p> Well, at least I think that's the point of what grampa is trying to say. A little hard to decipher crazy.

I wonder if I could manage to get us up north enough to pick up my horse. We just need to go a little bit further, past the border of the trade center towns. What a coincidence!

"What a coincidence. Papa? Darling, I heard from the last tea part that a certain young Northern royal shall be near the border around next season, for a public function. Hmmm?" mother tugs curiously at father's ribboned neck tie. I'm glad she likes up but...

"What?!!" I hear my own voice shriek like a mouse.

"Whaaaa?" parrots Lilyanne, copying along in pitch.

"What a coincidence indeed." father nods to the motion of mother's control, voice perfectly serious.

No no no I thought I avoided it for this year. I got poisoned for it?! Why do I have to see the stupid prince again so soon?! He's not as fun to bully when he's this little. I don't want to deal with this. Noooooooooo!

"No no nooooooooo" I half sob to grampa's rough pats on the top of my poor head, laughing the whole time.

"Like I said pumpkin, not everything. Some things! But not everything."

I slam my head into his palm, again feeling faint. I should go get poisoned again or something, then I really can't make it. Genius, me.

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Bonus: 1 hour ago, 1 magic portal away

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A looming shadow. The blackened stains and wisps of smoke, spelling disaster not too long past. Slimy creatures crawling in broken splatters and chunks. A tearful torn child brought sore to his knees.

"...and why do we not bring in strange things to cook or play with?"

"Uhhh because we don't know what they are so we should so we can learn lots of stuff?"

"No....try again Lukas. Think about what ...just... happened."

"Because they blow up! Oh. Oh yeah. But Cap and Rosalia said she cooked on river rocks just fine all the way laaaaaaaast year. And you say I can't touch the fire anymore but then how do I get to be the best because I should be the best but bacon pasta didn't win because Amar aaaand Rosa cheated! So if I use hot rocks then that's not fire and it's ok if I-"

"You ...brought in a bucket of river stones and trail snails. In no way does to equate to mean... you bringing them into the kitchen!" the older man grits out, already tired from the thought to cleaning this up.

Gable's kitchen exploded. Wonderful. His walls are spotted in rock and everything was point blast scorched and charred. The only good thing to come out of this was that Lukas was unharmed, the boy had stepped out to the pantry when the pot of stones exploded.

"What a wonderful day for an energy filling whoooooa! Gabe what happened in here?! Ahahaha and you say only I blow up the kitchens!!! Ahaha! Oh....uhh"

Ron was at a slight loss. The last time this happened had not ended well for him. Now Lukas, merely a tiny squishy little snowball of a boy, shivered on his knees. Awaiting the fires of retribution that might just be worse than the one he started.

Just the thought had Ron feel numb to his toes.

"...should I....take the lad and...go?"

"No." breathed Gable, voice icily calm. When he smiles, it's eerily beautiful, stiff as a statue. Cracks and chips breaking as it horrifyingly comes to life like a gargoyle.

Ron doesn't know whether to run and also get on his knees, maybe offer his neck to reduce Gable's anger. The kitchen blew up, again. Great.

The wind blows in from the broken window.

It's a painting, a small shower of yellow-white flowers, partly dried, swirling around. Scared as they are, Ron sighs at the sight. Lukas whimpering when it makes his nose twitch and sneezes.

The flowers twist and rope, lining themselves tight and full in a large basket. Various jars of goodies already packed inside. The entire thing was tied off by two fat lace twin ribbons on each side. The package obviously meant to appeal to a more feminine audience.

The pretty package was a little out of place in a broken and blackened kitchen.

"In fact, Ron...go out for lunch today. Enjoy yourself. Bring Buttercup some flowers and some small things I've been meaning to hand over."

"Um, Gable...are you sure I shouldn't stay and help clean. You know I've very good at cleaning up my own messes and-"

"Go."

"....So Gabe, what you're saying is you don't want a witness?"

"I won't have you spoiling the child. I'll handle this. Now go before I lose my patience with you too, don't forget the flowers."

"Go on without me Cap!" cries Lukas, eyes closed in a childish display of bravery. That and the half-blown up snail crawling on his bare foot really tickled and he was trying to hold it in.

