#the way the plumbeline that lives in my head is so realized that when i went back to watch a little acoc i was like wait.

[potatoesandsunshine]

look we all knew if i was gonna do trw/acoc blending together it was gonna be with my favorite faildaughter and the spymistress that represents her every fear and also maybe her terrible adolescent crush

[jq37]

The Royal Report– A Crown of Candy Ep 7  Escape From the Bulb Creeps

Journey to the Past

We are fresh on the heels of the deaths of both Lapin and Peppermint Preston (Reeces in Pieces) but there’s no time to mourn because the remaining 5 PCs (Zac is absent all episode) are all fugitives of both church and state. With everyone stunned and out of sorts, Jet takes the lead and begins running towards the alleyway she banished Thad to several episodes ago on a goof turned escape plan. And none of the adults have a better plan so they follow her without argument or question. Ruby sends Yak up to help scout and, as they’re running, each of the group have flashbacks to simpler times:

Ruby: Ruby sees herself practicing acrobatics on the castle walls having just seen the Swirler Sisters perform. Her mom makes her come down and scolds her for not taking her princess duties seriously. Royal life is hard enough without her making it harder with her flights of fancy and she should be training to be ready for it.

Amethar: Amethar sees himself at the Stone Candy Mountain mid-war with his four sisters who have just got the news that he married Katherine Ghee--his dairy wife we learned about 2 eps ago. His oldest sister--General Rococoa--is livid about the shortsightedness and political implications of him marrying a commoner. St. Citrina, the third sister, comforts Amethar and says that if he really loves her, the marriage should stand. The youngest sister, Princess Sapphria, is chill about the whole thing and thinks (1) it won’t matter since he’s so far down in the line of succession and (2) he should have a good time if he wants to. Something ~crazy~ would have to happen for Amethar to ever get the throne so it would be *stupid* to waste time worrying about. (Thousand yard stare.) Lazuli shows up and is very fuzzy on where in the timeline they are--showing her background as a divination wizard--before congratulating Amethar on his marriage. Rococoa wants the marriage annulled and Citrina says that, for that to happen, Amethar and Katherine would need to be in the same place with the priest who performed the ceremony--Father Belford. They can take care of it after the war if Amethar wants. In the meantime, they tell their dad *nothing*.

Liam: It’s Liam’s 14th b-day and he’s still living with his dad (Joren Jawbreaker) and his mom (Spearia Mentha--a cool Vegetanian hippie woman) and his 35 other moms and dads (polygamy is big in the Sweetening Path apparently). His dad shows up and has trouble remembering his name but does present him Preston as a pet which he’s pretty stoked about. Afterwards, he meets up with his mom who says that his entire extended family talked about his going to Castle Candy as a ward/political prisoner and have decided that he can, but that he should be careful. The outside world isn’t as accepting of other spirits and ideas. Back in the present, Liam feels something dark inside him grow with the loss of Preston. Ice creeps up on his crossbow and his magic changes (mechanically speaking, he has gone from a Beastmaster to a Gloomstalker Ranger).

Theo: It’s Theo’s first day on the job as Lazuli’s ward and, after getting some business done (including a short conversation with a cotton candy monk who seemed suspiciously fleshed out to just be a random NPC) she turns to him and asks his opinion on non-sanctioned magic. Theo (who insists on addressing her by all of her titles) says that magic has never been his thing. He doesn’t have the mind for it. Lazuli takes issue with that assertion and Theo is forced to consider that he might be limiting himself for no reason. Lazuli says that she’s realizing that magic is a lot bigger and unknowable than conventional wisdom suggests and then Theo runs off to fetch her more parchment.    

Jet: Jet is 14 and practicing fencing with Calroy. He gets the point with a fencing dagger (which is apparently a thing, confirmed by my one friend who fences) before they ease into a conversation about politics. Calroy asks her if she sees herself challenging convention and we all know Who Jet Is As a Person so her answer (big yes) isn’t surprising. What’s slightly more surprising is that Calroy candidly agrees with her that change is good and needed. A lot of people would love change but most of them aren’t situated in such a way that they have the power to bring about any. Calroy says he looks forward to her reign and they continue sparring. 

