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coolcattime · 6 days ago

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Home and Free: Chapter Eighteen - Maison des Lunes

Characters: Captain Capsize, Sonja Firefox, Skipper Redbeard, Jordan Captainsparklez, Tucker Jericho, Tom Syndicate, Martha the Mystic, Mot Screziato, Alyssa Countybat, Waglington, Farmer Steve, Prince Andor, Jeriah, Lady Ianite, Lord Dianite, Guardian Furia

Relationship: Captain Capsize/Sonja Firefox, Captain Capsize/Jordan Captainsparklez (onesided)

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The Champion of Lady Ianite walked through the darkened stone corridor biting down his unease. With all the preparation he had done for this meeting, he really had nothing to fear from it. Yet he had to admit that the building itself just bought forth a certain apprehension.

It was technically meant to be a place of wellness, somewhere where people with mental maladies could go for help to recover. However, with Monsieur Furia in charge of the place, everyone knew the building functioned far more like a prison. Those taken into the asylum would seldom return. Those that did had never recovered in any way and more often than not had grown worse in their stay.

Perhaps that was why Jordan hated walking through the building towards the office of the unsavoury man in charge. The weeping of those held here was not just audible but echoing, reminding him with every step what kind of fate he was plotting on inflicting on a man for his own gain.

However, despite the great many thoughts that came into his head of the many injustices caused by this place and the general awfulness of his plan, he gave rebuttals just as quickly. After all, the story Red was telling of Capsize’s disappearance was insane, so he may well have wound up in this place on his own merit. And he would only end up here in the first place if Capsize refused his proposal once again. Even she would not be so stubborn.

Those thoughts quite quickly shut up those arguing that no one deserved so much as a risk of ending up in this place. He additionally reassured himself, however falsely, that he had not formed this plan out of spite. That this plan hadn’t been primarily formed due to Redbeard publicly embarrassing him with his lies about Capsize’s feelings.

Though still, there was a sense of satisfaction that he couldn’t shake away no matter how he tried. So, the man thought Capsize would never marry him? Well then, he’d be stuck here in a tiny cell forever.

But, of course, Jordan knew it would never come to that. For whatever reason, Capsize loved her brother. She would never allow him to remain here. More importantly, she loved Jordan. She knew they were meant to be together, and she wanted to marry him. She just needed some prompting to finally admit that.

First of all, though, he had to actually make the deal with Monsieur Furia. Even if the champion was quite sure he had nothing to worry about, he still couldn’t fully shift his nerves. One wrong move and the man could utterly ruin him. But he’d thought long and hard about what he was going to say to persuade the man. If that wasn’t enough, the bribe he’d put together should be more than enough to get him on board regardless.

With that confidence in mind, he entered the office of a man that most in town hoped to never have a meeting with.

“Good afternoon, Monsieur. I’m so glad you could find the time to meet with me,” Jordan greeted politely as he entered the office to find the man in question sitting at a desk before him. Judging by the condition of the place, he sincerely doubted that he had in any way been busy. However, there was no reason to be impolite.

“Oh, I could never turn down such an intriguing invitation,” Furia said as he looked up from the papers he was working on to greet the champion with a smile that utterly repulsed him.

There was nothing about the man before Jordan that was in any way reputable. He was utterly driven by his own self-interest which was mostly the ability to lord power over those who could not fight back. Needless to say, he was not the sort of person that anyone wished to be associated with.

Jordan was no different. But Capsize had left him with absolutely no choice. “Now, what exactly do you need my services for, champion?”

“I’ve been having some troubles in my personal life that I believe you can assist in resolving,” Jordan began as he sat down opposite the man. It was impossible to miss the quirk of Furia’s eyebrow, even in this dim room where he had made his nest. It did amuse Jordan somewhat to have such a feared individual in any way confused or intrigued, but he had come here to do something important. He had to focus on the task at hand. “It’s Capsize you see. Obviously, we’re meant to be, but she’s been playing hard to get. Normally, fine, but this time she’s gone so far as to reject my proposal.”

Though now a couple of months had passed since the incident, the humiliation of being shoved into the mud still festered as though it had merely been a few days ago. Everything had been so perfect. They’d had a great date, he’d gotten a beautiful ring, and he’d had her garden set up in a scene right out of any woman’s dream.

Yet still she had seen fit to reject him when they were so obviously meant to be together. Then she had run off and hid rather than face him and apologise for the embarrassment she had caused and the moment she had ruined.

“An interesting problem, but I really don’t see how I can be of use to you,” Furia said, immediately dismissive or perhaps just disappointed. Either way, it brought an annoyance forth in Jordan who was not used to such a reaction when he spoke.

He knew he should’ve forced Tucker along as back up. Though he doubted the man would’ve been much help with how scared of coming to this place he had been.

Fear was the only reason Jordan could reason out for the man’s actions over the past couple of months. Since the two of them had come up with this plan, Tucker had done everything to delay their actual meeting with Furia. While at first it had seemed that his friend was just practicing an abundance of caution, it had been quite thoroughly dragged out into nothing more than a cause for frustration as time had passed on.

But Jordan could forgive his friend for his fear. It was not as if anyone wanted to make a trip to the asylum. He’d tasked him with keeping an eye on Capsize’s house and to keep the siblings there should they make their return. That way at least he was assisting despite not having the stomach to come to the actual meeting.

However, facing the condescending smile of Monsieur Furia alone, he wished that he’d just dragged Tucker here despite the man’s cowardice, so he’d have some back up. But all that thought did at this point was leave him annoyed.

“As much as your fanatics in town might think otherwise, it isn’t a sign of madness for someone to reject you,” Furia laughed at his own comment as Jordan wrinkled his nose. He didn’t appreciate being treated like an idiot, but he couldn’t afford to make a retort.

He could resist saying the numerous comments that were flooding into his head. He only needed to put up with the man for as long as it took for his plan to come to fruition. Once he and Capsize were married he could say all the insults he was currently just imagining.

“Obviously, she’s unendingly, annoyingly stubborn, but she isn’t mad. That’s precisely why you could be so helpful in persuading her,” Jordan said before taking a pause. He knew once he said his next words, there would no longer be any going back with his plan. If he were to try and back out afterwards, Furia would surely blackmail him and make his life utterly miserable. However, he’d already thought enough about his plan. He had no hesitation left. “It’s Redbeard that’s lost his mind.”

“Oh?” Monsieur Furia lent forward, suddenly more than intrigued. He had almost entirely written off this meeting as a pointless fumbling as the champion dealt with being rejected for the first time in his life. But it seemed the man had a dishonourable streak that he hadn’t accounted for. Still, he couldn’t do something just because the champion suggested it. There was a careful balance in his work in regards to just what the town would accept from him. “I’m quite sure that both siblings are of sound mind. They have some odd customs and beliefs, sure, but nothing that’s any of my concern.”

“I thought so too, but the same night Capsize rejected my proposal, Redbeard stumbled into the tavern raving about a monster,” Jordan said, managing to summon forth concerns that he did not truly hold. That was the role he would have to play for the town, after all. He was nothing but a man concerned for his love’s brother who appeared to have lost his mind.

To Furia, it was not the most convincing of performances, but it was entertaining nonetheless. Wherever the champion was going with this, he knew it was going to be such fun. Still, though, he had the champion very much at his mercy. How could he let the opportunity to toy with the man slip through his fingers?

“Drunken ramblings, surely. The man’s known to drink heavily and tell tall tales. If I detained people for that, the tavern might have to close down,” He laughed. Even though he was not in any way a social man, Furia still knew of Redbeard’s reputation in town. There was little chance he could get away with imprisoning the man if he was just doing what any drunk might do.

Jordan saw this comment as a hidden question, that Furia needed to ensure that his own back was covered. With all the time he had had to think this plan over, he had prepared an explanation already.

“I thought so too, but even a week later, he was still going on about a monster in the woods and other such ridiculous nonsense,” Jordan said, not quite managing to hide his contempt this time as he remembered how the man had lied about Capsize hating him. If that didn’t prove his insanity, Jordan didn’t know what would.

But, of course, whether Red was truly insane or not mattered little. So long as he had the appearance of a madman, Furia would have more than enough reason to detain him. That was all that was needed. “The whole town has been whispering about his fall into madness. But Capsize, she’d never allow her brother to be locked up, she’d take any offer presented to her to help him.”

At those words, Furia paused. The implication was clear and obvious, but he genuinely could not believe that one of the champions of the gods was proposing such a plot to him. It was enough of a shock for him to wonder if this was a trap somehow, though not enough for him to outwardly panic.

“Are you suggesting that I detain Redbeard so you can blackmail Capsize into marrying you?” Furia asked, careful to keep his face neutral. It was impossible to tell whether or not he approved of the plan.

Perhaps that should have given Jordan pause. The mere chance that even a man known to be so despicable might disapprove of the plan he had concocted. But the champion’s mind had been long since made up. If Capsize and Redbeard were dead set on embarrassing him and avoiding the wants of their Lady, he had no qualms about using a plan that would force them to desperation. He knew, after all, that the ends would justify the means.

So, his only response to Furia’s question was to reach for the silver-stuffed pouch on his belt and throw it onto the man’s desk.

Furia, hearing the heavy thump as it landed, had a good idea of what the pouch contained. Still, his eyes gleamed as he pulled it open and confirmed the riches inside.

“For your assistance and discretion,” Jordan said with a casual smile. It wasn’t as if Red would actually spend any time in one of these cells, Capsize would see sense at the sight of the cart coming to take him away. And if she didn’t, it wouldn’t take more than a few days for her stubborn resistance to break. So, it wasn’t as if he was going to do the man any real harm.

“It’s just awful,” Furia said.

For the first time, Jordan panicked. In all his planning, he never once considered the idea of Furia refusing to assist him. Without the man actually threatening to detain Redbeard, his entire plan fell apart. However, his panic was incredibly short lived.

Monsieur Furia’s face broke into a devilish smile. “Truly awful for such a young man to lose his mind like this.”

With that, the asylum director began laughing, unable to hold back his delight at the plan. He could only hope that Capsize would try to stand her ground with her rejection and he’d be able to stretch the fun out for days rather than hours.

Jordan laughed too, relief washing through him. With the deal done and the plan sealed, there was no chance that Capsize would reject his proposal if their marriage would protect Redbeard.

All that was left to do was await the siblings’ return and book the church.

🌹 🌹 🌹

Jeriah could not help but wonder why it seemed as though the entire world had changed in the couple of months that he had been away from the town.

The unusualness had, admittedly, begun far before he had returned. It had started when he had left, expecting a normal enough meeting with those who had taken over running the blood knights in his retirement. Though he was looking forward to a refreshing change from his repetitive everyday life, he knew that it was going to be a few weeks entirely focused on business. Or at least it should’ve been.

Instead, a few days after arriving, he had been surprised by the arrival of Spark Conway. An incredibly welcomed surprise given how long it had been since he had seen his friend in person. Yet everything had spiralled so quickly after their happy reunion.

At first, the two men had just been happy to see each other. It had been years and, even with the mundanity that Jeriah’s life had fallen into, they had had plenty to catch up on. However, the more they had discussed, the clearer it had become that something was incredibly wrong.

It had started with one singular unexplainable gap. A gap in their memories that surely must’ve existed for quite some time, but one that their minds had completely skipped over until they stated it out loud.

Jeriah had always had the distinct knowledge that he had been sent to the sleepy town where he now resided by Spark. His house was in fact owed by the other man, so clearly him being there was of quite some importance. But Jeriah could not recall the reason he had been sent there, nor could he at all fathom one from what his everyday life was in the town.

However, when he had asked Spark jokingly the reason, the man had frozen in place. He had the exact same gap in his memory as Jeriah did.

