Wilbur's face stared down at me from the wreckage of the world we had built, almost blaming me for what he himself had done. To be fair, it was easy to pick on someone who couldn't tell you wrong when you were dead right. It was my fault. I had pushed him to this point.

"Jule, Ferrem, Horyss, Mendellvin, Arschinst, Markus. Those are the names of six nobles who were marked in line for this very land. Now, inheritance lies with nobody, for nobody is left in the noble line. In the royal line, however... Technoblade Minecraft. Step forward and claim your land, for you alone stand the survivor of this brutal massacre."

His coattails ruffled, his suit torn, and his face seeking requiem, the pink-haired man I called a brother neared Manifold Foulle with a marksman's glare. It took my greatest efforts not to call out right then, to tell him that we were okay, that it would all be okay. Because we weren't okay. In fact, we were far from okay. But did it matter? No. For he could not give this up. The only other in line not dead was Fundy, though the half-fox may well be dead with the injuries he had attained.

"Solitude. Peace. Grace. Sportsmanship. Valor. These fallen fields, they reek of all that has been announced, gold, glinting before us all today. And I, Technoblade Minecraft, intend to keep up that fort of greatness until someone with a demeaning angle reckons to tell me otherwise. All those still living have duties to uphold, and I shall give my all to ensure that they receive all they could need to finish those duties right. That, true people, is my promise. I don't make many, so you'll do well to keep it. And if a single anchorage of administration digs the shore, slaughter it."

It was the biggest "fuck you" ever. A beautiful way of saying he would claim this land only to spite the government, and it would never live to know that it would be him who killed it. Unfortunately, the Foulle's had a translator who could pick up every word he was saying. Their snitching little lips had it to Manifold before anyone could stop them.

"Well, now, hold on. The land is yours... but we have some rules that we must set in place first. It is necessary."

———

"Could you... shut the fuck up?"

His voice was like a wooden stake, and I was like the vampire. Fragile to his anger, his murdering passion.

"For years, now, it has only ever been about you and how we're so disappointing to you, and how much you hate us— well I'm sick of it! Father, your inconsistency in whether or not you regret allowing us to live past the age of 3 is irksome makes my blood boil; The way you contradict yourself when lying to the government about how much you care for us is sickening. And beyond that. If we were ever anything to you, we would still be nothing."

My eyes felt waxy, and I knew it was the tears I had to hold back. I had only been trying to protect him; if only he knew. I had never thought I was doing him so wrong, but now, the confessions rolled in. I guess I was so used to getting along with him that this caught me off-guard. Then again... children were miraculous and strange. Perhaps I should have expected this?

"I'm so sorry... I don't remember doing that, but I believe you when you say it happened."

He turned on me, like a hasty robber who had his eyes set on a prize, but one that he was only quick to steal because it would save his life.

"You weren't even there for me. Concerts, chess tournaments, dress rehearsals— you didn't even show up when the hospital informed you that I had broken my arm!"

But that couldn't be right. He had never gone to chess tournaments, or dress rehearsals, and if he had broken his arm, which seemed very unlikely given his supernatural inability to attain harm, I had never been apprised. The only thing that was viable were the concerts, and even those I had gone to. Sure, there was one or two I missed, but being a king wasn't exactly something I could put on hold, no matter how damn much I wanted to. And yet I couldn't call him selfish. Despite the riches and the supposed safety, I would give up this royal life the second I could. It's too much stress for anybody, and I hate to think how horrible it must have been for him.

"Techno, I understand how you're feeling. I know you want my attention, and I'm sorry I haven't been giving you enough of it. I just don't have a lot of free time, and what I do have tends to be taken by Tommy or Will getting hurt, but it doesn't mean I love you any less. You're just- you're like my perfect child, Techno. You don't get hurt, and if you do, you're sensible enough to get help. Your brothers, simply put, are not like you. It does not mean I love them any less, either. Hell, if you asked me to choose, I couldn't. But that's not because I hate any of you. Now... what say we go find your brothers and take a little trip?"

His eyes stared into mine for a minute, the evident glimmer of hope arising within his deep, black irises. I smiled back, for it was nice to see him happy.

"I guess we could do that... but I get to ride next to you!"

Fair enough. Past even the most restrained peoples, a want of first pick was general- expected, even. Well, so be it. I nodded my consent, and he grinned.

"Good, let's go then!"

———