Tommy is wearing finery made by the famous Madeleine of the capital city, her graceful hands creating a blue and silver suit fit for a prince. She even went so far as to hide a few extra pockets in the outfit that Niki decided were a good place to store away protective daggers. Tommy did not argue, allowing weapons to fill out the suit alongside his body. He sits very carefully by his lonesome in the carriage, looking out the window and hoping the daggers do not inflict damage upon him or his clothing. Both cases would be detrimental to the prince for various reasons, ones he wishes not to indulge in even as a short-lived daydream.

The glass window revealed rolling hills and gorgeously golden fields surrounded by snowy banks. The appearance of the landscape reminds Tommy of the event happening both in the capital and the eastern lands. It was the prince's idea to send the destitute to the eastern lands to make up for the land lost because of the elves in the southern lands. They are making preparations right now. Tommy even went so far as to offer his services to help the transition become smoother. Over the course of the next few days, Tommy will be taking a break from his classes and training sessions to help the people of the capital. Tommy only feels saddened by the realization that Wilbur would have done this if he were still alive, and Shelby would have tagged along because she thought it was a good and kind idea. Tommy won't be alone while he's volunteering- Niki, Jack, and Tubbo offered to come with him- but he still feels a little lonely thinking about the absence of his brother and close friend.

The carriage starts slowing down as it passes through an open gate. Tommy sits up a little straighter as he watches the agricultural fields turn into pruned gardens. He leans a little closer to the window to get a better view of the mansion in the distance. It is lit up in golden lights like the sun itself has descended upon the earth. Carriages carrying people ride all around the entrance, delivering their passengers to the grand staircase leading up to the main entrance. There are servants darting around with swiftness and grace, preparing every minute detail to make this party a success. By appearance alone, the party seems to be doing a service to the ones who are hosting.

The carriage Tommy rides in slows down completely, coming to a complete stop right in front of the staircase. Tommy prepares himself mentally. He closes his eyes for a second, taking in deep breaths to satiate the nerves buzzing inside of him. As he finally gets himself under control, the carriage door is pulled open. Tommy opens his eyes. He rises to his feet, putting his hand into the awaiting palm of his servant. Tommy transitions his weight from the inside of the carriage to the stone path underneath. Tommy lifts his hands out of his servant's, watching them hurry around the back of the carriage to pull it away in time for the next group of people to deliver their passengers. Tommy carefully pulls away from his carriage to avoid getting hurt by it as it speeds away.

"Your highness," Jack calls out, coming to stand at Tommy's side but slightly behind him. Tommy looks over his shoulder at his accompanying guard. Jack was the only one to attend the party with Tommy. As a maid, Niki wouldn't normally come to functions like this even though she acts as far more than simply Tommy's maid. Since it was a party filled with alcohol and generally ill-tempered adults, Tommy asked Sneeg to watch over Hetta. Oddly enough, the Air Elemental King was extremely accommodating. Anyone else that could come with Tommy decided not to or simply could not for personal reasons Tommy didn't ask about.

"You are free to go, Jack. Remember that my orders trump anyone else's, but if they command you to do something that does not contradict my orders, you are obligated to do it," Tommy reminds his knight. Despite coming with him, Jack isn't Tommy's partner for the evening. Jack will be joining the other guards. He will be gaining experience and protecting everyone at the party. He is also on a secret mission from Captain Sparklez to confirm the status of the western duke's guardsman. Since they won't be together, Tommy has made certain Jack knows not to let anyone give him trouble or to put himself in harm's way for the sake of his mission. His safety and dignity are paramount, and he is not allowed to fulfill any orders that compromise either.

"Understood, your highness. This servant hopes you enjoy the night," Jack offers, stepping away to join with the other guards that the noble families brought. The head of Grace family's guards is ordering them around, setting them intermittently throughout the grounds to ensure the safety of everyone attending the party. Tommy watches on for a single second before the clopping of horse's hooves reminds him that he is not literally alone even if he feels that way.

Tommy begins climbing the steps to the entrance of the gathering. The servants bustling around appropriately stop to bow towards him. He waves them all away, allowing them to return to their duties without more fanfare. From her invitation alone, Tommy knows that Prismarina is eager to have this party do well. Although Tommy isn't particularly close to Prismarina, Shelby considered her to be a sister. Tommy will treat Prismarina well for that simple fact alone, just like how Barnabas treated Tommy well because Shelby was fond of him.

