Archive of Our Own ^beta

Kristin always missed her husband dearly when he went away on his travels.

That wasn't to say she begrudged him for leaving her for weeks at a time. When Kristin fell in love with Phil, she fell in love with all of him - his curiosity about the world and desire to see more of it was one of the things she'd admired about him most. Especially because she'd had a more sheltered upbringing herself. Getting to know somebody so full of wanderlust had been refreshing.

She'd always known that cooping Phil up would make him miserable, which was the last thing she wanted. Kristin didn't resent him for needing this freedom like most people needed air either. As long as Phil came back to her eventually, she was content. She was happy. And she was aware he would offer her that same affection in return, always.

But she'd never expected him to come back from one of his journeys with a child.

When she heard that her husband was back, Kristin promptly abandoned the court, leaving the nobles to decry their protest. She couldn't stand listening to their petty complaints a moment longer knowing Phil was at the stables already, so she dismissed them with a simple gesture. Whatever troubled them wouldn't burn the country down if it had to wait for another day.

Pulling her long skirts up over her ankles, smiling at the thought of her former teachers chiding her for a lack of decorum, Kristin hurried through the marbled hallways. The servants barely had time to bow to her before she rushed past them. Her mind was set on their reunion, imagination come alive with guesses on where he'd gone and what stories he'd have to tell her later.

When she rounded the corner of the courtyard and saw Phil had already passed his horse along to the stableboy, Kristin practically flung herself into her husband's arms. Phil almost fell over and had to plant both heels into the cobblestone lest they both end up on the ground. His wings flaring out might be the only thing that kept them from toppling over. Kristin could feel the laugh bursting from his lips as it shook his chest, his arms also were winding around to pull her closer. His hat had fallen to the ground but Phil didn't give it a second glance, opting instead to press their foreheads together.

Yes, Kristin always missed her husband dearly when he went away. But that paled in comparison to the joy she felt when he returned, washing away any sorrow that had rooted in her heart with laughable ease. Phil smiled brighter than the sun. His fingers were rough but gentle as he cupped her cheek and kissed her.

Kristin marveled at the feeling of his half-beard, pushing him away with a giggle. "I love you but please shave that godawful thing before getting in bed with me tonight."

"I take it you're glad I'm back," Phil said. "Maybe I'll keep it, I quite like it actually." He stroked his own chin in such an exaggerated manner she knew he only did it to draw another laugh out of her. "I think it makes me look distinguished."

"It makes you look old," Kristin told him. The way that got Phil to furrow his brow in mock offense had her grinning.

He hooked his arm around her waist again, reeling her in for another kiss. That was when she saw something move near his feet and when Kristin looked down, she was met with the big red eyes of a child.

She turned her face away to look properly - partway assuming her sight might have deceived her and leaving Phil to peck her cheek as he was still oblivious to what drew her attention. Kristin just blinked at the child for a moment, confusion needing a second or two to catch up. The child looked back, unperturbed.

"Uh, dear…" She could feel Phil go still. Kristin never used nicknames for him unless it was in jest or she was angry with him. At the moment, she wasn't sure which it'd be yet. "Who is this?"

All at once Phil let go and took a step back, almost stumbling over his own two feet. Near the front of the stables, there was a short, cut-off chuckle. The stableboys ducked their heads at Kristin's glare, pretending to be very busy with their work.

"Right, I almost forgot." Phil said it so casually - as if the acquisition of a whole child was something that could have easily slipped from his memory. He reached out to put his hand on the boy's back, pushing him forward a little bit. "Kristin, this is Technoblade. Technoblade, this is who I've told you so much about."

The boy - Technoblade - was still looking up at her intently. He clearly saw no shame in staring, and Kristin wasn't sure she'd caught him blinking even once so far. He was not human, that much was certain. Aside from his irises being a deep crimson and his hair an oddly pleasing shade of soft pink, he also had a tail. At the moment, he kept the length of it wrapped around his own hip, fingers messing with the small tuft at the end nervously. Phil tried to move to the side, but Technoblade followed the motion so he could stay half-hidden behind Phil's leg.

"He's a bit shy," Phil said lamely. "He'll warm up to you, I'm sure."

And finally, something else broke through the confusion. "That's not-" Kristin pinched at the bridge of her nose. She wasn't angry, or upset, or any of that. She was a bit frustrated, though. And in need of a proper explanation. "Phil, how did this happen? Who is he?"

Phil smiled sheepishly at her. "We should sit down for this, it might take a bit."

"I have all the time in the world," Kristin said.

The walk back to their quarters was a little awkward, though Kristin couldn't help but think Techno trailing after Phil was pretty cute. The boy was seemingly very attached to her husband, sticking to him like glue. When they sat down, Techno pushed his chair over so it was right beside Phil's and they could sit closer together.

Phil smiled at him, giving Techno a quick pat on the head which made one of Techno's long, pointy ears twitch in response. His expression was one of contentment, small tusks peeking from the sides of his lips.

Definitely not human, though Kristin had a hard time telling what species Techno could be.

"It all started when I found him near a Nether portal two weeks ago."

Phil launched into an explanation of the events that led to his return, detailing how he met Techno and initially only had him stay the night because he felt bad about putting a kid out in the cold. Something Kristin didn't disagree with. What did strike her as odd was the part after that, when Phil recounted being accosted in an alleyway and how Techno had followed and saved him.

He told Kristin about the divinity that clung to Techno like a shadow.

Automatically she looked at the child again when Phil spoke those words. As if at once the boy that sat there would have been transformed into a wicked beast.

But still, all she saw was a boy.

"I know it sounds strange-"

"I believe you," Kristin said before he could finish his sentence. As unusual as the tale had been, more than anything else Kristin knew she trusted Phil. There was no room for doubt in her heart, not in the face of her love for him. And he'd have no reason to lie about this. "Is that why you brought him back with you?"

"Aside from the fact that I'd never live with myself letting him roam around and possibly die," Phil said plainly, cutting straight to the point. "It also simply didn't feel like a good idea. He'd be our problem either way if something happened, right?"

"Definitely." Kristin prided herself on being very hands-on as a queen, resolving to handle even smaller matters within their borders herself. Phil stood at her side through it all, sharing her sentiment. One couldn't be a good ruler without knowing the concerns and perils of the commoners.

So if there was a eight-year-old godly conduit on the loose doing lord knows what, the royals would certainly be expected to do something about that sooner rather than later. At least with the boy in the castle, they could keep an eye on him from the start. Phil's logic made sense. So Kristin agreed to let Techno stay.

"What will the nobles say though," Kristin sighed, leaning her elbow on the table. "They'll probably have a few choice words about us taking in a random child before producing an heir of our own."

"They can fuck right off," Phil said - which made Kristin laugh. The internal politics of the court had never been Phil's forte. Besides, neither of them was really in a hurry to produce the offspring their country no doubt expected of them.

But with a gentler smile, he closed his hand over hers and squeezed.

"Seriously, we'll figure something out. It'll be fine."

Kristin didn't actually doubt that things would be fine, she still turned her palm over to grasp back. The whole situation was overwhelming in how it took her by surprise, but she was not as opposed to it as she'd thought she'd be. She could see in Phil's eyes he already cared for Techno, could see it in the way Phil didn't even blink when they stood up and the boy immediately took his hand. In time, she would learn to love him too.

And thus Techno started to live in the castle with them.

It was an odd thing to get used to. Phil had warned Kristin that Techno seemed to be very attached to him, more than a normal child would be to their caretaker. But that had truly been an understatement. Where Phil went, Techno followed, never trailing more than five paces behind. He didn't sleep either - something which freaked Kristin out at first but also got easier to shake off after Techno got a room of his own. She didn't dislike the child, but the idea of having him sit there and watch them sleep… That was a little much.

Techno seemed a bit anxious about this change at first. He often came to their room in the middle of the night or they would wake up in the morning to find him sitting in front of their bedroom door, curled in on himself and waiting for them to wake.

"Perhaps we can find something to occupy him? A book?" Kristin looked down at Techno, who was holding Phil's hand again.

Her husband shrugged. "I honestly don't think he can read."

"Books can have pictures in them," Kristin pointed out.

"What about a map? So he can get to know the town?"

Phil's suggestion worked out perfectly. Techno soon learned the layout of the castle and after that the royal grounds. He even started venturing out into the town sometimes, tearing himself away from Phil's side to explore. Kristin wasn't sure if they should be worried about Techno getting into trouble, especially when he went out for hours at a time. But he always came back by sunset and the guards assured her Techno spent most of his time walking around and looking at things, studying them in minute detail.

She wouldn't lie and say that endless curiosity for the world and everything in it didn't remind her of Phil, a thought which warmed her heart.

