Jeremy’s feet could barely keep up with how fast his legs were moving. His feet kept catching on the underbrush and roots but his mind was too scrambled and exhausted to even acknowledge them or correct his mistakes as he kept moving.

Jeremy tripped and stumbled into a tree for what felt like the hundredth time. He quickly used what little strength he had to push off the tree and keep running. His leg caught on a prickly bush and it added another couple of scratches and wounds to his collection. Part of his brain wondered how much blood he could stand to lose before his legs gave out.

The rest of his brain was focused on keep running, keep moving and the more distance you put between you and them, the harder you are to hit.

The second part sounded an awful lot like Michael.

Jeremy was panting hard. Trying to remember to keep breathing as even as possible as he ran but he was just so exhausted. The mix of not eating anything since this morning and not having any water combined with the slow bleeding was doing nothing to help him.

Jeremy slowed down a fraction and tried to listen. He couldn’t hear any more creepers chasing him, the clomps of their feet having died out, but he could still faintly hear the clack-clack of the skeletons. Jeremy thought it was safe to slow down some.

Then he felt an arrow whiz right by his head. He took off in a sprint again.

Jeremy felt like he could cry. He just wanted this to be over! Why wouldn’t they LEAVE HIM ALONE! GODDAM-

Jeremy’s foot caught on a tree root and stumbled again. Except this time, instead of being able to push off a tree or quickly get off the ground, he kept stumbling and rolling. He hit every body part imaginable on rocks and branches. He felt his skin being torn into by branches and bushes. The hill felt never-ending.

And then he landed hard on solid ground. Jeremy was staring at the sky. It was cloudy out.

Jeremy didn’t know if he had hit his head so hard he couldn’t hear anymore or if he finally got away from the skeletons.

He told himself he was going to get up and find out, but then he heard voices and fast footsteps. And everything went black.

-

Jeremy felt like he was floating as he looked at Ryan. He was smirking at him from his horse as he ate an apple. Ryan was able to reach from the tall apple trees better than Jeremy, even though he was on a horse. Jeremy glared back at Ryan when he laughed at Jeremy trying to stretch to get one.

Jack was busy watching Michael and Gavin playfully joust at each other as they ran circles around Geoff; who was less than happy to be in the middle of their antics.

Ryan shook his head at them, barely jostling his crown, before throwing an apple at Jeremy which he quickly caught without fumbling it. Jeremy stuck out his tongue childishly at him before he bit into the apple.

Then, Jeremy felt a sharp and sudden pain in his shoulder.

“What’s your name, sweetheart?”

Jeremy felt himself fall sideways off his horse and hit the ground on the shoulder where the pain was. Jeremy cried out and looked to see an arrow sticking out of his shoulder. He tried to roll onto his back but that just pushed the arrow in more and he cried out again. He saw his crown roll off into the dirt next to the side of his head as he tried to look around.

That’s when they all heard them. Creepers and skeletons. They were about to be stuck in between a fight.

He could hear Geoff telling them all to run back to the castle. He could also hear everyone drawing their weapons. Jeremy quickly reached up and snatched his bag off his horse before she got spooked and ran. Jeremy forced himself to stand up and start to run.

He didn’t realize he was running in the wrong direction until he heard Ryan’s shouts for his name become quieter and the sound of creepers and skeletons chasing him become louder.

Jeremy!

“Jeremy.”

-

The first time Jeremy remembered waking up, he wasn’t alone. There was a girl asleep in a chair next to him.

He was laying on a less than soft bed with two blankets covering him. Besides the chair which the girl sat on, there was a desk with notebooks and papers scattered everywhere on it, a small dresser, and what Jeremy recognized as his potions bag resting on top.

Jeremy sat up as quietly as he could, wincing the whole way. He simultaneously felt well rested and fucking exhausted.

Jeremy knew he wasn’t in his castle or any castle for that matter. There were many cues for this. The fact that the room (house?) was made of wood and not stone was the main one. Along with being able to see the forest clearly through the window and there being no noise besides the girl breathing next to him.

He looked down to see he was shirtless beside the bandages wrapping around his left shoulder and mid-section. He also had a splint on his right wrist. Jeremy tugged off the covers gently to see he thankfully still had pants on (not his own, he noticed), but there were bandages peeking out from the holes in them.

The thing that scared Jeremy the most was not remembering what happened to gain all of these wounds and where he was. The last thing he remembered was trying to sneakily kiss Ryan without falling off his horse and before the other yelled at them to stop being gross and catch-up.

Before Jeremy’s mind could run away with the possibilities that could have happened to him, the girl woke up.

“You’re awake!” she shouted as she sat up properly.

Jeremy flinched hard at her tone, not realizing how much his head hurt in the silence of the room. He hit his bandaged shoulder on the wall as he flinched which made him cry out.

“Oh my gods, I’m so sorry!” She quickly scrambled out of the chair and onto the bed, her eyes wide with panic as she tried to look over the bandages to see if anything was bleeding again.

“I didn’t mean to scare you but you just looked so aware this time, I got excited.” The girl was smiling at him now but she was a little too close for Jeremy’s comfort.

"Where..." Jeremy's voice was weak but the girl understood what he was trying to ask.

"Where are we? Well, that might be hard –"

"Marissa!" The door banged open to reveal a man with a scowl on his face, but the effects were damped by how carefully he was holding a bowl of soup.

They both jumped but the girl – Marissa – looked over a glared back.

"He's not a prisoner, Jared."

Jeremy hadn’t even thought of that.

"He's right Mari, let us question him before answering anything." An older woman pushed Jared out of the way. "It's only fair since he owes us for patching him up."

Jared glare shifted to the women after he stumbled and spilt the soup on his hand, but it had a more playful tone.

"Mama," Marissa whined.

"No Mari. We’re going to feed this man some soup and water then find out where all those fancy clothes came from.”

Jeremy suddenly felt as though he was the farthest away from the castles as he could ever get.

The woman came over with a pitcher of what Jeremy presumed was water and poured out a glass before handing it to him with a slight tremor in her hands.

Jeremy sniffed it before drinking, something Ryan had told him to do when taking drinks from strangers. You never know who would want to kill a king.

Jeremy’s heart panged painfully. He needed to figure out how to get back to them, to Ryan. He needed to find out where he was.

“Please,” Jeremy’s voice was stronger now that he had a drink. “just tell me where I am and then I’ll answer any questions you have.”

Jared dropped the soup loudly on the desk next to him, making Jeremy jump again.

“’Red, calm down. The boy must be frightened,” the woman said as she sat down in the chair Marissa was sitting in before. She nodded once at Marissa.

“We’re a very small town outside of the city of Vila, we technically don’t exist but anything is better than living under the General,” Marissa said the last part quietly and Jeremy knew there was a story there.

Jeremy also had a feeling this ‘General’ wasn’t someone good.

“We’re in the Dooley Kingdom, but we found you on the border of Ramsey’s four days ago. We’re just on the edge of the forest.”

Jeremy let out a sigh of relief, “The Royal Forest,” he confirmed. It was a deep forest that went right through the middle of Geoff’s kingdom and spilt into his. It would explain the quiet and it meant they weren’t too far from the castles.

“No,” Jared sneered. “The Forest of Creation.”

Jeremy felt his heart drop to his stomach.

“The Forest of Creation!” Jeremy exclaimed, “that was walled off before I even be –”

Jeremy stopped. These people didn’t recognize him. They said they were in his kingdom but they’re are treating him like a common person. If they don’t recognize me, maybe it’s best to hold off on the truth for now.

“Before I moved to the castle region, I mean,” Jeremy finished, hoping they would mistake his slip-up for the fact he hit his head hard enough to scramble it.

“So you are a noble,” Marissa said with wonder and she leaned closer.

“Yes, they call me Sir Tim. I work closely with Mage Kdin under King Ramsey.” Jeremy patted himself on the back for being able to come up with a believable lie so quickly.

“One,” Jared said, holding up on a finger, “You told us your name was Jeremy when we were trying to get that arrow out of your shoulder,” he held up a second finger, “Two, I thought Mage Kdin was just a bedtime story. I mean, someone having to help the kings defeat a dragon? Unless they really are that incompetent, which is more believable than some girl helping the kings.”

Jeremy didn’t know people didn’t believe Kdin’s story, still, he felt a flare of annoyance on her part for someone not appreciating her genius. Also at the incompetence comment, but he held it down.

“One,” Jeremy imitated Jared with the fingers, “My name is Jeremy Timulous. Two, Kdin is real and yes, she did help the Kings defeat the dragon. They are just people ya know?”

Marissa giggled at Jared’s pissed off expression and Jeremy just smirked.

“I have to go actually take care of people, so good day, Sir Tim,” Jared said with the most un-respectful tone he could manage.

He slammed the door in the way out making the older woman sigh.

“You can call me Mina, child,” she said, “I’m the unfortunate mother of these those two.”

Jeremy cracked a smile as Marissa let out an indignant “Mama!”

“So, tell me, Jeremy, what’s your real job?” Mina leaned forward and put her elbows on her knees, staring at Jeremy with an all-knowing expression.

Jeremy froze and glanced at Marissa who looked back with a smirk.

“Just because Jared doesn’t like the kings and doesn’t want the children learning about them, doesn’t mean that we,” Marissa gestured to her and her mother, “don’t at least know what you look like, King Dooley.”

“How,” Jeremy said, royally confused.

“Mari and I went to sneak some books from the city for the children one day when we saw your coronation being played by a seer.”

“These two years you’ve been king have not been kind to you,” Mari teased with a giggle.

“Hey, being a king is a stressful job!” Jeremy shot back, but he was hardly containing his smile too.

“Alright children, don’t get too loud. Jeremy is safer if the town thinks he’s a noble, not our king,” Mina said.

Jeremy and Mari both nodded.

“When I was learning about my kingdom,” Jeremy said after a moment of silence, “I was informed that all cities and towns within a hundred-mile radius were being evacuated and there was going to be a wall built and reinforced with magic. I was told there was no one out here. All the kings were told there was no one left out here.”

“The only wall there was one of made of people,” Mari muttered angrily. The change of mood in the room was almost visible.

“The was the plan, yes,” Mina said, “but the dates kept being pushed back over and over until we all realized no one was coming for us. No wall was being built, no one was going to save us from those creatures.”

“I don’t understand!” Jeremy cried, “All the kingdoms sent supplies and people out here! When they came back they said the job was done, the refugees were safely distributed throughout the kingdoms. Almost all of my advisors oversaw this!”

“They lied,” Mari snapped. “None of you ever came out here! No troops, no advisors, and especially not someone who people say is the Kind King!”

Marissa was on her feet, breathing heavily as she stared him down.

Jeremy gripped the blanket in his hands tightly.

