Chapter Text
After a long day of his boss yelling at him for basically existing and somehow almost lost his fingers in the printer twice, Juno went to his apartment and lay down on the couch. "Ugh... I hate my job..." He muttered, fingers rubbing his tired eyes. His hand went down to touch the employee badge around his neck. 'Juno Ash' it read with his cheerful face just five months ago.
"I looked like that five months ago?" With a sigh, Juno covered his eyes with his arm, questioning his life choices. "Sure, the job pays well... But damn, the office sucks. Everyone sucks!!! Should I just quit...?"
In the middle of complaining at himself, his phone rang. He picked it up with a groan. "Please don't tell me it's Henry from HR again... Wait, Mom?!" His finger rush to click the accept button, it missed twelve times. "Y-Yes, hello, hi, Mom!"
"Juno, how are you doing?" His Mom asked, her voice soothing. Completely different than how his boss yell at him for the broken coffe machine that wasn't even his fault. "I'm great! Totally..." Juno's eyes darted towards his disheveled shirt, his unwashed laundry, "...definitely..." then the dirty dishes in the sink, "... super great!" He lied.
"That's good to hear, honey. I'm just checking up on you. How are you doing at work?" Juno sighed again, quietly this time. (Does she really have to ask about that? Clearly it's horrible, it fuckin' sucks—) "I'm doing well. Thanks for asking, Mom!" Juno take a look at his employee badge again. "Alright, sweetheart. Glad to hear you're doing well. Bye-bye!" Then the call ends, the apartment is quiet again.
Juno lay his phone on the coffe table and stare off into space before deciding doing something that's actually productive. He changed his clothes into something more comfortable and washed his laundry, cook some noodles, and washed the dishes. After that, he sat down on the couch with his bowl of noodles.
Before he, he muttered under his breath "When will a hot guy save me from my despair?" Then he ate his noodles while watching TV with his duck hoodie and pajama pants.
~**~
He watches a random show on TV while munching his noodles. An ordinary dinner, am I right? It was ordinary until Juno noticed particles of light floating around him. A glowing portal appeared under him, sucking him in. Juno couldn't even react before he was falling in the portal. Inside the portal was bright, way too bright. Juno's purple eyes were almost blinded by the brightness of the portal, but Juno could still make out his bowl of noodles falling in the air with him. And strangely enough, clocks were everywhere. Ticking frantically and loudly. "What... WHAT THE HELL?!" Juno shouted, panicking because who wouldn't be? Before he know it, another portal opened up under him as he was falling and landed ass first on the ground. "What. The. Fuck."
Juno looked around. It was sunny, sun blazing on the unknown land he's at, grass were tickling his fingers. There was children running around. (Okay, that's normal.) Street vendors. (Ooh, that looks yummy.) And people wearing tunics riding horses. (Wait, HORSES?!) "Where am I...? Am I in a renaissance fair?" Juno looked around and saw a big castle not too far away. Flags, guards, knights, you name it. "Wait, WHEN am I?" Juno scratched his head in confusion, then he realized there was a few strands of noodles in it, (Gross).
A brunette woman wearing a long dress approached him hesitantly with a worried look on his face, a girl with braided hair followed behind her. "...are you lost, dear?" The woman asked, her voice worried and concerned. "Y-Yeah. I think I am." Juno answered, he was just as confused as the woman.
"Mom, he looks suspicious." The girl whispered too loudly to the woman. "Mhm... Call one of the guards here, okay?" The girl nodded then she walk away. The woman turned back to Juno and questioned him again. "Where are you from? Are you from the neighboring kingdom? Are you a spy? What is that you wearing? Is that a duck on your garment?"
The questions from the woman was all a blur, Juno was too amazed by things around him. Birds chirping is way better than the sound of keyboards clacking, the air smells refreshing instead of smelling like smoke, and Juno could see the shore of the sea in the distance. His eyes sparkled as he looked around. He loved how the gentle wind pushed his black hair slightly. "I'm sorry, but where am I?" Juno asked to the woman. "Oh, this is the Elaris Kingdom, my dear. So you are lost..." Juno knitted his brows, "The Ela- what?" "Elaris Kingdom." The woman said softly.
(Kingdom? I'm in a KINGDOM?!) "Kingdom huh..." Just moments later, the girl came back with a tall, golden armored knight beside her. "There! That's the suspicious man!" The girl pointed at the confused Juno. The knight approached him, Juno gulped. Because of the helmet, the knight looks mysterious and unreadable to Juno (Really, who wears armor in this heat?!).
The knight stands before Juno, towering him with his imposing height. "Who are you?" The knight asked, his voice is deep and stern. "...are you going to kill me?" Juno couldn't see his face but he can make out the scowl on the knight's face.
"You didn't answer my question." The knight stated, stone cold. Juno could feel his eyes piercing him even tho he couldn't see his eyes. "N-Neither did you! You didn't answer my question!" (Okay, maybe yelling at a big knight isn't the brightest idea...) "No. Not for now." The knight answered after a long pause. "I might kill you if you keep acting suspicious or if it's by the Crown's order." Juno gulped again.
"I swear I'm not evil or a spy or anything!!!" Juno clasped his hands together and it was time for him to use his special hidden superpower: his adorable puppy eyes!!! "I'm telling the truth! I don't even know why I'm here!"
His sparkling puppy eyes didn't work at all for the knight. "I'm taking you to the Crown" Before Juno could even think what 'the Crown' means, the knight took him by the hood of his duck hoodie.
