Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The boy opened his eyes, gasping for air. Mud and dirt wrapped around his hands as he curled up, coughing. Rain soaked his clothes, the wind tugging on his collar.

Where was he? It was bad enough that his head was pounding, but he couldn’t remember a damn thing. His vision slightly blurred as he forced himself to look up. There were trees surrounding him, trapping him.

The boy grit his teeth, trying to get off the ground. Something white slipped from his pocket, being engulfed in the brown liquid beneath him.

He bent down to pick it up. He recognized it as paper. Good, at least he remembered something. Wiping off the dirt, he squinted his eyes, trying to figure out what was written.

The entire page was soaked, and the ink was slowly fading down the page.

One word was left, and the boy read the name “Tommy.”

That has to be his name. Right? Groaning, he shut his eyes, letting the paper fall.

His head hurt like hell, and he was cold. The rain was getting heavier by the second.

Something wet slid down his cheek, but he couldn’t tell if it was a raindrop or a tear.

“Wake up sweetheart.”

Tommy’s eyes fluttered open, revealing a woman standing there. Her face was blurred, per usual. Tommy rose up, meeting the woman at the edge of the bed.

“You again.” Tommy muttered coldly, annoyed from seeing this dream a thousand times over.

The woman did not react to his tone, instead she smiled warmly.

“I’ve missed you, …….” The woman’s words slurred together, as they always did when she would say his name.

She brought her hand to Tommy’s cheek, cupping it softly.

“It’s time for you to go now.” Tommy nuzzled her hand with his face, feeling sadness shake in his bones.

“I don’t want to.”

“I know.” She smiled sadly.

Tommy could only watch as she faded away, her hand taking the warmth away from his face.

His vision faded to blackness, as he opened his eyes once more.

Instead of an infinitely white room with a sweet woman comforting him, he found himself in a dark alleyway.

Sighing, Tommy got up from the cold stone. That was the fourth time he’s had that dream this week. He wanted so bad to curl up into a ball and never get up.

Tommy knew that it would be pointless, so nonetheless, he walked out of the alley. The sun was just starting to rise, and few people were roaming the streets.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out a few coins and his necklace. The cold metal embraced his skin, ice frosting around it. He pulled the necklace to his chest, feeling the jewel against his shirt. This necklace was the only indication of his past life, left in his pocket as he was left in the forest.

The cold did not get better, and Tommy found himself wishing he had a better jacket. He hoped Fundy would be there this morning, as he couldn’t bear to deal with any more annoying employees.

Turning a corner, he spotted Fundy and a splash of relief was thrown on him. Walking up to the stand, he placed his last coins on the counter.

“Your usual?” Fundy asked, and Tommy nodded, pulling his sleeves up to cover his freezing fingertips.

Fundy smiled sympathetically and grabbed a sandwich from the cabinet below.

“Here. I warmed it for you.” The warmth from the sandwich instantly burned Tommy’s hands, which felt good in a way. A small was pulled into Tommy’s lips as he brought the sandwich up to his pink cheeks.

“Thanks Fundy.” Tommy turned around, and was about to walk away.

“Hey, Tommy.” The boy glanced back at Fundy, not saying anything. The man hesitated a second, words disappearing before they got out.

“Hang in there kid.” He finally said, a saddened smile slipping from his mouth. Tommy resisted the urge to tell him to stop calling him a child.

“Always do, big man.” Tommy gave a fake smile back, walking away again. The boy prowled the streets once more, taking small bites of his sandwich, savoring every second.

As the sky got bluer and brighter, more people filled the streets. It was unusual for people to be up this early, but there was a festival today. The Emperor and his sons would be attending too, so everyone wanted the streets as clean as possible.

He didn’t mind the Emperor. He wasn’t cruel like Essempi’s Emperor, Dream. He really hated that guy. But Emperor Phil was kind. He tended and cared for his people, but it doesn’t mean he didn’t have a dark side.

The Emperor could be very frightening when he wanted to. After all, he was an immortal. Close to nothing could hurt him, makes sense people would be afraid of him.

What really scared people was his sons, Prince Technoblade especially. Tommy had heard stories about the prince. They say he hears voices in his head, voices that order him to murder endlessly. They sometimes call him “The Blood God,” which sounds pretty fucking epic in Tommy’s opinion.

The Emperor’s other son, Technoblade’s twin, was Prince Wilbur. He was less feared, but not many appreciated him. He was an arrogant greedy child, always taking the chance to annoy people.

But stories, the stories. They say Prince Wilbur wasn’t always like this. Not until his brother disappeared.

The lost Prince, Theseus. There are many stories about the boy. Though one truth remained about the young prince. He was not immortal like the rest of his family. That only made them love him harder.

One day, he vanished. Some say he was murdered, for being the weakest out of all of them. Others say he ran away, unable to handle the burden of having to die without his family.

Tommy feels like he understands Theseus, understands what it's like to be an outcast. He has done many things, but fitting in was never one of them.

Tommy hopes that wherever Prince Theseus is, he’s happy.

“Hey kid!” A voice screeched, pulling him from his thoughts. He slowed, shoving the sandwich wrapper in his pocket.

Turning, he spotted a man he hadn’t seen before. This was a big town, so it wasn't all that rare. Still, not many people actually talked to him.

“Yes?” Tommy replied, walking towards the man carefully.

“You fancy helping me clean? I’ll pay ya.” Tommy nodded, needing the coins after spending the last ones on food. He hoped his facial expression didn’t give away how desperate he was.

“Great! Follow me.” He followed the man, still on high alert in case this was a trap. It did not turn out to be a trap, instead a huge mess.

There was dirt all around the corners of his stand, grime building up slowly. Cobwebs filled the path, slightly damaged from people stepping on them. Icicles bit the edge of the cotton wrapping around his booth.

The man rubbed his neck nervously.

“I know it's a lot… I meant to clean up before the festival but time caught up to me.” He glanced over at Tommy, whose stance was still.

“It’ll be alright if you don’t feel like helping.” Tommy shook his head, closing the distance between him and the man. His fingers twitched a little, still ready if an attack was coming.

“It’s fine. Let's get started?” The man let out a sigh of relief and smiled. He left the town square and went into another building. Tommy tensed up a little. He breathed out what he hoped was a quiet sigh, reminding himself that not everyone wants to attack him. He glanced around at his surroundings, looking at all the people cleaning up their own stands.

Not many people kept their stuff clean in this part of town. The man’s booth looked the cleanest out of all of them. Tommy was almost glad that he was the one to come up to him, and not someone with a far worse stand.

He came back with a broom and a sharp knife, handing them both to Tommy. He took the broom, and hesitated with the knife—wondering what it was for. The man must’ve noticed because he smiled.

