Chapter Text
The castle buzzed with activity as the sound of footsteps felt inescapable. The servants were up to their usual business - helping the king prepare for the meeting, assisting Parrot with his outfit, attempting to bait Wemmbu out of his room as he stubbornly refused to come out, cleaning up the leftover dust… Today was special, after all.
The king was going to have a meeting with the king of a neighboring kingdom, although none of the children were quite sure what it was about. Some agreement, some treaty, documents, partying - probably a mix of those, really.
Parrot was the only one taking it seriously. He was the oldest and the most responsible out of all the siblings, the obvious choice for heir of the throne. He always prepared well for these kinds of things - every other king he’d met while participating in these meetings always commented on how well behaved and smart Parrot is, and Parrot would always say thank you in that soft voice of his. He was a pleasure to be around!
While the rest of the kids… they’re more complicated than that.
Wemmbu would pretty much never even come out of his room unless he had a specific servant tell him to. Only one of the servants was able to bait him out of his room, and that servant was named Eggchan. No one had an idea of exactly why Wemmbu listened to him, but they were just glad he at least came out. Even when he did come out, he was still a pain to try and clean up for the occasions.
Flame, at the very least, complied with whatever stuff he was told to do, albeit begrudgingly. He’d let the servants clean him up without much complaint, but he didn’t contribute much to the meetings. When he was younger, he’d often snap, get frustrated easily, but over the years he’s grown to shut his mouth and sit through it. Not worth getting locked in his room…
And Spoke? Well, he wasn’t even there. He always seemed to be able to sneak out, and no matter how hard anyone tried to find him, he slipped through quietly each time. It was still a mystery how he keeps getting out, even with the heavy security around the castle. He’s special, that’s what most people said.
Even now that the meeting was only a few hours away, these patterns showed.
Parrot stood quietly as the servants fussed over him, striking up some conversation here and there. There was never any tension around him, everyone was at ease. Parrot shifted to let one of the servants have better access to adjust the jabot around his neck, his hair already being messed with by another servant. He hummed something softly, patiently waiting for the servants to give him the go so he knew he was ready to go to the meeting room.
In the hallway, Flame was already being shuffled out of his room by the servants, muttering something about how they don’t have to treat him like a kid. He was done pretty quickly, since he just stood there like a statue most times. The king, his father, didn’t bother to force the servants to work on Flame for too long. He knew that Flame wouldn’t ever want to be in line for the throne anyway, so his appearance was never focused on as much as Parrots.
And Wemmbu was just being Wemmbu. The servants gathered around his door, repeatedly knocking and pleading with him to just come out, yet the door stayed stubbornly locked.
“I’m not coming out!” Wemmbu had felt like he’d said that hundreds of times already, the protest slipping from his mouth almost naturally. His back was pressed against the door as he leaned against it, trying to block the servants from opening it. The lock to the door was broken, presumably during one of his and Flame’s fights. Despite being twins, they never quite got along…
“Sir, please just come out. We don’t have much time.” One of the servants pleaded once again, gently knocking on the door.
“Just go already!” Wemmbu refused to leave his room again, pressing himself harder against the door. His tail swished around in annoyance. He was already so done with these stupid meetings… What else did they want from him???
The servants kept trying and trying, until Wemmbu finally heard a familiar sigh, the voice making him perk up.
“Yo, Wemmbu, come out.” Eggchan’s voice cut through all the begging, and miraculously the door swung open almost immediately, the prince being met with all the servants.
“Egg! Bro, I haven’t seen you in a few hours-” Wemmbu started, clearly happy to see his favorite servant, before Eggchan cut to the chase and dragged Wemmbu into his respective changing room as the rest of the servants followed.
“Hey-” Wemmbu was about to protest, before Eggchan cut him off again.