Tommy steps into the grand hall. The warm light of the candles fall across the silver of his suit, making him light up like a star. Tommy's hair even takes on a bronze hue as he pushes away the few locks that fall in across his face. He lowers his hand, peering around. No one is paying him much attention. The few people lingering in the grand hall are handing their cloaks and shawls to the waiting servants. They are talking quietly to each other, soft giggling and boisterous greetings mixing together as old friends greet each other. Tommy notices fairly quickly that the majority of the guests are from lower ranking noble families, mostly from the west but a few from the north or south along the border. Tommy doesn't notice a single eastern noble or someone from a high-ranking house except for himself. This might not be true for the inside of the party, though, so Tommy continues down the hall.

He stops momentarily to hand his cloak over to a servant. They are turned around when he approaches, putting away another person's heavy fur coat. When the servant turns, they are smiling so wide their eyes are closed. Tommy returns their smile as he sets the cloak down in their hands. When they open their eyes, they finally notice they are waiting on the prince. Tommy sees surprise flash in their eyes as they bow down. Tommy chuckles, waving his hand, "At ease. I simply wanted to put my cloak away. There is no need for such formalities."

"Of course, your highness," The servant responds, turning around. Tommy notices that they put his cloak a short distance away from everyone else's, marking it as far more important. Tommy decides against correcting the servant, knowing it will not go over well. He steps away from the collection of servants hanging coats to join the main party.

Tommy steps through the grand door alongside a couple of people. The people smoothly transition into a loose line, waiting for the herald at the top of the staircase to call their names and titles. Tommy pulls away from the line. He walks along the ring of balconies above the ballroom. There are a few people lingering in the dim lighting, but Tommy does not bother to confirm their activities, deciding for his sanity's sake that he would rather not know. He listens to the herald call out names, his mind snagging on the titles. He doesn't want to know what the herald would have called him. Third prince or Tsesarevich? Star of the empire or the sun? Would Tommy retain his titles, or would Wilbur's be thrust upon him?

Tommy sighs as he stops at one of the few unoccupied balconies. He stands against the railing, looking down at the people. Brightly colored dresses and suits whirled around like a sickening mob, oozing with the scent of alcohol. Words so carefully crafted to be daggers encased in sheaths, a futile attempt to show that they could be dangerous if the speaker wished it were so, floated above the puss. Mere gossip that somehow could move hearts and burn down cities somehow permeated the air thicker than the beautiful music the troubadour was singing into the battlefield of wine glasses and glimmering quartz. His skin is illuminated on the candlelight to make it seem like he was gold, like he was fire.

Tommy has been to gatherings before. He has attended the Summer Hunt ever since he was a child. His birthday along with that of his family is always a big deal. At the beginning of each year, there is one massive event in the imperial gardens. Tommy has been to all of these events, and as he's grown older, he's gone to a larger variety of events at every time of the year. Despite his familiarity, this party feels so much different than all of those before. The host is different, the reason for the party is different, but most unfamiliar is the fact that Tommy is alone. He's alone, and he doesn't know if people will treat him like the Tsesarevich. By all technicalities, that is his role now, even if it isn't official, even if Tommy doesn't want it. He's stuck in this role just as his brother is stuck in the grave.

"Your highness," A voice calls out from behind him. Tommy looks over his shoulder, peering into the fuzzy eyes of Countess Minx Justa. She seems to have been spinning around the balconies, her hand firmly gripping a glass of a yellow-gold liquid. She courtesies to the prince, her movements surprisingly graceful despite her tipsy behavior. "It is my pleasure to greet the Great Star of the Empire, Prince Theseus, Lord Tiberius, of the House of Craft."

Tommy stifles his laughter. Her words slur around the edges, but she manages to get the entire title out without stuttering. She rises back up from her curtsey with a lop-sided smile on her face, pride flushing her cheeks as red as the alcohol in her system. She slides closer to the railing beside Tommy. She leans against it, looking down at the party. She puts her cheek in the palm of her hand, staring down like a child watching their toys. Tommy shakes his head, blaming her brazen attitude on her loosened inhabitations.

