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Chapter Text

Loolilalu could admit to being spoiled by her position as princess. Who would not become that way when they had luxuries and wealth like hers? There were treatments that she received that she felt were commonplace. Even when she knew the average person did not receive the things she did, it was still bizarre to note their absence from her perspective.

For instance, when she woke up in bed, her tired eyes instinctively looked to the gram-cracker nightstand beside it. She expected there to be a small plate of food ready - an early breakfast snack of marshmallows, and perhaps a few sugar cookies. A glass of fine chocolate, mixed with golden syrup, was also usually in accompaniment, or some fizzy drink if there was a special event for that day. She often only lightly nibbled and sipped the offerings, but they were still a standard for starting her day.

However... nothing was there. Her sleepy mind was puzzled by this for a second, wondering if she had woken up early... but then it came back to her. She had ordered that she not be given extra food like that for the foreseeable future. They had to ration their food currently until more could be brought in from their other settlements, and she would not tolerate anyone going hungry so she could indulge. She knew that enough people were struggling right now as is.

And that thought brought back memories of the past four days. Of the terrible fate that had befallen her beloved city. The destruction and death that had struck them all without warning. The betrayal of the holy warriors she had put so much trust in.

...And the absence of God, who had seemingly abandoned them.

She hissed, heart clenching at what felt like such a blasphemous thought. Yet... she could not dismiss it no matter how hard she tried. Images of the fires and seeing her people dying flashing through her head refused to let her do so... As did much darker feelings when her thoughts turned to those of the knights.

But the princess sighed, sitting up in her bed as she attempted not to focus on that. Her eyes lingered on her fluffy white pillows and her dark pink sheets, covered with intricate designs of various plants that grew beyond the canyon. A canopy hung above her suspended by tall chocolate bed frame posts, the fabric transparent and light pink, pulled back currently to let air flow in.

Her room was large and curved, located higher up in the central tower of her palace. It was filled with rich red and pink tapestries on the waffle cone walls, depicting two peppermint swords crossed over a yellow and brown swirl - the kingdom’s emblem. Intricately designed dressers made of chocolate and red candy wood stood proud, with a full-length mirror not far to the right of her bed. A deep red carpet lay on the orange hard-tiled floor, and a pink chandelier of hard sugar and frosting hung above. Windows behind her allowed sunlight in, their red curtains open.

It was a room befitting of her station... yet a deep sense of shame filled her. There was barely any damage to speak of from The Fudge’s attack - just sugar dust from the rumbling that had been easy to sweep up. Besides that, everything was remarkably intact. One would never suspect that the city had been rampaged through if they saw this place alone.

It... did not feel fair. That she had such a beautiful place to sleep while so many homes were destroyed beyond her place of rule. How could she come here every night knowing that many did not have simple mattresses on which to sleep now?

Loolilalu took a deep breath, shaking her head. She knew she was being irrational - even in a crisis, a leader like her was bound to have preferential accommodations. Yet the weight of everything had worn away at her. There was so much work to be done and people who needed help that it was difficult not to be overwhelmed. A weaker person might have sunk back into their sheets and let their royal guards handle everything.

...But she knew nothing would get better if she did nothing, and that alone gave her the strength to keep going.

Thus, she slowly slipped out of bed, smoothing out her pink sleeping down with white trimmings. She stretched her limbs, white and stick-like but having a toughness to them. She flexed her hands, covered in pink gloves currently... and with a slight tremble to them, she realized. But unlike days prior, she was able to will them to be still.

Slowly, she made her way to the mirror, looking over her appearance. She had not been injured during the attack, so there was not a blemish to be found on her brown swirly face. Her fruit candy hair was sagged a little, but that was nothing new for just waking up. Her eyelashes also drooped, lacking the definition she went out in public with. Overall, though, she appeared fine... besides her eyes being a bit bloodshot.

That was not an issue she could solve, though. So ignoring it, she went about undressing herself, leaving her nightgown on the bed and folding it. It left her gangly form exposed, her torso thicker than the rest of her, but not by too much. Lollipop people like her were often mistaken as being weak of body due to their appearances. But while they were not the strongest physically, they were not easy targets. She had some fine guards in her ranks that were just like her and-

She blinked, for some reason slightly puzzled for a second. There were... other lollipop people in the guards? Why... why of course there were! They worked alongside the gummy people, hard-candy ones, and all sorts of other kinds! Why would she ever forget something like that? One of the captains looking after her was one, and the leader of the clergy another!

It must be the stress, the princess decided, quickly pushing the thought aside. Perhaps she should check to see if there are any sleep aids she could take to get better rest. She was not waking up constantly while she slept, but... her dreams were far from peaceful. It would not do if she let herself get addled enough to keep having lapses like this.

That would have to come later, though. Forgetting about that for now, she focused back on getting dressed, heading to one of her dressers. Normally, she would have people help with dressing her in intricate dresses and other costumes to walk around in. It was yet another luxury that she had become used to, along with help with makeup and her candy hair. She had always felt pride in how pretty well her servants made her, and had constantly thanked them for it when she could.

But this was also something she had ordered to stop. Appearing all fancy was good in times of peace to convey herself as a symbol of the kingdom. During a crisis, though, what would that appear as if not mockery of the common folk? Showing she could still waste time touching herself up while they suffered? They needed to know her focus was on them, not herself!

Still, stepping out completely unkempt would not be acceptable, either. So she opened one of the dresser’s drawers, pulling out a corset and dress from within. It was a red one that faded into blue at the bottom. It was fairly puffy like her well-known pink dress from the waist down, though not nearly as wide and not quite as long. It also lacked frosting designs or an extra cloth to go over the back, and did not have poofy sleeves.

She might have still worn the pink one despite its ornateness due to how associated she was with it in people’s minds. It had gotten rather dirty during the attack, though, and she had not prioritized its cleaning. So, she stuck with the plainer dresses in her wardrobe, which were still very fit for royalty.

Putting it on was a slight hassle by herself, especially given the skirt. But nonetheless, she managed to slip into it and get her corset tightened. Inspecting herself in the mirror, she admired the way the dress seemed to glow in the morning sunlight - all without any fancy sprinkles. As much as she liked her normal look, it was nice to change it up a little... A small bit of fun to help with dealing with the horrors they had gone through.

Moving to a different dresser, she picked up a clear jar sitting atop it filled with a transparent golden substance. Opening it, she delicately removed one of her gloves, revealing her thin white fingers. She dipped her fingers inside, then lifted the substance to her hair and started to massage it in, coating as much as possible.

It was quickly absorbed by her fruity hair, making it tingle. Looking over to the mirror, she watched as their hibiscus color became more vibrant, and their overall appearance fuller. She smiled a bit, always thankful for her syrup hair products. Maple syrup was the most sought-after for its healing properties and rarity, but it is not the only one with amazing abilities. For instance, this combination of corn and golden syrup for candy people with hair like hers!

It was also safe to lick off of her fingers, too, which she did once she was finished. She giggled a little, never having had to do that since she was a kid. Her dressers did it for her in the name of time and efficiency. She pictured their faces if they saw her cleaning her hands like this, despite knowing many common people did so.