Back to Reality 

In the present, church bells toll behind them and Ruby feels a piece of paper fly out from her pocket--it’s the “For Candia” note from Lapin. She grabs it with her Mage Hand and just feels like the worst person on the planet for being mean to Lapin all these years and then watching him give his life for them. He presented as boring and lame but he was a good man. 

They all reach the delirious Thad (he’s been in this alley since episode 3) who Jet flirts with to try and get his carriage but Liam circumvents that by getting a Nat 20 to fully knock the dude out. The servants with him flip out but Jet threatens them into running away and, before they can get very far, Ruby casts Sleep on them which drops them. Then, she casts Disguise Self and Prestidigitation so she looks and smells like Thad (we’re also blessed by Siobhan’s ridiculous French accent) and goes out to Thad’s carriage with Jet on her arm, lying to the servants there that Jet has been knocked up and they have to have a shotgun wedding. Her deception check succeeds and the footman declares, “To the cathedral!” NO. Beach wedding! It’s a beach wedding! They all pile into the back of the carriage--Ruby up front since she’s pretending to be Thad--and head out.

While they ride, Liam unsuccessfully tries to cry quietly and Theo eulogizes Lapin and says that what happened to him was no one’s fault. Jet asks Amethar if he had a death wish back in the Cathedral and Amethar, not in so many words, admits that he did. Yak comes back down from scouting and relays that the Glucian Road (the way back to Candia that they came) is about to be absolutely crawling with imperial soldiers. And cutting through Fructerra to the north (the shortest route) is also bad because that’s Plumbeline’s territory and she’s already proven herself untrustworthy. That leaves the “safest” options Brightgarden (basically the Vatican City of this world so not really a place they wanna be right now) and towards the Harbor. 

Everyone takes another minute to have a full breakdown--especially Liam who is coming to terms with the fact that he’s gonna have to be a war guy now--and Brennan rolls death saves for Thad (he lives) before they get back to business. If they want to go to the Great Stone Candy Mountain (Where Joren Jawbreaker is), going by sea is faster. Ruby points out that they’ll have to go into the territory of Cordeau (aka, Lord Bleu--the suspicious cheese dude Primsy is lowkey courting) if they go by sea but Theo points out that they’re F’d no matter where they go so they lock in the plan. 

A Fun Boat Ride

Once they get to the docks, Brennan points out that none of them have sailing proficiency (Emily: I have tarot cards) so if they just grab a ship with no crew, they’re for sure gonna die. They’d previously asked Calroy to ready a ship for them but they have no idea if that happened and they don’t have a way to ask him. The only ship they recognize in the harbor is The Colby--Annabelle’s ship. And, what do you know? She’s on the ship at that very moment, officiating a wedding for Primsy and Lord Bleu. The dude works fast.      

Theo sees that they’re casting off soon and also that Morris Brie is walking around all agitated and worried--looking for Manta Ray Jack they guess. Liam casts Pass Without Trace and Amethar gets a Nat 20 to open one of the cargo crates they’re going to load onto the ship so they can hide inside (leaving Yak and Sprinkle outside to be their eyes). While they’re in there, they hear Primsy and Bleu talking and learn that he’s gonna be following behind in his own ship (since he’s captain) and they’ll meet back in Lacramor. We also learn later that his ship is called the Dairy Heir because Brennan was put on this earth to test me.

Ruby hears that Morris Brie is still walking around all worried and decides to Message him in Lacra. “Manta Ray is Captured. The House of Rocks has Fallen. All is Lost. Help.” She calls herself a friend and, on a 20 Persuasion, Brie thinks she’s a spirit. She tells him where Jack is and calls him a good man when he agrees to check.

Brennan rolls for an unspecified thing in front of the board--saying they need an 11 or higher and want a 15--and gets a 12. 

