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There is a secret that Prince Theseus Craft of the Great Antarctic Empire holds, which may be too embarrassing for him to admit out loud in public, only known to those he loves most.
He has a fear of knee injuries.
It may sound ridiculous initially, but it is assured that it is no casual tale to be told.
At the ripe age of merely 9, the small bright prince had been kidnapped into a land so dark compared to his usual demeanor, a neighboring kingdom so sickening that the thought of holding a small prince as ransom for the Empire to abandon more power would be a sensible idea.
It should be known that no one, and absolutely no one, stands in the way of the Antarctic Empire.
The young blond had been forced to kneel on his fragile knees for hours, days, almost weeks. In a small dingy cell in a foreign kingdom, Theseus was chained to a wall by his wrists, the music of iron rattling with his pleas for help — a bitter symphony to those who knew him enough to hear.
He had been both physically and mentally scarred by those 4 days and 19 hours. Thankfully, there wasn’t much harm other than a few cruel cuts to his body, and his captors not having enough time to get to him before his family arrived.
When his hibiscus-haired brother had stormed into the creaky basement, Theseus was barely half-conscious out of fear and dehydration, pupils never quite focusing on the right things, limbs limp against the flooring.
A kind but calloused hand cupped his cheek ever so gently as sounds of chains shattering echoed around the large underground cell, cushioning his fall into a warm chest.
“ You’re okay now, Theseus. You can go to sleep if you want. ” The familiar deep voice of his beloved brother rumbled against his body, and his fatigued eyelids finally closed.
When he finally awoke, the pacing figure of his father crept above him, his brothers sitting nearby on chairs as they mumbled something incomprehensible in his half-awake ears.
Cerulean eyes slowly fluttered open as the seconds ticked on, his senses finally kicking in at full force.
“ Tommy- ”
“ Fucking finally- ”
“Theseus…” Three individual voices sounded out all at once, and three pairs of arms quickly found some way or another to touch him; a wrinkled hand on his small cheek, caressing it ever so gently, calloused fingers tapping at his scalp to comfort him, and a scarred hand meeting his under the comforter, squeezing his small fingers to assure him the boy was safe now.
The trio of his family finally focused on his eyes, and he couldn’t help but smile at the sight.
“ You look older, dad. ” That was the first thing Theseus chose to say when he saw dark eyebags under glacier-blue irises, moisture circling a pair of champagne spheres, and a firm look of relief in crimson eyes.
An exasperated chuckle bubbled out of his father’s lips at that, soft smiles crossing infecting all of the expressions in the room.
“You little bastard, don’t you ever scare us like that again.” Wilbur huffed as he tugged the blond in his embrace, though his young bones protested heavily against the rapid movement, yet he couldn’t find himself to care, wrapping his arms around his brother’s back.
“Is that another quarter in the swear jar?” Tommy whispered into the brunet’s chest, another flurry of chuckles rippling across the room.
“Wilbur already said two swear words in the course of 10 seconds, Dad. We can’t let him influence our innocent little brother.” Techno added in, and he felt Wilbur’s head turning immediately to glare at his twin.
“Techno, you traitor .”
“That’s revenge for hiding my violin bow resin.”
“You rarely use it anyway!”
“ Boys. ” The helpless but amused tone of their father was enough to let the two bickering teens shut up, though the heavy atmosphere already dissipated from the infirmary.
“Wilbur, you have to put 2 quarters in the swear jar by tonight and stop fighting with your brother, Technoblade.” Though both might have their disagreements, they just sighed in defeat, knowing that could never have a winning fight with their father in any argument.
“And Tommy, you have to give me a hug for how much my old heart has gone through in the span of 4 days.”
No one had any disagreements about that latter part though.
~ 1 ~
When Theseus was healthy and stable enough to be let out of the infirmary, that was about a week later. Not without overprotective family practically swooning over him. The blond had to literally convince Dr. Puffy with all his small might to be finally let out of the small bed, already missing the feeling of running outside and returning to his room.