"Be strong Lukas," the other man tearfully waves, arms outreached.

"Cap!"

"Lukas!"

"Just go." the blond snapped, wand out to blow a certain bothersome bad influence away. Dramatic cow eyes full of tears and all. That's why he kept his line of sight directly on the child. One who looked too much like him to draw enough sympathy to get him out of this.

The boy grimaced.

"Is this going to hurt lots or be really boring?!"

"Another lesson for today Lukas....both is always an option."

"Awww poopies. Can we still eat first?"

"Maybe after you clean this place spotless."

"Awwww super poopies.

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Bonus 2: 1 hour later, 1 direct express Ventrella wagon ride away.

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A teenage boy with soft brown eyes and even softer brown hair neatened his waist apron. The thing not as convenient as a full apron was a bit more presentable outside, yet kept the rest of his beloved clothes still clean.

He may not be an enviously handsome youth but he appreciated taking care of himself. Complain as he might, the possibly insane little miss did make some divine things for his skin. Why that troublesome acne that sprouted since he was 13 had all but vanished.

Even in the dark and under a strangely fitted but protective hooded coat, he resembled something of a soft and tender sheep. No, it was exactly because he was in this sort of place that he stood out.

But he was here for an assigned errand, something Alfonso personally instructed for him to make. It was fine.

"They wouldn't send me to some horrible torture lab or anything, ...right?"

Sure that nothing was left loose, untied or too embarrassing, he knocked on the door to the thin door between the stones of a bridge. It was honestly so thin and hidden and shadows that without specific orders written to him by the household head butler, Georgie was sure he would have never found it.

His knocks are at first met with silence. Then a rummaging flurry of voices, heavy thuds, and the draining sound of something wet?

Georgie knocks again, sure that the code was right?

"Um it's me, Georgie from the main house. We've met before? You know the poor sap taking care of Rosalia? I was told- uh to bring this in and see if you needed anything else?"

More crashing sounds followed. Slamming and the thudding of stairs. It sounded like this place was a lot bigger than it looked from the outside.

The door bursts open and it's not what he's expecting at all. A wet tall strong exotic woman stood in nothing but man's blood splattered shirt. Georgie doesn't know exactly where to look that was least offensive. Bare legs, bloody top, or the string tied tooth in her hand.

He settles on begging for forgiveness

"Uh, I'm very sorry! Saw nothing. Nothing here!"

"Oh, oh dang you're looking finer day by day. Clearer than a milk maid's. I see I see. Rosa really doing good work on you there."

"Tamera?! What the- Where did half your hair go? ....er what happened?!"

"Long story. Calm down it's really just Georgie boy."

The sound of something roaring spluttered and stopped, as well the clang of a few cages closing. However a great rusting of things getting stuffed does sound out now that the door was open.

Mentally, his brain goes through all of young Rosalia's bad jokes of family torture chambers. He wonders if he should bother running.

"Cute. Didn't think soft hamsters ever be his type. Well, it changes every year."

"What?!"

"I mean, come on in! Watch your step over here. How's the little princess, Georgie? "

"Uh...great. Bossy as ever, especially in the kitchen. Keeps surprising people that she's actually a little monster of a genius. There are rumors that all that talk is just a rumor like we're trying to show off the Ventrella's good name or something. "

Against all logic, Georgie steps through the door and down a crack in the wall that really should not have fit anyone. Still, it gives way and he sweats and he feels his way down from against the wall, making small talk as he goes.

"Ahhh people will always have room to talk. " Tamera waves off, opening a doorway of sharp point bars.

"So um..."

The teenager really didn't know what to ask first. The list was just too long.

"Yo special delivery for the chronically sick patient. Yuna, pull Vincent out of the coffin. It's just too obvious of a hiding spot when it's right there. You know? Sorry about him, kinda off lately."

From where he's perched, a younger feline-like boy gracefully kicks the stand. Forcing the coffin to tilt down to the floor and open.

Thankfully it's just a groaning hiding Vincent and not say a skeleton or a dead body. Georgie sighs in relief.