Techno didn't talk. Phil said he had once - obviously, how else could he have known Techno's name - and his voice wasn't broken. Sometimes when something surprised him Kristin would hear the quiet echo of a gasp. She had heard the light chime of his laughter, childlike in a way she couldn't quite describe. But he didn't speak despite understanding the language.

"Uhm, do you want this?" Kristin asked, holding the brush she was using out to Techno after the boy had spent the past half hour staring at her doing her hair. It was long and thick, a relic of her long-gone family, and took some work to keep proper.

And whenever she did that, spending the morning humming to herself and brushing her hair over her shoulder in front of the mirror, she would notice Techno would creep in and watch her. He was fascinated by the action perhaps, or by something else.

When she held it out, his eyes widened at her offer and he nodded.

Clawed hands gripped the brush almost reverently, looking at it as if it was valuable. The handle was made from ivory, the bristles were boar hair. Techno held it close to his chest.

"You can use it," Kristin said. "I mean, that's what it's meant for."

Techno looked up at her, then raised his arms to draw the brush through his own hair. Haphazardly and in the wrong direction, so the strands got tangled and into his face. Kristin laughed.

"Oh, oh no, that's- here, let me show you." She took the brush from him again and turned him around by his shoulder so she could do his hair. "Like this."

Their eyes met in the mirror and Techno smiled.

Techno's hair was coarse and almost as thick as her own. Phil had assumed piglin heritage, but Kristin doubted it. Techno's tail wasn't right for it, long and thin rather than the short, curly one she'd expect for that species. And his tusks were too small. Techno was also pretty tall for his age, where piglins were usually shorter. She'd never seen a piglin with red eyes either.

Not that she had any idea what Techno could be. All she knew was that Phil loved him and for now, that would have to be enough.

For all intents and purposes, Techno seemed a normal child despite him not being a human. A little shy, but filled with the same curiosity and mischief any boy that age should possess. Kristin was almost starting to doubt the thing Phil told her about the divinity that clung to him. Almost.

Kristin was a light sleeper. The smallest noise could wake her and she often found herself pulled out of slumber in between dreams. Usually, falling back asleep was as simple as turning over in bed, the weight of Phil's arm around her waist a comforting presence.

Tonight, that was not the case.

Tonight, she was tossing and turning yet unable to find rest. Kristin sighed but eventually gave up and decided a short walk through the gardens would help clear her head. She slipped from beneath the blankets, sliding her feet into the slippers she kept next to the bed. Before she went out, she grabbed a cloak from her dresser in case it was chilly out.

The castle was silent this late at night, her footfalls echoing on marble. Kristin watched the shadows that candles made flicker across the walls. It was peaceful, just the way she liked it. But when she walked out into the garden she wasn't alone.

The queen froze in place at the sight before her, the darkness fickle enough to belie its true nature. For a moment she was struck only by the image of Techno standing there, moonlight illuminating his small frame, barefooted on the grass.

Then the darkness shifted, reaching out to him.

Techno smiled and tilted his chin up, holding out his hand to it. Small fingers closed around it gently, and if Kristin's eyes didn't betray her, it seemed to curl around him in return. A million eyes peered at the child before it from its fluid shape, watching it in silent contemplation.

"Techno?"

He snapped his head to the side, eyes reflective and seemingly pure red for a moment. Like a predator stalking the night. But it was merely a trick of the light combined with some strange physiology no doubt, and in the next moment, Techno was running up to her with that same smile still in place - innocent to her disturbance over what she saw.

Kristin wasn't scared though.

She felt like she should be. What she just witnessed could not be of their world, yet it felt as if it was intrinsically attached to Techno. It belonged there, she knew without question.

Techno reached for her hand and Kristin took it. His skin was warm.

"What was that?" she asked.

Techno looked back over his shoulder, where the darkness had melted away again. Then he looked at her and shrugged. He did not seem to consider what just happened as concerning, or even unusual.

Then again, if a creature like that attaches itself to your very soul, you probably get used to its presence very quickly.

"Let's go back inside," Kristin said. "It's cold outside."

And with that, she took Techno back to his room and tucked him into a bed he wouldn't sleep in.

Wilbur had a strict set of duties he had to follow to serve the church.

His least favorite one was how early he had to wake up. The first worship of the day wasn't until noon, but there was plenty that needed to get done before that. Wilbur needed to clean the stone steps outside, light the candles inside, prepare all the offering baskets for the day, move the bell, and so on and so forth. It was tedious work, but Wilbur didn't mind.

Despite this not being the life he had chosen, he took pride in his work.

An orphan boy like him could not have had better opportunities in the capital than those he got after being taken in by the church. Prime was a good god to follow too, Wilbur thought. Their religion preached for community and showing gratitude. He'd be more miserable if he was a priest, probably. That seemed like a lot of effort and learning scripture by heart. But Wilbur started out as a boy helping around with the church's chores and by the time he was an adult he saw no reason to leave. He still had plenty of time to play his music outside of his duties, so he was happy.

And he got to hear a ridiculous amount of rumors.

"Did you hear something was stolen from the school yesterday? Who steals from a school? Can you imagine the audacity?" The noble who had spoken was clutching his chest in dismay, physically reacting to the news as if it was paining him.

Slowly sweeping the steps outside the church with a broom, Wilbur stifled a yawn into his hand and blinked blearily at the townsfolk gathered on the market square, whispering away among themselves as they did every morning. For the past few weeks, all the gossiping in town had seemed solely focused on that kid - Wilbur wanted to say his name was Techno? The one the king brought home from his travels.

Wilbur didn't get what the big fuss was all about. If they wanted to talk about lost children, the capital had several. Thanks to Queen Kristin, they were all safely housed and taken care of in the orphanage and could get apprenticeships all across the kingdom. But still, what was one more orphan among many?

It was nice that the subject had shifted to something else for a change, though Wilbur had no clue what had been stolen and why it was such a hot topic.

"How? Wouldn't the thieves have to climb all the way to the top of the dormer window?" A woman shook her head. "That's dangerous. All that for a useless hunk of bronze…"

"The bell was only used to call the young'uns in after lunch break. I don't see the reason anybody has for taking it," an old man added, stroking through his greying beard.

Wilbur shrugged and went back inside. It wasn't any of his business and it was boring gossip anyway.

When he was done with his morning chores, he went down the street to visit Niki. Usually, if he asked nicely enough, she would give him something to eat for breakfast without him needing to pay. They'd been friends since forever, so it wasn't unusual for them to do favors like that for each other. Wilbur often performed in her bakery to repay her.

He opened the door he'd found himself in front of so many mornings before, surprised to be greeted by not only an empty bakery but also no chiming of the bell above Niki's door. He looked up but it was gone. Had she taken it down? After closing the door again he walked up to the counter and leaned onto it, knocking his hand on the wood instead.

"Hello? Is anybody home?"

"I'll be right there," Niki called from the kitchen. A few moments later she came out with a tray of pastries, hair half-undone from her tidy bun. "Oh, Wilbur. It's you!" She smiled when she saw him. Wilbur smiled back. "How have you been?"

"I'm pretty good." Without asking, he reached out to pluck one of the pastries off the tray. Niki shook her head but the indulgent grin on her face told Wilbur she didn't mind. "How have you been?" he said while shoving it into his mouth.

"You're gross," Niki accused. "But I'm doing pretty good. The first customers of the day should be coming in any moment now."

"You should hang your bell in the doorframe again then or you won't hear them come in if you're in the back." Wilbur wiped his mouth on his sleeve.

"Yeah, that's the problem. I can't." Niki crossed her arms, a small frown on her face as she looked up at the little wooden peg above the door where the bell used to be. "I think it might have fallen off and somebody picked it up? Or it got lost some other way. I can't find it."

"Weird," Wilbur said.

Really weird. Hadn't those townsfolk been talking about a missing bell too?

Niki shrugged, not too bothered by it. "I'll just have to get a new one."

They made small talk for a few more minutes, Wilbur scarfed down two more pastries as they did much to Niki's obvious amusement, before he had to say goodbye to her. It was time for him to get back to work.

Services for Prime were simple. A priest would go around with a basket to collect the offerings. People gave what they could afford to miss, be it money or food or trinkets. All of it would be given to the less fortunate. The followers could leave messages when they did, prayers that would be heard by Prime. Asking for blessings, for forgiveness, for peace, in exchange for their donations. Sharing things with the deity that had brought its followers happiness. Wilbur lined up the empty baskets first. He dragged the bell to the altar. The priests would ring it to signify the service would begin. One at noon, one around dinnertime, and sometimes one at midnight.

Then Wilbur had to go out back to make sure they had a cart ready to move the offerings to where they needed to go after the service.

When he came back to the front and entered the church, there was somebody standing near the altar.

"Service hasn't started yet-" Wilbur began, frowning at what seemed to be a child. Where were their parents? People weren't supposed to wander around the church all willy-nilly.

