Majesty to Magic
Princess Maria Equinox died five years ago, at least that’s what everyone in the kingdom seems to think. In truth, Maria faked her own death, running off into the woods, changing her name to Martyn, and joining a band of thieves. Since then, Martyn’s life has been pretty good. Impulse, Scott, Joel, and Gem treat him like family, and they were more supportive of him coming out immediately after meeting him than his parents were ever going to be.
Things however, are not going great for Mumbo, Martyn’s former best friend and the Equinox family’s royal mage. While he gets along well enough with the young heirs, he and the king and queen have never seen eye to eye, and when they get a chance to pawn him off to another kingdom they are more than happy to shoot their shot, no matter how creepy the young prince is towards Mumbo. Luckily for him, Martyn and the thieves happen to be in town, unluckily for him, Mumbo is a klutz.
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Prologue 1:
On the anniversary of Maria’s death the castle was more crowded than it had been in years. The grand ballroom was flooded with royals and nobles from across the kingdoms, all laughing and drinking with one another, making the hall so loud you could hardly hear yourself think. With all of the excitement going on, it was easy to forget that there was a small coffin tucked away in the corner of the room.
“You want a drink or somethin’ buddy?” Skizz asked as he walked over to Mumbo. The mage had tucked himself into a corner near the coffin at the very beginning of the event, and despite hours going by he didn’t make any effort to move from that spot, just staring blankly at Maria’s coffin.
“This was supposed to be a remembrance ceremony for her,” Mumbo sighed bluntly, “And I’ve seen maybe two people come over to pay their respects? It’s shameful that they’re using their daughter’s death as an excuse to throw a stupid party. Maria deserves better than that.” Skizz slung his arm around the mage’s shoulder and pulled him close.
“I know buddy,” Skizz held Mumbo tightly against him for some time, the mage shaking so much that Skizz feared he would crumple into dust if he let him go. The two of them stayed mostly out of sight, being tucked into the corner as they were, and it took quite some time for someone to actually walk up to them, placing a white rose on the coffin.
“Skizz, Mumbo, it’s a pleasure to see you both.” BigB had a soft smile on his face as he walked towards them. Unlike most people at that party, Skizz and Mumbo had no bad blood with BigB. He was the older cousin of Maria and her siblings, and he was nicer than most common people, let alone the type of people who shared his royal status.
“Nice to see you too,” Skizz released Mumbo and the two bowed to BigB, who just laughed at the silly gesture.
“Oh come on now, we’re all equals here, there’s no need for that,” BigB insisted as the two leaned back against the wall.
“The king and queen are quite particular about their servants' behaviors during grand parties such as this, for us not to bow would be a personal slight on their own image,” Mumbo explained, having already gotten an earful from them for not bowing to Jimmy when no one else was even in the hall yet. “Heaven forbid we make them look bad.”
“Actually, I have something important to tell you about my aunt and uncle,” BigB sighed nervously, “So we all know that this isn’t really about Maria,” The duo nodded, “It’s more so about them finding a wife for Jimmy, though he is being really cute with that blonde guy over there, hope his parents don’t screw that up… but anyway, there is also a secondary motivation for this event, and normally you wouldn’t need to know but this one involves Mumbo.”
“Me?!” Mumbo asked. It was a bit louder than he had wanted it to be, drawing the attention of a few of the nearby nobles, but considering his shock the volume felt warranted.
“Yes, you know how you usually don’t see eye to eye with my aunt and uncle?” Mumbo nodded, “Well, they are attempting to pawn you off on another kingdom, so they can get themselves a new royal mage who listens to them.”
“But they can’t do that, can they?” Skizz asked worriedly.
“Well normally they wouldn’t be able to, but since Mumbo was a minor when he was officially installed as the royal mage, he can choose to leave the position if he so chooses,” BigB spoke clearly, though it didn’t explain much.
“But I won’t choose to leave, I promised Maria that I would protect her siblings and I’m not backing down from that!” Mumbo protested nervously, BigB just nodded solemnly.
“I know, believe me I do, but they intend to… force you into leaving for lack of a better term. Create this ‘amazing’ job for you somewhere else and…” BigB put finger quotes around the word: amazing, but he didn't even get to finish his sentence as the king and queen beckoned Mumbo over. Not wanting another lecture he obeyed, running over to them, leaving Skizz and BigB behind with the coffin.
“He can talk himself out of this, right?” Skizz asked.
“Actually, I don’t think he can,” BigB sighed.
“You wanted to see me, your majesty?” Mumbo asked, trying to keep his eyes on the king and queen and not at the prince they were talking to mere moments beforehand.
“Yes! We wanted you to meet prince Ren of Hundland, he’s due to take over his kingdom soon as his father is in poor health, and he’s looking for a royal mage with a bit more experience than just standard magic school,” King Xelqua explained, motioning towards the prince standing by him.
Ren was a fair bit shorter than Mumbo, but then again most people were. He seemed a bit less put together than most of the other nobles, with his crooked collar and his long brown hair that was in no way tamed, but Mumbo attributed that to him being new to the royal circuit. Aside from that he looked fairly plain in a red top and navy colored pants. He did smile genuinely at Mumbo, and he appreciated that.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, your highness,” Mumbo said, bowing deeply to ensure the king and queen were pleased.
