Chapter Text
Two more weeks had passed since Techno was brought to the Antarctic Empire palace, and he still couldn't decide whether he liked it there or not.
Obviously, the work was a lot less strenuous in the physical sense. Techno had gotten so used to all the aches that came with long hours of sitting on his knees and scrubbing tiles, he almost felt like something was wrong when that pain disappeared. The worst that still occurred was his back hurting if he'd been sitting at his little bench too long. But that was nothing - especially not compared to his wings, which throbbed with his every heartbeat basically day and night.
Niki had gradually started handing off more important tasks to him, even if she tried to keep him away from the stoves and ovens. She was scared that Techno would burn himself. She'd shown him once, all the small marks that the heat had left on her hands and forearms. Battle scars, she called them with a grin. Niki was strange, hard to understand for Techno sometimes, but the sort of strange where every interaction made him like her more rather than putting him on edge.
She was the first person who ever paid enough attention to realize he wasn't deaf.
Techno never purposefully tried to deceive people. The other servants at Hypixel just assumed he couldn't hear, and Techno lacked the voice needed to correct them. The assumptions came in handy more often than not, so he supposed that was a good thing. If anybody had ever asked Techno outright if he could hear them, he would have nodded. Because lying was bad and deserved a punishment. But nobody in Hypixel asked him.
However, about five days after Techno arrived at the palace, he'd been sitting at his bench peeling potatoes again. The task was easy, if a bit repetitive, and while Techno didn't mind that, he noticed it'd become easy for him to let his mind wander while he was doing something like that. In Hypixel, Techno had been focused on trying to stay out of the way of grumpy guards and haughty nobles as his only concern. But the kitchen of the Antarctic Empire felt safe, and he instead would think about the future. Thoughts that were tangled and complicated, so he wasn't as aware of what was happening around him.
When one of the other servants accidentally bumped a jar of pickled vegetables off the counter with their elbow and it shattered noisily on the floor only a few feet behind where Techno was sitting, he jolted, almost slipping the knife into the soft flesh of his palm. He turned to look over, and briefly met Niki's eyes. She tilted her head, curious, before occupying herself with the mess. That night, in their little pantry room, she stood in front of the mirror brushing her hair and called to him.
"You're not actually deaf, are you?"
Techno shook his head.
Niki smiled. She gestured with the brush, and obediently, Techno got up to stand in front of her. She insisted on brushing his hair every night too. It was one of the handful of things Niki had started to insist on, like that he'd join her for a snack break while they worked, or that he come along with her when she walked around the castle garden sometimes. 'It's important to take care of yourself, right?', she'd say, not minding if Techno couldn't respond.
Techno shuddered at the first touch. Another thing he had been getting used to, like the absence of pain. None of the other servants ever laid a hand on him, unless it was to discipline him after he'd been bad. He shifted forward, careful to keep some distance so Niki wouldn't accidentally nudge into his wings.
"But you really can't speak?" she asked, careful to unwind the knots that the bun had caused in his long hair. Techno was a bit clumsy at putting the tie in, so strands would fall out and get twisted.
Trying not to hunch in on himself lest it ruin her tender work, he shook his head. He hoped she wouldn't be angry at him for the unintentional deceit. He'd gone through that song and dance a few too many times to count, often at the hands of the exact people who made it impossible for him to use his voice in the first place.
Niki just made a considering sound, continuing to drag the brush through his hair. "Hm, I see. Well, if you can hear, that will make things a bit easier anyway. We can find other ways for you to communicate."
Techno wasn't sure what she meant by that back then. But Niki hadn't been treating him any differently since she found out, aside from sometimes getting his attention by calling for him, and her dropping the over-exaggerated gesturing all the time. Also, it seemed to make her a little more confident that she could send Techno out on his own.
"Mouse? Can you do me a favor?"
Unaware of his name at this time, Niki had taken to simply calling him Mouse. She said it was because a mouse will often scuttle around the kitchen and can be remarkably quiet. Techno shot up from his bench and made his way over to Niki quickly. He'd been on shrimp cleaning duty, his least favorite chore. So anything else Niki had to offer would be better. She smiled at him, wiping her hands on her apron.
"Do you remember where the library is?" she asked.