He finally had permission to play in the courtyard again soon after, not without extra security, of course. His father had doubled, no, probably tripled the amount of security measures around the palace after the fiasco. Which, was extremely understandable even in a young Tommy’s mind.
The youngster would very much prefer not to be kidnapped by some random person again.
“Dad, the wildflowers have already grown out right there, look look!” He chirped cheerfully at his father, whom he was dragging towards the palace gardens to finally see Mother Nature again.
The blond man laughed in amusement at his enthusiasm, crowfeet crinkling around his eyes, “Okay, slow down mate. There’s no rush.” His affectionate tone was like music to his ears, a wider smile on his young face as son and father trailed towards the large glass greenhouse.
The greenhouse was nothing short of majestic by any standards in the whole continent, even the whole world. It was a well-cared-for location by the royal gardeners and his passed mother, only remembering glimpses of void-black hair on his face when she was still alive, eyes of the same shade so loving yet mysterious, just like the starry night sky.
That was one of the only memories he had that was associated with the woman, the beautiful portrait of his mother placed merely in his father’s office.
The late queen loved gardening with all her heart, and it would be unfair for her husband to not continue her legacy.
Tommy’s tiny boots thumped against the stone as he breathed in moisturized air in the crystal-clear establishment, sky-blue irises taking in all of his surroundings with a soul-consuming curiosity.
Who could blame a mere child for being so adventurous?
“Mate, slow down, I can’t run as fast as you!” His father laughed nearby, as he could just spot flowy wheat-colored hair from the corner of his vision, just before he tripped on a slightly slanted stone slate upon the concrete, falling straight onto his face.
The boy just laughed innocently as he fell over, his slightly red nose flying up as he tilted his head from the ground. Tommy quickly tried to scramble up from his fall to inspect more of the flowers, but then his knee met the floor as he unconsciously tried to stand up, flashes of painful memories fluttered across the folds of his brain, tears sprouting from his eyes as telltale red marks blurred into the surface of his knees again.
Needles and pinpricks attacked his head as more painful sensations flooded into his mind, the feeling of cruel hands gripping his wrists to the point of bruising, the clatter of chains above him, the howls of his own screaming for aid continue to ring through his ears to no end. He didn’t even notice a faraway grip on his shoulder, so strong yet so gentle at the same time.
Twin waterfalls painted a saddening sight through his young face, whines and sobs echoing around the shining greenhouse, the underlying panic in his heart clung to him like a vice, high-pitched wails attacking the ear drums of anyone nearby him.
And then, a soft tap on his wrists woke him up slightly from his spiral, more rhythmic and comforting the more the blond focused on it, the ringing of his ears fading away as reality made itself clear to the child.
“ …s’ okay, you’re okay. Nothing is going to happen to you Toms, you’re safe, you’ll always be safe here… ” A faraway mumble of a soft voice slowly approached his terrified senses, and Tommy couldn’t help but burrow into the chest of the person holding his wrists and shoulders ever so gently.
The blue-eyed boy wept silently into the other’s chest as his tails gripped tightly against the fabric, legs placed just above his tiny chest.
A father comforted his son, and pure unbridled rage spread across an old heart like wildfire in a wheat field.
In the palace dungeons below the weeping child and a beloved man, a pair of twins watched as their guards tortured the men who caused harm to their little brother, eyes apathetic and without remorse.
Louder screams than a particular boy filled every nook and cranny.
It should be always made sure that no one who makes an enemy out of the Great Antarctic Empire walks out completely unscathed.
~ 2 ~
Time flew, and then Theseus was 14. He had quickly made friends with the children of the Underscore and Beloved family - two high-end families of the empire, famous for their many aids to the crown.
Ranboo Beloved was a timid one, but bears a heart of gold, feelings visible by just a quick look to their pale composure.
