Chapter Text
The Seladorin of Osphranter.
A land of rich culture, prosperous harvest, and home to generations of powerful magic wielders.
The weather in these lands was fair for most of the year, and brutal during the rest.
Outside, the birds were singing. The sun was shining. A gentle breeze was in the air.
It was a picture-perfect definition of a good day, and everyone was having a splendid time enjoying it.
Well, mostly everyone.
In the largest Kingdom of the Seladorin of Osphranter where the descendants of one of the First Five Royals resided, many were enjoying the good weather of the day. People were bustling about. Merchants were selling their wares. Children were playing merrily.
And the Royal Jester was sitting alone in his room at the royal place, glaring at a piece of paper that sat innocently on his desk.
On a normal day, a piece of paper before the Royal Jester would be full of half-written jokes or gags in progress. A good joke needed time and process to make someone laugh. But this paper just so happened not to be filled with jokes.
No. In fact, this paper just so happened to be a rare and quite expensive piece of paper. At first glance, it looked like an ordinary piece of paper that was likely filled out or written by a doctor.
However, if one took a closer look at the bottom right corner of the paper, they would see the Medical Seal of Healing stamped there. Any person educated in their studies would know right away that this paper was a magic item. Though not rare or highly sought after, this particular paper was a useful tool in the medical field and was often used by doctors during medical examinations.
This paper, which is appropriately called Blood Paper, was enchanted to detect, calculate, and evaluate the health of a person. How it worked was simple. The person who uses Blood Paper needed only a small drop of blood. The blood is then placed in a small square located at the bottom of the paper. Normally, it would take a few hours or a full day for the Blood Paper to detect any abnormalities or defects.
But since Bittergiggle was the Royal Jester, he had the resources to buy the more expensive version of Blood Paper, which was faster and sometimes more accurate than its cheaper, more common used counterpart. It could also detect more and evaluate what the person whose blood was drawn should look out for if they wished to stay healthy and strong.
This Blood Paper, which had most of the same things a normal Blood Paper would detect, had a list of various afflictions, diseases, and other assortments of things that could be found in his blood if detected.
Most of the boxes that sat in front of the names of various diseases were white, the typical sign that said disease or affliction wasn’t detected.
However, while most would find comfort that they weren’t sick, there was one box that was colored red. It was located in the section where evaluations of the health could be found. Everything looked normal, except for the small note on sugar that was just off the recommended level, and the one box that was marked in red.
The same box Bittergiggle had hoped wouldn’t be marked.
The same box he wished and prayed would remain white, and that he was worrying over nothing.
The same box that crushed his expectations when the recommended hour passed and he found to his utter disappointment that, once again, it was marked red.
The same box that, indefinitely, revealed that he had undoubtedly a little passenger growing inside of him.
“… damn.” He had suspected as much.
He had hoped that he was only being paranoid. He didn’t actually suspect that he had life growing inside him.
It had been a small worry of his. Ever since that day. He had hoped, prayed, wished, and denied that the possibility could happen.
Yet the worry had lingered and persisted, even when he hadn’t been showing the signs. He didn’t truly believe that it could happen, even when he subconsciously tallied the days since that night that somehow morphed into counting down the days when a discreet test would be most accurate, just to clear his growing anxiety that he was worried over completely nothing.
After all, his kind didn’t conceive easily with anyone outside of their own kind. That rarely happened. Very, very rarely.
Though it seemed he was one of the lucky Serinsperins who could.
And it was AWFUL.
“DAMN!” Slamming his hands down on the table, Bittergiggle felt that the world was laughing at him. Normally, he would be desperate to hear someone laugh, but that desperation normally stemmed from his desire for his jokes to be appreciated. This, however, felt like a mocking laugh from the God of Creation themself, deciding that Bittergiggle’s life wasn’t chaotic enough and threw a kid into the mix.
Bittergiggle groaned, covering his face and hanging his head in defeat. This. Was undoubtedly. The WORST Thing. That could ever happen to him.
Five different Blood Papers, two common and three of the more expensive kind, and they all had the same marked box on each of them.
Pregnant. He was undoubtedly pregnant.
Bittergiggle wanted to scream. He wanted to yell, and shout, and hurl, and throw stuff around and break things out of distress and fear. He wanted to curl up into a tight ball and cry his eyes out till all the liquid in his body was gone. He wanted to hunt down the father who put this kid in him and slap them till their face came off. He wanted to run as far away as he could and leave everything he had behind, too ashamed to admit his fault in this dilemma and pretend that this was all just a dream, and he would be waking up to see he was worried over nothing.