(Strangely, she... had a strange feeling they had not done so in the days leading up to the knights being sent. That had to be a mistake, though. She must have just been so used to the treatment that her mind blanked it out sometimes.)

Once that was done and her glove was back on, the princess grabbed the last item of interest off of the dresser... Her crown. Made of a golden brown waffle cone and no taller than the length of her hands. Rather ordinary, but having been passed down in her family for generations. Even with everything that had happened, it was neatly polished for her to wear on her head.

She always strode around proudly with it on her head. It represented not only her rule, but the years of prosperity of the Candy Canyon Kingdom. So many generations of kings, queens, princes, and princesses. A kingdom she had happily taken charge of and had hoped to sit through an age of peace and kindness. Not without its bumps, of course - she had not been so naive - but it had seemed like it would be a glorious era.

Now... she may be watching all of that coming to its end.

Her heart was heavy at such a thought, her hand trembles returning... But the kingdom was not gone yet. She would not see it go without trying to save it, either. And so, she placed the crown on her head, ignoring the pressure that seemed to come with wearing it now. Taking a deep breath, she smoothed out her dress as she brought her emotions under control. Then, once her hands were still, she put a practiced smile on her face, and finally headed to the dark gram-cracker door to leave.

Exiting brought her into a small antechamber. Four dark red chairs surrounded a round table made of purple candy wood, depictions of God’s face carved into its sides. A smaller, yellow chandelier like in her bedroom hung above, helping to illuminate this place that lacked windows. Another door was across from her that went to the staircase.

On the left wall, hung horizontally, was a collection of different swords hung one above the other. They were of varying sizes, make, and age, but all were clearly well looked after. On the right wall was a painting depicting her in a yellow licorice frame. It showed her on her white chocolate throne with golden frosting trimmings, smiling and strong... so unaware of what would one day happen.

And standing in front of it was one of her guard captains. Specifically, the one with a shield with yellow frosting trimmings on it. The man seemed lost in thought as he stared at it. But as he heard her footsteps, he turned to her and straightened his posture, saluting and hitting the butt of his spear to the ground. “My lady! It is good to see you this morning.”

...For a second, Loolilalu found herself blinking at the man’s appearance. There was something about it that... struck her as strange, yet she had no clue what. For some reason, she thought he should look... plainer? Without many defining features beyond being... humanoid?

But... that was ridiculous! He was the same as she had always known him - a lollipop person, just like her! His head consisted of orange and white swirls, though, along with being bald. His frame was a bit bulkier, too, thanks to his training. He had on the same candy leather tunic and pants, colored yellow to match his shield with the kingdom emblem on the former’s front. Everything about him was in order.

So then... why did this seem-?

“My lady?” the captain called, snapping her out of her thoughts. His swirled orange eyes peered at her with concern, though he did not drop his stance yet. “Are you alright?”

The princess blinked, completely losing what she had been thinking about. She shook her head, giving him a tired smile. “I am well, Drumpick. I just keep spacing out this morning, it seems. I believe I am simply not resting properly is all.”

Drumpick did not seem entirely convinced, though nodded nonetheless, dropping into a more at-ease stance. “If you are sure, my lady. If you so wish, I can see to it that you are given sleeping remedies tonight with post haste!”

Loolilalu waved him off. “That is very kind of you, but I shall ask myself while we are out. I will not deprive our doctors of any medicines they might need for patients right now.” She smiled kindly at him. “And please - I’ve asked you to call me Loo! There’s no need for such formalities!”

The captain’ frowned awkwardly, glancing around as if expecting someone to appear and start whispering about this. However, he soon nodded, coughing to clear his throat. “Of course, my l-... Loo. I’m sorry - the habit is hard to squash.”

The princess merely laughed, and was pleased to see that it brought a smile to her friend’s face as well. Some might argue that it was not appropriate to view one of her guards as a friend. She found nothing wrong with the arrangement, though. Especially given how close she was with the high priest of the city. Why could she therefore not also extend such courtesy to some of those who protected her as well?

It was hard not to feel indebted to Drumpick regardless. Ever since the attack, he had stayed close to her side wherever she went, ensuring her safety. When he could not be beside her, he had his most capable men and women stand ready to defend her. He helped with giving her reports about what had been transpiring around the city, coordinating with the small group of other captains who aided her most that day. And... he had offered her a shoulder to lean on with all the burdens thrust upon her.

He had proven himself one of her most loyal followers in the chaos of the last few days. She knows not what she did to deserve his devotion, but she was grateful for it all the same. She does not know how she would have held up without his encouragement.

...So why did it feel so strange when she uttered his name just a moment ago? As if... she had never spoken it before?

Loolilalu sighed, rubbing the side of her head. She gave him a sheepish glance, gesturing to the door. “Although... perhaps we shall stop by the medical halls first to inquire about it immediately. Before the trials of the rest of the day interfere.”

Drumpick huffed, gesturing for her to take the lead. “I follow wherever you go, Loo. But please try to take it easy. Your eyes will give the people and other guards enough worry as is.”

“They will clear up soon enough,” the princess reassured. Still, for his sake, she did walk at a slow, careful pace as she went to the door. She hummed, glancing back at him. “I am quite surprised you did not try to knock on my door. If I am running late for an appointment-”

“No, no - I am merely early!” the captain reassured, following close behind. “I did not wish to disturb you if you needed more rest... And I wished to avoid the incident of two days ago.” His cheeks gained a red-pink tint as he blushed.

Loolilalu smiled, for a time feeling an urge to tease. “Oh? I would have thought that it would be the dream of any guard to see their princess undressed. Your wide eyes then seemed to convey as much.”

Drumpick’s blush worsened, sputtering in shock at her words. “M-my lady!?”

The princess put a hand to her mouth, trying and failing to suppress her giggles. “Hahaha! I’m sorry! I know it was an accident!” She sighed, looking forward as her tone became something close to wistful. “I... have not spoken like that since before I took the throne. It is weird, but... also a nice distraction to things.”

Her words hung in the air as she opened the door and they entered the hallway. It curved with the shape of the tower going left and right, with more large windows illuminating it. The inner wall was covered in unlit scones made of black licorice, contrasting with the tans and oranges that made up the walls and tiled floor. (They had bulbs installed rather than using fires, too - a change from the last couple of years.)

To the right were the stairs leading down into the rest of the castle, so she headed that way. Her “feet” clacked against the floor, her people always having hard, stubby ends on their legs. (Some said it was a miracle they had such balance despite this.)  Drumpick shadowed behind her, his tone inquisitive. “I... have trouble imagining you acting that way back then. I can barely believe it hearing you say such things now.”

The princess smiled with amusement. “It was such a different time for me back then, Drumpick. Being the heir to the throne had much more freedom and less expectation than actually being on it, if you can believe it. So long as I followed my lessons and such...”

The captain stepped up close enough so that she could see his inquisitive look. “That... seems a little backward to me, if I may say.”

“Well, I do suspect my tutors wanted to mess with my parents a little - particularly my dad,” Loolilalu admitted. She shook her head fondly. “They were such happy times. So carefree and full of laughter. I find myself wishing I could relieve them every so often - especially-”

She abruptly cut off, tensing as she realized where she was heading with that: “especially now.” She frowned, looking at the ground as her mood dampened. Would... that make it sound like she wished she could abandon her duties? That was not the case! Yes, it was hard on her, but the idea of abandoning her people was-

A deep sigh came from Drumpick. “My-... Loo. You are... far too hard on yourself, if I may be so bold to comment.”