The ship is held for a while, long enough that they’re loaded into the cargo hold, and Brennan narrates everything that happens from the eyes of Yak and Sprinkle (bending the rules a bit so everyone gets the benefit of knowing how Ruby’s clutch move played out):

Annabelle is agitated, waiting for Brie and Manta Ray so they can ship off. A messenger comes to her with the information that the Emperor is dead, Candia is at war with the Concord, and Amethar has been excommunicated. Primsy, who is technically in charge, reacts exactly how any sane 16 y/o would--she has absolutely no idea what to do. Another messenger shows up with a bloody letter (and, sidenote, I need Brennan to stop cursing us with detailed info on how various food people bleed. It’s extremely unsettling) from Brie which she reads and before deciding to ship off immediately. 

The Candians decide to stay hidden for an hour which is good because 30 mins later, the ship is stopped and boarded by imperials (lead by Grissini). They check the barrels but not the crates because no one would be able to open them. Well, no one except Amethar on a Nat 20. They’re not found and the imperials leave.

After the hour is up, Ruby can see through Yak that there aren’t any ships except for the dairy ones escorting Primsy back home and there are only about 12 people on the Colby. There’s a long discussion about the best strategy--Should they go up or call someone down? Should they talk to Primsy or Annabelle? Should Jet volunteer as a hostage?--before Ruby makes an executive decision and decides to Message Primsy.

“Primsy, I invoke the friendship of House Rocks and House Lacra.”

On a 20 persuasion check, Primsy, like Brie, thinks she’s a fairy or a spirit, which she is childishly excited about. Ruby says that if she comes to the hold, she’ll show her a secret and Primsy, who has apparently never seen a horror movie before in her life, comes right down. To her credit, she does ask if she can bring Annabelle, but Ruby says no. But that doesn’t deter her. Once she’s down there, Theo, who also has the Message cantrip, says, “Don’t scream, no matter what you see,” which is absolutely the worst thing he could have said and, on a 3 Persuasion--plus Amethar bursting out of the crate to try to show her she’s among friends, Primsy has the correct reaction which is to scream bloody murder, calling down basically everyone, including Annabelle.

Everyone throws down their weapons (Jet just stows hers in her back pockets) and Liam tries to hide but gets a Nat 1. Annabelle is, of course, furious that they’d stow away while fugitives, endangering them all but Ruby is able to slightly charm her (non-magically) and she reveals that the letter she received before says that Brie rescued Manta Ray and they’re hiding in Comida. Ruby is relieved her plan worked and, when Annabelle scoffs at her for taking credit for the work of the spirits, hits her with a Message to prove her abilities. Annabelle seems taken aback that, even while wanted fugitives of basically the entire world, Ruby would take any of her precious time to help Manta Ray. “[He’s] a good man,” Ruby responds, as if the decision took no thought at all. Primsy comforts Liam as he breaks down over the loss of Lapin and Preston again.

Brennan has everyone do a group persuasion check where only one of them cracks a 15. Annabelle and Co. are really in a terrible position here. These are their allies but they’re also being hunted right now and the Dairy Islands really cannot afford to be at war with the Concord. Helping them would be tantamount to a declaration of war. “Please don’t make us make you,” Ruby says. Annabelle scoffs that even if they kill her, either her crew would kill them or they’d kill the crew then die at sea. Ruby apologizes for the empty threat and says she’s just scared. 

Annabelle decides that they can’t help them but they also don’t have to fight them. They’ll take them to Lacramor as prisoners and then assemble a council to figure out what to do with them. In the meantime, they’ll be clothed and fed and brought to a room without chains. The Candians, who don’t really have a ton of options here, agree. 

Sacre Bleu

Soon after they’re situated (they get a short rest here), Primsy invites them to the Captain’s Quarters (which she shares with Annabelle) for tea. She doesn’t allow herself to say anything that would jeopardize her country’s position, but she seems very much on their side and confident this will be sorted out once they land and the council discusses it. She’s also excited for them to meet Lord Bleu, which they’re...less enthused about.