He wanted someone to hug him and tell him that everything was going to be okay.
Bittergiggle sighed, covering one hand over his mouth while his other hand traveled down to his abdomen. It was still flat, barely any change at all. No one would be able to tell that there was a little baby inside him.
Not for a few more weeks at least. It would be a while before he would begin showing.
And what would happen then?
What was he going to do?
Having a kid hadn’t crossed his mind before. The thought of making a family of his own had never really appealed to him. He was quite content with the family he had now, even if they weren’t blood-related to him.
Not to mention his real blood family was… a mess.
The last letter he got from his brothers didn’t quite give him hope that things were going alright for them. And he wasn’t too keen on seeing them at the upcoming festival.
He already had enough on his plate being the court jester. And his other job.
This kid was throwing a wrench at everything, and they weren’t even born yet!
“What am I gonna do?” He gazed down at his flat stomach. “What am I supposed to do?”
Bittergiggle didn’t know the first thing about childcare. In fact, he knew next to nothing about it. Serinsperins were rumored to be loving and caring towards their offspring, but Bittergiggle couldn’t remember if it was true.
His parents had died when he was young and had been taken in by the royal family out of mercy from the late king. He knew very little about his own kind, and rarely ever met one who was willing to talk to him.
How was he supposed to care for a kid? Was he qualified for a kid? Could he raise a kid?
No. Definitely not.
If there was one thing Bittergiggle was certain of, it was that he would be a mess of a terrible parent to this kid. Not to mention how demanding his job was, he really wouldn’t have any time to raise a kid properly.
Plus, there was the matter of… him.
Oh God. What was he going to tell him?
Was he supposed to go up to him and say ‘Hey, remember that one night? The night we both got suuuuuper drunk and ended up in bed together? How it was reeeeally awkward for us to even look at each other for a while because we both said some things at the time that may or may not have been true or honest? Remember how I told you that it wasn’t likely that a kid would be inside me after that incident? Whelp! I was wrong! Congrats! You’re gonna be a dad! See ya later!’
Yeah, that wasn’t going to go over smoothly.
If anything, he’d probably give the guy a heart attack with the news.
After what happened that night, Bittergiggle didn’t even want to see the guy ever again. But that was difficult due to the fact that they literally worked at the same place. And the fact that he didn’t actually want to never see him ever again.
If anything, he wanted them to be here right now, trying to help him see the positive side of things. Help him calm down and think of some ideas that could and would work.
He wanted so badly to imagine that they would be ecstatic over the news, overjoyed with the thought that he was going to be a father, thanking Bittergiggle over and over again for the miracle he’d bring into the world. He wanted to believe that they would be over the moon with the news, crying tears of joy while hugging him non-stop… but that wasn’t likely going to happen.
As much as he wanted to be optimistic about this, Bittergiggle knew he had to face reality sooner rather than later. Knowing how they think, they’d probably be shocked and horrified that he placed a kid inside Bittergiggle. They probably wouldn’t think twice that he was joking, or that someone else was the father. There was also the likely outcome that they would be FURIOUS over the news.
He wanted to believe that they were normally good-tempered, but he knew that anything could set him off if someone rubbed him the wrong way. Bittergiggle still remembered how rocky and spiteful their interactions were when they first met, and he still had the scars on his chest.
A wave of sickening panic washed over him, his arms wrapping around his abdomen in almost a protective hug.
Oh God. What if they became ANGRY? What if they found the news displeasing after he’d assured them that a child was likely never to happen and found out it was a lie?
What if they became so angry, they’d become MURDEROUS towards him?
Bittergiggle shook his head, trying to dispel the awful thought. Yes, they had a temper, but Bittergiggle was sure they wouldn’t want to murder him… maybe… probably… hopefully…
A whine pushed through his lips as Bittergiggle hung his head.
There was too much to think about. And he wasn’t sure if his mind was capable enough to handle it all at the moment.
“I need to talk to someone.” He decided. “I need a second opinion on this.”
But who? Who could he turn to? There wasn’t a lot of options for Bittergiggle to choose from. Most people he knew weren’t parents or expecting a kid any time soon. Those he did know who were parents wouldn’t actually be helpful since one of them was the queen herself, and he didn’t want to bother her (A.K.A. have her become ecstatic over the idea of a tiny jester running around and make a big deal out of it), and the other just so happened to be the queen’s favorite advisor (A.K.A. the father of the queen’s children).