“It’s for scraping the dirt off the edges.” Tommy smiled nervously and took the knife.

It had a surprisingly warm handle. The man must have heating in his house. Tommy wished he would get the chance to feel it.

“Alright, I was thinkin’ that I’ll be cleaning the cobwebs, and you the dirt off the stand?” He nodded, making his way over to the stand. Tommy crouched down, carefully sliding the knife along the edge. Barely any came off, and Tommy sighed.

This was going to be a long morning.

Tommy wiped his brow, finally standing up. His limbs ached in every way from sitting down for so long. It seemed like the man was about done, as he stood up shortly after.

“Here you are, as promised.”

He turned around, smiling and pulled a bag out of his pocket. The man dropped it in his hand, and Tommy curled around it like it was going to be taken away at any second. A horn sounded, signifying that the royal family was arriving soon.

The man jumped at the sound, scurrying to his stand. He arranged items neatly across the wooden counter. They looked like little stone figurines, one of them appearing to be a dog. There was a price tag that read 45 GOLD. Good thing Tommy liked cats better.

“Thanks again, kid! Enjoy the festival.” Tommy almost scowled, he still hated being called a child. All he could muster was a small smile. Turning around, he stored the pouch of coins in his pants, safely patting the pocket.

Tommy walked away, strolling the streets again. People were gathering down the road, waiting until their turn to see the family. Children were on their fathers back, and Tommy couldn’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy in his stomach. He dug his nails into his skin, itching to get rid of that feeling.

It passed when he spotted a stand with big pink letters. “Sally’s Delights.” The deserts were nicely lined up, most of them laced with frosting. His stomach growled, feeling the hunger shake his bones. He hadn’t eaten since the sandwich Fundy gave him this morning.

Tommy walked over to the stand, met with a sweet looking woman with maroon hair. Her eyes were teal green, and she had a cheeky smile glued to her face.

“Hello sweetie, what would you like?” She asked in a condescending tone, meant for children. Tommy bit back the urge to scoff. How many times were people going to talk to him like he was a child today?

“Whatever you think’s the best.” Tommy replied in a raised voice.

She somehow grinned even brighter, as she swiped a napkin and picked up some kind of brown desert from the counter. Unfortunately, Tommy didn’t get to see how much it was worth.

“Here, this one’s delicious.” She extended it out to Tommy and he hesitantly took it.

Tommy took a bite, the rich flavor stinging his mouth. His eyes widened in disbelief a little. It tasted earthy and fruity in a way. He had never had the delicacy of tasting desert like this, or any to be exact. The only thing that compared to this was Fundy’s dry hamburgers, then again, those weren’t the best.

“Uh…What–” Tommy paused, stuffing another bite into his mouth.

“–is this?” His voice was muffled slightly.

He quickly gulped it down, swallowing hard.

The woman giggled softly.

“A brownie. You’ve never had one?” Tommy shook his head.

“Is it good?”

“It’s okay.” He said as casually as possible.

She smiled again before shaking her head, going back to tending to her desserts. Tommy took it as his cue to leave, and away he went.

Tommy surveyed the other booths, nothing really caught his attention. Soft wind brushed past him, swirling his blonde curls. He shivered a little, wishing it wouldn’t get as cold tonight. He thought about where he would sleep. Part of him wanted to sleep now, to see that woman again, to feel her warmth again.

Though he couldn’t. It would have to wait until tonight. Tommy shuddered into his jacket, wrapping the drooping sleeves around himself as another gust of wind tore through the streets. Music filled his ears as he peered forward and got a glimpse of the royal family. Cheers were carried through the road and Tommy stopped for a second. The Emperor was shouting something, but it was ineligible to Tommy, who was farther away.

The Emperor stopped, and everyone cleared the street, running and dancing. Tommy brushed past a dozen shoulders, watching as the Emperor went up to a stand. He hazily ignored him, slipping into a nearby alleyway to get away from the crowd.

Tommy turned a corner, instantly being struck with the back of someone. He stumbled back, blinking profusely.

“Sorry I didn–” The boy turned around, and Tommy was met with the face of the most annoying boy in town. He cursed under his breath, slowly stepping back.

“How dare you bump into me?” The boy started, glancing at his friends and laughing.

“I said sorry, asshat.” Tommy felt his heart shrink as he realized that wasn’t the smartest thing to say. The boy's face turned to anger before he wore a smug smile.

“Looks like we got a tough one here, huh boys?” Tommy kept a laugh gurgling in his throat, cringing at the boy's words.

“How about I show you tough?” In an instant, he sprang forward, grabbing the hem of Tommy’s shirt. Raising his fist, Tommy prepared for a hit.

It never came. The rest of the boys group started running past them, fear soaked in their eyes. Confusion hit Tommy

“Your Majesty! I–” The boy dropped Tommy, and the dirt stained his pants. One question remained; Why did he say your majesty?

Tommy tilted his head, and saw Prince Technoblade. He frowned, not expecting to see him of all people there.

Technoblades gaze hardened, sending a chill down Tommy’s spine.

Why was the Prince of all people here? Prince Technoblade wasn’t the most social person, so Tommy assumed that he was probably in an alleyway to get away from the noise. After all, he had enough noise in his head.

Yet it was Prince Technoblade standing in front of them.

Something about his stance, the way he stared into the boy's eyes was frightening to say the least—but also intriguing. Tommy observed the Prince, noticing the sword placed at his side. His cape swayed in the gentle wind, and his long pink hair was tucked into a braid. Tommy did not know how to braid, nor did he ever care to learn. It’s not like he had any friends whose hair he could braid.

“You were going to hit him.“ Technoblade tilted his head to Tommy, whose heart burst out of his lungs at the gesture. He looked back at the boy, who was slurring his words together. Tommy would’ve laughed, but the goosebumps on his arms and the hair sticking up warned him not to. So he stayed quiet.

“I’m sorry it was…”

“Why?” The prince repeated, his gaze not tearing away from the boy.

“I’m sorry! I..” Technoblade cut him off once again.

“I did not ask for an apology, did I?” The boy did not respond, clearly sensing the rhetorical tone.

“So I will ask again. Why?” Tommy swallowed hard, his mouth drying at the action. He hadn’t really seen the Prince engaged in a conversation like this, nor was he used to someone standing up for him. He didn’t really know if that was what was happening either.

“I… He bumped into me, Your Majesty.” The boy did not dare to make eye contact with him.

Tommy picked himself up, gritting his teeth. He swatted away the grime that remained stuck and looked back at the two.

“I said sorry, dickface.” He repeated his sentence from earlier again, earning a stammer from the boy.

Technoblade shifted his cape a little, and the boy flounced back. They lingered there for a second, all three of them staring at each other. Tommy didn’t know what to say, and he was unsure if he should leave.

