The monarchs were in two seperte rooms, four beds in each. In prince Wilbur's and Princess Evangeline's, each slept in a seperate bed, two elite guards in the others, and in Queen Lysanna's room, the same but with three elite guards. But now, everyone was in Queen Lysanna's room, looking at the slip of paper that was handed to her.

"What is Yamor?"

No one had an answer. Wilbur tilted his head and picked up the paper, taking a pencil out of his bag and writing on the back of the paper, the letters rearranged over and over until one word stood out, M A Y O R.

"Oh my gods... it's the mayor..."

Everyone uneasily glanced around at eachother, for one of his own soldiers to rat him out, it must be something particularly devious. "Well this certainly changes things..."

Wilbur glanced at the Queen whom has just muttered those words, "Whatever do you mean?"

The queen sighed deeply, tugging on the long golden braid that hung over her shoulder, "I was suspicious before of this town due to some information Prince Techno shared, but this is not just suspicion anynore, it's a warning from the inside. We must be careful."

Everyone bristled at her solemn words but unanimously agreed. After splitting the group's between the two rooms, the monarchs and guard settled into an unfulfiling and on edge sleep.

❦ ❦ ❦

The monarchs did not expect to see the feline when they stepped down into the entry of the inn the next morning. He had no helmet this time, their sandy, black tipped cat ears sat atop his head for them all to see instead of under the plummed helmet of before. His ocean blue eyes widened as the group approached, "Hello your majesty, your highnesses, I'm instructed to escort you to the parade route that will be held in two days."

His voice was soft and pleasent on the ears, as he spoke sharp cat-like teeth on display. The queen greeted him, "Thank you, perhaps you could lead us to somewhere to eat on the way, we are all quite famished."

"Yes your majesty, if you would please follow me," the feline turned and began to walk out the inn. The Queen was the first to follow, then Wilbur and Princess Evangeline, and finally a line of three elite soldiers, black armor clanking with each step.

The walk was pleasant, Demetria although somehow sinister was undoubtedly beautiful. The cobbled streets that had a lovely echo as one would walk, the fresh smell of food floating in the air as one passed shops, the flowers that sat pretty in their beds hung above doors, below windows, or in planters along the streets. Yes, Demetria was pretty, but it was simply a facade. The front of the city was a beautiful haven, but the farther back you traveled the worse it got. Of course, none of the visitors knew of such things, and they enjoyed their blissfully ignorant walk towards a small shop that the feline brought them too.

"Ant! It's been too long, how are you?" A small old shopkeeper greeted the feline. She had greyed hair pulled up into a bun that seemed to have once held shape but had fallen. Her skin was pale as snow, her eyes small and a deep black color. Her face was wrinkled, smile lines apparent and a smile on her face. Her clothes were that of a worker, white blouse under the thin maroon skirt, beige apron on top, which was dusted with flour.

The feline smiled at the petite old shop keeper, whom stepped out from behind the counter to greet them, "And who might your guests be?"

"Miriam, this is Queen Lysanna of Lysan, Prince Wilbur of the Antarctic Empire, and Princess Evangeline of Londbergh, along with their elite guard," Ant, as the group now knew, introduced them. Miriam, the shopkeeper, bowed deeply in embarrasment, "Oh, deary me! Forgive me for my lack of manners, please sit, I will prepare something fresh for you all, is there anything you fancy?"

Wilbur grinned, "Oh you are perfectly fine, Miriam was it? Just make what you normally would, I'm certain it's delicious!"

The frazzled shopkeeper gave a soft, heart-melting smile before scurrying to the back to prepare food. "So, your name is Ant?"

The feline shifted his gaze away from the door that was still swinging from Miriam's swift exit, and looked at Wilbur who had adressed him, "Yes."

The monarchs began to look around the homely shop. It was all wood, but homemade cushions were settled on the chairs and benches that were settled at the tables. The front of the small shop was where around five tables and a long bench stretching the length of the wall were, the back half was the counter that one could order and blocked individuals from entering the backroom which was presumably a kitchen. It was two stories and it could be presumed that Miriam lived in the space above. Ant stood from his seat, adjacent from the table the monarchs sat and walked into the back, calling Miriam's name.

"Mmm, I can't help but be curious of their aquantinceship... I wonder if they're family," Princess Evangeline muttered.

"I do as well... he seems to worry for her," Wilbur mentioned. The Queen snickered, "The feline seems to just worry about everything, did you not catch the continuous glances as we walked here?"

"Ah... uhm, no," Wilbur sheepishly addmitted.

The queen gave a knowing grin, before settling her face impassive as the feline reemerged from the back, "Here, some rice for all of you. She is preparing some more good food, so just sit tight."

"Thank you sir!" Princess Evangeline thanked him. The feline bowed before scurrying away.

"...would it be ill-advised to comment that I want to pet his hair?" Wilbur asked.

"Uwah--Yes! Don't do that!" Princess Evangeline exclaimed in panic, worried the keen feline ears would hear.

"Don't do what?" Ant asked as he strode out with three bowls balanced on his arms, almost like responding to the unsaid call of his name.

"Oh, nothing! Wilbur wanted to ask a question and it is a bit ill-advised..." Princess Evangeline revealed with a sheepish smile. "Well... i am fine with it, so Prince Wilbur can ask whatever he would like, what was the question?"

"Ahah... it was um, I was wondering if your name is indeed Ant, as in your birthname?" Wilbur responsed. It might not have been the quetion he said originally but it was still a question he had.

"Yes, It's Ant of the family Frost," He answered, setting the bowls in front of the monarchs as Miriam bustled out with bowls for the guards as well.