“We can talk later, for now we need to get you cleaned up, dude. You’re a mess…”
Parrot came out of his changing room just in time to see Wemmbu hesitantly following along with Eggchan’s lead. Parrot’s outfit was polished - a white shirt made from fine linen covered by a silk, scarlet coat, the elements on it detailed with gold, clearly tailored to match Parrot in a way that it would match no one else. His breeches were black, along with crystal white stockings that fit him perfectly, his shoes matching the color of his breeches. He really did look pristine, clearly fit for the future king.
Parrot let out a soft laugh at seeing his brother getting dragged by Eggchan. Parrot had spoken to Eggchan a couple of times, and he understood why Wemmbu favored him over the others. Parrot waved at Wemmbu as he passed by him.
“You’re only now getting ready?” Parrot tilted his head, a small smile on his face.
“Yeah, what’s wrong with that?” Wemmbu muttered just loud enough for Parrot to hear. He was still a little sour about having to be at this meeting, but with Eggchan there he felt more at ease.
“Nothing, nothing. I’ll see you downstairs, then.” Parrot said right as Wemmbu was dragged away. Parrot was used to Wemmbu’s antics, he was his older brother after all. He’d dealt with him just as long as any of the servants, as none of them were new to the castle with the exception of Eggchan, although he didn’t count since Wemmbu actually listened to him.
Parrot carefully stepped down the stairs. He’d recently gotten new shoes and, well, he wasn’t used to them yet, so he made sure to watch his steps more carefully. This was his first time wearing them, after all. Though he had to admit, they were pretty comfortable…
Parrot glanced at the open door of the meeting room as he finally passed over the final step, his eyes drifting towards the chairs around the table. Parrot noticed that Flame was already there. His look wasn’t as polished as Parrots, and that was something Parrot never understood. Why wasn’t anyone putting effort into Flame’s outfits? Both of them were princes, and yet they were treated so differently…
At the same time, Parrot understood it. Giving Flame fancy clothing was, on its own, a mistake. Flame was born to be a fighter, and last time clothes were tailored specifically for him to wear, he’d torn them up during training. No one was sure what that training entailed..? Flame just went into the woods and came back all messy. He was a strange child, that was for sure.
“Hey, Flame.” Parrot greeted the other as he sat across from him, brushing down his clothes so he still looked nice. In all honesty, Parrot was a little nervous. Sure, he’d been to these meetings thousands of times, but he’d heard word that the king would be bringing over his son. That was a first, as usually officials came alone.
“Yo.” Flame crossed his arms, leaning back in the chair as he sighed. He glanced over Parrot’s outfit - perfect, as always. Flame was glad that the attention was on Parrot, because to him those clothes looked suffocating.
“Where’s Spoke?” Parrot asked, despite already knowing what the answer was. It was always the same thing with Spoke.
“Ran off again. I dunno why the servants keep searching for him, they know he’s gone for the day… “
“That’s just Spoke, I suppose… Where do you think he even runs off to so often?”
“No idea, bro. He’s just, like, unpredictable bro.”
“Yeah…” Parrot and Flame fell back into silence as both of them waited for everyone else to show up. Eventually, Wemmbu was ushered to sit next to Parrot. Wemmbu was purposefully separated from Flame, since last time they sat next to each other nothing ended well for anyone. Their father also filed in soon enough, and the tension in the room quickly rose.
Everyone was tense around him, he was an imposing figure. The way he moved, the way he spoke, the way the crown looked like it belonged on his head… There was no way you wouldn’t be intimidated. He was a mysterious man, not even his sons knowing anything about him. The closest person to him had been their mother, the queen, but she was rarely seen. No one was sure why she never came outside of her and the kings’ room, and even Parrot didn’t spend much time with her anymore. Although, out of all the sons, Parrot is the one who is allowed to visit her the most, which is one good thing.
Flame straightened up, and Wemmbu suddenly found the tablecloth covering the wooden surface wayyyyy more interesting. Parrot remained still in his position, knowing that just as long as he remained still and looked perfect, he was out of trouble.
“Has everyone gathered up?” The king asked as he settled into his seat, his voice booming through the tense silence. The sons nodded, and one servant spoke up.
“Yes, sir. Everyone except Spoke, sir.”