The princess grimaced, clasping her hands in front of her. “So you and the others keep saying. Your council is appreciated... even if I cannot accept them.”

The captain frowned, that concerned look returning. “Loo, it is not your fault that the fudge beast attacked, nor that the knights betrayed us. If even God could not have foreseen this travesty...”

...Was it really that simple? When it was she who had banished The Fudge instead of executing him due to an old friendship? When she had not been able to see the malevolent intent of the knights when she met them - particularly that of the rabbit, Jax? When so many had ended up dead in the streets?

When she... was not even sure if God intended for this or not?

Taking a deep breath, she put her questions aside. Self-doubt could come later. Right now, she needed to be practical for everyone’s sake. And so she glanced back at her friend, putting on a more professional tone. “I shall keep that in mind. Now, I assume you have the latest reports from around the city?”

Drumpick did not look happy about the cut-off to the discussion. However, he merely sighed before looking ahead and giving his reports. “Clean-up of residue fudge is proceeding on schedule, thankfully. Some of it has even been salvaged and transformed into edible candy to help with food reserves.”

Loolilalu nodded, ignoring the queasiness in her stomach at that. Fudge beasts were sometimes hunted for such purposes, with their bodies providing some great material for fine delicacies when prepared properly. Even their residue from moving around could taste quite nice, from what she knew. It was not much different from hunting more normal candy animals for hide and food.

But... most fudge beasts were not sentient like this one was. It made her feel like she was turning her people into cannibals by allowing this to happen. However... she had not voiced her reservations, knowing they needed every scrap of edible candy they could get. So she let the matter be, despite how immoral it felt.

She was at least glad that the cleaning was going well, though, and voiced as such. “That is good to hear. And what of building repairs?”

The captain sighed, shaking his head. “There is only so much that can be done until fresh materials arrive. But I am told that they shall be here within the next week, along with more food and medicine! Until then, patches are being made to prevent further collapses.” He took a deep breath, his tone becoming more hopeful. “Chelsa, though, has said that she believes that we have found nearly every trapped survivor in the ruins who survived the attack. Those remaining should hopefully be taken to the makeshift infirmaries and given proper care by tonight.”

“Oh, thank God!” the princess exclaimed, breathing a sigh of relief as they finally reached the orange candy stone steps down. She had been worried for days now about people still trapped beneath rubble or otherwise too injured to get help. But it seemed that the situation there might finally be under control.

...It would also mean they would have a more accurate death count soon, too, but she tried not to dwell on that.

Shaking her head, she moved on to other matters as they began their descent down the tower, regarding those who have been lucky enough to be alive. “And... what are the current feelings of those recovering and other survivors?”

...The pause before Drumpick spoke was telling enough. “The... situation is well within control at the moment, at least.”

Loolilalu sighed, already feeling the weight of her burdens once more. Her eyes went to a window to the outside as they descended. From this angle and height, she was able to see much of the city as it stretched out from the palace. Over the years, she had loved to look over the mass of colorful buildings and pink-paved streets, people moving about like small bugs.

Right now, though... it looked like a war zone - which a few days ago, it was. So many buildings were covered in scorch marks from fires, had pieces broken off, or were gone entirely. Despite the news about the cleaning, she could pick out plenty of fudge patches coating everything as well. The only real movement she could see was mostly from what were clearly her soldiers patrolling and carrying out orders, with anyone else within their escort.

The city looked dead... but she knew that was far from the case. People were slowly getting better and trying to move about, the panic from the attack dissipated. With that, though, came a set of new problems for her - faced with a people of whom too many had lost everything. Lingering fear, anger, and other such emotions had to be brewing... and it would create a host of difficulties as some became desperate.

It was an inevitability, she lamented. I’m only shocked it took so long to start becoming an issue to actively contend with. She turned away from the windows they passed, clenching her hand in anticipation. “Just... be honest with me, Drumpick. Just what kind of opposition are we being faced with?”

The captain shrugged, orange eyes looking out at the devastation. “Well, the good thing is that there is very little against you directly. Your efforts with looking after those housed in the palace have kept you in good graces with the people. It helps that word has spread that you personally oversaw the killing of the fudge beast. A brilliant move in your favor, in hindsight!”

“...Chelsa and Sprinkst’s are responsible, I’m assuming?” the princess asked.

“They simply wish to spread word of your bravery,” Drumpick replied, sending her a small smile.

Loolilalu sighed, not arguing the point. She had not actually done much of anything then except give the order for the final shot to slay the beast. If anything, the other captains and their soldiers deserved all the credit - fudge, even those bandits! But if her guards were willingly embellishing her part in things, she was in no position to complain.

She knew, however, that was not the end of matters. “So then what is drawing people’s ire currently, then?”

The captain frowned, glancing down at his chest. “Well... there have been concerns about the command structure of the guards. Many holes in it are becoming more evident as we’ve tried to direct efforts around the city. Particularly regarding the chain of authority. It has not become unstable yet, but...”

“I will be sure to address it some today,” the princess said. Though while her voice was calm, she was berating herself on the inside. She had practically seen how the current structure of her guards might cause issues in a crisis, but she had put it off until now based on tradition and more important matters. Now that one was upon them, her delays were potentially costing them.

Drumpick nodded, before sighing heavily. “There is... also grumbles regarding the northern section of the city being relatively unscathed. Accusations that we had favored it at the expense of ‘less important’ areas.”

That one made Loolilalu frown, having wished that people would not take things that way. During the attack, the north section had indeed become their most fortified position. Now it was housing many of the survivors not in the palace, fitting into whatever structures they could manage. The overcrowding was causing its own ire, but ideas of favoritism were something she should have been better prepared for.

It was not as though they could have known how The Fudge’s strike, or where he would enter from. He came in through the south via the drawbridge, but his path of devastation was unpredictable. If he had headed straight north from the start, then it would have been destroyed like everywhere else. A different section of the city would then likely have become a haven for those fleeing.

But then, she understood why others would not see it that way. After all... the north section was where the main chapel was. And The Church had a whole section of the guard dedicated to them, which admittedly would have made raising defenses there easier. As much as she disliked it, she knew how that might appear to some people.

“Have there been any attacks against the clergy?” she dared to ask, needing to know how bad things have gotten.

“Not yet, but those who have been wandering about giving prayer are not always looked at favorably,” the captain stated. “We hope this is a passing thing - simply angry people trying to place blame to cope with all that has happened. Religion is so interwoven with the kingdom, after all!” He sighed again. “But... there are whispers of doom. That this is a sign that God has abandoned us.”

...The princess almost voiced how that seemed plausible, but swallowed such blasphemy down. Instead, she tried to smile and give a hopeful tone. “I am... sure that it will pass as you say. Just because we struggle does not mean that God is gone! He is surely giving us what blessings he can as we speak!”

“...As you say, my lady,” Drumpick replied. However... his eyes seemed to pierce right through her. Looking directly past her facade and seeing the doubts she could not purge from her heart... Or perhaps that was projection. He had to know something was going on, though, given one of her requests from the last few days.

