Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Keith tugged at the sleeve of the dress. Despite the Queen’s excitement over the red ballgown being ‘just perfect’, to him it was like all the other dresses she forced him to wear. Made from expensive fabric, expertly designed and extremely over the top. In the mirror, his reflection stared back at him uncomfortably. He picked at the skirt fabric. Why did he let her do this to him?

“Oh sweetheart! You look breathtaking,” The woman chirped coming up behind him, taking the hairbrush away from one of the maids. With a gentle but firm hand she sat him down at the vanity, and began to work her fingers through his hair. Keith sat with his back straight, listening to her fret over him. She styled his hair as though he was a doll and not a person. Intertwining the strands quickly while discussing which jewelry would complement him the best with the maids. Never taking a breath to ask his opinion.

Not that Keith would fight for one anymore. It was a waste of energy, and one that would continue to fall on deaf ears if he tried. The routine they ran had long grown old, but neither party was ever going to stop. If Keith stopped running, he’d fall prey to living as the Queen’s fake daughter for the rest of his life and if the Queen stopped…Well, Keith didn’t really know. Perhaps she’d finally succumb to her grief and destroy herself.

“There! What do you think?” With a proud look, the dark-haired woman stepped back to examine her work. From the side, the Queen’s personal maids chittered in approval. Keith turned his head to catch sight of his hair in the mirror. She had worked a red ribbon into a braided waterfall style and tied a bow at the middle of it. It was nice. Keith was sure any other girl in the court would be thrilled by the skillful attention the Queen was bestowing on him. But he just felt awkward. He’d rather be outside the castle walls. Going on adventurous missions, slaying monsters and poking fun at Pike if he happened to run into him. He wasn’t supposed to be here playing princess.

“It looks beautiful…Mother.”

“That’s what I thought,” the tall woman spoke smiling. “Red really compliments your complexion dear, don’t you agree?”

“Yes Mother.”

“Oh, I’m so excited for tonight! You’re first betrothal ball, are you excited? I remember my first betrothal ball. I was so nervous that I’d make a fool of myself,” She laughed “Of course I was just being silly and two balls later I met your father-May he rest in peace.” Behind her the line of maids reverently crossed themselves and lowered their heads with respect.

The Queen crouched down next to his ear as though whispering a secret “It was a good thing I meet him when I did though, three more balls and I would have been married off to a troll!” Keith finds himself smiling slightly at her last remark. Seeing her success, the Queen squeezed his shoulders with a reassuring smile. Keith almost wished she hadn’t.

The Queen had been a faithful guardian to him for the past nine years. When he was first adopted, she had been a fun-loving woman. One who enjoyed sneaking pastries from the kitchen and giggling over stories told late at night. She had been sane then. Could easily identify him as the boy from the orphanage named Keith. Had listened patiently as he opened up to her, told her about the fire that stole his father from him. But now…

Perhaps it had been the grief of her own daughter dying so soon after her husband or the effects of an unknown illness but slowly she began to drift away from reality until things began to twist themselves up. She forgot her own daughter’s death and proclaimed Keith to be her only child. She forgot he was adopted. Forgot he was a HE. She lost her grip on reality is so many ways they had come to a point that nothing could maker her see reason. It didn’t matter if Keith pulled his pants down to his ankles, she’d still be convinced he was her daughter. And after a while, if felt like she forgot to see him as human. He was a plaything to dress up and play pretend with.

That’s why days like this were the worst. When she was nearly herself again. Making jokes and complimenting him. It was almost like she was back. To have her right there, and yet not. It was heartbreaking. The worst part was suffering though it alone. Because even through her madness, she completed her duties as Queen flawlessly. She had trained to do so since birth, which seemed to be the only reason why no one else in court noticed anything amiss with the queen over the past six years. Perhaps it was all just muscle memory for her.

He'd like to believe that. Be happy for the people who didn’t have to suffer the loss of their ruler. Believe it was just how the tragic cards were delt. And he would, except for a little nasty voice that kept him up at night to remind him it was almost as if everything wrong with the Queen was only tied to Keith.

“Come now Katherine, let us go meet the guests. I’m sure they’re very eager to meet you!” Blinking himself back to reality Keith took her hand and let himself be dragged along downstairs towards the main hall. The one blessing he had in the hell of “Princess Katherine’s life” was the fact very few people even knew about the death of the original princess. She had died well before her debutante and had kept primarily private during her years. It was also due to the timing. Her Majesty had adopted him only a few months after the Princess’s death. Keith always suspected that their similar characteristics-Pale skin and dark hair- had led to his easy assimilation into the castle. Most of the public who had never seen the original princesses just assumed he was the natural heir. It was an assumption that spread quickly, so none of the guests would know his secret.

Nervously, he tugged the collar of the dress higher to hide his Adam’s apple. A bodice he could stuff but he’d still have to cross his fingers that no one would be suspicious of his less than feminine frame. Keith stood behind the curtain as he listened to the Queen welcoming the attendee’s and go through the royal monologue of the union. Finally, she began wrap up on the history of the betrothal ball.

“I’d like to introduce to you all my wonderful daughter, Princess Kathrine Romelle the Third.” That was his que. Picking up his skirt layers Keith took a step out to join his guardian. She smiled and wrapped him in tight hug. Keith swallowed a lump in his throat, it was times like this that made him feel some part of her original self who knew him was shining through.  The hug was over too soon and the tall woman turned to her audience with glee.

“Let the festivities begin!”

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The men intended to be his suitors were obviously caught off guard to find their princess to be a head taller than most of them and far more muscular. It clearly left many of them uneasy. Keith could only feel pity for them knowing their fantasies of a finding a sweet timid girl in him were dashed  and tried his best not to laugh as they struggled to adjust their form in the dances so they two would be in sync.

They had only practiced with light girls- he could tell- and they had no idea how to handle someone of his size. The poor boy from Olkari almost collapsed when he tried to complete the lift with Keith in his arms. After that, Keith quickly excused himself from the party to freshen up. He caught the Queen sending him a look of concern as he left the room. He smiled at her, letting her know he was alright. She nodded and turned her attention back to the party.

Just as he had planned. Perfect.

Keith wasted no time sneaking back upstairs to his room. Grabbing his pack from under his bed Keith uncurled the rope inside and knotted it securely to the bedpost. He’d change later when he wasn’t so pressed for time. Escaping out the window wasn’t the easiest way out, but it was the best way to stall the search party. If he walked out the front door, the guards would be on him in seconds. If only to stalk him walking around the gardens. No, this way was better. If he timed everything right-and he had- he’d be gone before the clock struck midnight.

As he had predicted, there were more guards on duty patrolling the grounds. But it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. A rock thrown in the opposite direction got him through the open courtyard usually filled with laundry. Then he stuck to the walls of the castle, darting quickly in the shadows until he got to the servant’s gate. Just one more obstacle to go. He stepped through, ready to face the moat.

 His shoulders slumped; he should have known it wouldn’t be so easy. Before him in the dark sat the moat. Muddy, wet, and deep. Apparently since his last escape the Queen had removed the fallen tree log he planned to use as a bridge. Keith knew the worn path to his right likely lead to another bridge the servants used to cross, but he couldn’t take the change of being spotted. Given the festivities, it was likely it’d be lit up with a guard stationed.

He growled and began digging out a knife from his bag. He had hopped to sell the stupid dress off for a good price but it seemed like he would have to abandon it here. He began to cut the fabric away, digging around his waist and then cutting the bodice straight down. He stripped the last piece off and stepped out of the dress. With a single fling he tossed his pack across the ditch. He took a deep breath then slid down the muddy ditch into the moat.

He watched as his white undergarments stained themselves brown and billowed out in the water. It was freezing. He pushed the floating fabric down and fought against the mud to get to the other side. Each step nearly had him slipping. When he reached the other side, he dug his hands into the cold dirt to drag himself up. It was nearly impossible with the weight dragging him down but he managed it.

He grabbed his pack as soon as he got to the top, not taking a second to catch his breath and made off into the wood. The question was never ‘would he return?’ or ‘ would he get caught?’ because he always got caught and he always returned. Usually in the backseat of the prison wagon surrounded by guards. No, the question was how long did he have at freedom before he was caught again?

Chapter Text

Getting a corset off was a pain when you didn’t have help, and it sucked even worse when the gears were chalk full of mud. Common girls had corsets that tied in the front. But not royalty. Oh no, they had to have stupid-tied from the back  corsets that could only be undone with the help of another person! Keith snarled, yanking out his knife and began to saw the fabric opened. He ended up throwing the monstrous thing in a tree the second it came off. Probably not the best option, but it was too late now.  It was its own fault for being so uncooperative and uncomfortable. Besides, it looked good up there.

Still, it didn’t change the fact he was covered with mud. He needed a bath and the closet stream was at least two miles away. Keith cursed at the Queen in frustration. Why did she have to have his bridge removed? Now he was forced to walk two miles to get clean in woman’s underwear. If anyone saw him, his reputation as a ranger would be destroyed. And if Pike caught wind of this…

Keith glared at the ground as he walked, imagining all the things the thief would do if he found out. He’d have a field day for sure.  ‘What’s got your knickers in a twist milady? Did someone insult your honor?’ Then he’d laugh his butt off telling bartender and barmaid of ‘The Lone Ranger who wears Ladies underwear!” Then they would tell their customers and Keith would never get hired for a job again and he’d be laughed out of every town and forced to return to the castle for the rest of his life and-and Pike was never to find out about this. If someone saw him, He’d just have to kill them and hide the evidence. Plus, it was nighttime. Who was actually going to be travelling this late?

.

.

.

It seemed Lady Luck must have had some sense of pit on him or maybe karma decided to give him a free pass because he got to the lake without getting caught. It was only after setting the mud-soaked fabric on fire to hide all evidence that they ever existed Keith allowed himself to relax in the water. It was freezing, but with the fire nearby it almost reminded him of his time in the mountains. He had lived near the top for a week working to reclaim a poor blacksmith’s prize sword stolen by a yeti. Looks like it had left some effects on him. The fire was dying. Keith threw in a couple extra sticks to nurture it as he got dressed.

The simple traveling clothes were first, followed by his iron shoulder armor and forearm straps. Finally after securing his pouches and dagger, Keith pulled out his white fur cloak and draped it around his shoulders. It was newest prize. He smiled as he began stomping out the fire. No more dresses, no more dances, no more pinching shoes.

 At least for now.

Keith grabbed his empty pack and slung it over his back. He had already spent too much time here. The Queen had likely already noticed his absence which meant trackers would be on him. Too bad they wouldn’t find him. Keith threw his head back and let a loud howl echo through the woods. He grinned watching as nearby birds flew away from their trees.

He looked down in front of him where sparks were beginning to form together. A large wolf-dog burst into existence wagging his tail excitedly.

“Hey Boy! Miss me?” Kosmo barked loudly, jumping up to drag his tongue across the Ranger’s face.

“Me too buddy,” Keith laughed. “Let’s get out of here, K?” Gripping onto the wolf’s fur Keith felt the familiar falling sensation break through his stomach as Kosmo teleported them far away from the lake. ‘Try to catch me now.’ He thought triumphantly.

Hopefully this time he’d get more than a couple weeks of freedom. His longest run was four months, and he planned on beating that time.

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Kosmo took him to a secluded tavern. The entire place felt strange but Keith shrugged it off. If Kosmo thought it was alright then it probably was. He walked in, surprised to find it hosting a small crowd. He figured it would be empty given its location.

 There were a couple large men drinking near the front and a traveling group conversating in the corner booth. Keith approached the counter and dropped a couple coins onto the wood.

 “I’d like to buy a room for the night.”

The bartender eyed the money as he scrubbed a glass. “We don’t sell rooms here. If you want to rest in the stables, I’ll let you stay for free so long as you buy a drink.”

“Deal.”

Scooping up the coins, the bartender disappeared into the back only to return with a large glass of rum. “I’ll keep the rest as compensation for keeping my mouth shut. Someone like you is avoiding attention am I right?” He slid a wanted poster across the counter. Already knowing his face was on it, Keith grabbed it and stuffed it into one of his side pockets quickly. 

“Only need to lay low for a few days.” Keith grumbled chugging the glass. The bartender murmured in response before continuing with their work knowing the conversation was over. Keith drank the alcohol as his eyes scanned the tavern. Suddenly a hand slammed on the counter next to him. Jumping at the noise, he turned to glare at the offender. Shock took him when met the glaring face of Pike.