“The Forest of Creation lies in my kingdom, I was responsible. I stayed up day and night writing letters to all of the families that reportedly survived,” he whispered. “I had the other kings send stuff too. Potions, comfort animals, building supplies, farming equipment, seeds, solar energy…”

Jeremy looked between Mina and Mari, desperate for either of them to say something, anything. Tell him that he wasn’t lied to since his coronation, that these people don’t think he’s a monster, that this is all some prank that he’s gonna beat Michael and Gavin up for later.

Mari balled her fists up and looked at the floor. Jeremy saw a few tears fall.

“All we got was the royal guard beating people in submission and the General forcing everyone under his command, telling us this is the new king wanted.”

With that last statement, the one that shocked all of the emotion of Jeremy, she left slamming the door just like her brother.

Jeremy turned his eyes to his lap, his hands went slack and just rested there as Mina sighed. Jeremy had too many thoughts buzzing around his head, he couldn’t feel anything. Couldn’t hear, his eyes were unseeing.

The next time Jeremy looked up, Mina was gone too.

-

When Jeremy was first old he was going to become the new king of what was previously the Burns Kingdom, he thought it was a joke.

Burnie Burns was the last surviving king of the group that unified the kingdoms. Before the kingdoms were united, there was war. It was a constant thing, but no one ever knew why they were fighting. It was almost like people were born with a hatred for any king other than their own. Kings Heyman, Burns, Sorola, and Hullum had unified all four kingdoms by bringing peace between the kings and their people.

Since they were unified, four kingdoms became six. There was too much land in the Sorola and Burns Kingdoms that in an effort to make all of the kingdoms more equal, two more kingdoms were to be created and two new kings would begin their legacy.

King Ramsey and King Pattillo were the first to be crowned. In the years following their coronation, Heyman was assassinated by an advisor of Hullum’s that still held a distaste for other kings, even after the war. King Haywood, Heyman’s appointed heir, stepped into his place and quickly taken under the wing of Ramsey and Pattillo.

Years later, Sorola and Hullum were killed in a nether mining explosion. Mage Kdin went on to discover that it was the dragon’s fault as King Free and King Jones took over. Plans to find and destroy the dragon began immediately.

The Kings were concerned for Burns’ mental state and physically being, so they made Burns appoint announce his heir publicly, so they would have someone from each kingdom fighting.

Jeremy knew he was the heir, but while Burns was getting older, Jeremy thought he still had years until he was to become king. An heir is not someone who holds blood relation to a king, but someone that the king has a close relationship with and trusts the people in their hands. Heirs were to be written in a king’s will and will not be announced to the public until a king has died, to reduce the risk of attempts on the heir’s life.

Jeremy had known since he was eighteen that he was going to be an heir. What he didn’t know was that Burns was going to have a heart attack while they were off fighting the dragon. Jeremy came back to teary eyes telling him that Burns was dead, there was more activity than ever in the Forest of Creation, and that the people were awaiting their king.

Jeremy was twenty-two when he became king. The youngest person to ever be a king.

Coming off the high of helping defeat the dragon and the after-effects of the journey along with all the preparations for his coronation left Jeremy feeling helpless.

It wasn’t until King Haywood showed up with his most trusted staff came to the kingdom to give condolences did Jeremy start to feel better. King “call me Ryan for fuck's sake” Haywood took over in helping Jeremy learn about his kingdom and make a stronger defense plan for the Forest.

Ryan, having lived in Burns kingdom until he was twenty-four, moving to the Heyman kingdom to study potions and work under mages afterwards, was still very knowledge on the Burns kingdom and its people.

With Ryan’s help, they created a plan to fortify the wall around the forest with magic. Jeremy was so fascinated with Ryan’s skills that they quickly become closer and closer, as Ryan spent four months in the Burns kingdom teaching Jeremy about how to be a king. By the end of those four months, Jeremy was crowned and the Dooley Kingdom was born.

Jeremy quickly won over the hearts of the children and young people of his kingdom with his potions work, which had become impressive. Ryan said he never saw someone take to potions so fast before; even Kdin had complimented him on it and offered to be a more permanent teacher to him once Ryan went home.

Getting all the older people to like him was more difficult. He spent most of his celebration party discussing policy with the older people and his nobles for how he was going to take care of the kingdom for as long as he was alive. He also told almost every story and joke knew to regular shopkeepers and labor workers to start a relationship with everyone.

He had slowly snuck out of the party once everyone had a smile on their face and all of the nobles and some of the other kings were drunk off their asses.

Jeremy plopped down the balcony of the library and let his head fall back against the wall, breathing out a shaky sigh as he closed his eyes

He wished Burns was still here, still king. He wished he had years to learn all about how to be a king, not a few months. To be thrust into kingship amidst a panic in the outer cities was taking a toll on him. Having to deal with becoming king unexpectedly, trying to gain the support of his people, and trying to deal with a crisis that is resulting in lost lives made him feel like he was doing the impossible.

“Want some company?” a voice asked.

Jeremy opened his eyes and turned his head to see Ryan standing there holding two glasses, one in offering. Jeremy nodded and stuck out his hand to grab a glass as Ryan sat down too.

“These parties are hellish enough without the added looming thought about the Forest and everyone asking ‘what’s your plan?’,” Ryan said it like it was a question but was also an answer to an unspoken question.

“Yeah.” Jeremy sipped his glass then coughed immediately. “This isn’t wine.” He looked at Ryan accusatorily.

Ryan laughed. His face was perfectly illuminated by the moonlight and his laugh sounded like the most beautiful thing in the world. Jeremy felt speechless around him because of his looks, his voice, his mind.

“Felt like you could use a pick-me-up. I’d drink slowly if I were you,” Ryan frowned thoughtfully, “at least that’s what Geoff says.”

“You’re not drinking the same thing?” Jeremy asked.

“Fuck no,” Ryan laughed, “Alcohol is nasty. I’m more of a syrup water kinda guy.”

“Doesn’t that shit kill you?” Jeremy felt himself smiling and laughing along with Ryan.

“Not as fast as that will,” he said gesturing to Jeremy’s glass with a smirk.

Jeremy shook his head and put his glass down on the other side of him. When he looked back at Ryan, he felt like he was a thousand times closer. Ryan stared right into his eyes, smiling softly.

“You’re doing great, Jeremy. The rest of the kings think so too,” he said, “They wanted to come see you but they didn’t want to interrupt your studies or your bonding time your people.”

Jeremy felt his breath hitch.

“I’m glad to hear that.” Jeremy meant it on multiple levels. One, he was glad he didn’t have to deal with trying to befriend kings during his studying and two, it reassured him that they didn’t come see him tonight because they hated him or something.

“Trying to befriend a king during this time would have been hard.” He settled on.

“You seem to do just well with me,” Ryan said, smirking slightly.

“Yeah, well, you're different,” Jeremy could feel himself blushing.

“Oh?” Ryan was full on smirking now and leaned in more.

Jeremy cleared his throat.

“Yeah, you’re way more fascinating than anyone else in these kingdoms.” It was Jeremy's turn to smirk as Ryan looked startled.

What Jeremy did next, he would blame on all the wine people had shoved down his throat all evening, but as time went one, he knew he made the right choice.

Jeremy leaned in and kissed Ryan. The only noise for the next few minutes was Ryan’s cup hitting the ground as Ryan pulled Jeremy into his lap.

-

Jeremy felt more than physical pain once the buzzing stopped. Taking a trip down memory lane did nothing helpful. It just reminded him of how he was lied to by people he trusted and how much he missed Ryan.

Jeremy’s eyes caught his bag at the other end of the room. Jeremy was both glad and sad that it’s his potions bag. The potions could be helpful, and it was given to him by Ryan, but he has no idea where his personal bag ended up.

Jeremy winced as he shifted his legs to move off the side of the bed. It felt like an eternity once his feet hit the ground and he was already panting. Jeremy reached out to grip the chair that still sat next to his bed and pulled it towards him. Jeremy used it to pull himself up into a standing position while leaning on the back of the chair. He dragged the chair across the floor and used it as a walker and carefully stepped forwards one foot at a time, gripping the chair in an iron grip. Push the chair forward, take one step, take another. Repeat.

Jeremy finally reached the dresser as he knees buckled. He half hung on the dresser and tried to straighten his legs again without pulling too much on his bandages. He got himself into a leaning position on shaky legs as he blindly rummaged in his bag.

After pulling out an invisibility potion and a damage potion, he finally found the one he was looking for. A potion of regeneration. It worked better on a full stomach, but there was no way he could trust the soup. The smell of poison could be masked by the meat and vegetables.

The potion would work, but he would still be sore next time he woke up.

Jeremy popped the cork and downed it right before his legs gave out underneath him.

-

“You know this whole thing works better if you actually show up for the date.”

Jeremy was leaning against the doorframe watching Ryan hunched over a bunch of books and papers, occasionally making notes.

Ryan startled when he heard Jeremy’s voice. He looked at Jeremy without really looking at him before he rubbed his eyes and looked at him again.

“What?” he mumbled.

“Our date?” Jeremy asked. “At the gardens?”

“Shit,” Ryan said, looking around frantically. “Wasn’t that tomorrow night?”

Jeremy suddenly felt concerned. How long has Ryan been here? Has he eaten or drank anything?

“Ryan,” he said moving forward to stand next to the table. They were in Ryan’s private study. A small little room filled with his most prized and favorite books with a single desk in the middle.

“What’s the day and time?”

“It’s Friday, sometime in the afternoon, right?” Ryan looked adorably confused and Jeremy couldn’t help but laugh and kiss him on the top of his head.

“It’s Saturday, almost midnight,” he said into Ryan’s hair.

“Our date,” Ryan gasped. He turned to look at Jeremy apologetically.

“It’s okay, Michael and Gavin found me wandering and took me out for bevs,” Jeremy paused, “Well, it was more of them sucking face between arguments and me being the referee and then drinking to forget.”

“Sounds about right. That’s usually Geoff’s job,” Ryan said softly and cuddled back into Jeremy.

“No wonder he was so happy that I became friends with them.” Ryan laughed along with him.

“I’m sorry about our date,” Ryan said after a moment of silence.

“It’s alright.” Jeremy paused again, “You can make it up to me by telling me what you were working on.”

Ryan perked up suddenly and reached for a paper. Jeremy stopped him before he could get too excited.

“Tomorrow. Right now, I want to sleep in your glorious bed.”

They stumbled out of the study laughing.

-

Jeremy woke up in bed. With a note right next to his head.

“Next time you fall, I’m not picking you back up. Asshole.”

Jeremy could only assume it was from Jared. Unless Mari was truly that upset with him. Nevertheless, it sounded so much like something the guys would say it made it heart hurt all over again.

