[A/n: angst angst angst angst. Haha enjoy.]

Techno pushed Carl faster as the sound of galloping surrounded him. This was not ideal...

An arrow whizzed past his head, hitting a tree that he quickly passed. This was not how he expected his day to turn out.

❦ ❦ ❦

Techno waited at the gates of Azgeda, main city around the palace. He sat atop Carl, listening intently for the pair of monarchs and the Queen trailing them on horse. Guards passed him as they patrolled the walls of the city, and Techno tapped his fingers against the hilt of his sword in nervousness. Soon, a carriage approached the gates, Wilbur's mop of brunette hair poking out the window, "Good to see you Tech! Ready to go?"

Techno nodded, releasing a sigh, pulling the boar skull over his face. He turned Carl's reigns, signalling for the guard to open the gates, then he galloped past them, ahead of the carriage. A group of soldiers on horses also surrounded the carriage, Queen Lysanna's elite guard. The Queen herself took up the rear, and they made their way towards Demetria, the next major city of the Antarctic Empire. The journey would be about two days long, if they rode day and night, four if they rested during the nights. The group passed through forests and fields for the first two days of the journey before they encountered the adversary.

Techno sat atop Carl as everyone rode at a trot, moving slowly forward. He was scanning the area, his boar skull protecting his face from the chilled air. Queen Lysanna rode beside him, looking over a map, "If we take this pass, where would it lead us?"

Techno leaned over and glanced at the map, "That takes us towards Kari, which we aren't supposed to visit until next month."

The queen nodded, holding the map up towards rhe sun, "Your territory is so confusing..."

Techno chuckled, "Not exactly... it's just vast."

Qyeen Lysanna laughed alongside him, "True... you grew up here didn't you, I'd bet you know it like the back of your hand."

Techno turned towards the Queen, "How did you know that?"

The Queen turned towards him confused, "I'm... sorry? Know what?"

"That I grew up here?"

"Uh, I... I was referring to the Empire..." Queen Lysanna softly spoke.

Shit, Techno thought. "What were you referring to?"

Techno silently sat on Carl in thought, trying to decide whether or not to tell the Queen the secret. He glanced at the wagon and the elite guard that surrounded it. They were far out of earshot, so he began the story.

"All of us were born in different parts of the empire. Demetria is my homeland. When I was 7, Phil found me and took me back to the palace with him," Techno deliberately left out how Phil found him, and why he took Techno back with him, "Back then, I was named Dave, but a new life requires a new name and when I started to be called Techboblade by the public... well, Techboblade seemed pretty fitting."

The Queen watched the eldest prince as he shared, "As all of us grew, we were all endowed lands, and Phil gave all of us the lands we were born in... symbolism i suppose. So Demetria is not only the place a grew up, but it's my lands now," Techno grinned wickedly, "They hate me, so... expect a bad time. It can't be helped though, it's a main territory."

The Queen nodded, noticing he was deliberately holding back information, "Alright, I'll tell the soldiers to be on their guard."

She slowed her horse to join the elite guard and Techno released a deep sigh. Only Phil knew what happened that day he found him. Not even his siblings knew of the horrors that day. Techno shut his eyes, trying to shut the memories out of his mind. The thoughts and memories of that day were so loud, and persistent. It had been over a decade since that day, and not a day has passed that he doesn't think about it, even if it's in his sleep or waking hours, for a few minutes, or agonizing hours... not a day has passed since that it doesn't invade his mind.

His body shivered in disgust at the memory, and he jumped when a hand landed on his shoulder, "It's okay if you can't share why you left... we've all been through things, some worse than others. I'm sure there is someone who can relate to how you feel," The Queen said, peering at him.

Techno shook his head, "I sincerely doubt it..."

The Queen smiled, "Maybe not relate to the same situation, i meant more of relating to how you feel," The Queen took her hand off his shoulder, leaning farther back on her horse as she unhooked her breastplate, hauling it off, unhooking the armored sleeves that were attached as she went. Her undershirt was just a tanktop, but on her exposed arms and shoulders you could see risen, jagged scars. Techno couldn't hide his suprise at the sight of them, but the skull hide the widening of his eyes, "W--what?"

The Queen pulled it back over her top, attaching the sleeves again, pulling her braid out from underneath. "When I was young, my father, prior King of Lysan made some enemies. I got taken as reparation and they carved me up. For each man my father had killed during a scuffle with the group, I got carved with a knife. I remember counting each one... my fatehr had killed 35 men with his own hands, and I paid the price. Obviously they weren't good people, and I of all people do not mourn their deaths but... I was 13. It still hurts sometimes, when I remember..."

Techno couldn't even look at the Queen. He couldn't fathom how such a strong woman had gone through something so horrific. Maybe that's why she was strong, but Techno couldn't even look at her without wanting to shut his eyes, so he just averted them. He didnt know what to say. Then... the Queen laughed.