"Frost... as in the human noble family in Azgeda?" Wilbur asked in confusion.

"Mhm, I'm the bastard son so I was sent here as a child and just go by Ant, no surname," Ant grinned as he said it, so it seemed as if he was over the ordeal. "Don't feel bad for me, I've had a good life here, able to choose what I want, so I'm happy."

The Queen smiled at the young soldier, "I'm glad. However I do have something I'd like to ask you, what was your message about?"

"Ah... I'm sure you figured out what it meant in a literal sense, but to put it straight out there, the mayor was expecting Prince Techno to be here, and he made a deal with the Triad to exact some sort of revenge. I'm not sure what it is but, thats what i was told by my superiors. Im telling you all this because i joined the guard to help others, not assist in some weird assassination attempt."

"Wait... revenge? What could Tech have possibly done? The last time he lived here was when he was seven..." Wilbur wondered aloud.

Ant shrugged, "Whatever it was, i was too young to either know or remember, maybe Miriam knows? Miriam!"

The old lady shuffled out, "Yes?"

"Is there anything Prince Techno could have done to warant revenge Miriam?"

"Hmmm, what does Prince Techno look like? I might know something," Miriam responded as she walked closer.

Wilbur fished into his bag where he pulled out a small painting of the pink haired prince, "Here, it's from about a year ago, but he hasn't changed much, except longer hair."

Miriam studied the paper in silence, taking in the image of the prince, "Well... he reminds of an infamous boy that was here around 15 years ago. It makes sense Techno would leave after what happened to the boy, if i was him i would have fled too."

"What... happened?" Wilbur nervously asked. He couldnt tell whether or not he wanted to know the answer. Miriam sat on the bench with the painting in hand, looking at it. On it, Techno was dressed in an ice-blue blouse, his hair down, and a soft grin on his face. Wilbur remembered the day he had painted it, they had decided to visit farther into the countryside of the Antarctic Empire. It was a warm day and they found a feild of flowers. The two spent the day wandering through it, having fun and at sunset, they sat and Wilbur painted the portait. Techno had origionally not wanted to, and had a frown on his face for a while, but as he had watched Wilbur diligently mix colors he couldn't help but smile. He had his arms crossed over his propped up knees, and his head laid on top, his face held the soft grin. The colors were beautiful, and it was a marvelous peice of art. Behind Techno's frame was the field of blue and purple hues of the flowers that complimented Techno's flowing pink hair nicely.

Miriam smiled sadly at the painting before looking up, "In Demetria, pink or salmon hair is considered bad luck and eternal damnation. Most of us residents are incredibly superstitious, as in not spilling salt, burning sage, but some heretics took it too far back then. A boy had been born with salmon hair just down the street from here had it really rough. Aside from the other kids making fun of him, he wasn't allowed to some places and sometimes people would throw rocks at him. Towards the end he used to come here everyday, not saying a word but he would come and just sit right where I am, for hours on end until he had to go home."

"Towards the end... you mean?" Wilbur barely managed to utter the words.

"Yes, he died. One night the town gathered in central square, and they put the boy on a pyre, burning him alive. I'll never be able to have fire seem the same way. I will never regret anything more than not going to the square to save the boy that night. So... i understand Prince Techno's want to leave, he probably would have been next if they found him before he escaped this town," Miriam absentmindedly stroked the cushion beide her, as if remembering where the boy used to sit.

Wilbur briskly stood before muttering a small apology and escaping out the shop. Ant who had lived his entire life in Demetria hung his head, trying to understand the story his friend told, "How... how have i never known this story?"

"Most people try not to remember that night. Alot of us common folk cannot bear to think of that nights horrors...and it's illegal to pay tribute to the child, or I'm sure we'd hold a fesitval in memorial for him. The most i can do is set out a single rose for him in memory each year. He used to come in once a week with a single rose, each time a different color, before he ran out of colors and began to being the same ones he previously had in the order he had before. How a boy so young could remember the order of colors over the span of weeks I'll never know."

"But, if you've never seen the underbelly od the city, it's easy to think it's a wonderful paradise. There, atrocities happen all the time, and there's no one brave enough to help. I myself cannot either, the most i can do is wait for a willing ear to hear me tell stories and hope someone is brave enough."

"...Have you always lived here Miriam?" Princess Evangeline asked tenatively.

"If by in Demetria, then yes. I was born in the southern district, and when I had saved enough money I moved here and opened my store," Miriam answered, standing up and handing the painting back to Wilbur who had just re-entered.

"Are you okay Prince Wilbur?" Princess Evangeline asked him.

He shook his head, arms wrapping around his torso, "I cannot even begin to fathom how that child must have felt. I cant even try and think of what Tech had to live through before dad brought him home, all of us are hurt from our homes, it's why dad brought us all home but... it just... the thought of Techno going through so much to be like he is now hurts."

"Like he is now...?"

"Techno is so caring and kind, but he's also very reserved and careful. It's not that he has no regard for life, but he finds it hard to care sometimes, saying that unless we've earned it, why does one get to enjoy the pleasures of existing? It's just a painful thought to think, 'What if Techno was next on that pyre?'"

With that unsettling thought, Techno's missing presence weighed heavier om everyones hearts and shoulders. The weirdly comforting presence of the intimidating Prince was beinning to be sorely missed by those who had begun the journey with him.

[A/n: sorry for missing yesterdays update i was watching anime and reading manga hehe, o 3o thanks for reading yall, please comment on stuff i love seeing reactions!! *not fully edited*]