Ruby tries to get it into her head that she’s a strong, independent woman who doesn’t have to just do whatever he says--or even what Annabelle says--but it seems that Bleu has gotten to her first because Primsy says that he tells her that too and that he’s right about everything. Theo asks if he has any enemies in his house and she says no, confused about why he would ask. Jet decides to fully let the cat out of the bag and says that someone from Bleu’s house attacked them. Primsy, with shockingly little genre savviness, says that there have been a lot of deaths in Bleu’s family to get him to the place in the line of succession that he is and that they did get a letter from Plumbeline saying that Amethar would probably be named successor but if not him then it would probably be her. And if anything happens to her, guess who’s suddenly in charge? None other than Lord Consort Cheddar, aka Bleu. Theo tries to tell Primsy to watch her back but, on a 2 Charisma check, he just pisses off yet another House Cheddar lady and Primsy leaves for the Crow’s Nest to catch a glimpse of her new husband on his ship. On a Nat 20, Jet stealths behind her to protect her.

Liam goes to find Annabelle to try and convince her to drop them off at the Candy Mountain instead of Lacramor. He starts well with a compliment (“Your haircut looks fresh”) before trying to pimp out his harem of parents in exchange for the ride and rolling a 4 Persuasion. Liam submits to the slap he knows is coming--but it misses due to Ruby’s Hex giving her disadvantage and making her take her Nat 1 instead of her Nat 20. As she stumbles forward, she notices something in the distance and walks off to check on it, Liam following behind her. 

Brennan has Murph make three mystery luck checks in the box of doom because he is the enemy and Murph rolls a 7, 16, and a 14. For Murph, pretty good!

They’re just about at the Yogurt Shoals (Bleu territory, you’ll remember) and they notice that all the other ships except for the two house Bleu ones have veered off in another direction. 

It starts to rain milk (Brennan seems to indicate that’s what the 7 roll was) and Annabelle yells at Primsy to come down from the crow’s nest. Primsy notices that the other ships are gone right as arrows start to fire from the Bleu ships to hers. Jet, at once, shields Primsy from the barrage. 

Annabelle tries to get them out of there in a hurry but finds the sails are damaged and the House Bleu ships sidle up along the Colby and pull a Ben-Hur, tearing up the sides of the ship until it begins to sink. Everyone roll initiative!

Also, it’s Zac’s Birthday. 

Happy Birthday Zac.    

Medal of Honor

Gotta give out our first double medal of honor this episode, fittingly, to the twins who were on fire this whole episode. 

At the top of the episode when no one else knew what to do, Jet took the reins and picked a plan and everyone else was swayed by her force of will and didn’t even ask any questions. And then later, when Theo fumbled his diplomacy, she again acted on impulse and put herself in the perfect position to protect Primsy.

And then Ruby--in the talkback, they said they were talking about “Ruby’s Big Day” which was great because so was I in my head. Taking her magic--the very thing that put her in so much danger--and turning it to their greatest asset with the clutch disguise and then using the hell out of the Message Cantrip? Lapin has been dead for less than a day and she’ll already taken the position of party Face.

Very Galaxy Brained moves from our girls this ep.

Sunny Side Up

The immediacy of the “Do you think she’s gonna get off?” response from Ally was like they’d been waiting their entire life to make that specific joke. 

Also on the topic of Ally just literally saying anything, watching everyone break as Liam described the game “Stairs” was an experience. And Brennan having to react to that as a parent and acknowledge it was full abuse gave me shades of Kristen talking about all the cult literature in her family’s house that Brennan was hearing about for the first time in that moment. 

The whole sequence in the alley with Thad was such a perfect moment of catharsis after the heaviness of everything else. That, “Point with my hand or?” Siobhan’s French accent. Liam hitting a Nat 20 to knock Thad TF out. Everyone coming up with plans on the spot on top of each other and the big, “NO!” after Brennan’s, “To the cathedral!” The rubberband needed to snap back to comedy for a bit after last week and all those flashbacks and they did it perfectly here.

Jet already having a “Bastard Jet” tattoo and Murph improvising that she made him do it with a cantrip.  

“Advantage for boldness and disadvantage for madness.”