The child's head shot up to stare at him, the pupils in his blood-red eyes narrowing as they focused on Wilbur.

Oh… so that's what all the gossip had been about.

Wilbur had not seen the kid the royals brought home, just heard a ton about him. After Niki met Techno when she went to the castle to deliver some food, she had explained to Wilbur in full detail how inhuman he had looked. And also how adorable he was.

Wilbur did not think Techno was adorable.

Standing there in the dewy light cast through stained glass windows, with shadows peeking out behind him and curving into sharp edges over what should be a sacred place - as if Techno's very presence was a stain on its sanctitude - Techno was the furthest thing from adorable.

Wilbur didn't know what this child was. He just knew that looking at him sent a shiver through him.

Then he blinked and Techno blinked back. And there were no shadows in the sunlit church, not even near the pillars of the altar where Wilbur could have sworn he saw eyes peering back at him a moment ago. Ever so slowly, Techno reached out. His small hands curled around the wooden frame of the bell.

In bewilderment, Wilbur watched him try and drag it outside.

Not very successfully so, though it should be noted that the fact he could move it at all was impressive enough for a child of Techno's age. The bell was made from silver and iron and was attached to a frame to keep it standing. Wilbur struggled to move it on the best of days.

But it was Wilbur's job to move it.

"Hey!" He started to run towards the altar.

Techno let go of the bell and quickly spun around so he could dart out of the church. He was frighteningly quick, weaving between some of the columns to get past Wilbur and disappear out the door. Wilbur could hear his hooves on the stone steps outside; scurrying away.

What the fuck just happened?

"Is there a problem?"

Wilbur was startled when one of the priests spoke. The man was adjusting his robes but had clearly been too late to see what had happened.

And what would Wilbur even tell him? "Yeah the king's possibly illegitimate child tried to steal one of our most sacred artifacts but I chased him away"? That's ridiculous.

So he just nodded and turned away. "Nope, all good. Everything is ready."

It kept Wilbur up that night though, and he couldn't put his finger on why. It couldn't just be the fact that Techno was a hybrid of some kind. While rare, Wilbur had definitely seen those before. It couldn't be that he'd never seen a child try to steal something, children were known for their mischief. Wilbur used to be quite the pickpocket himself. It wasn't even that one moment of odd unbelonging, as if he'd been staring into something greater than himself. No, that moment would surely haunt Wilbur's nightmares but it was not the thing nagging on his brain.

What was it then…

Something fell to the ground in the church's main chamber.

Wilbur shot upright in his cot, heart hammering away as the echoes of metal slamming into stone reverberated around the building. Wilbur's little room was right by the door that led to the church itself, in a little hallway of the side building. He was the most nearby, if something was going on he should check.

But he didn't have a death wish. Wilbur grabbed a candlestick from his bedside table before gingerly stepping out into the hallway.

The main room of the church was empty and it was dark. Wilbur's fingers felt sweaty against the cold metal of the candlestick. He wasn't usually a nervous person, but something about today had left him shaken. He could use a nap and not whatever this fucking shit was.

All the stuff on the altar had been knocked over.

Wilbur looked around, stepping forward a bit quicker now that confusion had won out over fear. His only explanation for how this could have happened would be the wind - something that made sense because he could feel a breeze. One of the windows was open. High on the wall, not easy to be reached.

A person moved in the darkness.

Wilbur swung at it out of instinct, finding himself very glad that he missed because he didn't think the royals would forgive him if he had killed their adopted child. Techno pouted at him in annoyance, as if being attacked by Wilbur with a candlestick was a mere inconvenience. He was trying to haul the bell along under his arm, ears flicking with the effort of it, his face scrunched up and turning red.

"Wha- Stop that!" Wilbur dropped the improvised weapon in favor of grabbing the bell's frame. Techno let go immediately, to glare at Wilbur instead. Presumably for interrupting him in his amazing bell heist.

And all at once Wilbur knew exactly what the odd thing was he needed to put his finger on. It was bells.

The one at the school. The chime Niki used above her door. Both of them had been stolen recently.

There could only be one culprit. Wilbur was looking at him right now!

"This isn't yours," Wilbur said firmly. He felt really stupid arguing with a literal child like that, but what else could he do?

Techno turned around and ran away again. Wilbur watched him push open the doors of the church. That wasn't how he got in through, the hinges creaked terribly and Wilbur would have woken up. No, he was awoken by the sound of all the stuff falling from the altar.

Because Techno had climbed in through the window. What the heck?

Disgruntled, Wilbur dragged the bell along toward his room. He was not taking any chances.

Part of him almost wanted to stay up to keep an eye out. Clearly, this Techno kid had some kind of unreasonable obsession with stealing bells and Wilbur would pay hell if he'd let one of the church's artifacts be stolen on his watch. After today, he was so exhausted he couldn't keep awake though. Several hours passed of him staring into the dimness of the room. Then sleep pulled at his eyelids and they finally slipped shut.

Only for Wilbur to wake up and find the bell gone.

How it had been taken out of his room was anybody's guess. It was kind of creepy for Wilbur to imagine Techno must have come in while he was sleeping to yoink it. Not to mention how he had done all that without making a noise.

At least there was no doubt in his mind Techno took it. Partly because that was the only answer that made sense, partly because there was no other reason for the king to be standing on the church's stairs when Wilbur opened the door.

There was a battalion of guards behind him, lined up two by two. The townsfolk who had gathered on the square for their usual morning gossip were staring at Wilbur, and at the king who was so politely smiling at him. He was holding Techno by the hand.

"Hello," the king said. Wilbur had never heard him speak before, he realized suddenly. He had never met the king. Should he be doing something? Should he be bowing?!

Awkwardly, Wilbur tried to bend over but also keep eye contact because eye contact was polite and he couldn't offend the king because dear gods what a disaster that would be. "Y-your majesty. I'm sorry, I wasn't prepared for you to visit."

King Philza chuckled, his laugh was warm and comfortable. "Nonsense. I should be the one apologizing for intruding on your morning so rudely." He tugged slightly on Techno's hand, making the child take a step forward. Techno had his tail wrapped around himself, looking down at the ground demurely. He definitely looked some measure of ashamed, or upset. "And Techno here should apologize for taking something without asking."

Techno glanced up at him through his lashes. Wilbur recognized that look, it was the look of a boy who got scolded by his father.

"It's alright," Wilbur said quickly. "The bell isn't even mine, technically." The church and everything in it belonged to Prime.

"No, it's not alright. Techno has to learn he can't just take things." The king put his hand sternly on Techno's back. "Techno, what do we say when we mess up?"

"Sorry," Techno mumbled. He couldn't meet Wilbur's eye.

"Thanks," Wilbur answered. "Uh, can I have my bell back?"

The king laughed. "Nope."

"What do you mean, nope?" For a moment, it was as if Wilbur had forgotten he was talking to a royal.

"It's a very nice bell. Techno asked if he could keep it and, well, I'm really bad at saying no to kids." Sheepishly, the king rubbed the back of his head.

It was in moments like these that Wilbur was painfully reminded this guy was a commoner a couple of years ago.

"But I have put in the order for a new bell to be crafted for the church," the king continued quickly. "It'll be made to Prime's specifications so you won't have to worry about that. I hope you can cope without it for a day or two, the royal blacksmiths work fast even if they're handling precious metals."

"That's very kind of you," Wilbur said.

"It's the least I could do."

A sentiment Wilbur definitely agreed with but didn't voice out loud. He valued his life too much to be thrown in jail for treason.

The king's visit to the church became the new gossip around the capital and Wilbur returned to his duties, though he noticed Techno wander around town sometime. He would always stop and wave at Wilbur. Wilbur didn't wave back.

Three days later a bell was brought to their doorstep. The silver shone delicately in the morning sun, and the engravings were done with more precision and care than Wilbur could have ever thought possible. The frame was metal too, black iron, and set with several gemstones. It was even heavier to lug around, but Wilbur couldn't deny it was one of the coolest things he'd ever seen. Prime would be happy with it.

Prime would have been happy with it.

Wilbur put the bell in his room from the get-go this time. Why he thought something that failed once would work this time, who knows.

But when he woke up the bell was gone. And Wilbur put on his shoes so he could head down to the castle and force the king to commission another one.

Maybe one they could attach to the wall so the royals' terrible adopted son wouldn't steal it.

"Have you seen my scarf?"

Phil lowered his book so he could glance at Kristin over the pages. "Which one?"

"The purple one with the threads of silk. Looks like a night sky?" Kristin was more or less upending her entire wardrobe, covering the bed in expensive fabrics of velvet and cashmere. "I could have sworn I left it in the throne room yesterday, but it's not there."

"Why did you leave it there?" Phil closed his book and got up, but it would be useless to try and help her search. He'd rather not drown in a flood of corsets.