“ Thunderstorm Darkness.” He spat out leaning over Keith’s figure as he attempted to be intimidating. Keith smiled wickedly as he stood up allowing their one inch of height difference to become obvious to the cat-boy. He had a growth spurt since they had last met and even though Pike was still taller, he found himself pleased with the reaction he got.

“You-you!” Pike sputtered taking in his appearance before he composed himself “A loser like you shouldn’t have any business in a place like this.”

“Yeah probably. A secluded tavern like this doesn’t hold much job value.”

“HA! That’s what you think! We defeated an orc and a King Dragon with info from this tavern!” Keith could barley stop his eyes from popping. A King Dragon was a tough target. Near impossible to defeat one even with a group and -wait…

“Who’s we?”

“My crew.” Pike announced, proudly gesturing to the group standing awkwardly being him. They were a strange crowd, with every member being a different class or race. Keith identified a dwarf, a monk, and an archer. The paladin of the group farther off with a cloak hiding his face. Private fellow.

“Hello.” The archer waved innocently. She had a posh accent Keith noted. He sent her a nod in greeting before turning his attention back to Pike.

“Impressive group. How’d you convince them to join you?”

Pike faltered for a moment, too short for anyone to notice if you weren’t Keith, before he was back to his confident self. “I saw they had an honorable quest and offered my services to them.”

 Keith decided to do Pike a favor and ignore the dwarf’s scoff.

“Together we rid this place of the monstrous Dragon King!” Pike leaned in, breath hot on Keith’s face, canines peeking over his lip. “ Tell us Thunder, what kind of quests have you been up to since I last saw you?”

The question was meant to trip him up. Pike must have heard of his ‘arrest’ a couple months ago and assumed that he hadn’t been up to anything. Well, he’d be sorrowfully disappointed. Keith had been up to plenty since the two had parted ways. Even with getting caught.

“Not much. I banished a witch from Arus, tamed a wild boar, defeated a yeti, fought a ghost and closed a vanishing portal.” Keith leaned back drinking in Pike’s furious expression. He’d have to get Kosmo a treat later for bringing him straight here. “But you know, that’s nothing compared to defeating a King Dragon. Good Job.” The Cat-boy glared at him, his eyes cutting to slits.

 Just as they always did when he was angry.

“This isn’t over” he snarled before turning and stomping away. His group followed after him sending Keith confused glances over their shoulders but he simply waved them on. When all of them had their backs turned, He tilted his head slightly as they exited the tavern. He wanted to see if-Yes! Pike’s tail was puffed up. He grinned and finished off the drink. Point for him them.

He began to head toward the stables once he was sure Pike’s team had had enough time to completely leave the area.  Pike was always slightly predictable when it came to their interactions. Trying his best to prove himself as the winner. To be honest Keith kind of loved the way they were able to push each other to reach new limits without even being around each other. ‘Rivals’ they called themselves.

Truth be told, Pike and him went far back. He had actually been the first-person Keith had met outside the castle walls when he first escaped. The had been friends for a while until Keith started beating Pike at the adventuring gig. Then the thief’s determination to be the best lead to the two of them becoming competitors for first place. It was kind of fun.

Sometimes however, Keith missed the bright boy he met as a young teenager who grabbed his hand and dragged him around the capital to show him everything there was to see. And honestly? He’d really like to spend more time with Pike than five minutes every couple of months.

Kosmo was waiting for him, already curled up on a clean pile of hay. Burying his head in the blue wolf’s fur Keith unlipped his cloak and wrapped it around his body like a blanket. The barn was perfectly warm, lulling him into a slow sleep. At times the door opened as people claimed their horses but Keith didn’t pay them much mind. His focus was drifting away until all was lost to him and he became captured in a dream.

Chapter Text

Kosmo had chosen a good area for hunting. The tavern might have been secluded but the surrounding forest was a hotspot. Most travelers didn’t know how to navigate toxic forests like this one, unlike Keith who had picked up a trick or two in the last year on how to manage them. It was fairly fun hopping over toadstools to avoid the murky depth the swamp offered.

He needed to find a job soon or else Pike might get a lead on him. Not to mention the coins he brought from the castle weren’t going to last long. A twitch of moment catches Keith’s eye. He swerves to throw his dagger towards the creature. With a little more than a shriek the creature went down. Kosmo let out a bark, trotting over to collet the body. Turned out to be a wild rabbit. It’d make a good dinner but the skin wouldn’t make more than a small pair of mittens.

It was in good condition though, So Keith counted it as a success. He still didn’t know where to start looking for a job. The tavern was dead of any business thanks to Pike’s team claiming the biggest job earlier. Maybe he should travel over to Taujeer. That place always seemed to be in a state of repairs. Not much adventure but it’d have to do for now.

He’d leave after once he caught a bigger prize.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Kosmo may have the ability to teleport but his range was limited. They ended up at the closet town from the tavern with a long trek through the wastelands in order to get to Taujeer. Not that Keith minded. It was much more fun traveling the unknown than appearing at your destination. At least that was his perspective. Either way, it was away from the castle, with rocks squeezed close together it made the trail impossible to trek through with a horse. (The usual transportation of the castle guards) So Keith considered the hike to be in his favor.

He began to regret that opinion a few hours later when his heavy fur cloak was gluing itself to his skin. He hears Kosmo’s loud barking mocking him from above as he struggled to clamper up the sandy mountain wall.

“I’m coming! You wouldn’t be so impatient if you had to climb these *grunt* like a non-teleporting dog you know!”

Kosmo stares down at him as if to say ‘Kosmo would never be a non-teleporting wolf, because Kosmo is amazing’

Keith rolled his eyes and focused on the nearby hole he was trying to work his fingers into as he climbed. The last time he had made his way to Taujeer he had been coming from the opposite direction so having to scale a mountain side hadn’t occurred to him when the began. Still, he argued, it would all be worth it in the end.

He pulled himself over the top ledge and collapsed on his back, panting for air. Kosmo helpfully liked his face until Keith shoved him away to get up.

Taujeer. Keith could just see it in the distance. They would likely get to it within a couple hours. “Come on Kosmo.”

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The streets were bustling with the night market when Keith and Kosmo finally make their way into the town. Keith side stepped a large jagged crack splitting up the middle of the road. He often questioned Taujeer’s insistence on remaining in such an unstable area. He knew that they had begun as a type of sandbag-which explained the location- but given the way they continued to build their cities up instead of down to appeal to tourists meant they were constantly collapsing. It was ridiculous. Even if it did mean they were always looking for help.

“Two coins!”

“Fins spice! Freshly imported!”

“Get three bowls for the price of one!”

“You! Pretty customer! I’ll make you a good deal for new-“

Keith passed by the bellowing merchants, making his way to the main lodge. It was fairly empty, which  didn’t surprise him. Taujeer had built it large to accommodate travelers.  Unfortunately, they overestimated the number of adventures who would interest in helping them with their regular repairs.

Once they entered, Keith made his way over to the already overflowing job board. Kosmo on the other hand wasted no time wandering away from his side to lay down by the crackling fire. Bored, Keith flipped some of the papers up to see the older ones hiding. Construction job, lost item, protection escort, construction job, sand collection, material/mortar development, construction job…

He could stay here a week to make bank before moving on. Then he needed to find a monster to take down before Pike got the upper hand in their game. Keith had the advantage of being able to move quickly on his own but even he couldn’t dismiss pike’s advantage of being part of a group. More people meant he was able to take down bigger threats faster and safer.

“Welp, you were right. The princess made a break for it.”

Keith froze at the job board as two new patrons pulled out the chairs of the table behind him.

“Vanished right on the night of her betrothal ball. Didn’t think she’d try then. Too many eyes. But I guess with everyone watching, no one was. Here you go.” He could hear the sound of coins being passed between hands. Obviously, a bet had been won. “I still think the Queen was making a fuss sending teams into different towns last week. I mean, we aren’t even close to the castle!”

Another voice grunted out a laugh as they pocketed the money. “you’d be surprised how far she’s able to get. It’s like she’s got wings. I’ve never been able to figure it out myself how she does it.”

Keith edged towards the door. They hadn’t seen him yet. This wouldn’t be the first time he had a close call. Just stay calm. No suspicious movements and-

A heavy glove fell on his shoulder.

“Going somewhere Thunderstorm?” Keith looked behind him, cringing.

“Hey, Kolivan.”

The captain of the guards stared down at Keith with a satisfied smirk. “You going to cooperate this time, or am I going to have to chase you?” Behind Kolivan, Keith could see the other guards scrambling to get up from the table. The fact he was the princess wasn’t known outside of his regular trackers- Kolivan and Thace, who had been around long enough to remember when Keith was an orphan boy brought into the castle-but Thunderstorm Darkness WAS a wanted criminal by the crown.

“Aw come on Kolivan, you really think-“ Instead of finishing his thought Keith grabbed Kolivan’s arm and flipped him onto the ground, taking off like a shot through the door. He could hear shouts as he sprinted through the market once again. Jumping over street venders to grab onto a wall, then scaling it to gain higher ground.

“Sorry Kolivan, you’re good. But NOT this time.” He muttered to himself as he jumped over to another rooftop. Below he could hear the vendors pointedly yelling and some items clattering to the ground. He didn’t dare look behind him. That was always a waste of time.

Kosmo teleported to his side, bounding quickly to match his step. Keith glanced at the wolf. It was a cheap escape, but not one he was above taking. He reached out to grab Kosmos’s fur…

When suddenly he was yanked backwards from his collar. Kosmo vanished and Keith was left dangling from Kolivan’s grasp.

“Two days! That’s got to be new record, eh?” He gloated, throwing Keith over his shoulder and proudly walking back in the direction of the tavern.

“Oh, come on! Can’t you pretend you didn’t see me? Just this once?! I was in the castle for months this time. It was hard enough to get out at the ball, she wants me to get married Kolivan!”

“That ain’t my business Thunder. I let you go; I lose my post. It’s simple schematics.”

“You would not loose your post and you know it. You’re just being mean.”

“And you’re being a sourpuss sore loser.”

Keith groaned.

*  * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Kolivan must have been pretty eager to make his new record known because he didn’t even wait until morning to start the trek back to the castle. The other two guards were left behind to ‘keep an eye out for the princess’ while Kolivan took Keith back as a  ‘Proper arrest, the Queen will be interested in.’ And Kolivan, knowing Keith, kept him tied up for the rest of the journey back to the castle.

They finally reached the capital three days later.

“Alright. You’ve got five minutes.” Kolivan instructed tossing a travel dress to Keith.

“This is stupid.”

“Five. Minutes.” He reiterated exiting the rental carriage, locking the doors behind him. After a moment, the carriage lurched forward. Keith grunted at the movement, working to undresses. This was the part he liked the least, transforming back from Thunderstorm Darkness to Princess Kathrine.

“Kosmo?” in a blip the wolf appeared, likely having followed them from a distance. Keith ruffled the dog’s hair. “Ok boy. Take this.” Offering the bag containing Thunderstorm Darkness, Kosmo expertly took it in his mouth with a whine.

“I know boy, I don’t want to leave either. But you know the rules…I’ll try to get out as soon as I can, yeah?” Kosmo still looked unhappy. He tried to offer a smile, but it was forced. As if sensing this, the wolf nudged his chin up before he vanished.  

Kosmo was the best.

Outside he could hear the castle gates opening and a shout of his return being made. He brushed some of his hair down and out of his face. He could do this. One more time.

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“VANISHED! DISAPEARED! YOU GAVE ME THE FRIGHT OF MY LIFE YOUNG LADY!”

“Sorry…mom.”

“DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW I FELT?! MY PRIZED DAUGHTER! GONE! ON THE NIGHT OF HER FIRST BETHROTHAL BALL!??? ALL THE GUESTS WERE ASKING WHERE YOU WERE AND WHAT WAS I SUPPOSE TO SAY?!" The Queen demanded before returning to her erratic pacing of the throne room. Hands moving as she spoke. "THAT MY DAUGHTER HAS THE HOBY OF RUNING AWAY IN PEASENT CLOTHES?! DO YOU KNOW THE LEVEL OF DISGRACE YOU NEARLY BROUGHT TO OUR NAME!? YOU’RE LUCKY THEY THOUGHT IT WAS A KIDNAPPING!!!!!”