Tubbo Underscore could be as loud as Theseus Craft, yet many tads more psychopathic in the best way possible with his wild ideas, smart as a whip with quippy remarks upon his lips.
And then there was Theseus Craft, or Tommy as his family and close friends call him, a nickname he had fancied early on as Theseus often sounds too posh for his own taste. He was boisterous in his own right, loud and annoying as he would often describe himself, yet endearing as you grow to know him.
It was natural that the trio clicked like missing puzzle pieces finally reunited after years of disappearance.
Sounds of high-volume bickering always surrounded the three whenever they ran across every corner of the palace, laughter-inducing enough so that not many file complaints against them.
Not that either of them would accept complaints anyway.
All of them bonded through any topics possible, Tubbo through mechanics as the short brunet would ramble from day to night about his new inventions, Ranboo by flower symbolism and writing, words as flowery as his interests with alliums covering their journal he took everywhere, Tommy with his love of theater and all things theatrical, so much so his best friends joke that he could become the court jester in any other universe.
Some days, they talk about their favorite books in a quiet corner of the palace library, muffled laughter filling two pairs of mouths as a specific blond would chant out obscene verses he improved while being inspired by Shakespearian plays.
Another time, they ramble about the odd inventions their beloved empire has, a brunet boy wanting to steal explosives from the palace labs, before he was very apparently stopped by a duo who had to drag him away before any of them could get into trouble.
One day, they would whisper about their dreams under a large duvet as they have a sleepover, a heterochromatic teen muttering softly about how he would like to put down all their fictional ideas on paper, to let inspiration flow through their fingers, and the remaining two promised that they would be the first to see and support their friend in their future works.
The trio trusted each other with all their might, that was obvious, and it was inevitable that Tommy would reveal one of his deepest fears as well.
Ranboo was particularly busy that day as his family had picked him up early for a family dinner, leaving Theseus and Tubbo alone after their meal to do whatever they wanted.
They had opted to play chess that day, as Tubbo wanted to (definitely non-competitively) fight his sisters and brothers in a duel of chess, and the other teen was more than happy to help his friend.
Soft music trailed out of the nearby gramophone as silent taps of chess pieces sounded upon the checkered board, twin pairs of eyes wholly focused on the game.
“Rook to C3.”
“Pawn to C4.”
“Bishop to B3.”
“King to A5.”
“Queen to F2.”
“Well, my Queen to F3. Checkmate.”
“...How the fuck are you so good at this, Tommy?” Tubbo slumped on the board, groaning as he accidentally made a few chess pieces fall onto the ground in dull thumps, the blond only chuckling minorly in response.
“What can I say, I’m just this talented.” He chuckled as he leaned down to pick up the white king he took from Tubbo, setting it back on the chessboard.
The brunet grumbled something incomprehensible as he also leaned down to pick up the chess pieces, picking up a couple of Tommy’s pawns.
Without thinking, the prince knelt down on the ground to get in a better position to pick down the pieces that fell further under the table, a crackle of electricity immediately trailing into his brain when he felt the ground under his knees again.
His breathing immediately sped up as his body shivered uncontrollably, memories of those days 5 years refreshing themselves again, even after he went to therapy- The sensation of an imaginary tight grip on his wrists never left, the rattle of metal against metal breathing into his ears once again, eyes blown as wide as saucers.
“Tommy? Wait, oh shit- ” Tubbo hissed as he noticed his friend’s ever-so-bright eyes going glassy, used to Ranboo’s panic attacks out of anxiety, but very very rarely when Tommy gets a flashback. The blond never really quite told the others why he was so afraid of kneeling, nor would Ranboo or Tubbo push. They respected one’s boundaries, and if they really weren’t comfortable with talking about it, they would stop immediately.