Things I’m Concerned About

Short list this week because the answer is basically “everything”.

Brennan. Brennan, if anything happens to Primsy...I know that this is all pre-recorded and whatever happened already happened but if Primsy is hurt in any way...Brennan…

Very interesting that the Pontifex OK’d the wedding of Primsy and Bleu basically immediately while all manner of insanity was going on but couldn’t find the time to get the emperor paperwork filled out. And by interesting I mean she’s a snake. 

A big ocean battle after only a short rest? With no healer? Don’t care for that one bit. 

I would not want to be Katherine Ghee right now. Idk what she’s doing but if she’s alive and well, I have to assume her life is about to be filled with BS.

Liam’s rage (which he talked to Amethar about) seems like the kind of thing that becomes a problem either for poor decision making reasons or literal communing with evil spirits reasons. So I’m for sure monitoring that situation, just in case.  

Understandably, the gang wasn’t able to go for their allies this episode, but that puts them in a BAD position to put it mildly. If Calroy did ready that ship, it’s possible that at least some of the rest of the Candians will be able to get out once they hear the news. Fingers crossed for those guys but it would be a fittingly brutal story move if all the fun, tutorial level NPCs just get executed now that we’ve left the starting area (which already was pretty brutal to be sure). 

Five More Things

It took me saying the episode title out loud while writing this recap to understand that it was a Bloodkeep reference. I was like, what a weird thing to call an ep. It doesn’t fit the titling conventions for this show at all.

Loved getting to see Amethar with all his sisters, even with the ouchiness of knowing how that all panned out. I especially liked Citrina as a foil for the Pontifex. If the Bulb is nothing but raw power divorced from morality then it’s nice to see someone who has a connection to that power using it in the name of love.

Theo continuing to use everyone's titles even after all that happened is so true to character. Also: “Call me Bastard Jet.”/”As you wish, your highness.”

Zac’s character didn’t show up this ep so I’m very curious when it’s gonna happen. It could happen in the battle ep--some rando helping you mid life or death battle would give very wary people a reason to trust a stranger--but it seems more plausible it would happen next story ep. I wonder if that cotton candy monk mentioned is gonna be his next character. I wonder if it’s gonna be a candy person at all. 

Listening to Ruby and Theo talk about how mean they were to Lapin and how guilty they felt about it was A Lot. Like, we only had him for 6 episodes but they have an entire lifetime of history with the dude and Murph and Siobhan really made that hit home in their tiny moments. It was A Lot.

Also! This has nothing to do with Crown of Candy and it’s circulated a bunch already, deservedly so, but I wanna shout out this hilarious Fantasy High animatic by @morikorii. Super happy we’re starting to get kickass animatics for D20 stuff from crazy talented artists. 

[wildsorcerer]

this is the start of how it all ends

SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 9 OF ACOC - i needed to write about ruby in the immediate aftermath of ep 9 - read it on ao3

Ruby Rocks collapsed on the rock candy bridge that led from Dulcington to Castle Candy. She could feel something shift, moments before the locket around her neck went cold and dark, the rest of her body with it. She lost all feeling in her limbs, her legs numb underneath her as she shook. Jet died alone, while she was fleeing. Even as the wound where the watersteel had been plunged into her side continued to bleed, Ruby was unsure if she would ever be able to drag herself from where she sat, too shocked to cry yet.

It felt impossible. It felt like a nightmare, too terrible to be true. But when Liam approached from behind, carrying… carrying Jet, she knew that this was no dream. She looked up at him, the red of Jet’s blood mingling with the pink of his peppermint body.

“Ruby, Jet is… We have to get to the castle, Ciabatta could still be out there,” Liam panted, carrying Jet’s body like a baby, her chest unmoving.

Ruby scrambled up, her hands already moving towards Sourscratch. “Ciabatta was in there? Where is he now?”

“Ruby, no, we have to tell someone, get an adult,” Liam tried, moving across the bridge.