Techno had to think about it for a moment. When they went on their walks, they mostly went into the garden to get fresh air. But Niki had briefly shown him around the palace too. Techno had a very good sense of direction. He'd definitely be able to find the library again, so he nodded.
Niki smiled. "Good. Phil had his evening tea in there yesterday, but apparently the teapot and cup didn't make it back here yet. Can you go fetch them for me? They'll probably just be on a desk somewhere, but I need them for later."
Another nod. That didn't sound too hard, and secretly, Techno liked that she'd chosen him for this special task, rather than any of the other servants. He wanted to be useful.
Right as he was about to turn away, Niki reached into the pocket of her apron. "Oh, and if you have trouble finding it after all, you can show this to any of the other servants or guards," she said, handing him a piece of paper. Techno could see some writing on it. Maybe his expression betrayed his confusion, because Niki asked, "Can you read?"
Techno shook his head. A few of the other servants in the Hypixel castle could, but none of them ever bothered to teach Techno. Sometimes, when they were in a good mood, they would read the stories from the books they had out loud, though. Tall tales of brave knights and greedy dragons. Then they'd joke that the king was not too different from the dragon in these books.
"It says 'I'm looking for the library, please'," Niki explained. "I figured it's a good way for you to ask for help without words."
Techno could agree that was pretty smart. He smiled back at Niki and put the paper in his own apron pocket for safekeeping. Then, almost reluctantly, he offered her a thumbs up. He'd seen a few of the other servants, and Niki herself, do it once or twice. Niki laughed and tussled his hair, which almost caused Techno to flinch instinctively, though he covered it up by brushing down the wayward strands with his palm before he left the kitchen.
No, Techno just couldn't decide if he liked the Antarctic Empire palace or not.
The work was easier, and Niki was nice. But Techno had never had an adult act like this around him, which made things hard to figure out. All the other servants, all the other slaves no longer slaves… they smiled, and they were happy, and they didn't fear punishments anymore. They looked forward to the future - that looming, dreadful thing Techno felt only apprehension towards. He never had to worry about that stuff in Hypixel. He didn't know where he came from and he didn't know what tomorrow would bring. But as long as he obeyed and cleaned, neither mattered.
So that was what he continued to do. Work in the kitchen, be good for Niki. Try not to wonder where he'd been before the winding hallways of Hypixel became his home, try not to think about what he would do if he got too big for the little cot in the pantry.
Techno found the library again without problems.
He pushed open the door and peeked inside after knocking, to make certain he wasn't bothering anybody. Nobles hated it when servants barged in on them without warning. But the visible parts of the room seemed empty and that bolstered Techno's confidence a bit. He left the door ajar as he walked inside, scanning the nearby desks and tables as Niki had said. Many of them had papers, maps, or books scattered on top of them. There was a chalkboard in one corner that had been cleaned badly, leaving white streaks and the ghostly shape of letters. The library was probably used a lot.
The downside of all the mess was that Techno couldn't really tell where Emperor Philza might have been working last night. He had to wind between bookcases and check every spot until he finally found the teapot and cup standing on a desk in the corner that faced the window. He picked them both up - the cup was empty, but the teapot had a little liquid left in it - then turned around, only to come face to face with a boy sitting at a desk a handful of feet down the row of bookcases.
Unlike his first encounter with Prince Tommy, Techno recognized the heir of the Antarctic Empire immediately.
Mainly because Techno had seen him before from a distance. When Niki took him for walks in the garden, they'd sometimes catch a glimpse of the royals. Most of the time it was the two princes, flanked by a troop of guards, tutors, and servants. Techno would always avert his eyes quickly. Such was the appropriate reaction to seeing royalty around the palace back in Hypixel.
The sentiment was not returned this time, because Prince Wilbur was blatantly staring at Techno, honey-brown eyes slightly wider than they should be. There was something about that look which made fear burrow deep into Techno's gut. Wilbur seemed almost shocked, as if he'd seen a ghost. Or maybe he was upset at Techno's intrusion after all.
Unsure of what to do, Techno awkwardly offered a half bow to the prince. Then he hurriedly gathered the teapot and cup to his chest and hoped to make a retreat, until Wilbur's voice halted him.
"Wait," the prince said firmly. Techno stopped dead in his tracks and turned back towards him, though his gaze stayed caught on the wood grain of the desk Wilbur was sitting at. "You're from the kitchens, right?"