It was not entirely impossible that they had both forgotten. Quite illogical given how much importance they were both sure the task had, but not quite impossible. However, the gap alongside the itching sureness both of them had that they should’ve been able to recall the reason had gotten them discussing everything odd or unexplainable they could think of.

Some were innocuous, the books that Jeriah didn’t recall buying, similar unexplained belongings in Spark’s home. However, some were far more worrying. For example, Spark’s way of saying ‘his children’ or ‘his grandchildren’ despite how, to their recollection, he only had one of each. That realisation had caused such a horror in Spark that the two had needed to stop for the day as they tried to comprehend just what kind of nightmare could have him forget members of his own family.

For a reason that neither of them knew, their memories had been taken from them. While they had tried to figure out a cause, all they found was a mystery as unnerving as the memories they found missing. The only conclusion that they could come to was that there was something important being hidden from them in the town, likely whatever Jeriah’s mission had related to.

Whatever it was, they needed to investigate it.

However, their meeting had already gone on far longer than either of them had intended to be away for. What Jeriah had expected to be a couple week trip had extended into nearly two months away, the winter solstice’s arrival waking the two into reality from their all-consuming investigation.

Though neither was quite sure how such an amount of time had passed without them even thinking, they realised they could not rightly continue. Both had people that would already be concerned about them, that would only grow more worried each day they didn’t return. Spark certainly had a whole town who would be wondering of his whereabouts, and Jeriah had no doubt that Capsize and Redbeard would be worried by the length of his absence.

Despite wanting nothing more than to continue until they got to the bottom of the mystery before them, lest they forget its existence again, they knew they had to return to their homes. Though Spark made it very clear that he would be riding out to meet Jeriah in the town the moment he cleared up any messes left in his absences in Dagrun and found reasonable enough people to carry on his usual duties.

To try and ensure that whatever had taken their memories the first time would not strike again, Spark sent a letter ahead of himself with a reminder to meet his friend in the town in a few weeks. Jeriah assured he would send another to his friend once he was safely back home, seeing how important investigating further was to him.

With that, though, the two friends had parted ways. Spark back to Dagrun and Jeriah towards the dull town that apparently held something of far more interest than anyone could’ve predicted.

He had expected to return to a greeting by a concerned and likely annoyed Capsize, chastising him for not at least writing if he were to be gone for longer than intended. He’d already planned out an apology that involved recruiting her into investigating with him for the weeks until Spark could arrive. Hopefully the idea of some excitement would coax her into forgiving his extended absence.

Not to mention, it was curious to him that she had also been sent to this town for a reason that was a mystery to her. It was possible that both his and her mission were the same. Even if they weren’t, there was little chance Capsize would reject a chance to alleviate her boredom.

However, she was not there to greet him when he arrived home. Instead, what he found was a nearly crumpled letter that took him from one nightmare to another.

Jeriah.

I have no idea when you will return, but you’re the only person in this town who I believe will help us. Though I cannot afford to wait for your return, I hope that once you read this you will save Capsize from the horrible situation I have landed her in.

I know that the story I am going to write about in this letter is going to sound ridiculous. But I swear to you that everything I am going to describe is the truth.

On the first night of my journey to the market, I found my route blocked and was forced to take an alternative one. An odd forking path that seemed to just be a longer road to the same destination. However, this path led to a castle. One I assumed abandoned and sought shelter in from the storm and a pack of wolves that I had attracted the attention of. However, my assumption was incorrect. The building is the home of a host of enchanted objects and its Mistress is a vicious Beast.

I truly cannot express the sort of monster the Beast is. It's the size of a bear but with the intelligence and speech of a human. It could lift me with one hand but could move silently as if it was nothing more than a shadow.

It imprisoned me for trespassing and the theft of a rose, locking me in cells high up the castle’s tower. I should’ve rightfully frozen to death there. I wish I had rather than what happened in reality.

The next night, Capsize found me. I still don’t understand how seeing that she knew nothing of the Beast and my imprisonment clearly shocked her, but all my pleas for her to leave fell on deaf ears. Even when the Beast found her, she refused to leave. She bargained for my life, none of her deals being taken until she offered to trade her freedom for my own.

You have to understand that I tried to convince her not to. I begged her to just leave me there rather than sacrifice herself. But she refused to listen, and I was too weak from the cold to fight back against the Beast removing me.

I was transported back to town by its magic. I tried immediately to rally the champions to rescue Capsize, but they treated my story as nothing more than drunken ramblings. Perhaps that’s a disbelief I deserve, but I truly swear to you on her life Jeriah, all of what I’ve stated is the truth.

I fear for Capsize’s life. Though I know the quickness of my own near death was due to being soaked through from the night’s storm, I cannot imagine her lasting through the winter in that cell. And every moment of sleep I have managed has been haunted by visions of the Beast tearing her apart for trying to escape.

I’ve enclosed a map marked with the route to the castle. While I am going to head out into the woods myself once this letter is delivered, I doubt my chances against the Beast alone and I know if it finds me attempting to rescue Capsize, I will certainly be killed. I just cannot allow myself to stay in this town when I know she’s at the mercy of that creature. If we are not back by the time you return, it’s likely that I’ve already failed.

I beg you, rescue Capsize in my stead. I’m unsure if even a trained soldier like yourself could fight the creature single handedly, but you have friends that I do not. If you need money to pay for your militia’s services, you can sell any of my belongings that you believe have worth and take whatever you deem necessary from our savings.

I wish I could thank you in person, but if you’re reading this letter, I sincerely doubt I will be able to. But thank you for being a friend to Capsize and thank you for helping her if I have failed.

~Redbeard.

Jeriah read the letter thrice over, but the shaky handwriting did not change. Each time only set the horror further in his chest. Until finally, he had no more denials and sprinted from his home towards that of the siblings. Neither the icy ground underfoot nor the stares of the bustling midday market slowed him. For the first time in decades, prayers ran through his head as he desperately hoped to find the two safe from harm.

The house stood dark and empty. He knew that for a fact without having to enter, and it was almost immediately enough to send him into despair. However, he could not afford to. He would learn nothing more of the situation standing still in the garden. So, he forced himself inside.

It was clear from just stepping inside that no one had entered in quite a number of weeks. A thin layer of dust had begun to settle in a way that he was sure neither sibling would live with. It pointed to just what Redbeard’s letter had said, that the house had stood empty for nearly two months.

He kept moving throughout the rooms, scared that otherwise his thoughts would become full of awful self-loathing for the consequences of his late return. Though none of what he found in any way reassured him, it at least kept his thoughts cycling.

The main fireplace held the long since burnt out remains of wood. A discarded blanket lay in front of it which Jeriah stared at for a beat too long as the idea of an inescapable cold ran through him. Upstairs, an open and half empty chest that contained sailors’ equipment, alongside a sword and a pistol had been pulled into the middle of Redbeard’s bedroom. And there was noticeable mess throughout the home where objects had clearly been taken quickly with no belief that the place would be faced again.

All of this he attributed to Redbeard’s preparation for his own rescue attempt. Though he supposed some of it could’ve been Capsize, her room seemed in relative order and the only things of note he could believe missing from it were her pain tinctures and the book he had gifted her. Neither pointed to her knowing her brother to be in danger when she left.

When had she realised then?

Jeriah sighed as he knew he was asking questions that he could not know the answers to. Questions that didn’t matter anyway. Neither of the siblings were here and clearly hadn’t been for quite some time. Even if the details in Redbeard’s letter were incorrect, it was unquestionable that something terrible must’ve befallen the two.

Normally he would’ve written off the notion of ‘the Beast’ as the man’s panicked mind making sense of watching a natural but terrible fate happen to his sister. After all, it seemed unlikely that such a creature could exist so close to the town without a soul realising its existence. Wolves or a bear or even bandits seemed a far likelier explanation. But he had just spent two months attempting to investigate his and Spark’s missing memories that seemed inescapably linked to this town. Looking at the route Red had marked out for him to follow to the Beast’s castle left him the same itching in his head as attempting to figure out the reason Spark had wanted him here.

It was impossible for him to shake the feeling that the two were linked.

For now, though, it didn’t matter. If Spark had sent him here for some quest linked to this Beast and its castle, the more pressing fact remained that the siblings were in danger or worse. He’d be damned if he abandoned the only two tolerable people in this town.

If Red’s assessment of the creature held true, Jeriah wouldn’t be able to fight it by himself. He’d need to send for help, both from the blood knights and whatever fighters Spark could drum up. As much as he worried for Capsize and hated the idea of leaving her in danger for any longer than he already had, what good would he do if he rushed in alone and was defeated? Even if he hated it, he’d just have to take the fact that there were no signs of a goddess throwing a fit as evidence enough that Capsize was currently surviving and would continue to do so for the amount of time it took him to gather allies.

However, he wouldn’t sit around twiddling his thumbs. Alone he could investigate the woods, at least. To see if this castle truly existed and if he could find Redbeard anywhere along the route. He didn’t know what to think of the man’s chances, but he could force himself to be optimistic about finding Red somewhere out there. It made thinking of rescuing Capsize easier if he didn’t think of the horrid news he would have to give her afterwards.

He rubbed his temple. How had returning home led to a greater nightmare than the investigation with Spark? That was a question he knew had no answer.

And there were certainly no more answers, not here anyways. There was nothing more for him to find in this empty house. He should return to his own to prepare for a trip through the woods.

“Redbeard?! Capsize?!” Or not. Overhearing that call immediately set an anger within him that he knew he was not going to be able to bite down. He had struggled to put up with the champions at the best of times. Now he knew they had left a desperate man with no aid, the small amount of excuse their youth had given them in his mind had been stomped into nothingness.

As Tucker pushed through the slightly ajar door, the only thoughts in his mind were hopes to the gods he had enough time to warn the siblings of Jordan’s plan before the man was done with Monsieur Furia. Instead, he was greeted by Jeriah, the misanthrope’s face stormier than he had ever seen it.

“Oh, Jeriah, when did you get back?” He greeted, more than a little awkwardly as he tried to ignore the way the man was staring at him. He really felt as though the man was considering killing him.

“Less than an hour ago,” The older man said, the disdain already clear in his tone.

He truly had always tried to hold an even temper with the people of this town. If they gave him his privacy, he would keep to himself. But even watching the everyday actions of the champions he had occasionally felt unable to.

Now, after all the years of hearing them lorded as heroes only to have them show such cowardice when they were actually need was enough to break any reluctance to speak his mind. “I came back to quite an interesting letter from Redbeard, about a Beast imprisoning Capsize and how you and Jordan refused to help him rescue her.”

“Err…” Tucker struggled for a response. He had been so focused on attempting to stop or at least slow down Jordan’s blackmail plot that all thoughts of riding out into the woods after Red had slipped his mind. It was not so much that he had forgotten that Capsize was in apparent danger and that both the siblings had been missing for far too long for a lack of concern, but the danger from his fellow champion had been quite consuming in his mind.

Now he had been reminded, though, his mind was racing for any excuse for his inaction despite how there wasn’t one to be had. With how long it had been since he’d seen either sibling, had his attempts to stop Jordan’s plans merely been attempts to defend the dead? The panic that thought running through his head caused broke onto his face and caught in his throat as he tried to answer to the man. “I… Well, I mean, I was going to—”

“Going to?! Tell me Jericho, how long has it been since you last saw Capsize or Redbeard?” Jeriah cut him off with no charity for the man’s hesitation. It wasn’t as if the man had everyday responsibilities. He spent most of his days hunting with his fellow champion or lounging around in the tavern. If he’d regretted his lack of help at any point, he’d ample time to ride out to the woods to try and find either sibling.

“Two months…” Tucker said, squirming under the eyes of the old soldier. His own guilt grew worse now he was facing someone’s judgement. But Jeriah didn’t know the full story, that he couldn’t leave town without their situation being made all the worse. That leaving Jordan to his own devices posed just as great a threat as any other the two might be facing. “But—!"

