaled and shook his head.

“They won’t surrender for my benefit. We are just one family.”

“A royal family,” Matthew emphasized. “I’ll keep you informed.”

“Wait!” Mickey grabbed Matthew’s paw. “We know what happened to the Galligasque Royal Family and of King Swan XX’s fate, and what would have happened to Felexa’s royal family…If negotiations break down, will you kill us?”

Matthew gently removed his paw from Mickey’s grasp.

“I’ll leave you to your dinner, your Majesty.”

—Vinesteeple, Primatia, Simeone—

—Republic of the Monkeys—

For the past six days, Princess Daisy Mus in tangent with Ham Mercury had negotiated fervently with the Vixen Queen for her family’s release. They had corresponded through telegrams, through phone calls, and even one video conference. But the Vixen Queen’s terms remained the exact same: the entire Granite Bloc must surrender or the King and Prince Mitch would be executed. Daisy had argued that the government had surrendered in Willie, and she could convince Musenzollern to give in; this would be exchanged for the Mus family’s release.

The Vixen Queen refused.

Daisy suggested a ransom, and the Vixen Queen set a price at 32 million marks. That was double the size of the reparations demanded in the original ultimatum to Mallardia in 707. There was no way she could pay that.

Now Ham and Daisy were on the phone with Bentley Connelly to see if the Granite Bloc could collectively cough up the cash.

“I’m sorry,” Bentley apologized, “we’d all bankrupt ourselves, and I don’t trust the Vixen Queen. She doesn’t want or need our money. She only wants our surrender. And that I cannot give.”

Daisy was silent. She understood, of course she did, but complying would mean her father’s death. Her brother’s death.

“Alright,” Ham sighed. “Thank you, Benny.”

“Daisy,” Bentley said. “I am so sorry.”

Daisy just hung up. Her heart was pounding. Ham dialed the Vixen Queen.

“What’ll it be?” she asked as soon as the line connected. “Ransom or surrender?”

Ham glanced at Daisy, who nodded.

“Neither,” Ham stated. “But we order you release the children, the Queen, and Princess Marley.”

“Hmm. For a ransom, of course?”

Ham scowled.

“Of course.”

“5 million marks.”

Daisy clucked her tongue.

“We’ll send you two and a half, and the other two and a half when they’re safely in Simeone.”

“Done.”

The Vixen Queen hung up.

—Yefoxerinburg, Vulpus—

Captain Matthew Palmer hastened to the local post office at midnight. The town was quiet, as everyone slept. The miners would be up early to return to the gem deposits and dig up more money for the Vixen Queen.

“Closing up,” the postmaster sniffed from the desk when Matthew approached.

“I just need to send a couple of telegrams. I’ll be fast.”

The postmaster rolled his eyes.

“Go on.”

Matthew sat at the telegram booth and hammered out one for his parents, wishing them well and letting them know he was currently stationed in Yefoxerinburg. It was a temporary post, and one that he requested when he heard of the Vixen Queen’s plans to imprison the Willonian royal family. He had never met another monarch before, and thought King Mickey was a noble gentleman. His family was absolutely charming.

He ignored those sentiments, as they would not serve him well. He still wanted to bring down Vulpus, but there was nothing he could do for the King of Willie. Not now.

The second telegram was to the Rook of Vulpus, addressed to the Vixen Queen. He copied the wording verbatim from Commander Jakob Jäger’s notebook. This was the reason why he was sent to the post office.

But while he was here, he also authored a third telegram, and anonymously sent it to Vinesteeple.

He paid the postmaster, and took a long circuitous walk back to the sinisterly-named House of Intended Design, hoping that he would arrive too late.

—The House of Intended Design—

-July 17, 716-

A light shone in Mickey’s eyes, and he woke up. Commander Jäger was standing over him.

“Get up. Dress. We’re taking a photograph.”

“Huh?” Mickey stammered, blinking away his exhaustion. “What?”

The light returned to his pupils, blinding him.

“I said get up,” Jäger repeated. “Get dressed. All of you. You are being relocated, and the Vixen Queen has demanded a photograph.”

Mickey sat up.

“Relocated where?”

“Vista.”

That appeared to be good news. Going to the capital of Vulpus probably meant they would meet directly with the Vixen Queen. Maybe she had use for them after all. Mickey roused Minnie, Marley, and Mitch. They in turn got the kids up. They got dressed in their only outfits, and Minnie took care to make sure everyone was presentable for the photograph.

Marley yawned demonstratively.

“What time is it?”

“Fifteen minutes past midnight,” Jäger replied.

Minnie searched around her.