Prince Technoblade huffed, inching closer to the boy. His hands shook as the prince got closer.

“Next time you are going to fight someone, I hope you find a better excuse.” Technoblade prowled towards Tommy, and he watched as the boy ran off swiftly. Coward.

Tommy however, was not given the chance to bolt.

Technoblade looked down at him, his eyebrows raising a little.

“What is your name, child?” Tommy slowly looked into the man’s eyes.

“I’m not a child.” Tommy replied, immediately regretting his decision. Technoblade, the cold prince, who had voices in his head screaming to murder people, who fought and won countless wars, was probably going to chop off his hand for that.

But the prince did not get mad, or show any emotion whatsoever. Tommy would’ve laughed at that if he wasn’t scared shitless.

“How old are you then?” Technoblade probed.

“Fifteen.” Tommy answered, maintaining eye contact with Technoblade.

The prince let out a hum in reply.

“Where are your parents?”

Tommy’s face fell a little, and Technoblade seemed to notice. He didn’t even know if his parents were alive. In fact, he didn’t even know if he had parents. He could’ve been born from a plant for all he knows.

“I don’t know, Your Majesty.”

“Who’s been taking care of you then?”

“I’m old enough to take care of myself.” Tommy probably should’ve added a “Your Majesty” at the end, but too late now.

His mind drifted back to last night, when a cat curled up against him, providing him the warmth he desired. Maybe that was why the woman’s touch was comforting in his recent dream.

“Which is why you look like you haven’t eaten in weeks.” The sentence itself was supposed to show concern, but Technoblade’s tone hinted none. He noted the sarcasm, but still was offended.

“Actually, Your Majesty, I eat so much. I’m a huge man.” Tommy strutted with pride, but nothing could hide his nervous shaking.

“Follow me.” Technoblade walked in the other direction, not bothering to wait for the boy.

Tommy stood there, shocked. Why did the prince just ask him to follow? Tommy shook his head, wondering if he should follow or not. Then again, he wasn't that excited to find out what would happen if he didn't.

The boy lurched after the prince, regaining his position next to him. If Technoblade saw him, he chose not to acknowledge him. The prince just kept walking and staring straight ahead.

Dust gathered around them, as people watched them walk together. Some with confusion laced in their eyes, some with jealousy, and even more with fear. They continued down the street, grabbing glances from people.

Tommy spots Fundy, whose face is full of confusion and worry. Tommy gave a small wave, smiling nervously.

They reached the castle gates after what seemed like an eternity of walking and being gawked at, the prince led him inside. The screeching of the opening gates was deafening, and Tommy grimaced.

The palace was unlike anything Tommy had ever seen, the floors shining as if polished with the sun itself. The ceiling was unusually high, and gold stars bit into Tommy’s vision as he stared in awe at the chandelier above him.

He glanced over at the ginormous paintings displayed on the walls, the windows overlooking the town, the small settees positioned against the wall.

The prince however, did not stop to wait for him to finish touring, and Tommy had to run to catch up with him.

To Tommy’s surprise and relief, they did not step towards the stairs.

The prince navigated to a room tucked into the corner. Technoblade pushed open two huge wooden doors, carved with symbols Tommy did not recognize.

“Sir Manifold.” The prince started, earning the attention of who Tommy assumed to be “Manifold.”

“Your Majesty.” The man bowed, dipping his head in respect.

“You have someone new joining you this evening.” All eyes fell on Tommy, who smiled nervously.

“Of course your Majesty.” Prince Technoblade turned around, about to leave.

“Forgive me, but doesn’t Prince Wilbur usually handle—” Technoblade whipped his head around at the mention of his brother, staring daggers into the eyes of the man. The man flinches at the sudden movement, and bows again.

“Nevermind, Your Majesty.”

The doors close with a thud as Prince Technoblade exits, leaving Tommy standing there awkwardly.

“What is your name, boy?” Tommy swallowed hard, biting his lip.

“Tommy.”

“Tommy, you will address me as ‘Sir’ from now on–” He paused, letting out a breath.

“–Got it?” Tommy nodded in response, twitching his fingers a little.

“Yes sir.” Tommy chuffed out as politely as he could. He had a feeling this guy would be a dick eventually. Especially after he made that comment to the prince. He would probably take it out on Tommy, which most people did.

“Go stand next to Tubbo.” He pointed to a boy with brown hair, who waved ecstatically in response.

Tommy ambled next to Tubbo.

“Alright people. Until dinner, we’ll be—” The sound of Sir Manifold’s voice was cut off by an excited voice next to him.

“Hello! I’m Tubbo!” The boy extended his hand, which he took carefully. He was a bit too exciting for Tommy’s taste, but beggars can’t be choosers.

“Tommy.” He answered back, and Tubbo aggressively shook his hand. The sweat in his palm transferred to Tubbo, but the boy did not seem to notice, nor mind.

Tubbo released his hand after a few seconds, smiling brightly.

“Wanna be friends?”

A small smile tugged at Tommy’s lips.

“Sure.” He answered as nonchalantly as he was able to, but he was actually bubbling with happiness that someone wanted to be his friend. He doesn’t think he’s ever had a friend before. Not that he could remember anyways.

Eventually Sir Manifold stopped talking and the rest of the crowd walked away. Tommy wanted to ask what he was doing here, since he never had the courage to ask Prince Technoblade.

Another boy walked up to them, one with black hair and sunglasses on. Tommy thought that was weird, but he didn’t question it.

“Tubbo! Were you actually listening today?” The boy asked, and Tubbo laughed.

“Hah! No, Ranboob. I was talking with my new best friend! Tommy.” Tubbo pointed to Tommy, who let out a small wave.

‘Ranboob’ smiled in response. Tubbo turned his attention towards Tommy, stepping in front of them.

“Hey so now that we’re friends—why was Prince Technoblade with you?” Tommy frowned a little, not expecting that.

Ranboo smacked the boy in the shoulder, earning a pained yelp from Tubbo.

“Tubbo! Stop being nosy.” He rolled his eyes in response, looking back at the boy.

“Oh come on! You totally wanted to know that too.” Ranboob sighed.

“Well obviously! But I was nice enough not to ask.” Tommy chuckled nervously.

“It's okay, uh—Ranboob?” Tubbo burst out laughing, while the other boy had an unamused look. Giving the boy a kick in the shin, he turned back to Tommy.

“It’s Ranboo.” He smiled a little.

“Sorry.” Tommy looked away, cheeks red from embarrassment. Tubbo’s laughter died down, but he still held a huge grin.

The boy opened his mouth to speak again, but Ranboo stopped him.

“We actually have to go do our jobs now.” Ranboo walked away before Tubbo could argue.
Tubbo let out a groan before grabbing Tommy’s hand and leading him after Ranboo.