"It gets so incredibly stifling in there with that many people." Kristin sighed, throwing up her hands in defeat. "Well, whatever. The public will have to deal with seeing my riding cape for a change."

"If it helps, I think you look amazing in anything," Phil offered. Kristin gave him an amused smirk.

"I think you're just saying that because you're my husband," she said.

"No, I'm your husband because I think that," he answered. "Get it right."

"You're lucky you're so cute or I'd have you beheaded for contempt." After giving him a peck on the cheek in passing, Kristin opened the door. Phil knew she hated official functions, but so did he. They had more or less agreed Kristin could force him to attend one every week, but for the other days, he was exempt. The upside of Phil being married to royalty but not being royalty himself. Technically speaking, he was only a king consort, though nobody ever treated him as anything but their rightful monarch.

Phil was more than happy for it because that meant he could spend his afternoons out on the hunting ground. On his way to the stables, he passed the captain of the guard training with some new recruits.

They stopped their sparring to bow at him - something Phil found completely unnecessary not to mention ridiculous. But he greeted Bad all the same.

"Good afternoon, Captain." He put his hand on Bad's shoulder to keep his spine straight. It was embarrassing enough to have the rookies bow at him, he didn't need Bad to do it too. "How are we doing, this fine afternoon?"

"All is perfectly well," Bad said. The way his voice tilted up at the end betrayed some underlying nervousness though.

Which was why Phil motioned for him to follow. "Walk with me to the stables?"

Bad nodded tightly, dismissing the recruits with a gesture so they could continue doing their job. He fell into step next to Phil easily.

"And now the truth?" Phil prompted.

Hushed so nobody could overhear, Bad spoke a lot more honestly. "There's been some unrest to the south. Nothing to worry yourself over, your majesty." Despite Phil's best efforts, their loyal captain had not fallen out of the habit of using his title. "But I do admit it has me working overtime."

"A rebellion?"

"Not quite that much unrest," Bad said. "The queen is making us keep an eye on it. And we're preparing just in case."

Phil nodded. "I see." He wasn't concerned, in the many years since he met Kristin and even before that, he had not known signs of the people being unhappy with her rule. War seemed unlikely to him. If this was anything more than a small group of people selfishly trying to seize power, he'd be very surprised.

Still, it was not a thing to be dismissed. And also a thing he would have loved to know sooner.

"Did she ask you not to tell me?" Phil and Kristin did not keep secrets from each other. This would be new.

"Oh, gosh, no, she didn't-" Bad stumbled over his words a bit at being put on the spot. "Nothing like that, your majesty. I promise. She just said that she'd rather not bother you since you have more important things to worry about."

Surprised, Phil tilted his head. "More important things?" They arrived at the stables, where the air was a bit more stuffy and smelled of manure. Phil liked the place since it reminded him of his youth.

"The uh, the child," Bad said awkwardly. "Technoblade?"

"I don't believe Technoblade keeps me busy, he mostly tends to himself." Ever since Techno learned how to tear himself away from Phil's side, he went out exploring a lot. He was rarely away from Phil for more than a handful of hours, half a day at most, but you'd be surprised how much trouble that boy could get into in such a short window of time.

"We simply did not see the point in bothering you with this," Bad said. "If we misjudged, I am to blame. Nothing much more interesting has happened lately than us misplacing a bunch of training dummies, truly."

Phil laughed. Oh, the chaos of barrack life. He was well aware of it. "I trust the queen's judgment above all else," he said. "And yours too, Captain."

Bad offered him a satisfied smile. "Thank you, your majesty. If you don't mind, I really should get back to my recruits."

After the captain left, Phil headed over to his favorite horse. He wasn't concerned about Kristin's decision to not tell him about this unrest earlier, she must have had a good reason. Phil did not consider himself to be overly distracted by Techno, but he could admit he'd spent a lot of time lately hoping to adjust Techno to the castle and then to the town. He seemed to be dealing with the change pretty well. Give or take a few hiccups involving stolen church bells.

Speaking of which, Phil should check with the royal blacksmith about that latest replacement. Wilbur got testy when he had to wait more than a week.

He grabbed a pitchfork from against the wall, dismissing a stableboy who was already jumping forward and offering to help him shovel the hay. Just because he was married to the queen didn't mean Phil minded getting his hands dirty. He reeled his arms back, preparing to start scooping clean bedding into the paddock.

And only just stopped himself from stabbing Technoblade, who was laying curled up sleeping in the hay.

After a series of rather impressive expletives, Phil managed to slow his heart rate down enough to breathe. Techno was sitting up and rubbing his eyes, looking up at him sheepishly after being woken up so suddenly.

"Phil," he said after a moment. Not a question, merely an observation.

"Yeah, mate. It's me." Phil lowered the pitchfork. "Were you… sleeping?"

Phil had never seen Techno sleep before. To be honest, he was under the impression Techno didn't sleep at all. Whatever sort of hybrid he was - not piglin but something adjacent going by Phil's research - might have something to do with that. But Techno was definitely taking a nap just now.

The boy didn't answer the question, instead stretching with his arms above his head. His tail twitched a bit, then curled around his waist almost shyly. He nodded.

"If you're tired you should sleep in your bed," Phil said. "We had a room prepared for you and everything."

Techno's small features scrunched up in displeasure at Phil mentioning that. "It's not ready," he mumbled. As far as Phil was aware, Techno hadn't spent more than three minutes in there.

"Yes, it is. I can tuck you in if you want?" Phil might not be entirely proficient at the whole fatherhood thing, he knew that tucking kids in was what parents did. But Techno only shook his head vehemently. His tail wrapped around his side, so he could play with the fluff on the end. It was a sign he was nervous. Keeping that in mind, Phil didn't press.

"Alright then," he said. "Just… tell me if you change your mind, I guess? You can sleep in there whenever you want."

Techno got up, shaking the hay off himself. Some of it had gotten stuck in his hair, carefully braided this morning by Phil but now already a mess. Phil reached out to tuck some of the strands back in place.

"Woods?" Techno asked. He was semi-verbal at best but got just a tad more talkative when he was alone with Phil.

"Yeah, I'm taking Carl out. Do you wanna come along?"

Techno didn't need to be told twice, jumping up so he could sprint over. The horse craned his neck over the door of his paddock, accepting the soft little pats Techno gave to Carl's snout. Techno absolutely loved animals. From the ants he spent hours observing in the courtyard to the stray cats that wandered around town. He seemed especially fond of horses, and particularly of Carl.

And Carl was about as temperate in his mood as a lap dog - compared to most warhorses that shied away from strangers - so the friendship was pretty instant.

Phil smiled as he picked up the pitchfork again. The fact that Techno was sleeping when he never had done that before was a little odd, but not concerning. Hell, for all Phil knew it was a good sign. Like he finally felt comfortable enough to rest?

Whatever the case, he'd worry about it later. He wouldn't keep an enthusiastic child bursting with anticipation to get on a horse waiting.

Phil should really start sorting through his journals at some point.

He never came back from his travels without at least three notebooks filled. And being the sentimental bastard that he was, Phil insisted he'd hang onto all of them. What if he wanted to revisit those memories? Or the info inside them might become handy at some point?

Kristin didn't mind. She liked leafing through the journals herself.

Eret on the other hand… Well, Phil supposed it was hard work to keep an entire archive and library worth of books cataloged properly. Eret should probably be more cross with him than they were.

"I found another box full," Phil said as he walked into the library. "They were hiding in the war room. I guess we stored them there for later."

Eret visibly jumped at his voice, so absorbed in their work that they didn't hear Phil's approach. "Did you have to do that?" they asked, looking mournfully at the small stains of ink they had spilled on the parchment when they startled. "Sneak up on me, I mean."

Trying hard not to laugh, Phil put the box down wherever. Eret would just have to sort them out later. It was a little amusing that in their irritation at Phil's interruption, they had dropped all formality.

"Sorry," Phil said to keep the peace. "I did not realize drawing maps took that much concentration."

"They do when it's the tenth time you're drawing them. Pretty sure my hand is cramping, actually." Eret sighed. "If somebody didn't keep misplacing our current ones, that wouldn't be a problem."

There was definitely a story there but Phil didn't think he'd want to know. Eret's annoyance at how uncareful half the staff was when handling the precious royal documents was no secret. And obviously, the maps were consulted more than anything else.

"If there's anything I can do to help," he offered. It was unlikely Eret would take him up on it - Phil was the king after all. But Phil truly wouldn't mind. And Eret was the only person he could see being that forward.

But the librarian smiled and half-turned towards him. "No need, your majesty." The title felt more in jest than anything, making Phil grin. He did appreciate it when people spoke candidly to him. "With some uninterrupted time, I'll have this sorted out before you can find another box of journals."

A small chuckle escaped Phil. "Fair enough," he said. He was about to leave when Eret's voice stopped him.