"Countess Minx, to what pleasure do I owe your company?" Tommy asks, looking down at the party alongside his newly found companion.

"There is no reason, your highness. I didn't know you would be here. I don't think anyone did. Except maybe the host. She's such a sweet little girl!" Minx cheers, throwing her arms above her head unexpectedly. The alcohol in her glass sloshes, nearly spilling over. Tommy reaches a hand out to steady the glass, hoping it didn't splash on anyone downstairs. Minx stares at Tommy's hand on her glass. Tommy tries to pull his hand away, but Minx forcibly shoves it in his hands. "Ah, I should have offered you a drink! Forgive me, your highness, I'm a little floaty at the moment. Here, you hold onto that. I'll go get another glass. We can raise a toast to the prosperity of the nation."

"Ah, wait-" Tommy tries, but Minx is starting to walk away. She heads toward the stairs leading down to the party. Tommy sighs, looking into the glass Minx gave him. It wasn't in Tommy's plans to drink while he was here. He definitely doesn't want to drink alongside Minx. He's had a few sips of alcohol over the years, but he doesn't know the limits of his tolerance. With years of experience, Tommy will end up killing himself at the rate Minx usually drinks.

"Your highness," Another voice echoes in Tommy's ears as the glass is taken out of his hands. A smile comes to Tommy's face uninhibited as his teacher slides into his peripheral. Kara is wearing a maroon dress with her black wings spilling out from the low back. She sets the glass down on the railing, leaving it there as she turns to Tommy. A smile appears on her face, softer and smaller than Tommy's own face.

"I could have handled that on my own, Marchioness Kara," Tommy remarks, gesturing to the glass. He looks over the side of the railing to see that Minx has gotten distracted by a group of nobles. She is laughing alongside them, all of them swaying gently with the music even without standing in the dedicated dance section. Tommy rolls his eyes to himself.

"I have no doubt, but I wanted to speak with you alone," Kara notes. She offers her elbow to Tommy. The blonde takes it, allowing Kara to escort him down the nearby stairs to the dancefloor. Her smile widens even as her eyes stupefy. Tommy turns to see what she is staring at, and he's met with the sight of two men animatedly talking to one another. Tommy recognizes both of them. Baron Chilled Chaos and Count Ze Viking are two people Tommy singled out when he was a baby as people that could help him escape the empire, back when that was his plan. Baron Chilled Chaos, for instance, owns and operates the largest theater troupe in the entire empire. The count's land contains one of the largest and most important ports in the empire with a great many boats at their disposal. Tommy thought if he got in good with these two- and with Kara- he would be setting up the perfect escape route.

Tommy no longer has that option. If he leaves the empire, Techno will be alone to become tsar of the empire. Tommy has little doubt Techno could pull it off, but Techno has been trained for combat, not for ruling. He is good at what he does, of course, but Tommy doesn't know if he could pull off being the tsar. Even if he could, that leaves the position of General wide open. It is Techno's greatest ambition to secure that position. Tommy might have some qualms with his brother at the moment, but he isn't willing to ruin what Techno has worked his entire life for.

Chilled and Ze stop talking with one another when they notice Kara. Chilled reaches for Kara's arm, but he stops when his eyes trail over to Tommy. Chilled drops down into a bow. Ze gives him an odd look, pointing at Kara. It is then that Ze realizes Chilled is bowing to Tommy, not to Kara. Ze falls down into a bow. He elbows Chilled when he hears snickering. Kara sighs, rolling her eyes beside Tommy. The prince is unable to contain his laughter. He lets it out as Chilled and Ze properly greet him.

"You may rise," Tommy informs them. As they lift up, Tommy meets their eyes with a raised eyebrow. "You have both met me before."

"We've met the prince, yes, but this is our first time meeting Kara's student!" Chilled exclaims with a touch of excitement in his tone as he glances at Kara. She glares at Chilled with a ferocity that makes Tommy shiver and Chilled laugh.

"She speaks very highly of you," Ze adds, winking. Kara turns her attention to him in the stretch of a second. Chilled's laughter grows even louder. Ze gives Kara a downcast frown. "Come on, Kara, do you want me to lie to the prince?"