“Well-“

“AND YOUR PROPSALS!!" She wailed, "THIS THREW A COMPLETE WRENCH IN IT ALL!!! PRINCE SVEN WAS GOING TO REQUEST COURTING BEFORE YOUR DISAPEARNCE CREATED THIS ENTIRE HULLABULLO!!! AND NOW THAT HAS TO BE POSTPONED BECAUSE HE BELIVES YOU’VE SUFFERED A KIDNAPPING!!!NO ONE IS GOING TO OFFER PROPSALS WHEN THEY THINK YOU’VE BEEN TRAMATIZED! I HAVE TO WAIT A YEAR FOR YOUR NEXT BETHROTHAL BALL NOW!! OR ELSE EVERYONE WILL THINK WE’RE DESPERATE OR DISTRATEFUL OR UNLOVING AND –“ She threw her hands up, turning towards Keith pleading

“KATHRINE WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!???”

“That I didn’t want to get married?” he joked, raising his hands in an awkward shrug.

The Queen collapsed onto her throne, hand over her face in defeat. One of the nearby maids desperately began to fan her, shooting Keith a hard glare. In any other castle, such behavior may have been reprimanded but Keith’s strange antics had long since destroyed the staff’s respect towards him.

“That’s it.” The Queen rose with a determined look on her face. “I didn’t want to do this, but you leave me no choice.”

Keith swallowed.

“Ulaz, get the carriage.”

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The ride wasn’t that long. It was only outside the city, where the farm land stretched out. The Queen got out first and walked towards a grain tower. It was a tall, stone structure standing alone in the field. Keith personally found that a little strange. Most grain towers he had seen were next to the barn. The Queen stepped towards a wooden door on the side and opened it.

“Come along Kathrine. After me.”

Keith followed quietly, surprised that grain wasn’t pouring out and instead, found there were stairs spiraling up. At the top there was another door, which the Queen opened and stepped into a single room.

“Here we are.”

There was bed in the middle, with a window to the left that Keith could see the carriage below from and the town further out. There was a chamber pot, a fireplace with a few pots and pans hanging from the wall, a table piled with fabric, yarn and thread under the window on the right.

“I have done everything I can Kathrine. I really have. I’ve gotten you governesses, maids, guards, spent time with you and yet you still refuse to behave like a proper lady. I really thought we were making progress this time. But I guess you were just waiting to trick me again. So,”

The Queen took a shaky breath. “You are going to stay here for the time being.”

“You’re locking me in here?” Keith stated, eyeing the window. Escaping from a secluded tower was 10x easier than sneaking out castle full of people.

“I’ll visit whenever I can, really. And while you’re here you can work on progressing your skill. Like embroidery! Or sewing, or cooking…” The Queen eyed the fireplace for a moment. “If you like, I can send you a maid to live with you to handle that-“

“NO! No, I’m…fine on my own. Thank you.” The last thing Keith needed was a chaperone- and a girl at that.

“Very well.” The Queen placed her hand on Keith’s cheek. “ I love you Kathrine. Really, I do. But you must learn to become a lady. It’s the only way for you to be happy.”

It really wasn’t. Thanks.

Keith watched as the Queen left, emerging underneath the tower window through the door. Probably locking it. He watched her walk several paces away from the tower before circling it a number of times.

What was she doing? Was this another slip of her madness? Maybe she was expecting Keith to start crying for her to take him home?

Eventually the Queen climbed into her carriage. She looked behind her and gave a wave with a sad smile. Keith waved back, just so she knew there were no hard feelings. Even though locking your child in a tower wasn’t the best decision, Keith wasn’t particularly offended. If anything, this was great!

He waited until he couldn’t see her carriage anymore before he lunged at the fabric. He was nearly shaking with excitement as he ripped pieces apart and tied them tightly together. He could be in the next city by the time they realized he wasn’t in the tower! Heck, the next country! He secured his rope to the bed and started clambering down the tower. He could catch a boat and ride the waves for the next year! Adventures! Freedom! Pants!

His feet hit the ground. He started running towards the city. He was out of here! He’d steal a horse, ride it to the closet port and be-

*THUNCK*

Keith’s nose smashed into an invisible wall. Instantly he clutched it as he fell back, blood dripping onto his hands. “What the-“

He looked down and saw a string of glowing mushrooms flashing at him. He lifted his hand and tried to wave it over them but was stopped again by the invisible wall. He pushed against it, not feeling any budge. No. No! No, no, no, no, no, no, nooooo!

Keith gave a strong kick at the mushrooms, hoping to smash them. Before he was even able to touch them, he hit the invisible barrier again, leaving him screaming as he clutched his foot. He pounded on the barrier.

Come on, Come on, Come ON!! He’s so close! He can literally SEE the town! Freedom is right there. Open fields, no escorts! Tears started to fall. Nothing was coming out of his mouth but broken screams. Please, please, please, please, PLEASE!!!! He begged quietly to the universe. His hands were turning red as he continued to hit them against the wall. A wall he couldn’t even see!

He slid to his knees defeated.

He wasn’t getting out.

Chapter Text

Life in the tower wasn’t the worst thing in the world. There was always food in the cabinets, which he assumed had to be due to some kind of spell. Probably a standard double-door spell that linked one of the castle’s cabinets to his. So at least the food he got wasn’t redundant. It was mostly just ingredients to cook with, but sometimes he got treated to a per-cooked meal or dessert. 

He tried to send back thank you notes when he got that, just because the kitchen had more spices than he did.

He never got any type response.

There were books! On history, mathematics, how to sew. Lots of…information. Bit dry to read.

And you know, he can…sit outside…if he wants.

Mostly he had been working on figuring out the limits of the mushroom circle. He tossed a couple pieces of coal up to see if there was a height limit, he could get over. There wasn’t.

Then he tried to make an arrow to shoot through the wall by carving one out of the bedframe with a kitchen knife. Except it bounced off the barrier and nearly shot Keith in the head coming back through the window.

He tried screaming.

But the birds pecking at worms outside the circle didn’t even flinch from the noise.

Keith finally caves out of boredom on the fourth day and starts messing around with the fabric. He embroiders over the patterns painted on some them. Makes a pair of pants-that immediately go missing the next day- and knits some new socks.

Overall, life in the tower is incredibly boring.

On the tenth day, the Queen returns with a basket of goodies for tea-time.

“My goodness, this place is a mess. Not that I expected much else.” She tutted, looking at the disaster of a room Keith had destroyed in a previous breakdown. He was beginning to realize that growing up under the constant eyes of the castle and living on the run as Thunderstorm had never actually given him time process any of his emotions before. And he apparently, had a lot.

A nod to a team of maids from the Queen had them immediately tidying up the tower.

“Why don’t we go outside for tea. It’s such a lovely day.”

Keith had been actively avoiding going outside. Maybe it had to do with the whole “invisible barrier” thing. And how much he DIDN’T want to think about it. But once the Queen started walking down the stairs, one of the girls shoved him out of the room so he didn’t have much of a choice but to follow.

Outside, one of the guards was setting up the table and chairs.

“Now, isn’t this nice. Take a seat Kathrine. Tell me, how have you been this week?”

Keith stares at  her, not moving. How does one even begin to respond? “I can’t cross the mushrooms.” 

“Hmm? No, of course not. They’re Persephone’s path. Quick growing things. Excellent security.”

“So I’m stuck here. Forever.” Keith bawled his fist, anger bubbling to the top. “Are you just going to keep me locked up here? Marry me off and have some suitor come pick me up after the paperwork is signed?”

“What-Katherine! I’d never force you to marry someone! Sit down.”

Keith did as he was told , but only because the maid carrying the tea out of the tower was eyeing him in a way, he felt she was going to spill it on him if he didn’t comply.  The Queen took a sip from her teacup, added her sugar and then sipped it again before she finally addressed Keith.

“I know this isn’t the most ideal situation to be in. But it really is for the best. You won’t listen to me. You’re always running off to who knows where and when you are home you’re always interested in deviant hobbies.”

“Fighting with a sword isn’t deviant.”

“It is when you’re a lady Katherine. You’re getting to the age when you need to be more aware of how you’re perceived. You’ll be having suitors, expected to engage in social circles. To represent the crown in court. You’ll have people looking to you to lead them. It’s your duty to be a lady.”

The Queen sighed to herself, “I’m really not sure where I went wrong. Likely with that guard Takashi, who knows what kind of derivative ideas he instilled in you…”

“Don’t. Shiro was a good man.”

“And a bad influence. I can see that. You’re still practicing his teachings.” She held out a hand as a maid supplied her with Keith’s handmade arrow that had been sticking out of the wall earlier.  “I mean, where did you even get this?!”

“I made it.”

“With what?!”

The maid pipped up “She appears to have carved it out of the bedframe ma’am” The Queen looked at Keith dumfounded and he couldn’t help but feel a little pride at that.

“The bedframe Katherine?! Really?” Keith shrugged with a smile

“See this is what I’m talking about. You’re wild. You refuse to even consider settling down, let alone listen to the boy’s interested in courting you!”

“And what? You think I’ll start being the “perfect girl” you’ve always wanted if you stick me in a tower for a year?”

“Oh, I don’t think.” The Queen said staring Keith down with the determined look he had seen her scare unruly nobles into compliance with before. It was different being on the receiving end of it now. Her dark eyes brightening and teeth flashing as she spoke. It was as if one wrong move would lead him to be swallowed whole. “I’m betting on it. When you’re out here on your own with only approved hobbies to do, you’ll have to curve your attitude one way or another. You can’t go running away from it either just because you think it’s too hard.”

“I don’t run because it’s too hard” Keith tried to protest as the Queen continued talking, face returning to normal.

“And if I’m lucky, in the end you’ll be with your true love. Reliving me of the mess of trying to find you a suitor willing to look past your faults.”

“My true- What?”

The Queen looked up from her cup at Keith. “You’re true love. Did I not-? Ah I forgot. You ran out on your gardening curriculum last year.” She put down the teacup and nodded at the mushrooms “Those mushrooms are Persephone’s Path. They’re an elf breed of mushrooms. Like the folklore, just as Persephone was only able to travel between earth and the underworld by holding onto her mother or husband’s hand, you will be kept in this tower until I- your mother, decide you are ready to come back to the palace or your true love, takes your hand and leads you over the barrier.”

The Queen takes another sip of her tea, pleased “Until then, you can’t cross them on your own.”

Keith could only stare gob-smacked at her “You’re joking.”

“I’m really not dear. I wish there was another way Kathering but you’ve pushed me to my breaking point.”

Keith scoffed and stood up, shoving himself away from the table. “I, pushed you?” he muttered to himself in disbelief. Which one of them was forced to wear dresses all the time, practiced dancing to the wrong part? Which one of them was called the wrong name all the time, had lost a home twice over, had been dragged against their will back time and time again like a criminal? Which one of them was locked up?

Keith pushed HER?

“Get. Out.”

The Queen simply looked at him calmy, as if she had predicted this response. Her high and mighty expression only made his anger boil hotter. “GET OUT!” He screamed kicking the table over, shattering the teapot and leaving the maids scrambling to pick up the China. The Queen stood up calmly, dusting off her dress.

“I’ll see you next week Katherine. Do try to think about what I said.” After a thought she added “And stop cutting up your bedframe.”

She began to walk towards the mushrooms when an idea hit Keith. He dove for her hand but once again smashed into the invisible wall.

“Nice try dear. Really. But it has to be willing. You can’t just grab onto me and come over.” Keith scowled back at her, nursing his bruised forehead. “Now is there anything you’d like me to bring you from the palace? Some new books? Your favorite dress? A spinning wheel?”

Keith pursed his lips as he stared at the ground burning. He wanted nothing more than for this conversation to be over. He already felt humiliated as it was. But his boredom from the week drove out his pride at the last second, she began to turn away. “My paint set.”

The Queen turned back around with a smile. “Alright. That’s acceptable. I’ll have someone bring your easel with new canvases and some paint later this week.” She reached over the mushrooms to touch Keith’s cheek gently. “I love you; you know. I just want what’s best for you. I hope one day you’ll see that.”

She waits for Keith’s regular response ‘I know, I love you too.’ But he can’t muster up the ability to say it this time. She draws her hand back with a sigh, not terribly surprised. “Goodbye Kathrine.”

The rest of the maids and guards follow her back to the carriages. She doesn’t look back as she gets in. Keith, stuck at the edge of the mushroom circle, pushes his feet against the glass wall as they ride away.

+++++

His paint supplies arrive two days later. At which point Keith has resorted to using his makeshift rope as exercise equipment. He decided the most entertaining way to use it was to secure himself to the rope by his waist so he could hang out the window, continually pushing off the tower in order to swing back towards it. He’d rather do it in pants, but after his third attempt of sewing himself a pair, he’s beginning to think the Queen put some kind of banishment spell on the tower to explain why they keep disappearing as soon as he puts them down.

