In The Tale of Despereaux there are three important plot events. First, Despereaux unexpectedly meets the Princess Pea when searching for what sounds like honey. He follows the music of the king's guitar and inches closer and closer to the sweet sound until he is in the princess's hand. He immediately and whole-heartedly falls in love with the princess and as he leaves, he shouts "I honor you" as a knight to his fair maiden.
Next, because he broke the sacred mouse rule of revealing oneself to a human, he is sent to the dungeon without being defended by his father to the Mouse Council. Even his own brother commits the heinous crime of "perfidy" by pushing him into the black abyss. But, by the grace of the jailer, Gregory, he is not torn to bits by the evil rats and ultimately is able to travel back up to the light in Mig's apron pocket.
Finally, after a fitful sleep, he hears the heart-wrenching news: the princess, his dear maiden, is missing. Because he overheard Roscuro's evil plan, he knows exactly where she is at and further realizes that it is up to him to rescue her. He knows the only creature in the world who can help him traverse that dark place is the one creature no one can trust: a rat. But, on the tail of the rat he must be led to his fair maiden to honor her by saving her life, and so he plunges back down into the overwhelming blackness of the dungeon again. Once he is finally able to see the light of the princess, he must fight to the death, or so he thinks, to save her. Thankfully, due to Mig having a change of heart and the princess's pleadings, Roscuro finally realizes that it is truly light his heart craves, not revenge. And so, the reconciled friends are able to enjoy the light of the banquet hall together, which, in the words of the final page of the book, is "just so."
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