“Don’t you dare make an excuse! You and Jordan spend your days playing heroes, that requires helping when people are in danger no matter how ridiculous you assume their story is!” Jeriah yelled, causing the champion to flinch, not that he cared about the reaction at all. Frankly, he didn’t have time to stomp the basic idea of responsibility that a god’s champion was meant to hold into Tucker’s head. He had to clean up this mess himself. “Now get out my way. I’m going to the woods to find them. You and Jordan best hope the two haven’t died from your inaction!”

For a moment, Tucker was so stunned and ashamed that he completely froze and allowed Jeriah to push past him. Then his brain took hold, forcing him to remember what would happen the moment Capsize and Redbeard arrived back now that Jordan was meeting with Monsieur Furia. He whirled back to life.

“Wait! You can’t!” He yelled out in a panic as he spun on his heel, grabbing Jeriah’s shoulder. If the man had looked angry before, he looked positively murderous when he whipped back around. Tucker stumbled back, expecting a punch that never came.

“Why not?! Because it’ll make the two of you look bad?!” He spat. He was beyond caring about making assumptions of character about the champions.

“Because the moment they get back, Jordan is planning to get Redbeard thrown into the asylum to blackmail Capsize into marrying him!”

This time it was Jeriah that froze.

“What?” He breathed, barely able to process the statement he had just heard.

Now, Jeriah was not nearly as oblivious to the goings on in the town as its residents tended to assume. He knew of Jordan’s… infatuation with Capsize. The man was less than subtle about it. He’d first met her being harassed by the man’s attempts at flirting. Then once Jordan had realised that he was friends with Capsize, the man had actually knocked on his door and attempted to pry for information.

He’d never asked for Capsize’s opinion of the champion. She’d never wanted to discuss him and since she clearly had negative experiences with the man, he didn’t blame her. However, he knew enough to know distinctly and clearly that she didn’t like Jordan, not platonically and certainly not romantically.

If Jeriah had to guess, Capsize would rather die than marry Jordan. Which might explain the blackmail, but that left the question as to how the champion had landed on such a plan in the first place. Thankfully, there was someone right in front of Jeriah that could provide him with those answers.

Tucker found himself grabbed by the arm and dragged over to the sitting area of the abandoned house. He was shoved into a chair, looking up in confusion as Jeriah sat down across from him. Despite the coziness of his current surroundings, he was quite sure he was about to be interrogated.

“Start from the beginning and tell me how in the hell this happened,” Jeriah said, no longer yelling, but his underlying anger was undeniably still present. He would not be letting the champion leave until he had been told everything he wanted to know about what had happened in the town while he had been away.

Tucker hesitated to start. On one hand, he finally had the ability to tell someone of the situation without fear of them disbelieving him and quickly taking his words back to Jordan. That should’ve been a relief. But he also knew that none of the story he would have to tell would make him look good, none of it would be easy to admit.

However, the old soldier’s eyes were boring into him just as his words were worming his way into his head. At this point, what did he want his title to mean?

“It started the day that you and Red were leaving town. Jordan told me he was going to marry Capsize,” He started, recalling the day through a numbed regret as it felt as though it had been two years ago rather than two months. It had been such a usual and carefree day. How had everything changed so quickly? “He’s always said that she’s just playing hard to get, so I helped him set up his proposal the next day. But Capsize said no.”

He had been so focused originally on the hurt that Jordan has felt. But god, now the terror that had filled Capsize’s eyes when she’d been locking herself in the house at the end was haunting his thoughts.

“I tried to talk to her later, but she was angry about the proposal and that I’d helped. She went on a walk somewhere out of town. I don’t know where exactly, she wouldn’t tell me. That… that was the last time I saw her.”

Tucker found himself shellshocked at that realisation. The last time he had seen Capsize she’d told him she wanted to get as far away as possible because of a proposal he’d helped with.

Jeriah didn’t soften. He couldn’t hold much sympathy for the champion when at least some of the troubles he found himself facing were very much his own fault. However, he didn’t want him stuck in whatever what-if scenario he was currently locked in.

“When did Redbeard come to you for help?” He said with no comfort as he was merely trying to push the man through the story.

“Later that night. I’d taken Jordan to the tavern to cheer him up because he felt humiliated,” Tucker began again, unable to miss how Jeriah’s glare intensified at his words. “And late into the night, Red appeared yelling like a madman, talking about a beast in the woods that had imprisoned Capsize. He wanted me and Jordan to help him save her.”

“And you both refused.”

“Jordan threw him out onto the street, said he was making it all up so Capsize could go to the market and not need to face him for a few weeks,” He managed to croak out. He thought again of his own inaction that night.

He’d felt how cold Red’s skin was. He’d seen the tears in Red’s clothes. He’d heard the absolute desperation in Red’s voice. He had been worried. Yet he had still trusted Jordan’s judgement over his own.

But he couldn’t linger on it. The story wasn’t over, so he had to force himself through. “Then maybe a week later, we saw Redbeard again. Still looking a mess, still going on about Capsize being imprisoned by a beast. But this time, Jordan told Red about the proposal and they got into a yelling match about it. And Red ended up yelling in his face that Capsize can’t stand Jordan.”

There was a lot more to what the man had said, Tucker knew, but the exact details didn’t really seem important at this point.

“Jordan started muttering about Red being insane, which led him to his blackmail idea. He’s planning to bribe Monsieur Furia to detain Redbeard if Capsize won’t agree to marry him,” He finished, his energy completely leaving him. He’d already been exhausted from trying and failing to stop Jordan’s plan from progressing, having to explain how it had come to be left him drained.

Still, though, Jeriah’s opinion on his actions hadn’t changed.

“That all happened in only a little more than a week. You didn’t think at any point between then and now that you should go and look for either of the still missing people?” He asked, not quite demanding an answer but expecting one. It was the recurring sticking point for the anger that wouldn’t leave him. His own anger at himself for not returning earlier was extended to and made all the worse by the champion who had been here the whole time and chosen not to help.

“I’ve been trying to stop Jordan from meeting with Monsieur Furia! He’s already got the support of the town, all leaving him alone would’ve done was give him time to prepare!”

“And where’s Jordan now?! How has trying to delay the meeting gone for you in the long run?!”

“At least I know it’s happened! If I’d left, I would’ve had no idea! What good would it do to find them if Red’s immediately imprisoned or Capsize’s forced into a marriage she clearly doesn’t want?!”

Jeriah bit back insults he desperately wanted to throw. He wanted to call the man a coward, to give a thousand different retorts for what he could’ve done if he had any sort of backbone. But what good would it do now? What was done was done, and Jeriah couldn’t afford to throw away any potential ally at this point.

After all, of everyone in town, it was clear that Jordan was the one that held the most sway. Even compared to his fellow champion, he was the one that people listened to. If he wanted the general belief to be that Redbeard was insane, the only way any of them would be able to dissuade the notion was to possess evidence to the contrary.

“Do you want to actually help Capsize and Redbeard?” Jeriah asked with a far softer tone than he had used throughout the conversation. Still gruff and still angry, but not actively judging.

“Yes! Of course, I do,” Tucker said, not quite snapping. Even if he understood that the question was needed and was deserved, it still tore away at him. He should’ve helped them long before. The shame that he hadn’t was so much easier to swallow if he let it escape as anger. If he pretended that he had just as much a reason to judge Jeriah as Jeriah had to judge him.

“Good. I have a map to where Redbeard say the Beast’s castle is. Ride out with me today into the woods. We’ll see if we can find some sign of Redbeard, Capsize, or this Beast,” Jeriah had no idea the chances of finding anything, but he certainly had an easier time believing he would actually return from his ride to the Beast’s castle if he took the champion with him. All he needed was enough evidence for Redbeard’s story to be plausible, then Jordan’s plan would be foiled.

“Wait, you actually think there might be a beast?” Tucker asked. Though he had certainly feared some terrible incident had befallen Capsize and caused Red’s tale, he hadn’t imagined the story he had told actually being true. For Jeriah to believe such a tale felt unbelievable.

But the old soldier had seen a great many unbelievable things in his years. Monsters were not an unbelievable idea to him. Though, the idea of one being so close to the town without anyone noticing would’ve given him pause normally. Now he had very good evidence that there was something wrong with this town. If the Beast wasn’t the explanation, then it still very well fit into the mystery.

“Over the past two months, my friend and I have been investigating memories of ours that appear to have been taken from us. There’s something in or around this town that something doesn’t want us to know about. This Beast seems as good an explanation as any.”

“Wait, what do you—”

“Capsize? Redbeard?” Tucker silenced himself as Jordan’s voice carried into the house. His curiosity to know what Jeriah had been doing in his absence was immediately buried by the anxiety of needing to face Jordan when they had just been discussing working against him. He was absolutely sure his friend was going to sniff out the fact that he’d turned traitor.

Jeriah, however, held no such fear of facing the man. He’d dealt with a great deal of delusional egotists in his time. The newest really didn’t give him any pause.

“I’ll do the talking. Just assure him you’re still on his side once I leave then meet me in a few hours with a horse and a weapon,” He said in a low voice to Tucker, hoping to ensure the newly arrived champion didn’t overhear. Then he rose to his feet and made his way towards the door, this time with a far more neutral expression.

Tucker too rose to his feet, but he could only follow behind hoping to the gods that Jeriah knew what he was doing.

Jordan wasn’t quite sure who he had expected to greet him, but it was not Jeriah. Frankly, he never really thought of the man when he wasn’t actively lecturing him and certainly hadn’t considered his reappearance within his plan.

Yes, the soldier appearing before him was an obstacle that he hadn’t at all accounted for. He might be a misanthrope within the town, but he was still Capsize’s friend and could prove an annoyance to him should she go to him for help, especially if he believed any of Red’s story.

So Jordan would just have to ensure that he didn’t. He wasn’t about to have his relationship ruined once more after putting in so much effort to fix it.

“Sir Jeriah? I hadn’t realised that you’d returned,” He greeted with a smile as if the two were in any way friendly with each other.

“I can’t blame you for that, I’ve only been back perhaps an hour,” Jeriah said as if he would’ve expected the champion to notice his return at any point. Both men were very much locked in a dance of fake niceties. They could not allow the other to know of their plan or get a suspicious impression of them. So they needed to hide their true feelings from each other. “I’ve only come out here so soon due to receiving a rather concerning letter from Redbeard.”

“Oh?” Jordan said, just about managing to keep his worry about such a letter existing internal. Had Redbeard shared his delusions about Capsize disliking him with Jeriah? If so, how was he ever meant to persuade the man of his good intentions? “A letter?”

“A scrawled rambling about Capsize being imprisoned and his intent to travel into the woods to fight a Beast to free her,” Jeriah did his best to sound as if he held no belief of the story holding truth. He hoped that his friendship with Spark had imparted some of the man’s silver tongue to him. He was absolutely sure that his true worry for the siblings and disgust with the man before him was coming forth, only reassured to the contrary when he saw no doubt on the champion’s face. “I rushed here hoping to find him and stop him from recklessly putting himself in danger and get to the bottom of where such a tale came from. Instead, I found Jericho who informed me he’d been telling the same tale to you both.”

Such a wave of relief washed over Jordan, doubled when he saw Tucker come up behind the misanthrope. Leaving Tucker here to keep watch had been a fantastic idea on his part after all. He’d managed to get the stubborn old man firmly to the opinion of Red’s insanity.

“Yes, we’d thought at first that he was just drunk. But a week on and he was still spinning the impossible tale. The whole town has been whispering about his fall to madness,” Jordan said. It took a great deal of effort to not grin at the development, even knowing such an action would be a dead giveaway. But he really was delighted. Even the closest person in town to Capsize thought Red had lost it.