Honestly, he’s getting a little suspicious about where all this magic is coming from. He had never seen a magic user welcomed in the castle before. The mere act of mentioning magic to the Queen was taboo since the original princess’s death. Mostly the kingdom’s magic laws were run by the counsel of advisors.

He had been too young to get the full story of what happened to the girl when the Queen was sane. But he had been able to pick things up from the rumors running at the time. Apparently, the original princess had gotten cursed or sick or something and when they called for magical help, the magician’s treatment simply finished her off.

Not a nice story.

Still, it wasn’t like magic users were banned from the kingdom. They just weren’t readily welcomed in the capital. Keith had long grown used to magic during his travels as Thunderstorm Darkness but the presence of magic beyond food preservation as Princess Kathrine was strange.

“What are you doing kid?”

Keith looks down to see Kolivan standing with an easel under his arm and a bag in the other. Loosening the knot on his waist, Keith lowers himself down the tower.

“I’ve got to keep myself entertained somehow.” He defends himself, coming up at the base of the tower. Kolivan looks awkwardly away as Keith takes the easel from him.

 “Look, Kid. If I had known…” He tries, rubs the back of his neck.

Keith tucks the easel under his arm and starts to make his way towards the door. “it’s ok. I never thought she’d do something like this either.”

Kolivan clicks his tongue. “ Yeah, but Persephone’s prison…Nasty bugger that is. Not sure how she got her hands on it.”

“What do you mean?”

“They’re not native here. They’re fae fungus. Grows near the dark forest.”

Keith freezes and looks back, past Kolivan to where the black mushrooms stood. He feels the easel grow heavy in his hand as the statement hits.

“What?” he finally croaks out.

Unlike magic, which was disliked, the fae of the dark forest were monstrous to the kingdom.

One of the most notable aspects of the kingdom was their trees. They stretched higher than some birds could fly, had trunks so think a family could hollow out the inside and live in it like a three-bedroom house. Nearly every road in the Kingdom had to go through at least part of the forest to get to different towns. But the deeper people traveled through the forest, the darker it became. To the point some swore they could no longer see the sun, forced to walk like the blind.

The crown had paid workers to saw away wat the trees along the path for years. They would carve away roots that broke through the dirt road, cut down branches to let in sunlight, marked the path with ready-to-be-lit torches cast in iron.

And it had to be iron. Because while woodcutters were prepared to face bears or wolves in the woods, they were nothing compared to the dark elves.

The creatures had gotten their name by accident unfortunately. From a traveler with little knowledge of what an elf was and what it wasn’t. They took in the creature’s human-like figure, their ability to stand on two legs and their knowledge that most pointed-ear creatures residing in natures were elves and called it such. Other elves who later came across the monsters clarified they were not of the same species but with no other name, the title stuck.

The dark forest was the name of where the dark elves lived. No one was quite sure if they lived deeper within the woods themselves or if there was another piece of land hidden through a shadowy portal outsiders couldn’t access.

In the beginning people had been excited to learn more, to welcome their forest neighbors. But that was quickly discovered to be a danger. The dark elves loved to creep. They would take the hands of lost wanders who could not see in the dark and lead them away. They would whisper out greetings in order to grasp the names of their victims and pull them deeper into the forest.

It was theorized that they had a type of magic that allowed them to claim power over anyone whose name they had. It appeared true, because they loved to use it. Beckoning children, travelers, merchants, woodcutters whoever they could lead deeper into the dark. People who would never be seen or heard from again.

It was the reason no one in the kingdom went by their true name anymore.

They had found out after some time that the dark elves avoided sunlight. Disliked iron and fire. So the crown invested more to try and make the roads as safe as possible. It worked fairly well so long as people avoided traveling at night and kept close to the roads. But whenever someone went missing in the forest, it was always blamed on the elves.

The idea the Queen was able to get her hands on something like this was…horrifying. Did she send someone off the path? Kolivan was the captain. If he didn’t know how she got them that means she didn’t send soldiers. Who else would she have hired? Did someone die to get these? Was Keith responsible for someone’s disappearance?

“Yeah, they pop up in clusters when people get far off the path. Some think it’s a sign their getting close to dark elves. As if mushrooms pop up wherever those things step.” Kolivan wrinkled his nose. “If you ask me, given how these things act, they’re more like a trap set to catch food.”

Keith felt sick. “What’s with the love clause then?”

“The what?” Kolivan actually looked taken back as he stared at Keith. An unusual emotion for him.

“The Queen said I could only leave the circle if my mother or my true love lead me over the mushrooms.”

“I ain’t never heard that one before, but I suppose if that’s the clause then that’s the clause.” He paused, muttering his next word under his breath “Weird,”

Keith nodded in agreement, moving to the tower and climbing the stairs upwards. Behind him Kolivan followed carrying the bag of canvases and paint.

“Sooo,” Kolivan asks from the doorway as Keith begins to set the art supplies up “You get any visitors yet?”

“Just you and the Queen. Why? Should I be expecting someone?” He joked positioning the easel.

Kolivan sucked in a breath. Keith turned to look at his face, he certainly looked awkward now. Very nervous. Keith felt a moment of dread.

“What?”

The Captain hesitated before he pulled out a folded piece of paper, handing it to Keith. It looked like the material the crown made wanted posters from. Keith gave Kolivan a look as he slowly unfolded it.

Rescuer wanted!

Princess Kathrine of the Daibazaal Kingdom needs you!

Help her escape from the magic tower keeping her prisoner at the edge of the kingdom

and return her home safely!

Reward: A favor of your choosing from the Crown.

Keith stares at the paper, unsure how to react.

“I’m hardly at the edge of the kingdom.” He finally settles on, “I’m like five miles from the capital.”

“The scribe thought it sounded better. More dramatic. I didn’t think you’d mind giving them some misdirection.”

“Still, won’t be much help if all the rescuer wannabees go to the wrong place.”

“It’s not like they’re gonna find you here anyways, this tower looks more like a silo.”

“True.” Keith concedes, running his thumb over the paper absentmindedly. At least there’s no portrait. “I didn’t think she’d put up posters. Especially so soon. I’m no where near being the lady she wants me to be.”

“The Queen has never been one for patience.”

“No, no she has not.”

The two stand silently in the room for a moment, considering the situation.

“Welp. I best be on my way.” Kolivan announces.

“Right, need me to walk you downstairs?”

“Nah, I’m alright.” He’s about to walk out the door when he turns back. “Do you want me to lock the entrance?”

“What?”

“The entrance. Those mushrooms do well enough keeping things from getting out but they hardly protect you from things getting in. I know you’re a tough fighter but I hate the idea of your room being flooded with strangers hoping to get their hands on you.”

“Charming.”

“I’m being serious. Look, the door appears to have two sets of locks. One locks inside to keep people out and the one on the outside-“

“To keep me in.” Keith interrupts. Kolivan nods.

“I can’t do much about the one on the inside-You’ll have to lock that- but I can fiddle with the one on the outside to help limit those wandering in without an invitation. I figured you wouldn’t mind to much since you have your fancy rope.”

Keith bit his lip. He didn’t have lock-picking skills. If Kolivan locked him in- safety measure or not- he’d have to rely on climbing the wall every time he wanted to go outside. Not that it mattered much. He was still trapped, but it definitely encouraged more climbing work than he wanted to do.

Still, Kolivan had a point. Winning a favor from the crown would certainly get people talking.

“Alright, lock it up.” He decided.

* * * *

He watches Kolivan from the window as the man kneels at the door. After a moment or two Kolivan’s muscles relax, giving the indication he got it to click. He stands up and waves to Keith before he makes his way over the mushrooms and back to his horse.

Keith turns away from the window and makes his way back down the stairs. He faces the wooden door and reaches his hand out for the metal handle. He pushes the lever down and tries to tug the door open. It won’t budge. His last form of freedom, willingly given up. He locks the door again from his side and then climbs the stairs for what he assumes will be the last time.

All outside visits will have to be done by rope now.

Chapter Text

The Queen misses their visit that week. It’s raining so Keith’s not horribly surprised. But he is a little disappointed.

When he was younger, the Queen and he had run around for hours outside in the garden. Playing in the mud, collecting worms, she even dumped him in the fountain one time. “It’s not like you can get any wetter!” She cried before plopping herself right next to him laughing. Afterwards they had cuddled up in her room with the fire going, reading adventure books nearly all night.

Keith missed that. Spending time with her, that is. Feeling safe in her arms. Being seen.

Nothing like it was now.

Now she avoided the rain as if it was poison to her. Stayed inside at the smallest threat of a cloud. If Keith dared to come in drenched or with mud on his skirt, she would banish him to his room for the rest of the day out of fear he was coming down with a cold she’s catch.

Not like in the past, where if one of them was sick (though that was rare ) they would both claim sickness and spend time in the bed laughing and sleeping, avoiding all their responsibilities.

Rain was Keith’s favorite type of weather because of her. Or at least, she had given him a good reason to like the rain. Before he had only liked it because water puts out fires and if it had been raining that night, his father may have still been alive.

Chapter Text

Keith eventually does get a gaggle of visitors, if one could call them that. He’s trying to cook lunch when the sound of pre-teen voices get closer and begin to argue at the base of his prison tower.

“I thought you said you knew where the princess was.”

“I DO! This is it!” The voice proudly proclaimed “The crown paid my dad a bunch of gold to build this on our land!”

“…”

“…”

“This is just a silo Mars!”

“No it’s not! It’s a tower, and the princess is up there! I’ve seen her!”

“Oh you’ve ~seen her~ Yeah right. You’re such a liar! I bet it was just your imagination!”

“It was NOT! She’s totally up there! You just have to wait. She comes out nearly every day.” That was true, Keith had taken to swinging down and climbing up the tower fairly regularly. But he never would have guessed he had an audience.

“Yo! Doofus! If she comes out every day then why would she need rescuing?”

“Yeah!” A younger voice, that hadn’t spoken before, chimed in. Definitely the follower of the group Keith decided.

“She-Well She’s -um…” Mars was floundering.

“~She-She-uhhhh~ Yeah that’s what I thought. There’s no way a princess lives in a dirty gain silo. And the Queen said she was captured so why would she put her in a silo that she bought? You probably just have Krelllians.”

“We do NOT! And the princess IS in there!”

“No. She isn’t”

“Yes. She. IS!”

They were getting louder. Keith hated listening to their obnoxious fighting but he had absolutely no interest in sticking his head out to confirm his existence to them. Even if it would temporarily shut them up. The less people who knew where he was, the better.

He did feel bad for the Mars though, it sucks when no one believes you about the truth.

“NO, SHE ISN’T!”

“YES, SHE IS!

“IS NOT!”

“IS TOO!”

“IS NOT!”

“IS TOO!”

“PROVE IT!”

“I WILL!”

Oh great. Keith put the pan he had been cooking with down and made his way closer to the window. He pressed his body tightly against the wall so he could peer out sideways without being seen. What were those idiots going to do now?

The sound of something going thunk against the tower was quickly followed by another. And another. They weren’t very loud noises but it was noticeable. If Keith hadn’t known they were out there thanks to their screaming, he likely would have stuck his head out the window to see what it was. He waited for a bit to see what the kids were planning on doing next.

There was a more intentional sound of rubber snapping, then a whistle of air before- to Keith’s surprise- a rock sailed through the window and landed on the floor with a thud. That was a pretty good shot. Coming through the window it had nearly been eye level with him. The kid must have had a slingshot. But even with one, to get it up so high was impressive.

Another rock flew in and clattered onto the floor against the first one.

So that was their plan huh? Throw rocks through his window until they got his attention? He smirked. It wasn’t going to do them much good as he. wasn’t. moving.

A couple more rocks came sailing in before a beat of silence.

“See! She doesn’t exist! It’s just an empty silo!”

“No its not! I’ve seen her!” Mars’s voice carried upwards, still fighting for his life.

“Phht-yeah maybe in your dreams.”

“Shut up!”

The boy who had been very vocal about his disbelief in Mars, gasped what Keith took for dramatic horror.

“YOU shut up!” He snapped back.

“No You!”

There were more shouts paired with grunts and an  “oof” from down below. Rough housing, Keith concluded. He relaxed his posture, staring up at the ceiling waiting for them to be done. He should probably lay low for the next couple of days. Shame though, he had been planning to use the leftover coals from lunch to try burning the mushrooms down after lunch. Guess that’s out now. The sound of punching thumps seemed to be slowing down. But the yelling was still going strong.