Techno nodded, doing his best not to squirm. Wilbur had sat upright, shoulders pushed back in his chair. His wings shifted behind him, dark brown with streaks of a lighter tan color that made dotted patterns along the arch. They were striking, different from the breathtaking pitch black that Emperor Philza had or the soft golden fluff Techno had seen when he met Tommy. If anything, they were more similar to Techno's wings - he'd seen those light swirls in the shaded auburn of his own feathers.
"Can you tell the kitchen staff to inform my parents I will not be present for dinner tonight?" Wilbur asked.
Techno froze up even further. How was he supposed to respond to that? If he shook his head, that would be taken as refusal to follow such a simple order. But if he nodded, there was no way for him to follow through with it, and then he'd get into trouble all the same. He didn't have to ponder too long, caught between indecision. Wilbur sighed, slumping in the chair a bit as he laughed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Wait, I know. You're the mute one, aren't you? Tommy told me." He rubbed a hand over his face one more time and then pushed the stack of papers on the desk away from himself. "Sorry, I forgot. These damn ledgers are going to be the death of me."
Techno didn't even know how he could properly convey to Wilbur that he didn't mind. Actually, receiving any sort of apology from royalty at all felt like an outlandish oddity to Techno.
Then, to his horror, Wilbur pushed his chair back as he stood. "You're returning to the kitchens, aren't you? Permit me to walk with you."
Techno clutched the teapot closer to his chest, the cup dangling from one hand, and Wilbur continued to completely horrify him by plucking it from his fingers before he even had the chance to react. Wilbur didn't speak as they made their way back to the kitchen, but he hummed a tune absently beneath his breath. Techno frowned. The sound was familiar in a way, though he wasn't sure where he'd heard it before. Maybe it was a popular song. But that didn't quite explain why, every time Wilbur stopped because he had to incline his head and greet a passing servant or noble, Techno felt the lapse in that tune worse than a stab to the heart.
While he was still terrified to look at Wilbur's face, since any sort of eye contact with a royal was considered blasphemy in Hypixel, Techno couldn't draw away from those wings. They shifted easily on Wilbur's back as he walked, automatically helping balance him and giving his stride a certain flow to it. They were large, almost as huge as an adult avian's wings, which meant they looked a little too big for Wilbur's teenage form. Techno felt his own wings twitch against their bindings, and bit down on a hiss of pain.
He didn't know if he should be relieved or mournful when they arrived at the kitchen.
"Ah, Wilbur! You almost never come down here." Niki seemed happy to see the prince. Like with Tommy, she must have a good relationship with Wilbur. "Finally pulled your nose out of those books, did you?"
"I'm helping Dad with the ledgers," Wilbur said. "It's important. That's why I came by to tell you myself that I will be missing dinner tonight." As he spoke, Wilbur put his arms behind his back, spine pushed into a straight line. Techno was busy carrying the teapot to the sink, but he couldn't stop himself from looking at the exchange from the corner of his eye. The posture Wilbur adopted reminded him of the emperor, back when Philza was checking the former slaves brought to the capital. Something about the forced regal demeanor fit ill on the lanky teenager that was Wilbur, maybe barely fifteen years old. Like the servant girls in the Hypixel castle playing pretend, showing each other how rich ladies held themselves. Hoping that with enough practice, that was who they'd become.
"Taking a break once in a while is also important," Niki said. She touched Wilbur's elbow, and Techno watched him automatically relax a little at that. "Come down for dinner, please." Then, she added a smile and a wink. "I'll make your favorite."
Wilbur must have responded, but Techno couldn't hear what he said, since he'd already flicked the tap open so he could clean the teapot out. Before he left the kitchen, Techno caught Wilbur glancing in his direction again.
That night, while standing in front of the mirror, Niki slowly brushed his hair while looking at her hands. Her expression was distant, sad. Techno held up his thumb, raising his eyebrows a little. Niki laughed, though it was a hollow kind of laugh. The kind Techno hated.
"Yeah, I'm fine," Niki said. "Just… Worried."
Frowning, Techno looked at her face in the mirror. Niki smoothed his hair down.
"Nothing for you to lose sleep over, little mouse," she promised. "Come on. There might be leftover dessert we can have before bed."
