Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Technoblade was only thirteen, sure, but he was on a very important mission. 

His mother and father were busy as usual, going to meetings and speaking with the royal advisors. If someone asked Techno about it, he’d say that it was normal. He couldn’t really remember the last time they had eaten together, but that was fine. He didn’t need them. Maybe when he was younger, he wished that things were different, but as he got older, he realized that being king and queen was a lot of work. 

Too much work, maybe.

Techno never wanted to be king, not if it meant that it took up all of his time and made him forget his family. 

The mission wasn’t a royal one, but a personal mission that he had set out for himself. A self-appointed mission, one that he took pride in doing. 

Silently, he crept down the long hallway, sticking to the shadows. There were a few torches placed here and there, but for the most part, the hallway was dark, making it easy for him to move quickly.

He held onto the bag he was carrying tightly, his heart pounding in his throat and his knuckles white from how hard he was gripping it. If he was caught, he didn’t know how his father and mother would react, but he knew that it wouldn’t be good. 

He held his breath as he passed a large oak door, hearing low murmurs and laughter coming from inside the room. This was the tricky bit, he knew, but he would be fine. He’d never been caught before, and he wasn’t going to start tonight. 

He was Prince Technoblade. He never got caught.

He slowly moved past the door, doubly cautious as he held his breath. His feet knew where to step without making noise, though, and he quickly moved on. After continuing down the dark hallway, he took a left and ran into one of the older rooms. 

The room he entered was supposedly a guest room, but it wasn’t as if they ever had guests to begin with. A thin layer of dust covered the desks and wardrobe, but that wasn’t what Technoblade was there for anyway. He crossed the room, putting the bag over his shoulders as he looked around him. He had closed the door behind him, and there didn’t seem to be anyone following him. 

With a quick, self-satisfied grin to himself, he opened the window and jumped out. 

Techno loved walking around the kingdom at night. There weren’t many people out, which was always nice, and certainly no one who was out at night cared to notice who exactly he was. It was the closest he ever got to anonymity. 

He wasn’t just out for a midnight wander, though. This adventure — mission , he corrected himself quickly, because missions seemed way more important — wasn’t for his own amusement or pleasure. 

He had important things to do. 

He followed the street for a bit, his shoes making a soft thudding sound on the path. The weather was starting to get colder, winter coming more quickly than it had before. He had overheard someone in the castle say that it was going to be a big one, which accounted for the drop in temperature. 

He shivered a little, goosebumps appearing on his arms, but he didn’t even think about turning back and going back to the castle. What kind of a person would he be if he abandoned his mission? Not one he wanted to be, so he pressed on, hunching his shoulders against the breeze.

Soon he veered off into the forest, away from the low ambiance of the kingdom. Technically the woods were a part of the kingdom too, but hardly anyone went in them unless it was to hunt. The woods were massive, and it was easy for people to get lost.

Technoblade wasn’t just anybody, though, and he knew the forest like the back of his hand. He’d been coming to the woods for awhile now, and every single time, he always knew instinctively which way to go. 

The leaves above him parted with the breeze, swaying with the currents of the wind, making Techno smile to himself. It was almost as if the forest was saying hello in its own way, welcoming him back. 

The moon was bright in the sky, shining down on him and giving him enough light to see where he was going. His steps were loud, sticks cracking and leaves crunching underneath his feet, but he wasn’t as concerned as before. No one had followed him, so he could make all the noise he wanted. He wouldn’t, but he could. 

He continued walking for a while, following a seemingly nonexistent path. There was no road or dirt trail, but he wasn’t lost. He knew exactly where he was going. 

After ducking underneath a few fallen trees and scrambling over the top of a pretty large hunk of rocks, he finally arrived at his destination. He was panting a bit from the climb, so he gently set the bag down on the grass and put his hands on his knees, catching his breath as he hunched over. 

“Hah…you’d think I’d be used to that by now.” He said quietly to himself, dusting off some dirt that was on his knees. 

After a moment he straightened up, looking around. 

The field that he was in was gorgeous, with purple, white and pink wildflowers swaying in the wind, almost coming up to Techno’s knees. The grass seemed to move in waves with the wind, almost looking as if there was a ripple effect on the ground itself. Nobody really knew about this field, and the wildlife was all the better for it. The forest seemed to almost melt into the field, the bright green grass a stark contrast against the darkness of the woods. Both of them were equally beautiful, but the woods had a threatening aura around itself, while the forest seemed peaceful and inviting. 

