"That's your crew?" Chloe gasped, her singular eye growing wider and wider.

"Yeppers peppers…" Elise said with a forlorn look. "They're the bestest crew I've ever had. I can't let them go to the gallows."

"Right back atcha pally," Tony said flashing his fins at Elise. "Fil-ayyyy!"

Tony's silliness didn't make Elise giggle. "Well obviously," Chloe said, standing up. "We can't let that happen, and I've got just the plan!"

"What plan?" Elise and Tony asked with questions in their eyes.

"This plan to be exact," and Chloe pointed to the crumpled up schematic she was sitting on.

"She sells sea shells!" Elise said with hands to her cheeks. "You saved it!"

"Of course," Chloe said, grinning big. "It's our ace in the hole. I'll tell the minister all about the warden and his goblin pet and their plan to force prisoners to power our boats!"

"Hang on a fish floppin' second," Tony barked. "How do ya know we can trust this minister guy?"

For once, Chloe's voice was soft and tender. "Because Dingsworth always cared for me after my parents were murdered. And he writes decrees for me so I can still enjoy my life as a kid."

Tony looked at Elise uneasily, but Elise grinned a gap toothed grin in response. "Well, he is doing a very good job! That GOAT guy loves you!"

Chloe gave a mischevious smirk and flexed her pipe thin arm. "He'll love me now, but not when I'm queen of the pirates!"

"Anyway," Chloe said, placing her hands on her sides. "I'm gonna speak to the minister from the side entrance of the throne room. There's a big plant there for you to duck behind and peer through the door. I'm sure you want to hear what he has to say as much as me."

"Gee, I dunno, pally," Tony said, "I hope we don't get caught snoopin' around!"

Chloe placed her hand on Tony's scaly dorsal fin. "Relax! Sue the chef was preparing their lunch when we saw him. They're on their break now."

Tony let out a sigh of relief. "Thank da Ocean King I ain't their fish sammich right about now!"

***

Chloe knew exactly where to find the minister. He often wrote his decrees in the throne room to give them a 'flavor of authenticity' as he would often say. Chloe made her way through the castle with Elise and Tony stealthily sneaking around behind her. Much like she predicted, there was no guards to be found. At last, they came to the entrance of the throne room where a large ficus plant grew out of a vase. She gave a thumbs up to Tony and Elise. "The coast is clear!"

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Chloe entered and observed the towering stone thrones carved in imperial jade. The banners of the mainland, a pair of golden bells printed on pink and white banners hung over them. Chloe imagined her father and mother, both very tall and proud standing at their thrones. Her father with his shapely beard and her mother with her kind eyes that matched Chloe's, though not anymore.

Minister Dingsworth was carefully combing his wispy white mustache and goatee when Chloe approached him in the throne. He lowered the mirror in his other hand, and gave her a wrinkly smile. "Ah, Queen Annabell, have you returned to agree to oversee this most impertinent trial?"

Chloe held the schematic tightly rolled up in her hand. She nervously fluttered on her toes, before speaking. "I will, Minister. But I have something important I need to show you first."

"What is it?" he asked, raising his wispy white eyebrows.

"I have… a…"

Chloe pulled out the wrinkled schematic and was about to unroll it when a voice echoed in the throne room.

"Your lordship!"

A guard ran as fast as he could through the side door. He was holding a tissue covering up his bleeding nose. His pink and white outfit was frayed and covered with grass and dirt stains.

"What is it?" The minister hissed at him accusingly. "Can't you see this is an important conversation between her highness and I!"

"This involves her too!" the guard shouted, pointing right at Chloe.

Chloe gulped. She immediately knew who this guard was. It was the one she knocked on his rear in order to escape his grasp.

"Your lordship," the guard said. "Queen Annabell was out and about. When I caught up with her, not only did she knock me out but I found her with a known criminal."

The minister gasped and took a horrified step back as the guard unveiled a horrible crayon drawing of Elise. "Eloise McGee!"

"Elise McGill," Chloe said, rolling her eyes, but she gasped and covered her mouth.

"See," the guard said, "She's even on a first name basis with Eloise!"

"Is this true?!" The minister said, aghast by all the accusations. "Annabell. Why were you helping this….criminal pirate!"

Chloe was quieter than the grave. Her eye darted between the guard and the minister. What do I do, she thought to herself, do I tell them that Elise is innocent and show them the plans...it's the only thing I can do!

Chloe immediately unrolled the parchment. "Minister!" she said. "I know I did some bad things and lied to you. I've been a bad girl and I know it. But you need to see this."

The minister took one look at the schematic. He gazed upon it and confused, scratched his head. "I'll have to take a closer look at this."

"Don't you see what it is?!" Chloe exclaimed. "It's a plan to remake the whole fleet and force prisoners to…"

"I know what it is," Dingsworth snapped. "What I don't know is why you have it or who designed it."

Chloe gasped, nearly choking on the air.

"Unlike you, my Queen," the minister said, "I prefer to methodically observe all pieces of evidence before I jump to conclusions. I don't know who or what is behind this tomfoolery, but we shall go over it….after this trial!"

"No!" Chloe cried, but she was interrupted by two more guards hauling Elise in. Elise had a bunch of ficus leaves in her hair.

"Sir, we found the criminal pirate and her fish accomplice hiding behind a potted ficus."

Tony grimaced. "Mother ficus! We've been compromised, kid. They found out we're a plant!"

"Er...umm...leaves to meet you?" Elise grinned innocently.

"Pirates! Marauders! Fools!"The ministers nostrils flared like a dragon with indigestion. "To the castle dungeon, immediately!"

"No!" Chloe cried, "What are you going to do with them?!"

"They shall wait in our prison until the trial tomorrow, there they will be reunited with their ilk! Then you, Queen Annabell, shall preside over them."

Chloe glared defiantly at the minister, and he quickly added, "And you are to deliver a swift and decisive judgement based on the evidence rather than your friendships with these fiends."

As Elise was led away by the guards, she looked helplessly at Chloe, but there was nothing she could do to help her pirate friend.