No, what he needed was an outside source. Someone who he could trust not to tell his secret, and tell him what he should do next.
A doctor? Hmm. That would likely work. He could make them swear not to tell while they gave him advice on what to do.
But there was a problem. He was the COURT JESTER. If anyone caught sight of him going to a physician, news and rumors would definitely spread and reach the queen’s ears. And the father’s.
Or worse.
HIM.
Bittergiggle shuddered at the thought before breathing out a sigh. It was fine. He was fine. No one knew his secret yet, he was safe! He just needed to get to a doctor without anyone noticing and BOOM! Perfect plan!
He just had to act like nothing was wrong and pretend that he was fine. Baby or not, he had to keep up appearances for the time being till he had a solid plan.
First order of business. Acting. Crumpling up the Blood Paper, Bittergiggle tossed it into a waste bin. Pretend that everything is fine. Appear like you’re your normal self and NOT expecting. No one can know that you have a tiny passenger inside you. Not even… him.
Second order. Find a doctor. He began pacing the room, feeling some comfort as a plan formed inside his mind. A good doctor with the best skills would be the best option. But it would also be beneficial if the doctor kept their mouth shut about this matter until either I A) manage to get the courage to tell someone else or B) run away to a new Seladorin and never look back, while leaving behind everything I knew and loved.
Would running away be an option? The Kingdom was the only home he ever knew. He’d grown up here ever since he was a little kid. He’d never been to any other Seladorin, and he wasn’t sure if anyone would be tolerant of him for being a Serinsperin. And there was no telling if the queen would send out search parties for him, or, worse yet, if they went looking for him.
That wouldn’t be fun.
Let's just make running away a last resort situation. I should only focus on acting normal now and finding the best doctor to go to.
He stopped for a moment, looking down at himself. His abdomen was flat as ever, and there was no outward appearance that life was growing inside him. Yet Bittergiggle couldn’t help but worry that someone might notice. He didn’t have any symptoms yet, so maybe he could pull this off until he started showing. He could still do his jesting work and keep his secret for a while longer.
He just had to make sure not to run into them, and he’d be all set! Easy peasy!
⚜
No it wasn’t.
It very, very, very much wasn’t.
Of course symptoms started showing just right after he found out about his little stowaway. And OF COURSE they just had to pop up the moment he entered the dining hall, and the smell of fresh-cooked food wafting from the room made his stomach suddenly twist in a way that made him feel queasy and running for the closest bathroom to hurl.
Morning sickness. Great.
He should have realized that he was at the point where he would be getting symptoms by now. And it had been more than five weeks since that night.
Wiping his mouth, Bittergiggle took a moment to think.
Okay, if he had morning sickness, did he have any other symptoms? He thought back, trying to recall anything out of the ordinary in those days that he might have missed. He’d seen the queen go through the symptoms throughout all of her pregnancies, so he knew the basics of what to look for in the early stages.
Let’s see. Well, he did feel a bit more tired than usual one morning and felt like he hadn’t slept for days despite getting enough rest. He perfectly recalled some cramping that he quickly dismissed due to stretching at the time. But those didn’t really scream out as baby bun in the oven to him. If anything, he would have chalked it up as being one of his off days if he hadn’t been worried overthinking that he really was expecting.
But now that he was certain, a lot of things he had overlooked in the past now made more sense to him.
Light cramping and tiredness I can deal with and hide easily. He thought, flushing the toilet. It’s the dreaded morning sickness I’ve got to be careful with. Morning sickness my ass. If it’s as bad as people say it is, I’m going to be running to the nearest waste bin trying to push my guts out through my mouth every hour! That’s bound to get everyone’s attention. Maybe I should skip lunch today…
He shook his head. No, that wouldn’t work. The queen would notice right away that he skipped not only lunch, but breakfast as well today, and question him why. And questions right now weren’t a good idea for the jester.
Not if he wanted the queen to find out his little secret.
So, skipping out on food wasn’t an option, buuut he couldn’t head to the dining hall. The smell would only make him nauseous and cause frequent trips to the bathroom.
“Guess I’m eating out today.” He mused. It had been a while since he left the castle, but it wasn’t uncommon for him to leave to get himself food. Sometimes he was hit with a craving for certain foods, and the dining hall wouldn’t have what he was looking for.