“I see.” The king’s reply was nonchalant as ever. It always confused Parrot how his father was never worried about Spoke’s wellbeing, even when the kid was off who knows where for who knows how long. Parrot just never understood it.
The rest of the servants also filed in, Eggchan standing next to Wemmbu, who seemed to relax almost immediately after sensing his best friend’s presence. The silence stretched for long minutes, until finally a guard showed up at the door of the meeting room, informing everyone that the neighboring king and his son finally showed up. The father simply nodded, adjusting his crown one final time before giving the guard an order to shuffle the guests inside.
Wemmbu sighed, already knowing this was going to be a tiring experience, yet knowing it was better to stay silent than face whatever consequences came. Flame messed with the hem of his shirt, not seeming interested in whatever came next. Parrot remained calm, ready to take the conversation if he needed to.
The neighboring king and his son were lead inside, chairs already pulled out for them. Both expressed gratitude, and the talking began. The kings discussed things between each other, and Wemmbu got engaged into conversation with the son of the king, who he’d learned was named Zam. The two seemed to get along well, and the neighboring king noticed and paused.
“Those two seem to be getting along well.” He commented, and the father gave a simple nod.
“That’s a good sign. We’ll be acquainted in the future, so it’s positive that they’re getting along.”
“Of course, of course…” and then, the business talk continued. Parrot was more engaged in the conversation than anyone, giving helpful advice as usual. Flame sat there in silence, watching Wemmbu and Zam talk. Seems like Flame is the only one without anyone to talk to, huh…
Flame excused himself from the table, knowing it was pointless to sit there and look pathetic with no one to talk to. He made his way upstairs to his room, locking the door behind him before slumping onto his bed.
He had nothing to do. He could sneak out to train more, but security was tight right now and he didn’t want to get caught. He wasn’t Spoke, he didn’t know how to be sneaky enough to make it through all the guards, so he was left trying to go to bed early.
He felt lonely. Of course he did. Who wouldn’t when everyone else around them is talking and they’re the only person to not have any friends? Parrot was naturally a social person, Wemmbu has Egg and now Zam, and Spoke..? He probably had a friend too, with how much he sneaked out. He wouldn’t just wander out there alone, right?
Speaking of Spoke…
Spoke was wandering through the city. Despite his royal status, most of the people there weren’t that intimidated by him. Sure, he caused trouble, and sure he was an important figure, but he had been around here so many times that the kids were all cool with him and people were more worried about him pranking someone than the fact he was a prince.
Spoke preferred this life over being in the castle. Here, he didn’t feel as confined to keep himself tidy and proper and stuff. Everyone knew him for him, and regardless of if they liked him, that was just how he was. Spoke being Spoke.
Spoke traversed the roads with practiced ease, clearly having been here many times before. The young boys playing on the streets waved at him, and he waved back. He knew both of them by name. He knew pretty much everyone here by name.
Spoke continued walking, until he reached a familiar alleyway. He’d walked through it hundreds of times, and he’d noticed no one else passed through it. The kids said it was too creepy, the adults said it was too filthy even for people of the lower class… Yet Spoke didn’t care that much, so he turned and began to casually stroll through it like any other day. The people weren’t lying when they said it was filthy over here…
Spoke looked up just in time to see a boy his age run through the alleyway, followed by shouting from the other side beyond the alleyway. The boy rushed to hide between some bags, before he noticed Spoke.
“Heyy… can you cover for me..?” The boy whispered to Spoke, and Spoke smiled before nodding.
“Sure.” Spoke continued on his way, pretending like he saw nothing. He was willing to cover for someone that was as much of a troublemaker as him, it was just what you had to do sometimes. Spoke was quickly interrupted by a man running up to him, grabbing his shoulders.
“Have you seen a young boy run through here?” The man asked, panting. He was obviously not used to running this much, due to the fact that he looked like he could be Spoke’s great-grandfather, which was saying a lot. No offense…
“Calm down, calm down..” Spoke pried the man’s fingers off of his shoulders, a smirk making its way onto his face. “I don’t think I did, no. What’d he look like?”