Swallowing thickly, she looked back ahead, absently noting that they were over halfway down now. They passed by a floor with administration rooms filling the center, where she would normally check in to see the latest treaties and letters of their settlements and neighbors. The floor was very quiet now, however, with how staff had been redirected to help with citizens. The backlog would be massive no doubt once things elsewhere were better under control, but she could not worry about that now.

The sight did remind her, though, to ask about external matters. “Do we believe that those beyond our borders are learning what has happened here yet?”

The captain could only shrug. “We can only speculate there for now. But given the soldiers we sent to inform the rest of our settlements and other messages coming in and out, I’d say it’s only a matter of time. By the end of the week, both allies and enemies will likely know of the attack and be able to start acting accordingly.

“Your call for our men and women elsewhere to start preparing for unrest should help with those matters. There shall no doubt be plenty of bandits and other opportunists looking to exploit our weakness. But we shall be armed and ready.” He nodded to her. “On such a note, Chelsa has requested we send more guards to the syrup fields again.”

Loolilalu sighed, shaking her head as they kept descending. “I told her that I would address that today with her.”

“She simply wishes to make sure you have not forgotten amid your other duties,” Drumpick replied. He then paused, before taking another deep breath. “I suppose this links back to questions of the command structure...”

A lesser ruler might have groaned at the cavalcade of problems. So many of them were directly hinged on each other, meaning a choice with one would affect them all. And worse, simultaneously, a good decision for one might cause further issues for another. They were only four days into this crisis, yet this could be the last one if she did not think her options through carefully. The pressure was suffocating.

...But she would not back down. Not when her people needed her. She... she would find a way to solve everything and bring them to prosperity. She was their princess after all. If she could not toughen up to face this... then what good was the crown on her head?

Thus, she gave a simple nod to her friend, plastering on a smile with far more assuredness than she felt. “I shall deal with it all, Drum. Have faith that we shall make it - if not due to God, then due to the strength of you and everyone else who serves me!”

Drumpick blinked at her... then gave a small smile, respect shining in his eyes. “I know not how you are able to handle this. It feels like the end times are upon us.”

“It is my duty to be this way on behalf of my people,” Loolilalu said simply, being sure to make her steps more elegant as they went down the stairs. She could see they were near the bottom now, the last floor coming into view with four large dark graham-cracker doors leading elsewhere with red and pink swirled peppermint pillars between them. Beyond laid the palace proper, where her day would truly begin.

“I suppose so,” the captain conceded... As they reached the bottom step, however, he looked at her intently. “But... I ask again to please don’t push yourself too much. I do not wish for you to get hurt.”

Taking another breath, the princess nodded, smoothing her dress out. “I shall do my best. But I cannot afford to slack off, either.” She stepped up to one of the doors, ready to head out.

...But before she did, she stopped, her mind drifting to an earlier thought she had. She glanced at her fellow lollipop person hesitantly, wishing to confirm this before they were within earshot. Not that it was a secret matter, but... she was embarrassed by the slight desperation in her tone she could not quite squash. “Um... Has there been any update on my request to Father Bluebell, by the way?”

A look resembling pity came over Drumpick’s face, though she had no clue how much he knew this meant to her. Regardless, he simply shrugged. “None directly, but... I believe a member of the clergy will be by this morning to give you an answer.”

Loolilalu turned away, biting her lips. That was... not as definitive as she would have liked, but at least she was likely to have a date soon for her request. She hated this waiting, but... Bluebell was no doubt quite busy at the moment. The reports she just received confirmed this. I only hope I will not need to wait upon him for too long...

She had dallied enough, though. So, with one last deep breath and a smile that looked natural forced on her face, she pushed through the door, her captain taking position beside her. Then they continued through the hallways... to face the broken city she had to put back together.

-------

The palace, like her room, was similarly very undamaged. The peppermint pillars stood tall, and large red banners with the kingdom emblem hung from the walls. Portraits of past rulers were beside them, along with weapons commonly used among the soldiers - blunted, of course, or disarmed in the case of firearms. Fluffy pink carpets covered the purple-tiled floors, which aside from sugar dust were fine. Only the stained glass windows with small cracks from tremors showed that an attack had happened.

...Or, well, in terms of structural damage, anyway. The second bit of evidence was the amount of civilians crammed within.

The hallways were mostly clear of them, to be fair. As Loolilalu moved around, most of the people she passed were her servants and guards. They carried various supplies, be they containers of liquid chocolate to drink, fresh gauze, boxes of food, and other such things. Many seemed tired and haggard, but even so, they carried on with grim expressions. (They brightened somewhat, at least, when she caught their eye and waved at them.)

She passed by a few of her people, though... all looking so sad and lost. She saw one green gummy rabbit man asking about his wife to an official carrying some paperwork filled with names. (His purple legs made her twitch briefly, but she ignored it - it was not the same as his .) Another man, blue but the same type, was sitting against a wall, staring listlessly at the ground seeming haunted. More passed her by heading to various places - all in various states of injury.

Turning around the next corner, she passed by a hard-candy woman whose leg was missing. She was moving the other way with the help of a crutch made with vanilla wafer sticks and icing. A guard was at her side ready to catch her, but it seemed she was trying to move around on her own and get used to her new way of living.

It was far from the worst injury the princess had seen here recently... but for some reason, her eyes lingered on the woman. Not the missing leg, but... her appearance. She had no clue why, though - there was nothing of particular note about her. Yet still her eyes took in as much as she could.

Beneath the white patient gown the woman was given, she had blue skin with rough purple veins scattered about. It had a similar texture to a lollipop person’s head, if seeming softer. Otherwise, she had rather normal blue eyes and lips, and purple hair with a gummy texture to it. Just your everyday hard-candy person - others obviously having their own colors and skin patterns, naturally - the most plentiful of candy people in general.

So then... what was this tingle in the back of her head? Like this appearance was... not too far from something she had seen before? It was hard to place with who, though. Just that the woman’s body structure resembled it, but was more... detailed. Like-

“My lady?” Drumpick whispered next to her, trying not to disturb those in the hallway. “Do you need to take a moment to rest?”

Blinking, Loolilalu realized she had slowed her stride considerably. Shaking her head, she picked back up the pace and tried to stop herself from blushing. Luckily, the woman and guard had not noticed her stare, which was good. She was not sure what explanation she could give for staring like that. She did not even know why.

Even so, she spoke in the hopes of putting the orange-white-swirled head man at ease. “I am fine. I was struck by pity for that woman, is all. Do we have any prosthetics that we could provide her? And I told you - it’s Loo!”

The captain shrugged. “Potentially. I am not sure how many, though. It would be rather awkward to start giving them out and leave many people who could use them without, would it not?”

The princess sighed, but nodded in agreement. She was almost certain they did not have enough made for all those who needed such limbs. The doctors would have to give judgments on that on an individual basis. That did not mention the repairs and money it would take those people afterward to maintain them.

Another issue with too few good solutions, she lamented. There were too many of those these last few days. And those would continue to pile up, no doubt...