“I guess I’m here first.” Techno said to himself, picking the bag back up and walking through the field. There was a small spot by the edge of the field, a spot with flattened grass, the only sign that humans had ever discovered the small field. He sat down with a small grunt, sitting the bag beside him. 

Then, he laid flat on his back and looked up at the sky. The stars were bright that night, practically covering the entire sky. Techno remembered when he was younger, his favorite knight, Phil, used to tell him stories about them. Techno was never sure if he made them up or not, but it didn’t matter even if he did. Phil was the one who had taken the time to entertain him, going beyond the call of duty for the small prince. 

He was sure that if he asked, Phil would tell them to him again.

But his mother and father thought that he was too bookish, head filled only with stories that didn’t assist the kingdom. It didn’t matter that reading was one of Techno’s only hobbies, or if he got consistently high marks in all of his studies anyway. They thought that he should be using all of his free time preparing for the day that he’d become king.

If he was honest, Techno thought that they never wanted him, they just needed an heir. He had confessed his thoughts to Phil before, and wasn’t surprised when the man hadn’t said anything to refute it. Phil had just pulled him into a hug, letting him cry on his armor. 

He was older now, thirteen, and he wasn’t crying about it anymore.

So consumed by the view of the stars, he had missed the sounds of footsteps at first, but then a loud curse rang through the air. Techno sat upright quickly, his hand going to the dagger he hid in his boot, only to relax when he saw who it was that was entering the field.

“Oi, fuckin’ move!” A blond child said to the teenager walking next to him, shoving him playfully. 

The teen pushed his glasses up and put his hand over the child’s face, muffling the angry ranting coming from him. “Shh, not so loud! Shit, you are such a brat. Aren’t you gonna say hi to Techno, or are you going to keep complaining at me?” 

Techno grinned, thrilled to see them. Every single time that they did this, he always had a small fear that they wouldn’t show. Every single time, they came anyway.

“Wilbur, Tommy. Hullo.” He said cheerfully, standing up to greet them. 

“Techno!” Tommy cheered, immediately abandoning his argument with his brother, instead running to Techno. “I’ve missed you! It’s been so long since we’ve seen you!” He said, barreling into Techno, making him take a step back to steady them.

Techno sighed in playful exasperation, but wrapped his arms around the kid anyway. He held him tightly for a few seconds, then gently shoved him off. “Tommy, we see each other every week.”

“That’s too long!’ Tommy said, narrowing his eyes at him. He puffed his cheeks out in anger and stomped his foot on the ground. “That’s ages.”

“The child has no concept of time.” Wilbur said, walking to join them both. He slung an arm around Techno’s shoulders, squeezing once before letting him go and sitting down. “Every day is an eon.”

Techno laughed and sat down too, joining him on the ground. 

“What’s an eon?” Tommy asked, scowling as he flopped onto the ground. He crossed his arms and added, “It’s not nice to use words that I don’t know to make fun of me! That’s cheating - and bullying!” He turned to Techno with pleading eyes. “Tell him!” 

Techno nodded, fighting back a smile as he made a serious face. “Wil, you’re bullying the poor child.” 

Tommy nodded, satisfied, then did a double take as the words registered. “Exactly – HEY!”

Wilbur started laughing, throwing his head back. Techno couldn’t stop his smile from growing this time, basking in his friend’s laughter. “You make it too easy!”

“I do not! You both are the worst.” Tommy snapped, turning his head away from them both and sticking his nose in the air. He was pouting, which was endearing, but Techno wasn’t prepared for dealing with an actual Tommy temper tantrum that night.

“Come on, we were just playin’ around. I missed you guys, honest.” Techno said, gently bumping their shoulders together. Tommy didn’t move, but his shoulders noticeably relaxed, so he decided to sweeten the deal. “Hey, lemme show you guys what I brought today.”

This made both Tommy and Wilbur sit upright, excitement shining in their eyes. They didn’t normally look similar even though they were brothers, but when they got excited, they both had the same exact expression on their faces. 

“Yeah, go on.” Wilbur said, leaning over to see better. 