Plus, he was sure the queen was having an important meeting with her advisors today, so that just meant that he wouldn’t be needed till much later in the day.
Maybe he could use this as an opportunity to scout out a doctor.
With a renewed spring in his step with the thought, Bittergiggle bounded down the halls of the castle, excitement bubbling inside him as he slipped past the guards stationed at the front door, barely making a sound as he slipped past through the huge double doors, and gleefully skipped in the courtyard where knights and squires were doing their routine daily training.
Most didn’t bother to pay him any attention. They knew right away, with just one look at hi,m that he was the Court Jester. Anyone could guess that.
His appearance and mannerisms certainly did little to hide his important role. And many knew it was best to avoid him.
Not out of malice, though some would glare at him due to being a Serinsperin, but because he was close to the queen, and many knew how much she treated him like her own family, and was very protective of him.
Family.
Bittergiggle’s eyes darkened for a moment before quickly shaking the thought out of his mind, and immediately went over to a large, barn-like building that sat far in the courtyard close to the entrance. He was practically skipping like a little girl at this point, giving a friendly wave to the guard station at the doors, grinning with enthusiasm. “Hi~!” He greeted, coming to a stop before them. “I’m here to see my cute lil’ kitty~! Mind stepping aside and letting her out?”
The guard gave him a small glance. “Do you have permission from the queen?”
A groan nearly escaped his lips as Bittergiggle rolled his eyes. Permission? Ugggggh! Were they still on edge from last time? He warned people to keep catnip away from the barn, and look what happened! “I don’t need permission from the queen. This is my pet, and while I appreciate you and the rest of the guard taking time to dutifully watch over her home, I require her to get into town today.”
“May I inquire as to why you wish to go to town?”
He shrugged. “It’s noon. And I’m hungry. And there’s a little cafe in town that serves my favorite jelly-filled donuts. It’d be a crime not to indulge myself in a jelly-rific sweet treat.” He giggled at his own pun as the guard gave him a deadpan stare.
“I’m sorry. But only those with permission from the queen may pass.”
Bittergiggle frowned at them. “I just said I don’t need permission. It’s my pet we’re talking about here.”
“Even if that were the case, I still can not let you pass without permission.”
A glare deepened on Bittergiggle’s face. “And why not exactly?”
“I was given strict orders not to let anyone who hasn’t been permitted by the queen in to see the beast.”
“… beast?” A dangerous glint appeared in Bittergiggle’s eyes. “Did you just call my pet… my sweet little baby… my sweet angel girl. My shining star. My sprinkled-covered cupcake. My perfect pansy. My darling universe. My Masterpiece Muse. My Brilliant Guiding Light From Darkness. MY TETHER IN A RISING STORM! MY INSPIRATION! MY WALKING DREAM! MY BIGGEST FAN AND FRIEND! THE MOST BEAUTIFUL! PERFECT! PURE! AND GLORIFIED BEING ANYONE COULD LAY THEIR UNWORTHY EYES ON WHO COULD DO NO WRONG A BEAST?! IS THAT WHAT YOU CALLED MY BABY?! A BEAST?! DO YOUR EYES NOT WORK OR ARE YOU JUST STUPID?! HAVE YOU EVEN SEEN MY PRECIOUS LITTLE GIRL?! MY BABY IS FAR FROM BEING JUST A BEAST! FAR FAR FROM IT! UNLIKE YOU YOU MISERABLE LITTLE UNGRATEFUL–!”
“BITTERGIGGLE!”
Bittergiggle felt the back of his neck being grabbed by the scruff, being yanked away from the guard and held up off the ground. He blinked a few times, turning his head to glance over his shoulder. “Oh. Hi Dadadoo.”
“Jester.” The Head Advisor huffed. “I figured that it was you from all the screaming.”
“Screaming? What screaming? I wasn’t screaming.” Bittergiggle said, feigning innocence. “I was just telling this pompous whelp of a guard that my kitty isn’t some beast.” He shot a nasty glare at the guard, who was trembling on the ground and staring back at him in horror. He looked back at the Head Advisor with a small pout. “Honestly. The guards must be skipping out on their lessons if they all keep calling my beautiful baby such horrible names.”
Dadadoo let out a sigh, setting Bittergiggle down on his feet. “Yes. That’s the only problem that seems to keep arising with every new guard that gets posted to watch your pet each passing week.”