“And it is an honor to meet you dearest royal mage, King Xelqua and Queen Sparrow were telling me that you were looking for a change of scenery,” The prince explained.
“Really, I don’t recall telling them that,” Mumbo noted.
“Skizz told us!” The king said, lying through his teeth as Mumbo had never expressed a desire to leave Miron to Skizz, or anyone for that matter, “Ren had introduced himself talking about inheriting the throne of Hundland, and his need for a royal mage, and we thought of you! It’s like a match made in heaven!” The king eagerly explained.
“I’d be glad to offer you a position in Hundland, gods know that I need all the help I can get.” Ren laughed, trailing off with an awkward sigh. He seemed nice enough, and as a person Mumbo had no qualms with him, but he had made a promise to his friend, and he was going to keep it.
“That’s a very kind offer, but my plans for travel are rather far in the future,” Mumbo lied, “I have things I must attend to here for the time being.” He assured Ren. He seemed to take the rejection well enough, but the king and queen looked unsurprisingly displeased with Mumbo’s answer.
“Oh don’t stay for our sakes Mumbo!” The queen advised as she put a hand on his shoulder, “I saw that sparkle in your eye when Ren offered you the position, you’ve been in such a state since Maria passed, it will be good for you to do something new and exciting. I insist you go with him!”
“No really, I have things to attend to here,” He insisted.
“Nonsense, it’s my order as king that you accept this new position, and go out and see the world, like Maria would have always wanted you to do.” The king said, a hand on Mumbo’s other shoulder, squeezing uncomfortably hard. Mumbo tried to reject the offer once more, but the king’s hand was getting tighter and tighter on his shoulder, to the point where Mumbo worried his bone would snap.
“I suppose I have no other choice then,” The king and queen applauded his ‘choice’ and while Ren looked mildly confused to say the least, he still seemed happy.
“I must set off for Hundland again tomorrow morning, I assume you’ll be following at a later date then?” He asked.
“Nonsense, Mumbo can go with you tomorrow! The ride will give you two plenty of time to get to know each other before you get to Hundland!” The queen insisted firmly.
“Oh? Then I will tell my men to prepare for another passenger in the carriage and some more bags in the hold.” Ren noted, nodding firmly. Mumbo was dreading every second of the interaction, but he didn’t have a real way out.
“You said you're setting off in the morning?” Mumbo asked, to which Ren nodded once more, “If that’s the case I should get to bed, I’m an absolute wreck if I don’t get my full eight hours, just ask Grian.” The trio laughed at his poor attempt at a joke. “I will see you tomorrow morning Prince Ren.”
“And I will see you tomorrow my royal mage,” Mumbo bowed once more before walking away. It was slow at first, but when he reached the hallway he broke into a full on sprint, running for the peace and solitude of his room. He was utterly furious at himself for folding to pressure so easily, he felt like he failed Maria, on the anniversary of her death of all days. He slammed his door shut behind him, and elected to curl up into a ball in the corner rather than sitting on the bed, becoming as small as physically possible.
“Mumbo? You in here buddy?” Skizz arrived only shortly after Mumbo slammed the door, opening it slowly and scanning the room until he saw him, “I hope you don’t mind I followed you, you got me real nervous back there. Do you want to talk about what happened?” Mumbo nodded silently so Skizz slipped inside the room, softly closing the door behind him and going to sit down on the floor next to his curled up friend. Skizz wrapped an arm around his shoulders and once again Mumbo was quick to sink into the warm and comforting embrace of his friend.
“I should have done better,” He muttered bitterly.
“You did the best you could, even if it wasn’t enough, there’s no use in getting all worked up over the past.”
“How do you always know what to say?” Mumbo asked.
“Well when you’re the oldest in the orphanage you learn what to say to make the kids stop crying.” Skizz shrugged.
“So you lied to me?” Skizz shook his head.
“Never, I told you the plain and honest truth.” Mumbo went quiet again after Skizz assured him that his words were true. “You want me to stay with you for the night?”
“Yes… please.”
Skizz was already gone when Mumbo awoke that morning, but it wasn’t surprising. Skizz rose with the sun so he took to the morning guard shifts quite effortlessly. Mumbo was quick to stretch his back, before grabbing a bag and filling it with what few precious things he had to his name, including Maria’s suicide note she had left to him. Even if he broke his promise, he couldn’t bring himself to let go of it.
After that it was simply a matter of freshening up, putting on a clean set of clothes, and making his way to the stables where Ren would be waiting for him. Little did Mumbo know he would never actually arrive at the stables.
~Back at the Previous Night’s Party~
It was bizarre for Martyn to be in the castle again after all that time. Even if he knew he was safe, looking nothing like he did the last time he was there and being surrounded by people who genuinely cared about him, he still felt uneasy. As if one wrong move would expose him, and he would be sent back to the life he escaped from all those years ago.
“Calm down Martyn, you’re safe with us, remember?” Impulse said, a comforting hand on Martyn’s shoulder.