“Where are we taking this photograph?”

Jäger gestured to the stairwell.

“This way, your Highnesses.”

Mickey led the way down the staircase. He was holding baby Sharon. Everyone else followed. When they reached the ground floor, Jäger pointed to the cellar door.

“Down there.”

Mickey stared.

“Why?”

Jäger looked annoyed, and swept his arm around him.

“Not really many spots for a good photo up here, now are there?”

It was true. The downstairs hall was cramped. Two soldiers helped the family into the cellar, where a blank wall was lit with photography lamps. There were four chairs for the adults.

“Could I get some water?” Marley asked one of the soldiers. He obliged and went upstairs. Mickey, Minnie, Marley, and Mitch sat in the chairs. The soldier returned with Marley’s bottle of water.

Jäger came into the cellar with three more soldiers, and a photographer. Mickey searched for Captain Matthew Palmer, but he was not among the seven foxes.

“King Mickey,” Jäger declared, “for crimes against the Summer Sun and the Empire of Vulpus, the Vixen Queen hereby sentences you and your family to death.”

Mickey went cold.

“What?”

“What!” Minnie screamed.

The seven foxes pulled guns, and barraged Mickey and his family with bullets. One connected with his chest and he toppled backward over in his chair. Dionne and Lillian’s blood spattered his face, and Marley’s screams echoed in his ears. A fox paw grabbed him by the ears and hauled him upright.

“Say cheese,” Jäger sneered. He pressed his gun to Mickey’s forehead.

Then, everything was as black as the windows on the House of Intended Design.

—Vinesteeple, Primatia, Simeone—

-The Next Morning-

“Telegram for you, your Highness,” one of the Simenese porters said as he dropped a sealed telegram on Daisy’s breakfast plate. “Arrived last night.” She gaped at Ham, the only other person awake right now.

“He put it on my plate.”

Ham looked up.

“Was there food on it?”

“No…I have only just sat down.”

“Then there’s no harm done.”

Daisy paused.

“I’m sorry…I suppose I am just not used to the custom of putting telegrams just anywhere.”

Ham chuckled.

“I apologize for my porter’s impertinence. We don’t have that rigid of a system here for it.”

Daisy smiled. She would have to get used to several things in her new life here in Simeone. She slit the telegram and read,

*Daisy Mus,*

*End negotiations with the Vixen Queen. An execution has been ordered. I’m sorry I could not do more.*

It was not signed. She showed Ham.

“You should issue a pullback on the ransom payment.”

“I can’t do that,” Ham said. “It’s already been deposited. The Queen said she’d call this morning with information on the children’s release.”

“Who do you think sent this?” Daisy asked. “I don’t know of any foxes on our side.”

Ham snorted.

“Then it must have come from another species. Maybe a prisoner-of-war?”

“But how would they know I’m here?”

Ham put down his fork.

“My Lady, I think all of Cartonia knows you’re here.”

The porter returned with the morning newspapers. He sorted them into piles for everyone who would eventually attend breakfast, then passed two stacks to Ham and Daisy.

Ham scanned the front page.

“Hmm. More deaths in Capricon. Musenzollern still standing.”

Daisy lifted the Simenese paper from the top and glanced at the one circulating through the Granite Bloc. Nothing stood out. She went to the last paper, which was an edict issued by the Summer Sun.

She screamed.

*Summer Sun Edict #34*

*WILLONIAN ROYAL FAMILY EXECUTED*

*The Granite Bloc’s refusal to surrender has led to the execution of the royal family (picture of deceased below):*

*King Mickey XI*

*Queen Minnie Mus*

*Crown Prince Mickey “Mitch” Mus*

*Crown Princess Marley Mus*

*Prince Mickey “Mickle” Mus*

*Princess Lillian Mus*

*Princess Marie Mus*

*Princess Dionne Mus*

*Princess Sharon Mus*

*Surrender is inevitable. The Summer Sun forever.*

“All of them,” Daisy choked. She fell from her chair, taking part of the tablecloth with her. The crash startled Ham, who hurried to help her from the floor. Ham grabbed the edict.

“No!” he cried.

“All of them!” Daisy yelled.

Bella Mallard and Senator Jeanette Kinnar raced into the dining room. Daisy threw the edict at them.

“All of them!” she repeated, distraught. Every part of her felt like dying. A force was goading her to ascend to the top of the Steeple and jump off, accepting the sweet release of death.

*All of them*. Every last one. Nine deaths. Innocents.

Sharon was only eighteen months old. A baby.