The aquamarine-eyed teen put a comforting hand on Tommy’s back under the table, ignoring how some of the forgotten chess pieces dug into his legs, his friend’s emotional turmoil much more important than his physical discomfort. Tubbo slowly helped the other unfold his legs from the ground, helping him cross his legs to not let his knees touch the ground - the instructions Tommy had told them months ago if he did really have a PTSD flashback.
Fingers then gently tapped at the blond’s chest along with the pace of his heartbeat, muttering gentle words of reassurance and praises as Tommy finally relaxed minimally, though his eyes were still glassy.
The cycle continued for a whole 5 minutes before the other could blink into reality again, the haze in the teen’s mind fading inch by inch.
“Can you tell me 5 things you feel, Tom?”
“ Uh, the feeling of my socks against my shoes. And, your fingers on my chest. Then, the sleeve of my shirt against my arm, and- my hands on the carpet. With a chess piece, I think, next to my thigh. ”
Tubbo huffed in mild amusement as he moved the particular chess piece away from his friend’s legs.
“3 things you see?”
“The table above us. My arm. And your ugly face.”
“Oh shut up.” Both chuckled weakly at the tease, moving on soon after as the brunet helped Tommy up without question.
None of them needed to talk about what happened at that moment, and it was all okay.
~ 3 ~
It was no secret that Wilbur had an affinity for all things musical, every instrument that pranced upon his fingertips able to make an elegant melody, or an occasional depressing tune depending on the teen’s mood.
The everlasting desire to share his songs with his family members was never-ending as well, whether it was about a particularly bad day he had with his tutors, or about a flower he found particularly pretty, he shared it all.
And Theseus was one of the favorite people Wilbur liked to share his music with.
Although Techno also knew how to play the violin, he didn’t react as enthusiastically as Tommy, which the brunet totally didn’t blame his twin for, as the other just had smaller waves of emotional intensity by nature, and liked to show his affection in less subtle ways.
His father was the fucking king, so of course the man was busy as hell.
So that left Tommy.
Tommy, the loud and understanding little brother who had a heart too big for his small soul, the one who was never shy to show how much he loved his family with direct actions, whether it was from physical affection or quality time.
And the two loved quality time with each other.
Whether it was a jam session where the two would dance randomly to their favorite tunes, and sing together with questionable lyrics Wilbur would write sometimes, wide smiles never fading from their faces, or just sitting quietly with each other as they read a good book, they loved it.
Wilbur would often place a lanky arm around the blond’s shoulders, as Tommy leaned against the brunet’s chest.
The duo would laugh into the night until Techno would barge into the room to complain that they were being too loud, only for the brothers to pull the last of them into their shenanigans.
But sometimes their interactions would be tinted by hints of melancholy.
Today was any day short of unusual, with Wilbur inviting his younger brother to listen to some of his new songs again, which Tommy always accepted.
The brunet strummed at the G string of his guitar as he stared at his drafted music piece, the occasional scribbling of his pen upon paper signaling that he was still modifying his own unique melodies. No matter how broken the tune was, the blue-eyed teen would listen without another word on the couch, with a book on his lap.
Wilbur grumbled something under his breath as he strummed at a short excerpt of notes upon five musical lines, getting audibly frustrated at his own lack of inspiration for the right note.
And you know what that means if Wilbur is demotivated? He pranks one of his favorite people, of course.
Theseus was still sitting silently on the couch behind him, vocal cords humming along with the tune on the gramophone, a hand steadying his head on the armrest as his other hand flips his book.
A crumpled piece of paper was suddenly thrown towards the blond, who was too engrossed in his reading material to notice, the miniature ball hitting him right on the nose.
“Ey, what the fuck.” The blond grumbled, throwing the material back, eyes still not leaving the pages.
Wilbur ducked the half-hearted attack with a soft chuckle, throwing another crumbled page of his drafts at the teen, this time hitting him straight on the shoulder.
“Oi…”
The brunet threw another ball at the boy’s leg from the noise.