“Had enough?!” The voice of Mars demanded, out of breath

“Shut your mouth!”

“You shut it!-OW!”

“Admit there’s no princess! Admit it!”

“I Won’t! You’re the idiot who can’t see what’s right in front of you!”

“And you’re the baby clinging to fairytales!”

“Well-Well you’re a –“

“What are you boys doing?!”

The roar cut the boy’s squabbling into silence. Keith felt himself stand up straight on instinct.

“…Nothing dad.” “Nothing Mr. NialCcM”

“Nothing? Is that what you boy’s call this?” Mr. NialCcM scoffed. “Mars, your nose is bleeding, and Havoc-“ So that was the unbeliever’s name “I’m definitely seeing a bruise forming.”

“HE STARTED IT!” Mars shouted. Keith stifled a laugh. Kids, always willing to sell each other out to avoid being in trouble.

“I don’t care who started it! You do not behave like this! You’re friends! You were perfectly fine this morning. What happened?”

“…”

“Well?”

“Mars thinks there’s a princess living in the silo.”

“There IS! Tell him Dad!”

There’s a deep sigh. “The crown did pay us for the right to use this part of our land for the next year. But that doesn’t guarantee there’s a princess living up there.”

“SEE!?”

“DAD?!?”

“I’m not saying there isn’t!” Mr. NialCcM quickly amends at the sounds of his son betrayed voice “Just that I haven’t seen one! If you boy’s want to hang around and watch the silo for when a princess shows up you can do that! But I doubt Bogger here is all too excited to stare at a silo all day.” Ah, so the younger voice was named Bogger.

“Yeah, nice tattling Bogger” Havoc grumbled

“I-“

“Bogger got my help because you two were acting like a pair of Yup-pups. Now, why don’t you three go play somewhere else… Hmm, Mars you might want to wash your face off first.”

“Uhggg, Dad!”

“No buts. Get.”

There was a choir of groans followed by the sounds of people moving away. Keith sighed in relief and peers out the window again. The figures of three boys were make their way farther from the tower, lead by who Keith assumes is Mr.NialCcM. Keith leans out the window slightly, getting a better look at their shrinking figures. It seems Mr.NialCcM and Mars are catfolk. Havoc looks human, Bogger is likely a dwarf, or just really short.

Keith turns away and walks over to the pile of rocks. The kid has pretty good aim, they nearly all made it into a single pile. He picks them up and starts tossing them out the window one by one. He’s not surprised when the they hit the barrier and drop straight down. He’s already discovered anything inanimate he touched would react the same way to the barrier as he did.

“OW!”

Keith’s head shot out of the tower to see what he had hit. Below he saw the top of a boy’s head as Mar’s reached up to rub the spot of impact.

“MARS!” Mr.NialCcM bellowed across the field

“I’M COMING!!” he shouted in return, before starring down at the pile of rocks Keith had just chucked out the window.

The boy looked up. Keith yanked himself back into the tower, pasting himself against the wall. What was he doing back here? He had just seen him leave with the group a few moments ago! What were the chances he hadn’t been caught?

Truthfully, he knew it was too late. He had hesitated just long enough before darting inside that he had watched the boy’s eyes widen and his ears shoot to attention.

‘Please, please, please’ he begged the universe that had long gone deaf to him ‘don’t let him tell anyone! Don’t let anyone believe him if he does!’

“I just…came to grab my slingshot!” Mars called up to him “I’m sorry for throwing rocks! I was just trying to get your attention! My friend doesn’t believe you’re up there, and I wanted to prove him wrong you see. I didn’t mean to make you mad!”

Keith swallowed. Crap, the kid probably though Keith had meant to clobber him with the rock. He had already seen him, anyways. What was the point of hiding now? Keith poked his head out a little, below he watched Mar’s smile grow. That smile looked familiar.

“Hi!”

“…Hello.” Keith cautiously responded

“I’m Mars.”

Was Keith suppose to introduce himself back? What name did he even use? He had never really had to introduce himself to anyone as Princess Kathrine before, as he had always been announced first by a third party. He didn’t want to lie. But calling himself Thunderstorm Darkness would be worse. And shouldn’t the kid know his name anyway? Royalty’s names were public after all.

 “Nice to meet you” He settled on instead. “Sorry about the rocks. I wasn’t trying to hit you.”

“That’s ok. I shouldn’t have sent them your way if I couldn’t handle getting them back. Besides it’s didn’t hurt that much." Keith highly doubted that, but he commended Mars on his social abilities and being able to smile through the pain.

 “Soo,”  Mars started, probably about to ask a question Keith didn’t want to answer when he got caught off.

“MARS!”

“UGghh, COMING!” Mars looked up at Keith “I’ll come back later, ok?”

“uh-“

“Great! See you then!” The boy took off running down the hill towards his father and friends who were waiting for him out in the field. Keith watched them get farther away. He tapped his finger against the stone. Was Mars going to tell them? Bring them all back later for a princess show?

 Should he pretend he doesn’t exist again? Maybe he could claim he was the royal grain counter or something.

He sighs to himself. Mars was likely the start of trouble coming to his doorstep, no matter how well intending. But it wasn’t like trouble was going to stay away forever. He was a sitting duck after all. No amount of hiding would keep him safe if the Queen was determined to have him be found.

He’d just have to get over his worry. He was Thunderstorm Darkness after all. He could handle a couple of kids.

He just had to wait.

* * * * *

Mars shows up later that night when Keith was getting ready for bed. Keith had restricted his usual use of lanterns to a single candle in hopes of limiting evidence to outsiders that he was there.

A rock soar through his window, clattering onto the floor as it had that afternoon. “Psst! Princess!!! Let down your hair!” Keith groaned. It was too late for this. “It’s Me! Mars!”

He could just go to bed.

“…Princess?”

Why was this kid’s voice so persistent? Keith walked to the window and looked out to where Mars stood at the base. His face immediately lit up when Keith became visible.

“I knew you were still there! I mean, I got a bit nervous when you didn’t immediately come to the window, because what if you were just a hallucination from when that rock hit me, but here you are!”

“Here I am.”

“Ah-hem.” As if practiced for a performance, Mars dropped to one knee, hands outstretched up to the tower in dramatic fashion “Oh hear princess, let down your hair so that I may climb it and meet you in this perfect moonlight.”

“Um…What?” Keith could feel his checks begin to burn at second hand embarrassment. What even was this kid doing?”

“Your hair fair maiden, that I’ve seen you climb over and over every day. For I have come here to save you from this dreaded tower that keeps you entrapped.” His words continued as if to match the heroic dialogue of a children’s book.

“Do you mean…I…what???”

Mars didn’t respond to Keith’s sputtering, still holding his pose, pupils expanding to completely fill his eyes in perfect pleading. It was a trait only catfolk could do and not many people were immune to their adorable appearance when it was done. Keith himself had been weak against Pike’s pleading eyes as children, whenever the boy wanted to swindle sweets off him.

Mars’s look likely would have worked sooner, except for the fact Keith’s brain was trying to reboot itself at the ridiculousness of the situation. He wanted to laugh out of shock, or go back to hiding in his room. Because this was on another level of embarrassing.

However, being an adventurer had left Keith the ability to improvise regardless of the situation. So, despite his better judgment he dragged his makeshift rope to the window and let it fall to the ground.

Mars gasped in excitement before quickly jumping to his feet-thank goodness-and grabbing the rope. Keith watched as Mars desperately tried to pull himself up. Swinging from side to side.

“You uh…need some help there?”

“No! No, I-ah-I got it! Don’t worry princess! Your hero will be there shortly!”

“Ah, of course.” For how awkward the whole interaction was, it was fairly amusing. Afterall, he had a twelve-year-old trying to win his hand. He knew Mars was trying hard so he didn’t want to laugh but the kid had obviously never climbed a rope before and had no idea how to. He hadn’t even gotten off the ground yet.

He was really struggling with it.

“Why don’t I come down…uh, fair hero?”

“That…would be much appreciated Princess.”

“Right. Uh, give me a moment.”

-

-

-

Keith’s feet touch the grass as he reaches the end of the rope. The ground is cold in the dark and there’s a bit of mud pushing up from the rainstorm yesterday. He faces Mars, whose eyes reflect the moonlight.

He’s quite a few feet taller than Mars, stronger too by the looks of it. Though that’s to be expected. Keith is much older. He can feel Mars’s heroic expectations drop as they look at each other. Time stretches between the two before Mars finally speaks.

“Why…do you stay in the tower?”

The question hangs between them before Mars blinks and immediately tries to backtrack “I just mean, um, you can obviously leave! Not that you have to-I was just wondering because my friend said that- well- I don’t mean to offend you but-“

Keith holds up his hand to stop Mars’s ramblings. Then he walks past him towards the mushrooms, feeling the boy’s eyes following him. Without saying a word, Keith turns to face Mars again, stretches out his arms and lets himself fall backwards. Before he hits the wall, Mars moves instinctively towards him. Perhaps in an effort to catch him, useless as it is.

Keith knows it must be a sight. He shouldn’t be balanced at all. His ankles are the only thing touching the ground at this point, still acting as an axel of sort with his toes pointing skyward. Hs shoulder blades have hit the wall at this point, so his head and the top of his back are pushing up straight against it while the rest of his body is still tilted diagonally. To Mars he must look like he’s performing an impossible trick.

“How are you doing that?” Mars breaths, circling Keith in disbelief.

“Magic. Can’t cross the mushrooms.”

Mars looks down at the mushrooms, flashing quietly as they continue to hold Keith up. He brings his foot down on the largest one but is stopped a mere centimeter above them.

“That’s weird…”

“What?”

Instead of answering Mars stepped onto the mushrooms with both feet. Keith watched as Mars appeared to hover above them. He jumped up and down, still not able to touch the mushrooms “They seem to have a self-protecting shield around them.”

Keith groaned and slid down the barrier while Mars stepped off outside of the circle. “What are these things anyway?” he asked

“How should I know? Persephone’s path, Persephone’s prison, Persephone’s mushrooms. Call ‘em whatever you want. They ain’t going anytime soon and neither am I.”

Mars crouched down as Keith complained , studying the fungi. “Do you think we can dig them out? Go under?”

“You can try. Any barrier they have seems to extend forever for me. I’m not able to get close to them.”

“Yeah, but I am. They only have a small barrier to protect themselves for me.  Maybe I can dig them out and remove them one by one. Then you can escape.”

Keith spun around to stare at Mars. “That’s brilliant.” He whispers

Mars smiled “Thanks! I can come back tomorrow after my chores and try it out.”

“That would be amazing. Do that. “

“Ok, then!” Then after a thought he added “Unless I’m grounded.”

“For Fighting?”

“Heh, yeah. Mom hasn’t heard about it yet. But if Havoc has a black eye tomorrow, his mom will complain to my mom and then my mom will yell at me and then I’ll be grounded for a week.”

“Sounds rough.”

“Yeah…”Mars frowned “Is that why you’re here? Are you grounded?”

“Something like that.”

“But you’re the princess.”

Keith scoffed from the ground he had taken to laying on “Do I look princess-like to you?”

“Uh…not…really?”

“Exactly. I am a royal disaster.” Keith laughed coldly before quieting. “I’d rather be adventuring.” He confessed

Mars’s ears perked up, and his tail began to flick back and forth. “You like adventuring?!”

Keith grinned, sitting up. “Love it. Slaying monsters, traveling around, cooking my own meals? It’s the best!”

“I want to go adventuring one day” Mars sighed dreamily “Most of my siblings are adventurers. We get letters sometimes from them telling us about their travels. The people the met, the food they ate, the monsters they battled. It sounds so amazing. Way better than farming.”

Keith hummed in response. He could understand Mars’s feeling of entrapment. “Are you suppose to take over the farm?”

“Nah, that’s Lu’s job. He worked at the logging company when he was younger, but now he’s married and working on the farm again. His kids are only a couple years younger than me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Besides. Dad isn’t going to die anytime soon. We catfolk have nine-lives after all!” Keith smiled. They really didn’t, but the joke was in good taste. The myth that catfolk had nine lives was a popular one. It supposedly came from how they miraculously seemed to survive any disaster. They were a very resourceful race,always welcomed in parties.

“How long do you have to wait until you can go adventuring?”

Mars sighed, picking at the grass. “Six more years. Mom says I can do small adventure jobs in town when I’m fifteen, but it’s not the same.”

“No, it’s not.”