But once more, she tried not to dwell upon this. She instead focused ahead, trying to get to the more outer areas of the palace. There was the thought of getting breakfast first, but she was... not feeling hungry yet. She found that for the last two days, she could never stomach anything until she performed one task in particular. Drumpick and the other captains did not her delaying meals like this, but they allowed it so long as she ate immediately afterward. At least I have an excuse to ask about sleep remedies today...

She did her best not to let her eyes wander, even as they passed more citizens wandering around. But even so... her heart ached passing each one. They all seemed to have this aura of defeat around them. As though their days were numbered, even with The Fudge dead. And for all of her authority, she felt powerless to cheer them up, no matter how much she tried to act like her usual kind self.

It was ironic that even in the palace this atmosphere was prevalent. In other circumstances, it would perhaps be a dream come true for these people to be here, freely roaming these elegant halls. Who would not want to glimpse at the place their leader conducted her business? Where all matter of governing took place that had prior led to their prosperous age?

Such grandeur, however, felt irrelevant even to her now... especially as they reached the outer parts of the palace. Here, there was a sour-sweet scent mixed with that of syrups and candy chemicals, more associated with hospitals than the place of a princess. The pink walls also did nothing to hide the pink-white stains of blood that now covered them and the floor. Soon, groans and whimpers could start to be heard behind the doors they passed.

In what had felt like no time at all, they had reached the “medical wing” of the palace.

Loolilalu did not enter the first door she passed by. Many of those rooms she had gone into already before today. She wanted to be sure she was visiting as many people as possible - especially those unable to leave where they were being treated. Everyone deserved a chance at being able to see her without having to request being moved.

Soon, though, she stopped at one, taking a breath and straightening her posture. She nodded to the two guards standing outside, ready to protect the occupant within (though the chances of an attack were low) or help with unruly patients. They saluted her, stepping aside so that she could enter. Then, without a second delay, she pushed through the door.

The large room had not had a specific purpose before the attack. Wide and tall, requiring four peppermint pillars in a square in the middle, it had seen a lot of use mostly for social gatherings with officials in her kingdom and ambassadors from elsewhere. Like her (former) main dining room, its chandelier was yellow and white, and was the main source of illumination with no windows to be seen.

In such times, tables of fancy food and drinks would be set out with string instruments being played in the corner. Now... it was backed with the injured. And unlike those times filled with laughter, only groans of pain greeted her.

Most were on makeshift white beds with pink wheels under them, red hard-sugar stoppers used to stop them from rolling. Those in fairly good condition or just visiting, though, either sat against walls or walked around the tightly packed rows, with barely enough room for one person to pass through. Doctors and nurses in white coats and holding various medical equipment also moved around, tending to the wounded or giving them meals while they recovered. Near the door she came in were several pink and white boxes, no doubt filled with more things to help the injured.

There had to be nearly two hundred patients in total, the best she could tell. It was a tad overwhelming, if she were honest, since the last several rooms she had visited had only been big enough for twenty or thirty people. But still, that was why she had picked this one - to see as many people as possible.

...She could not help the way her hands started trembling again, though.

She was distracted from this by one of the doctors approaching her. It was a hard-candy person, with pink skin and wavy orange lines across it, with yellow eyes and short orange hair. The woman had a black clipboard in one hand and a pen in the other. But both were lowered as she stood before her and bowed. “Your Highness! I am so sorry I was not ready to greet you! Had I known you were coming-”

“It’s alright, doctor,” Loolilalu reassured, raising one hand and smiling placatingly. “My decision to stop by here was random. I do not wish to cause any disturbances in your work by announcing my coming.”

The woman straightened up, taking a deep breath. She seemed to calm down as she nodded, trying and failing not to act nervous. “I... Of course. I’m sorry, I just... It’s still so strange to me to be working in the same building as you. It’s an honor to be chosen for this!”

Despite appreciating the sentiment, the princess could not help but frown a little. “I... am not sure I quite agree, since many of you are here due to the actual hospitals being destroyed.”

The doctor grimaced, rubbing the back of her head. “Y-yes, that... is rather unfortunate. Just... trying to look on the bright side of things.”

Loolilalu sighed before nodding. “That’s fine. I do hope that we will be able to get those repaired once supplies arrive.” She looked out over the rows of patience. “Still, how are you finding this place? I hope you have not been encountering too many problems with treating everyone?”

The woman nodded vigorously gesturing outward. “Oh, yes! We’ve been able to work just fine, thank you! Your servants and guards have been rather good about getting us supplies as needed. I do wish we could give some of the patients more privacy, but they all seem to be taking things as well as they can. It’s not too different from the hospitals, really.” She glanced up. “Though... with much higher ceilings.”

The princess giggled, smiling a little. “I do aim to impress my guests.”

The doctor laughed. “Well, I can’t deny it’s more lively in looks alone than most hospital rooms.” She lifted her clipboard, frowning a little. “Although... I am worried about what I’m hearing about a few medicine shortages. Do you know if it’s true that we’re low on Birch Powder?”

Loolilalu gazed at her sadly, giving a confirming nod. “I don’t know about that specifically, but it would not surprise me. More supplies should be here in a week or so.” She glanced at the bedded patients with worry. “Do you believe most of them will be able to hold out until then?”

“Most of those in this room, very likely,” the woman replied, though made a few hasty scribbles on her board. “These people mainly suffered from burns and collapsed debris from the attack. There’s no one in here that I would say is in fatal condition... but some could become that way if we are unable to provide proper care. If it’s only a week, though, that should hopefully not happen.”

She paused, glancing nervously up at her ruler. “Um... But if I may ask, is... there any maple syrup that can be spared in case of a sudden nosedive case?”

The princess looked down, clasping her hands tightly together as she frowned deeply. Drumpick then stepped up, answering for her. “What we have is stretched thin. Nearly half of what was retrieved from the bandits had to be used on the first day alone to keep several from dying. Many of those required further doses to help stabilize them. I can talk with the lead royal physician about it, but unless you have a patient who cannot survive by any other means, he will likely refuse.”

The doctor did not seem bothered by this, simply nodding at the answer. “I see. That was about what I expected, but I still thought I’d ask. I wouldn’t want to take away from anyone still on the verge of dying.” She sighed wearily, her posture slumping. “What a time for the syrup fields to be dried up...”

The captain nodded grimly. “It is very unfortunate timing. We can only hope the drought will end soon for everyone’s sake.”

“I pray for it every day,” the hard-candy woman murmured. She sighed, adjusting her coat. “I’m simply glad that the knights, no matter the rumors of corruption, brought back the tanker. I shudder to think what the casualties would be like without it.”

Loolilalu nodded... yet the circumstances around that saving grace of a retrieval still had her puzzled, to put it mildly. There were so many questions around it and the initial theft that she did not like lacking the answers to. She had no clue what to feel about it... or what to make of a certain jester of God’s role in it all.

These were not concerns to put on this poor doctor, though. So instead, she shook her head and lightened her expression again. She gestured to the room, giving her tone more professionalism. “So you say that no one here is in critical condition, yes? Does that mean I may move around and talk to some of them?”

The woman blinked, before hastily nodding, stepping back to clear a path. “O-oh! Yes, of course! My apologies for delaying you! I had heard you’ve been doing this, but without any warnings, I... Go on ahead.”