“How horrid!” Jeanette exclaimed, staring at the edict. Daisy crawled over and snatched it out of her hand. She wept over the picture of their bodies, lying in a bloody mess in what appeared to be a dank basement. It was undignified. It was monstrous!

She didn’t care how loud she was crying, how everyone could see the pitiful state she had descended into. Her daughters soon came into the room, as did her brother Donald, wondering why his sister was acting so dramatically.

But then Donald saw the edict. He took Anya and Tatyana away.

“She’ll pay for this,” Ham seethed. “That Vixen Queen will suffer way worse! I assure you!”

Daisy was in the fetal position on the floor, cradling the edict, the last picture of her parents and family.

“I wish I was there,” she mumbled, loud enough for Ham to hear. “I wish I was dead.” He lay down on the floor beside her, and patted her delicately.

She sat up.

“I have to…uh…I…someone has to arrange a funeral.”

“We’ll do it here,” Ham offered. “Many of your fellow countrypersons are in exile here. You can’t go back to Willie.”

The thought of returning to Musenzollern Castle, where the nine ghosts of the Mus family would haunt her, was awful. Then her mind wandered to her daughters, who were no doubt receiving the news from their uncle upstairs.

“My girls,” Daisy cried. “They’re…they’ve already lost their father. And now their whole family is…”

None of her thoughts were coherent. Everything was swirling around, scattered by sorrow. She stole another look at the edict. She let out another loud cry.

“All of them!”

Ham was sitting right beside her, and Daisy then realized that the others had sat on the floor too. Jeanette Kinnar, Bella Mallard, and Minerva Taylor. When did she come in?

“The Vixen Queen,” Ham articulated, “attacked Mallardia and Willie and killed their Kings to destabilize nations and advance the Summer Sun. She wanted to completely eliminate royal families, as she did with Gallix, but she failed. They will always fail if they continue to use evil as the means to their ends. Mallardia and Willie are down, but they are not out. The legacies of both your families live on.”

Bella was holding her head high. She regarded Daisy with a resolute sort of gaze.

“What are you talking about?” Daisy muttered. “My family is dead. That’s that. There is no more King of Willie. All of Mitch’s children are dead.”

“There is always a monarch of Willie,” Minerva Taylor remarked.

“HA!” Daisy barked. “A ghost cannot be sovereign.”

“No,” Bella agreed, “but you can.”

Daisy stared through her haze of tears.

“What?”

“You are next in line,” Bella stated. “You are now the Queen of Willie.”

Daisy stopped crying for a second. Was that true?

“But…I don’t want to be Queen. I wasn’t born for it. I don’t know what to do!”

“Neither do I,” Bella trembled. “But we can figure it out together. You have to show the people of Willie that the Mus family is not dead.”

“And you Bella,” Ham added, “have to show Mallardians that their Queen is safe.”

The group was quiet for a few minutes.

“You want to do a coronation, don’t you?” Daisy uttered to break the silence. Ham folded his paws in his lap.

“As soon as possible. A joint one, for both of you. The funeral will follow.”

“It must be televised,” Bella noted. “Everyone in Vulpus should see it.”

“She’s underage,” Jeanette pointed out. “Bella needs a Regent.”

Ham shrugged.

“You could do it. Or her mother. She doesn’t exactly have a country to govern at the moment.”

Daisy pulled herself together. The sadness in her was quickly turning to unchecked fury toward the Vixen Queen. For depriving her of her country, of her family, and the light in her world.

“I will gut her daughter,” Daisy spat. “I will ensure that Vixen *bitch* experiences loss twice as wretched as this! This I do swear.”

—The Steeple—

Before the sun even set, the monkeys worked assiduously to assemble a last-minute but visually stunning coronation. The Steeple was festooned in Mallardian and Willonian imagery, including their flags and emblems.

Neither Queen had their nation’s crown. King Mickey had worn the official crown of Willie out of Musenzollern, and it was confiscated by the deer that captured them. King Swan didn’t think to take it with him when the ducks left Beakfield Manor. But Vinesteeple’s blacksmith forged each of them ornate ringlets, modest but powerful. Emblazoned on both sides of the crowns, so that all could see, was the new motto of the Granite Bloc, adopted by decree that afternoon: “Lest We Forget.”

Daisy Mus and young Bella Mallard walked down the center of the Steeple together, the cameras upon them. They were wearing grey coronation dresses with purple trains. Grey for granite. Purple for royalty. Anya and Tatyana carried Daisy’s train, while Dowager Queen Isadora and Senator Jeanette Kinnar lifted Bella’s.

Thousands of monkeys, ducks, and mice had gathered to witness the event. The anthems of both nations were played by the orchestra.