“I want to do something now! Everyone else gets too!” Keith nodded along. Mars really was too young to be out on his own adventuring, but that didn’t change how he must have felt watching all of his siblings leave him behind to have what appeared to be more exciting lives. Dangerous as they were.

“Well, you do get the chance of rescuing a princess. That’s a pretty big adventuring job.”

Mars looked at him, and smiled a bit “Yeah, I guess it is.” He looked down the hill into the darkness, smile fading. “I have to get going through. I’m not suppose to be out this late.”

“It’s not like I’m going anywhere.”

That got a chuckle. Mars got up, “I’ll see you tomorrow, ok?”

“Sure, oh!” Keith stopped him “If the Queen comes by, don’t come!”

“The Queen is coming tomorrow?!”

“I don’t know. But she was suppose to come yesterday. So…maybe? Just don’t let her see you. I don’t need her destroying another escape plan.”

Mars stood up straight and gave a mock salute. “You can count on me!”

The two smiled at each other before breaking out in giggles. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” Keith promises as Mars leaves, running down the hill.

He’s actually looking forward to having a visitor.

Chapter Text

Keith ducks behind the tree just before the creature catches sight of him. It’s eyes shine in the darkness as it tracks him. Cold stare runs over the forest line. Keith can hear it sniff the air and holds his breath, tightening his fingers around his dagger. Behind him, he can hear the gravel of dirt and dried leaves crunching as the looming monster begins to stalk its way towards him. Stabbing it from this position wouldn’t be helpful. He’d be clawed to death before he could get away. He needed a better angle.

He looks around. There was no way he’s be able to outrun this thing. No, he needs to hit its weak spot. Somewhere unexpected, unprotected. For that, his best option would be…up! With a quick movement Keith stabs his knife into the trunk of the tree, leveraging himself on top of it like a makeshift hold, and boosts himself higher until he can grab the lowest hanging branch. He swings his legs up onto it just as the creature’s nose sticks itself around the trunk. Keith clenches his teeth. His dagger is still sticking out of the bark, mere inches away from the beast’s ear which seems to twitch every few seconds.

Moving quickly, He loops his legs over the branch before letting himself fall backwards, hanging upside down. He rips the knife out the tree, cracking the bark in the process and swings back up in time to avoid the creature turning to face the sound.

He watches as the monster below turns its head in search for him, nose scrunching as it attempts to sniff him out. Keith pulls himself up into a crouch on the branch, eyes trained on the creature below him. This time he’s the Hunter. He curls his fingers around his dagger and without thinking, dives down towards the monster’s head

.

No way! You just jumped!? Weren’t you scarred?” Mars exclaimed leaning forward, trowel slipping form his hand.

“Honestly I was so caught up in the moment I kind of forgot to be scarred” Keith awkwardly laughed “Looking back on it, it was a super dumb thing to do.”

“What happened next?! Did you kill it?”

“I luckily got a clean shot at it’s brain, so it went down immediately. I ended up selling it to a merchant on the road. Unfortunately, it was my first selling fur and I got totally screwed over. But I at least knew the value of the claws and teeth so it wasn’t a total waste.”

“That’s so cool! You just- bam!” Mars punched the palm of his hand “And the fact you swung down to get your knife out of the tree right next to its head!!?” Shaking his hands enthusiastically on either side of his own head Mars grinned up at him in disbelief “That is so AWESOME! Can you teach me how to do stuff like that?!”

“Sure. If you manage to get me out, I’ll show you all my best tricks.”

“Ah! Right –" Mars scooped up the shovel he dropped and continued scrapping away the dirt surrounding the mushrooms. Regularly the trowel would hit the barrier and bounce off with a metallic clang.

“So, how’d you get into adventuring anyway?”   The boy asked,

.

The Queen’s hand rested on Keith’s shoulder as she guided him out from behind her. “Katherine, I’d like you to meet Sir Takashi Shiro. Starting today he’s going to be serving as your personal escort.”

Keith couldn’t bring himself to look at the foreigner. He felt humiliated in the makeup she had pushed on him today. He pulled his skirt out and offered the practiced curtsy without raising his head.  He knew something was wrong with his mother, but no one would listen to him! She hadn’t called him by his real name in over a YEAR and now his studies were progressing into a ‘Princess curriculum’ with rules about everything from how he dressed to how he walked.

“Just Shiro is fine ma’am” reported a warm voice.

Slowly Keith found himself glancing up at the paladin. The man was dressed in cloth traveling clothes resembling monk attire. He looked young, adorn with a short buzz cut. There was large scar crossing the bridge of his nose, which Keith could see clearly as the man crouched down to meet his eye level.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness.”

.

.

.

“SHIRO!” Keith yelled as he ran into the training yard, wooden sword in hand. “ You said you’d train me today, where are you? Shiro!”

As Keith continued to look around the grounds, a shadow jumped down from above, startling Keith back. Instantly something with murderous intent was swinging towards him. Keith instinctively brought up his sword, clashing it against the other figure. Their strength  was much greater but he continued to try pushing against it.

"Pretty Good. Remember, ‘To hold a weapon means taking responsibility of your own safety’.” Shiro’s voice cut in. “The minute you pick it up; you are open to the consequences that come with it. Keep yourself alert of your surroundings. Now, fix your feet.”

As he glances down at Shiro’s instruction the Paladin exploits his opening and sweeps his legs out from under him, leaving him to land flat on his back. Understanding the game, Keith rolls to the side and pops back up. He spins the wooden sword in his hand, regaining hold on the handle.

He crouches down, eyes trained on Shiro before bolting towards him, sword aimed directly at the paladin’s chest. In response, Shiro slides his feet apart to steady himself in a balanced position just as Keith sprints towards him. Keith knew that someone like Shiro could easily disarm him but he had to try. He was closing in, three feet, two feet, one- Keith dropped down and slid between Shiro’s legs. He jumped up on the other side and as Shiro was craning his neck to see what he had done, swung his sword at the man’s shoulder.

The sword hit Shiro’s who had expertly pulled a side step turn, avoiding Keith’s attack completely. He smiled down at him. Keith scowled. That had been his best move! He pushed his sword harder against his opponent’s, then  sung an attack. Shiro blocked him. Keith turned his sword and tried again. Blocked. He tried to stab, Shiro spun out of the way. He jumped forward then backwards, swords smacking as they moved around the courtyard.

He couldn’t land anything on the man! Keith though knights were supposed to be like iron walls- tough and unmoving. But Shiro moved like water, flowing though each move.

Keith was growing frustrated, ignoring the forms they had run through earlier he gripped his wooden sword like a bat and prepared to swing it.

“Hold it.” Shiro commanded catching the blade. “Don’t give up just because it looks like you’re going to lose. ‘Emotional fighting is sloppy fighting’”

“I can’t even get close to you” He whined

“You’re still leading. Be patient. Tell me, what did you learn?” Keith grumbled to himself for a moment. ‘What did he learn?’ What kind of stupid question was that? They were running around swinging swords-he had mainly been trying not to get hit. But no, what had he learned?

“You tend to lead towards the left when you attack and right when you dodge…you planted your feet when I ran at you because you were planning on using my strength against me. Your feet would move but your torso…it would stay mostly in place.”

Shiro blinked, “You picked up on that quick. Yes, keeping my upper-body stable while my lower body moves helps me stay balanced and move quickly. It’s technique dancers often use to maintain fluid motions.”

“Now,” he continued “Let me tell you what I noticed about you. You’re quick on your feet. You don’t struggle with having to think of what to do next. Fighting should be instinctual. If you think too much you can psych yourself out and freeze in battle. That can get you killed. So, I’m happy to see you don’t fall into that habit. You also used your size to your advantage and fought under the assumption I’d be slower than you because of that. Which is a pretty good assumption. Overall, you made strong attacks.”

“However, you’re throwing yourself into the fight too early, which causes you to burn yourself out too quickly and leads you to getting frustrated. Swordsmanship is all about endurance. If you rush through it, you’ll get sloppy and your opponent can take advantage of that. You have to have patience. ‘Patience yields focus.’ The less energy you spend trying to end the battle quickly the more you’ll have to figure out your opponent’s weakness and counter their attacks. So take your time.”

Shiro handed Keith sword and directed his feet into the correct position. “Again.”

.

.

.

“Hold your arm out – firm. Hawks are heavy birds.” Shiro coached him. The bird stepped off Shiro and onto Keith’s outstretch arm. Keith felt his arm twitch at the sudden weight. “What we are going to do is send her out using this hand signal –“ Behind the bird’s head Keith watched Shiro flick his two fingers up “-which will tell her to circle around the area.”

Keith followed the motion and felt a rush of adrenaline as the bird took off, transfixed as it soared around the garden.

“Keep your arm out, she’s coming back!” At the force of the bird landing,  Keith nearly fell over, caught by Shiro steadying him. “Good job,” The man held out a treat to the bird who munched on it. “Now when hunting you can send her out for a farther search, with this hand signal. Go ahead and try.”

Keith tried to mimic the notion but found himself struggling with the finger placement. Shiro leaned over and moved his hand into the correct position. “Try again.” This time Keith when instructed the bird it took off scanning the ground properly.

“She’ll come back in a bit with something nice. We usually use hawks for catching small prey like rabbits or squirls but you can also use them as a sign for where the prey is. Based on the direction she returns from will let you know where you should hunt.”

“How do you know so much about hunting?” I thought it was like, against your monk code to eat animals.” Keith teased. Shiro rolled his eyes before roughly ruffling Keith’s hair- it was starting to get long. The Queen hadn’t gotten him a haircut in a while and it was practically in his eyes.

“I’m a paladin Your Majesty, dedicated to the seven pillars of knighthood. ‘Courage, Honor, Justice-“

“Mercy, Generosity, Faith and Nobility. I know, I know.” Keith finished. Shiro smiled. “Precisely. And as a Paladin I can recognize the use of hunting to take care of myself. If I hunted more than I ate or used that would be wasteful. But small amounts are fine. You, however will likely need to take part of hunting tournaments at some point and knowing how to track larger animals will be necessary to secure your position amount the nobles.”

Keith squinted at Shiro, this was the first time he was hearing of a hunting tournament. “A what?”

“A hunting tournament. You know, when nobles go out and set up tents to spend the week hunting? They have a prize for whoever can kill the biggest animal or the most prey?  The winner is crowned seen as super cool and gains more admiration…You have no idea what I’m talking about do you?”

Keith shook his head.

“I would have thought hunting would be more popular out here given all the unfarmed land you have. But, “Shiro shrugged “To each there own. OH! It looks like she brought something back with her. I’ll teach you how to skin and cook it. Quick hold your arm out- “

.

“There was this knight that used to mentor me growing up." Keith regaled to Mars "He showed me how to fight and survive on my own. The palace had a lot expectations of what they wanted me to be, which I couldn’t fill. But when I was with him, I didn’t feel so…out of place. I wasn’t “The Princess” to him. I was just me. After he left, I started to sneak out of the castle to feel that sense of self again. I probably wouldn’t have gotten into adventuring at all if it wasn’t for…”

.

Keith pulled his hood further up as he passed a few guards talking in the market. The Queen had kicked Shiro out two months ago for being “a bad influence”. Apparently, a roughhousing daughter was the last thing she wanted.

Without Shiro, Keith felt like everything in the castle was closing in to suffocate him. He hadn’t even realized how intense it all was until he had someone who had given him the space to put it all down. To be himself again.

Shiro had let him be the son the Queen adopted and not the daughter she was convincing herself she had. He just needed a little break, that was all. He’d be back at the castle before she even realized he was gone. It was just an itty-bitty-teeny-tiny outing as himself-

Keith banged into someone’s back. He pulled away as the other person turned around. The boy was his height, with a blue tunic, worn trousers and dirt covered shoes. His bangs were incredibly short, like he had cut them himself. He had two large cate ears stretching out from his head. In his hands he was holding a crate of produce. Behind him, Keith could see cart the boy has helping unload.

“Uh, Sorry.” He stumbles out

“Oh, no problem. Here, you can take this.” The boy dropped the crate into Keith’s arms who nearly toppled by the surprise weight. The boy pulled another crate from the cart before turning back to Keith. “This way.” He instructed. Unsure what to do Keith kept his pace inline with the boys as they made their way down an ally.

The boy sat the box down on one of the doorsteps then headed back to the cart. Following his lead, Keith set the box of carrots down and drifted after him. The two continued to unload the rest of the produce, with Keith following the other’s direction as to which shop door they belonged to. On some doors the boy would knock to collect payment, others he would scratch line onto the frame.