"It's quite remarkable how much Techno is taking after you though."

"What?" Phil asked in confusion.

"Earlier today I was tidying up around here and found him buried under a pile of books. Scared me half to death, but I guess he didn't see it as an odd place to sleep." Eret had a clear fond spot for the boy. Phil knew Techno spent a lot of time in the library.

"Huh," was all he could answer. Maybe he really should get on teaching Techno to sleep in his bed. Especially if this would become a regular occurrence. "I hope he didn't damage anything."

"Not at all, he seemed quite cozy. Don't ask me how." Eret turned to proceed with his maps.

Assured that the safety of their royal documents was not an issue, Phil also returned to what he was doing before he came down to the library. But he probably had to draw out some time soon to sort out Techno's sleeping arrangements. If he could remember to do so.

Mondays were the busiest days in the kitchen so Phil often went down to help out. Supplies were delivered at the start of the week and at the end of it, but the fresh catch of the fishermen only was brought by on Mondays. Phil never minded lending a hand.

Techno loved it too, but mainly because he was endlessly curious about seeing all the foods that passed through the castle.

"I think that was all of them," Niki said, wiping her arm over her forehead. Lugging the heavy boxes around had exhausted her.

"Thanks again," Phil said.

"No, that's, that's fine." Niki was a bit red in the face but due to more than exertion. She was always slightly awkward around Phil. Once again, he was the king so nothing unusual there.

"You'll get your payment the usual way?" Phil confirmed. Niki hummed and nodded. "Great. Can I offer you a drink before you head home? I think we both deserve it."

Flustered, Niki raised her hand in polite refusal. "Oh, uh, that's very kind of you, your majesty." Phil was about to open his mouth and tell her she shouldn't refuse on account of his royal status, but then Niki continued. "I have promised to be at Wilbur's by noon, so."

"Tell him his bell is on the way. Again."

Picking up the last of her boxes - and displaying some impressive strength in cradling the heavy wood - Niki laughed. "He'll be pleased. He said that if it disappears again, he's going to put down bear traps."

"Bold of you to assume Techno would fall for those," Phil said.

Niki left after that, and Phil planned to head out into the garden but Kristin stopped him before he could. She was walking in the opposite direction, clearly looking for him.

"Don't forget there's an audience with the nobles from up north this afternoon. You'll be there." It wasn't phrased as a question, rather a playful command.

Phil sighed, he wasn't particularly looking forward to it. "Do I have to?"

"Yes." Kristin kissed him, short and chaste. "Make sure to wear your crown too. For me."

"Anything for you," Phil said. "But I'll have to find the darn thing because I barely ever wear it. I have no clue where it is."

"Your majesty?" Niki called from behind them. She was barely peeking around the corner, as if stepping out of the kitchen and into the hallway would be some sort of major transgression. She did always deliver her goods through a side door as well.

"Niki?" Phil turned with a smile. "I thought you said you were in a hurry."

"I am, but I'd rather not be charged with kidnapping," she said. Confused, Phil and Kristin walked back into the kitchen.

Only to see that Niki had brought the box back and opened up the lid. Techno was inside, asleep. Completely oblivious to the world even.

"I figured the box was a bit too heavy to be empty so I checked to make sure we hadn't forgotten to unload anything," Niki said. "I guess he crawled in there at some point."

Bending down to pick Techno up, the child was pretty much completely slack in Phil's hold until he tucked Techno's chin onto his shoulders. Only then did he start to stir. "Sorry about that."

"How peculiar," Kristin remarked lightly. "Perhaps he liked the smell?" Niki's boxes had the lingering scent of baked sweets on them.

"Maybe," Phil said. "Techno, you should really sleep in your room." He wanted to bring the boy there, but Techno started to squirm in his grip as soon as he mentioned it, demanding to be put down. Phil did so with a sigh.

"I wonder why he hates beds," Kristin mused out loud, amused.

"He might never have had one before," Niki said. When both members of the royal pair looked at her she looked visibly mortified at her own words. Normally, one should not speak out of turn in the presence of the king and queen. Not that either of them cared one bit. Niki pressed on, "he grew up alone, right? On the streets."

"As far as we know," Phil confirmed. Puzzling together Techno's past had been an uphill battle considering he didn't talk.

Well, a little mystery never killed anybody. He was sure they'd figure it out in due time.

Phil had never felt the fear of being unable to find his child before.

Maybe because he never had children before. Yes, when he wasn't operating on pure undiluted panic his brain might stop and comprehend that, stop and parse the obvious attachment he had grown to the boy that stumbled into his life so unexpectedly that not knowing where he was could be enough to send him in a frenzy.

But Phil was scared.

He hadn't seen Techno for over a day.

And sure, Techno might have been getting a bit bolder and more comfortable to not be by his side, but he'd never been gone this long before. A small gnawing worry had steadily grown into the fear he felt as he sprinted through the hallways, calling out Technoblade's name and praying to Prime that the boy would run around the corner.

Kristin was helping him look and Bad had probably also been put on the case. They didn't want to involve anybody else quite yet though, because if this turned out to be a misunderstanding the fallout would be bad. They couldn't have people thinking that somebody was kidnapped straight out of the castle. Phil didn't think Techno was the type of kid to be kidnapped either.

If anybody tried, he'd be more worried for their safety than Techno's.

By now, Phil's anxiety was spiking with every heartbeat. Maybe it was time to call for a town-wide search? Maybe they needed to organize the army and-

"Have you checked our room yet?" Kristin asked, rushing to meet him in the hallway.

"Yes, he's not- he wouldn't be in there without us, you know that." Phil didn't mean to be curt with her. It was just getting hard to think straight.

"What about his room?"

Phil dug his heels into the fancy tiles to come to a skidding halt, almost tumbling over his own feet and onto his face. How the fuck had he not thought of that?

He spun around and took off again, hearing the tapping of Kristin's boots behind him. When they got to Techno's room, Phil threw the door open in a rush, flinching back at the heat that met him.

Somebody had lit the fireplace and stoked it with enough wood to almost burn the castle down. At least they had also pushed the protective iron grate in front of it to prevent any sparks from catching on the carpet.

Phil's eye was much more drawn to the rest of the room. He'd only been in there briefly after ordering some servants to set it up for Techno. The furnishing was simple but cozy, definitely adequate in Phil's opinion. Somebody - Techno himself, obviously. Who else? - had pushed the bed over to the middle of the room. As close to the fireplace as they could manage without it being dangerous. The posts of the bed had been torn off and a combination of blankets and pillows had been piled on top. Many more than Phil knew were in the room. Techno must have gotten them elsewhere.

The makeshift nest (and the room at large) was full of the most random assortment of items Phil had ever laid eyes on.

The most prominent was an honestly pretty impressive collection of bells that would even put the grander temples of Prime to shame. Phil recognized every single one of them because he had been informed of Techno stealing them and had ordered their replacement. He knew Techno must have stacked them away somewhere, but he never expected them to be in this room. Stepping closer to the nest found the offender of such thievery lying curled up in the middle of it. As additional bedding, Techno had ripped out the fluff from inside a bunch of training dummies used by the guards. The destroyed remains lay in another corner of the room. He was using Kristin's scarf as a blanket and had Phil's crown clutched loosely in his fingers.

Furthermore, he was blissfully asleep.

"Is he-" Kristin asked from behind him, then got distracted by looking around curiously. "So what's all this then?"

"I think it's every missing item from a ten-mile radius," Phil said. He saw some of Eret's maps in one corner of the nest, slightly crumpled but undamaged. Against Techno's back, one of the stray cats Phil had seen him play with most often lay fast asleep as well, fluffy back rising and falling in even breaths.

Techno had taken all these things he cared about and had brought them here? Why?

"Techno?" Phil said softly, shaking the boy's shoulder. "Time to wake up and explain what's going on."

Techno didn't respond, he didn't so much as flinch. Phil shook him a bit harder, but it seemed to have no effect.

All that panic that had been squashed down by finding Techno suddenly reared its ugly head again.

"Techno?" Phil kneeled down and pressed the back of his hand against Techno's forehead. It was warm, but not feverishly so. The entire room was unbearably hot thanks to the fire. Techno showed no sign of movement, not even fluttering his eyelids.

"I'll get Ponk," Kristin said before leaving the room in a hurry.

Those ten minutes of waiting for her to return with their court physician might be the longest of Phil's life. He tried to wake Techno up several more times, every time Techno's complete lack of reaction had his heart clench unpleasantly. Phil even found himself checking the boy's pulse. He was alive, still breathing. Just… so deeply asleep he couldn't wake up?

"He's hibernating," Ponk said after having a chance to look the boy over.

"He's what?" Phil blinked numbly. "Is that… is that even possible?"