"Perhaps I do. The punishment for lying to an imperial family member is a couple of days in the dungeon," Kara snaps, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Oof. That's worse than being sent to the doghouse. You're being sent to the rat-house," Chilled inputs. Between the two of them, Kara has trouble figuring out who to actually glare at. This lessens the impact of her ferocity, allowing the two of them to remain standing. Although she seems upset, Tommy knows she isn't really because of her wings. They remain against her back instead of flaring out. Tommy decides that if everyone is having fun, he'll have a little fun, too.

"What does she say about me?" Tommy asks Ze, feeling Kara's grip on his arm tighten minutely.

"Only good things, I assure your highness. She says you are very brilliant," Ze answers.

"I have told you this before," Kara reminds Tommy, perhaps trying to distract him from listening to Ze and Chilled answering Tommy's question.

"Have you told him how adorable you think he is?" Chilled asks innocently, blinking at his friend with a pleasant smile appearing on his face.

"I am not adorable!" Tommy hisses, turning to look at his teacher. She stops glaring at Chilled to give Tommy a sheepish smile. The prince gasps in faux shock. "I can't believe I have been betrayed by my very own teacher."

"You should never trust Kara," Chilled notes. Kara's wing reaches out to hit Chilled's arm. He makes a squeaky noise, shuffling away from Kara to hide behind Ze. He rubs his arm with a petulant expression on his face. Kara's wing comes back to her back. Ze holds down into his laughter, lifting his arm up to further protect Chilled.

Tommy laughs, his eyes catching on a colorful blob moving through the party space. Tommy recognizes the pink as Prismarina's hair. He looks at the three people still joking around with each other. Tommy untangles his arm from Kara's, attracting her attention and thus getting the other two's eyes on Tommy. He bows to them. "Please, excuse me. I would like to pay my respects to the host."

"I will find you again later," Kara informs him as Tommy starts to pull away. He smiles at her, deciding not to argue with his teacher.

Tommy sets off, joining the crowd momentarily to get to the distant Prismarina. She is quietly whispering with a servant, gesturing toward something in the distance. In her gesturing, she notices Tommy. A friendly smile washes away her serious expression. She waves away her servant with one last order and makes her way over to meet Tommy. They meet up together near a pillar. She curtsies at him, her smile growing even larger when she stands up. "Thank you for coming, your highness."

"There is no reason for your gratitude. It would be improper for me not to show up when this party is a celebration of the very law I proposed," Tommy reminds Prismarina. This party is to celebrate Prismarina's adoption and rise to successor of the western dukedom. The people are getting to know her and seeing how good her organizational skills are. Tommy thinks she's doing a fair job.

"I'm not sure I fully understand the intricacies of politics, but I'm genuinely grateful that you came," Prismarina says, shaking her head. She looks out across the party at all the people, her eyes burning bright and high with gratitude like she wants to thank everyone at the party for showing up from the very bottom of her heart.

"I am glad I came, too. I've always had a fondness for parties," Tommy agrees. He stares out across the crowd. Since there are very few high-ranking people, the partygoers seem to be genuinely enjoying themselves. They are laughing amongst each other. The music has a quick enough tempo for people to dance jovially. Tommy internally sighs, looking down to the ground instead of the partygoers. "Recent tragedies have made me... distant."

"I know what you mean. Shelby greatly enjoyed parties. She was the one that always dragged to them at the academy. She promised me that she would take me to a big party at the dukedom once we graduated," Prismarina says softly, her eyes growing misty. Tommy finds that he much prefers Prismarina's lack of a mask like the other nobles. It allows him to feel more comfortable with his own grief. "I'm hoping Shelby would have liked this one."

"I have little doubt she would," Tommy nods. Knowing Shelby, she would have been proud even if no one showed up at the party. She would have danced around for hours with Prismarina in an empty ballroom, spinning and laughing. Now, only her ghost can linger in the room from people's combined memories overlapping.

"It's only missing one component- a spark of magic," Prismarina murmurs out loud. Prismarina takes a deep breath, stretching her hands out. The floor underneath her feet begins to ripple, turning from quartz to deep blue water. As the rippling expands, the entire ballroom floor is turned into water. Instead of sinking, the guest's footsteps create ripples, standing on top of the water. As soon as a few people start noticing, the entire ballroom echoes awed gasps and incredulous laughter. The rippling swirls across the entire ballroom, creating shallow waves that lap at people's ankles without actually splashing their skin or wettening their clothes.

