The Inventor and the Phoenix

The West Wing

Some time later, Matt and Cody, with Pallo, the leg-rest walking beside them and Josh swimming in the tunnels of water above them, led Rodney through the hallways where the knight armors stood.

"As you can see, the pseudo facade was stripped away to reveal a minimalist rococo design. Note the unusual inverted vaulted ceilings," Matt explained as the knight armors turned their heads at Rodney and Wonderbot. "This is yet another example of the new classic baroque period, and as I always say, if it's not baroque, don't fix it!" He laughed at his joke, wiping a tear from his eyes. "Now then, where was I?"

Rodney lagged behind as he stared at the numerous paintings on the walls. Some were almost like the ones near his bedroom, others showed a few people, one of them almost looking identical to the Princess.

"Did she make all of these?" Rodney asked Cody.

"She spent her whole life painting the outside world," Cody told him, nodding. "Her mother taught her at a young age. Ever since the curse happened, she wanted nothing more than to see the world again. But with her whole appearance...it was only a glance away from the mirror."

"Oh..." Rodney understood. "And...uh, I noticed that Nabel is the Queen of the castle. She's her...mother or something?"

"Nonsense! They're sisters," Josh added. "And believe me when I say, the Princess may be royalty, but she knows how to be a goddamn good warrior."

"Oh, thank god!" Rodney sighed with relief before clearing his throat. "Uh, sorry. I just...I didn't know that..."

"All good, man. No worries," Josh beamed.

Rodney smiled back before his eyes landed on the West side of the hallway. With a shrug from Wonderbot, he headed towards the stairs.

"Now, if I may draw your attention to the flying buttresses above the....uh, Monsieur?" Matt stopped and spotted Rodney and Wonderbot walking towards the West Wing.

He, Cody, and Josh glanced at one another shocked before they rushed to him, Pallo barking and running alongside them.

Just before Rodney could even step up on the stairs completely, the three stepped in front of them, nervous smiles on their faces and their arms extended to further the prevention.

"What's up there?" Rodney tilted his head.

"Where? Up there?" Matt anxiously laughed. "Oh, nothing. Absolutely nothing of interest at all in the West Wing. Just dusty, dull," he continued to beam with nervousness as Cody and Josh nodded in agreement.

"Oh, so that's the West Wing," Rodney smirked, tapping his chin.

Matt gulped nervously as Josh and Cody glared at him. "Nice work, pal." Josh folded his arms.

"Wonder what she's hiding up there," Rodney tried to get a closer glimpse at the West Wing.

"What? Hiding? The Princess isn't hiding anything," Josh denied.

"Then it wouldn't be forbidden," Rodney stated as he went up the stairs, but the three stepped in front of him again.

"Uh, perhaps monsieur would like to see something else," Josh quickly added. "We have exquisite tapestries dating all the way back to..."

"Maybe later," Rodney made another step up the stairs, but the three stopped him in his tracks as before.

"The gardens perhaps, or the, uh, the library?" Cody chimed in.

"You have a library?" Rodney lit up.

"Oh, yes! Indeed!" Matt nodded.

"With books!"