"Your reaction is quite appropriate... my father was furious, and he made the entire kingdom watch as he executed them. He was... a violent king, but he cared. He did, it was just... misplaced sometimes. Truth be told, many people celebrated that day... when they died. I did too, and that is what haunts me. The happiness I felt as I watched their eyes drain of life, their bodies weeping blood..." Queen Lysanna smiled darkly.

"I-- I cannot share. I cannot be as brave as you are. I cannit share ad you have," Techno admitted, thoroughly disguising his discomfoet with his gruff and harsh voice.

The Queen sympathetically smiled at him, "Everyone processes things differently, and not one of us are entitled to know everything that's happened to you. I'm not, your brothers aren't, whomever you marry isn't... you tell who you feel safe telling Prince Techno. Being brave isn't telling people what happened, being brave is overcoming it, no matter how long that might take."

Techno refused to look at the Queen. His eyes remained averted as she patted him one more time on the shoulder, before circling back to the carriage. Techno bit the inside of his cheek to minimize the pain he felt. Physical pain was much more bearable than his own thoughts. All Techno wanted now was to find his dad, and ask for comfort, which he would always give without question. Phil understood; Phil had seen. A sharp whistle peirced his thoughts, and a black stallion with one of the elite guard rode up, "Prince Techno, we spotted something in the forest, a portion of the guard will be going to examine it for a possible threat."

The prince nodded, signalling his okay for the mission, and the soldier turned their horse around, riding back to his comrades. Three men disappeared into the forest, and the group continued forward slowly, until the squealing of a horse peirced the air, the screams of a human breaking through the leaves. Techno immediatly turned his horse, galloping to the carriage, addressing the man driving it, "Go full steam ahead to Demetira! Do not stop until I join you! If I don't make it back, inform the messengers and send a message to my dad!"

Techno sped past the carriage that now was flying forward, and he slowed as he joined the elite guard that was still going at a slow pace, "I am going into the forest, all of you protect Wilbur and Princess Evangeline! If I don't return by the time you reach Demetria, send messengers to my father!"

He sped past them, but was stopped when Queen Lysanna joined his side, "You're not going into that alone!"

Techno shook is head, "You cannot afford to die Queen Lysanna. You have no successors, and we need you as an ally for this possible upcoming war. I have three younger brothers, and a healthy father on the throne, it will be fine."

"Are you insane!? Just becasue there is someone thst can succeed the throne other than you does not minimize the importance of your life!" The Queen argued as they neared the forest.

"No, but it makes me far more expendable. If I don't make it back, tell Wilbur and the rest of my fanily I love them."

Techno patted rhe flank of her midnight blue horse, and with that, the salmon headed prince sped ahead, leaving the Queen in the literal dust. She gritted her teeth, before screaming after his retreating figure, "If you dont make it back, I'm going to never forgive you!"

She turned her horse, chasing after the carriage and her elite guard.

❦ ❦ ❦

Techno pushed Carl faster as the sound of galloping surrounded him. This was not ideal...

An arrow whizzed past his head, hitting a tree that he quickly passed. This was not how he expected his day to turn out.

To be fair, everything today had not been going according to plan. A heart to heart with the queen? Not planned. An attack? Definitely not planned. Getting chased by an unkniwn number of people in a forest? 100% not planned.

"Gods be damned! What do you want?" Techno called as he avoided a tree and another arrow. It couldn't be a coincidence that they were getting attacked while on the betrothal tour. Two weeks ago, Queen Lysanna had narrowed down the options of the adversarys that hsd attacked his younger brothers that day. Most notably, Dream and his co-rulers, the leaders of the Badlands, and someone called the Warden. No one had ever seen his face, but it was said he was a worthy adversary. Worthy, in this sense, equates to not at all beneficial. Carl was panting from running non-stop, but kept pushing.

The farther into the forest they went, the darker it semeed to get. What the hell are they doing? Techno asked himself. He heard a sound above him and glanced up, greeted with the sight of a swirling purple barrier... they had led his straight to a nether portal.

"Shit!" Techno exclaimed as he tried to decide what to do. The sounds of hooves were on all sides, and through the purple he could see a line of archers on horses... they wanted him to go through. Techno cursed again, trying to see what to do while the purple death seemed to flow closer and closer. A day in the nether was seven in the overworld, so anytime there would be terribly distorted. There was no way out of this but through. Techbo let out a war cry as he charged the portal, meeting it's cold embrace.

From cold to hot, Techno entered the nether atop Carl, and he pulled the reigns before Carl took a step out of the portal. Luckily it wasn't over a lava lake, but almost worse, a nether fortress stood tall and imposing over him. "Of course there would be one here..."

Techno pulled Carl's reigns, trying to move him away from the certain death trap. The air in the nether burned his human lungs, making it hard to breathe. Techno couldn't stay here too long, he needed to get out. Glancing up, a cat like scream got his attention, before a fireball came at him from the red fogged air.