Jeremy sat up and noticed that he barely even felt any pain. He gently took the splint on his left arm, then pulled the bandage on his shoulder. He rolled his shoulder back and forth to get the stiffness out but still felt a twinge of pain. He unwound the bandages around his stomach and folded them up again. He noticed a few scars this lingering. Jeremy threw the blanket off and pulled his pant legs off to inspect his legs. There was also still scarring there, and his right leg still held pain.

After taking all the bandages off he shuffled out of the bed again to stand up. His leg felt more on fire now that he put weight on it. Jeremy limped to the door and tried his best not to put too much weight on his leg.

He gently opened the door and peered around. He could hear sounds coming from outside, but the house was quiet. He limped out into the common room and looked around. The front door was to his left. He could see shadows moving beyond the curtains. He looked around a spotted another door.

Jeremy hobbled over and opened it. It was the back door. It led out onto a small porch with a few chairs. There was a fire pit a little way away from the chairs on the grass.

He felt a little awkward wandering around without a shirt and someone’s old pants, but the fresh air and cool breeze felt much nicer than that stuffy, hot room.

His eyes caught the edge of the forest and he walked towards it. It wasn’t too far away from the back edge of the house. There would be no mobs around the edge during the day due to the sunshine, but a quick glance around confirmed there were no defenses up. How were these people surviving the night?

Jeremy turned around and looked back to the town. There was a sizable number of houses that circled around a huge open area filled with people and other equipment. There were a few animals roaming and a group of kids surrounding two women. It looked almost like an outdoor class.

Jeremy could see more buildings past the main circle on the far side. The town built out away from the Forest. The closest out to it was Mina’s.

Nobody noticed Jeremy at the moment, but he knew he was going to have to make his way into town. He couldn’t survive in the forest. He couldn’t run. He needed to take more regeneration if he was going to go anywhere, but he needed food, or side effects were going to start kicking in.

Jeremy sighed and made the trek back to the house’s back door. He stepped up on the porch and opened the door. He closed it behind him and looked up just in time to see an unfamiliar blonde woman open the front door holding some papers.

“Yo, Jared!” she called while still looking down at her papers, “We needed you for the meeting ten –”

She looked up and froze. So did Jeremy.

“Who are you?” she asked coldly.

“Jeremy. I’m a noble that Jared rescued after I fell down a hill and badly injured myself.” There was no point in lying or making things worse. He already had a story, he should stick to it.

“Jared hasn’t mentioned any noble.” She spits out the word noble. “How long have you been here?”

“Five days,” he said.

She crossed her arms.

“Yet, you don’t look badly injured.”

“I used a potion.” he said quickly and truthfully, again.

“Potion?” she asked incredulously, “Shit you must be a noble.”

Jeremy stopped dead. Potions weren’t something rare. There are thousands of different potions sold in common stores. How long haven’t these people had access to what the rest of the kingdoms regarded as regular commodities?

“What’s your name?” he asked instead, after a moment of silence.

The woman considered him for a second before answering reluctantly, “Jenkins.”

“Well, Jenkins,” Jeremy smiled naturally, “It’s nice to see a new face.”

“You don’t act like a noble,” Jenkins huffed, crossing her arms. The papers she was holding crinkled a bit but she paid them no mind. She looked him up and down. “You certainly don’t look like one either.”

“We're not all assholes, neither do we all dress like snobby assholes.” Jeremy figured she didn’t need to know Ryan’s gaudy clothes or Michael’s fur coat.

Jenkins let out a giggle at Jeremy’s playful tone.

“You seem alright, Jeremy. Why have they been holding you up in here?” she asked. “Unless you’re not telling the truth, Jared has no reason to hide you away like a prisoner.”

“Why do you care?”

“I’m responsible for keeping the people in the know.” She paused. “And I intend to do just that.”

With finality, she quickly turned on her heel and opened the door. She glanced back at Jeremy. “Coming?”

Jeremy limped forward quickly as If she would change her mind. He was both excited and nervous about meeting more of these people. He wanted to help if they had a problem, but they were obviously wary of royal people.

Jeremy was fascinated as he stepped out. Jenkins closed the door behind them as Jeremy looked around. The kids he saw before were now sitting around a girl with fiery red hair. It looked like she was telling a story about fighting something. There were crops that Jeremy couldn’t see from the edge of the forest. They didn’t look like they could sustain everyone if all the buildings around housed people.

“We’re not much,” Jenkins said, looking around, too. “But we survive.”

“Is there a chance I could talk to whoever is in charge,” Jeremy asked. He spoke again before she could answer. “Preferably not Jared alone.”

“Jared is one of the leaders, yes. But you’ve probably figured out that we aren’t in favor of royalty, so we have a group that makes decisions primarily. But everyone is free so to speak.”

“Could you get me an audience with this group?”

Jenkins sighed.

“Is that a no?” Jeremy didn’t want to think about what would happen if he couldn’t reason with these people. Would he make it home? Would this town survive? Jeremy knew something bad was happening. That someone – no, a few someone’s – were meddling with the way his kingdom was being run. People were lying for their own gain and hurting his people. Who could he trust when he got back? If he got back?

Before Jeremy could get into his own head, Jenkins answered his questions.

“Theoretically, yes. But five days here, I’m pretty sure you’ve figured out how Jared is.” Jenkins side-glanced him and raised an eyebrow.

Jeremy nodded slightly back.

“Come on,” Jenkins said as she stepped off the porch.

Jeremy followed hesitantly but no one seemed to care who he was. No one glanced in his direction more than once. They all must have assumed that he was just helping Jenkins with something. Jeremy assumed she was important.

He still kept his head down just in case someone either recognized him. He couldn’t help glancing around at everything. There were the crops again. He sure hoped they had more because they looked in bad shape. He picked his head to keep looking around.

These people live this close to the forest but don’t have any protections?

He stopped dead as he caught glimpse of a group involved in what looked like a sparring match. They had strong weapons but the way they were fighting showed they had no idea what they were doing. The oddest thing was, they people on the sidelines were cheering like it was the best fight they had ever seen.

“Jeremy,” Jenkins said.

Jeremy looked forward to see her a few yards in front of him. He nodded and glanced back at everything before following with a sense of dread in his heart.

-

“What is he doing here!” Jared shouted as soon as Jenkins opened the door. They were one the second story of a building tucked away between a few empty ones. Jeremy was still confused about how many people actually lived here.

“I found your dirty little secret, Jared,” Jenkins smirked.

Everyone else in the room looked confused. Jeremy looked around to see Mina and Mari among them. Mari tipped her head in his direction while Mina smiled brightly at him.

“Miss Mina sent me to get you after you decided to be late to the meeting.”

Jeremy smiled back at Mina when he realized what she did. Jeremy tipped his head in gratification and he saw Mari send a smirk to her brother.

“He’s not a secret,” Jared growled. “He’s a danger.”

“What is going on?” A woman with blonde hair stood up.

“I’m not a danger,” Jeremy addressed the room. “I’m a noble under King Ramsey. Jared found me hurt at the bottom of a hill. I’ve been here a few days. Look –” Jeremy tried to get straight to the point but Jared cut him off.

“No, you look,” he growled again. “I will not have someone noble come in here and run this town.”

“Well, clearly you aren’t doing it well enough!” Jeremy shouted. It felt weird, but he was just so angry at the fact that these are his people and they are at risk.

“You have no protections up! No defenses! The only thing you have going for you is all the lights. But that won’t keep the creatures away forever. They will adapt.” The whole room was silent like they knew this already but didn’t want to acknowledge it.

“Not the mention your poor fighting ability or your crops that will die within the week.”

“What wrong with our crops?” Mari asked.

“And our fighters?” the blonde woman also asked.

“Your crops are planted wrong and aren’t being taken care of correctly. They need to be planted where they can get sunlight all day. Where they’re positioned, their sunlight gets cut off during midday because of how close they are to the buildings. The ground around them also needs to be taken care of and could probably use some nourishment from herb spells.”

“Spells?” a man asked not looking up from where he was writing everything Jeremy said on a piece of paper.

“Yeah, do you have anyone who has practiced magic before?”

“Yes,” Jenkins answered at the same time Jared said “no.”

“Well?” Jeremy asked, looking between them.

“Not someone who has actively practiced, but she can do more than she thinks.”

“Perfect, I can help her,” Jeremy said.

“No,” Jared said more forcefully.

“What about our fighters?” the blonde woman asked again. “Could you teach them how to fight better?”

“And tell us what to do with defenses?” a burly man with a beard asked.

“Yes!” Jeremy exclaimed. “Do you know how to build?”

“Yes, I have a few people that can help too.”

“Perfect,” Jeremy said. He pushed down the thought that he looked and acted so much like jack.

“Not perfect,” Jared said angrily. “You have no right to make decisions here.”

“Jared’s right,” agreed another man. A few more nodded.

And just like that, a fight broke out. They were people shouting in Jeremy’s defense and others shouting against. Jeremy didn’t even know where to begin to help break this up. Royal discussions were never like this. There was always a hint of playfulness, but he detected none with these people. They were at their wit's end.

“Come on,” Jenkins whispered in his ear and tugged on his arm.

She pulled him out of the room and he saw Mina and Mari sneak out before the door shut. The four of them were silent as they made their way downstairs and down the street.

“I still have a say in the town, and I say you are free to do whatever you need to help us survive. And I will do what it takes to get you back to the castles,” Mina said, staring at Jeremy with such fierce determination.

“Thank you,” Jeremy said sincerely.

“Mari, Ash, get Meg and Coe. I’ll get Adam and Barb. We’ll meet at our place at 5, Mari.” Mina barely waited for them to nod before turning and walking back to the meeting building.

“Ash?” Jeremy questioned when they started walking again.

“Ashley,” Jenkins said as she turned to walk backwards and held her hand out.

Jeremy shook it and smiled. Ashley turned back around to walk forward.

“How the hell are you up and walking?” Mari asked poking at his shoulder.

“Potions of regeneration does wonders,” Jeremy supplied. He poked her in the stomach to get back at her.

“Damn,” Mari whispered and shook her head.

“Language,” Ashley said. Mari scoffed as Ashley spoke again.

“Meg is the person I was talking about.”  

“The person who knows about magic?” Jeremy half skipped to be next to her again. He noticed, gratefully, that his limp was gone.

“I used to work with her back in Vila.”

“The city under the General,” Mari supplied from behind them.

“Yeah,” she nodded, “She always had her nose in a book about magic or was looking for papers about Mage Kdin. She knows everything about magic but never thought she could do it.” She paused. “She can do it,” she said forcefully.

“Jeremy works under Mage Kdin,” Mari said as she walks faster to be on the other side of Jeremy.

“Really?” Ashley asked, looking at him.

“Yeah,”

“We might have more a chance than I thought.”

“Let’s hope that’s true,” Jeremy said softly.

“Why? Got someone back home?” Mari teased. She bumped his shoulder which made him bump into Ashley.