“Did Ciabatta kill her?” Ruby was almost shouting now, the whole world was moving too fast. She can’t look at Liam and the body that he was carrying. She had trusted Ciabatta. Even when he killed a mercenary while they stole Alfredi’s secrets, Ruby had brushed it off, even though Jet was worried. 

“Ruby,” Liam hissed, and what brought her out of her anger was that he was crying. She couldn’t bring herself to say anything else, but she nodded to him, and they set off towards the castle that they don’t yet know is also in danger.

They made their way into the castle through one of the side doors, unwilling to carry the dead princess through the front. The sounds of fighting were not yet loud enough for them to hear. They would have a few more moments of mourning.

“Wait, Liam,” Ruby said, just as they had passed through the doorway, pulling him into a small alcove where they wouldn’t be disturbed. Liam went without resistance, clearly worn out from the battle and the walk. She was as well, but she needed this.  

Ruby finally looked down at Jet’s body. The wound in her midsection was still bleeding, but her face looked the same as always. It hurt more for her to look the same. She reached for the locket around Jet’s neck and unfastened it, looping it around her own neck so that the two lockets connected, making one heart. It felt so deeply wrong.

Liam was crying again, but trying desperately to pretend like he wasn’t. As she was hooking the locket around her neck, he whispered, “She said that you did the right thing. That she loves you. Those were her. Her last words.”

Ruby opened her mouth but couldn’t speak. She could feel everything swirling in her, anger at her own survival instincts, deep fury at Ciabatta, sadness that she hadn’t had the chance to feel yet, and grim resignation to the future. The future where she is an only child.

Out of nowhere, thunderous crashes demolished the quiet intimacy in their alcove. Shouts from the guards all around rang out like bells. Ruby and Liam looked at each other.

This is how the war started.

It started with armies besieging Castle Candy. It started with Ruby and Liam, tucking Jet’s body into a bed so that it would be hidden during the battle, with Ruby locking the door and sliding the key under it, so that nobody would be able to get in without magic. It started with Amethar, unseen, rising from a crater. He fingers the hilt of Payment Day, and is certain who it’s next victim would be. 

Ruby and Liam didn’t mean to split up after making sure that Jet’s body was out of harm’s way. Ruby hadn’t been focusing on where Liam was, her head too full of the image of Jet, looking almost alive laying in the bed where they left her, a smear of blood the only thing that marred the image. Ruby wanted to hold her. She wanted to sit in that empty bedroom in an unused wing of the castle and mourn properly. She wanted to let the battle rage without her. But she tore herself away, leaving Jet again, as she and Liam snuck around, trying to find any ally, since they were too weak to fight. Somewhere in the confusion of soldiers running everywhere, Liam had been lost, and Ruby wandered the castle alone, staying out of sight, looking for her mom, her dad, even Calroy. Any friendly face. 

What she found was Ciabatta. She peeked around a corner and saw him, giving several guards commands to attack any Candians they saw, still dressed like an assassin. Seeing Ciabatta was like poking a new wound. Ruby felt tears threaten to spill, and leaned away, pressing her back into the wall. She knew that her tears were a symptom of the anger that beat like it’s own heart. The Ceresian guards surrounding Ciabatta marched off down the hallway, away from Ruby. She was hurt unsure if she would survive this encounter, but knew that she had to do this. Ciabatta could not walk away.

She peered back around the corner. They were deep in the Castle, battles raging all over the building. Ruby didn’t realize it, but they were only a hallway or two away from the tower where Lapin had tried to teach the two girls about history, spending many hazy afternoons making faces at each other from behind books, linking pinkies under the desks, and whispering to each other about the future. That life was so far away, and neither Lapin nor Jet were here now. She quietly loaded Sourscratch, stepping around the corner and aiming it at Ciabatta, firing before he had the chance to move. 

He staggered back with the hit, but wasn’t down. Ruby quickly loaded again, keeping the bow aimed at Ciabatta’s head. 

“Ah, the youngest Rocks,” Ciabatta said, drawing his sword, advancing towards Ruby. “I was wondering if you would find me.”

Ruby couldn’t think of anything to say. Her words were failing her, the manta he killed her he killed her he killed her repeating endlessly, drowning out any witty retorts she could imagine. 

