Fern moved swiftly down the long palace hallways as morning light streamed in through the windows that lined them.

She didn't know where she was going, just that she didn't want to be at breakfast this morning.

Apparently she wasn't the only one with that idea because as she stalked the halls she spotted not one, but two people she knew conversing inside a half closed door.

Elm wouldn't like this.

Fern crouched next to the door and looked inside. It appeared to be some sort of study, straight across from the library. There was lots of stacked paper and envelopes, quills and inkwells.

Thorn stuffed stationary of this sort into his leather satchel. Seemed like he had some letters to write.

Fern wondered if she would receive one.

Thorn sighed and looked up at the person he faced.
His tired eyes didn't seem very alert now.

"So that's it? You're just going to go?" Oak grunted looking the man in the eye.

"Yeah, kid. That's the plan." Thorn shrugged and pulled his satchel over his shoulder.

"Don't be so selfish!" Oak snapped.

Thorn looked especially peeved at this comment, but he didn't say anything.

Oak shook his head, he grabbed Thorn's arm.
"You can't leave me now! My life's falling apart! Basil is back! Sage is-"

Oak took a second to think of what exactly was wrong with Sage, the boy had problems of course, but no more than usual.

Thorn must have seen Oak contemplating because he finished the sentence for him.
"Sage is sick."

"What?"

"Sage is sick." Thorn repeated in a cold tone of voice.
"He'll be fine, but promise me to make sure he doesn't go outside...it's getting colder, soon it'll be winter and that ain't going to help much."

Oak's fist trembled.
"Then why don't you do that?" He yelled.
"You promise me!"

Thorn looked down.
"I'm sorry."

"That doesn't change anything!" Oak hissed, tugging on Thorn's coat.

"Oh, be an adult!" Thorn snapped, snatching his coat tail into his hands.
"How will you ever be a king if you can't function as a person?"

"You sound just like him." Oak muttered darkly.

Thorn paused, he shook his head.
"Don't you ever say that."

Oak stared at the floor.
He clutched his left hand with his right.
"I'm sorry."

Thorn sighed and placed a hand on Oak's shoulder.
"No, no, I'm sorry."

Oak wondered for a second if Thorn would hug him. But no...that had never ever happened.

Thorn patted the young man on his back.
"Don't be afraid to write back when I send a letter. I...don't want to lose you."

Oak's fingers tightened into fists as he started to cry, just the slightest bit.
"You're going to lose me! You're going to lose everyone!"

Thorn tensed and after a second that tension released.
"I...I know..."

Then without another word Thorn swiftly left the room.
Oak didn't follow, he turned away and began gathering things from the room as well. Unfortunately as soon as Thorn had made his way out the door he tripped over a brown haired teen sitting cross legged in the opening.

"Oww!" Fern said, rubbing her arm.
"You kicked me!" She whisper shouted.

Thorn frowned down on her.
"Do you usually get comfortable in doorframes?"

"I don't know, do you usually step on short people?"

Thorn sighed and put a hand to his head.
"It's a rare occasion."

He looked at Fern sadly for a long second and she stared back.
"Good luck, kid."

"You too." Fern nodded.
"Maybe one day I'll drop by your farm to say uhh...howdy."

Thorn smiled.
"You'd be welcome."

He straightened and began walking down the hall, buttoning up his jacket.
Fern rushed towards him.
"Hey, hey wait! You're...you're like an annoying and opinionated assistant to me!" She cried.

Thorn scoffed.
"You'll get a new assistant, it's no big deal."

Fern frowned at the man. She thought it was a very big deal.
But she didn't argue.
"...See you around, then..." She said and Thorn nodded before disappearing down the hallway and eventually out the door.

Fern found herself standing alone in the hallway.
Where had she been going anyway?

Maybe when Oak finally left the study she'd follow him.
But before he did Carnation came striding down the halls. Being much taller than Fern her half run was faster than Fern's as the girl followed her down the hall.

Fern wondered if Carnation would find Thorn to say goodbye.

But instead the woman turned into another door to the left, closing it behind her.