Jeremy’s apology was on the tip of his tongue but Ashley beat him to it but bumping him back which sent him tumbling into Mari who bumped into another girl walking.

Ashley started giggling as Mari jumped around to apologize to the person she almost knocked over. But she stopped and whirled back around to glare at Ashley.

“You saw Meg walking towards us when I bumped Jeremy, so you knew exactly what you were doing!” she accused.

Ashley continued to giggle but Jeremy paid no attention. Meg was the girl with fiery hair he saw with the children. Up close he noticed her hair was red, but the fiery effect he thought was just the sun shining through it, was actually her aura.

-

“My what-a?” Jeremy asked looking between Ryan and Kdin from where he was sat in Ryan’s study.

“Aura,” Ryan laughed.

“To put it simply, people who have an aura can practice magic. One can create an aura, but it won’t be as powerful as someone who was born with it,” Kdin answered.

“But what is it?” Jeremy was feeling more and more confused every time they spoke.

“We don’t really know, but it’s been theorized to be a sort of personification of one’s magic being.”

“Magic being?”

“The part of you that can do magic,” Ryan answered this time. “Different parts of our brains have different functions or control different things. Our aura is like an extension of our brain.”

“You said people can create their own?” Jeremy asked turning to Kdin who was casually leaning against the table.

“Yes, creating an aura causes a great amount of stress on one’s brain but it can be done. you can usually tell by looking at a person’s aura whether or not it’s developed or created.”

“Wait, you can see aura?” Jeremy’s head was starting to hurt.

“Yes,” Kdin rolled her eyes, “that’s why we're’ talking to you.”

“Developed aura’s are usually warm colors, while created aura’s are usually cold. The brighter they are, the more powerful.” Ryan answered.

“Ryan’s is a bright yellow, mine’s apparently bright pink, and you’re is a dim green. No offense, but we almost didn’t know it at first,” Kdin said.

“I’ll assume I can’t see my own so why can’t I see yours?”

“It depends on knowledge and experience,” Ryan said. “How much do you actually know about magic?” he teased.

Jeremy frowned.

“And that,” Kdin said leaning forward with a smile, “is where I come in.”

-

“Jeremy, you okay?” Mari asked.

He had been staring at Meg for an uncomfortable amount of time but she was looking at him with the same expression of wonder.  

“Yeah,” he said, not taking his eyes off her aura. It was just so bright.

“Ashley said you knew a lot about magic?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Meg forced herself to look at Jeremy’s eyes and not around his head. Jeremy picked up on this immediately.

“Do you see it?” he almost whispered.

“Yeah,” she said, smiling now, “I’ve never seen one before. I only read about it.”

“What are you two talking about?” Mari asked, looking confused. Ashley had the same look, but also one of interest.

“Yours is bright red,” Jeremy said. Meg smiled for a second before frowning.

“The brighter the color…” she trailed off.

“The more powerful,” Jeremy finished.

Meg gasped as she looked at him with wide eyes.

“But I can’t,” she tried to say before Ashley cut her off.

“You can continue your weirdness later, we need to get Coe if we’re gonna make it to the place on time,” Mari said exasperatedly.

“Coe should be letting his class out soon,” Meg said absently.

Ashley nodded and put her hand on her back to get her walking. Jeremy sent a smile in Meg’s direction but didn’t say more. She needed time to process this on her own.

Mari just rolled her eyes and grabbed Jeremy’s arm to pull him forward.

-

“Coe!” Ashley shouted as they got closer to the makeshift fighting grounds he saw before.

A man with his arms crossed who was standing outside the ring of people looked over. Ashley tilted her head in the direction of another abandoned shop. He nodded and turned back to the group.

“Dismissed for today! Remember what I said about fighting outside training!” he yelled as Jeremy followed the rest into the little shop.

Coe jogged over to them and closed the door behind him.

“What’s up?” he said crossing his arms and looking from Ashley to Meg. Meg seemed in a better state now but she was still quiet.

“How many times have you begged Barbara for a better regimen for your fighters?” Ashley asked getting to the point.

“Thousands. You know I’m not teaching them squat,” he replied. He glanced at Jeremy question. “Is he my solution?”

“I know how to fight like the royal guards,” Jeremy responded, “And I know how to fight dirty against royal guards.”

“I thought you were a noble?” Ashley asked.

“Noble?” Coe whisper yelled at her.

“Everyone who works in the castle has to have a semblance of defense training. The more important your job, the more training you have to receive. I work very closely with Mages and sometimes the kings. I know how to defend myself and others.” Jeremy was trying to convince Coe that he was capable. “It also helps that on slow days some of us go and spar with guards in training to help them improve.”

Coe was silent for a minute.

“How much did you know about what was going on out here?” he asked. His tone was guarded.

“Tyler,” Meg said softly for the first time.

“Meg –”

“None of it,” Jeremy said.

Meg, Ashley, and Coe all abruptly stopped. Mari sighed.

“Way to spill the beans dipshit,” she muttered.

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Ashley demeaned.

“I mean nobody knows,” Jeremy said, ignoring Mari. “Well nobody that would care,” he amended.

“Not even the kings?” Coe asked in disbelief.

“Definitely not the kings,” Jeremy confirmed.

“How do you know they aren’t lying to you too?” Meg half-yelled.

Jeremy looked at their faces and panicked. Coe looked ready to leave while the girls looked like they didn’t trust him anymore, even Mari. He said the first thing that came to mind.

“I’m dating King Haywood,” Jeremy gasped along with everyone else after he said it.

“You’re dating who?” Meg asked dumbfounded.

“I’m dating King Ryan,” he whispered looking down.

“Damn,” Coe muttered.

“How do we know you’re not lying?” Asked Ashley.

“He’s not,” Mari said.

“How can we trust you?” she fired back. “You knew he didn’t know about the General!”

“Mama was going to bring it up at the meeting and then he showed up so she couldn’t after Jared got pissy. I assumed you would find out at our meeting.” Mari said softly.

“What meeting?” Coe asked.

“You won’t survive out here,” Jeremy said bluntly. He looked all of them in their eyes. “I’m surprised you survived this long, to be honest. Adam can build stronger defenses and weapons that can be reinforced with magic. Meg, you have powers that could save you and everyone in this town from the forest. Coe, If I give you direction on fighting you can turn your people into fighters who can take down royal guards. Not to mention creatures. Mari, I could teach you about non-magic potion making. Ashley, you could learn about taking care of crops and growing things from basically nothing. I can teach you how to do this stuff and you can teach others! I’m not the best but with all of us working together you can ensure the survival of everyone.  Ash,” Jeremy stopped to really make them listen.

“You said we're all free here. Kingdom rules don’t apply?”

“Yes,” she said hesitantly.

“Then why can’t we do this? Jared doesn’t lead and neither does anyone else in that room. We can do this if you trust me. We can do this if you all push away your doubts and fears. I promise after I believe you can continue on your own, I will go back to the castle and I will get rid of the General and you will all be truly free,” Jeremy said forcefully.

Everyone was quiet. They all looked at each other as if trying to gauge what they were feeling after what he said. Finally, they all looked right at Jeremy.

“When do we start?” Ashley asked.

Jeremy broke out into a grin.

-

Ryan looked down at his papers. He felt like they were all written in an unknown language.

It had been two weeks since they had their monthly Kings meeting. Which usually meant some quiet time in a ride through the woods while they discussed anything new in the kingdoms during lunch.

They had just wandered into the apple orchards to try and find a nice spot to set up for a picnic when Jeremy let out a wail. In a split-second, Ryan had gone from teasing Jeremy to feeling like he was the one who was shot as he watched Jeremy fall off his horse.

He felt numb once all of the creepers and skeletons were gone. Jeremy had run in the wrong direction. Ryan was breathing heavily as he leaned against the castle wall. Jeremy had run in the wrong direction. He didn’t even know if Jeremy was alive. They had to go looking for him. They had to –

They couldn’t find anything. The blood trail was all over the place and eventually led nowhere. Ryan hasn’t been able to fall asleep since; the only times he slept were when he passed out from exhaustion from crying too much.

Mica had been by to shove water and food down his throat. He was secretly grateful that she had been the one to come by. She didn’t judge him for not moving for hours on end or not getting anything done. She made sure he’s still alive and then leaves him to it.

The other kings were supposed to come today to have a meeting. They need to do something about Jeremy. Either keep looking for him or declare him dead without really knowing. They would also need to tell the kingdoms what was going on at some point. The others said that the final decision was up to him.

Ryan curled further into himself in his chair. He knew the people deserved to know what was happening to King Dooley. But he knew the minute they made a decision, it would all be actually real. Either Jeremy would be missing or dead. Ryan has been able to pretend he would be back and he just missed him. Telling the world he was missing indefinitely or presumed dead would break Ryan even more. He knew this.

Ryan sniffled and pick his head up from the desk. He hadn’t even noticed he put in down. Ryan reached a shaky hand out to the drawer on the left side of his desk. He pulled it open the felt underneath for a switch. He flipped it and a little compartment at the bottom opened up. There sat a little green box.

Ryan’s vision became watery and he picked it up and set it on the table in front of him. He popped it open to reveal the ring nestled inside.

Ryan sobbed as he clutched the box harder. He slowly crumpled; his head and shoulder fell onto the desk. The chair and the desk where holding him up on their own. He gripped the box in one hand while the other gripped some loose paper. His shoulders shook as he sobbed onto more paper, wetting them.

His wail could be heard outside the door where Mica was frozen. Her hand held up to knock as tears formed in her eyes.

-

Jeremy was put on wood gathering duty. Meg had gotten fed up with him hovering over her shoulder as she tried to concentrate on a spell had been stuck on. She physically forced him out of the room and slammed the door behind him then shouted through it that they need more wood for the bonfire later that night.

So here he was.

It had been a week since he gave Ash, Meg, Mari, and Coe his inspirational speech. A week since he met with everyone who was willing to help in Mina and Mari’s hideout closer to the edge of the main road. There he had met Adam’s helpers, Barbara (who was just as important as Jared), and many others who were willing to help start the process. Their group had grown bigger and bigger until more people were helping and learning new things than there were people opposing Jeremy’s help. Not everyone who helped trusted Jeremy but they trusted Ash and Mina, and that’s all that mattered.

Jeremy reached down and picked up another branch and some kids tore by him, almost knocking him over. He laughed as he heard some shout at them.

He and Ash had been working with the kids and middle-aged women on planting crops in the right area and how to sustain them. The kids loved taking care of them and making sure they were keeping track of their growth. Jeremy had taught Ash how to take the information the kids were taking and apply it to growing better crops each time they would replant in the future.

Meg had been growing more and more confident over the past week. Jeremy spent most of his time with her since they were trying to shove years of experience into whatever time they might have. She had gotten better at spoken spells and placing spells on objects but they had yet to venture to non-spoken and fighting spells. She had almost given up in the first two days multiple time, claiming she would be better off going back to teaching the kids. Jeremy and Ash let her cool off before going to convince her to come back. She hasn’t had one of those moments in the last four days.