Techno grabbed the bag from beside him and sat it on his lap, pulling out the things one by one. “We got a whole loaf of fresh bread,” He said, smiling at Tommy’s excited cheering. The loaf was wrapped in a pale, thin cloth, saving it from being ruined by the other things in the bag. “We got some jam in a jar to go with it, a couple of turkey legs in this cloth, I managed to get three of those really small pork pies you like, Wilbur, and as a treat, I grabbed you each a cherry tart.” Their eyes both widened at the sheer amount of food he pulled out.

“YES! MY FAVORITE!” Tommy shouted, immediately diving for it with both hands. Wilbur quickly stopped him, and the two began bickering.

Techno had started bringing them food about a month ago, when the three had met. Before he met them, he would only rarely sneak out of the castle, and when he did, he would just wander aimlessly. 

They ran into each other one day, one of the rare times Techno left the castle in the light, and Techno found them trying to steal from a pastry stand. He had accidentally offended them, and later came back with some pastries to apologize. From then on, at least once every week, he would meet them in the field and bring them food.

Wilbur and Tommy lived in an orphanage, although it wasn’t exactly living there so much as going there to get one meal a day and sleep in a bed. Wilbur had explained to him that although the orphanage itself was fine, they just had too many kids there, and a lot of them feel through the cracks. 

There were also a few of the bigger teenagers who liked to steal from Wilbur and Tommy, either taking their food at dinner or trying to get them caught while stealing. They were thin from hunger, both of them clearly needing a bit more weight on them, but Wilbur’s cheekbones were sharper. Techno knew that Wilbur often gave Tommy more than half of his own portions, and it certainly didn’t help that Wil was going through a growth spurt. Every time Techno saw him, he looked both skinnier and taller.

Techno had decided to start taking more food from the kitchens, trying his best to get enough for the brothers to eat for the week. He was pretty sure that some of the kitchen staff were starting to catch on, but he couldn’t stop. If he got caught, his parents would punish him, but that was it.

If Wil or Tommy got caught, they would get thrown in jail.

The kingdom was not kind, even to orphans. 

Techno watched as Wilbur convinced Tommy to at least eat some of the turkey first, feeling content as the brothers ate. Techno was just happy that he could help them. He might not be able to do anything for himself, but he could help Wilbur and Tommy, and that was just as good. 

They were the only friends he had, and he would do anything for them.

As Tommy started to scarf down the turkey, Wilbur leaned closer to him and put his head on Techno’s shoulder. “Thank you.” He said quietly, his dark hair tickling Techno’s neck. “Genuinely.”

“Don’t mention it. Seriously, don’t.” Techno replied, shifting uncomfortably with the praise. 

“I’m not stupid.” Wilbur said playfully, moving back to his original spot after flicking Techno on the nose.

The trio sat together comfortably, chatting and eating their food as the moon slowly rose higher in the sky. Sometimes they played together, grabbing large sticks and pretending to be knights, but tonight was calm, with just the three of them enjoying each other's company.

Techno wasn’t quite aware of the passage of time, but when he finally noticed the moon about midway to the sky, he felt a brief flash of anxiety. He should’ve gone back a while ago, but he didn’t want to leave. Being in the field with Wilbur and Tommy was the only time that he felt happy. He didn’t want it to end yet.

He should’ve known that it was too good to last.

The field, as far as Technoblade knew, had only ever had three human beings inside of it. He had never seen any idea that anyone even knew where it was. People usually just went into the forest to hunt big game or to get lumber and not much else. His parents certainly never came into the forest, wrinkling their noses at even the thought of getting dirty. 

Techno thought it was safe.

He was wrong, he realized immediately, his stomach sinking. 

Wilbur and Tommy were wrestling playfully in the grass, missing what Techno could hear clearly. The sound of heavy footsteps and clinking armor, close to their field, traveling through the woods, echoing in his ears.

Chapter Text

“Tommy, Wilbur, run.” Technoblade said urgently, his heart starting to pound a frantic rhythm. Panic made his hands shake as he started to stuff the uneaten food into the bag, adrenaline running through his body. “You – you gotta go. Now!” 

Wilbur knew immediately what was happening, quickly moving to help Techno fill the bag, uncaring of the cloths that were laying on the grass. The bread was getting squished, shoved into the bag without care,  and one of the half-eaten tarts was spilling. Normally they were far more careful with the food, but they couldn’t afford to be now.