~**~
Juno think back to his past— or his future? He doesn't even know what year he's in. By the looks of it, castle, knights, horses, it might be somewhere in Medieval times. "I'm sorry, what year is it again?" Juno asked the knight who still has his gauntleted hand on his hoodie. "1226." The knight answered. "Are you just pretending to be stupid? How do you not know what year is it?"
(Ah, so I'm in the past! Older younger me used to liked being pulled by the collar... Wait, older younger? What am I talking about?) "Of course you're not answering me." The knight muttered again.
They slowly make their way to the castle, Juno sometimes stumbled on the rocky road. Feeling awkward by the silence Juno asked again "What's your name?" He asked with a nervous smile. "My name doesn't matter." The knight said flatly. "What?! Yes it does! Dude, it's a name. Will it kill you to tell me?" Juno complained. "You may call me 'Sir'."
"Alright, sir. Whatever." Juno rolled his eyes.
~**~
At the gate of the castle, two guards pointed their spear at the two but quickly let them through seeing the knight. "Is that the knight you were talking about?" Said one of the guards. "Yes, isn't he big?" And of course, Juno's nosy ears listened to their conversation. (Big? Big in what way? BIG IN WHAT WAY?!) Unfortunately, Juno wasn't the only one that heard them. The knight turned his head, glaring at the guards through his helmet. "Do your jobs properly." He said coldly before walking away.
Inside the castle was pretty much what Juno had expected. Fancy this, fancy that, and at the end of the long hall is the throne of the King and Queen of the Elaris Kingdom. "Your majesty." The knight kneeled to one knee, Juno, clueless as always and doesn't want to die, copied the knight by also kneeled beside him. "I had brought this suspicious stranger wandering in the Kingdom. The townsfolk concerned him as a possible threat. Likely a spy from another kingdom." Juno looked up at the King and Queen sitting on their throne. They look mean and scary... Juno could feel the Queen's icy gaze piercing through him, even as he was kneeling.
The Queen let out a long, judgemental 'hmm' at the knight's statement. "You. Strange boy, stand up." Ordered the King. Juno, sure that he's the one who got called 'strange', stood up. The Queen almost choked seeing him. "Pfft, Is that a duck on your garment?" She laughed lightly, her blue eyes wrinkled at the corners. The Queen leans closer to the King, whispering something and using her sleeve to cover her mouth. "Say, he does look rather... lovely, almost adorable with that dumbfounded look. How could he be threat?" The King scoffed and whispered back "You never know."
"Ahem. Boy, state your name." Said the King, looking serious than he did a second ago. "Um, oh! Juno. Juno Ash." There was a slight tremble in his voice. "Juno Ash..." The king repeated with a quieter voice as if tasting the word on his tongue. "And why should I believe that you're not a spy? Do you know the consequences of being a spy in my kingdom is death?"
(Well, shit. I can't just say a portal swallowed me...) "Your, um, majesty. I am being totally honest, I don't have anything that could prove I'm innocent, but I swear I'm harmless. Just- just look at these arms! What in the world can I do with these?" Juno showed his skinny arms to the Crown. The Queen's head tilted sideways and the King squinted his brown eyes. "Please, I'm begging you. I'm telling the truth! I'm not spy whatsoever!" Juno used his puppy power again.
"Who sent you?" The Queen asked. "I don't know..." Juno answered truthfully. "Where are you from?" said the King. "I don't know!! My... living room, I guess?" Juno muttered, also unsure.
The Crown glances at each other. "Killing him is unjust." The Queen muttered to her husband, "Releasing him might be harmful." The King answered her. After a moment the King asked the knight, "Where did you find him, Arthur?" Juno looked at the knight as if suprised to hear his name so suddenly after he refused to tell him earlier. "I found him sitting on the grass, your majesty. Everyone was looking confused, including him." Arthur gestured to Juno. "Search him, Arthur. If he is a spy, he would have any sort of equipment on him." The Queen suddenly spoke, ordering Arthur.
Arthur did as he told, his gauntleted hand patting Juno's clothes, searching if Juno had anything on him. First his hoodie, then his pajama pants, and even his socks. "My, my. At least take me out to dinner first..." Juno murmured, Arthur gave him a weirded out look but continued his search anyway. "He has nothing, your majesty." Arthur stated flatly. "See?" Juno added.
"That's strange... But that's not enough to proof that you are not a danger." Said the King. "I say we keep him here under the guards' watch until he's proven innocent." The Queen suggested. "Good idea, darling! I agree. Ahem. Juno Ash, since there is no way of proving that you're a spy or any sort of danger to the kingdom, you've been given a chance to proof yourself." Juno's purple eyes sparkled as he listen to the King's words. "You will remain in castle grounds until we decide to release— or kill you." Juno's lips flatten to a thin line. "You can't leave but you also won't be treaten like a prisoner. Our guards will be watching Juno's every move, including you, Arthur. Understood?" The King asked.
"Understood." Juno and Arthur said at the same time. "Good. Your bedroom will be at the East, Juno. Arthur will show you the way and around the castle." The King added. "Yes, your majesty." Arthur nodded. Arthur gestured Juno to follow him as he headed to East side of the castle, Juno followed him like a lost chick— which in this context, he is lost.
The King went silent for a while before asking his wife, "Eleanor, do you think we made a stupid mistake?" He asked. Eleanor, the Queen, chuckled slightly, tucking her greyish hair behind her ear. "Of course not, Jameson."
As the Crown chat and Arthur left the room with Juno, there was a maid listening to it all behind a wall. Her long, light blonde hair bouncing in the air as he ran up to the garden with the widest smile..