Techno had become familiar with the layout of the castle slowly, through his walks with Niki and the errands he was sometimes sent on, usually to pick up dishes or bring food to various places around the palace.
He'd never been in the royal chambers before.
Techno felt wrong just standing there. Back in Hypixel, the royals had personal retainers who tidied up and cleaned around their quarters, so Techno or any of the other lower-born servants never had to go there. Their presence wasn't wanted in such a delicate space. And while Niki walked these rooms as if they were no less her domain than the kitchen was, Techno was terrified of knocking something over. The floors were a soft carpet rather than tile or even wood, both materials that Techno's shoes wouldn't leave permanent stains on. Every marble table seemed as if it was just waiting for Techno to chip an edge from it, and the heavy vases of flowers were eagerly keen for him to topple them over.
Niki, clearly unbothered by any of that hesitance, boldly crossed the room to reach the curtains.
The empress - Techno had heard her name was Kristin - sat up in her bed as the heavy fabric was pulled back, spilling warm morning light into the room. Her dark hair draped over her shoulder too, messy from sleep, and one pitch black wing automatically wrapped around her to shield her face from the sun. "There's really no need for any of this, Niki."
"His majesty Philza said you were unwell," Niki said, formal but with a wide smile. "He requested for us to bring you your breakfast personally to make sure you eat something."
"Phil is a hypocrite and a fool," Kristin said fondly.
Niki chuckled. "And he's also technically my boss, so please don't make this any harder than it needs to be."
Kristin scoffed lightly, but she did lift herself from the bed. Techno kept his chin to his breastbone where he was standing at the door near the cart Niki had prepared and asked for him to help push, not wanting to look at anything he wasn't supposed to, though he was unable to not see from the corner of his eye, the elegant flow of her night gown as Kristin crossed the room on her way from the bed to a table with two chairs at the window.
Niki came to the cart and picked up a tin canister of coffee and a small tray that had a mug of warm milk, a bowl of sugar cubes, and a spoon on it. Since she didn't tell Techno to do anything, he stayed where he was for the moment.
"He also informed me you had nightmares again," she said as she brought the coffee to the empress. "Would you want me to call the physician in today?"
"It's nothing," Kristin said. "Not worth troubling them with, really."
"As you say," Niki agreed. She raised her voice somewhat when she addressed Techno. "Mouse, can you bring the basket of bread over here?"
Techno picked up the basket as instructed and walked to the table, concentrating on his feet mostly so he wouldn't trip and spill. He heard a sharp inhale as he approached the table.
"Your majesty?" Niki asked, reluctantly.
Kristin did not answer. Techno could feel her eyes on him, unwilling to meet them but sensing that he knew their intensity all the same. The same sort of look Philza had given him outside when he arrived, calculating, piercing through him.
After a moment of tense silence, Niki cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, I didn't consider-"
"You have nothing to apologize for," Kristin said quickly. Techno handed Niki the basket, finally daring to peek at the empress through his bangs. She was smiling softly at him, speaking to Niki. "So this is your ward?"
"He's been a massive help in the kitchen," Niki said.
Techno almost puffed up with pride. He was being praised, and being praised in front of the royals, no less. A true sign he had taken to his new work as well as the cleaning he used to do. Techno liked that.
"That's good to hear," Kristin said, finally raising her head to take the offered bread. "Thank you, Niki." Her hand trembled slightly.
"Are you certain you don't need the physician to see you?" Niki asked, a crease forming between her brows at the empress's unsteady grip on the bread. "You're pale, too."
"No, no," Kristin waved away that concern with one flapping palm. "I haven't slept well for a few days, that's all." Niki accepted the explanation, though her expression became more grave. Noticing this, Kristin laughed. "Don't let anything ever snuff out that fire of yours, Niki. Your empathy is a great asset."
"You flatter me, your majesty," Niki said, deftly laying out cuts of meat and cheese.
"Seriously," Kristin said, allowing the formality to drop from her tone. "I am fine. If the night terrors persist, I'll see Puffy tomorrow, if that would make all of you so much happier."
"It would," Niki answered boldly. "Though your stubbornness is also a great asset, I'm sure." Techno couldn't help it that his gaze shot to her, shocked. That was no way to ever talk to the person you were supposed to be serving! In Hypixel, sass like that would have earned you a night in the stocks.