Tommy was a bit slower on the uptake, too young to fully understand. “What, why? Where are we going?” He asked quietly, standing up. He might not have known exactly what was happening, but he was clearly being affected by the rising tension. 

Techno grimly hoped that they would be able to run away fast enough. At least he knew that the knights wouldn’t have any horses with them, the animals unable to maneuver their way into the forest without a paved path to walk on.

How? How did they follow him?

He supposed that it didn’t really matter at that point. Not really. He just had to make sure that they got away safe. He would be fine, it was Wilbur and Tommy that were really in danger.

“Go, go.” Techno said, quickly tying the bag and shoving it into Wilbur’s arms. “Don’t – don’t come back.” His voice almost broke as he said it, but he was firm. 

“Okay.” Wilbur said, grabbing the bag with one hand and pushing Tommy towards the edge of the forest with his other. The two boys started to run through the field, and Techno watched them go for a beat, making sure to save the picture in his mind. His heart was pounding inside his chest, and he hoped that they would make it out. 

Techno was never that lucky. 

Four knights melted out from the shadows of the forest, right in front of where Wilbur and Tommy were running. Techno let out a choked cry in warning, his heart leaping into his throat, but it was too late. 

The knights grabbed onto their arms and threw them down on the ground, their armor gleaming in the moonlight. He heard the shouting of both the knights and Wilbur and Tommy, but it was distant and muted, almost as if he was underwater. The sounds were muffled, as if Techno was unable to process them. 

He almost missed the fact that he himself was being grabbed, the metal gloves the knights wore clamping down hard on his arm, sure to leave bruises on his skin. 

“Get off my brother!” Wilbur was screaming, thrashing against the knight’s hold. “Get off him!”

“Wilbur!” Tommy shouted back, his face red. “Wilbur, help!” 

Techno was frozen, watching in horror. All he had wanted to do was help them. They were his only friends in the entire world, and look at what happened to them, all because of him.

Maybe his parents were right to completely dismiss him, if he really did ruin everything that he touched. 

“Let them go!” He finally managed to say, the words torn from his throat. “Let them go, they didn’t do anything wrong!” 

One of the knights walked over to the tossed aside bag and lifted it up, untying the knot and peering inside. “Not doing anything wrong, huh?” The knight said dryly, pulling out the half-eaten tart. “I wouldn’t call stealing from the royal family doing nothing, Prince Technoblade.”

Wilbur tried to say something, rage in his voice, but was immediately cut off, the knight holding him to the ground shoving his face in the dirt. “Not-uh. You’re going directly to the king and queen.” The knight sneered, mocking him. “Now both of you stop fighting and make this easier for us, okay?” One of the other knights laughed at them, making his blood boil.

“It was me!” Techno shouted, trying to pull away from the knight holding him. “They didn’t steal it! I did!” 

The knight tightened his fingers around his arm, making him wince in pain. “You’re in enough trouble, Prince Technoblade.” The man said, a warning clear in his tone. “Don’t bring more upon yourself for two street rats.”

“Fuck you! They aren't street rats!” Techno replied angrily, “I order you to let them go!” 

“We don’t take orders from you, pipsqueak.” The knight holding Wilbur down said, clearly enjoying himself. Techno felt his stomach churn from the sheer cruelty that the knights were displaying. Was this his legacy? Was this the best the kingdom had to offer? It made him sick. If he was going to rule people like that, he didn’t want the crown anyway. 

“Your orders cannot override the king and queens, Prince Technoblade.” The knight holding him said, more diplomatically than the others. “Our orders are to bring you back to the kingdom. Your mother and father are waiting for you in the throne room. Men!” He called to his fellow knights, “Stop playing around and take them to the dungeons. The king and queen will decide what to do with them after they meet with the Prince Technoblade.”

The knights started tying their hands together behind their backs while Techno watched, utterly helpless. He couldn’t do anything. 

It seemed that Wilbur had also realized how hopeless their situation was, because he stopped struggling, just laid on the ground passively, tears leaking from the corners of his eyes. Tommy was still fighting, trying to twist and turn out of their hold, but he was no match for fully grown men in armor. 

Techno felt his own eyes sting in response, watching as the knights pulled them up from the ground, Wilbur’s face streaked with mud. “I’m sorry!” He cried to them, “I’m so sorry.” 