Work? He pondered about what work they would be doing. From what he got before, they were servants. Why had the prince made him a servant? Out of pity? How the hell did he get here? Tommy shook his head to prevent further thoughts from forming.

Tubbo led him up a staircase, which felt like he was climbing Mount Everest.

They eventually stopped in an unoccupied hallway, coughing, Tommy leaned on his knees and took a few deep breaths.

“Worn out already?” He looked up and saw Ranboo standing there, with a water bottle in his head. Even the plastic shimmered in the dim hallway lights. He smiled, grabbing the water bottle. Gulping it down, he watched as Ranboo grabbed a broom from the cart and started pushing the dirt along the floor into a pile.

Tommy set his water bottle down on a small table, and reached out to help him. Tubbo grabbed his hand, dragging him aside. He pushed him onto a window ledge.

“What’re—” Tommy stopped himself when he peered out the window and his eyes landed on Prince Technoblade.

“Huh.” Tommy’s eyebrows raised in confusion, and Tubbo just sighed dreamily.

Technoblade was swiftly dodging attacks made by trainees, and the two boys watched in awe.

The Prince knocked one to the ground, and kicked another one in the shin. He fell back and Tommy winced, knowing what that felt like.

“He’s so cool.” Tubbo said, resting his chin on his hand. Tommy watched, wishing he could someday be trained in combat.

“You want to be trained by him too?” Tubbo asked, seemingly reading his mind. Tommy nodded, but didn’t tear his gaze away from the prince. He wondered where Prince Technoblade got his training. How old was Technoblade anyways?

“Are you guys going to help me?” Ranboo breathed out, huffing.

“Do you hear something?” Tubbo asked, smiling innocently.

“I don’t believe I do.” Tommy smiled back.

“Huh. Weird. I guess it was the wind.” They both laughed softly and continued watching the show.

The prince seemed to be giving them a lecture, presumably telling them where they went wrong. Tommy remembers his first fight. Well, aside from the one hour ago. He had made countless mistakes, and he winced in embarrassment, recalling the memory.

Abruptly, Technoblade glanced at the window, and his eyes locked in Tommy’s. Instead of being afraid, he found himself excited, like it was the best thing in the world to be stared at by Prince Technoblade himself.

Before their staring contest could continue, Tubbo quickly pulled Tommy and himself out of the window’s view, crouching on the ground.

The boys looked at each other and laughed.

“You think he saw us?”

“Nah, I think we’re good. I’m too fast.” Tommy said proudly while closing his eyes.

“You’re too fast? I was the one who pulled us away!” Tubbo argued.

“Says who?” Tommy tilted his head, a smug smile on his face.

“Says me!” Tubbo claimed.

“Well I don’t trust you.” Tubbo scoffed, a look of disbelief on his face.

“Then I don’t trust y–” Someone cleared their throat loudly, interrupting the boy, and they both looked to the side.

“If you two are done being idiots, I would like to be done before dinner.” Ranboo said, holding out two brooms for the boys.

They both simultaneously groaned and stood up, shoving one another as they grabbed the handles.

Supper rolled around, and the three boys made their way to the servant’s quarters.

“So do I gotta—like pay for food?” Tommy asked, earning two very confused looks.

“No…?”

“So it’s free?”

“No, dumbass. You clean all day for food and shelter here.” Tommy made an ‘o’ sound with his mouth and the other two started laughing.

The dining hall was crowded and loud, and there were a lot of other people there. Earlier in the night there weren’t that many servants in the room with him. They probably all had different supervisors. Not as annoying as “Sir Manifold” though.

The boys sat down at a table and poured themselves water, which they all chugged down quickly. Ranboo and Tubbo chatted for a bit, sometimes trying to include Tommy, but he made it clear he was tired and wasn’t that interested in talking. It was warm in the hall, and Tommy found his eyes getting heavier.

“Tubbo! Ranboo!” A woman cheered, pulling Tommy from his light sleep. The two other boys exchanged greetings and the woman's attention set on Tommy.

“And who are you, darling?” The woman asked in an unusual tone, she wasn’t degrading him as a child like everyone else did. Tommy liked her instantly, and made an effort to show at least a half-hearted smile.

“Tommy.” He said groggily, blinking profusely. She sat down the plates next to Tubbo and Ranboo, and he frowned a little when he noticed there wasn’t one for him. He cleaned right? I mean, not the whole day, but still—

“I’m Puffy. Sorry, I wasn’t aware these two had a new friend, so I don’t have your plate made yet.” She smiled emphatically.

“It’ll be right out!” She yelled while rushing back to the kitchen. Tubbo started prodding his food before Ranboo punched him softly in the shoulder.

“Hey! What was that for?” Tubbo punched him back.

“Tommy doesn’t have his food yet, it's polite to wait to eat together.” Ranboo said, winking at Tommy.

“Yeah Tubbo, I think Ranboo’s my new best friend now.” Tubbo gasped and threw his hand to his forehead dramatically.

On cue, Puffy came out with his food.

“Here you are, Tommy!” She set down the plate in front of him and all the smells hit him at once. He took a deep breath, practicing envisioning the food in his mouth.

“See you guys tomorrow morning!” With that, Puffy pranced away. Tommy couldn't stop himself from gouging his mouth with food. Tubbo did the same, and Ranboo just laughed at the both of them.

The rest of the night left quickly, as the three boys washed the dishes, engulfed in quiet banter. They made their way to the servant’s chambers, which were five big rooms with multiple bunk beds stacked against the wall. Tommy fortunately got to share a room with Tubbo and Ranboo, but he did not bunk with them. He had the bottom bunk of a bed shared with a guy named Harry. Harry was weird, but cool. Tommy said his goodnights to Tubbo and Ranboo and made his way to his own bed.

His eyes closed before he hit the soft mattress, and he didn’t hesitate to drift to sleep.

Chapter Text

Tommy’s eyes flickered open, but it was not the usual humming white room that surrounded him. Instead, the walls were wooden. Sunlight was peeking through the blinds, shrouding light on Tommy’s face. To the human eye, it looked like a beautifully put together room, but there were bits of wood sticking out from the walls. Cracks in the floor that were hidden by the pattern. It looked as if the room was seconds away from closing in on them.

Tommy’s nose was flooded with an enchanting smell, his attention being ripped towards the small kitchen. There sat the woman, sitting at a table. She was picking her fork politely at a white food dish, laced with a yellow cylinder in the middle. There were bits of black and white crumbs on the food, and Tommy didn’t know what they were.

“Hell—Hello?” His voice cracked, and his throat burned as the words escaped. The women looked up, startled by the sudden sound. She smiled after a second, standing up. The chair creaked on the floor, forming small cracks when she pushed it back.