“That was pretty good! If I handled that by myself it would have taken me twice as long!” The boy cheered dropping the last handful of coins into his pouch. “I’m Pike by the way, what about you?”

“I’m K-“ In an instant the boy was right up against him, hand over his mouth, holding him still by his arm. His face inch’s from Keith’s.

“Shh! Are you nuts! You can’t use your real name here!” The boy exclaimed wide eyed. His nose kind of scrunched when he did that, “There are Dark Elves.” He pulled away, eyes squinting as he looked around them. “They could be anywhere.” He warned, hands creeping under his chin, wiggling outward in a distrustful motion. “They can pose as your friends and family, luring you into their clutches; and if they get your name, you’ll never be seen or heard from again!”

“What do they do?” Keith whispered entranced. No one in the castle would talk much about Dark Elves in front of him, always hushing conversations when he came by.

“My sister Vic-Vixen! Says that they eat your soul and then wear your skin like a mask to lure more people into ‘The Darkness!’ ” Pike narrated standing on his tiptoes, raising his hands tall above him so he could loom over Keith.

Keith raised an eyebrow “Why ‘The Darkness?’”

“ Cause they’re Dark Elves, duh. That’s where their powers come from.  They can’t eat you in broad day light. That’s whey they need your name! Then they can lure you into the deep forest where it’s always nighttime!!! GAAHHHHH!!!”

Keith shrieked as Pike came down toppling the two of them onto the ground. They rolled over each other grabbing hands, furiously pushing back and forth as each tried to claim the winning spot  in their rough housing.

After a bit they broke apart panting for air. Leaning against the buildings in the ally Keith watched as Pike’s tail flicked lightly between them.

“You’re fun.” Pike declared “Are you new in town?”

A shot of panic hit him. He couldn’t tell the truth, “Ah, no. Just…Just visiting.” He fumbled out.

Pike’s tail dropped “Figures. Well, where you from then?”

Keith rolled the answer around in his mouth “Feyiv” He answered. It was the name of his home town from before he had been adopted. He wondered if this still counted as lying.

Pike’s ears perked up “That’s not too far! It’s only like,” He counted on his hand “…three- four days away!

“Yeah,”

“So, what brings you to the capital? Is it business or pleasure?” Pike teased wiggling his eyebrows. Keith watched as his eyebrows moved and his face turn to one of mock smolder, and found himself choking back laughter.

 “Uh…business” Keith decided, hiding a smile to himself as he spoke

“Ha! Knew it. If you’re not here to sight-see you’re here to sell. Based on your fancy little riding hood-“ Pike observed giving it a tug “I’m guessing…your family are merchants, huh?”

“Right again. It’s just me…and…my Dad.” Keith added after hesitating. He could pretend a little, he told himself. Just for today.

“WELL then,” Pike said standing up and stretching, “I guess I can be your tour guide while you’re in town. Since you helped me out and all. Show you all the fun stuff we have to offer here. Give you the authentic. Local. Experience.”

His hand reached out to Keith, still sitting on the cobblestones. His smile was contagious with the sun peaking out from behind his head. “Come on,” He urged “Let’s go have some fun.”

.

.

.

“Mullet!” Pike yelled jumping on his back “You’re finally in town again! You-JERK!”

“OW!- Let go of my hair!” Keith cried wobbling left and right under the weight of his friend, mercilessly pulling at him in angry retribution.

“You said you would be in town last month! And you. weren’t. HERE! Do you know how many times I walked down to see you? My family farm is not nearby! But I still came out here for days waiting for your sorry behind to show up!”

“ow, OW, ow, Ok I’m sorry! It wasn’t like I didn’t want to be here! Stuff came up!” Stuff of course being the extra attention the Queen was giving him, making it impossible for Keith to sneak out of the castle that month. Every time he tried, she was there ready to keep him occupied with dinner placement charts, and waltz steps.

“Well, it better have been important, you totally owe me.” Pike grumbled climbing off him. “I’m thinking a bag of sour suckers will get you back into my good graces.”

“See now I’m starting to think we’re just friends so I’ll buy you stuff.”

Pike rolled his eyes. “Stop trying to be pitiful, you know that’s not true.  Now come on, I’ve got a bunch of stuff I want to do while you’re here.”

.

.

.

“Pike come OOOOooon! The tavern is so boring. They won’t even let us inside!” Keith whined trying to drag his friend away from the building.

“Shut up,” Pike shushed waving his hand at Keith, nose still glued to the window paneling. “I just want to see the adventuring board. They’re posting new requests today!”

Keith slid down the stone wall with a groan, batting Pike’s tail - which was flicking left and right -  away from his face. “Why do you even care?”

“Because being an adventurer is awesome! You go on quests, fight monsters, save the ladies and get paid in solid gold! What could be cooler than that?!”

“Uh, I don’t know, maybe the free samples they’re giving out at the bakery today?”

“-tt- You and samples.  It’s like you don’t even appreciate what I’m trying to do for yooo- OH! OH!”

Keith popped up at hie friend’s excitement and cupped his hands to look through the window. “What? What is it?”

“Look! ‘Goblins terrorizing sheep. Night Guard wanted. 3 silver per night, 1 silver per goblin killed.’ Dude!” Pike shrieked shaking Keith back and forth excitedly “We could totally handle that! We would make so much money!!!”

“You want to stay up all night waiting to get attacked by Goblins? We don’t even have any equipment to fight with!”

“Come on! Goblins are so easy to scare off – I’ve done it a couple times on my walks home. We just need to find a good stick, or a maybe a shovel…” Pike shrugged “Honestly we probably won’t even see any. They don’t like to approach people that often. It’ll be a piece of cake, Pleeeeease Mullet? I’ll let you talk about star constellations all night!”

“Hmm…”

“I’ll ask questions and I won’t even protest when you talk about that one that rotates through the year, even though it totally doesn’t.”

“It does too!”

“And I will happily agree with you! If you come Goblin hunting with me tonight~” Pike sang, fluttering his lashing as his pupils widened to stare at Keith pleadingly. Keith could feel his composition crumbling as Pike tilted his head, hands raised under his chin. He couldn’t. He wouldn’t! Pike leaned closer, his pupils dilated, mouth pinched in a slight pout. He was just…to….Pitiful!

 “mmmmhmhm-fine.” Keith gave in, dropping his head

“Yay! You go tell your Dad we’ll be camping outside tonight. I’ll sneak in and get the flier. Then we’ll meet back here.”

“How are you going to steal the flier if they won’t even let you in?”

“Oh ye of little faith, just leave that to me. Now go – hurry! The sooner you get back the sooner we can start heading out.”

Keith let himself be pushed away towards the merchant guild before his friend darted away to break into the tavern. Pike was still under the impression Keith was the son of a traveling merchant and Keith did his best to keep it that way. Being the ‘son of a traveling merchant’ always gave him  the perfect excuse as to why he was or wasn’t in the capital on any given day. Why was he in town early? They had something to sell only traders in the capital would appreciate. Why was he late? Their last client stretched negotiations out a few days. Why had he left town so soon? They had sold out ahead of schedule and his dad wanted to get home.

 Of course, he tried his best to sneak out consistently during the first week of the month so Pike could meet him. But it was merely a stroke of luck Pike never asked to meet his Dad. To fair, Keith never asked to meet any of Pike’s family members so maybe it was a two-way street.

Keith entered the guildhall of merchants, taking in the scene. Some were fervently trading goods with each other while others nursed their food. The effect of their travel’s weighing on their faces, tired but happy. Up the stairs were rooms they rented out. Keith had occasionally stayed in one of them for some extra coin under the table.

He was starting to get more daring with his “days off”. Something that began as only a few precious hours was turning into full days away from the castle. Sometimes the staff noticed he was gone and sometimes they didn’t. He wouldn’t really know until he got back, or if Thace and Kolivan showed up to drag him back.

Keith leaned against the wall, picking at his nails. He’d have to commit to the bit of being a merchant one day. When it finally got too suspicious for him to be in the capital without wares to sell. For now, he could get away with saying his Dad, was the merchant but Pike had to assume he was set to take the family’s business over eventually. He had even started asking questions about how Keith felt about it the last few times he ‘visited’. Those conversations always made him tense. He didn’t like thinking about the future too much.

Keith waited a few more minutes before he turned around and headed back to the tavern. Pike was already waiting for him, flier in hand and a proud smirk on his face.

“What I tell you? Am I good or am I good?” He asked boldly handing it to Keith for inspection.

“You’re good.” Keith commended turning the page over as he looked at it. Pike’s tail swished gently, showing he was pleased with the compliment, without saying it.

“-phht- Yeah, I know. Um, let’s go. The farm is a few miles that way. We can pick up some old tools from this one abandoned shed on the way.”

Keith stuffed the flier into his pocket and fell inline with Pike’s steps as they made their way out of the capital.

+++++++++

“I’m telling you! The White Lion moves from East to West. See in the springtime it was over there, now it’s over here!”

Pike stretched out on the blanket the sheepherder had lent them, the light of the lantern illuminating his features. “Yeah, I don’t see it. I think you’re imagining things.”

“I am NOT you turn-stain, besides you have to agree with me. You promised.”

“Ah, so I did. Dang.” Keith laughed at Pike who was immediately changing his tone to one of theatrical jest. “Oh great Star keeper Mullet-Man, I recognize your superior wisdom of the stars, please tell this lowly boy more about the moving sky dots!”

The two of them roared with laughter, startling some of the sheep away from them.

“It’s a really nice night out,” Keith noted once their laughter died down,

“Yeah…” Pike breathed out, still recovering “it really is.” They lay there in silence for a moment before Pike spoke again.  “I wish you lived in town. Then we could hang out all the time.”

Keith could feel his stomach twist into a knot. He hated that he had to hide the fact he did live in town but what else could he do? Nothing made sense otherwise.

“Me too,” he manages to whisper out.

“Have you ever thought of being something other than a merchant?” Keith looked over at Pike who was adamantly staring at the sky.

“What?”

“I just mean, there are other occupations-“ A rustling in the bushes cut Pike’s train of though off. Both boy’s sat up quickly. In the darkness it was hard to see anything. Slowly Keith reached out to grab the shovel while Pike stood, hoe in hand ready to face the noise.

“It’s just a goblin Mullet. No big deal.” Despite his confident tone, Keith could see his leg shake.

The bush stayed frozen as Pike inched closer. He hesitantly raised the tool and poked the branched with the tool. Nothing.

The boys breathed a sigh of relief. “Just a false alarm” Pike said, shoulders relaxing. “Probably a rabbit-“

“ATTACK!!!!!”

Pike jumped four feet in the air at the noise, tail puffing as he scrambled backwards. Out of the bushes sprang eight Goblin, charging forward with wooden clubs and rope.  Keith found himself shrieking as he swung his shovel at the nearest Goblin knocking the club out of his hands. This was so much different than sword fighting.

“Where did they come from!?” Pike yelled, backed up against Keith. Currently in his own battle of trying to beat the Goblins away from the herd. One of them had wrapped itself around Pike’s weapon and the boy was trying to throw it off while hitting the others.

Behind them the sheep had begun screaming, obviously recognizing their attackers. One of them was crawling forward, arm outstretched to grab onto one of the sheep by their a leg when Keith slammed his shovel down on the Goblin’s head.

“This isn’t working!” He shouted “We need something more!”

“Like what?!”

“I don’t know! You said they were easy to scare off!”   

“They are!? You just wave your lantern at them, makes some nose and they usually go away!!! OW!”

Pike struck a goblin sending it and the one on his hoe flying into another, toppling them into a pile. The boys locked eyes in the darkness. “The Lantern!” They shouted in unison.

“Cover me!” Keith yelled sliding back to the blanket. He reached for the lantern the sheep farmer had given them . It had fallen on it’s side in the commotion. The candle had gone out.

The sound of Pike screaming as he continued to hit goblins behind him made Keith’s hands shake as he continued to strike his flint together in an attempt to relight it.

The Sheep were making so much noise. It sounded like a few were being dragged sown with nets.

Keith struck the flint again, nearly cheering when a spark lit and the candle began to glow. He grabbed it and held it up.

In the light, the party of Goblins barley hesitated. Pike’s eyes were pleaded at him but Keith didn’t know what to do. They were going to be overtaken. Forget the sheep, they were going to die.

“SNAP OUT OF IT MULLET!” Pike yelled, running towards him. “GET THE BLANKET!”

The blanket? Keith looked down at the fabric they had been laying on a moment ago. Pike’s plan clicking into place. He jumped off it, grabbing the fabric and ran further away from the chasing horde.