Wilbur didn’t look at him. Neither did Tommy.

Techno tried to make eye-contact with them as they were marched into the castle, but was unsuccessful. Tears were drying his face, making it feel tacky and sticky. He wished that he could wipe his face, but his own hands were tied behind his back as well. The humiliation of being dragged into his own home, bound and paraded down the streets, was not lost on him. It wasn’t an important detail in the long run, he was far more concerned with his friends, but his cheeks were still flushed with red.

He wondered if it was his parents' idea, or if it was something the knights elected to do on their own. 

Wilbur had tried to say something to him on the way, but he was quickly silenced by a swift cuff to the head. Techno wished he knew who the knight was. He might not have had power at the moment, but he’d make sure that as soon as he could, the man would be punished.

Right after they all entered the castle, they split off. The majority of knights went with Wilbur and Tommy, dragging them to what Techno knew was the direction of the dungeons. Techno, however, was pulled into a different direction towards the throne room.

He didn’t drag his feet, figuring there would be no point. He couldn’t escape, but he didn’t plan on doing it even if he could. Maybe there was a chance that he would be able to convince his parents to let Tommy and Wilbur go. 

He would take their punishment. They didn’t even do anything wrong. The worst thing they did was befriend Techno. 

The large, opulent doors opened, making Techno shiver despite himself. He didn’t often see the throne room, his parents not wanting him to be a distraction. The room was huge, with a golden ceiling and gray and black marble flooring. Two thrones were at the back of the room, velvet red carpeting leading to them.

One of the thrones was almost five feet high, golden and shining. The second throne was smaller, but no less opulent. The thrones were decorated with jewels, rubies and emeralds in the armrest, with diamonds at the top. 

His father and mother were sitting on the thrones, with two knights stationed next to them as always. Techno was surprised to find that one of the knights was Phil, the other someone he didn’t recognize. 

He looked away from the knights and looked at his parents, cringing when he saw their expressions. His father looked furious, his face red and his eyebrows narrowed. His mother just looked coldly disappointed when she looked at him, her eyes piercing. It almost felt as if she was looking through him, not at him. 

The knight who was holding him marched him to the back of the moon, where he was presented in front of the thrones. The man untied him and backed away, leaving Techno alone in front of his parents. 

Techno ducked his head, not wanting to make eye contact. “Father–” He began to say, but was immediately interrupted. 

“Your majesty.” The king said.

He swallowed hard and dipped into a low bow. “Your majesty.” He corrected himself, his stomach sinking. 

“I don’t understand you, Technoblade.” His father said, slowly standing up. Techno watched as his father walked towards him, his heartbeat starting to race. The pit in his stomach started to grow, a foreboding feeling starting to creep up on him. 

“You say you care about the kingdom, and yet you steal from us?” He asked, looming over him. Shadows bounced off his face, making him appear threatening. Techno wasn’t so sure that he wasn’t. “You say you care about us, your own mother and father, and yet you take food from our mouths?” 

“I took food from your mouth?” Techno repeated, incredulity clear. Anger was quickly replacing his fear, and he shouted, “Are you serious? You have two three course meals every day! These people have nothing! They’re starving on the streets! They go for days at a time without eating! Don’t act as if I’m the bad guy here!”

His head snapped to the side as his father’s hand hit him, his eyes involuntarily filling with tears. The strike was powerful, the heavy sound ringing across the throne room.  He blinked rapidly, trying to stop his tears from falling. He didn’t want to cry in front of them, but his cheek burned and the humiliation of the night was beginning to wear on him. 

“Enough! I see that we’ve been too lenient on you. We’re done here. Tomorrow, you’ll be caned ten times in front of the town, both for leaving the castle unattended and for stealing from royalty. After, you’ll be the one to whip the two boys.”

Techno’s head snapped up at that. “Don’t – don’t punish them. It was me, all me, I swear!” His voice was small and clogged from tears. In the corner of his eye, he saw the knights who caught him radiating amusement in the back of the room. The only knight not laughing was Phil, who had been watching with furious eyes.

The king kneeled down and made eye contact with him. In a low, dangerous voice, he said, “I don’t believe you.” 

He straightened up and turned his back on Techno, waving a hand in the air. His rings glinted in the torchlight, sparkling. His stomach turned. 