Tommy sat up as the woman walked over, sitting down gently on the bed. He could feel her warmth radiating around the room, even before she touched him. 

“You’re awake.” She placed her palm on Tommy's knees. Her touch was hot as always, but this time she reacted to how cold Tommy’s skin was. She quickly regained her composure, and Tommy could see she was hoping he didn’t notice. He did, but he didn’t say anything.

“Not really. I’m dreaming, aren’t I?” The woman laughed softly, which made Tommy smile.

“I suppose you are.” Tommy inched closer to the woman without even realizing it, probably savoring all the short time he had with her. They were quiet for a while, before she started to hum a tune that Tommy recognized, but couldn’t quite place. The woman gently laid Tommy back down, and he made no move to stop her, the soft music trapping him there.

As she continued her singing, Tommy relaxed. It was beautiful to say the least, and despite just waking up, he felt himself slowly blink his eyes shut. 

A loud shout evolved from the once comforting melody, and his eyes shot open. 

“Wake up, people!” A voice boomed through the halls, and Tommy recognized it as Sir Manifold. 

“Five minutes! Whoever’s late gets everyone's chores for the day.” This sentence quickly rallied  people, as his bunk mate, Harry, jumped out of bed.

“Come on dude!” Harry tried dragging Tommy out of bed, who groaned in response. He swiftly sat up to avoid falling on the floor, and rubbed his eyes.

“Okay okay. I’m up.” Tommy yawned, stretching his arms up, almost hitting them on the top bed.

“If you fall back asleep, that’s your problem.” Harry grabbed his bag which rested on the top bed and walked towards the bathroom, where all the other people were gathering. 

Tommy rolled his eyes, his gaze adverting to Ranboo and Tubbo’s beds. They were not there, so Tommy guessed they were already up. He finally got up, seeing as none of his friends were available to complain to. He crouched onto the cold wooden floor and reached under his bed, grabbing his own bag. It didn’t have very many clothes in it, but he would just ask Tubbo where to get more.

He grabbed his necklace once again, the gem stabbing his palm as he gripped it tightly. He dropped it back into his bag and slung it around his arm

Tommy glanced around, his eyes looking for Harry. The boy was already gone, so he just figured he’d have to figure out where to go himself. Tommy got off the floor and nervously walked with the crowd, peeking ahead to where the bathrooms were. It was a little crowded in the halls, and he did his best to avoid pushing people by accident. It failed however, when he knocked in a girl with brown hair. It reminded him of the woman he met yesterday, who gave him a free ‘brownie.’ 

“Sorry!” Tommy quickly yelped, and the woman smiled in response.

“No worries—Hey, I haven’t seen you before.” She questioned, tilting her head slightly. Tommy just shook his head in response.

“I’m uhh—new. My name’s Tommy.” He hesitantly held out his hand, unsure if that was considered polite. She took his head, still smiling.

“I’m Hannah.” Hannah was pulled away by another woman and gave a small wave as goodbye as she was dragged away. Tommy sighed, making his way to what he thought was the men’s bathroom. It was exceptionally crowded there, and even more loud. Tommy grimaced as shouts filled his ear and he made his way over to an unoccupied stall, shutting and locking the door behind him. 

Tommy got changed as fast as he could, remembering the punishment for being late. He buttoned his pants and lumbered out the door, tripping on his shoelace a little. He scanned the room, noticing Tubbo and Ranboo chattering on the other side. He waddled over there, catching the attention of the two boys.

“Aww man, you’re here. I wanted you to take my chores for the day.” Tubbo joked, earning a smack from both Tommy and Ranboo.

“Real comedian, aren't you Tubbo?” Tommy replied, taking his place next to him. The loud conversations quieted down as Sir Manifold stepped into view, clearing his throat.

“Alright folks. As most of you know, a gala is being hosted at the end of the week.” Sir Manifold paused, glancing around the room. A gala? Tommy was not prepared for this. He wasn’t even prepared to be a servant yet either, but oh well.

“So it's our job to make sure this place is spotless.” He warned, and Tommy shivered a little, wondering what would happen if it wasn’t.

“Priorotize the main hallways, where guests will be walking.” The man stopped talking, waiting for everyone to intake the information.

“Thats it. You know the rest.” The crowd gathered in small groups, debating where to go first.

“Oh and don’t forget about the regency ball taking place at the end of the month—which will be handled after the gala.” Tommy made a face of confusion. Regency Ball? What kind of—

“The regency ball is an event hosted by the royal family in which they talk with other kingdoms, preferably their allies, about positions of power.” Ranboo said, noticing his confused expression.

“Oh.” Was all Tommy said, before yawning again. Ranboo patted his shoulder, slipping past him.

“Better stay awake. We have a long week ahead of us.” He called from the down hall. He turned to Tubbo, who threw his hands up in response.

"Ah, the fine art of being a servant." Tubbo said, chuckling and running after Ranboo.

“Wonderful.” Tommy muttered to himself, parading after the two boys.

Technoblade sat awake in his bed, the sun peeking out from the valley. The voices were unusually quiet this morning, when they would usually be yelling at him to go kill something. He took a breath, quietly standing up and shulking over to his desk, as if he were trying not to awaken something.

Technoblade sat down and stared at a necklace lying on the table, gem glimmering slightly. He grasped the necklace, the stone biting in his palm, forming grey marks. He thought about his mother. This was her necklace, after all. His mother was a kind woman, doing anything to please her people. Doing anything to please him. It wasn’t easy to please Technoblade, especially with them inside his head, wanting nothing less than blood. His mother had been the first to find out, after she had caught him banging his head against the floor, trying to rid of the voices.

She comforted him from a distance, close enough where he could feel her touch, but far enough away so that he didn’t hurt her. So that he didn’t hurt her. He had hurt Wilbur as a child, when the voice demands got too loud. The boy had sobbed privately after that, yelling at them to stop. The voices, however, never listened to him. After that event, Technoblade had closed himself off, afraid he would get too close and hurt someone by accident.

Wilbur had been angry at first, his twin brother never understood why. He did now, now that he knew about the monsters inside his head. Wilbur would never say it, but Technoblade suspected that he secretly thought of him as a monster. He was fine with that, it wasn’t unusual that people feared him. Except that boy. The one who was about to get beaten up in an alleyway. He had looked Technoblade in the eyes, even dared to make the slightest rude comments. He was still scared though, Technoblade could see it. The boy reminded him of Theseus, his younger brother. Who, as a baby, was never scared of him. Theseus had cried whenever anyone else comforted his crying fits, except Technoblade. He acted annoyed, always threatening the child, but he secretly loved it. 

A knock on the door interrupted Technoblade from his thoughts.