Maybe Capsize would too. Sure, she was defensive of her brother, but surely even she must have a limit. Regardless of whether she believed or not, though, if even her friend believed her brother insane, she would have no argument against Monsieur Furia’s judgement. Who would she have to turn to for aid but him?

“So it’s as bad as I feared,” Jeriah muttered, taking a breath to keep his rising anger hidden. He just needed to persuade the man he was on side for one conversation. But no matter how he reminded himself, he was still left with a bitter taste in his mouth for the way he was acting. “I’ll ride out and try to find him tonight. Hopefully he’s managed to keep himself safe from harm despite his mental state.”

This was getting better and better. Not only did Jeriah believe Red mad, he was going to deliver him right into the clutches of Furia. Jordan couldn’t have prayed for such luck.

With an opportunity to exit, Jeriah began to walk past him. But as he did, a thought popped into Jordan’s head. If the man was off to find Red, there was a chance he’d find Capsize at the same time. If the two were hiding, it only made sense that they’d be hiding together.

Then it held to reason, that Jeriah would be the one to tell the story of her brother’s madness to her. Jordan needed to make sure that he made a good impression in that story.

“Wait,” He said. Jeriah stopped on the top stair, one below the tiny front porch where the champion currently stood. He turned back to look at the face laced with false concern. “Do you think it’s wise to bring him back to town when Monsieur Furia had no doubt heard of his state? I cannot imagine my Capsize’s reaction if he ended up dragged to the asylum.”

There was a flash of absolute rage and disgust in Jeriah. One that left him wanting to spit at the man for attempting to fain concern for a fate he was busy ensuring the man would suffer. But if he did such a thing, not only would he be wasting whatever advantage this conversation had built him, he suspected that the champion would be rallying for his forced detainment as well.

But he was left with enough anger that he could no longer resist the urge to make the champion squirm at least a little. It might even buy them some time if Jordan felt the need to scramble to improve his plan.

“I can’t very well leave him in the woods to die. No doubt Capsize would have a far worse reaction to that. But should the worst happen and Furia has taken an interest, I have an old friend known to help people out of sticky situations. I have no doubt Spark would be happy to aid his fellow Ianitees should I write to him of their troubles.”

With that, Jeriah turned back to his exit. He had far too much preparation to do to continue playing make believe with Jordan. Hopefully the idea that someone else might be able to help Capsize free her brother would have the champion replotting for long enough that he could find the siblings and evidence of the Beast before he could ever begin blackmailing them.

Then he felt the hard shove on his back and realised too late just how far gone the champion already was.

Jeriah’s words about his friend flooded such a panic into Jordan’s head, one that forced him to act on impulse. Whoever this Spark Conway was, his arrival would ruin everything. His entire plan relied on Capsize only having him to turn to. Another Ianitee would just allow her to keep playing hard to get.

He needed to stop any letter from being sent to him no matter the cost. The easiest way to ensure that was for Jeriah to be out of the picture, no matter how useful he may have been otherwise.

Tucker saw his stance shift, realised that the push was coming the moment before it did, but he couldn’t grab Jordan’s arms in time to stop it.

With the unexpectedness of the shove and ice under foot, Jeriah lost his footing and fell from the stairs to the path below. There was a sharp pain that splintered across his forehead. Then his world went black.

Tucker stared frozen in shock. He prayed, begged for one single favour from Lord Mianite, that the man would get up. Instead, he watched as a deep crimson began to pool on the path.

“No!” Tucker practically flew down the stairs. He crouched by the man, fumbling to find a pulse. Though he couldn’t say he was in any way relaxed from his current panic, there was a small relief to find the man wasn’t dead.

Tucker turned to look back at his friend, sure that he would see shock or regret or horror or just something, something other than the easy smile he actually wore. Every bit of anger that he should’ve felt over the past two months ignited all at once. “Why the hell are you smiling?! You could’ve killed him!”

“He was going to ruin everything. I’m not having some random old friend of his appear to take Capsize’s attention away from me,” Jordan replied as he made his way towards Tucker. Why his friend was making such a fuss about this was beyond him. It wasn’t as if anyone cared about Jeriah anymore than they cared about Redbeard. “Besides, I didn’t really do anything. He slipped on the ice.”

“No! You shoved him!” Tucker argued back, refusing to let him rewrite his actions. He had already let him take this horrible plan much too far, because he wanted to believe his friend or maybe just because he was scared to lose his own standing in the town. But with Jeriah’s anger running through his head, he knew he had to fight back even if it was too late. “This has gone way too far. Capsize doesn’t want to date you let alone marry you! You can’t hurt everyone close to her to force her to be yours!”

Jordan blinked. He stood in stunned silence attempting to process that Tucker of all people had just spoken to him in such a way. His closest friend had just yelled at him. His closest friend was betraying him.

Jordan’s face hardened.

“You can look at me like that all you want! You can try and kill me too if you think that’ll somehow help you get married! But I’m not helping you with this anymore and I swear to Lord Mianite, I will stop you from doing any more harm!”

With those words, Tucker turned and hoisted Jeriah up onto his shoulder. Maybe he should’ve had some fear that Jordan would attack him like he had the misanthrope, but he’d made enough noise that townsfolks were beginning to wander over. Jordan wouldn’t dare attack his fellow champion when there were witnesses.

He had read the situation correctly. Jordan did not follow. Instead, he remained in the garden, weaving a tale to the concerned townsfolk of Redbeard attacking the soldier before fleeing towards the woods. With each word his resolve hardened. If Tucker was going to betray him, so be it. He would not allow the man to ruin the destiny his Lady had laid out for him. He could do this alone.

But Tucker had his own focus, carrying the unconscious Jeriah back to his house, hoping that he’d be able to find first aid supplies there rather than needing to run to the training grounds for them. He really had no idea where he was meant to start with undoing Jordan’s plan, but making sure Jeriah didn’t die seemed like an important step. Then he’d find the map Red had left for Jeriah and ride out to the castle where Capsize was.

He doubted Red would forgive him for not helping immediately when he could’ve. He doubted Capsize would forgive him for how her brother had been treated either. But Jeriah was right, he couldn’t keep playing hero and acting a coward.

As much as he remained unsure if there was really any truth to the tale of a beast, he had to question the itching familiarity he just couldn’t shift at the idea of a castle in the woods.

#mianite #mianite fanfiction #cat's fanfiction #sonja firefoxx #sonja firefoxx/captain capsize #captain capsize #mianite batb au #foxxsize #jordan captainsparklez #guardian furia #tucker iijeriichoii #sir jeriah #sparksize

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coolcattime · 4 months ago

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Home and Free: Chapter Sixteen - Human Again

Relationship: Captain Capsize/Sonja Firefox, Captain Capsize/Jordan Captainsparklez (onesided)

AO3 Link

Full Story Tag

Though the memory of it had long since been forcibly removed from public consciousness, there was a time that the castle was inhabited not by a Beast and an assortment of animate furniture, but by a Princess and the staff that resided inside her castle. Normal humans with relatively normal lives, yet uncursed by a goddess.

On the morning of what would turn out to be the worst and most defining days of all of their lives, a day like any other was beginning to unfold. For Tom Syndicate, that meant he was experiencing an already mounting frustration as he was stuck in what was an increasingly recurring argument.

“Absolutely not,” He said plainly. He didn’t think it worth the effort to raise his voice. Though, why he was still having this absolutely pointless conversation was beyond him. He had made the same point every single time this happened, but Sonja appeared to have absolutely zero care that this argument was utterly repetitive. “I have plans today. I’m not staying here all day so I cook two meals for you whenever you happen to emerge from your studies in magical bullshit.”

When she had first made this demand, he’d been open to it. After all, it was meant to be a one-time favour rather than a continuous expectation. Now, though, he couldn’t even act shocked at this point. How could he be? Sonja had been acting like a stuck-up brat for years. So now he just found himself annoyed at how much of his time was wasted in this same argument.

The deep sigh from Martha who stood behind the Princess did more in pushing him towards snapping than Sonja’s audacity. He could already hear the wittering lecture she was going to give him later.

“You can’t speak to the Mistress that way. She’s a princess and the ruler of this kingdom, you need to treat her with due respect.”

He could hear it because he’d received the same lecture somehow more times than he’d had this argument with Sonja. Yet he could also hear her quick follow up point that he clearly hadn’t heard the words enough if he was still acting the way he did.

It was ridiculous though. If it was all just about titles and ‘due respect’ then his own title of Champion of Lord Dianite should surely put him on the same level as Sonja and allow him to talk to her however he wanted. But even that seemed beyond the point.

He had grown up with Sonja in this castle with the same man as their guardian. Even if he didn’t have a fancy noble title, he should be able to call her out when she was acting unreasonably.

Yet, even if Martha was the person most likely to make him actually devolve into yelling, she wasn’t the only source of his annoyance. Quite a lot of it was festering from the indignant look on Sonja’s face. When had she gone from a friend to someone who could look at him like that?

“It’s the first day I’ve asked you to do anything this week. I don’t see why you’re being so difficult about it,” She said, almost sounding proud at how much she was missing the point. She’d gotten progressively worse with just how often she commanded him around. Acting as if she wouldn’t have just replaced him with an enchantment by now if he was actually staff.

“Because you only ever demand that I cook you multiple meals when I have plans to leave. If you’d asked me yesterday, I would’ve just done it,” He would have to be an idiot to have missed the recurring pattern. He’d tell her a good week or two in advance that he was going to the town to see his friends for the day. He’d get himself ready to leave. Then suddenly she needed him to stay because she felt like having a hot meal that day.

It also hadn’t escaped his notice that whether he did cook a hot meal for her, she was never actually around to eat it while it was actually hot. Even if he started cooking exactly when she requested, she would disappear while he was doing so to do more research. Whenever she eventually descended from her private study to collect her meal, she’d complain about the temperature and that he hadn’t brought it to her earlier as if he wasn’t chased away by her any time he dared to try.

“So? I’m just asking you to do your job. Can you stop being so dramatic about it?” Sonja scoffed.

Tom bit his lip to stop himself from immediately snapping at her. However, the shaky breath he forced himself to take did nothing to actually calm him down and he snapped anyway.

“Seriously?! If it’s a job then are you actually going to pay me or should I just do it because you’re demanding it?” He pushed with far too much aggression in his tone as he took a foolhardy step forward.

Next to her, he truly did look like a peasant. He wasn’t dressed shabbily in any measure of the description. Though he was seriously dressed down as he knew better than to wear anything of importance with the route he took to town. It was far faster than using the road but riding through the tightly woven trees risked tearing apart his clothes. He wasn’t about to ruin one of his nice coats… again.

Still, the nice if practical clothes he wore were nothing compared to the finery that Sonja did. Of course, it was completely expected from a princess, but staring at it Tom couldn’t help but think it was ridiculous. It was an outfit just for studying yet she was still sparkling.

Yes, at this moment, it didn’t seem completely ridiculous that she was treating Tom like staff. But, and maybe he would regret having brought the fact up if she tried to actually take him up on it, the actual staff in the castle were paid. If she really no longer saw him as a friend, then why wasn’t he getting paid for the displeasure of her company?

“Thomas, maybe you should--” Martha had started in a careful voice. For once she sounded like she might have something actually reasonable to say. Unfortunately, Tom was not blessed with witnessing such a rare occurrence, as Sonja interrupted her tutor.

“Yes, obviously you’re meant to do the one thing I ever ask you to do,” Sonja said, taking her own step towards Tom. Where his had been a challenge, hers was a threat. She stood a head and a half shorter than him, and there was nothing particularly intimidating about her appearance. Yet she stood with a stance that spoke volumes.

This was her domain, and she knew it. She was without challenge the one in charge here. “Unless you actually want to be completely worthless.”

“Is—” Tom found his voice failing him unexpectedly. It was stupid. He was sure enough that Sonja didn’t actually mean her words. They were just arguing, she was saying things to be hurtful.