“You’ve clearly been influenced by these people, although calling them people is generous. Knights! Take him to his room. He needs his rest.” 

“No, wait! You can’t do this!” He shouted in panic, trying to wrench himself away from the knights closing in. “Please! Mercy!” 

There was no mercy to be had, and the knights dragged him out. Before he was shoved out of the throne room, he made eye contact with Phil, who was watching everything with wide eyes and a clenched jaw. Their brief moment of connection was shattered as he was pulled out into the hallway.

He was thrown into his room, sprawling out onto the cold floor, wincing in pain. He scrambled to his feet as soon as he got his bearings back, trying to slip out of the room, but the doors slammed in his face. 

“Fuck!” He shouted, kicking the door. “Let me out!” He tried to open the door, but it was either locked, or someone was leaning on the other side of it, effectively trapping him in the room. He kicked the door again, although with less energy than the first one. Miserably, he sank to the ground.

His breath came out in shaky gasps, the events of the night finally hitting him. Not only had his friends been taken and imprisoned, but his father had hit him. It was the first time he had ever done that. A few tears trailed down his cheeks as he gently felt it, the skin tender and hot. 

Tomorrow would be worse, he numbly realized. 

He could handle the caning, he thought to himself. It wouldn’t be pleasant, but he was strong enough to get through it. But he wouldn’t hurt Wilbur and Tommy, and he’d find a way to make sure his parents didn’t either.

He sat on the ground for a long time, his head tucked in his legs, pink hair tangled with sweat. His mind was almost completely empty, shutting down and unable to think clearly. He had to figure out a plan to make sure Wilbur and Tommy were okay.

After a while, he heard the guards from the other side of the door speaking in low tones. He lifted his head and pressed his ear to the door, struggling to hear.

“...in shifts…”

“...sure?”

“...said I was, mate…”

“...your head be it…”

He heard the muffled sounds of clinking armor walking away, getting fainter. Was it a shift change? That was unusual. His parents didn’t usually care if the knights were forced to stay up all night.

A few minutes passed without any other sounds coming from the door. Techno sighed, thumping his head against the door. 

Then he had to scramble to catch himself, because the heavy oak door was opening. He shot up to his feet and prepared to tackle the knight, tensing up. He would try to get past them and then – then he’d sneak into the dungeons. 

His plans came to a screeching halt as he saw who was on the other side of the door.

“Phil?” He asked hesitantly, instinctively relaxing. 

Phil put his finger to his lips. “Shh. We don’t have much time.” He slipped into his room and closed the door behind him. “Grab anything you want to take with you.”

Techno blinked, confused. “What – what do you mean?” He asked him. “I don’t understand.”

Phil’s face darkened and he let out a heavy sigh. “Technoblade, I’ve watched you since you were a child. What happened tonight was ridiculous, cruelty for cruelty’s sake. I’m tired of defending a shitty kingdom that doesn’t care about its people, and I’m tired of defending a king and queen who would force children to whip other children for feeding them. I’ve snuck the two boys out of the castle, and when they find out, they’ll kill me. I’m leaving the kingdom tonight.” 

Techno’s eyes widened. “What?”

Phil nodded. “I’m taking the boys with me. If they stay here, they’ll be ratted out almost immediately. Our best chance is to get out together.” 

He licked his lips nervously. “You want me to go with you.” He breathed out, realizing where Phil was going.

Phil nodded, walking forwards and grabbing Techno’s hands. “I always wanted to protect you, even if it was from your own parents.” He confessed quickly, looking into his eyes. “Let me. I won’t hurt you, or humiliate you, or ignore you. I’d treat you like my own son. Come with us.” His grip wasn’t tight on his hands and it didn’t hurt, instead it felt comforting and warm. 

A thousand thoughts raced through his head. What about the kingdom? What if they were caught? How long had Phil been disloyal to the crown? Where would they go? Were Wilbur and Tommy angry at him, knowing that he was the reason why they had to leave?

Still, even with those thoughts, there was only one answer he could give.

“Yes.”

Chapter Text

Life was different now. 

After Phil had taken him in the dead of night, he had led Techno to a wagon and urged him to go under the blankets. Techno had crawled in and almost cried when he had seen Wilbur and Tommy and their bright smiles as they saw him.

They had traveled for a week straight, not stopping, trying to get as much distance between them and the kingdom as they could. Techno and Wilbur took shifts leading the horse in order to let Phil sleep.