“Come in.” He said gruffly, and the door opened, revealing his brother standing there. It was strange for him to be up this early.

“Father wishes to speak with you.” Wilbur said politely, and Technoblade knew that there was a servant there, or else Wilbur wouldn’t have spoken so formally. 

“Very well. Thank you, Prince Wilbur.” His brother dipped his head in respect, shutting the door behind him. Technoblade huffed, pushing the chair out. He dropped the necklace he was tightly holding back onto the desk, and examined his hands. 

There were noticeable red marks, and Technoblade swore he saw the tiniest drop of blood. The voices, however, were not amused. They remarked on how lightly he went, and that he should just plunge the necklace into his chest. Technoblade chuckled to himself, mocking the voices entirely.

He exited his chambers, and made his way to his father’s office. There were little servants in the halls at this time of morning, as they usually got up later. The few people dipped their heads in fear—Which Technoblade paid no attention to. He reached his father’s door, knocking softly. He entered once he heard his voice.

“Ah, Technoblade.” His father started, a warm smile planted on his face.

“Good morning.” His father continued, and Technoblade did not return the smile.

“Good morning.” The words came out coldly, which he did not intend for them to. His father ignored the tone and sat down. He gestured for his son to sit down as well, but he just shook his head. He wanted to make this conversation as short as possible. His father frowned at that, but moved on.

“We have a few things to discuss.” He shifted through papers, and Technoblade stood there, eyeing him. 

“How is the training going?” He asked, his tone laced with worry. Technoblade frowned. This wasn’t a good sign.

“Father?” The Emperor stayed silent, his gaze fixated on the table.

“Dream…isn’t being the most negotiable this week.” He placed his head in his hands. His voices sprouted awake at this, praying for a war. He grit his teeth to silence them, but he was intrigued. Was his father preparing for war?

“So you’re starting a war with him?” The words jumped out of him before he could stop them.

“I didn’t say that.” His father snapped, looking back at the prince. He took this as his warning to stop talking, as an angered father would do nothing to help the situation. They both were quiet, but Technoblade’s mind was certainly not.

We need a war! No you don’t.

Blood for the blood god! They chanted aimlessly, and he dug his nails into his skin to stop him from jumping out the nearest window.

“How is the training going?” His father repeated, in a sterner tone.

“Fine.” He answered back, taking his fingers away.

“Fine doesn’t cut it.” His father was angrier now, and Technoblade was afraid of what that meant for the kingdom.

“I’m sorry, Father. I’ll try harder.” He replied, trying to sooth him. To his dismay, it worked. His father’s shoulders dropped from the tense position he previously had it in.

“See to it that you do.” Was all his father said, before he went back to looking through papers. Technoblade took this as his cue to leave, and leave he did. His head was spinning from all the noise about war now, and he needed to quiet it.

Technoblade did not retreat back to his room. Instead, he ascended down the many stairs in the palace and exited out the back alley gate. He put his hood over his head and tried not to draw attention to himself. 

Walking into the stables, he was greeted by a man with brown hair.

“Techno! Hey!” He said quietly, as to not mention the prince’s name fully. 

“Hey Eret.”  The prince said in the same monotone voice he always used. Eret was the only one who used that nickname, besides from his brother. He was also the only one who didn’t call him ‘Your Majesty.’ As Technoblade forbid it. Eret was really his only friend. 

“Taking Carl out again today?” Eret grabbed Carl’s reins, placing a saddle on top of him.

“Yeah. I need to—clear…my mind.” The prince sucked in a breath, the voices burning with passion. Eret just smiled, patting Carl to signify he was ready. Technoblade walked over to them, and mounted the horse.

“Thanks. See you later.” He did not return his smile, but Eret nodded. Technoblade moved the reins and Carl flew forward, heading out into the forest. 

Technoblade rode for a while, trying to scout for any animals to hunt. His eyes paused and landed on a deer, grazing on the icy grass. They chanted for him to decapitate the deer, but the prince had no intention to give them what they wanted. 

He slithered off Carl, huffing as he pulled a quiver of arrows from Carl’s saddle storage. His fingers lingered over the cold metal tip, pulling it down to the side as he also grabbed his bow. The voices growled at him to hurry up, and he slowed his movements just to annoy them. He smirked at the way they threw various threats at him.

Technoblade clutched the bow in his hands and sat down, pulling an arrow back. His breath stuttered as he aimed the arrow at the deer’s back, between the belly and slightly behind the front leg. He looked for the quickest way to end it. The voices, however, were not satisfied with not letting it suffer. 

Technoblade ignored them, as always, and let the arrow fly. It glided across the air and landed deep in the deer’s skull, causing the body to fall back. They cheered as blood soaked the snow forming across the forest.

Technoblade let out a breath, hot air exiting his mouth and heating the atmosphere around him. He grabbed the quiver and slung it over his back, grabbing Carl’s reins. He led him towards the deer, and Carl let out a huff seeing the deer. 

Technoblade grasped the arrow engulfed in the deer, pulling it towards him. Blood dripped down the arrow, and Technoblade wiped it off with the hem of his cape. He grabbed a hunting knife and quickly got to work to save the meat. 

Tommy finished breakfast rather quickly, and washed his dishes alongside Tubbo and Ranboo. They were shortly interrupted by Sir Manifold.

“Tubbo! Ranboo! Come here. I need your help.” Tommy shared confused looks with the boys before turning back to him.

“But we’re washing dishes, Sir.” Tubbo replied with a bowl still in his hand.

“He can do that by himself.” Sir Manifold gestured towards Tommy, and he resisted the urge to flip him off.

“If you two don’t want doubles chores for the next week then you better follow me.” He walked off with that, and the two boys quickly set down their dishes and followed him, mouthing a ‘sorry.’ 

Tommy understood, after all he didn’t want them to get double chores. Sir Manifold was indeed a dick. He continued the dishes quietly, before a door, and Puffy stepped inside.

“Oh, Tommy! Good! I need your help.” Puffy said, motioning for the boy to follow her.

“But Sir Manifold will get mad—” Puffy just shook her head.

“I’ll tell him I forced you. Now please come!” Tommy sighed, wiping the soap off his hands and following her out the door. 

He was in the kitchen, where she and someone else were cooking, but it looked more like panicking. Puffy handed him a plate of food, and he looked at her with confusion.

“Chancellor’s Quackity, Karl, and Sapnap are having breakfast with the Emperor and his sons.” Puffy started, putting four utensils on the plate.

“And I am in charge of preparing it. But I am short-staffed today, so I need you to deliver this to Chancellor Karl.” Tommy went wide-eyed, before Puffy pushed him out the door. 