The princess smiled kindly, giving her a small bow. She glanced at Drumpick, gesturing from him to the doctor. “Drumpick, please stay with this fine doctor and see what you can do about any further concerns she has. I’ll be sure to shout if I need you.” She hoped she would not have to, though, to avoid disturbing these poor people.

The captain nodded, stepping closer to the woman as he inspected what she had written down. Leaving them to this, Loolilalu walked with a careful poise toward the rows of patients. Most had not noticed her presence yet, due to the size of the room and being more focused on their injuries and other ailments.

As she approached, though, she saw that a few had already long spotted her, eyes wide. They only got bigger as she got closer, whispering to people close by who had not seen her yet. Soon, dozens of eyes were turned her way, those who could rise trying to lift themselves to get a better look at her.

She made sure to smile gently at them, coming up to the nearest bed. On it was a gummy person - a bear, whose head and left side were yellow, and right side and legs were blue, wearing a white patient gown. He had lots of gauze around his head, covering his left eye, as well as his torso. Best she could tell, he was dealing with burns, mainly, with black marks peeking out from his coverings.

He was fairly asleep at first, but that quickly changed thanks to the commotion around him. He opened his uncovered eye groggily - solid white like all gummy people - which gazed around... then noticed the royal figure by his bedside. It shot open and hollowed, the man almost sitting straight up. “Wha-? You’re-!”

That was as far as he got before wincing, his injuries forcing him to lie down again. The princess was quick to help him ease down, patting his pillow for good measure. Sighing with relief once he was comfortable again, she shook her head and lightly scolded him. “Don’t strain yourself like that! You clearly need more time to rest and recover.”

It was unclear if the man heard her words. He just stared at her, mouth agape. “You... You’re really here? This isn’t a dream? I’ve never been so close to...”

Loolilalu giggled lightly, his reaction undoing a few of the knots in her chest. (Not all of them, but still a few.) She smiled, gently placing a hand on his shoulder and speaking softly. “Stay strong, good sir. I know that you’re struggling right now, but I promise that things will get better. You’ll be out of here before you know it.”

He looked at her with awe, as if not believing she was here speaking such words personally to him. “You... you think so?”

“I know so,” the princess stated, giving his arm a soft squeeze. Then, she pulled away, giving him parting words as she walked off. “Please continue resting. Those close to you I’m sure are waiting for you to get better.”

It was such a short interaction - not even reaching a full minute. Yet when she glanced back at the man... she saw a new vigor in those eyes. Not the heavy expressions she had seen in the halls, but something far lighter. There was some melancholy, no doubt worried for his loved ones, but overall there was a renewed sense of hope to him.

It made her smile brightly, at long last feeling a true sense of joy. This... this had become one of the highlights of these last few days. It was hard, of course, seeing so many of her people so beaten and in dire straights. There was little physically that she could do to help them, too, not having any medical knowledge beyond basic concepts. Even then, that was much different than being able to perform them well.

But... it made her happy that she could do something, no matter how small it felt. That the simple act of visiting these people and showing that she cared made them feel better. She was not going to run from the horrors inflicted on her kingdom like her mother might have. She would see as many of them as she could... and help them believe that the future was not dead yet.

And so, like in days prior, she started doing her rounds through the room. She smiled and waved at everyone, being sure that her empathy was clear on her face. She could not stop to talk with everyone - that would take too long - but she made sure to make eye contact with as many as possible. The action alone, though, seemed to help some smile as well.

Those she did stop by, she kept her exchanges brief. That was not to say she was not listening to them, of course - she let them say whatever they wished. One hard-candy woman cried a little when she stopped next to her, thanking her for simply coming so close to her. Another lollipop man actually had a paper for her to sign, saying it was for his kid, which she happily did. Many others had their own kind words to say, the sad air of the room seeming to ease up with her every step.

It was flattering in many ways to receive such a reception. It showed how respected and loved by everyone she was. How even after they came so close to total destruction, they still looked to her for guidance. Still believed that she might be able to fix things. She did not think she could ever find the words to say how much their faith meant to her.

...Though a voice deep inside asked if she were worthy of such admiration anymore, given what she had let pass.

But she kept those depressing thoughts buried, entirely focused on her task. Nearly a whole half hour passed like this as she tried to be sure to let everyone get a good look at her. She continued to give encouraging words, praying for the speedy recovery of everyone. Even the doctors and nurses seemed to stand taller when they passed her by.

Eventually, though... she knew it was time to leave. Her stomach was finally starting to growl, demanding the sustenance that she had put off. She grimaced on the inside, wishing she could stay longer and talk with more people. But she knew if she did not leave soon, then Drumpick would politely but firmly drag her off himself. So with reluctance, she started to turn back to the entrance-

-but was stopped by a soft, young voice near here. “No way! Loolili?! Is that really you?!”

Blinking at the callout and unique nickname, the princess turned to a nearby bed where she found... a child - eight to ten by her guess. She was a hard-candy person, who was seemingly entirely pink save for a few specs of dark red. Her long hair was a darker shade of pink, and her eyes a bright crimson that looked at her with amazement. A small patient gown had been provided to her, with no openings to show what her injuries might be. Though... what was interesting was the marshmallow flowers that were beside her, which no other patient had.

Whatever they were, though, did not seem to stop the child from propping herself on her elbows. She smiled widely, practically bouncing on her bed. “Oh my God! It is you! I told Mom I’d get the chance to see you! I told her!”

Unable to help smiling at the kid’s enthusiasm, Loolilalu stepped closer with her hands clasped before her. “Well, then, I am glad to make your day! What’s your name, little one?”

“I’m Rosey!” the child exclaimed proudly, giving a toothy smile that showed off her white, glossy candy teeth. “And my mom says I’m the cutest kid in the entire kingdom!”

The princess giggled, standing beside her now. “You sure are. Just look at those little red spots! They just make your smile all the brighter!”

Rosey gasped, letting herself fall back onto her bed as she covered her mouth with glee. “Oh my God! I just got complimented by Loolili! Mom’s going to be so jealous when I tell her! Oh, thank you so much!”

Loolilalu’s heart was filled with fondness as she watched the child freak out. This was perhaps the most receptive that anyone had been to her presence and reassurances these entire four days. But then, children were not too difficult to please, usually. Yet even so... there was something nice about seeing a child so giddy from being able to talk with her.

...The fact that a child had ended up here, however, was anything but good. She knew there were rooms in the palace currently being used exclusively for treating kids. The Fudge had not shown mercy upon them for their age, leaving them injured and trapped in the ruins like any other victims. Some were even likely... Had likely been...

She blinked hard, trying desperately not to finish that thought. She put her focus solely on the young one in front of her, smiling gently as they calmed down. The hard-candy child smiled back, still brimming with energy.

It was a peaceful moment... but then, she decided to make sure of something. She glanced around, asking the little one a question. “So where is your mother? Is she in this room as well?” None of the nearby patients seemed to have any resemblance to her, but...

Rosey shook her head. “Nope! Mom got lucky and was close to the palace when the attack started. She was one of the first to get to safety - barely getting a scratch!” She looked down, a tad more somber. “I’m glad about that. I don’t want Mom to lose an arm.”