“I know,” Martyn sighed. It was his idea to rob the castle after all, knowing exactly how to locate and enter the grand treasury, but planning was easy, actually carrying out the plan was proving to be harder than he had expected, “We just have to mingle for awhile, act natural, then I can get us to the servants quarters while they’re bringing out food.”
“You got it boss,” Joel teased, reaching up to ruffle Martyn’s hair before slinking off to mingle with the royals and the nobles who had gathered to celebrate the anniversary of Martyn faking his death. Impulse, Scott, and Gem were all quick to follow suit, going off in different directions, grabbing flutes of pricey champagne from waiters’ trays and striking up conversations with various nobles. Martyn stood awkwardly for a moment, not really knowing what to do, before realizing he stuck out like a sore thumb, so he grabbed a flute and made his way to a far wall. It may not have been natural, but it was better than standing in the middle of the room looking like an idiot.
“You want a drink or something buddy?” Martyn jolted at the familiar voice. It had been years, and the voice was deeper than he remembered, but there was no mistaking it.
“This was supposed to be a remembrance ceremony for her,” Martyn looked towards the source of the voices as much as he possibly could without turning his head. To his surprise, standing only a few feet away from him, was Mumbo, his childhood best friend and one of the only people he regretted leaving behind when he faked his death (the others being his siblings and cousins). Next to him was Skizz, another friend who had only been a knight in training last Martyn saw him, who now seemed to be a fully fledged guard, and a high ranking one at that. “And I’ve seen maybe two people come over to pay their respects? It’s shameful that they’re using their daughter’s death as an excuse to throw a stupid party. Maria deserves better than that.”
Martyn’s heart panged with guilt as Mumbo spoke, watching the royal mage he left behind shrink into Skizz’s touch as the guard wrapped an arm around him. Mumbo’s eyes scanned the room, and out of both fear of being caught and a deep rooted sense of shame, Martyn walked off to find a different place to stand and watch the party.
“Oh I am so sorry!” The half full flute of champagne tipped onto Martyn’s shirt as someone collided with him from behind. He groaned and spun around, mildly annoyed at being hit but overall mostly unaffected…
Brown and blue eyes looked back into his matching ones, and Martyn’s blood ran cold. Jimmy apologized to him profusely, grabbing napkins from a nearby waiter and trying to help clean the spill, but Martyn didn’t hear a word he was saying, just a high pitched ringing in his ears.
“It’s quite alright your highness, my apologies for bumping into you,” Martyn laughed awkwardly, stepping away from Jimmy before he could touch him. His twin’s face was flushed red with embarrassment, and he tried to apologize again, but Martyn just kept stepping back, not caring who he bumped into as he did so. Jimmy kept his eyes on Martyn, embarrassment turning to confusion as the man pivoted and started speed walking away from him.
The gods must have hated him for him to be tormented like this. All he wanted was to repay the Siv family for all of their kindness, and this was what he got in return? He eventually settled in the corner opposite Mumbo, as far away from the reminders of his old life as possible, or so he thought.
“Mumbo, come over here we have someone that we want you to meet!” Martyn wanted to curl in on himself and die right then and there when he heard his mother’s voice.
Not wanting to make a scene by running again, he decided to push himself into the corner and watch as his former parents introduced Mumbo to an unfamiliar prince. If he wasn’t so worried about being caught, he would have decked his former father when he saw the way that Mumbo contorted in pain when he grabbed his shoulder.
“Martyn, there you are!” He jolted as Gem put a hand on his shoulder, having been lost in thought while watching his former parents and Mumbo, “The waiters are bringing out the tables and food, it’s time to go.” She explained. Martyn nodded and began leading Gem and her brothers (who had all gathered with her to find Martyn) to the servant’s door. After that it was a matter of slipping into a closet and pulling on some less conspicuous clothes, before walking back through the halls with the regular servants
Martyn noticed Mumbo running towards the servants quarters frantically, and while part of him ached, he didn’t know what to do, so he just continued walking.
~Back to the Morning After~
“You alright?” Scott asked, sliding up to Martyn with a hot drink in hand. The thieves had stashed their prize in the woods off the side of the castle, knowing it would be too risky to take off with them right away, and they had spent the night at a local inn. “You seem distracted.”
“I think there’s something I need to do before we leave,” Martyn sighed, pushing back from the table. Since they had gotten back to the inn the night before he couldn’t get his mind off what happened with Mumbo. It hurt bad enough to know Mumbo was in distress without him there, but to watch him be tormented by his parents? Unable to fight back just like Martyn was all those years ago…
“Where are you going?” Scott asked nervously.
“I won’t be long, I’ll meet you on the path back to Wesen at noon, if I don’t show up, leave without me.” He didn’t even listen as Scott called his name, walking straight out of the tavern below the inn, and walking to the forest, making his way back to the castle in the shade of the trees.
It felt like Martyn waited for hours in the forest by the servants exit, but in reality it was hardly ten minutes before Mumbo walked outside, headed towards the stables, just as Martyn had anticipated. He wanted to call out for his old friend, but the words caught in his throat. So he did the next best thing, charging Mumbo and pinning him to the floor.
And subsequently knocking him out.
“Well shit.