“Exactly! You clearly get it!”
“What are you even doing out here, Bittergiggle? You normally aren’t out here harassing the guards till evening.”
“Well, it is lunch right now, and there’s a certain cafe I’ve been meaning to drop by a certain favorite cafe of mine for a while. And since it’s such a lovely day out today, I figured why not?”
“It is a decent day out today. Though a little too bright for my taste.” Dadadoo hummed, turning his head a bit towards the sky. He quickly looked back at Bittergiggle. “Would you care if I join you?”
“Join me?”
“It’s as you said. It’s a nice day out, and I could use a small break away from my duties for today.”
Bittergiggle narrowed his eyes slightly. Something didn’t feel quite right. He’d eaten out with Dadadoo before, but usually, it was Bittergiggle who offered when he noticed the leach was drowning in his work and could use a break.
“And we could use it as an excuse to talk and catch up with one another. Without anyone else butting in, of course.”
Ahh. There it was. The good old ‘I want to talk to you about something, and you better say yes or this will only drag out and be worse for you later down the line’ subtle hint. There was clearly something the Head Advisor wanted to talk to him about.
But not in the company of others.
“… mmmm. I don’t know.” Bittergiggle rubbed his chin. “I guess I wouldn’t mind… as long as you’re paying for the meal.” He added with a cheeky grin.
“Considering how you never keep any of your allowance on hand when you go out? I was already planning to do so.”
“… is that jab at me?” Bittergiggle questioned as Dadadoo signaled the guard to leave.
“Not a jab. Just a clear fact about you.” Dadadoo grinned, flashing his large fangs and reaching into his vest. “You need to learn to keep some coins on you when you go out into town, my boy. Otherwise, you might resort to stealing to pay for your meals.” He searched his pockets, his grin fading away into a frown. He patted his vest, feeling around his pockets. “Where is… I swore I had it in one of them.”
“And you, sir,” Bittergiggle spoke up, catching Dadadoo’s attention as he held up a key in his hand. “Need to be careful of what you put in your pockets. Anyone with sticky fingers would take any chance to rob you blind if you’re not careful.” Dadadoo chuckled as the jester giggled and dropped the key into his hand, shaking his head in mirth.
“A true fact, my friend. And you’re lucky I’m so nice. Otherwise, you would have been thrown in the dungeon for that little trick.”
“As if you aren’t used to me swiping stuff off you all the time.” Bittergiggle retorted, sticking his tongue out playfully.
“True. Though I highly recommend you keep your butterfingers to yourself and not give the captain a good reason to lock you away for good this time.”
“He’d need to catch me first if that was the case.” Bittergiggle crossed his arms over his chest, looking away with a huff. “Not that he would be able to. I’m too slippery to be caught by the likes of him. There’s not a chance he’d be able to put me in a cage.”
“Oh really? Then how do you explain the one time you were caught in a live trap set up by the sheriff?”
“THAT WAS YEARS AGO!” Bittergiggle exploded, his face covered in a cyan-colored blush of embarrassment. “How Was I Supposed To Know?! It Looked Nothing Like A Trap! And The Sheriff Was Playing Dirty Using My One Weakness As Bait!”
“Who knew the simplest way to trap the jester was using fudgy brownies as bait?” Dadadoo snickered, earning a heated glare from Bittergiggle as he unlocked the door.
“It was cookie brownies. A perfect combination of chocolate chip cookies and brownies! How am I NOT supposed to get baited in with a glorious treat like that?!”
“By ignoring it.”
“… I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear you say that.”
⚜
The plate before him sat untouched.
So did most of the contents on the other plate beside it.
It had been a few minutes since his order arrived, and, usually, his meals would have been reduced to nothing but crumbs right about now.
Instead, the spaghetti sat untouched, cooling along with the meatballs and sauce. The small bowl of fruit was still full, and the garlic bread had cooled enough that it was starting to harden.
He ordered this. He ordered this. He wanted something simple along with a few healthy bits. He knew that he clearly wanted this, and the sides included.
And yet, now that it was sitting before him, he DIDN’T want it.
“Are you feeling alright?” Dadadoo asked. “You haven’t touched your food since it arrived.”
“… I… guess I’m just not as hungry as I thought I was.” The jester stared down at his food. He should eat it. He should eat it. Dadadoo was looking at him and would think something was up if he didn’t eat at least a few bites.
Could he handle a few bites? If morning sickness was already hitting him, could he keep what he ingested inside long enough to appear normal?