Meg did bring a bunch of women to the fighting ring one morning claiming they had been pestering her about fighting. Meg had yawned and told them that if they didn’t let these girls fight that she would make them, before sleepily going back to her shared house with Ash.

The fighters had denied them but after one girl stepped up to a sparring match with Jeremy, they had agreed.

Jeremy had Coe had laid out a plan and curriculum for advancement for the fighters that was approved by Barbara immediately. They had all done exceptionally well so far and were faring even better with the weapon Meg and Jeremy were reinforcing for them.

Jeremy had to give little direction to Adam and his group since they knew what they were doing. They made better armor, weaponry, and were even planning on building better defenses for the whole town.

Barbara had been overseeing everything and she and Mina had also been keeping Jared and his posse out of their way while trying to convince more people to join in on the effort. Jeremy often caught Jared watching from afar but the last two days, he hadn’t been focused on Jeremy. The only time he saw Jared the last two days was when he came back home late at night and when he went to the meeting room in the morning. Jeremy first thought he was avoiding him now, but he had a feeling something more was going on. Something bad.

He tried to think of something else, but he ended up thinking of something worse. Ryan.

Jeremy desperately wanted to tell them they're ready, but he doesn’t want to let them down or think that he was abandoning them. He just wanted to see the other kings again; they’re the only family he had left. Jeremy squashed down the thought of the late nights at the abandoned shop where Mari, Ash, Meg, and Coe shared laughs. He was nothing more than a mentor to them. Nothing more than a noble or king.

His misses Ryan more than anything, though. Late night talks and getting in trouble with Kdin after trying to make an unholy concoction in the lab. Stargazing with Ryan and Gav’s telescope, long nights in Ryan study going over kingdom plans, the rare days Jeremy gets to wake up in bed and feel Ryan net to him. Once he starts thinking he can’t stop himself until he’s blinking tears out of eyes and realizing he’s just been standing staring out into the forest for minutes on end.

Jeremy turns back to the camp and realizes this is almost the same spot he limped to two weeks ago, but the view is different. The crops are flourishing, people are laughing while doing their daily jobs, he can see fighters explaining how their weapons to some of the younger teenagers, and he catches glimpses of Adam’s crew carrying around building supplies. He smiles and thinks maybe he can go home.

“You know,” Meg’s voice startles him out of his thinking. Jeremy turns to see her walking towards him from the direction of Mina’s house. “I thought I saw someone out here the day I met you.”

She smiles at him teasingly, “I guess creeper would be a fitting nickname. You’re by the forest edge AND you looking like you’re peeping on the town.”

Jeremy laughs but thinks back to Gavin’s creeper-esque outing clothes and his heart hurts all over again. Meg notices the change in mood.

“I miss home,” he answers her unasked question.

“I bet you're desperate to get back,” Meg says but Jeremy also notices the hurt in her voice. Jeremy decides he can be honest with her.

“I miss home but,” he pauses, “I feel like this is my home too,” he almost whispers.

“Please,” she says, “When you get rid of that awful General,” she looks at him and Jeremy notices how much this last week has taken a toll on her, “Please come back to us.”

Jeremy can’t guarantee that. He doesn’t know if the others will let him out of his sight again much less his own advisors. But he speaks anyway, “I promise.”

Meg nods and grabs an arm full of branches from Jeremy. Jeremy watches as she headed back and deposits the wood in the already forming bonfire pile in the centre of the town.

He can’t help but think that she would get along with the others like a forest fire. He follows her path back and leaves his thoughts at the edge of the forest.

-

The night is in full swing by the time Mina sits down with Jeremy where he had been watching all the antics from the grass in front of her house.

Mina shoves food into his lap and he laughs. She had been doing at all week. Making sure all of her “babies” (as she calls the three of them, to Jeremy and Jared disdain) were well feed despite their duties.

“Thank you,” he says and starts to dig in.

“You don’t have to sit out here all alone, you know,” she sides eyes him.

Jeremy sighs and looks up to where Jared was trying to spin Mari around in a weird dance. She looked grumpy, but Jeremy knew she was trying to hide a laugh. Meg and Coe were having a drinking contest on the other side of the fire. Adam and Barb were telling stories with some of the people Jeremy recognized from that fight in the meeting room. He’s realized that they all still loved each other no matter the divide. That they can put away their differences for a night of being happy.

“They’re doing fine without me.” He smiles.

“And you think they’ll continue to do fine without you,” she says matter-of-factly. Jeremy sighs again and places his empty plate to the side.

He hesitates but Mina scoots back to lean her back against the house like he’s doing. She takes his hand and holds it in her soft but unyielding grip.

“I want to go home. I miss everyone something terrible, I almost feel sick with how much I want to see them again, to make sure they are all okay but,” he trails off.

“But you feel like you’re abandoning us,” Mina confirms.

“I know it’s stupid,” he shakes his head. “I’ve only known you people two weeks.”

Mina squeezes his hand to tell him to go on.

“I don’t have a family,” he pauses to make sure everyone is engaged with the festivities before speaking again, “That’s not true, I have a weird version of a found family. We call Geoff and Jack mom and dad, the lads are like brothers to me, and Ryan,” he chokes on his name. He hadn’t actually said his name in a week, but it feels like forever.

“Mari told me,” Mina says. Jeremy squeezes her hand back, “But I understand. They feel like the other kings first and they’re not always there.”

“I feel like you’re reading my thoughts,” Jeremy jokes.

“You’re not the only one who lost their original family Jeremy.” Jeremy looks at her in surprise but she’s looking at everyone else. “I’m old, I lost my parents a long time ago. But everyone else,” she trails off. “The General took more than you can imagine from us. Meg lost her mentor at the very hands of the General, he made her watch. He was killed for practicing magic. You see lack of confidence from her but it’s really nervousness.”

Every word is like a puzzle piece falling into place for Jeremy.

“Tyler lost his brother to the royal guard for not being a good fighter. It’s why he pushed Barb for a better regimen for so long. Barb lost her lover to a noble; he took her as a servant and she was never seen again. Rumor was she was taken to the castles. Adam lost his wife, some of the mothers lost their husbands. Some lost kids. Some kids lost their parents. Mari and Jared,” she paused. “Their mother was taken same as Barb’s lover but we know she was killed. Their father was killed by the General with many others. The refused to comply. I was a friend of their parents, so I took them and fled. They think of me as a second mother.”

“How long ago did the General take over?” he was dreading the answer.

“We were hearing about Burn’s death one night and the next, the General was taking over and telling them that this is what the soon the be king ordered.”

“Over a year and a half ago,” he confirmed. “How could they all trust me?” he said looking out at everyone.

“Because they saw your compassion. And they saw you were just as hurt when you found out about the General,” she replied. “I always believed that someone as young as King Dooley couldn’t possibly have so much evil in him. I’ve tried to convince as many of our people as I could to not base their views on royalty from what happened in Vila. I always knew there was something more going on that we couldn’t see; that we weren’t the only victims. Mari was the hardest to convince. She’s barely an adult and she’s still growing. But ever since meeting you, she’s been fighting the hardest in your favor. It’s had a sort of ripple effect,” she laughed. Jeremy didn’t know how to respond to that.

“Now Jared may be lacking in the trusting area but he is my son. Listen to him.” She patted his hand. Then she stood up and walked away without having said anything else.

Before he could question it, Jared was taking her place, although not as close.

“I’m sorry,” was the first thing out of his mouth.

“Um,” Jeremy said eloquently.

“Mari said I have a lot to apologize for so consider that a blanket apology.”

“Okay.”

“But Mari said that wasn’t enough, so I have something else to offer,” before Jeremy could ask, Jared was speaking again. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’ve been spending more and more time in the meeting room.”

Jeremy nods when Jared actually turns to look at him.

“It’s always a struggle, getting supplies from the city. But if we want to continue to make our home safer, we need more.”

“I’m sorry,” Jeremy says earnestly, “I didn’t even think”

Jared held his hand up to stop Jeremy. “I may not have liked you in the beginning but you’ve done more than I could ever imagine for this town. You have ensured our survival for a long time, so it’s time I did something for you,” Jared paused and sighed. “We’re making the trek out to Vila early tomorrow morning. Mina and Barb are the only ones staying that know. It’ll be Adam, two of his aides, two more from the leaders, me, and you. There’s a man who has a reputation for getting people past the city and into the more royal parts of the kingdom. After we get our supplies, I’ve arranged for him to pick you up and take you home.”

They were silent.

“Should I say goodbye?” Jeremy asked after a moment. He had a lump in his throat as he looked from Mari to Meg, to Coe, to the kids.

“We all know of your promise,” Jared said softly, “As long as you fulfil it, I think they’ll forgive you.”

Jeremy nodded. They sat in a comfortable silence for the rest of the night.

-

“Did you get the message?”

That’s what Mica had said to Ryan before his world was flipped again. Jeremy had been found. Jeremy was alive.

He was involved with a fight on a trail in the outer parts of the kingdom. The doctors were still checking him over but rumors were flying around the whole castle. He’d been tortured, brainwashed, a group of defectors from his own kingdom had kidnapped him and forced him into labor work.

Ryan paced around the entire castle waiting for word on his condition. Mica had said she caught a glimpse of him and thought she saw physical injuries, but they would heal. But that didn’t mean there wasn’t more going on inside of his head.

Ryan finally sat down in the little waiting room outside the door after his legs started to protest all the movement. He foot started tapping.

Jeremy had been found. Jeremy was alive. But did that mean anything if he was the same Jeremy mentally?

There was a commotion from behind the door the same second mica rounded the corner. Both of them dashed to the door to open it.

Jeremy was fighting the two doctors and the helper, screaming. He had bruises all over his body

“I need to get back! I need to help!” he cried.

Mica picked up a syringe one of the doctors was reaching for as he tried to fight off Jeremy, and she stuck it in his arm.

“I need,” he mumbled before collapsing back onto the table.

Ryan stood helplessly in the doorway. He clenched his fists and silently promised to kill whoever hurt his Jeremy.

-

The morning was cold as Jeremy pulled on the outerwear Jared had lent him. It was like a cross between Gavin’s hooded coat and Michaels long cloak. He admittedly felt badass wearing. Jeremy smiled as he looked at the little bit of forest he could see from the porch. He was going to be seeing them soon.

Everyone was still asleep in the town. They were all up to late last night to want to get up as usual. Jeremy looked back at the house sadly. Mari was still asleep, she was going to bitch him out the next time she saw him no doubt. Jared came out the door and nodded. They had already said goodbye to Mina, so they made their way to the very front of the town.

Jeremy tried not to think of Meg, Ash, and Coe but he was unsuccessful. He was going to miss them, but he promised he would make it back.

