#dethronement

I've actually changed up how Henry and Right meet and some little details here and there.

While Wilford was still king, a tough war with the Ice Nation happened and instead of Dave getting injured and becoming a cook, Rupert gets injured. After the war, Dave still becomes a cook but Rupert retires, unable to serve his role as personal guard.

Because Henry has just become king still, he is in need of a new personal guard, so Geoffrey sends the call out for any knight that wants to be the personal guard for King Henry.

Righteous answers the call, secretly wanting to still overthrow Henry and take over at first.

But after some assassins try to kill Henry one night and Righteous witnesses the King's kindness in patching up his wounds as soon as the assassins were killed, Righteous not only earns a new found respect for Henry, he no longer want to overthrow Henry, becoming his legitimate personal guard.

The next few months go by and King Henry and Righteous get to know each other more, with Henry making Righteous a ruby brooch as a sign of their close friendship

But King Henry needs a new advisor soon, as Geoffrey wants to retire. So Henry meets with several potential people and ends up choosing Thomas Chestershire, former Grand Mage who was exiled by the current Grand Mage, Reginald Copperbottom.

At first, things are fine, Thomas is a solid advisor for the first few weeks. But as time went by, Righteous had a sinking feeling that Chestershire was manipulating Henry, especially with Henry signing off on several declarations of wars that Righteous knows Henry would never sign off on and King Henry spending more and more time with Thomas, coming back from those meetings extremely tired and confused.

And Righteous' suspiciousness of Thomas was correct, as he stormed into the King's chamber to see Thomas about to murder Henry while he was clearly deep under hypnosis and unable to defend himself.

Righteous gets Henry out of the way, with Henry snapping out of his daze and realizing that there had been several gaps in his memory like this one in the past few weeks, and that Thomas had to be the culprit.

Thomas then reveals everything, donning a magical sword and creating several duplicates of himself. Righteous and King Henry get separate because of the sheer number of clones, and because Henry has no shield or way to escape, Henry not only loses his right eye but his left arm as well.

As soon as Righteous heard Henry's screams, he found a newfound strength and torched most of the clones, getting to King Henry and using a teleport crystal to get the two of them out of there.

Henry is deeply traumatized by the whole thing, but Righteous assures Henry that they will get the Toppat Kingdom back, that right now they needed to lay low and recover from their injuries and if anything, Righteous should of seen Chestershire's trick sooner and did something.

Henry lets Righteous know that he is the last person at fault for everything that happened, kissing Righteous and confessing his love. Righteous kisses Henry back and under the full moon, they vow to always be together, no matter how rough things get.

Reginald never meant to hurt Terrence during his dethronement, but the situation, the two being just barely adults and stress drove the two to act purely on instinct, and the next thing Reginald knew, Terrence was falling out of the Airship.

Reginald still hates that day, especially since Terrence was once a good friend who showed him how to play the violin in the first place. But the stress of being the Toppat leader and taking care of a younger brother that wasn't involved with the clan took it's toll.

Until Reginald heard Henry that day playing, Reginald had all but quit playing the violin, not finding the joy it once brought him due to the crushing guilt.

---

Eventually Henry asks to see Reginald in private, with Reginald obliging. Once Henry knew they were alone, Henry explained that he knew what Reginald was forced to do.

Reginald felt his body freeze in fear before Henry handed Reginald a letter and explained that Terrence told him everything, about the stress and fighting between the two due to whatever the dethronement ceremony was, about how Terrence remembers the look of anguish on Reginald's face as he fell, with Reginald screaming and trying to reach out to Terrence's falling form.

And that Terrence didn't want anyone to blame Reginald for what happened, if not on the request of him, atleast do it on the request of the Raven Lord.

Henry told Reginald that Terrence's last moments were wanting to apologize to Reginald and make amends with his friend, writing a letter to Reginald for Henry to eventually give him if he ever saw them.

Reginald opened up the letter and found himself almost crying, Terrence wrote that he was truly sorry for everything and not once blamed Reginald, that all Terrence wanted was for Reginald to continue enjoying music and to keep playing the violin.

Reginald hugged Henry, who hugged him back as they just comforted each other.

---

Reginald now finds himself playing with Henry more and more, the Raven King and the Swan Prince finding themselves making beautiful music in a wonderful duet, playing for themselves or to the audience of their wonderful lovers.

He-he had to do it....

So why did he hesitate? Why in the moment it counted...in the moment he could've saved the clan and helped henry...why didn't he? Why did he....

Light entering the room interrupts his circling thoughts and he freezes in place. Steps sound behind him and he barely manages not to flinch when a hand lands on his shoulder. The weight is uncomfortable but he doesn't move away.

"How was henry today reggie?" Terrence's voice is harsh compared to that jokey tone it used to have.

"...fine. We spent most of the day painting... He uh...he made one for you......" He keeps his voice as even as possible.

The other hums but otherwise doesn't respond. Instead he just stands there at his back... hand on his shoulder.... just there..

He hates this. He doesn't mind looking after henry, of course not the boy is a sweetheart, but he hates this-this threat hanging over his head by the other. He hates knowing he can't do anything without the other one step behind him. He hates the fear and the paranoria and every other bit of terror that fills him when terrence is within five feet of him.

But most of all?

Most of all he hates that terrence didn't just kill him when he failed to dethrone the other years ago.

Reginald found himself in his room after dinner time, unfolding a piece of paper from his pocket, a painting Henry made for Reginald. Reginald unfolded it, a small smile forming on his face.

It was a picture of Reginald and Henry with a sunny blue sky and some flowers. But the thing that was heartwarming and yet terribly sad, was the small message of "Me and my family!"

Henry thought Reginald more as family then his own father. Though with how bad Terrence ignored Henry for his own work and how Terrence treated Henry like something that shouldn't be seen in public because Henry was alittle bit... different, Reginald didn't blame Henry.

Reginald put the painting in his drawer, letting out a sigh. If only he was brave enough that day to take down Terrence, but when he saw his best friend Right side with Terrence, he couldn't bring himself to defeat Terrence.

Reginald knew it would be another day of absolute hell tomorrow, but atleast watching over Henry made things alittle better. Henry was honestly the only thing keeping Reginald from just bailing the Toppats, Reginald knowing that little Henry would be terrified and alone without him.

Reginald leaves the clan, he just walks away, well.. more of walk off the end(walk to plank?)

Sorry..

The Toppat Elites had their weapons drawn, a small gathering of Toppats behind them as standing outside the Toppat Airship, on the wooden plank, was the dethroned leader Terrence Suave and his loyal boyfriend, Reginald Copperbottom.

The Elites tried to get Reginald to turn against Terrence, enticing him with power and fame, but Reginald stood strong, choosing to be dethroned with Terrence instead of leading the clan in loneliness.

Reginald and Terrence held each other's hand as the wooden plank was pulled under them. The two of them then felt themselves falling, managing to pull one another into a tight hug, letting each other know how much they loved the other.