“Okay, Prime, I’ve had enough.” Tommy slammed down his book, lunging at his older brother with a wide smile on his face as he held the other in a playful headlock, Wilbur bubbling out sharp bouts of laughter at the motion.
The playfight might have lasted way longer than normal as the elder one started kicking at Tommy’s ankles when the cyan-eyed teen tickled at his waist.
“That’s what you get for annoying me!” The blond laughed heartily, in which the hazel-eyed boy continued kicking at the other’s legs for, thumping against Tommy’s knees accidentally as he stretched his long legs farther.
Time stopped.
Oh, fuck.
Oh, shit.
Oh, fucking shit.
“ Oh prime, Tommy-” Wilbur immediately turned around, meeting his little brother’s dull eyes and horrified expression, gently taking his sweaty hands into his own.
The brunet softly tugged at his fingers to further ground him, tapping to the boy’s heartbeat to let him calm down.
Guilt wrapped around the elder’s heart when he saw the boy’s state. It was never pretty, whenever Tommy started to hyperventilate and freak out about his memories. The ever so loud and bright brother he had, going quiet?
It was a nightmare, especially if it was Wilbur himself that made it happen.
It was safe to say the older brother profusely apologized after Tommy calmed down, hugging his little brother tightly in guilt.
Wilbur didn’t prank Tommy that much often after that.
~ +1 ~
It was no hidden fact that the trio of best friends were all nature fanatics.
The sunlight beaming against their skin, blades of grass tickling against their feet, the smell of wildflowers prancing against their noses, the musical chirps of birds above their heads, the sight of life blooming in front of their own eyes - it was all a beauty above any.
Tommy and Ranboo giggled as they sneaked out of the palace for the millionth time, Tubbo being grounded by his family for creating some far too dubious inventions this time.
The forest a yard away was one of their favorite places to hang out; no civilian dared to wander so close to the Royal Palace, and the palace guards didn’t patrol too often out there. The perfect place to have secret meetings.
“Ranboob, c’mere! I think there’s a new patch of flowers that grew in that field!” The blond shouted as he ran farther into the forest, giddy laughter flowing out of his lips.
Ranboo couldn’t help but chuckle at how hyperactive Tommy was whenever they sneaked outside to have some more personal space, without the constant invisible looks in the palace. Every family has a hard lesson to teach, and the Royal Family was never an exception. The taller teen could never comprehend the sheer amount of stress of having eyes constantly on them and having unrealistic expectations were like. Tommy was an anomaly to seem so carefree all the time.
“Alright alright, I’m coming!” They huffed as they also zigzagged between the trees and bushes, the silent sensation of wind caressing his cheeks as he ran.
The flower field they had regularly visited over the years had regrown its’ greenery again, the season of spring having blessed her magic over Mother Nature. Dandelions, poppies, bluebells, lilies of the valley, marigolds, hyacinths, daisies, alliums - you name it, there were so many varieties.
Tommy breathed in a dramatic inhale of fresh air as he stepped into the clearing, careful so that his boots wouldn’t overly trample any of the colorful petals.
“Oh my Prime, there’s your favorite alliums, Ranbus!” The boy pointed at the violent flower a few meters away as Ranboo finally kept up with him, panting breath accompanying his wide smile.
“That’s so nice! It’s so rare that they bloom here.” They muttered softly as he knelt down, fingertips dancing gently upon its’ folded petals, and the rustle next to him meant that his friend also leaned down.
“You down for making some flower crowns then?”
“Of course I am.”
And that was how they found themselves leaning against a tree, twirling stems of greenery and vines between their fingers, handmaking the elegant accessories for each other.
The rustle of leaves along the wind was the perfect music to accompany the idyllic moment between the duo, the smell of petrichor tickling their noses, hands busy for a present to a beloved friend.
“I’m done!” Ranboo was the first to finish, plopping a crown adorned with daisies, poppies, and small lilies of the valley on the blond’s head, the pinches of white completely complementing the golden strands upon the teen’s head. The emerald stems peeking out from between flowers made the prince look more regal than ever, as though he was the prince of nature himself, not just of a grand empire.