They met up with five and Barb. They said their goodbyes before turning and walking down the road. Vila was twenty miles away. It would take them the better part of the day to get there.

Jeremy glanced behind to Barb’s retreating form and the town. He can’t help but think the gods are responsible for making him run in the wrong direction those two weeks ago. He turns back to look ahead and can’t help the small part of him that feels like he’s doing the wrong thing.

-

They stop when the sun is above them. They take a much-needed rest to eat and rest their feet. Adam jokes with his two aides he brought along. The other two occasionally comment or laugh but they’re quiet. Jeremy catches that they’re brothers. He doesn’t want to think about if they lost their family too. It makes him feel sick.

“Are there any other towns like yours? That left Vila and the royal guard?” Jeremy asks Jared in quiet.

“Yeah,” Jared nods. “There were. Rumor was they tried to cross into the Jones kingdom when the General stop giving them supplies. We still struggle with supplies, but I think the only reason we're still here is because the General expects us to die with being so close to the forest. They’re too afraid to come to close to the forest. Practically untouchable,” Jared laughs a joyless laugh.

Jeremy doesn’t want to think about if the brothers lost their family too. Doesn’t think about how Jared said “were.” It makes him feel sick.

It’ll be over soon. I’m gonna fix this.

Jeremy and Jared sit in silence together for the rest of the hour break.

-

Jeremy had a thousand possibilities run through his head as he tried to imagine what the city looked like. The hustle and bustle of a regular city wasn’t one of them. It held almost an illusion of a normal royal city. The things that broke the illusion were the guards placed at every corner and the look of terror on everyone’s faces like they all expected to be executed on the spot. Or worse.

Jeremy kept his head down but still visible in an effort to not be too suspicious. “Where do we need to go?”

“Building just past the town square. We’ll meet back up with Adam two streets over, he’ll take your supplies then we'll take you to B.” They talked quietly but they were sure they couldn’t be heard over the noise of everything.

Jeremy couldn’t see over anyone’s heads but he could see a large open area between the building up ahead and assumed that was the square. He was proved right when they cut across to the right and fought their way to the other side.

Jeremy glanced at the centre, wondering why people weren’t walking there when he saw the post. And the blood. Jared tugged on his arm to keep him moving but he couldn’t take his eyes off the centre.

That’s when a cry broke out above all the noise, silencing everyone in a wave-like manner. Everyone stopped dead, trapping Jeremy and Jared staring at the town centre with everyone else as a woman was forcefully shoved into the centre. Jared’s hand gripped his arm in a death grip. Jeremy looked around the square frantically and caught sight of Adam and one of the brothers. They looked horrified too.

“I’m glad you all could join us today!” said a man in a loud voice. Jeremy knew who he was immediately, The General. He wore a white outfit that looked like a scarier version of a guards uniform. He had stark white hair with a sharp smile.

“You know how much I hate having to be here for this but someone must be the example, yes?” Everyone mumbled a yes. His smile got wider.

“Please!” the woman cried as she was strung up to the post. “My child is dying, I just needed a little bit of bread!”

Jeremy was shaking with how much he wanted to run out into the centre but Jared kept his grip on his arm.

“Please!” the woman cried as a guard came forward with a whip.

Jeremy knew he had to do something. He needed to do something now.

The guard raised to whip.

Jeremy stomped on Jared’s foot which caused him to loosen his grip on his arm. The next few seconds passed by in slow motion for Jeremy. He heard Jared yell for him, the General turned to look but Jeremy was booking it to the guard. He skidded to halt in front of the woman and raised his arm, turning his face away.

The whip came down on his arm with a painful crack. Jeremy stumbled back and placed himself protectively over the woman who was still sobbing. Everyone was still silent. Jeremy caught sight of Adam’s horrified face. He shook his head as if to tell Jeremy no.

Jeremy reached up and tugged off his hood. He heard some people gasp. Jeremy’s face hardened as he turned to face the General.

“I am King Jeremy Dooley and I command you to cease this activity.” Jeremy barely recognized his own voice.

This time a collective gasp went through the crowd.

“My King,” The General said thought Jeremy noticed how pissed he looked, “We did not expect you.”

“I know what you have done,” Jeremy snarled. “I command you to lay down your weapons and leave this city.”

“My king, surely you are mistaken. We all remember your order,” he was grinning a feral grin.

Jeremy glanced around to see everyone’s angry faces directed at him. Jeremy stopped on Jared’s face, who looked betrayed.

“I didn’t order this,” Jeremy said, still looking at Jared. The General noticed.

“Have you been spending time with the group of defectors?” the General asked, faking worry. “You look unwell my king, these defectors must have kidnapped our king and brainwashed him,” he shouted the second part of the sentence. “We all know these defectors have a reputation.”

Next thing Jeremy knew, multiple guards were pulling him away. He struggled before he noticed guards moving in the direction of Jared.

Jeremy screamed as they grabbed him. Kept screaming as Adam rushed forward, only to be caught along with the one brother. Still screamed for them to stop when the guards raised their weapons. Started to cry when the guards beat Jeremy down. More fearful they were going to kill other others over him.

He felt a pain in his next before he felt himself start to go limp as he was dragged away.

Tried to think of Ryan’s face as the pain started to hit him.

He blinked, and he was laying in a carriage.

Ryan’s face. Blinked again.

It was night time.

Closed his eyes.

Could only picture Jared’s look of betrayal. Could only picture everyone’s angry faces.

Couldn’t think of anything for a while. Couldn’t feel anything after a while.

Jeremy opens his eyes again to see cobblestone walls. His heart sinks down to his stomach.

No.

-

“Geoff,” Michael whispered to him away from the others. “Do you really think this is a good idea?”

Geoff sighed. He looked almost as bad as Ryan did when he came and told them Jeremy was found and was requesting a meeting.

“We won’t be able to make a decision without talking to him first,” Geoff said.

“I’m afraid of what’s going to walk through that door,” Michael admitted.

“You’re not the only one,” Geoff said even softer. His were fixed on Gav and Jack sitting at the table, both of them looking nervous, but Michael knew Geoff was feeling the same.

Geoff patted Michael's shoulder and steer him to the table. Michael sat down next to Gavin and sent him a smile. Gav sent him a shaky one and kept bouncing his leg. Geoff stood behind Jack’s chair, hand on his shoulder. They all looked at the door in waiting.

They got lucky. The door opened seconds later to reveal Mica who stepped inside and held the door open. Held it open for Jeremy who was walking slowly. It wasn’t shocking to see Ryan walking behind him, but he looked a little out of place with just a shirt and pants paired with his crown.

But they all gasped as they caught sight of the bruises on his face, neck, and what little of his arms they could see. Jeremy looked up as he stepped into the room. Ryan stepped out from behind him to stand by his side.

“Hey guys,” Jeremy said, tears springing to his eyes.

“Hey Lil J,” Gavin said, relief coming out all in one breath.

Jeremy just looked at them for a moment before turning to Mica.

“I’m sorry to ask this, but could you give us a few?”

“Of course, Jeremy.” She nodded to Ryan and closed the door behind her as she went.

Jeremy sighed and walked forward to sit at the table with the rest of them. Ryan stayed standing with Geoff.

“God, you idiot,” Michael said. Jeremy nodded.

“I deserve that. I mean I did run in the wrong direction,” he laughed before his face got serious. “Look we need to talk about something urgent.”

“Jeremy,” Ryan said with a sigh, looking imploringly at Jack.

“You don’t need to tell us, we heard what happened in that city, what happened to you,” Jack assured. “Get better, we can take care of those defectors,”

“Don’t call them that,” Jeremy said forcefully. “The only defectors in my kingdom is my own guard.”

Everyone was silent for a moment.

“What?” Geoff asked.

“Geoff,” Jeremy said, looking straight at him. “Do you remember the plans to build the wall around the Forest of Creation? How everyone was evacuated from the area?”

“Yes,”

“It never happened,” he said.

“We wrote letters,” Michael said.

“And sent supplies,” Jack said.

“It was all a lie!” Jeremy shouted. “It was all fake,”

Geoff looked up at Ryan who shook his head.

“Why don’t you start from the beginning Jeremy,” Geoff urged.

“We don’t have time for this, people could be dying,” he stressed, choking up a little.

“Please, Jeremy, help us understand,” Gavin said, looking scared.

“Fine,” he sighed. “I ran for a while after the creepers and skeletons started fighting near us. I couldn’t shake them no matter how hard I ran. I ended up falling down a hill and passing out. Next thing I knew I was in a bed in a town. A town literally steps away from the Frost of Creation,” he looked at all of them, hoping they understood.

“How...” Jack trailed off.

“A few people found me and brought me back. I met this family,” Jeremy was smiling now, “They took care of my wounds and let me stay there. They were wary at first, and I told them I was a noble. Turned out two of them, knew I was a king,” he laughed, then sniffled.

“I took a potion to move the healing process along so I could actually move without feeling like I wanted to die.” Jeremy rolled his eyes at himself. “The point I’m trying to get to is, they had very little defenses, their fighters weren’t training properly, their crops were dying, and they needed help. I talked to the leaders of the town and got about half of them on my side and we went to work. I trained a girl who had a strong aura, helped them take better care of the crops, created a new way to teach the fighters, I gave the wielders and craftsman initiative, and they took it all in. They built up their town in merely a week. Meg learned spells to grow the crops faster, reinforce weapons and buildings. It’s amazing what these people did,”

“Jeremy,” Ryan said. “Where did the bruises come from?”

“That’s the part I was getting to,” he assured, “The only reason their town was so close to the forest is that they all ran from the main city in the area. Royal guard and nobles under my kingdom started to follow on of my generals as he took over. Everyone believed that was giving those orders. He killed people’s families. Almost everyone in that town lost someone.” He clenched his fists.

“We went into the city to get supplies, it was arranged so I would leave to come back here after I helped them gather their things but I saw my own guards drag a woman into the square. They were going to beat her in front of everyone for stealing some bread for her dying child.” He was crying now.

“I would never give those orders,” he said looking right at Geoff, “But everyone in that city believed the General. They had no way of knowing if I was lying.” He took a deep breath. “I ran forward and got hit for the woman.” He rolled his sleeve up more to reveal a mark.

They all gasped.

“I revealed myself as a king but it did nothing. Everyone was angry with me, even as I tried to command the General away. But he has them wrapped around his finger. He tried to tell everyone the people of the town brainwashed me. Played right into their fears of defectors. The guards grabbed me and the group I came with. I saw them start to beat them and I tried to fight but the guards started to beat me too. Then I felt a pain in my neck and I woke up in the castle.”

No one aid anything. Michael reached out and squeezed Gavin’s hand, who looked close to tears. Jack leaned back into Geoff who squeezed his shoulder more.