And eventually, after they had finally completely exhausted themselves, after they had finally left the kingdom's borders, they ended up in a small town.

They had stayed in an inn on the far side of town, just long enough for Phil to get a job and have a solid flow of income. He was taking care of three boys now, and that meant the coins that he had taken would dry up sooner than he planned.

Still, the security and border guarding paid well enough, and soon after, Phil had managed to buy a small little farmhouse on the outskirts of town. 

It was more than Wilbur and Tommy ever had in their life. It was a significant change for Techno, but the love and care that permeated the space was something he would happily give up the castle for. 

They had started farming. 

Techno was obsessed with the horse, who he named Carl. He single-handedly made sure that the stable was fit for him, reinforcing the wood that was rotten with unuse, replacing the hay every morning, and making sure that the locks to the stables weren’t so rusted that they would easily break. 

With all of the physical work that he was putting in, and his time in the sun that he didn’t have before, he kick-started a growth-spurt. He shot up like a weed, his thin arms quickly becoming roped with muscle. He was nearly unrecognizable from the prince that he was previously. Tommy always begged him to carry him, and Techno always gave in.

Wilbur often went into town with Phil, although he didn’t have the physical skills that Phil did. His talents weren’t with the sword like Phil. His talent was his voice. Whether it was singing or reading poetry, his busking eventually ended up landing him his own hefty sum of coins. 

He had tried to give the coins to Phil, but he had refused them. “Nah, mate, they’re yours. You earned them, you get to keep them.”

Wilbur had blinked twice, his eyes shiny, before darting in and wrapping his arms around him.

So Wilbur would go into town and busk, and when he came home, he’d split his coins four ways. Some for him, some for Tommy, some for Techno, and the remaining coins would be put in a jar that was on the table. The jar was all the money for the repairs and upkeep on the farm.

Tommy didn’t go into town often. He was still the most wary, the most likely to hide in the fields when people occasionally came by. He was adjusting to having a home, to living comfortably. It was hard, but the thing that helped the most after time was when Henry and Henrietta came.

One of their distant neighbors had stopped by, offering two of his calves to borrow Carl for a week. He needed to visit his sister in the neighboring town, but horses were scarce. 

Phil had talked to Techno about it, and Techno reluctantly agreed. The neighbor brought the calves over, and Tommy fell in love as soon as he saw them. 

So they learned how to take care of the cows. They had to fix up the barn to do it, practically rebuilding it from the ground up, but it was worth it to see Tommy so happy, beaming and comfortable in a way that he hadn’t been until then. 

And then their animals started growing. “It’s a farm.” Wilbur had said with furrowed eyebrows, “Why don’t we have sheep and chickens? Those are proper farm animals.”

So they got sheep and chickens. The chickens hated anyone who wasn’t Phil, which was funny, because Phil hated them. They would follow him around, clucking and pecking at his shoes. They were good for food, though, and so they stayed.

The sheep were what made Techno learn how to sew. Phil would bring the wool to Techno, who would scour it and then start to experiment with it. Within a few months, they all had wool blankets and wool sweaters, which was nice to have when it came to winter.

The first winter was hard. Wilbur had slipped into a depression and stopped busking for a time, sometimes struggling to get out of bed. Tommy explained to them that he usually felt down during the winter months, but he was never able to just lay around before. Here, he could. He and Tommy weren’t in danger if they stayed in one place. 

So they were there for him, coaxing him out of bed some days, bringing him to the farm so he could pet the sheep and brush the cows, and some days, on the very bad days, they just let him lay in bed, where one of them would read him stories or just keep him company.

And as the bite of winter started to fade, Wilbur got better. He became more active and less lethargic. Eventually, he started going into town again. The townspeople seemed to brighten as soon as they saw him again, and he had almost made himself hoarse by singing so much that day. 

The second year, Techno decided to start farming. Properly farming. 

He would go into town with Phil and Wilbur and pester everyone around him with questions. How did they grow their crops? What were some of the first mistakes that they made? What were the easiest and hardest things to grow? What did they need?

Techno hoarded all of the knowledge that he learned, buying a pen and book, and began to grow crops. They started having home-grown tomatoes, carrots, squash and potatoes. 

They made a life together as a family. 

And they were happy.