Daisy and Bella sat side-by-side on Simenese thrones, but the blacksmith had also managed to pry off the royal monkey seals and replace them with Mallardian and Willonian equivalents. Ham Mercury spared no expense in throwing this event together, and Daisy was grateful. She felt hollow, but steeled herself to be strong and emotionless before the cameras. She found one moving in front of her and glared into it, as if the Vixen Queen herself was standing before her.

Ham led the ceremony, and was the one to crown them. They recited their nations’ oaths, and committed themselves to defeating the Summer Sun.

“State your name!” Ham boomed to Bella Mallard, who was kneeling on her cushion, ready to be crowned.

“Queen Swan XXI!” she declared, continuing Mallardian royal tradition of adopting the regnal name “Swan.” Ham lowered the crown onto her head.

“Arise Queen Swan XXI, and assume the Mallardian throne. In the name of your father.”

“Lest We Forget,” she recited.

Ham took the second crown and turned to Daisy.

“State your name!”

“Daisy, Queen of Willie.”

“Arise Queen Daisy, and assume the Willonian throne. In memory of your father, mother, brother, nieces, and nephew.”

Daisy did so, and stared with ire into the camera lens. Wherever the Vixen Queen was, Daisy hoped she was watching.

“Lest We Forget.”

## Production

### Continuity and Story Arcs

The Summer Sun successfully invaded Mallardia and Willie, occupying the entirety of the nations. Both royal families were gravely affected, with Swan XX and Mickey XI murdered. They were succeeded in-exile by Bella Mallard and Daisy Mus.

Senator Jeanette Kinnar was first mentioned in the season 2 episode “Trial of the Lawbots” as the namesake for the Kinnar Mountains north of Toontown.

Mizzie Mercury was first mentioned in “Song of the Siren” as the last-known heir to Simeone.

Matthew Palmer was promoted to Captain and was stationed at the House of Intended Design, where he was unable to prevent the execution of the Mus Royal Family.

### References

Grasse, Mallardia, is based on Grasse, France.

Musenzollern Castle is based on and named after Hohenzollern Castle, the ancestral seat of the German Hohenzollern imperial family.

The plight of the Mus royal family is a historical parallel for the 1918 execution of Russian Tsar Nicholas II and his family at the end of the Russian Revolution. The Tsar, his wife, and his five children were all gunned down by Bolsheviks on orders from Vladimir Lenin.

Yefoxerinburg is a reference to the Russian city of Ekaterinburg, the site of the execution of the Romanov Family.

The House of Intended Design references the House of Special Purpose, also known as the Ipatiev House, where the Romanovs were slaughtered. The layout of the house and other minor details, such as the windows being painted over, are factual.

The date of the Mus family’s execution, July 17, is the same date that the Romanovs were killed (July 17, 1918). Just as in the story, the Romanovs were informed by their captors in the middle of the night that they were to pose for a photograph in the basement, where they were shot.

## Trivia

* The title of this episode is a common motto of remembrance. It was first used in a poem by Rudyard Kipling, and later passed into the common vernacular across the British Empire after the close of World War I. Kipling likely selected the quote from a paraphrase in the Bible. Today, "Lest We Forget" is enscribed on tombstones as epitaphs.
	+ The line was quoted by both Daisy Mus and Bella Mallard upon their coronations. "Lest We Forget" became the adopted motto of the Granite Bloc.
* Jeanette Kinnar's name is an anagram for Jeanette Rankin, an American politician from Montana. She was the first woman to hold American federal office. She served two non-consecutive terms in the United States House of Representatives, from 1917-1919 and from 1941-1943. In her first term, she was one of fifty to vote against American entrance into World War I. In 1941, she was the sole vote against entrance into World War II. She is the only person to vote no on both articles of war. She famously stated, "As a woman, I cannot go to war--and I refuse to send anyone else either."
* Many of the Mus royal family derive their names from Disney characters. Minnie Mus is named after Minnie Mouse, Daisy Mus after Daisy Duck, and Donald Mus after Donald Duck.
* Anya and Tatyana Mus are named after Anastasia and Tatiana Romanov, Grand Duchesses of Russia before their execution in 1918.
* The Mus triplets—Lillian, Marie, and Dionne, are loosely named after the Dionne Quintuplets.
* The address of the House of Intended Design, 18 Lica Road, is significant. 18 is the year (1918) of the Romanov murders. Lica is “fox” in Russian.
* Jakob Jäger is based on Yakov Yurovsky, the chief executioner of the Romanov royal family. His surname is "hunter" in German.