He was getting closer to her now, Ruby continued backing away, firing once more but the arrow flew over his shoulder. She reached to reload, but as she did, he lunged forward with his sword, swinging with the practice of someone that had earned his power in battle. He was more experienced with melee combat, and sliced through her shoulder, but she dropped, rolling out of the way and firing two quick shots from Sourscratch that landed soundly into his back. He took this in stride, whirling around to face Ruby even as she backed farther away towards the bottom of a flight of stairs, before firing once more, not stopping to see the arrow embed itself in a painting on the wall.

He was strong, quick, and more war hardened that she was, but Ruby was fueled by the mercenary that he had killed like they were nothing. Ruby was fueled by the moment when Plumbeline called out Ciabatta’s name and forced her father into excommunication. Ruby was fueled by chocolate and peppermint splattered on the windows of a cathedral. She was fueled by Jet.

She sprinted up the stairs, finding unnatural speed in the adrenaline. She knew that he would soon get close enough to really do damage, and a bow was useless that close. She stood at the top of the stairs, thinking fast, and grabbed for a small place on her belt, where the water dagger had lain ever since she took it from Keradin. Running a bit farther down the hallway, she raised the dagger, clutching it in her hand, turning to face Ciabatta, who had just finished climbing the stairs. He continued to run at her and Ruby braced herself.

“This is for my sister, you moldy bitch,” she said, and dodged left, out of the way of his sword, slamming the weight of her body behind the knife that killed the Imperator of Ceresia.

He fell to the ground, the bread turning to mush where the watersteel melted him. Ruby stood over him, Sourscratch in one hand, the other putting pressure on her shoulder.

“You...cannot stop the end…the Hungry One must eat,” Ciabatta wheezed, “Candia will fall.”

“Long live the King,” Ruby spat at him, tears falling freely now. 

Ciabatta said nothing more, spluttering as water came out of his mouth, the watersteel making quick work of his organs.

She leaned on the wall of the hallway, sliding down to the floor, unable to handle the shaking that came over her. She cried harder than ever before, Ciabatta’s form blurry. This was the sadness that she had not let herself feel until now. Killing the assassin hadn’t made her feel any better.

It hadn’t brought her twin back. Nothing ever would.

Ruby thought of a day when she and Jet had been children, out on the grounds of the castle, playing war, wrestling and play-fighting Amethar, who pretended to be hurt by their child fists. She wondered where her father was now, if he was winning his battle. 

“Did you know you were killing Jet?” Ruby asked, the tear tracks visible on her face, even though her crying was slowed, “Did you know it was her?”

Ciabatta inhaled like he wanted to speak, but it took him several tries. Finally, “Yes.”

Rage like Ruby had never felt before. She suddenly understood her father, her vision blurring at the edges as she stared at the man that had made her the rightful heir to the Candian throne. Still on the ground, she grabbed an arrow from her quiver, moved to kneel over his body, and plunged the arrow deep into his heart. The watersteel was already killing him, but Ruby wanted to speed up the process.

Before she had wanted him to die alone, but here she sat, watching as life leaves his eyes and the poison eats away at his flesh. She eventually moved away from his body. She felt like throwing up, but settled for closing her eyes, the cold stone floor beneath her reminding her too much of the bridge where the light in her locket died, only an hour ago.

Ruby felt like all of her emotions died with Ciabatta. She felt distantly sad, and will eventually find herself again, but the part of her chest that once housed Jet was hollow, cracking, raw. She held the connected lockets, bringing them up to her lips and kissing them, whispering words of love to Jet.

She was deeply tired, she wanted to rest, to find that bedroom where Jet lay, to kill Ciabatta again and feel something. She didn’t know what she wanted. But she could hear that the sounds of Candian weapons clashing with Ceresian ones had not stopped. 

The war was not over because the Imperator was dead. Ruby Rocks, now the oldest living Rocks sister, turned her back on a murder and went towards the battle, a slight limp in her stride. She went towards her family and her future, alone.