“Am I the only one having a hard time believing this?” Ryan snarled.

“Ryan,” Jeremy pleaded.

“I heard firsthand accounts from that fight. Guards were patrolling the area and got into a fight with a group of defectors. You were apart of them. The guards said you had bruises all over you and you were fighting for those defectors. The doctor said he found evidence of magic brainwashing.” Ryan wasn’t even looking at jeremy which made him more upset.  

“None of what you said actually happened Jeremy. The doctors are right, you need to stop playing into this fantasy and so do we.” Ryan spoke everyone word as if he was talking to a child.

“Ryan,” Geoff started.

“Meg didn’t even know she had an aura before me!” Jeremy shouted. He stood up and knocked the chair back.

“Then you are a child if you believe that!” Ryan yelled back as he got in his face. Jeremy stared at Ryan with a look of hate.

“Fuck you,” he snarled before storming out of the room.

“Ryan,” Geoff said again but Ryan just glared at him.

“Leave,” he said before turning and following Jeremy out.

The rest of them just looked at each other, not knowing what to believe.

“Jeremy’s not dumb,” Gavin said.

“He’s not,” Jack agreed. “but if he’s telling the truth, there could be corruptions throughout all of our kingdoms on multiple levels.”

“Then it’s something we’ll have to deal with,” Michael looked determined. Gavin nodded with him.

“When was the last time we went on an adventure?” Geoff asked.

“I thought we retired adventuring after the dragon,” Jack joked.

“Well, I think if we are going to find the truth, that we should do some investigating,” Geoff said.

“How will we know where to go?” Gavin asked.

“I’m sure Kdin could take a minute from her day to help us,” Michael smiled.

“I’m not telling Lindsay,” Jack sighed but he was smiling too.

“She’ll understand,” Geoff said. They all looked at each other again. “Let’s go, lads,”

-

Jeremy stormed into his and Ryan’s room and fought the urge to scream. He paced around, hands on his head, trying to think of something. Trying not to think about throttling Ryan. It was only his luck that Ryan walked in and slammed the door behind him.

“I don’t want to look at you right now,” Jeremy said. He pointed to the door to get him to leave.

“Jeremy, you need to accept this if you are going to get better,” he stressed, stepping forward.

“Why do you believe random people over me!” Jeremy didn’t phrase it as a question.

“Some of those random people are my own people,” Ryan fired back.

“I can’t even look at you,” he said. “One of the only things that kept me going for a while, that kept me fighting was the thought of making it back to you. I guess I was wrong,” Jeremy said as he turned away from him.

“I was gonna propose,” Ryan said. Jeremy drew in a shaky breath and shook his head. “That day that we lost you. Jack was the only one that knew.”

“I refuse,” Jeremy whispered.

“What?” Ryan asked, sounding obviously hurt. Jeremy didn’t want to turn and look at him but he had too.

Ryan was staring at Jeremy like he didn’t know him.

“I refuse,” he said as firmly as he could through tears. “Goodbye Ryan,” he said before walking around the frozen Ryan and walking out the door. He knew what he needed to do.

Ryan stood looking at where Jeremy had been standing, helpless, before collapsing on his knees.

-

Jeremy knew this was the worst idea he’s had in awhile, but he had to go back.

Jeremy thought he would feel comforted by being back in the castles. Even after what went down in Vila, he would finally be able to do something about the General. But he was proven wrong immediately.

He was taken to his and Ryan’s room by Mica after waking up again and proving that he could be calm. He barely had time to be appreciative of the fact that his crown and personal bag fill with notes had made it before he was confronted by Ryan and a group of doctors. All telling him that he was under the effect of magic and that his brain was struggling to come up with a believable story as to make the trauma suffered from the defectors not real.

Jeremy told the doctors “bullshit” immediately and told them he didn’t endure any trauma from defectors. Ryan had to dismiss the doctors when Jeremy got more and more heated and refused to listen to them. Jeremy bristled more when one of the doctors told Ryan that playing into his “fantasy” wouldn’t help him get better. Ryan almost had to physically restrain Jeremy as they were leaving.   

Jeremy had grabbed his crown after they left and demanded they have a royal meeting immediately. Ryan had sighed and allowed it, but Jeremy knew that he only agreed because the other kings hadn’t seen him in so long.

Hearing Ryan say he didn’t believe him and call him a child had struck something deep in Jeremy. Jeremy thought he could trust Ryan but after that he didn’t know if he could anymore. He still felt a pang of guilt for refusing him, but he had pushed it down as he swiped a map from the library.

He had a general idea of where the town was so he headed to the stable to grab a horse. He pushed the horse as fast as she would go to get back to the apple trees quicker. He would go past the apple trees, into the forest, and to the edge of the hill. Then it would be guesswork from there. But he needed to get back.

-

“Are you sure you’re reading that right?” Michael said, doubtfully from his horse. They had been riding since last night. They snuck out after dinner, which neither Jeremy or Ryan had shown up to, and have been at it through the night and into the next day.

Kdin came up with the faster route without going near the city and Geoff had commandeered it immediately. It would take them far right around the city then they would cut back on the road until they found something.

“Yes, I’m reading it right,” Geoff hissed.

“Look, there’s the road up ahead,” Jack pointed to an old dirt road. Geoff humphed at Michael as he passed. Michael rolled his eyes and followed.

“Should be close now right?” Gav asked. “Bloody forest of monster can’t be that far.”

“We could in the forest already,” Michael smirked as Gavin glared at him.

“Not funny,” he said. “There’s supposed to be a wall idiot,”

“All high and mighty but you’re scared of the forest ain’t-cha?” Michael teased.

“Boys,” Jack said using her mom's voice.

“Geoff could have read the map wrong and got us right into the middle of it,” Michael laughed.

Gavin squawked as Geoff turned to defend his map reading skills. Michael laughed as he saw Jack close his eyes and sigh.

“Stop!” Someone shouted, shaking them out of the moment. They all brought their horses to a stop as people came out of the foliage and from behind trees. Almost all of them had weapons.

“It’s some of the kings,” a girl said.

“Perfect,” the man standing next to her said. “Just what we needed.”

“Look,” Geoff started.  

“I said stop,” yelled someone again.

Geoff looked to see the other three looking just as confused. None of them moved. That’s when Geoff caught sight of another horse running up with someone on it. Ryan.

He pulled his horse to a stop just beside Geoff. He looked at Geoff questioningly, as if gauging to see if he needed to be ready to fight.  

“Get off your horses,” The man ordered.

“Wait,” Jack tried to say.

“Do it, or I will force you,” The man said, with no room for arguing.

Geoff shook his head at Ryan before he slowly got off his horse and hoped that the rest of them were smart enough to follow. He let out a relieved sigh as he saw the rest of them put up no fight. The men came forward with some rope that had a tell-tale glimmer to it. Geoff glanced at Ryan and thought the same thing. Was Jeremy really telling the truth?

“’Red, is this really a good idea?” The girl from before asked. “They could be here to help.”

“I’m not risking it, Mari,” Red said. Geoff tried to look into the eyes of the person tying his hands, but he wouldn’t look at him.

“If they were really here to help, Jeremy would be here,” the man said as he forcefully tied the knot in Geoff’s binding. He looked straight into Geoff’s eyes before turning away.

The girl sighed as if she thought the same thing.

A few people pushed the five of them forward into a group. The girl looked at them before turning and walking forward. He and the man called Red were the only ones walking in front of them. The rest brought up the rear. Geoff could hear the horses walked with them too.

Geoff raised his eyebrows at Michael when only two miles up the road, a town came into view. Michael rolled his eyes.

“Take them to the centre, I’ll grab the others,” Red said before walking towards one of the buildings as they entered the town. Three people slipped off with the horses too. They continued to be pushed towards the back, the forest coming into view more before they walked into a large clearing. The most shocking thing was, there was no wall that they could see.

Someone people stopped what they were doing to look at them in shock. Everyone started nudging others until everyone had stopped what they were doing to look at them.

Geoff hazarded a look around. Some looked hopeful and others looked scared. Geoff glanced at Ryan to see him staring intently at a girl with red hair by some children.

“Where is he?” a woman said walking up with Red. A few people trailed behind him.

“He’s not with them,” the girl said.

“What,” the girl with Red hair shouted, pushing forward to get a look at all of them. “he promised.”

“I told you we couldn’t trust a dirty king,” Red snarled.

“You should show some respect to the kings,” Ryan said back.

“Why should I respect any king? Dooley lied to us and then abandoned us. You kings abandoned us and treat us like nothing. As far as I’m concerned, none of you are my king.”

“I’m just looking for Jeremy,” Ryan said, but at the same time he said Jeremy’s name, the kids screamed it too.

They all looked around confused before they saw the kids barrel into Jeremy who had a huge smile on his face. The girl with red hair gasped and ran forward to do the same. The five kings looked at each other before watching as multiple people ran up to him and started hugging him. They could hear his laugh from here.

“He promised,” The girl said to Red as if rubbing it in his face. She giggled when he rolled his eyes. They watched Jeremy say hello to everyone before making his way over.

“What are you doing here?” he asked them all, crossing his arms, standing next to one of the women, who patted his shoulder.

“We needed to see for ourselves,” Geoff said, “It was all true?”

“Yes, all of it,” Jeremy promised. Geoff nodded, so did the rest of them, except Ryan. Jeremy barely looked at Ryan before settling his eyes on Red.

Red looked shocked, but all of his previous anger dissipated from his face. He looked almost relieved to see Jeremy.

“Jared,” he addressed.

“I know why you did it,” Jared confessed. “I would have never listened to you if you said you were a king. I’m not even mad at you. I was at first but, I’m madder at myself for not realizing.”

“Thank you for believing in me,” Jeremy said, looking at the townspeople. He turned back to the rest of the kings. “And thank you to the four of you for realizing the truth.”

The comment was loaded with passive-aggressiveness towards Ryan. Geoff glanced over and saw Ryan trying to cover up a hurt look. Everyone looked a little awkward, and some of the townspeople tried.

 The girl opened up her mouth to comment but all that came out was gasp as an arrow lodged itself in her left shoulder.

“Mari,” the woman yelled and caught her as she stumbled forward.

Everyone whipped around to look in the direction of forest and caught sight of Zombies and Skeletons heading their way. No one had noticed how low the sun had dipped below the trees.

The kids started to scream just as a woman in blonde started barking out orders with Jared.

Ryan paid no attention to the others as he rushed forward to the girl who was shot. The woman was crying over her.

“Untie me, I can help her,” Ryan pleaded. The woman nodded and untied his hands. He glanced over to see the others had been united and jumped into action.

Ryan got to work, conjuring up any magic to help this girl. Ryan rarely used magic during a battle, but it was worth it if Jeremy cared for these people.

-

Jeremy was shocked over two things at first. How quickly and efficiently the town was taking care of the creatures and how quickly the rest of the kings jumped into action.