Yet he still found the question stuck in his throat. Even with his sureness that this was just a stupid, pointless argument, he didn’t want to have to ask if Sonja actually thought such a thing of him. However, what started as an anxious fear quickly began to bubble into a fierce anger.

“Is that really what you think of me?! That I’m worthless!” He found his voice. Rough and too aggressive, but he found it and that was what mattered. After all, if Sonja thought that of him, why the hell should he care about minding his tone?

“What else would I think of you?” Sonja’s words, as terrible and shattering as they already would’ve been to Tom, were made all the worse by how her tone lacked any kind of sting. This wasn’t a snapped retort, something he could write off as being said without thought. It was just a statement, the neutral tone of someone reading a fact aloud.

Sonja either didn’t notice the hurt in Tom’s eyes or didn’t care to acknowledge it. He’d never hated having indifferent eyes looking at him this much. It seemed that any warmth she’d held towards him had been long since snuffed. “You don’t know any magic. You refuse to learn anything to help with research. You constantly refuse to do the single thing that you can do to help. Frankly, it’s hard to understand why you’re even still here.”

He couldn’t even say her tone was cold. That would be so much easier for him to stomach than the callous nonchalance he was actually facing.

That was when something in Tom just snapped.

He started laughing. A terrible, bitter laugh filling the near empty hall.

“Oh, I thought the point of me being here was us being friends. No idea where I got that stupid thought from,” He said, words laced between his manic laughter. He just couldn’t believe how much of an idiot he had been.

All this time, he’d been living in this stupid dream where he and Sonja were still the friends they had been when they were kids. How could he do anything but laugh when it was laid bare just how utterly wrong he had been? “I’ll keep it in mind that I’m just unpaid help.”

He waited for her to argue back. Hoped beyond hope that she would argue back against him. To soften even the slightest bit and tell him that they were friends. For her to explain that she was just stressed about something and that’s why she was acting this way.

Sonja wrinkled her nose, and Tom knew that the soothing he hoped for wasn’t going to come.

“Obviously we’re friends Tom. Can you stop being difficult?” Sonja said, with absolutely no sincerity to her words. And Tom just didn’t want to listen to her anymore.

Before Her Majesty could talk down to him anymore, Tom spun on his heel and started to just walk away. Maybe, he thought, he should leave for good and never deal with her again.

“So you’ll be cooking then,” Sonja said with a stern tone that made it very clear that there would be consequences if she didn’t get the meals she was expecting. He couldn’t even laugh at this point.

Tom swallowed down his bite and anger, pausing in his stride for just a single moment. He looked over his shoulder, towards the teenage princess looking at him for an answer.

“Whatever you want, Mistress,” He said before turning and continuing to walk down the corridor, considering if it was worth giving her food poisoning so she wouldn’t ask him to do this again.

As he disappeared down the hall, Sonja watched him go with a frown. Deep down, there was an uncomfortable twinge within her that she lacked any explanation for. There wasn’t any reason she should feel bad. Tom acting this way wasn’t anything new, it was his own fault that she had to act like this.

Yet, as he had looked at her with disdain and called her Mistress, it had just felt so utterly wrong. But she bit the feeling down, though it was difficult and bitter to swallow, and turned around herself. She had more research to do.

🌹 🌹 🌹

Less than half an hour later, Tom was found by Steve in the kitchens. It was a shock to the man, as the kid was the last person that the gardener expected to see on this particular day. After all, Tom was never especially quiet about his plans and, for the past two weeks, had been talking non-stop about how excited he was to see his friends in town today.

So, yes, it was a bit surprising to see him in the kitchens when he should’ve left a couple of hours ago. He clearly had still planned to go to see his friends. He was dressed as he typically would to ride through the woods. So, the man found himself stuck on why the kid was still here.

However, Steve’s confusion only lasted a few moments before it became incredibly clear what had happened.

“You want lunch? I’ll make you lunch and pray to Dianite that you choke on it,” Tom muttered under his breath as he roughly cut up vegetables, more focused on working through his annoyance than actually attempting to make a meal.

Suddenly, it wasn’t difficult for Steve to understand why the kid was still here. He should’ve guessed that it would be because of the royal pain.

There were only two people in the castle that Tom would actually listen to. Mot, because the man had raised him. And Princess Sonja, because the girl was in charge of the whole place and the moment she’d realised that, she’d gotten a damn attitude about it.

However, given that Tom was so consumed by his annoyance that he still hadn’t noticed that Steve was even in the room, the gardener hazarded a guess that the royal brat had done something more than merely being demanding this time.

“You alright, Syndi?” He spoke far softer than he usually would, but he still managed to make Tom jump as the presence of another person was made known to him.

When Tom realised who had actually spoken, he straightened up, a little embarrassed at the state he had been found in. He tried, somewhat fruitlessly, to try and cover up how little he had been paying attention to the task he was doing. However, the uneven, half mashed vegetable slices were hard to cover up.

What point was there in hiding his current frustration anyway? It wasn’t as if Steve would judge him for it with the man’s own frustrations towards Sonja. But there was still a part of Tom that just felt stuck in embarrassment about the situation. A part still stuck on the idea that he’d caused this himself with his own naivety and stupidity. That was something he didn’t particularly want to admit out loud.

So, instead, he pushed it down. It wasn’t his fault. It was Sonja’s.

“Oh, I’m great,” Annoyance and sarcasm dripped from his words. The frustration that he had been allowing himself to wallow in finally getting its escape. “I’m meant to be seeing my friends for the first time in weeks, but her Majesty wants a warm lunch, so I’m stuck here!”

If Tom was being entirely honest, he knew that he could still leave. Sonja might be a magical whiz, but she didn’t have anything to physically stop him from leaving beyond regular methods. So, he could just stand his ground, leave, and have the day that he had planned. Show her that she couldn’t get what she wanted from treating him like shit.

However, that was where a certain itching fear came into play. One that Tom wanted to ignore, but just couldn’t shift out of his head. The fear that if he left right now in this head space and knowing at the end of the day he’d come back to Sonja even more pissed at him, that he just… wouldn’t come back.

It was an oddly uncomfortable thought. Sure, he was currently beyond pissed at Sonja and sometimes lent more towards this place being a prison than a home, but it was still the only home he’d known for most of his life. Leaving forever was just as much a fear as being stuck here forever was.

Steve walked up to the table where the kid was working, leaning against it.

“Doesn’t the royal brat do this every time you make plans, though?” He wasn’t actually asking the question. He knew the answer. Rather this was his attempt to prod for why Tom was so beat up about it that he seemed to actually be listening to her and ruining his own day.

“Well, yeah, but…” Tom gave a deep sigh.

He knew, obviously he knew, that this blow up had been a long time coming. It wasn’t as if Sonja had been all happy and smiles with him yesterday, but the idea that she would actually call him worthless still stung. He’d been left with an exhausted mix of emotions that he didn’t really want to deal with.

He knew in some ways that he was at fault. He could’ve pushed back against the way Sonja was acting earlier, but all the what ifs didn’t particularly matter at this point. “I just don’t want to deal with her yelling at me twice in one day, which she’ll do if she doesn’t get both the meals that she’s made very clear she’s expecting.”

He didn’t want to hear her call him worthless again.

“And I’m still expecting a lecture from Martha too. Lovely fiancée you’ve got there.”

“Just isn’t like you to give up on something cause you got yelled at,” Steve said, ignoring the comment that was clearly meant to get him off this topic. He’d known Tom long enough to know when he was trying to avoid talking about something that bothered him.

He was, admittedly, a bit worried about the kid. He never acted like this, never let the spoiled behaviour of the Princess bother him. So, whatever happened today was more serious than he was letting on, even if it was only serious to him.

But he couldn’t exactly force Tom to talk if he didn’t want to. He could try, but if he was resistant that was pretty much all he could do. So, the better thing for him to do was just comfort him and hope he’d get through to him. So, he placed a hand on his shoulder. “Tell me how I can help, Syndi.”

“I’m fine, really, I…” Tom stopped speaking as suddenly the spark hit him that there was something Steve could do for him to fix his whole day. If the man was offering, he might as well suggest. “You could cook for Sonja today.”

“What?” Steve responded flatly. He almost certainly should’ve expected the request, but he hadn’t.

The absolute last thing he wanted to deal with today was the royal brat. His goal for every day was to see her as little as possible and if he agreed to this, he was most certainly going to have to see her. But Tom was already grinning, and it was quite clear the kid already had his mind set.

“You know how to cook! It’s easy! She’s not picky. And this way, I get to see my friends and…” Tom began quickly trying to sell the idea. He tried to read Steve to figure out if he was going for it. Unfortunately, his lips remained pressed into a frown.

Still, Steve loved him. There was no way he’d actually end up saying no. Tom just needed to do a little more persuading. “And I’ll help out in the gardens for a whole week. I won’t slack off or complain or—”

“And I suppose you’ll have magic powers to help the plants grow too,” Steve cut in with a promise that Tom was just as likely to keep, causing the kid to pout.

Now, he was sure that Tom would help him out in the gardens for the week. Mostly because if he tried to wriggle out of doing so, Steve would drag him outside and force him to keep his word. However, he was just as sure that it would be a week full of the kid slacking off, complaining, and mostly not helping despite the story he was currently trying to spin.

Of course, an extra pair of hands was an extra pair of hands. Tom helping out in any way would be appreciated. Whether it was worth dealing with the Princess today was an entirely different question. Especially when he typically only had to deal with her twice a month if he got particularly lucky. “Do you know how much of an earful I’ll get if I cover for you?”

Whether the kid did or not, Steve already knew. He’d experienced it the last time Tom had done this whole song and dance to get him to do his job while he slacked off. There were very few things the man had experienced worse than being belittled and lectured by an indignant and far too powerful teenage girl.

He already hadn’t been the biggest fan of the Princess, seeing how she looked down on him for not having any sort of magical education. That incident had nearly been the straw to get him to pack up and leave. Martha had managed to talk him out of it, though it had been an incredibly close call.

And Tom, of course, knew of this incident.

He wanted to avoid a repeat, because he liked Steve. He was someone who made living in the castle still worth it. The last thing he wanted was for the man to quit his post because something he’d asked him to do had been the final nail. Especially when what he was essentially asking was for Steve to risk getting yelled at so he wouldn’t.

But Tom needed this. By the gods, he needed to get away from Sonja today. He hadn’t seen Tucker and Jordan in a couple of weeks now, which to him felt like an eternity. So, he needed to get Steve to cover for him.

“I swear I will be back before Sonja will want to eat dinner, so you won’t be caught covering for me twice in one day,” He began. He thought it was a good argument, but given how Steve snorted, he realised that he may have said the exact same thing last time.

But he could work with that. Play bigger, offer more. He would get Steve on side. He always did. “If I’m late then you can make me help out in the gardens for an extra week.”

It was at that moment that Steve realised Tom was truly desperate. And, though he was sure that he would come to regret his decision, he couldn’t really say no to him. So, with a deep sigh, he made his choice.

“I’ll be holding you to that. Go have fun with your friends,” He said with as much of a smile as he could muster. It wasn’t much as he could already feel the exhaustion coming from the attitude that the Princess was surely going to treat him with later. But seeing the smile that broke onto Tom’s face, he knew that it was absolutely worth it.

Tom threw his arms around Steve. Even though he had been sure enough that he’d be able to talk the man around, he still found himself beyond appreciative.

“I’ll bring you back something from the market,” He offered. There was rarely, if ever, anything unique on sale, but he’d be able to find something nice, he was sure.

Steve laughed quietly. He was a good kid.

“Just go have fun, Syndi,” Even if at times he was frustrating and could cause a headache, he was just a good kid trying to figure himself out. He deserved more time outside these walls than he got. Steve was happy to give him some more of that time, even if it came at a cost to himself. Being stuck in the kitchens for a day, having to deal with a far too powerful teenage girl yelling at him until she ran out of steam, well it seemed like a fair enough trade.