The princess felt stricken by that comment, but maintained her calm facade. “Have... you seen many people who lost their arms?”

“No, but I hear about it a lot,” the hard-candy kid said. “There’s barely anything to do other than listen to the doctors talk to others about people outside of this room.” She glanced around, then used one hand to cup her mouth, half-whispering. “They try to be quiet about it when close to me. But just between me and you... they’re really bad at it.”

Loolilalu managed a small chuckle, smiling weakly. “I see...”

Rosey giggled, not seeming to pick up on her discomfort. It helped her to relax a little, glad at least that the kid did not seem to be too bothered by being forced to stay here. It was a miracle that she was so chipper after everything that transpired, honestly. Children can be remarkably resilient. I’m just glad she still has her mother... I don’t want to think about those less lucky.

It was then, though, that she noticed a discrepancy in the story. Her eyes scrunched in the equivalent of furrowed eyebrows for her, scanning over the kid. “Wait... if your mother got in safely, then why didn’t you? Were you not with her?”

That managed to make Rosey wince. She looked away, shame evident on her face. “No... I had run away to play in one of the parks. It’s my first time visiting the city, and I just wanted to play with kids my age. I knew where to meet her afterward - we had talked about what to do if I ever got lost! But then...”

She went quiet... but it was easy to guess what had happened. The princess felt her heart twist, hating how such an innocent bit of childish mischief had been made worse by The Fudge’s arrival. It was even worse knowing she was not a local, likely coming in from another kingdom settlement. She and her mom had come here expecting a relaxing time, only to be faced with a monster laying everything to waste.

How was that fair to this kid? Why did this have to happen to her - to everyone? Why had she not been able to stop it? Why-

Her thoughts were cut off by a sniffle from Rosey, who had small tears in her eyes now. “I... I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have done it. Mom was so upset when she found out I was brought here. I-I didn’t mean to-”

Unable to take the sight of a child crying, Loolilalu moved her hand to her hair, curling her fingers through it. “Hey - there’s no need for that! You couldn’t have known what would happen! You still should not have run from your parent - a kid should never be by themselves in a city full of strangers! But I know you meant no harm, and I’m sure your mom knows it, too.”

The hard-candy child sniffled again, daring to look back at her. “You... you mean it?”

The princess nodded, using her free hand to wipe up some tears from the other. “I do. What matters is that you’re alive.” She managed a teasing smile. “And once you’re out of here, I’m sure you’ll listen to your mom and never run off like that again, right?”

Rosey nodded vigorously. “I won’t! I’ll be a good kid from now on!”

“Very good!” Loolilalu said, ruffling the child’s hair. This earned her a squeal and plenty of laughter, tiny hands swatting at her own. It filled her chest with a friendly warmth, watching as the kid returned to her previous energy. Of all the patients she talked to... helping her made her feel more than ever she was making some kind of difference in these people’s lives.

Truly, was there anything more fulfilling than seeing a child’s smile?

...Her good mood was somewhat soured, though, at Rosey’s next words, who huffed and stared up at the ceiling. “It wasn’t even my fault that I got injured, though. Not the one that got me in here. It was that dumb rabbit’s fault!”

The princess froze, eyes going wide. Clearing her throat and schooling her expression, she tried to gently prod at this information. “Um... what rabbit... precisely? As in a gummy one, or...?”

The child looked a little puzzled, shaking her head. “No, it wasn’t a gummy. I... don’t know what kind of candy he was. He was tall and purple, with yellow eyes and teeth, and pink overalls. He was also carrying around a gun, so I thought he was there to stop the beast at first.” She huffed, crossing her arms. “Until he kicked me away after I answered his question.”

...For a moment, Loolilalu felt an anger stirring in her heart - one she had let simmer as she kept her thoughts elsewhere. Now, however, that small flame was growing again, making her hands tremble once more that morning. Images of that rabbit passed through her head from when they met that day... And overlaid with it were her imaginings of him covered in the blood of her people, cackling madly as he led The Fudge through the streets - alongside him the other traitors.

It was apparently not enough that they had nearly burned this place to the ground and let it be digested in a fudge beast’s stomach. Nor had it satiated them enough to slaughter so many of her soldiers without remorse. But now she learned that they had injured a child? Had left her for dead - to be eaten as well?

What... what kind of monsters were they?! How deep did their evil - especially Jax’s - run in their veins?! She wanted to scream about their betrayal. To curse those heretics and wring her hands around their necks! To curse God for not seeing-!

That last one made her stop, realizing where her thoughts had brought her. She took a deep breath, hoping that her rage had not shown too much on her face. But thankfully, Rosey had not appeared to notice a thing, still silently grumbling about getting hurt. Nobody else around them seemed to have seen anything, either.

Still, she berated herself internally for letting her anger nearly consume her. No matter how much she hated the knights and their actions, she could not lose her temper like that in front of everyone. They needed a leader who appeared optimistic about the future - not one fueled by rage and grief. They could not see how distraught those traitors' actions had left her... or how it had affected her faith.

And she especially was not going to lose herself right now and scare a child over it. So after a few more breaths, she gazed back at the young girl, fighting to keep her voice neutral. “I am terribly sorry to hear that. What was his question, if I may ask?”

“He wanted to know where a woman made of ribbons had run off to,” Rosey answered. “She had passed by about a minute before he did, running from a guard while crying. I thought he was helping that man, so...”

Loolilalu frowned, placing that information away for later. “And he kicked you hard enough to get you put in here?”

“Well, no... but he did kick me against a building that collapsed on me after he ran away,” the hard-candy child explained. She gently touched her upper left side. “They had to pull some rubble out of me, and the disinfectants hurt. But it wasn’t that big - they even say I should be well enough to get up in a few days!”

The princess gasped, looking over the kid again. “You have a hole in your chest? You shouldn’t have tried to rise before!”

“It was barely an inch or two!” Rosey said while pouting.

“Well, you’re not going to again without a nurse’s or doctor’s help!” Loolilalu said firmly. She tapped her crown. “Princess’s orders.”

The child sighed dramatically. “Okay - fiiiine! I won’t do it again.” There was a pause... then she looked at her curiously. “Was... that man one of God’s knights? I hear that they went bad. You didn’t look happy when I described him, either.”

The princess blinked, surprised that the kid had noticed that after all. Still, she sighed, seeing no reason to deny it. “Yes... I believe he was, given what you said. He was the worst of them by all the accounts I’ve been given, too.”

Rosey frowned, looking devastated. “That sucks. My mom and I didn’t get to attend the ceremony welcoming them, but everyone sounded so excited that they came before that night. Did they really all turn out to be bad guys?”

Such an understatement, Loolilalu thought, staring at the ground morosely. She herself had felt so honored that morning, too - so enamored by what she thought would be holy warriors. Instead... they were more fit to be conspirators with demons. All of that hope she had after having the privilege to speak with God himself...

...But despite her turmoil, she tried to give credit where it was due - especially if it meant making this child a little happy. She looked back at her, managing a small smile. “Well... not all of them. One who dressed as a jester actually helped to kill The Fudge.”

As she had hoped, Rosey’s eyes lit up, looking at her with astonishment. “They did?”

