"BUZZY, YOU COME BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!!!!!!" Buzzy charged out of her cousin's room, knowing that Pupa knew her biggest secret. A secret she never wanted her cousin to find out about...

She was using her cousin's toothbrush.

"Get back here so I can kill you properly!!!" Pupa shrieked, barreling at her cousin at full speed, axe in hand, bent on bloody revenge. Her fangs were bared and her spare hand was pulsing and glowing green. Buzzy screamed even louder, tearing through the palace walls, knocking over servants as she went.

The Changeling Castle was carved into a mountain, with windows tinted lime green. The layout was the same as the Castle of The Two Sisters, but instead of white and gold it was grey and teal. Through the windows, Pupa could see the villages of Changeling drones, and on acceptably clear days, she could even see the Changeling farmers working in their fields. However, today she couldn't stop and admire the view. She had a cousin to hunt down and a toothbrush to avenge.

They dashed down the hallways, Buzzy trying as hard as she could to throw her cousin off her track. Leaping over breakfast trays being brought down from the queen's chambers. Zigging and zagging around servants and butlers. Launching balls of neon green slime blindly behind her, that, sadly, failed to connect with Pupa and instead hit unsuspecting hired help.

Pupa dodged them all effortlessly, slicing through the slime like it didn't exist. She eventually lost Buzzy when she dashed under a ladder someone was using to clean the windows, upsetting the balance and bringing down a servant and the drapes on top of Pupa.

After slicing her way out of the ocean of curtains, Pupa took a good look around, calculating eyes searching for signs of her cousin. After nothing showed up, she sighed, shouldering her axe. She really didn't have the time for chasing down Buzzy, but she couldn't think of any particular meetings today that required her mandatory attendance. Besides, she always loved the hunt.

Pupa slowly trailed down the halls, following a trail of broken dishes and splatters of slime all the way to a lumpy curtain. Honestly, if you're expecting the hunt, couldn't you make it at least a little bit entertaining? Pupa thought, sliding her fingers down the blade of her axe and considering her options.

Killing her cousin over a toothbrush was a little bit extreme, and her mother had just put in new drapes. Crimson clashed horribly with teal. However, she wouldn't just let Buzzy off the hook, even though she was family. A psychotic smile made its way to Pupa's face, and she shouldered her axe. Lighting her hands up with lime green magic, she approached the now whimpering curtain, prepared to make her move.

Ooh, so many choices, she thought, more creative and horrible hexes piling into her brain by the second. Shall I turn her into a slug, for being such a slimeball and lying to me? Or perhaps I should give her such horrible bad breath she faints. After all, if she likes brushing her teeth so much, she can just scrub it away.

Just as she had settled on her decision, her father called to her from behind. "Pupa! Your mother wants to see you!" Pupa huffed, very annoyed that her hunt had to be interrupted. She let her hands grow dark, and the spell dispersed. Justice would have to wait until later. She looked back remorsefully at the trembling curtain, then turned to follow her father to the throne room.

She approached the black, shiny double doors alongside her dad, her strides matching him a little imperfectly. She was a little bit smaller than her parents, so she had to work to keep his pace. She reached out with her magic, the door frame illuminated with green brilliance.

The doors swung open and Pupa was gazing into the Changeling Court. The three black thrones at the center of the back wall was where her mother reclined. Pupa's throne sat on her mother's right, whereas her father's was on her left.

The raised boxes for the important aristocracy of the court were full, and there was a great deal of talking among them. Pupa strode inside, her gaze not meeting anybody, her head held high. As soon as her footsteps were heard, everybody fell silent. Pupa's blazing green eyes radiated seriousness, and even the bravest Changelings who met her gaze looked away quickly.

Pupa knew she was different, and it was her eyes that said it. Unlike the watery green sclera that all changelings had, hers was pitch black, and her lime green irises and slitted pupils practically glowed against them. She made her way up the steps to her throne and seated herself by her mother's side. Morpheus soon took his place and they were ready to discuss today's news.

The minutes from last time were read as usual, then her mother ran the roll call and check-ups on all the regions of the kingdom. Alteration Valley, Transfiguration Forest, and the smaller cities. Shiftria, Imagoro, Diphtheria, and the capital, Shift-Shape City. When the duke of Shiftria was called, his son looked down at Pupa with a hungry glint in his eye. Pupa shuddered, a chill running up her spine like an electric shock.

Shiftria's duke was a fairly nice man. He wasn't one of the suck-ups, or the crazy ones who tried to force their ideas on her mother. He could be even considered as relatively normal, but his son was really creepy. There were few things in the world that Pupa considered creepy, but that boy definitely had a reservation on her list.