Pike pulled up next to him. Without speaking Keith tossed him half of it. The lantern in his hand was jostling dangerously but it for once he didn’t feel worried.

The two of them turned back around. They only had a few seconds before the goblin mass was on them. Keith opened the lantern and dropped the candle onto the blanket held tight between them.

The blanket must not have been made entirely of wool because it started to catch fire immediately. Keeping the sides tight, they ran towards the crowd, burning sheet in hand.  

Drawing closer, Keith could see the fear in a couple of the goblin’s eyes before they dragged them into the burning sheet. The fire was getting bigger. The group of goblins was starting to draw back. It was getting to hot.

“DROP IT!” Pike yelled. The blanket and the two goblins inside fell to the ground, the flame reaching up like bonfire as it began to attack the entrapped goblin’s flesh. Their screams curling out with a sick pop of embers.

Keith scooped up his shovel and saw Pike doing the same with his hoe as they ran towards the retrieving group of goblins ready to slice or bash heads off.

++++++

By morning, the fire was finally dying down. Keith was covered in soot, dirt and Goblin blood. Pike wasn’t much better. Slumped on his hoe that was now left as a stick from one of the Goblin’s taking a bite out of it. He poked the burnt Goblin remains of the fire with the handle, turning the embers.

Most of the gang had escaped but between the two of them they had killed nearly half.

Keith felt a laugh breakout as the sun started to come up. They had fought a group of skilled goblin thieves and had somehow lived. Pike game him a concerned look and that had Keith laughing more. “Goblins are so easy to scare off ~ “ He chocked out “ We probably won’t even see any! They don’t like to approach people that often!”

Pike groaned and buried his head in his hands as Keith kept laughing “I didn’t know!” he wailed as Keith kept going “It’ll be a piece of cake! We can just talk about stars all night!” He could barely breathe now, wheezing out Pike’s earlier pitch. He rolled on the ground in hysteria, laughing while tears fell down his face.

Beside him he could hear Pike starting to laugh too, slightly broken.

“Oh True-namesake, we could have died Mullet.”

“We almost did!”

“Dude, I am SO sorry.”

Keith kept laughing. Pike continued “They just appeared out of nowhere! And there were so many of them! Why were there so many of them? It’s Sheep! Why do Goblins care so much about sheep?!”

They-“ Keith gasped through laughter  “They need them to make little goblin clothes.” That thought sent both of them into another fit of panic laughter.

Finally they began to wind down, the adrenaline rush starting to calm. Keith lay on his back staring at the growing blue sky. Pike was next to him, mirroring how they had been just before the attack.

“That blanket thing was so smart.” He found himself saying, contemplating how close to defeat they had been.

“I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.” Pike admitted. “I’ve never been that scared in my entire life.”

Keith licked his lips, tasting some of his blood that had trickled from his nose after a Goblin had punched him. The way his heart had been beating fast, the adrenaline pumping, the quick thinking between the two of them, Pike moving in sync with him.

“…I think I want to be an adventurer.” He breathed

“You what?!” Pike shot up, leaning over him to stare into his eyes. Probably checking for a concussion. “Really?” he demanded, looking down at him with something of hope in his features. Keith felt his breath catch. Warmth spreading through his chest. A smile started to break out across his lips.

“Yeah.” Keith said, his voice more exited now. “I want to do that again.”

.

.

.

“…this friend of mine. He was really into adventuring and would drag me out on jobs. If it wasn’t for his persistence I probably would never have found my love for it.”

“Wow.” Mars breathed “So you could have had an entirely different life. What kind of jobs did he take you on?”

Keith shrugged. It really depended on which jobs they could get given their age at the time. Most people didn’t question them since Pike was able to sneak the fliers out of the Tavern to trick people into thinking they were older than they were. But some of the locals knew Pike. Still, that never stopped them and it usually left them taking harder jobs then they could handle.

“Just this and that. Hunting monsters, gathering intel, fighting criminals.” Keith responded keeping his answers vague. There was no need in telling the kid all the different times Pike and him and nearly gotten themselves killed trying to pull off a job bigger than both of them combined. “The usual stuff.”

“I can’t wait ‘till I’m old enough to go on adventures.” Mars sighed wistfully “Its so much more exciting than working on the farm.”

“It does have the ability to get your blood pumping.”

“Yeah, but you also get to travel and se the world-Oh! OH!” Keith tilted his head at Mar’s sudden excitement but then froze at the item Mars had in his grasp.

A mushroom flashed faintly before growing dim within the pre-teen’s fingers. Keith looked down, the empty hole left in the ground where it had previously sat. Next to it another mushroom waited, dirt already carved away from it. “I got it!”

Mars reached down and grabbed the other mushroom, yanking it up. Once it was pulled away from the others, Keith saw the plant’s defense barrier crumpled as Mar’s dirt covered fingers squeezed the fungi along with its brother.

“Can you cross the barrier now?”

Keith reaches his hand out. The tips of his fingers brush against something, he gives it a tentative push. There’s definitely something still there, but it’s not as firm as it was before. He pushes harder and sees his fingers stretch ever so slightly over the mushrooms. He stands up and tries again with his whole-body weight. Below him the circle continues to flash in defense.

There’s a bit of give now. Keith digs his feet into the ground and pushes his shoulder into the barrier. It pushes back against him resisting his motion. He scrambles to scratch at the magic with his nails. If he can catch the weak point, he may be able to – just- barley- break- free--!

The barrier whips him back into the tower, which he thankfully avoids slamming his head on.

“Princess!” Mar’s panic voice calls through his disorientation, pulling him up by his arm. “Are you ok!? What happened-I’m so sorry!”

“No, no this is good.” Keith mumbles out as he struggles to regain his footing. “It means we’re on the right track.” He looks down at the cat-boy who was still looking slightly worried. He ruffled Mars's hair the way Shiro had done when he was younger. “You did great kid. Really.”

Mars blinked up at him, then burst into a grin. It makes Keith smile through the pain. This is good. Mars will dig up more mushrooms and, in a few days, he’ll be out of the tower. He’ll have to figure out a good way to reward the kid before he takes off. Maybe his saved satchel of coins would be a good trade. He could probably sell the fabric bolts in the tower to get enough for a ship ticket afterwards.

After this incident Keith was making sure he wouldn’t end up back at the castle for a good long while.

He looked out to the harbor, which was a speck of white sails in the distance and breathed a sigh of relief. In a few days he’ll be on one of those ships sailing off into open waters. It’s been a few years since his last job on a boat but he could surely get back into the groove of it. He wonders how Kosmo will fair on a boat.

That’s when he notices movement coming up the road. He squints at the moving carriage climbing up the hills side. Oh no,

“Quick!” Keith snaps, pushing Mars away from him. “Hide!”

“Wh-What?”

“The Queen’s carriage is coming up the hill! If she sees you our plan is done for! GO!” Mars scrambles to grab the tools he brough, fumbling to keep them in his hands as he rushes to pick them all up at once. Keith’s eyes dart between the approaching carriage and Mars who doesn’t seem to be moving fast enough.

Finally the boy runs partly down the hill, diving into the bushes growing along the forest edge just as the carriage careens over the top, pulling itself up in front of Keith. He whips around to face it, dusting the dried mud off his skirt and stepping sideways in an attempt to block the mushroom cavity. He just needs to play the part for a few minutes. Keep the Queen happy long enough she moves on without noticing Mars or the missing mushrooms.

The door to the carriage begins to swing open. He can do this.

A bare foot presses down on the carriage step followed by another as a short arm braces itself on the door frame. “Oh- I do not like carriages. There are too many things that can go wrong! Coming up here left us open to 359 risks that could have resulted in my death!”

Keith’s shouldered slumped, it was the Actuary Advisor. The council man was a favorite of the Queen due to his long history of working for the crown and his incredible accuracy of weighing numbers to their outcomes. Although he had a personal obsession with disasters, he was quite good at providing insight on possible cause and effects.  It had been his research that noticed the Dark Elves aversion towards iron, allowing the crown to invest in the iron torches.

He had the body of a caterpillar with four sets of arms and lemur-like feet with a large tail curled behind him. His mouth was that of a short yellow beak with feathered plumage puffing out from his collar. Truth be told, Keith wasn’t sure what race he belonged to. But given the man’s regular focus on misfortune and death, he had long assumed most of his kin were gone.

“Now, let’s see.” The Advisor stated pulling out his notepad. He tapped the quill on the front of the book three times before turning it over to tap the back five times, he then flipped back to the front. On the inside cover he tapped the quill two more times before shutting the book very harshly. Keith waited, long having grown used to the man’s self-soothing ritual.

Finally, he opened the book and began going over a list he had prepared.

“The Princess is…”He looked at Keith. His eyes focused on him and in an instant was in Keith’s personal space. Pulling at his ears, checking his teeth, inspecting the fabric of the dress. “…dirty” The Advisor concluded writing down his observation.

“Are you eating?” He questioned “The cabinets are operating properly, yes?”

Out of the corner of his eye Keith could see Mar’s figure trying to climb out of the bushes towards his family farm. Why was he doing that now? “Uh, yes. They work perfectly well.”

“mmmHmm. Good. Good. I told the Queen there was a 46% chance they could stop working. You were supplied with some form of food storage, correct?”

“Yes. The kitchen updates it weekly through the cabinet.” Mars tripped on a branch, sending him onto his face. Keith winced slightly. Oblivious, the Actuary Advisor logged a check mark in the notebook.

“And this…” The Advisor asked, walking towards the tower and giving the hanging fabric rope a tug “What is its purpose?”

“Oh-un…Laundry. I was…” What was a good reason to have it tied up like that? “…drying them?” He finished lamely.

“ I see.” More scribbling in the notebook “And that boy over there, does he have something to do with the missing mushrooms?”

Keith’s head snapped back to the Advisor who was still scribbling observations down. Had he misheard him? “What-What?” he tried with a shaky smile

“The mushroom cavity you’re trying to hide behind you. I told the Queen; a Princess of your resourcefulness would escape 75.4% of the time.” The notebook snapped shut. “Of course, by maintaining certain aspects of the experience we should be able to lower that rate to 34.66662%. Let’s see…” He dug deeply into one of his pockets before removing a small pouch, bouncing it’s weight in his hand before opening it.

Realization hit Keith when he saw the glowing tint coming from inside. He moved forward, trying to sipe it out of the Actuary’s hand, but being quicker than Keith, the academic skirted away, stepping out of the mushroom circle.

“Ahah-quite sharp your majesty!” The advisor praised with a smile. Keith could only respond with a growl as the academic turned his attention away towards the two guards that had accompanied him from the palace.  “Would you please go down there and apprehend that boy? We need to limit the probability of this occurring again.”

With a hesitant look to each other, the larger guard began to jog down the hill towards the tree line with the other trailing after him. Keith darted to the side of the circle, pushing his hands against the barrier as he watched Mar’s figure scrambling out of he bushes and make a break for it.

“What are you doing!? Hey! Leave him alone! He’s just a kid!”

Meanwhile the Actuary had begun walking around the mushroom circle sprinkling the mushroom spores. In seconds a new round of mushrooms began to sprout up, intertwining with the old row. Keith still focused at the base of the hill watched in horror as Mars was being trapped in a chase around. Each time he tried to get onto his family property he was blocked by one, and cornered by the other from behind. They were practically chasing the boy in circle, and having blocked him on both sides were slowly inching towards him.

“That should do it.”

Keith’s head turned to look at the Advisor surveying his work proudly. At the bottom of the hill, Mar’s shouts declared him to be caught. “Good day Princess. I hope to see you back at the palace soon!” the man chimed before scurrying down the hill.

“Hey wait! Let him go!” Keith demanded banging on the barrier. He winced at the pain. It had somehow become firmer than before. Behind the mushrooms he watched as Mar’s figure was heaved on the larger guard’s shoulders. To their credit they did seem to be treating him only as an unruly child and not a criminal. He watched as the small group continued to move away from the tower towards the NialCcM farmhouse, Mar's shouting and beating his fists on the man's back all the way. The carriage pulled forward to follow the group down the path.

Keith swore.

This wasn’t fair. This wasn’t right.

He looked down at the double row of glowing mushrooms, now flashing in sync with the first. The hole Mars had previously dug had become filled with new ones. He crouched down and picked up the mushrooms Mars had dropped earlier. They had somehow become dried in the few minutes from leaving the ground.

Useless.

Hopeless.

He crushed them to dust in his fist.

The Actuary Advisor could shove his 34%. Mark his words, Keith was going to get out of there one way or another.