“First door straight. Can’t miss it.” She closed the doors behind him, and he just sighed. He opened the door Puffy told him too, and there they were. The Emperor was at the head of the table, his sons on the right and left of him. Another man was adjacent to him. He gulped, walking inside.

Who was Karl? He glanced at the men, searching for a sign. Tommy saw a purple ‘K’ engraved on the collar of one man’s shirt, and he decided that he was Karl. He hoped he was right, and he was as the man nodded and smiled.

Tommy turned around, about to leave. But Tommy froze at the voice of the Emperor.

“Where’s Puffy?” Tommy whipped around, seeing everyone staring at him now.

“Uhh…She—I” Tommy grimaced at his own stuttering, then continued.

“She’s short-staffed today, so I offered to help, Your Majesty.” It was actually Puffy who begged her, but he didn’t need to know that. He smiled at him, tilting his head slightly. 

“That was kind of you.”  Tommy smiled awkwardly.

“Thanks—Thank you.” He wanted to groan as loud as he could.

“I should—uh—get the rest of your breakfast.” He bowed politely, practically running out the door.

Before he could even step into the kitchen, Puffy opened the doors, placing a plate into his hands again.

“Give this to Prince Wilbur.” 

“Prince Wilbur?” Puffy looked at him with concern.

“You do know who that is…right?” Tommy shot her a look of annoyance.

“Yes Puffy. I know who that is, I’m not stupid.”

“Could’ve fooled me.”

“What—” She cut him off, closing the door in his face. Great. Tommy thought, biting his lip. He made his way back, opening the doors again. 

He hesitantly walked over to Prince Wilbur, who was fiddling with a fork. Tommy set his plate down next to him, and he showed no sign of appreciation. Tommy was both glad and offended that he didn’t.

He walked out of the room without saying anything, and he was glad he didn’t have to. He walked into the kitchen, and to his surprise Puffy was not there waiting with another plate.

“You can go now, thanks again Tommy.” Puffy gave Tommy a small pat on the back and he smiled.

“Anytime.” Tommy walked over to doors leading out, and he waved before he exited.

He let out a loud sigh before looking at the dishes left, but glad there were only a few.

Chapter Text

Phil wasn’t having a good day—or week, in fact. 

Dream was demanding a lot of things. War felt inevitable. All Phil could do was prepare for the worst. Hopefully, they would come to an agreement at the Regency Ball. If not, there was nothing Phil could do but declare war.

Phil tried to push it out his mind at least for today. He had the Manburg Empire on his side after all. Him and Emperor Schlatt were allies, Phil even considered him a friend. 

He had chosen to tell little of Dream to his sons, not wanting to involve them. Don’t get him wrong, they could definitely handle knowing, but his sons were finally happy since his wife’s death and son’s…disappearance. 

Or at least, that's what Phil thought.

Tommy slowly blinked, opening his eyes. To his surprise, everyone was still sleeping, and midnight blue covered the windows.

It was still nighttime, and Tommy guessed it was around one in the morning. His throat felt like shit, and he didn’t have water, or anything as a matter of fact. Servants weren’t allowed outside their quarters after their bedtime, which Tommy thought was stupid. He doesn’t need a bedtime! He’s a big man!

Still, his throat hurt. He needed water. So quickly and quietly, he got up from the bed and lurked towards the door. They opened with a creak and Tommy did his best to silence the noise. He slowly shut the doors and headed in the direction of the kitchen.

He slowed a little when he heard quiet murmurs. But he stopped when he heard the word ‘war,’ which intrigued him. Tommy leaned into the doorframe a little, yearning to catch a glimpse of what they were saying. He could only hear a few words.

“No, I’m not killing—” The Emperor’s voice rang, not loud enough for Tommy to make out the rest of the sentence though. 

“He wants the orb.” What orb? Tommy raised in confusion. Who were they talking about?

“I don’t have it—” The voices paused when Tommy accidentally stepped on the loudest creak imaginable. Shit! He tried to run, but he was frozen in place. Tommy heard footsteps getting closer and he shut his eyes, preparing to die.

To his relief, they didn’t walk outside the room. They just shut the door. There was no sound anymore, besides Tommy’s panicked breaths. After a minute, he turned his arm and hit something. No, not something—someone. 

“Holy s—” He caught himself when he saw Prince Wilbur standing in front of him, gazing hard.

“S…pectacular Prince Wilbur!” He shook his head and quickly bowed. 

“What are you doing out here?” The prince asked, not looking the slightest bit amused.

“I was thirsty so I was'going to th’ kitchen—” His words slurred as he tried to force the words out quickly.

“The kitchen is that way.”  The prince said, tilting his head in the way Tommy was supposed to be going.

“Right! Yes! I saw a…cat! Your Majesty!” Tommy pointed to a dark corner, but Prince Wilbur did not seem convinced. 

“You know the rules. You are not allowed to be out here.” Prince Wilbur wore a small smirk, and Tommy dreaded the reason why.

“As punishment, you will clean my room tomorrow. All of it.”

“What? Thats—” Prince Wilbur stared into his eyes, silently warning him.

“Perfectly reasonable. Now get back to your room.” Prince Wilbur walked away, and Tommy grit his teeth to stop him from saying anything he would regret.

He huffed and went in the direction towards his room. He couldn’t risk going to the kitchen again and getting a worse punishment.

Tommy awoke with a gasp, thankfully drowned out by the loud conversations happening around him. Instead of the nice, comforting dream he always had, he had a nightmare this time. He was being ripped away from his family in the nightmare, and he kept drifting back to that forest. The forest where his life began again.

Tommy quickly shot the feeling off, writing it up as nerves for having to clean the Prince’s room today. He grabbed his bag and headed to change, not needing to be late to add on top of it.

He slugged over to Tubbo and Ranboo, before Sir Manifold called his name, pointing to the door. Tommy suspected he must’ve been informed by the prince that he would be cleaning his room today. Tubbo’s eyes raised in suspicion.

“Prince Wilbur wants me to clean his room.” Tommy explained, sighing. Tubbo just laughed, earning a chuckle from Ranboo.

“Nice knowing you.” Ranboo deadpanned, worrying Tommy. 

“Okay…” Tommy replied back, stretching out the ‘o’ and the ‘y.’ 

“I’ll see you at lunch.” Tommy walked backwards, waving to the boys.

“If you’re still alive, that is.” Tubbo added casually, waving innocently to Tommy. Tommy just rolled his eyes, and exited the room. Tommy’s heart increased as he got closer to Prince Wilbur’s door, palm full of sweat. He shut his eyes aggressively. 

You can do this. You’re a big man. He said over and over, drilling it into his head. Tommy finally mustered up the courage to knock on the door.

“Come in.” He heard a muffled Prince Wilbur say. The Prince caught one glance at him and smiled. It wasn’t your friendly average smile. It was a sadistic, smug, smile. Tommy bit his lip instinctively, hiding his hands behind him.