"I did it!" Prismarina cheers, lifting both of her hands into the air. When she realizes, she drops her arms immediately. A sheepish smile spills across her lips, but her eyes continue to shine with excitement.

"What kind of curse is this?" Tommy murmurs, leaning down onto his knee to touch the water. It behaves like real water would, except Tommy's glove doesn't sink or come back up wet. Tommy rises back onto his feet, looking at Prismarina with genuine awe in his eyes. He should have known that Shelby, the future greatest mage in all of the continent's history, would have made powerful friends.

"It's two curses, actually. I had to combine them in order to get this effect. The first one is fairly easy. It was a flooding curse. As the name implies, it floods whatever room I'm in with freshwater. The other curse is a little more complicated. It's a hydrophobic curse. It is meant to keep people from drinking water or bathing in it by having the water be repelled by their skin and clothes," Prismarina explains. Tommy should have known from her Witch's Mark that Prismarina was a Water Witch, but Tommy doesn't mind having that fact confirmed to be true by an amazing display of magic.

"Or putting oneself out if they're set on fire," Tommy notes.

"Exactly. Curses are meant for evil deeds, either to be the deed itself or to help that deed come to pass," Prismarina agrees. She gestures around to the party. "But everyone seems to be enjoying themselves because of the combination of two curses."

"An astute observation," Tommy compliments. When he looks around, he notices that a bunch of people are looking at them. Or, more precisely, they are looking at Prismarina. They probably want to greet the host, especially after she added a mystical element to the party. Tommy takes this as an appropriate queue to walk away. "I hope your party ends as successfully as it began, your grace. Long live the Grace household."

"Thank you again for coming, your highness. Long live the Craft household," Prismarina answers, curtseying again. As Tommy walks away, he hears people approaching her. Tommy smiles to himself. He hopes this swings public opinion in favor of witches.

Tommy follows the edge of the water, finding that it continues even onto the balcony that overlooks the western lands. Tommy jumps, creating a huge splash. He smiles as the water jumps all around him. It slides off his body without getting his clothes wet. Tommy spins around, landing against the railing. He puts both of his hands on the railing, squeezing gently to steady himself. He leans against the railing, really testing his eyesight to see the cultivated fields in the distance.

Tommy hears a sound behind him. He looks over his shoulder to find a woman walking towards him from inside the ballroom. She curtsies, lifting up the skirt of her emerald green dress. When she rises back to her feet, Tommy notices a golden tattoo around one of her eyes like a spinning gear gone still. The gold glistens in the light, and Tommy realizes it must be a Witch's Mark. She looks Tommy right in the eyes, saying, "Fire is coming for you."

Tommy startles, taking a half-step back. The woman smiles at him, stepping toward him. Her skin is a pale green color with a few injuries and scars showing across her smooth skin. She continues, "Your future is surprisingly full of fire."

"You're a..." Tommy stops, unable to say it. Soothsayers are extremely discriminated against in the empire. He might be sealing her fate by uttering out loud what she is, but she's probably already sealed it by showing up at a party full of people to speak with the prince.

"I'm the Time Witch," The woman explains. "It isn't often that I see the future, but there's a lot of fire coming for you. When you put out one flame, you are ensuring that another will spark. I suppose there's only one question for you: would you rather an entire city burn or your whole world?"

Tommy opens his mouth to ask more questions, but in the span of a blink, the woman is gone. Tommy is left with only the vague feeling of magic washing over him.

—

"Don't worry about me."

"NO!" Ranboo screams, throwing his hands in front of him. Tubbo grabs onto his torso, keeping Ranboo in place. Enderpearl races to the end of his arm. She mews for Scott, calling out for him to return, but he is steadfast in his pursuit forward. Enderpearl tries to leap from Ranboo's arms to get to her friend, but Ranboo grabs onto her as tightly as Tubbo holds onto him. Scott plunges right into the miasma, the curse spreading out around him. Ranboo crumples to his knees, darkness swirling around the edges of his vision. He hears Enderpearl mew once more in sadness before he can't hear anything at all.