But Kristin merely laughed at Niki's transgression, apparently finding it humorous. Her entire body shook, and her wings flared out slightly with the action, allowing her feathers to catch the light. They were black, but not the same as Philza's. Those wings had been the sort of deep dark color that made them seem like living shadows. While Kristin's wings were a midnight, almost iridescent with purple undertones.
The small gust of wind they caused was enough to leave a napkin sitting on the table to flutter toward the ground. Without thinking, Techno had already surged forward to grab it. Kristin was looking at him again when he straightened.
Techno had never known somebody could look at anything with that amount of grief while still smiling gently.
"Thank you, child." Kristin reached for the napkin, and numbly, Techno gave it to her. Those eyes were a shade of blue he had never seen before, except they pinned him to the spot with some sort of memory.
"Mouse." Softly, Niki touched Techno's shoulder, breaking the spell. "Can you wait outside for a moment? I will help the empress get dressed."
Giving Kristin a quick smile and bow - which made her lip quirk up in amusement - Techno turned and left to wait in the hallway. He felt more at ease there. Tile floors, polished to a sheen he could almost see his own reflection in, were comforting in their familiarity. The hallway had tall glass windows, banners against the wall. Not as suffocating as the rest of the quarters, Techno was no less aware of the fact that he was inside the heart of the palace. The door he came from was that of the royal bedchambers, and he could see a few more down the hall, which presumably were the private rooms of the princes.
Between the doors, there hung various portraits. Techno recognized the empress, the emperor, their two sons. They were impressive, towering canvases thrice his size, painted in vivid colors. The Hypixel palace had a few of these, but Techno liked those less. The nobles in them always looked so annoyed. Techno used to entertain himself imagining that somebody was secretly holding a dagger to their back, forcing them to be there. He could see no other reason why they looked so sour.
On these portraits, the Antarctic Empire royals were often smiling. Some of them were caught in mid-action rather than the perfectly held poses Techno thought all paintings had. One of Phil and Kristin twirling in a dance, another of Wilbur and Tommy playing in the garden. Only the very last portrait in the lineup had a more classical appearance. And there was something else off about it.
A third son.
The conversation the two laundry maids were having on the day they arrived came back to Techno. 'They say he hasn't stopped waging wars since his son was taken. He disappeared one night, and nobody knows where he went.'
Philza and Kristin were standing in the center of the painting, both dressed in fancy clothing. Phil in an elaborate military uniform, not too different from what he was wearing when Techno saw him, though without the armor. Kristin in a layered dress of chiffon, hair pinned up, golden jewelry dappled with splotches of yellow paint to mimic how they must have reflected the candles in the room. In her arms, she was cradling a bundle of blankets, the child inside maybe a few months old. The small down of yellow feathers peeking from the folds and matching blond hair on its head were enough to tell Techno that the infant was Tommy. Wilbur was standing in front of his parents, one of Phil's hands proudly splayed on his right shoulder, chin held high and looking every bit the regal heir. His wings were lighter in color back then, but that made sense, since it seemed Wilbur must have been about half his current age at best.
But what had drawn Techno's attention was the boy held, cradled to Phil's hip.
The arm not used to put his hand on Wilbur's shoulder, was instead wound around this boy's middle to keep him up. Young hands curled into the front of Phil's military uniform, careless whether it wrinkled the fabric. His cheek was pressed against his father's upper arm, blue eyes squinting together a bit as he looked at the viewer, shy and hiding behind his bangs. Those were a little longer, while the rest was kept short. His wings were a similar pinkish shade, wrapping against his own body.
The boy didn't really look like Techno.
He could see the similarities plain as day, the reason why the royals would stare at him so oddly. The boy in this painting had the same hair colour and eye colour as him. But his face was round and freckled, no scars nor blemishes in sight. His short hair was kept cleanly, and unlike Techno's mess. He was smaller, not as lanky. His eyes were nothing like Techno's after all, the longer he looked. This lost prince was more different from him than a broken mirror image.
And yet-
"Mouse," Niki called for him as she closed the door to the royal chambers behind herself. "Come help me push the cart, will you?"
Easily, Techno pulled himself away from the portrait, focusing on his work. The same thing he'd always done.