He'd be back in the gardens tomorrow anyway. So, he could smile as watched Tom run outside suddenly full of energy before he turned to the mess he’d been left with. If her Majesty didn’t feel like lecturing, he likely wouldn’t even remember today, but Tom clung to the days he had with his friends. He’d take the kid retelling stories of their antics while helping out in the gardens the next couple of weeks as payment.

Little did Steve know at this moment that this small decision made out of kindness would come to define years of his life.

However, had he known what was coming and the fate that would be inflicted upon him, there would only be one thing he would’ve done differently. Despite every guidance and bit of anger and resentment he held in the current day, all he would’ve done was reassure Tom to not worry about coming home late.

🌹 🌹 🌹

Tom had never been so happy that he’d learnt shortcuts to the town to cut down on the couple hour long journey as he was right now. He had made good enough time that Tucker and Jordan might not even realise he had been delayed.

Sure, he might have ridden far too fast through the off-road trail, but he knew the route well enough that he barely needed to pay attention to it. Thankfully, his horse was used to the route as well, so the only thing that had been damaged was his coat. It was, to be frank, absolutely ruined, but Tom thought he suited the ripped-up aesthetic. At least that was what he was going to use as an excuse if anyone questioned why he looked such a mess.

However, that thought remained in the back of his mind as he rode past the unoccupied farmhouse and into the town proper. Instead, he was just focused on the happiness of finally being here again.

It was not the town itself that excited Tom. It was a small place with very little going on. However, the freedom it presented him with made him crave coming back whenever he was away.

That was not to say that he particularly lacked freedoms in the castle. While Tom himself might have arguments to the contrary, he had far more freedoms than the typical teenage boy. But a place where he was near universally loved and had no authority figure keeping any sort of eye on him was always going to be a place he craved going back to.

As he rode towards the champion’s training grounds, there were already so many people talking about him, looking at him excitedly. And he was absolutely basking in the attention. Being a teenage boy, any notions of vanity or ego were lost on him as this was simply the attention and feeling of power he craved. The sort he saw Sonja receive whenever she hosted a ball or a gala or a general showing off of her enchantments.

If he considered a little deeper, Tom would not say he liked the townsfolks particularly. He, of course, liked the way that they viewed him as being great simply due to his title and the amount of praise and affection they would pile his way. However, he wouldn’t say he actually liked them as people.

Maybe it was just because he had little interest in actually living in the town, but they always seemed just a tad closed minded for his taste. As, no matter how many times he explained his want to actually explore the world once he was old enough to not be stopped, they never quite seemed to understand.

However, young as he was, he saw little point in dwelling on such facts or thinking so deeply. It wasn’t the slightly judgemental general population that he was here to see, after all. So, he could ignore their blank looks about his future and just enjoy their praise as background noise.

How could he think about anything negative when he was finally riding into the champion’s training grounds and could finally see one of the people he had actually missed. He dismounted his horse and gave an exaggerated wave.

“Tucker!” He called out, already unable to tone down the growing grin on his face. Sure, it had only been a few weeks since he had seen him last, but it felt like it had been a lifetime.

Tucker, turning on his heel to look at him, was too infected by his smile. He rushed over to his freshly arrived friend. For a moment, it appeared as though the two considered hugging. Ultimately, however, they just grasped arms and pulled each other close. Not a hug, but close enough for the two who were grinning widely at each other.

“I was starting to worry you weren’t going to show up, man,” Tucker laughed, making his concern sound less serious. It had been a worry though.

It was already noon. Normally Tom would’ve arrived an hour ago. And, though he wouldn’t admit it now that he’d arrived safe and seemingly without issue, Tucker had been close to riding out into the woods to make sure his friend hadn’t fallen off his horse or had anything worse than that befall him.

But Tom was here now, he no longer needed to dwell on such possibilities and could instead just laugh at his own worries and his friend’s lateness.

“You know I wouldn’t miss coming here for anything,” Tom said, hoping that his own laugh covered up any implication that he had in fact nearly not come.

He’d rant and ramble about it later, when he wasn’t going to be bringing the mood down. They’d likely sneak a few drinks, and he could go on about it then. When all three of them were mostly done messing around and just wanted to relax.

Though, thinking of that, he had been expecting to meet with two people not one.

“I see Jordan’s decided to be a no show, though. Has he finally gotten bored of me?” He joked, again hoping that none of his actual concerns showed through in his voice.

Tom was certainly not ready to either confront or admit his complicated and odd feelings towards the newest champion. Obviously, he considered him a friend, but he held very different emotions towards Jordan than he did towards Tucker.

He had originally written it off as Jordan being new and needing to get used to him. Like, he was a new person hanging out whenever he was with Tucker, being… passionate about his goddess in a way that Tucker never was about Lord Mianite.

Tom had gotten it, of course, he had been a young, newly appointed champion. Obviously, he was going to be attempting to prove himself to the point of extremes. However, Jordan had not stopped talking the ear off anyone who happened to stand near to him about Lady Ianite. So, Tom had, admittedly, written off the different feelings as annoyance towards the new guy.

But now it had been a couple years, and while he couldn’t exactly say that Jordan had mellowed out, he now knew his feelings held towards him were not merely annoyance. Even if Tom would not admit his feelings out loud and Jordan remained utterly oblivious to them.

Tucker, however, was neither oblivious to nor coy about Tom’s feelings.

“Don’t worry, your boyfriend hasn’t abandoned you,” He said, clapping a hand on his shoulder.

Tom squeaked, a noise several octaves higher than any Tucker had ever heard him make. The champion of Mianite started laughing.

“What the hell was that?!”

“You can’t say things like that! What if he hears?!” Tom said in complete panic, only causing Tucker to laugh more.

“Dude, relax. He’s practicing shooting. There is absolutely no way he’s paying attention to his surroundings,” Tucker said, completely fine with tempting fate because, even if Jordan had heard what he said, there was still absolutely no way that the man was going to realise that Tom was actually into him. Hell, Tom could full on make out with him and Jordan would somehow still be oblivious.

So, he felt completely fine teasing Tom about it for as long as he wanted. Call it making up for lost time given how little Tom actually got to be around.

“And, honestly, you might as well be dating. He is completely insufferable whenever you aren’t here,” Tucker did intend those words as another teasing joke. However, there was an undeniable annoyance that oozed through his tone.

“He’s still annoying you to death, then?” Tom asked as if he didn’t already know the answer. Given how much Tucker liked annoying him, he found himself grinning as he groaned in exasperation.

Maybe it was one of those ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ type of deals, but Tom had no idea how Tucker still found Jordan annoying. However, the last time he had said something vaguely to that tune, Tucker had gone into quite graphic details about why he assumed Tom didn’t find the man annoying.

Needless to say, Tom was not looking for a repeat of that conversation. So, he just allowed Tucker to groan and begin rambling.

“He has discovered that he literally can’t miss when he shoots an arrow, Tom. His ego has reached new heights,” Tucker complained. He didn’t miss, and was not a particular fan of, how Tom’s smile grew at his words. He was just thankful that he couldn’t read whatever was in his thoughts because he didn’t want to comprehend what he might be imagining Jordan doing.

However, while most of the time Tucker would be correct in assuming that Tom was thinking about how this new fact about Jordan made the man more attractive, his current thoughts were somewhere far more chaotic.

“I’m gonna make him miss,” He said with the smile of a madman.

He waited for precisely enough moments to see Tucker begin to smile, then began his dash towards the archery range.

Tucker dashed after him with an ever-growing smile. If anyone was going to disrupt Jordan’s goddess given powers, it was going to be him. By the gods, he had missed Tom so much.

Quite oblivious to the arrival of Lord Dianite’s champion, and therefore the beginnings of that day’s shenanigans, Jordan was preparing to shoot another arrow.

He had very quickly come to grips with his newly gained power. He had mostly been testing it with his bow, shooting harder and more ridiculous shots. Hitting every single one without fail, without even having to look. And he had begun to wonder if his power might extend to weapons beyond his bow.

He was admittedly a little nervous to begin testing that idea. He currently felt beyond powerful, and he wasn’t particularly into the idea of being brought back down to earth if he tried to do this with, say, a sling and missed completely. So, right now, he was happy enough to just keep using his bow. After all, it was a symbol of his Lady so it should remain his main weapon.

That and he always found archery relaxing. That was why he’d settled on waiting in the shooting range until Tom finally arrived. However, while he had originally intended it as a mild distraction, he’d been so consumed by it that he had noticed neither the lateness of his friend’s arrival nor the fact that he had actually arrived.

It was the exact blinding focus Tom thought ideal as he stuck his head around the corner. He could almost certainly walk right up to Jordan without him noticing. But he needed to pick his moment. Luckily, picking the exact right moment for maximum impact of a prank was his speciality.

Jordan took a breath, focusing on the bullseye of the target before him. This was so easy that he could do it in his sleep. He took an arrow, notched it, and prepared to shoot. He pulled the string taut. The arrow was ready to fly.

“Hey! Sparklydick!” Tom’s shout cut through the air and Jordan jolted.

The arrow released and flew wide of its intended target. Eventually it made its mark: a good ten feet back from the target stuck fast in the dirt.

Jordan stared at it, almost more perplexed than annoyed. So, clearly, he still needed some practice.

“Holy shit! He actually missed!” Tucker yelled.

Jordan groaned. He could already tell this was going to get rubbed in his face for the rest of the day.

Yet, Tom was smiling. He was absolutely intoxicated by the energy already. This was what he needed. This is what he had been craving. These were his friends.

He was going to make this day last.

🌹 🌹 🌹

The conversation outside the door was bothering Sonja more than she found justifiable. More and more she regretted that she hadn’t yet made her study soundproof to get rid of distractions like this. Here she was though, once again listening to a perfect example of people not caring if she was working or not.

“I just need a break. She doesn’t want to be taught anyway,” Martha had been rambling outside for… Well, Sonja wasn’t exactly sure how long. Since she had left the study, though that could’ve been any amount of time since the Princess had stopped paying attention to her words quite a while ago. It was certainly long enough for the constant distraction of her speaking to become an itching irritant.

How was she meant to keep working through her notes and finish this enchantment with the racket?

Frankly, Sonja didn’t understand why the woman was so insistent on being upset anyway. She’d listened to all the important bits of her lesson. The rest of it had been fluff. Fluff was nice, but she was busy and wanted to get on with her work once she’d gotten the information that she had needed. Martha got paid the same amount either way, so why did it matter if she didn’t pay attention to the full lesson?

However, she supposed that Martha liked to be overbearing and overstep the duties of her job. Like this morning when after Sonja’s conversation with Tom, she was incredibly insistent in suggesting that she go back and tell him that he was allowed to go to town. It had been maddening.

Tom lived here completely for free. All he did aside from occasionally cooking was bother her and distract everyone else from doing their jobs. How was she the one in the wrong for actually expecting him to cook for her? Because he was busy? Well, everyone else was busy too, but they didn’t try to worm out of their jobs.

It didn’t matter anyway. As always, Tom had refused to listen to her. She had seen him out of the window riding out of the grounds not even an hour after she’d told him specifically not to leave. As always, he’d shirked his responsibilities by passing them off to Steve.

Yet somehow Martha was still acting as if she was the person who had been unreasonable today.

“That’s fine, I’ll take over,” Mot spoke softer than Martha, though still loud enough to be disrupting to Sonja. He sounded as weary as ever.

There was a brief tugging guilt as she thought of how tired Mot always sounded. He always seemed to be the one that took everyone’s complaints and ended up picking up the slack when it came to the end of the day and the others decided to throw in the towel.