"Not for humans," Ponk said casually. Their complete lack of concern over the situation was a bit comforting, honestly. "But for whatever Techno is, apparently it's not abnormal. His body is showing all the signs of a typical hibernation. He's not in distress."

"So what do we do?" Kristin asked. She reached out to wrap the scarf around Techno more properly, a sight that made Phil smile fondly.

"Not much we can do except wait for him to wake up," Ponk answered. "You said he was sleeping intermittently lately? Sounds like he was gearing up for deep sleep already but couldn't hibernate since he didn't have the proper arrangements yet." They gestured at the room around them. "A nest."

Phil nodded. Then he walked over to the desk and pulled the chair over to the side of Techno's 'nest'. "Then wait we shall." Ponk's assessment as a doctor was unmatched. If they said this was normal and Techno would wake up on his own, Phil did not doubt that was true.

Why did it not ease the guilt in Phil's chest telling him he should have noticed sooner?

Kristin squeezed his shoulder before going to fetch a chair from the other room as well. Together, they would wait.

In the past three months, research into obscure Netherlore had become Phil's main devotion.

He had a lot of time, back when Techno was sleeping. Regardless of Ponk's words - and Phil's faith in their court physician - those were the scariest weeks of his life. Helplessly sitting by while waiting for Techno to wake up with nothing but a promise that he would eventually, if they remained patient enough. It was harrowing.

When he did eventually open his eyes, Techno seemed fully uncomprehending about the worry he had caused. And in fact, he had appeared the closest to shocked Phil had ever seen him when they tried to explain to Techno the extent of their concern. But it was all sorted in the end, with Techno offering his apologies by clinging to Phil's hand for a whole two days afterward. And Phil had a new goal: to learn everything he could about Technoblade's mysterious origin.

It was definitely a task easier said than done.

Phil's assumption of piglin heritage was not accurate - least of all because piglins did not hibernate. Some ancient scripts spoke about a more obscure species of pigmen, long extinct. If Techno somehow had some of that in his blood, Phil didn't know how it got there. Worse, it was a race even less studied and observed than piglins. The peculiar physiology of hibernation was more or less where the research ended.

Still, Phil had never let a small setback keep him down. He just kept a closer eye on Techno while he was at it, not wanting to be taken by surprise again.

Watching the child had become a lot easier since his latest obsession.

"Mate, there's no way you're going to win this unless you get insanely lucky and pull a three."

Techno glowered up at him, lips pulling over his tusks in a childish glare. Phil found the display more adorable than threatening, but he might be a little skewed for thinking that. He'd found most everything that Techno did cute. The sentiment wasn't always shared by others.

"Oh, don't spoil his fun, dear." Kristin smiled softly, laying her own card down on the table in front of her.

Phil didn't know who exactly had started teaching Techno card games, though it was probably somebody down in the barracks. The guards were known to entertain themselves with a round of betting in the evenings; every good man had his vice. Techno - like most children of his age do when introduced to something that is both fun and new - had become single-mindedly obsessed with the activity. He had been going around prodding every adult to play with him or teach him more games.

Phil himself had spent more hours than he could count on the card games. And worse of all was that Techno won more often than not.

Something that clearly delighted him. For all his introverted nature, Techno apparently had quite the competitive streak. When the boy turned around the final card still face down in the deck and revealed a number three painted on the surface, he broke out in happy giggles. Phil raised an eyebrow.

"How did he…?"

"I think he counts the cards," Kristin said with a shrug. She might be queen, but she was no sore loser. "That's the kind of thing that would usually see you get kicked out of the gambling establishments."

"Good thing you're more lenient," Phil answered. Techno beamed up at him, looking for praise mayhaps. Phil petted his hair, careful not to mess up the intricate braid Kristin made that morning.

"Hm, he's very clever," she commented with a grin. Phil felt his own heart swell at the obvious affection she held for the child - their child. Maybe not yet officially, though Phil knew they'd both subconsciously had started labeling Techno as such. He probably should bring up the legal proceedings of claiming Techno as their kin soon.

However, there was the constant uncertainty of other peoples' reactions to such a decision.

Kristin stood up and brushed off her skirt. "And he's also completely insatiable. Who knew it'd be this hard to entertain a child."

Techno was already looking up at Phil with the most pitiful eyes imaginable, wordlessly begging for another round of the game.

"You'll have to take up the mantle because I have more important matters to tend to," she said. Phil gladly took a place across from Techno at the table, where the boy was busy shuffling the cards.

"More important than a card game?" Phil asked playfully.

"Oh, you know. Running the country and such." She kissed the top of his head in passing. Phil chuckled, watching Techno deal the cards.

The way those red eyes observed what cards were turned even as they were put in the discard pile told Phil that Kristin had been spot-on in her suspicion. Sneaky little shit.

Not to be outdone, Phil shifted through his own hand to choose his play. If it was Techno, he wouldn't mind losing a million times.

When Wilbur saw Techno bounce his way up the church steps, he grabbed a broom in preparation.

One of Wilbur's most important jobs as caretaker of the church was to keep vermin out. Offering food to Prime was not unusual and plenty of devotees left edible sacrifices to go stale at the various altars inside the building, sadly that tended to attract all sorts of nasty pests. In a way, chasing Techno trying to steal his bell was not too different for Wilbur.

With the most notable difference perhaps being that Techno too often got away with his theft for Wilbur's liking.

"Shoo, the king hasn't even replaced my previous one," Wilbur said. He half-heartedly thrust the broom in Techno's direction. The child easily sidestepped his lackluster assault. He might just be coming by to hang out, he'd been doing that occasionally.

Techno took out a little bag for Wilbur to see, wagging his tail in excitement. Wilbur drew up an eyebrow.

"What?" he asked.

Techno pulled on the small drawstring keeping the leather pouch closed. Then he held it up to Wilbur, allowing him to peek inside. It was a deck of cards.

"You want to play cards?"

Vigorous nodding told him he was correct. Huh, curious. As annoying as the constant bell theft was, Wilbur wouldn't deny Techno's excitement about something as simple as playing a card game could rub off on him. Except… Wilbur didn't much enjoy card games. They tended to rely too much on chance for his tastes (and no, that definitely had nothing to do with how Wilbur had really bad luck).

"How about we play something else?" he suggested. Techno tilted his head, showing open curiosity. Wilbur smirked.

Oh, this was going to be criminally easy.

"Actually, we could make a bet out of it. If I win, you bring me back all the bells you stole from me."

Techno scowled and shook his head. He was probably not going to agree to those terms.

"Fine," Wilbur amended. "If I win, you bring me back the last three bells you stole from me. And you promise to not steal those three again."

With a pensive expression, Techno considered the offer. He pointed at his own chest.

"And if you win?" Wilbur said, prompting a nod. "If you win, I'll uh-" He hadn't thought that far ahead, truly. "I'll drop whatever I'm doing to entertain you for a whole week. I'll do whatever you want."

Techno's eyes widened. He pointed at the spot where Wilbur's bell usually would be (but currently wasn't because Techno had stolen it again and the new one hadn't been finished yet).

"Yes, I'd even help you steal my bell and bring it to the castle," he promised. "Swear it on Prime."

Tail swaying impossibly faster in quick, jerky motions, Techno eagerly nodded. He really fell for that hook, line, and sinker.

"Great." Wilbur started to head towards his room. "I bet you've never played chess before."

He would feel guilty about his ploy if it weren't for the fact that Techno made Wilbur's life ten times as difficult as it needed to be on several occasions. So he didn't exactly feel too bad about getting back at him. There was no way Techno was going to be able to beat him at chess if he never played before. Wilbur had plenty of time to practice, with the other kids in the orphanage or alone when the church was empty and quiet. He'd be willing to bet on it.

Quite literally so.

After laying out the board, he explained in simple terms the rules to Techno. Wilbur wasn't a prick, he didn't leave anything out or purposefully tried to set the boy up for worse plays. But chess was definitely the sort of game that was hard to master, with experience being the only true teacher. Techno's face scrunched up in concentration as he tried to keep track of Wilbur's explanation. Then they started playing.

To nobody's surprise - least of all Wilbur's - Techno lost.

He did not lose as spectacularly as Wilbur had suspected he would. For somebody who had never played the game before, he put up an impressive fight. But it was not enough. Over the handful of chess pieces left on the board, most of them Wilbur's, Techno pouted at him.

"Oh, don't make that face at me, a deal is a deal." Wilbur laughed. Techno shrugged, then started putting the pieces back. "Do you want to go again?"

Techno nodded.

"I'm not going to make another bet with you," Wilbur warned. But Techno didn't seem to care, only eager to get back to playing.

Wilbur decided it wouldn't be too bad to humor him.

Three hours later he was very much regretting that decision.

"I really need to get back to my duties," Wilbur said. Techno reacted completely flabbergasted. He probably thought Wilbur had nothing better to do except play games all day. "If you want to play more, just ask the king. He's a stuffy old man, he'll definitely have a chessboard lying around. And don't forget about my bells."