Fern wondered if it was okay to open a closed door. Yes, no, yes, no, yes, no-

Fern opened the door so quickly that when it hit the walls it bounced back and hit her in the face.

Now with a hand over her face she stumbled into the room.

Everyone in the room turned slowly to look at her. Carnation, Sage and Clover the new steward.

"Steward guy, I'm going to need a map if you expect me to find my way around these halls." Fern said.

Clover- looked up at her from his armchair.
"Can't you see I'm busy?!" He drawled and Fern noticed that Sage was conversing with this man, and Carnation was waiting to.
"Just wait with her." Clover instructed.

Reluctantly Fern pulled up a chair and sat next to Carnation.

Clover resumed his conversation with Sage.
"Don't we have a doctor?" Clover asked dully.

Sage nodded.
"Saffron is lovely but I can't talk to her about what happens can I? I- I was wondering if I could confide in you when I...when I get hurt..?"

Clover raised an eyebrow and rolled his eyes.
"Ugh, we have a Doctor, use her.
I don't want to listen to your whining, you're a royal and you don't know anything about pain."

Sage looked surprised at that.
"Who I am shouldn't change how much I know about pain!" He snapped.

Clover twirled his dull green hair around his finger, looking bored.
"Oh, for once you're not stuttering and looking down, Hmm? Learn that from your dad?"

"What's with that tone? Hold your tongue, leaf-man." Carnation hissed.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't know I stumbled into the Thorn Protection Squad." Clover said, rolling his eyes yet again.

He slipped his black gloves off of his hands as he sighed dejectedly. The man straightened and looked Sage in the eye.
"We have a doctor for a reason, I'm not your therapist, kid." He said and waved Sage away.

The boy stood up and left the room, rubbing his arm.

"Now, who's next?" He asked and Carnation moved into the seat across from him.

She intertwined her fingers on her lap and scowled at Clover, which was weird for Fern to see. Carnation was always smiling and Thorn was the one that scowled.
"I wanted to know who Tsunami's new assistant will be."

Fern had been wondering too, fearing the answer actually.

Clover took a second to think. He looked to Carnation.
"What about you? I mean- you don't have a real job."

"Not a real job?" Carnation said before she just shook it off and continued.
"I don't think I'd be good at that."

"Well, then what are you good at?" Clover asked in a cold tone.

Carnation looked at her hands.
"I'm not sure..." she confessed.

"Exactly. But to be an assistant you don't need any skill!" Clover claimed with a proud expression.

"You can be a talentless, opinionated, self righteous, narcissistic snob with nothing better to do." He smirked at Carnation as he crossed his legs over one another.
"Just like your goody two shoes boyfriend!"

"Has it ever dawned on you that someone can be a genuinely good person?" Carnation drawled.

Clover scoffed
"He certainly wasn't."

Clover took note of Fern and Carnation's expressions. He decided to further his brief rant as he looked into Carnation's amber eyes,
"And I'll bet the real reason he left was to get away from all the rats!"

Carnation didn't reply, she hardly batted an eyelash.
"Thank you, sir." She said as she stood up to leave.
"I'll consider your words, but not because they're from you."

Just as she was about to leave she pointed to the sky as if she had a sudden thought.
"Oh, and if you want to have a pleasant debate about Thorn I'm sure Basil would love to meet you."

The door slammed and Fern found herself alone with Clover.

He growled.
"Now why are you here?"

"I-I don't know where anything is...I think I need a map, hah, but I don't suppose you happen to have any?" Fern muttered as Clover tapped his pencil against the table impatiently.

"No, I don't happen to have a map of your new home."

"It would be very handy-"

"So good luck finding your way around!" Clover cut her off and stood up from his chair.

Fern stayed in her chair since she didn't plan on walking the hallways bitterly unspeaking as Clover did the same.

She wondered why nobody's status didn't have an effect on him.

But then she realized that everyone was afraid of the king. Firstly, nobody had the guts to tell Elm he had hired the wrong man, and if they did Clover's punishment was unpredictable. Sage, Carnation and Fern...they wouldn't want to be tangled up in second hand murder...it wouldn't have benefits like the last time.