However, whenever that guilt began to flicker, there were always further thoughts that she piled on to smother it. After all, it wasn’t as if she asked him to do any of that. He took it all upon himself, so what did she have to feel guilty about? If everyone else did their jobs, he wouldn’t be so tired.

“I assume you heard her fight with Thomas,” Sonja rolled her eyes at it being called a fight, but as always Martha felt the need to dramatize.

Sure, Sonja would admit that she had raised her voice a little, but the whole thing had hardly been out of the norm for her and Tom. Why was the woman insistent on making a big deal about it?

“I’ve gotten the general gist,” She could almost hear Mot rubbing his temple.

She wrinkled her nose as she tried to figure out his tone. She was pretty sure he was just frustrated and tired as he typically was, but she couldn’t get away from the creeping annoyance as she could tell she was going to get more comments about being nicer to Tom.

Somehow, she was always in the wrong.

“I’ll talk to them both. Go relax, you deserve it,” Again, she could hear his expression. The same old tired attempt at a reassuring smile.

She hated how their conversation made her head swim. Why did they insist on talking right outside the door where they’d endlessly distract her?

“Thank you, I appreciate it. Don’t worry about the enchantment, she shouldn’t be onto anything dangerous yet, so I’ll try and talk to her again in the morning,” Martha started. She almost certainly said more, but Sonja was finally tired of attempting to concentrate through the noise.

She slammed her book shut.

Normally she would just storm off to her bedroom where she had different research and there would be less distractions. However, right now that would mean storming past Martha and Mot. She wouldn’t want to interrupt their oh so important conversation.

So instead, she just stormed out onto her balcony.

It was cold. The sting of winter had been gaining quite a bite recently. The gown she was wearing offered little protection. She already had goosebumps forming. She should go back inside to grab her cloak. However, her stubbornness wouldn’t allow her to do so.

She really should start enchanting her clothes. She knew from her studies that it was more than possible and there were various techniques to do so. It just depended on how far she wanted to go with it.

There were wizards, warlocks, and witches that created their own clothes that apparently allowed for the best flow of magic. From the patterns to the fabrics to the sewing technique, each was important to the end enchantment. It interested Sonja, but she wasn’t sure she was yet interested in going so far as to give up her finery for a little more efficiency.

It would be a good large project, she supposed, to figure out how to create a garment with more magical flow that was right for her station, but starting with something smaller would suffice for the winter months.

After all, it was far more common for those magically inclined to merely enchant pre-existing clothing. Common for how uncommon magic was, of course. They would embroider or paint enchantments onto their everyday clothes for all manner of protections. Surely, she would be able to use such a method to not have to bother with outerwear for the rest of the season if she so wished.

Of course, she didn’t actually have any experience in working with fabrics, so there was the very real possibility of her just ruining her clothes. But if that happened, she could just get Wag to either undo the damage or create a copy of the original piece. With creation magic, non-magical objects weren’t exactly in limited supply.

Martha, she was sure, would recommend hiring a seamstress or some other artisan with experience with fabrics to teach her techniques. An idea that Sonja would, as always, find laughable. What would a non-magical craftsperson really be able to teach her that she couldn’t learn herself through trial and error? At the very least though, it was good to know what the next thing that Martha would be annoyed about was.

Still, her thoughts were quickly consumed by thinking of what enchantments she wanted to have on her clothes. Another all-consuming project to block out the rest of her current projects, as well as any duties and responsibilities she held.

Until once again she found her thoughts rudely interrupted by a noise outside of her own control. At the very least this time it wasn’t an ongoing conversation that she couldn’t escape. Rather it was the door to her study slowly creaking open.

Here was Mot then, keeping an eye on her because Martha had decided her job was too exhausting.

“Mistress?” The exhausted voice of the man came from the entrance to her study. His entrance was as good a signal as any that she could return to her study and continue with her project. Mot, after all, was typically content to sit quietly and occupy himself while she worked so long as she didn’t do anything that looked particularly dangerous.

However, that project had already flittered out of her mind, and she didn’t care to keep working on it right now. Eventually sure, but the clothing project was now at the forefront of her mind, and she wanted to keep focus there.

So, she remained on the balcony, returning to her thoughts, caring little if Mot came out or not. Of course, he did though. He alerted her of his present by draping a fur cloak over her shoulders.

“You’ll catch a cold out here if you aren’t careful,” He said, attempting a laugh as if that would make him sound less concerned. It didn’t work.

Sonja found herself frowning. She wasn’t a child that needed reminding that her actions had consequences. Why couldn’t she be taken seriously and treated like an adult? She had the responsibilities of one.

“If you and Martha are going to have conversations when you swap over, you should have them further away from the door,” So, she ignored his concerns and went straight onto her own. She spoke shortly.

Even with her tone, her words still sent a pang of guilt through the man. He should’ve known that she could hear them. No wonder she was sitting outside.

“Martha was just—”

“I know she was,” Sonja cut him off sharply. Martha was always just concerned.

The woman’s complaints were basically just background noise at this point. After all, for as many as she made, she was still here in the castle. She was still happily enjoying all of the resources Sonja provided for her own magical studies.

If Sonja was truly as frustrating as the woman liked to make out, then surely, she would’ve already left by now. Of course she hadn’t though. She just wanted to vent about anything to someone who would actually listen.

Still, Mot’s attempt at an explanation had her wrinkling her nose. “You just disturbed my concentration.”

Mot bit back a sigh. More and more he found himself lost as to whether Sonja was truly as dismissive as she seemed or if she was just pretending to be to save her own feelings. Reality dictated that it was some grey area between the two, but it was quite hard to tell exactly what the blend was.

Perhaps he was letting the memories of her younger self cloud and soften his thoughts towards her current behaviour. Or maybe he was allowing exhaustion to exaggerate typical teenage behaviour. He wished that either one sounded like a reasonable explanation.

“We’ll talk outside the wing next time,” Still he reassured. He knew the others called it placating, but what other action was he supposed to take?

Sonja was the sole authority of the castle, and she knew as much. He held no noble title nor any power over her. If he caught the wrong side of her, he’d be out of a job and on the streets at best. Seeing that he still had Alyssa and Tom to worry about, he couldn’t afford such a situation.

Besides, even if he tried to guide her or give her advice, it was not as if the Princess listened to him these days. She’d just look at him like he was interrupting her. It was just easier and less exhausting to tell her what she wanted to hear. Even if it felt like the coward’s option.

The coward’s option saved his sanity.

However, he could not save it completely today. After all, he had told Martha he’d talk to her.

“About your conversation with Tom this morning,” He started as gently as he possibly could.

“What about it?” Sonja said flatly. She knew full well what Mot was trying to do, and she had no patience for it. She hadn’t done anything wrong.

Tom was always acting like a bother. All she ever asked him to do was either cook or leave her alone. Two incredibly simple tasks if you asked her. It wasn’t as if she expected him to cook for a gala full of guests, just for her. Yet he always fought tooth and nail to avoid cooking when asked and annoy her on the days when he wasn’t expected to do anything.

Mot could already feel the headache forming behind his eyes.

“Do you not think you were a tad harsh?” He knew he was not going to convince her that she was wrong in her demands. The same as he would not convince Tom that he was wrong for standing his ground. But maybe he could get her to admit she had been overly aggressive in her particular choice of words.

The wrinkle of her nose and her tightening grip on the balcony railing made that hope harsher to grasp.

“No. He was being unreasonable,” She said sternly, though she avoided looking at Mot as she spoke. She hated seeing his tired eyes. They made her want to agree with him even though she knew she was completely in the right. “All he ever does is mess around and interrupt my studies. What’s wrong with motivating him to actually be helpful for once?”

Mot was silence, no sighing or instant lecturing as Sonja had expected. The longer it stretched on, the more Sonja felt her resolve weakening. Still, she remained looking out from the balcony, off, out of the grounds to the endless woods beyond.

She would not turn around and allow him to win. If he was disappointed in her, he should say so she could correct him.

She was the ruler of these lands and their people. She needed to act as such a figure should. She had to be assertive. She would not be punished for finally acting as a ruler and dictating her needs.

Of course, Mot was not waiting for her to turn around. Nor was he planning on punishing her, even if he perhaps should. His mind was quite rapidly sorting through thoughts in an attempt to figure out anything that might salvage the friendship Tom and Sonja had before it shattered completely. He prayed that there was something to salvage.

“He did tell you a number of weeks ago that—” Mot stopped as Sonja tensed.

Fine, if she didn’t want to hear the truth, then he’d present something more drastic.

“Maybe I should arrange for Tom to spend a week in the town,” He said, using a regretful tone despite not feeling so. Perhaps if he made it sound like a punishment…

At the very least, the statement was finally enough to make Sonja turn around. Her eyebrows furrowed, and lips pressed together into a firm frown.

“So he completely neglects his duties and you want to give him exactly what he wants?!” She couldn’t believe what he was suggesting. Why should Tom get rewarded for being the worst?!

In quite a rarity, she did not find a sympathetic look on Mot’s face. Rather her own sternness was reflected back on his features.

“You said yourself that he keeps interrupting your research. It’ll give you some well needed time free of him. And he’ll have to fend for himself for a week, I doubt it’ll be a holiday for him,” Mot said as if he genuinely thought this would be a punishment for Tom.

Was it the best idea he’d ever had? No. Frankly he was not the biggest fan of the idea of leaving Tom to mostly his own devices for a week, but he could quite easily ask Jeriah to keep an eye on him. Even if the man would grumble to his face about it, he’d still do it if Mot asked him.

All he knew was some real time apart for the two would be good for them.

Sonja wanted to argue against the idea. She needed Tom here. If he was gone then she’d—

She’d…

She’d be fine, she decided quite firmly. Even if she still had some traitorous thoughts trying to object.

Tom was nothing but a nuisance. An annoyance that constantly and purposefully interrupted her studies and would never do anything helpful unless forced.

Any hesitancy she held towards the idea of him being gone were just illogical thoughts she needed to ignore. Silly childish thoughts she should press down and ignore. So, she looked to Mot as if there were no doubts in her mind.

“Sounds great. Arrange it for some time next month.”

Time away from the headache-inducing boy would be great for her. She’d get so much done.

And maybe an extended trip away from the castle and its magical conveniences she had created would make Tom realise just how good he had it.

He’d come crawling back… She knew he would, as she crushed the doubtful thoughts still lingering down with force.

🌹 🌹 🌹

The day, due to a combination of the clutches of winter and the amount of fun he had been having, went far too quickly for Tom’s liking. It felt as though the fun had barely started, but already the night was black as pitch. Not even the stars or the moon appeared to give respite to the darkness as the entire sky was covered in thick clouds that made the champion grimace at the idea of his long journey home.

“Why do you need to leave tonight? What difference will it make if you wait until morning?” Tucker asked what was really more a temptation than a question as Tom got his horse ready for the ride back. Given the events of the day, it was far more a tempting offer than it usually would be and leaving was never particularly easy.

The absolute last thing he wanted to do on this dark, cold night where he was quite certain it was going to storm was ride through the woods. He wanted to stay and keep having fun with his friends as everything here was far warmer than what awaited him at the castle. What waited back there was a mess caused by a Princess who cared more for magic than she did people.

Yes, he didn’t have any particular desire to go home. Unfortunately, though, he had made a stupid agreement that morning, so he was not going to risk being late.

“The difference is a full week extra of gardening chores,” He muttered. Why had he made that deal with Steve? He could’ve just left without saying anything and the man still would’ve covered for him. Instead, he’d agreed to let the man drag him outside every morning for at least the next week, the next two if he didn’t hurry.

At the very least, his misfortune entertained Tucker, who started laughing in a way that made it very clear that he was not at all sympathetic to his plight. To be fair, had their situations been reversed, Tom certainly would’ve laughed at him, but that didn’t make him pout any less being on the receiving end.