Techno rolled his eyes at that, but he did take off in the direction of the castle. If he practiced, he would one day be a pretty decent opponent. He might even pose a challenge to Wilbur - and if not he'd be a fun person for Wilbur to play casual matches with.

Somehow, he found himself looking forward to that more than the return of his three bells.

Against what everybody else in the caste seemed to believe, Eret was quite a busy person.

There was this wrong notion in a lot of people's minds that a librarian did nothing but sit around and read all day. If that was Eret's lot in life, they would certainly not complain. Simply, it wasn't accurate though.

What Eret did was serve as a living omen.

Eret had the not unimportant job of recording all significant information they could, draw as many relevant conclusions from it as they could, then safe keep said information for future generations. Their work combined that of a historian, an archivist, and a researcher. When done right, it was meant to prevent the same mistakes from occurring twice. It was equal parts regret and forewarning.

And thus, Eret really did not have time to also be a babysitter on top of it.

"Isn't there anybody else who can play with you?"

Not the right thing to say, if Techno's sad little expression told Eret anything. They didn't know how they had somehow ended up in the top ten of people for this child to interact with, but it certainly had happened. Techno was still incredibly wary of strangers.

"What about the captain?" Eret tried. Bad definitely had a soft spot for the young boy.

Techno shook his head, mimicking the motion of swinging around a sword with his other hand. Bad must be occupied with training the new recruits. The rumors of war on the borders had him on edge. It had all of them on edge, really.

Eret put down their book. "That boy who serves Prime? Or Niki, from the bakery?"

Again, Techno shook his head. He opened the little box he was holding. It was a travel set for chess players. The wood folded open to form the board itself and the pieces were contained within. A very nifty invention. The king had given it to Techno, a relic from his own time as a nomad. These days, Phil played chess on a proper marble board outside in the gardens or the one he had up in his bedroom. But Techno needed a set he could carry around with him.

"Have you tried Fundy?" Eret asked.

Techno huffed and made a face. Eret had to smile at themself. Fair enough, Fundy was skilled at a great many games, but chess was not one of them. He was also a notorious cheater. Eret should not be surprised that Techno refused to play with him.

"Fine, we can play a few games then."

They couldn't help a bit of a fond smile as Techno excitedly leaped into action to prepare the board. The king had dropped a few hints here and there in their conversations that implied he was concerned about the fallout of claiming Techno as his own. Not that Eret knew him to be the kind of person to give a single flying fuck about what others thought of him, he certainly extended a lot of care towards his wife.

Queen Kristin's reputation was probably as positive as any royals' could ever hope to be. But even then, both commoners and nobility could be fickle. And Eret did not think the worry was unfounded. Especially since the royals had no firstborn of their own. If Techno was to become their child, he would also be the heir to the throne. Something that would be a bit more difficult to swallow than him simply being the feral Nether child the royals semi-adopted.

Techno slammed his hands into the table a few times. Not too hard, just enough to grab Eret's attention and draw them out of their reverie. They shook their head with a chuckle and took a seat opposite the boy.

"Have you been practicing?" Eret asked, seeing Techno doing his opening move. It was an advanced play.

Techno was utterly concentrated on the board, but he did nod shyly. "Phil."

"I see. The king is quite good at the game, I remember. We've played on occasion." Eret moved their knight up and to the right, claiming one of Techno's pawns. "If you're learning from him, no doubt you'll be an expert in no time."

Face scrunched up and tongue peeking from the side of his mouth, Techno decided on what to do next. He was definitely improving.

He still hadn't beaten Wilbur though.

After about ten minutes, Eret smiled and moved their queen forward. "Checkmate, I believe."

Techno looked a little disappointed at having lost but shook it off quickly. He tentatively started to rearrange the pieces while giving Eret the biggest, most adorable pleading gaze one could imagine, begging for another round. Eret couldn't help but laugh.

"We'll keep at it. And once we're done here I could look for some books on chess techniques. There have to be some lying around this dusty old library."

Positively beaming at him, Techno quickly lined up the pawns again. He turned the board around so they could switch what color they were playing. A fairness he might have been taught by Phil. When he was done, he nodded for Eret to do the opening play, observing closely. Trying to mimic the method for later.

Well, Eret supposed the archives wouldn't crumble away having to wait a day longer for the new sorting system to be put in place.

Phil felt like a complete ass for it, but he was starting to regret encouraging Technoblade's obsession with games.

"I really don't have time for this right now, Techno." Not one to be stern, Phil was trying to let Techno down easy. But he was finding that easier said than done.

Phil was definitely Techno's favorite victim whenever he was looking for somebody to play with. And while part of Phil felt a secret satisfaction at that, he couldn't keep up with a child's insatiable desire for games. First the card games, then chess. Now it was a combination of both. Techno could easily spend all day going at it. He asked whoever he saw and looked like they weren't currently occupied. Techno hated people and was extremely avoidant of strangers, but Phil had even seen him approach a few of the other guards he never interacted with before. Just because he wanted to play games.

He enjoyed playing with Phil the most though.

"I'm not caving to your dramatics this time, mate."

He almost instantly had to go back on his words, Techno's pout was so cute it was hard to resist. Seriously though, Phil really didn't feel like continuing to play. Dusk was approaching, he had done nothing else all day.

So when Techno only continued stubbornly to sit there with crossed arms, looking petulant, Phil carefully tapped him on the nose. "Just go find somebody else, okay?"

For a few seconds longer, Techno stayed there. Then he reluctantly got up, packing his pieces back into the little travel chess set Phil had given him. Phil felt bad for the little sigh of relief he couldn't entirely suppress when Techno left the room.

Techno's hell-bent fixation on one thing - in this case, his competitiveness in these games - went far beyond a normal child's.

He enjoyed the relative peace of Technoblade's absence for the rest of the afternoon, then the evening. Kristin asked where Techno had gone and Phil said he had gone into town, probably. It was no big deal. Techno always came back to say goodnight before they went off to bed.

Except when the moon was brightly shining and stars dotted the sky, there was still no sign of Techno's return.

That small inkling of remorse in Phil's chest was quickly blossoming into an all-out avalanche of crushing guilt.

The searching they did with the help of the guards felt oddly similar to the one a couple of months before when Techno went missing. Phil checked the nest they'd set up in Techno's room first, hoping against his better judgment that maybe the boy had gone off to hibernate again. But he wasn't there, nor was he anywhere else on the castle grounds. Desperation had become a vice around Phil's heart by the time they started to look out in the town too.

And it was nothing compared to the fright he felt when he spotted a familiar, small wooden box lying on the cobblestones at the edge of town with no trace of Techno anywhere nearby.

"Your majesty, there's really no need for you to go out there yourself."

Bad barely managed not to flinch back at Phil's glare. Partly because it was an expression he had not often seen on the king's face, partly because it was hard not to balk when the man who had authority over him looked at him like that.

Really, if Bad didn't know any better, he'd think Phil was one second away from accusing him of stealing his child.

Bad would not take it to heart, mostly because he knew that panic often came before reason. And he would be a liar to say he did not feel a certain worry for Technoblade himself. Over his time at the castle, Bad had grown quite attached to the young boy. He wasn't the only one either. Even in the capital itself, Techno had become a familiar sight to most and had managed to grow close to a select few citizens. He was loved by them.

But it was Bad's job to keep a cool head in any situation. To put the safety of the royal family above all else, whether they themselves were fond of that or not. To have Phil going off into the woods by himself, when there was a storm on the cusp of breaking out and an active threat against their kingdom with rebels at the borders… it didn't sit right with Bad.

"Captain," Phil said, voice as calm as one had ever heard it. "I advise you to stand down before I do something I regret."

Bad swallowed. "Sir…"

"Stay close to Kristin, we don't want any harm to come to her." Phil was fastening his cloak around his shoulders more securely. "She'll be our eyes and ears, she'll send word as soon as anybody knows anything."

"But-"

"Bad." Phil looked at him, truly looked. Anger had melted away to only pain. The use of his first name was unusual, signifying the state of mind Phil was in at the moment. Maybe Bad could not relate because he was not a father. "We are friends. Let's not ruin that, yeah?"

There were hills even a royal guard did not wish to die on.

"I will call in more people," Bad said. "Whoever I can get, they'll be combing the forest alongside you." Bad knew he could get his guards on it in a matter of minutes. Maybe he could get others to help too.

Phil squeezed his shoulder quickly. "Thank you."

Then Bad had no choice but to watch as the king retreated into the darkness, in search of his son.

"Oh dear," Bad mumbled to himself. It really was not ideal, the wind pulled on his hair and clothes, quickly growing in strength. Would it have been too much to ask that Techno go missing on a night when the weather was more to their advantage? Searching would be much harder in this storm.

