Chapter Text
Leo had gotten used to the darkness of the prison. He had gotten used to the lack of food, the hunger that constantly wormed its way back into his mind every so often.
He could never get used to the endless dread that came with the feeling of losing. Losing everything, his kingdom, his husband, his freedom.
He didn't know if Spoke was alive or not. He didn't know if Jamato had taken mercy on him.
All he knew was the darkness of the cell. The lack of interaction was driving him insane. The Null soldier guarding him talked to him occasionally when giving him (very little) food.
He missed Spoke more than anything.
He had to get out of this.
It seemed almost hopeless when Jamato returned to the farlands for the ritual. Leo had no idea what the ritual entailed, only that it would probably kill him, and it would probably hurt.
Seeing Jamato's cold grin outside of the cell filled Leo with a rage like no other.
"Are you ready, Leo? To truly lose your throne and suffer eternally?" Jamato asked as he wrapped his hand around the prison bars, tauntingly so.
"Eternal? Like that's even possible," Leo scoffed.
"It will be. With the ritual."
Leo just laughed at him. Jamato glared back.
"You won't be laughing for long. I assure you."
"I know. It's not a genuine laugh." Leo said.
"Spoke hates you, you know. He hates you for leaving him."
"I… suppose I deserve that, but he's still alive, and I'll love him until we both pass."
"That's pathetic. That kind of devotion is what caused the both of you to suffer."
"I could say the same for you. You're so devoted to the throne… to your crime. Who can you really trust Jamato? No one is really on your side. Political admiration only gets you so far, and your little cult seems to be willing to throw you away if there's a better ruler."
"That's not true. Null will always follow me."
"They are quick to dispose of me. You're next, Jamato. I know it."
"Even in your dying days… and you still manage to get under my skin. Spoke will always follow me."
Leo was silent at that.
"He turned to me, after you abandoned him. I found him locked in a closet, crying. He clung to me, I was his savior. I win, Leo. You can die with this knowledge. Your husband remarries in two days."
Before Jamato could brag of his victory anymore, there was loud commotion in the distance. It sounded like fighting.
"What the-"
Jamato ran off, crying various orders to the guards.
Leo was confused. Who was here?
"That's not going to stop us. Get him out of the cell. The ritual will commence. The brat cannot fight us forever. Keep him distracted." Leo heard Jamato barking orders at the nearest null guards.
The one who had been guarding Leo suddenly opened the cell, and forcefully dragged him away. They took Leo down a staircase to a basement room. There was green candles everywhere, and black, Gothic marble made up the basement room. Leo was shoved down onto the cold stone floor, and pushed to a circle depicting runes. The circle itself was strange, instead of depicting the stereotypical pentacle symbol, it contained various swirling patterns lined with strange runes. It was nothing like Leo had ever seen before. The candles suddenly lit, surrounding him with a strange green fire.
Jamato pulled a sword from a display on the wall. It was a longsword with emeralds embedded into the hilt. The blade was lined with various barbs and sharp bits everywhere.
Leo's initial assumptions were right. This was going to hurt, But there was still something going on upstairs. Leo held out some hope. He had to, any chance to see Spoke again was enough for him to keep going.
"Did you take care of the commotion upstairs? What was it?" Jamato questioned the Null commander.
"Prince Wemmbu accompanied by another fighter. We weren't able to stop him, but he flew away, and we think we can start the ritual now."
"THE END PRINCE??? AND YOU LET HIM LIVE???" Jamato yelled.
"Sir… we did everything we could."
"THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. THEY'RE HERE FOR HIM."
Jamato pointed at Leo.
"Dispose. Of. Him. Now. The ritual is postponed till the threat is delt with."
"Yes sir." The commander saluted and then ran off, and the commotion continued again.
Jamato took a deep breath, and his gaze turned to Leo again.
"You… you planned this… didn't you…"
"Not this time, but it's a nice coincidence."
Their exchange was interrupted by a loud explosion. The room shook
"SIR! THE PRINCE HAS STRIKE CANNONS!"
"I CAN HEAR THAT, YOU DIM WITTED-"
"HELP US! WE NEED THE EXPLOITS." The commander yelled.
Jamato ran out to help, leaving Leo in the center of the circle, tied and bound.
There was another loud explosion, enough to almost shatter Leo's eardrums, and the faint sounds of someone tunneling under him.
The floor beneath him gave way, revealing a human pirate dressed in blue.
"Your highness! Take this. We have to leave now."
The man dropped him a full set of armour, splashed him with health potions, and cut open the ropes around his wrists.
"We're going to help. I'm Jaden."
Jaden opened a shulker full of rockets and an elytra. Leo frantically took it, having the rockets in his inventory and equipping the elytra.