He always popped up in random spots, scaring his servants senseless and making people so shaky with nerves they almost always messed up whatever they were doing. He also had a strange obsession with Pupa, always volunteering to accompany her on her daily tasks. He had been with her when she infiltrated Ravenwood Prep and kidnapped the Legacies.

Even his name was chilling; Venom. Venomous insects are only the most creepy things on the planet. It made sense that the weirdest Changeling would have the weirdest name. Pupa had been thinking over him so much that she barely heard her mother speaking. It was a blur of words until she said the word suitor.

Immediately, Pupa perked up, intrigued by whoever her mother had in mind for playing matchmaker with. It was always interesting to see her mother find matches for people, like some twisted version of The Bachelorette.

"Well," the Duke of Shiftria shuffled his feet, "I don't know anybody kinder than my little Venom, and I'm sure the other barons, dukes and marquis have many other fine children as well." Now, Pupa was hooked. All the aristocrats' children were around her age, if not a bit younger. That meant whoever her mother had been talking about was from the 17-22 range. Perhaps she would see someone she knew.

"Your majesty, are you certain you are prepared to pass over your crown?" came an oily voice from behind Pupa. It was Ocellus, her mother's royal advisor and top bootlicker. He had always disapproved of Pupa's 'rambunctious behavior', but he had never said so out loud. At least, he didn't after Pupa broke his arm when she was seven.

"I am certain," Chrysalis replied, turning to face him. "My daughter has been preparing to take over the mantle of queen since she was a child." Pupa made a point to sit up a little straighter. It was true. She had been groomed and prepared for queendom since she was a toddler. "But, your majesty, she lacks knowledge of the outside world. What makes you so sure-"

"Ocellus, are you doubting my wisdom that has instructed my daughter for all the years of her life?"
"Never, madam. Your Majesty is infinitely wise and supreme--"

"Then I am to assume we won't be discussing the matter of my daughter's potential again." Chrysalis' eyes were filled with spite, almost daring him to challenge her in front of her court. Wisely, Ocellus shut his mouth. When no one was looking, Pupa allowed herself a quick smirk. I win.

The meeting went on, with Chrysalis calling forth multiple aristocrats to present their sons in marriage, which narrowed down the search to a female. Most aristocrats forbade same-sex marriage: they wanted pure-blooded barons and dukes to carry on their lineage.

As time went on, the look in Venom's eyes became hungrier and more lustful as he gazed down at Pupa. The feel of his eyes trailing over her features made her unsettled. She felt like a deer being stalked by a hunter, and she didn't like the feeling; usually it was her doing the hunting. It was so tempting to put her axe through his neck. Pupa contemplated what a blade would look like covered in his blood.

"Princess Pupa?"

Pupa snapped out of her gory fantasies at the sound of her father's deep baritone. "Yes, your Majesty?" she said, poker face donned. Show no emotion. That was the unspoken rule of the Royal Court. "The Queen would like to know your opinion on the engagement."

"The engagement?" she asked in a monotone, mentally kicking herself for not paying better attention. Ocellus saw she had lost concentration, and smirked in her direction. Pupa was about to flash a very meaningful hand gesture back at him, when she was stopped by her mother's warning glare.

"Yes. Honestly, Pupa, had you been paying better attention, you would have helped decide what your wedding gown would look like."
"Well, yes I--wait, WHAT?!" Pupa shot out of her seat in shock. "I'm engaged?!"

"Yes," Chrysalis replied, cooler than a cucumber.
"Again?! Didn't you learn from the last seven guys? If I remember correctly, it took six weeks to get Devon's blood out of the sheets. His body made a great figurehead for that boat, though. Of course, the corpse eventually rotted and fell into the sea, but-"

"Pupa, you're eighteen years old," Morpheus stopped her. "This isn't some game any more. This is serious. You need someone to carry on the royal lineage with; someone to protect your empire, and I don't think that toy will be enough to do it."

"Choppy is not a toy," Pupa took a defensive tone when her ax was mentioned. "It's been more faithful to me than the guys you keep setting me up with. The last one tried to kiss me!"
"That was the point, Pupa," Chrysalis sighed.
"He wore natural deodorant, how am I suppose to spawn with that?!"

"Enough," Morpheus silenced her. "The discussion had ended. You will be wed to a suitor of our choosing in two month's time. And this time, don't kill him in his sleep. We can't afford to keep replacing the bedcovers."