“Well, same, dude.” Tommy giggled as he placed the flower crown he made upon strands of black and white dyed hair; an array of alliums, ivy vines, and hyacinths highlighting the other’s crimson and leafy eyes. The boy beamed at the presence of their favorite flowers in the crown, grinning wider than ever at the kind gesture.
“Wait, we should moisten the flower crown, actually. Else they would wither a lot faster.” Before Ranboo could say anything in response, a strong hand was already yanking them in the direction they knew was of a sparkling river, in which the tall teen just sighed in defeat as he let himself get dragged.
The sight of sparkling water so deep scared them just the slightest bit as it came into view, as though the riverbed was a dark void that could swallow him whole. Still, the shy teen pursued, soaking the flower crown on his head along with Tommy, who rambled about how he almost won against Techno in a sparring session yesterday (probably not true at all since no one could defeat Techoblade).
Suddenly, the ring on his index finger loosened from the constant moisture that attacked it, slipping and plopping into the depths of the water.
Without a second thought, Ranboo reached his hand quickly to catch it, their family wouldn’t be particularly happy if he lost the literal family ring-
SPLASH!
The racket the other created was enough to snap the blond out of his lighthearted rambling, diamond eyes widening as Ranboo fell straight into the river face-in, flower crowns already long discarded on the surface.
Fear coursed through Tommy’s head as he jumped in as well, why on earth would Ranboo fall in the water, they couldn’t swim goddammit!
Something immediately brushed at his knees as soon as the blond lept into the river, even more panic trailing between the folds of his brain as the memories came flooding back to him again, breathing patterns becoming even more erratic as he tried to float above the surface.
No.
No, no.
No, no, no.
Nonononononononononono-
He couldn’t panic when Ranboo was going to DROWN right in front of him.
He couldn’t.
He shouldn’t.
His best friend’s life was much more important than his fucking irrational fear.
He didn’t care no matter how many times Dr. Puffy would say his reactions were completely valid, RANBOO WAS NOT DYING ON HIS WATCH .
He refused to panic anymore.
Taking a deep breath, Tommy rushed to swim toward his friend before they could completely sink to the depths of the river , something shiny just about caught in their hands , barreling straight into them and rushing them towards the surface on the opposite side of the waters.
Ranboo sucked in a deep breath when he was dunked back onto the sage- grass, coughing out mouthfuls of water with a tightly-clenched fist above their chest, eyes squeezed into a straight line as tears sprang out.
Tommy didn’t even notice when his knees unconsciously supported him back onto the shore, wrapping his shivering arms around his friend, phobia already long forgotten, a bone-deep sense of relief replacing the emotion immediately.
“Don’t you ever scare me like that again, you motherfucker.” The blond croaked hoarsely with the abundance of liquid that attacked his throat seconds before, arms never wanting to release from Ranboo’s lanky form.
“ I’m sorry .” The teen mumbled under his breath as he rested his head on Tommy’s shoulders, patting his free hand on the prince’s back to calm him down.
“As long as you promise to never approach deep waters again before we teach you how to swim. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, YOU MASSIVE PIECE OF SHIT?!”
“Look, my family ring fell in okay! I couldn’t just let it fall.”
“I think that your family would VERY MUCH prefer you live rather than a fucking ring getting lost. Rings can be remade, man, but your life can’t!”
“You get my point, Tommy.”
“But it doesn’t mean it wasn’t a stupid decision.”
“I- Fine, I can’t deny that.”
“Since I’m such a good friend, I’ll forgive you if you promise me and Tubbo to never approach a pool or anything without asking us to come with you.”
“Sure, sure, I promise.”
“Pretty please with more sincerity?”
“...I promise.”
“Good, you oreo lamppost.”
“What’s that supposed to mean -”