“You’re late.” The Prince stated, tilting his head. Tommy almost whipped out his middle finger.

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty.” Prince Wilbur sighed, shaking his head. He brushed past Tommy, opening his door.

“I’ll be back. When I am, this place better be spotless.” He closed the door behind him, and Tommy let out a groan.

“Spotless? Seriously?” Tommy glanced around the room, surveying the damage. 

“Fuckin’ dick.” He muttered to himself, as if the prince could hear him from down the hall. Tommy got to work quickly, although he was exhausted from the lack of sleep he got last night. Plus the nightmare really didn’t add a lot of fun to his morning.

About thirty minutes passed, and he was barely a quarter done. He was also exhausted, and sat down on the prince’s bed. Tommy really had no idea when Prince Wilbur was coming back. He could be trying to emit fear into Tommy by saying he’ll be back, but really he’ll be back in the night.

He could also be back any minute. It was better to play it safe. Resisting the urge to jump out the window, he sighed, and got up to continue. 

About two hours passed and Tommy was getting even more tired every second. Sure, he had cleaned before, but not for a prince whose room looks like it went to war.

His stomach was empty, but he was used to the feeling by now. Tommy couldn’t even think of eating without getting sick, because of how much food he ate at dinner.

At least it couldn't get any worse, right?

Tommy heard quiet shuffling down the hall and assumed it to be Prince Wilbur. He sighed before bracing himself with whatever was going to happen next.

The door creaked open, and it was, in fact, Prince Wilbur. 

The prince hummed dismissively, surveying what Tommy had already done.

“Pity you aren’t even halfway done yet.” Prince Wilbur looked at the boy, who wanted to scowl. How was he supposed to get his room done in three hours? 

“Guess you’ll have to clean my bathroom as well.” Tommy could no longer sustain his poker face as he breaked into rage. The prince just smiled smugly at his failure to keep himself in check.

He scowled softly, turning away and moving towards the bathroom.

“Where are you going?” 

“You just asked me to clean the bathroom.” Tommy spat out, his breath ragged. 

“I meant after, child.” Prince Wilbur said while sitting down on his bed. Tommy aggressively grabbed his broom. 

“I’m not a child.” The Prince seemed to lose his temper after this.

“You forget who you’re talking to.” Tommy grit his teeth, continuing sweeping the floor while shutting his eyes.

“My apologies, Your Majesty.” He added a hint of mockery to the royal title that came out of his mouth, and if the prince noticed, he ignored it. 

“You are a mere child, so I can forgive you.” Tommy knew he added ‘child’ on purpose to annoy him, and it took every last fiber in Tommy not to say something he would regret. 

They were silent for a while, before a knock at the door disturbed them. He heard the prince mumble a quiet ‘come in,’ and the door opened. There stood Prince Technoblade, who was started at Tommy.

“Tommy. Get out.” The Prince spat, and he was taken by surprise that the Prince actually did know his name, but decided to call him ‘child.’

That made him frown, before he realized he should probably leave. Tommy quickly scurried out, keeping his gaze away from the other Prince.

The door closed behind the boy, leaving the two brothers standing alone.

“You here for something specific, or just wanna annoy me?” Wilbur asked, patting a spot beside him and tearing Technoblades attention from the closed wooden door.

“I have a question.” Technoblade huffed out, not making a move to sit down.

“So do I.” The Prince lost his tone, and it turned into something more serious.

“For one—why did you recruit a new servant without consulting me?” 

Technoblade frowns, not expecting Wilbur to ask that. He paused for a second, rethinking his answers. 

End his life! 

The Blood God doesn’t need to ask for permission!

Technoblade refrained from scowling, not wanting to start an argument with Wilbur.

“I wasn’t aware you were so attached to the servants.” Wilbur just laughs in annoyance.

“Me? Attached? Says the who one literally stole a kid off the street just cause he got a ‘feeling.’” 

“I did not get attached. I was simply just being kind. Do not mistake it for weakness.” 

His twin throws his hands up.

“Wow! Who would’ve known the Prince Technoblade—“

He gestured towards the Prince.

“—would ever show kindness towards anyone?” 

Technoblade sighed, turning his eyes towards the window. 

“Wilbur.” His brothers just laughs, but it sounds more like a sob.

“No! I mean, who would’ve guessed that Technoblade showed real emotions!”

“Wilbur.” Technoblade hissed, but his brother did not let up.

“It’s just life changing—”

“Wilbur!” The Prince repeated in a much higher volume then he normally would, earning a pause from Wilbur.

“Would you please be serious for one second?” It comes off as a question, but really Technoblade’s telling him. Wilbur sighs and places his hands onto his lap, ready to listen.

“I think—Father’s at risk of starting a war with Dream.” Wilbur’s eyes widen in surprise, as he stutters over his words.

“What? Why—Why?” Technoblade just shakes his head, and Wilbur is filled with confusion.

“I don’t know. He asked me how the training was going.” Technoblade can sense Wilbur starting to panic, starting to question why. He can also hear the voices yelling, but he blocks them out.

The prince hastily sits down next to his brother, hopeful that him being near will him calm him down a little. It does, as he takes a few deep breaths.

“Okay… Did you ask him about it?” 

“Yeah. He just dismissed it immediately.” His brother hums in reply, looking out the window. Technoblade follows his gaze. Glancing at the town below, he realizes what they have to lose. People. A lot of them, if they go to war that is.

“Okay, we… we’ll figure this out. I'll talk to dad.” Technoblade nods, getting up from the bed. He turns to leave, before pausing. 

“Don’t…” Wilbur looks at him, waiting for him to continue.

“Don’t overwork the kid just because you want to get angry at someone.” Wilbur smiles, throwing his head back.

“Aww, Technoblade’s going soft!” Technoblade scowls, rolling his eyes even though his brother cannot seem them. 

“Sure, Wilbur. You get attached to everything you look at for more than five seconds.” His brother makes a sound with his teeth.

“No, I do not!” Wilbur crosses his arms, making Technoblade chuckle lightly because of how childish he looks.

“Uh huh.” Technoblade turns back to the door and opens it, revealing the boy standing on the opposite wall. He’s staring at the floor, and seems to be lost in thought. 

“Hey—kid.” The boy snaps up, and regains his composure, bowing.

“Your Majesty.” Technoblade grimaces at the sudden compliance from the boy, wishing he would bring that rebellious nature back.

“You may go back in.” The boy nods, walking past Technoblade. For a split second, Technoblade looks at the boy and sees his brother. He shakes the feeling off, Theseus’s birthday was coming up, so that's probably why he kept thinking of him all of a sudden.

Right?