“Gods, you always used to show off about being ‘basically a prince’ but you’re stuck gardening in the winter,” Tucker’s words were choked with laughter, only egged on by Tom’s eyes rolling. He could remember so clearly the way Tom used to brag about the castle when they were kids, doing everything he could to make him jealous. How the tables had turned. “We’ll just be relaxing here, worshipped by the people.”

“Keep going. I’ve got rope. I can tie you up and bring you with me,” Tom said with a tone that Tucker only knew was a joke due to how long they had been friends. Hence, he just continued laughing.

Though the threat was a joke. Tom had often considered just bringing his friends back to the castle. They could probably be there for a good few hours before anyone noticed. But it was almost certainly not worth the amount of trouble he’d land himself in. Yet, today particularly, the idea did tempt him just as the idea of not returning did. The way that all bad ideas tempted teenagers.

“You don’t have to do the gardening if you never go back,” Jordan, who was usually not the one trying to tempt Tom into staying, spoke up. His words were a siren’s call as he gave a smile that tugged his resolve taut.

Lady Ianite’s champion moved closer to him, placing a hand atop of the one of Tom’s that was currently holding his horse’s reins loosely. Whether he knew the effect of his touch on Tom was up in the air, though Tom assumed he did not. Still, it worked to the boy’s advantage as his friend hung onto his every word. “I mean, every time you come here, you complain about that place and the way the Princess treats you. Why not stay here where everyone loves you?”

Tom would be a damn liar if he said he wasn’t tempted to listen to him. Staying in the town where his title was given the respect it deserved, and he could have all the freedom he desired sounded like a dream. If he was a less loyal kid, he might have actually stayed until Mot realised he was gone and got Jeriah to frogmarch him back to the castle.

But loyal Tom was. He wasn’t going to leave Steve with the trouble that was rightfully owed to him.

“But if everyone loves me all the time, it won’t be so sweet anymore. And if I was here all the time, they wouldn’t adore me nearly as much,” He laughed despite how Jordan’s easy smile flittering to a frown hurt his heart.

One day he’d be able to stay longer, he reassured himself. Today just wasn’t the right time. But he was getting older. Soon enough he’d be able to persuade Mot that he was reliable enough to stay the night here, he was sure. “Seriously, though, I’m gonna miss you both so much! I’ll be back as soon as I can, hopefully for more than a day next time.”

“If a month passes and you haven’t shown your face, I’ll storm the castle myself!” Tucker laughed as Tom pulled himself onto his horse.

That should’ve been the end of the temptations for Tom. As he began to ride out of town, he should’ve just been left to his own thoughts. However, rather than his own head filling with reasons that he should just stay in the town, he once again received them from an outside source.

“You know, my boy, there really wouldn’t be any harm done by staying for the night,” Tom nearly fell off his horse as Lord Dianite’s voice came unexpectedly into his head. Deep laughter echoed through his head as he just about managed to regain balance.

“My Lord!” He said with a relieved laugh.

It wasn’t the first time Tom had spoken to his god. If it had been, he certainly would’ve actually fallen. They honestly spoke quite often to the point of a relatively casual rapport.

That was apparently a rarity as neither Tucker nor Jordan had ever heard from their gods, let alone so often that conversation was casual. Nor would they ever have the guts to deny anything their god said as he was about to. “Well, I’d call being forced to do gardening chores for an extra week harm done. Maybe not on a godly scale, but I’d still prefer to avoid it.”

“Come on, let me be the devil on your shoulder. You deserve some fun, to cause some chaos. If you’re worried about getting in trouble, I’ll have a talk with Mot,” True to his aim and general nature, everything Dianite said pulled Tom into wanting to agree. If a god told them that he didn’t need to do gardening chores, then he wouldn’t have to do them. So why not stay when he’d been handed an excuse on a silver platter?

However, while Tom laughed and was tempted, he ultimately made the choice that unknowingly cemented his own fate.

“Thanks for the offer, my Lord, but I think I want to get home tonight.”

“Very well, my champion,” Lord Dianite’s voice betrayed none of what was soon to come.

Tom never found out if he knew, but the question of if his offer had just been a coincidence did linger in the many long years to come.

🌹 🌹 🌹

By the time he was dashing back into the castle via a servant’s entrance, Tom was soaked through. As he had guessed, a storm had begun to rage, and his ride back had been a bitterly cold one that he was deeply regretting as he stumbled into the kitchen.

“I’m back!” He called, sounding triumphant. He might be half frozen, and as delirious as that state implied, but he had gotten back while Steve was still cooking. So, he wasn’t going to have to do that second week of gardening work. He was absolutely winning!

Steve only looked up from the meat simmering on the stove for a brief moment. He knew immediately that the boy was in no state to take over. He just smiled and shook his head with a bemused sigh.

“Go get yourself dry,” He said, only barely managing to sound gruff. Though he had a couple of excuses lined up to chase the kid away if he tried to take over in his current state, Tom didn’t need to be told twice. He all but sprinted out of the kitchen and towards his room.

Dashing through the castle was second nature to him as growing up here had allowed him to memorize every passage – regular and secret – that the building held. He was pretty sure that he knew the place better than Sonja. That was to say that Tom made it to his room in under two minutes despite the vastness of the castle.

He had never been more appreciative of the magical enchantments the place held as when the fireplace roared into life the moment he entered. For as much as he begrudged Sonja right now, he could appreciate the enchantments around the castle. Nothing like spending a day in the town in all its mundane glory then riding home through a storm to remind him what a magical wonderland he lived in.

As he got himself dry and warm, the storm raging outside battered against his window. It was a noise that made him appreciate all the more that he was inside and out the weather. It was the noise he would use to explain, to rationalise, as to why he did not hear the banging on the door that night.

In reality, there was but a single soul who could hear the noise. This test was, despite who its consequences would affect, one only for the Princess. So, though she had no way of knowing, Sonja was the only one who could hear the banging on the doors that night. Though she did not realise anything was amiss. As such she ignored it for as long as possible.

Each one seemed somehow louder than the last, to the point that she was almost scrunching the pages of the book she was reading as she continued to try and ignore them. Why did no one in this place do their job?

She was a princess. She absolutely should not have to answer her own door. However, as the noise reached unbearable levels, she slammed her book closed. Apparently, she had to do everything.

With frustration already overwhelming her she began her way to the grand entrance with more a storm in her step than the one raging outside. Needless to say, she was not in a particularly charitable mood when she swung the door open with mounting rage and saw the soaked old crone before her. The old woman, holding nought but a rose, looked up from under her purple hood.

“Please, Miss. Some shelter from the storm.”

It was about then, when she had opened the door, that Tom left his room. Now warm and dry, his journey back towards the kitchen was not the rush that the journey out of it had been.

He walked casually through the hall, carrying a candelabra to light his way. With the distance away from the entrance hall that his room was, and his general meandering pace, it was no wonder that by the time the room was in earshot, their fates had already been sealed.

“Please! I’m sorry! I didn’t know! I—” He heard Sonja yelling. Begging. Sounding more terrified than he had ever heard her.

He took off at a sprint.

He could not fathom what was going on. All he knew was that Sonja was in danger and he needed to help her.

Their arguments seemed so petty and pointless as he was forced to hear such raw fear.

“That, my Princess, is precisely the point,” A cold woman’s voice replied to her cries.

Tom did not recognise the voice, but just hearing it shot a nerve through him. He could sense that whoever this was, she was more powerful by far than any of them. But like hell did that matter.

He was the champion of Lord Dianite. He would defeat any enemy no matter how powerful in order to power his friends. “There is no love in your heart.”

He rounded the corner onto the upstairs landing in an uncontrolled skid. He automatically reached for the banister to steady himself, only for shock to supersede his self-preservation.

Lady Ianite stood in the doorway before Sonja who was shaking on her knees. The goddess wore an expression that even years later Tom would have difficulty fully describing despite how it was burnt into his mind.

He only saw it for a second. It would be so easy to just say it was a terrible coldness. The wrath that only a scorned deity could hold. But he swore, he just swore, he saw a certain grief for what she was about to do.

But he only saw her for a second. Then he began to fall down the stairs.

Lady Ianite touched a finger to the Princess’ forehead and a dazzling purple light filled and surrounded the entire castle. Covering all the way to the edge of its grounds.

It could be seen from miles around, to the very edges of the kingdom.

The crew of a ship just off the coast swore that, for a few moments, there was a purple glow to the horizon.

Those in the town saw it unbelievably clearly. A pair of champions and an old soldier panicked for the only place it could possibly be coming from and rushed to get horses, forgetting who they were worried about in the first place before they could reach their steeds.

The rest in the castle panicked. None but Tom and the Princess had any context for what was going on as they were suddenly blinded and lost all feeling in their bodies.

Tom only knew he was still falling from the clattering of the candelabra so close to his ear. What he knew should’ve been a painful fall lacked any hurt at all. Yet he was already in such a nightmare that he could not even be scared about that fact.

The light finally faded, though the sight he was left with did nought to comfort the boy.

Everything was impossibly large. Either he had hit his head badly or he’d been shrunk. The way his body felt alien and stiff did nothing to tell him which was more likely.

Yet, somehow, whatever had happened to him was not his biggest concern.

Where Sonja had been before the goddess, there now knelt a Beast.

Tom could describe it in no other way. It was terrifyingly large. As much a bear as a fox as a cat as a wolf as a devil. No singular animal. Nothing akin to anything he had ever seen before. Just a Beast.

And it wore Sonja’s sparkling dress.

The Beast spoke no more apologies, shell shocked and terrified. Her cries half-transformed against her will into growls as her mouth and throat were no longer hers.

The goddess looked down at her, twirling a now glowing rose gently between two fingers.

“This rose will act as a timer for this curse on yourself, your home, and those that dwell within. By the time the last petal falls, you must learn to love another and earn their love in return. Only then will the spell break.”

The goddess paused, placing the flower on the ground before the Beast.

“If you don’t, then you shall remain a Beast for the rest of time.”

With those final horrifying words, the goddess turned away. She stepped back out into the storm and disappeared as if dissolved by the rain.

🌹 🌹 🌹

Sonja finally fell silent. The story was finally told. At least as much as she could tell without losing any chance of the curse breaking.

She had told every terrible thing she had done. All she had kept hidden was her own humanity and the knowledge of the curse being able to be broken. Perhaps it was wrong of her when Capsize had laid everything bare for her, but that part of the truth would do nothing but place a burden on her shoulders that already weighed down everyone else in the castle and put the others’ possibility of restoration at risk.

Could real love even form if you know the other will be doomed if you don’t love them enough?

For as much as Sonja still doubted her own deserving, her own ability to love, and even the slightest possibility of Capsize loving one as selfish and terrible as her; she still could not risk her knowing that bit of truth.

It was not of importance anyway. The point of the story was the terrible act she had done, how selfish and unsympathetic she had been. How needlessly cruel she had been to a stranger that just needed help. What a terrible fate she had inflicted on all those around her.

The point was that Capsize’s goddess had seen her as such a heartless person that the curse had been necessary to teach her.

The silence stretched, horrible and sickening. The crackling of the bonfire was no longer a warm comfort as she awaited Capsize’s reaction. As she waited for the woman who had become such a light in her life to look up at her with scorn that she rightfully deserved.

Finally, the moment came. Capsize looked at her with reddened eyes. Sonja braced herself for what was to come.

Capsize spoke with a soft, shaking voice.

“I’m so sorry.”

#mianite #mianite fanfiction #cat's fanfiction #sonja firefoxx #sonja firefoxx/captain capsize #captain capsize #mianite batb au #foxxsize #tom syndicate #martha the mystic #farmer steve #tucker iijeriichoii #jordan captainsparklez #mot screziato #lord dianite #lady ianite #the chapter that has inspired such a what if scenario in my head #also this one has a long ass author's note on ao3 if you wanna hear me ramble for a little bit about my concept and thoughts for the chapte

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