It took him a minute to realize he wasn’t even that shocked. He saw the things this town was capable of, it was just jarring to see them in action for the first time. And he knew the other kings, he had no reason to doubt them anymore.

It was almost effortless to take out the creatures. Meg was conjuring her magic, Coe was leading the fighters and with Michael, Adam and Jack were luring some of the creatures to the hidden traps, and Gav, Ash, and Jared were tag teaming with each other. Jeremy cut another zombie head off and looked around for Geoff. He caught sight of him comforting Mina was Ryan leant over Mari. He could see the magic flowing over her.

Jeremy looked around to make sure there were no more skeletons before rushing over to them. He dropped to his knees and took Mina’s hand, she was still crying softly.

“Ryan knows what he’s doing, don’t worry,” Jeremy said to her. He glanced up at Geoff who smiled at him and took her other hand.

“She’s the one who convinced me to trust you at first,” Mina said, although her voice was shaky. “She also spent all night with Jared after he got back. She talked some sense into him.” She laughed before sobbing again.

“I can’t lose one of my babies,” she cried. “I’ve come close with two of you already in the past week.”

Geoff looked at Jeremy in surprise, but he just put his arms around Mina and said nothing as they both watched Mari.

Ryan gasped all of sudden and feel back away from Mari. The arrow lay next to her face and she blinked her eyes open. They all looked to her shoulder to see the blood gone, and a scar in it’s place.

Mina cried out took her into her arms.

“Damn, its been awhile since I’ve done that,” Ryan joked. “last time was when that creeper blew an arrow into your side when we were looking for pearls.” He said nervously as he looked at Jeremy, as if he was going to blow up on him immediately.

Jeremy smiled at him, hoping it showed his thanks before wrapping himself around Mina and Mari. He could feel Jared run up and do the same, making sure she was alright.

Jeremy looked over his shoulder to see the rest of the kings walking over with townspeople. All the creatures were gone.

Jeremy buried his face into Mina’s shoulder and gripped both Mari and Jared tighter.

“Looks like we’ll have matching scars, Jeremy,” Mari’s voice was muffled but it made everyone laugh through their tears. Everything wasn’t fixed, but this was a damn good start.

-

Everyone was celebrating. A mix of welcoming the kings, welcoming Jeremy back, and celebrating their victory.

Ryan and Jack raised their glasses to two Michael and Gav as they came over to sit with them. The two younger ones had been dancing with the red-haired girl who was introduced as Meg and another called Ash.

The two of them were telling them how much Meg had learned about magic in only a week when Jeremy, Jared, Mina, Mari, and Geoff walked over and sat with them at the table. It was a little cramped but they made it work, even if Mari, Jeremy, and Jared elbowed each other to make room.

“Children,” Mina said. They all muttered a quick sorry before Mari giggled and elbowed Jeremy again. Jeremy gasped and “accidentally” elbowed Gavin. Gavin let out a squawk that sent them all laughing.

Ryan caught Jeremy’s eyes from across the table and they smiled tentatively at each other as everyone calmed down.

“I realize this can probably wait but, every day since that day in the city, we’ve been waiting for the General to come and deal with us once and for all,” Jared said.

“This is complicated,” Geoff said, “After everything you have told me, there is more corruption than we could imagine.”

“it’s gonna take a lot of time,” Ryan agreed. Everyone started at Ryan, not knowing which side he was on still. “I suggest we start with the city, it could be one of the main sources.”

Everyone nodded.

“We will do everything to make sure your people stay safe,” Jack assured Jared.

“They’re not my people,” Jared laughed and nodded his head towards Jeremy.

“Their no one’s people.” Jeremy agreed. Jared stopped where he had raised his beer to take a sip.

“What?” He asked.

“You said it yourself,” Jeremy smiled. “Everyone’s free here.”

“You’re mad,” Jared said incredulously, slamming his bottle down.

“After we catch the General and his people, you will be pardoned. The wall will be built and this town will not be under any rule. You will still be able to trade and get supplies within the city, but as long as you promise to not become criminals, you will be free.” Jeremy said.

“That’s a dumb move,” Mari crossed her arms.

“Yeah, but Jeremy’s not dumb,” Gavin said and raised his drink. Michael and Jack did the same.

“As King Dooley commands,” Geoff said as he raised his.

Ryan raised his glass, “To the kindest king.”

Everyone clinked their glasses in the middle before taking a sip. Michael started to chug his and reached over to get Gavin to do the same by lifting the end of his bottle. It resulted in beer spilling all over the two of them as Gavin started gagging and sputtering and Michael started choking as he laughed.

The rest of them started dying laughing and Michael ran away from the table and Gavin chased him. The rest of the table fell into a comfortable conversation about the things the town had accomplished after they stopped laughing. Ryan listened and realized everything that they had taught Jeremy since he was king, he used to help these people. Ryan’s magic, Michael’s fighting, jack’s farming technique, Gavin’s weapon designs, and Geoff’s leadership. Ryan looked around at the town and all the people. It was abundantly clear that Jeremy had an effect on all of these people.

“Excuse me,” Ryan said softly. Geoff and Mina nodded as he got up and left the table, taking his drink with him. He walked into the direction of the forest and stood just beyond the last house in silence.

“You know,” someone said, making him jump a little. “this is where I saw Jeremy for the first time. Looking out at the forest.”

Ryan looked down to see Meg had walked up to stand with him.

“Really?” He asked.

“Yep,” they were silent for a moment, just staring at the trees. “One of the only reasons we believed his story about the kings not knowing what was going on out here was because he told us he was having an affair with you.”

“What?” Ryan laughed.

“Yep,” Meg giggled too. “To be fair, we thought he was a noble at the time.” She paused for a second. “We tried not to bring it up because we could tell how much you missed you guys.”

Ryan hummed before taking a drink of the water he had been drinking all night. “I may have ruined my chances.” He admitted.

“Nah,” Another voice said.

Ryan looked to his right to see Mari.

“Meg’s right. The only thing that kept him going was the thought of going back home to you.”

“He refused my proposal,” He said.

“Because you were being a dick,” Mari said.

Ryan let out a disbelieving laugh at her boldness as Meg giggled again.

“apologize to him,” Meg said

“I don’t know how,” Ryan said, frustrated.

“Just say you’re sorry,” Meg said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Then,” Mari stressed. “Give him some time. Give yourself time too. You both need to figure some things out.”

Ryan said nothing.

“Good luck Ryan,” Mari sighed as she patted his shoulder. She motioned for Meg to follow. She sent him a smile before walking back with Mari.

Ryan continued to stare out into the forest. He should go find Jeremy and apologize before he can talk himself out of it.

“Hey,” Jeremy said, walking up to stand next to him like Meg had. “I hope the girls weren’t too rough on you.”

Jeremy always had a knack for knowing when Ryan needed him.

“Nah, they were fine.” He assured. Jeremy nodded and looked at the forest with him.

“I’m sorry,” Ryan rushed out. “For everything. I was so wrong about everything. I betrayed your trust. I’m no better than those people you told us about.”

“You’re not. I know you’re not because you wouldn’t have rushed to save someone you barely know if you were. I know you’re sorry,” Jeremy said. “But I don’t think I can forgive you yet.”

“I understand,” Ryan said with a shaky breath.

Jeremy nodded again and took Ryan’s hand. Ryan squeezed it back and Jeremy rested his head on Ryan’s shoulder.

It was a start, Ryan thought as he glanced down at Jeremy’s face.

-

“Knock, knock,” Jeremy said walking into Ryan’s study and using a knuckle to knock on the frame.

“There better not be a joke beyond that,” Ryan warned as he looked up from his desk.

Jeremy smiled warmly, and Ryan sent one back.

Things hadn’t gone back to normal, but they had developed into a new normal. The new normal involved, systematically going through their staff, nobles, and guards to weed out anyone who followed the General.

Taking down the General was almost too easy, but as it turns out, six kings showing up with a group of “defectors” is pretty scary. That or the guy was just a coward. That was Ryan’s favorite theory.

Sentencing was to start within the next month. It had been three since that night at the town. It gave all the kings plenty of time to gather as many corrupt individuals as possible before they start to process of trials. Is was Jeremy’s idea to give the fair trials since some cases were worse than others, everyone agreed.

Ryan knew Jeremy was looking forward to staring the General in the face as he announced he and his guards were not to get a trial and that they would spend their lives in prison. Ryan was looking forward to it too.

“You know me,” Jeremy said as he walked over to the side of Ryan’s desk.

Things had changed between them, but Ryan found himself being okay with it. They didn’t sleep in the same bed when Jeremy came on to the castle or Ryan went to Jeremy’s. Only when Jeremy or Ryan had a nightmare would they find themselves waking in the same bed. It was more frequent when they first made it back to the castles but as Ryan has realized Jeremy has been healing and Jeremy has put more and more bad people away, the nightmares have stopped coming. Ryan still misses Jeremy in his bed but he still respects Jeremy’s choice.

Ryan has been by his side as more of a friend through the process. Went with him as he visited the woman he stood up for in the city, held her baby as Jeremy helped her cook dinner for all of them. Help track down someone with Ryan’s own staff so they could be reunited with a woman back in the town. Helped Jeremy find out what happened to family members of the people in the city and the town. Arrange funerals when Jeremy couldn’t bring himself to do it. Stopped him from hurting anyone when he found out there were two more cities that were treating the people the same under the General’s rule. Defended his decision to pardon the main city that was under the General to the others. Held his hand when he needed it but never crossed any lines Jeremy didn’t.

“We’ve done a lot in the last couple of months,” Jeremy said looking down at Ryan.

“Just thinking about that too,” Ryan said.

“You know, Mari and Jared have been pestering me on when I’m gonna finally forgive you so that they can give you the shovel talk.” Jeremy laughed.

“Oh really?” Ryan laughed too. “It’s your call though. How much longer do you want me alive?” he joked.

“Ryan,” Jeremy said in all seriousness. He reached out and ran his hands through Ryan’s hair and cupped his face. “I forgive you.”

“Jeremy,” he gasped. “You don’t have to –”

“I wasn’t finished,” Jeremy chastised playfully. Ryan furrowed his eyebrows as Jeremy took his hand from his face.

Gasped again when Jeremy got down on one knee and took out a little red box.

“These last four months have been hell but I don’t regret them. We’ve been lost, we’ve been found. We’ve both changed to be better people and found things we could have never imagined. Both good and bad,” he laughed. “But throughout this whole time, I’ve never stopped loving you. Even when it hurt to do so,” He confessed.

Ryan knew what he was talking about, Jeremy didn’t need to say it. Ryan drew in a shaky breath.

“Ryan Haywood, will you marry me?” Jeremy asked. His face was completely serious.

“Yes,” Ryan agreed. It was the only answer in the world.