Come on, Bitter. He’s staring at you. He’ll know something’s up if you don’t start putting something in your mouth soon. Just a forkful. That should be enough to dissuade his worries.
“Does it have something to do with him?” The question made Bittergiggle pause just as he was about to fork some spaghetti into his mouth, looking up at the leach in surprise.
“Him?” Bittergiggle echoed.
“Toadster.” Dadadoo calcified, dabbing his mouth with a napkin. “You haven’t been acting the same since he left. Are you missing him by any chance?”
A sharp inhale of breath passed Bittergiggle’s lips, trying to keep his hold on the fork.
Of all the things the Head Advisor could ask him, he had to get straight to talking about the one person he didn’t want to think about.
Toadster.
Sheriff Toadster Law.
The name sent shivers down his spine.
Everyone knew who he was. It was hard not to. He was the sheriff of the kingdom and the queen’s best protector. No one who broke the law or did nefarious deeds could get past him. Ever since he came here, it was as if crime could sense that he was there to stop it and fled in fear to get away from him.
Sure, there was still the occasional petty crime of shoplifting, scamming, and even small robbery here and there, but at most, days were rather peaceful and calm.
Toadster was like a hopeful beacon in a dark ocean. People looked up to him and idolized his drive and honor. Plenty would be willing to follow in his footsteps if they could, and he was the clear definition of keeping the law and peace.
And he just so happened to be the one responsible for putting a kid inside him.
“… I guess.” Bittergiggle cast his gaze downward, stabbing his fork into the sauce-covered noodles. “I do miss him a little.”
Little was an understatement. If he was being honest, he missed the sheriff every day. Life just seemed a bit duller and gray without him. He liked having the sheriff around. That toad was full of surprises, even before and after they started dating in secret.
Bittergiggle had been firm about keeping their relationship strictly on a professional basis when they were out in public, and to not let anyone outside of close family and friends know. “I guess I hadn’t realized how much I’d miss him.”
Dadadoo gave a soft sigh, folding his napkin neatly. “Don’t I know that feeling all too well. But don’t try to lose hope. Time can fly by quickly, and he’ll be back before you even know it.”
Bittergiggle didn’t want to point out a small flaw in that sentence. Namely, how ‘time can fly by quickly’ didn’t understand that waiting twelve long weeks was going to be agonizing for the world’s most impatient Serinsperin.
Twelve weeks. Toadster hadn’t been that long away from the kingdom for quite some time.
He didn’t give Bittergiggle much details as to why before he left, only stating that it was important and he would be back before summer’s end.
Summer’s end.
Bittergiggle’s stomach dropped. He’d be showing around summer’s end.
If Toadster saw him with a rounded middle… he didn’t want to think about it. He just wanted to focus on the now instead of later. “Well, as long as I can stay busy to keep my mind off it, I guess I won’t notice the time passing by.”
“Speaking of being busy.” Dadadoo began, reaching into his vest and fishing out a red envelope. “Your… brothers are coming.”
Bittergiggle nearly gagged on his spaghetti. “ What?! ” His scream echoed in the open air. If he’d been calmer, he would’ve tried to keep his voice down to not attract attention, but the jester didn’t care as he snatched the envelope out from Dadadoo’s open grasp and tore it open. “They can’t be serious!”
“Unfortunately, they are.” The Head Advisor let out a small sigh as Bittergiggle read the contents of the letter. “Apparently, they caught wind of the festival Duke Feuer plans to throw in a month’s time, and are already making their way here.”
“Noo.” Bittergiggle moaned, already imagining the disaster his brothers would bring with them. “No, no, no, nooo!”
He wanted to tear his hair out. To throw a tantrum and rush to the queen and warn her. Beg for her to double the guard, tighten security at the gates, hide ANY AND ALL explosive material there was, and for the love of the God of Ultimate Creation, have everyone guard their most valuable things before his brothers got here!
“This can’t be happening!” The jester dug his fingers into the paper, reading the scrawled messy handwriting that only his brothers could achieve. “How?! How did they even know about the festival?! News of it shouldn’t have gotten far from the kingdom! Not even past the borders of the Seladorin!”
“I don’t really have an answer for that, my friend. But think of it as a good thing! At least you’ll have something to keep you busy now!”
The jester let out a groan, slamming his head down on the table.
Right on his plate of spaghetti.
… huh. It actually tasted good.