"Let's go. Wemmbu will be behind us shortly."
They took off, and Leo took one last look at the destroyed settlement. A streak of purple shot past them, Leo and Jaden quickly flew high enough to catch up.
"We head back to your kingdom now. It's a 4 day journey back." Jaden said.
"We don't have 4 days! The wedding is in two."
"We can't go any faster. It's not possible." Wemmbu said.
"But…"
"Leo. Listen to me. Spoke will find a way to stall." Wemmbu tried to put a hand on Leo's shoulder. Which obviously didn't work because they were midair.
"He hates me."
"No he doesn't. He could never hate you. Spoke would try to do anything other than marry Jamato." Wemmbu tried.
"Just… trust your husband. Trust us. We want Spoke to be happy just as much as you do. We want you as king. That's why we saved you."
"Thank you."
"Don't thank us until you have your kingdom back." Jaden said.
"I would like to be thanked now." Wemmbu mentioned.
"Wemmbu!" Jaden scolded.
Back at the palace, Spoke had finally been given the opportunity that he needed. Jamato had left for the farlands, and Spoke had the perfect moment to leave the castle.
He decided to seek help from the only people inside the kingdom who could offer him some solace and comfort. Spoke snuck out of his room in the evening, leaving the castle for the outskirts of town. He was heading to the small church owned by Parrot and Wifies.
The church was dimly lit, stained glass reflecting what was left of the setting sun outside.
"Parrot! Wifies!" Spoke sobbed, running to the two priests.
"Spoke? What's wrong?"
"Jamato is forcing me to marry him in two days. I cannot do this Parrot. Please help me. There must be something you can do. I cannot live with Jamato." The desparation in his voice was unmistakable.
"Slow down. Spoke it's ok."
Spoke cried, burying himself in the arms of his friends.
"Parrot… Wifies… I don't know what to do. I'm trapped. I would rather die than marry him."
"I know. It's ok." Wifies comforted him.
"There is something we could do… but it's too dangerous." Parrot suggested
"What? What is it?" Spoke lit up.
"No. It's not worth it." Wifies gave Parrot a knowing look.
"It has to be. I won't be with Jamato."
There was a brief silence. Parrot and Wifies looked at eachother, and then back to Spoke. He was still sobbing with despair, and the two priests decided they had to try to help him.
"There's an elixer we could make, but it's dangerous."
"You already said it was dangerous. What would it do?" Spoke asked.
"It would put you to sleep for a few days. You would appear dead, and then you can fake your death. Every member of the royal family gets buried in the family crypt. After you drink the potion and get sent to the crypt, you wake up, and we could sneak you out of the kingdom and into the end." Parrot explained.
"You can drink it before your wedding night. You should wake up two days later if the potion was made properly, but it's extremely difficult to concoct, and could be fatal if it's made the wrong way."
"Make the potion. I trust you."
"Are you sure? What if you die?"
"That's still better than my current fate."
"I see. We can have it ready in an hour." Wifies said.
"Just sit down while you wait. You look tired. Like you haven't lived for weeks."
"You could say that."
Parrot soon returned with a cloak and a plate of scones. He handed them both to Spoke, and then sat with him while Wifies finished the potion.
"Take this. It's cold outside and your hands are freezing."
"It's fine. I'm used to the cold." Spoke said while munching on a scone.
Parrot draped the cloak over his shoulders nevertheless.
"I'm almost done." Wifies said after a while.
When he was finished, he handed Spoke a small glass bottle filled to the brim with a clear, purpleish liquid.
"Are you sure you want to do this?"
"I can trust you to save me from the crypt after I fake my death, right?"
"Always."
"Then that's what I want. Anything to be away from Jamato."
Wifies gave Spoke a quick hug before sending him off. Parrot let him keep the cloak and another scone.
"We will help you escape. We promise."
"Thank you so much…"
"It's no problem. Be safe."
"I should probably get back to the castle. Jamato could be back any moment."
"Of course. Safe travels. May love give you strength."
Spoke nodded before turning around and leaving the church. He had put his trust in the two priests to help him escape Jamato. He was willing to take the risk.
A while later when Spoke was back in the castle, back in his own room (which had started to feel more like a prison) he took the vial of purple liquid out from his pocket. He admired Wifies' craftsmanship of the potion, and he hoped it would work.
Part of him was scared.
A larger part was more determined and desperate.
He hid the potion in his drawer until the day of the wedding. Soon it would become time to escape from Jamato and run away to somewhere safer.
Could he really do this without Leo? All his life there were people surrounding him to help. He was a prince after all, but now there was no one to help Spoke. He had to take this risk on his own.
He contemplated this while getting ready for bed, laying down to sleep. Pretending Leo was next to him as always.
He was alone.
But he still had hope.