On top of that, Bad knew it was only a matter of time before the skirmishes along the border had some notable effect on daily life in the capital. Whether or not Techno got kidnapped was not something any of them had dared to utter out loud, not even Phil. The king had only insisted they had to look through the woods for any sign of the lost child. But it was a worry that must be tugging in the back of both their minds.

And if Phil got hurt while looking for Techno - if Techno himself got hurt. Bad would be a miserable royal guard for failing them.

Bad just needed everybody to come out of this alive.

Phil had no clues to go off on, no trail to follow. He was running into the dark blindly - almost literally so.

Concern was a great motivator. Not great for common sense though.

He didn't want to assume the worst, but if Techno had gotten lost then why would he have dropped his chess set on the ground? Phil knew Techno was smart enough not to venture out of the town without a good reason. And he was never one to treat his possessions without care, especially not something Phil had given him. It wouldn't make sense for Techno to just run off into the forest. Something more had to be going on.

If anybody had dared to lay a hand on his son-

No, Phil knew he couldn't let his thoughts get dragged along in those directions. Even if his fear was warranted, that'd be a bridge to cross once they got there. He had to find Techno first.

"Techno!?" His cries got swallowed by the wind. Phil could barely see more than three feet ahead of him and the storm was starting to get in full swing. Despite the dense leaf canopy above him, Phil was not protected from the rain. He was quickly getting soaked, making trudging along the muddy ground that much harder.

How could he have any hope of finding Techno like this?

"Oof!" Phil's breath left him in a hard exhale when he stumbled over a tree root, his foot getting caught under it and leaving him tumbling down a small incline. At least Phil had become quite good at falling down without breaking things over the years. He managed to catch the worst with his shoulder, the sharp stab of pain unpleasant but better than cracking his skull open. His hands were scratched up from catching himself against the rough ground.

Great, Phil was really going to end up eating his words and proving Bad right, wasn't he?

He tried to get up, fingers slipping a bit in the mud. It wasn't as cold as he expected. In fact, there was something warm there.

Phil looked up and came face to face with a beheaded boar.

Or maybe beheaded was a generous term for the horrific sight in front of him. It looked more like somebody had torn into the animal's neck, leaving the sinew and flesh half-attached to the rest of its body. It was dead though, blood seeping into the ground and onto Phil's hands as he pushed up to scramble upright.

"What the fuck!"

Phil didn't know why, but he had a feeling Techno was nearby.

It wasn't even rational, because honestly something like this might have been done by another beast rather than a person. And if a person at all, it could have been anybody. His mind immediately jumping to Techno should hold as much water as any other random name it could fall on.

Except… Phil couldn't explain it but it was as if it wasn't his mind that had jumped to the name at all.

"Hello?" His voice was softer, drowned out by the noises around him. Phil's own ears barely picked up on it. "Techno? Anybody?"

Phil swore he could hear it whisper again. He swore he could see a thousand eyes blinking back at him from the darkness.

Unsteadily, he got upright again. The blood should not stand out much in the blackness of the woods, yet somehow Phil felt like it glistened brighter in the dim moonlight. As if it was guiding him on. As if something was guiding him on.

And it wasn't a frightening thing.

Whatever inhuman presence he was feeling, something that could tear a boar clean in half with the strength that a child of Techno's age could not possibly possess was trying to show him the way to his son. Phil was certain of it.

Bad was going to think he got hit in the head by a tree branch and completely lost it.

"Technoblade?" Phil kept crying out, unsure if Techno would answer him even if the child could hear him through the storm. The blood was a small flicker in his peripheral vision, urging him onward.

But it did lead him to Techno, huddling in the protection of a tree hollow.

Phil had never felt relief as poignant as he did in that moment. It was as if all this time there had been a weight bearing down on his chest without him noticing, and in an instant it was lifted and he could breathe again. He rushed over, trembling, cold hands reaching out.

"Techno? Techno, are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Techno didn't react until Phil touched his face. He opened his eyes and for a blink, Phil thought he was back in that alley. Gods, it felt like ages ago that they met. That Phil found himself with a child attached to his hip. Never in a million years would Phil have been able to predict that this is what it would lead to.

Techno's face had some blood on it, his own hands too were covered. But he didn't seem to notice. He looked at Phil, that unease washed away by the water stuck in his lashes. Tears, Phil realized. Techno was crying.

"Phil!"

He almost fell back on his ass when the child launched himself into Phil's arms, clinging to him with a desperation that made Phil's heart ache. And as he held Techno close, he knew that he was holding a young boy and nothing more. For all his peculiarities, Techno was a kid and the world was scary and he wanted his father to protect him.

He wanted Phil.

"It's okay," Phil said, smothered in damp hair that clung to Technoblade's cheek and shoulder. "It's okay, I'm here. You're okay now."

Techno was trembling from fear and cold and Phil did not care anymore for the boar or the feeling of being watched. He cared only to get Techno back inside, dried off and warmed up, as quickly as he could manage.

"Phil," Techno said again, high-pitched and almost closer to a whine. "Lost."

"Yeah, did you get lost?" Phil asked. He was rubbing his hand along Techno's back, feeling his small body quiver with slight sobs. It wasn't even full-on crying but it was still strange coming from Techno who had always seemed rather subdued in showing his emotions. All the other typical outward signs of distress Phil had learned to pick up on were obviously present, like how Techno wouldn't let go of him or how his tail had wrapped around his own leg in a self-soothing gesture.

"Chat," Techno said.

Phil pulled back a bit, trying to look into Techno's eyes. "Did you chat with somebody? Was somebody trying to hurt you, Techno?"

Techno frowned and shook his head. "Chat," he said again, as if the second time the meaning would be instantly clear to Phil. "We saw a pig," Techno said, stringing more words together than ever before.

"Yeah, you saw a boar," Phil answered. He was using his fingers to weave through Techno's knotted hair. They were just sitting there in the woods, getting fully drenched. But Phil didn't feel like he could walk yet, with how his legs were shaking from sheer relief at having found Techno. "Did you run after it in a hurry? Is that how you dropped your chess set?"

Techno's eyes widened and he started to pat his pockets, only realizing he had lost the set when Phil said so. It made him look even more upset, so Phil quickly interjected.

"Don't worry, we already found it. But it had us awfully worried."

Nodding before burying his head in Phil's chest again and clinging to him more, Techno's next words almost went unheard over the storm. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Phil said. "Oh, I'm not angry, Techno. I never was." The way Techno was shaking started to concern Phil, so he stood up despite how unsteady he felt and turned around. "We need to get home."

No sooner had he said that, than a crow touched down on a branch ahead of them, cawing loudly. Phil smiled.

They would find their way back to the castle with ease.

Kristin watched as Phil knelt on the ground next to their couch, where Techno was sitting wrapped up in multiple blankets. Phil was using a towel to dry the boy's hair, whispering soft, reassuring words while he did so.

It was a scene so tender it would have affected even the most emotionless of people. And Kristin was by no means that.

However, the concern that ate away at her had not been fully soothed just by seeing them safe. She could see the same in Phil's eyes, though they were distant. Not the same worry then. Something he had seen in the forest.

That was not what Kristin feared for.

"Go ahead and get in the bed. You can sleep with us tonight." Phil gave Techno a little pat on the back when he was dry, prompting him to crawl beneath the duvet the royals shared. Kristin knew that Techno would not sleep - he never did. But that was no reason for complaint.

After tonight's harrowing ordeal, who could blame them for wanting to keep the child close?

She followed Phil to the other side of the room, and spoke quietly enough that Techno would not overhear.

"We cannot claim him."

Phil stopped undressing to look at her. He had been so preoccupied with making sure Techno was alright, he hadn't bothered to change out of his dirty, mud-streaked clothes yet. Kristin felt a love for this man she could not name, which is why she knew he would understand.

"It's not safe," Kristin said. "We cannot adopt him if- if it endangers him, Phil."

Lowering his arms, Phil took a step closer. "He just got lost."

"Tonight, yes. But what about the future? What about us making him a target right at a time that could become so dangerous?"

They loved him so much. They could never do that to him.

Phil sighed, continuing to change. "Fuck… Yeah, I guess that makes sense. We won't adopt him then. That's better."

And though the pain in his voice was small, Kristin could still antagonize that she was the one who put it there.

Techno was lying in the middle of the bed on his stomach, tracing a pattern embroidered on one of the pillows with his finger. Kristin could barely catch Phil's eye over Techno's head, before he leaned forward to press a kiss to the boy's forehead. Techno angled into it, purring softly, content. Phil smiled, more fragile.

As much as Kristin knew it was the right decision, she also felt that she was taking away something very important to him. And he would not hold it against her, because that was the kind of person Phil was. Levelheaded, empathic, understanding to a fault.

Then it was only a matter of if Kristin could ever forgive herself.