“Short brown hair, red bandana… He broke one of my windows!”
“No, I didn’t see anyone like that. Are you sure he ran through here?” Spoke tilted his head, feigning innocence.
“I… I saw him go here, but if you hadn’t seen him, then… Maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me. I’ll check the streets again…” The man was fooled, turning around and leaving the alleyway. Once he was out of sight, Spoke turned towards the pile of bags.
“You can come out now.” Spoke called out, still keeping his voice slightly hushed, in case the man was still lingering around. The boy climbed out, his clothes now smeared with dirt.
“Thanks, for covering for me.” The boy said, sounding relieved.
“Why’d you break that guy’s window?”
“I dunno. I felt like he deserved it.”
“Ohhh..” Spoke nodded. “Yeah, I get it then. What’s your name? I have a feeling we might meet again.”
“I’m Mapicc.”
“Nice to meet you, Mapicc. Anyway, I’ll keep going. Keep doing whatever you’re doing.” Spoke didn’t bother to tell Mapicc his name, and Mapicc didn’t ask. Spoke continued on his way, acting as if nothing happened.
Whatever, Flame told himself. What Spoke was doing was none of his business. Besides, Flame didn’t need friends! He worked fine alone. Friends were just a distraction… With that thought, Flame began to drift off. Alone, as always.
Back in the meeting room, everything was being wrapped up after about an hour or two, the father glanced towards Parrot and gave him a small nod.
“Parrot, could you lead the guests to the door? We’re done with discussions.” The father said, looking to be satisfied. Which was good… as long as the king was satisfied everything would be fine.
“Of course,” Parrot nodded, rising from his seat and waiting for the king and Zam to do the same before beginning to walk to the door.
“Wait- could I come too? Please?” Wemmbu looked at his father, a pleading look in his eyes. His father gave him a nod, to which Wemmbu responded by standing up and dragging Zam to the door while yapping some more. Zam didn’t seem opposed to it, though caught off guard.
Parrot sighed, shaking his head. At least Wemmbu was making a new friend, that was good. Parrot waited for the king of the neighboring kingdom to stand up, before leading him to the door. Parrot’s pace was slower, calmer.
After seeing Zam and his father to the door, Parrot returned to the meeting room while Wemmbu went to find Eggchan, wherever he was now. Parrot glanced into the meeting room, seeing his father was no longer there. He felt a bit disappointed… He rarely got to speak to his own father when it wasn’t regarding business or kingdom stuff. Both of his parents were always up in their room, doing whatever they were doing, and he only got to see them a few times, even then he couldn’t speak to them often.
Parrot shook off those thoughts. That was just how everything always was, no reason to feel disappointed. He did miss the days that he and his mother would sit in the garden and she would braid his hair… Maybe he should go out to the garden. It was peaceful there, it would take his mind off of things for a while.
So, with permission from the guards, Parrot headed outside. The garden was just as beautiful, even in the evening. Memories began to flood Parrot’s head as he wandered around aimlessly. The times he’d had to break up fights between Flame and Wemmbu, the times he would have to drag Spoke away from the plants after he ran around and accidentally stepped on them, the times he and his mother would spend afternoons here, calmly talking about things… He yearned for those times. Now everyone was just so divided, it felt a little lonely.
Wemmbu, on the other side, had been running around the castle searching for Eggchan. Finally, he stumbled upon his friend, and his mood looked ten times better already!
“Egg! There you are, I was searching for you.” Wemmbu smiled, stepping closer to Eggchan. Wemmbu’s wings lowered to rest against his back, his tail brushing the floor.
“You were? Oh. I guess I just didn’t see you… This castle is huge, y’know.” Eggchan shrugged.
“Anyway, wanna go to my room? I got you those books last week, I just haven’t had the chance to show you them.”
“You got me those books? Dude, let’s go.. I need to see them.” With those words from Eggchan, Wemmbu took his hand and practically skipped towards his room.
Another day in the kingdom passed. So casually, so normally…