"Well um, here are some of the things supposedly set from Alfonso. Uh he said, you know what to do?" the teen sets his bags down, carrying out a metal container with what looked like many compartments.

Someone else might have been curious but not Georgie. No sireeee. He had something he liked to call common sense. There was a line with respecting others, and just not bothering in stuff that's not any of his business.

"And that." Yuna pointed a dangerous looking pair of pliers.

It was dark but Georgie would guess just about everything down here looked dangerous. He quickly offered up the lunch basket.

"Leftovers from today you brat. Vincent got his special herbs and porridge but I figured, how the hell does anything live off just that? And I figured someone else might be around so I packed a hell lot extras."

"You figured right" Yuna dropped the pliers, hopping down to help out with unloading lunch.

Okay, Georgie breathed. This he could do. Yuna was pretty familiar, the other side of this strange unpaid babysitting deal over young miss Rosalia.

"Sorry, thank you. Sorry for, yeah." the dark haired older boy muttered out, somehow still on the floor. At least he was looking healthier? More color that's for sure.

"This is just pathetic" Tamera crossed her arms, still too loosely dressed to be appropriate, anywhere.

"Uh huh, no problem. " Georgie unwrapped the dishes that were meant to be eaten right away, setting it on the table with Yuna's guidance and help.

Something felt off though, a nagging feeling that Rosa often just laughed on. Saying that was just him being a nag. And no it wasn't just the setting.

"So uh....sorry if this is rude but uh-" Georgie starts because there really was a limit to the common sense.

A soft groan. Practically indistinguishable from the creaking sounds echoing behind stone walls.

Georgie's feet move before his brain even registers it, climbing up a ladder by a shadowy loft.

"Told you he'd figure it out" Yuna scoffs at the others.

That soft groan was something Georgie had heard before, and it wasn't good. Soft voice, bloody head, a shy looking child that likes their house honey buns, cinnamon spice and all sorts of sweets too much.

"What the hell is wrong with him?!" Georgie yells down, seeing the boy in his mind laying yet again in his own blood.

The more Georgie looks the more horrified he becomes.

Fresh bruises, fresher bandages. His entire left hand wrapped into a useless lumpy cast. The veins in his small temple blackened visibly under his skin. The kid was whimpering but unconscious, blood pooling out of his swollen cheek and mouth. The clear signs of a fist to the face, both eyes circled dark.

Georgie reached out to feel at a sweaty forehead but in his sleep, Amar cries, screams at the outside touch. He feels it as someone immediately pulls him away, Tamera most likely from the larger frame supporting him. See's her adult-sized tanned hands bluntly block against Amar's tiny bandaged ones.

She slams the child down as he struggles and claws, legs kicking wildly. Yuna already on his other side, holding Amar's small frame down. Stopping him from not only hurting Georgie but himself in the violent outburst.

"What...the hell is wrong with him?!" Georgie repeats even slower, the moment Tamera gets him back down to safety. Safety against a small six-year-old, crying painfully in his sleep.

"Ask the tall ass dark creep that dropped him off from the main house?! He's been unconscious the whole night to now!" Yuna bites.

"Multiple blunt points of damage, a twisted ankle, two black eyes, three broken ribs, a literal hole in his hand, two vemons and 17 known poisons. Three unknown. All at once." Vincent groans, still hiding his face in his hair.

"And a loose tooth" Tamera lift the baby tooth on the bloody string.

Out of all those responses, it's Tamera's that has Georgie squint and look over in disbelief.

"What?! It was practically punched out, kid could have seriously swallowed it."

An awkward silence followed, made even worse by the muffled cries and whimpers above.

"This is why I wanted to stay in the coffin." Vincent complained.

"You can't just hide away and pretend your dead every time a cute-" Tamera starts.

"Hey someone get the damn clingy snake away from the food down there." Yuna yells from the loft.

The what now?

Georgie turns and true to Yuna's words there's a giant snake hissing at some spaghetti. It looks up for a brief moment, and Georgie felt like a mere bug under its slit gaze. Then it drops, going back to hissing at past noodles.

So many questions. Georgie doesn't even know where to start.

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