“Yes - I saw it with my own eyes!” Loolilalu said, which was... close enough to the truth. The woman and the bandits had bought them the time needed to get in the killing blows. All of the other uncertainties she would keep quiet about.

The child’s bright smile returned. “Wow! I knew there had to be good ones! I bet she was as brave as you were when staring down that beast!”

That got the princess to chuckle nervously, feeling self-conscious. “Ah, well... it was more thanks to the bravery of my soldiers than me that-”

“Come on - don’t say that!” Rosey said, giving that toothy smile. “I know you’re very brave and talented! Everyone always says that you’re one of the best princesses the kingdom has ever had! I bet you’re helping so many people when not visiting people like us! That’s why I want to be a princess like you when I grow up!”

...Loolilalu was not quite sure what to say, staring at the kid with wide eyes. She was flattered, certainly, but... So much praise when all she did was visit the sick... Something she took pride in, but even so...

Rosey continued, looking at her eagerly. “Are you a great fighter like the last king was? Oh! Or do you know how to heal people? Is that why you’re visiting us - to see if anyone needs your special touch? I thought I heard that an older queen could do that!”

Pursing her lips, the princess could not help but rub her neck sheepishly. “Um... No, those aren’t among my skills, Miss Rosey.”

“Aw, that’s too bad - I bet you’d be great at them!” the kid said, gesturing her arms widely. “If you’re already a good princess, then learning that would make you, like... a super princess!”

Loolilalu laughed, once again smiling. “That’s an interesting way to look at things...” Taking a breath, she started to take a small step back. “But anyway, I’m afraid I must get going, Rosey. I wish we could talk more, but my duties call to me.” She had already spent more time with this child than any of the other patients. If she did not get moving now, Drumpick might start getting annoyed.

Before she could turn away, though, Rosey waved at her, shifting in bed and grabbing the flowers she noticed earlier. “Wait! Please - can I give you one of these? My mom keeps bringing these to me every time she visits. I want you to have one as a thank you for talking with me!”

Eyes widening at the offer for a second, the princess smiled politely and stepped close again, holding out her hand. “Oh. Sure, I supposed. Which one were you thinking?”

The child rolled her eyes, looking at her like she did not understand. “Not just to hold, silly! Can you crouch next to me for a few seconds?”

Confused, Loolilalu nonetheless obliged, kneeling beside the bed. Rosey then picked up one of the flowers, which the lollipop woman realized was not a marshmallow one. Rather, it was a Jolly Rancher rose, with shiny red petals and a soft pink stem. Not exactly a common flower within the canyons, which made them a touch pricy for plants.

The child lifted it to her fruit-slice hair, gesturing for her to come closer. Realizing what she was doing, the princess obliged and turned her head to give a better angle. For a few seconds, she felt those tiny hands work, tucking the step in and using its natural stickiness to help put it into place. It was hard to tie knots that worked for hair like hers, but the little one was surprisingly doing well.

Then, Rosey leaned back, smiling at the flower now on the woman’s left side of her head. “There! Now you have a Rose from Rosey! I hope you like it!”

Loolilalu giggled at the childish joke, smiling kindly at her as she lifted a hand and gently brushed the petals. “It’s wonderful. Thank you, Rosey.” She stood up, placing her hand on her arm one last time. “I really must be going now. Take care in your recovery and get some rest.”

“I will!” the child promised, waving her goodbye. “I hope you’ll visit me and the others here again!”

The princess paused, wondering how long that might take - there were more rooms holding injured she had yet to visit. But even so... she smiled and nodded to her. “I will... I promise.”

With that, she at last walked away, listening to Rosey’s giggles behind her. Looking around as she went down the row, she also took in the other patients. One or two looked a little envious that she had spent so much time with a kid and not them... However, the majority of them had expressions of amusement and endearment. Seeing her be so gentle with the little one had apparently lightened up everyone’s mood.

While not her intent, the outcome made her smile more as she made her way to the front. There, she found Drumpick and the doctor from before waiting, finishing up a discussion as they turned to her. The former smiled at her, pointing to her new accessory. “It really compliments your current dress, I feel.”

Loolilalu laughed, standing taller. “Saw my little talk from a distance, then?”

The doctor nodded, tucking back her orange hair as she smiled gratefully. “Even from here, I could tell how happy you were making her. Thank you for that. She was a bit of overflow due to space being taken up in the rooms housing other kids recovering. We’ve been trying to entertain her, but... getting books and such is somehow more difficult than medical supplies.”

The princess sighed at the news. “Likely a logistical problem. I’ll talk with officials about it.” She glanced back Rosey’s way, frowning a little. “I do hope she’s doing fine.”

“We’ve already removed the rubble that punctured her,” the doctor reassured, writing a little more on her clipboard. “It was thankfully not too deep, otherwise I doubt she would have lived. The painkillers and numbing salves we’ve been giving her have done wonders, but even though she’ll be aching once she leaves, she’ll be okay.”

Loolilalu pursed her lips, nodding slowly. She trusted these people’s judgment when it came to this stuff, so she let it be. But still... it was sad that children had ended up like this. The injustice made all the worse by who caused this one such injury.

Her hand started to shake once more, clenching it to stop them. All of these emotions inside of her... Just how much longer could she keep them bottled up?

Drumpick tapped her arm, grabbing her attention as he spoke. “Well, we had best get going. I’m sure the chiefs are going to have a fit if your breakfast goes cold again like yesterday.”

The princess resisted rolling her eyes at the small jab in public. She looked to the doctor, bowing to her and giving her thanks. Then, she and the captain went to the door, heading back out into the hallway to head elsewhere in the palace.

Giving parting nods to the guards outside as she passed, she looked at her friend, who took up position at her side as they walked. “So was there more that doctor...?” She trailed off, realizing with great embarrassment that she never got the woman’s name, too focused on seeing the patients. The realization made her cheeks pinken, glancing around as if the name would be written somewhere. (They had also not asked about sleep remedies after all...)

Seeming to pick up on this, Drumpick shrugged and answered the half-finished question. “Dr. Stephie did not make too many requests. We mostly confirmed what supplies were in shortage until shipments arrived so that she could work around it. By the end, she did not seem too worried... but not exactly reassured, either.”

Loolilalu shook her head, frowning to herself with frustration. “I... I wish there was more we could do for her. For all of them. But so many others also need these things...”

The captain frowned back with sympathy, his tone attempting reassurance. “It is as you said earlier - we must have faith and stand strong in this crisis. Those people will be fine until supplies come, I’m sure.”

“...It’s Loo,” the princess said quietly, suddenly lacking the energy to continue this conversation. She turned ahead, trying to clear the cobwebs in her head. The day was not going to get any simpler, after all. She needed to keep up her strength for the sake of everyone. If she did not, then more than just her would suffer.

...But she could not escape the feeling that it was not enough. That there was more that she could do. That this kingdom would crumble within her fingers if she-

“Your Highness!” a voice called behind them. “I come bearing news!”

Loolilalu and her companion turned to see someone rushing toward them. It was another guard - a hard-candy man with turquoise and red skin. Although... she quickly realized he was not a typical palace guard. Those men and women had white-trimmed shields or sashes, barring those of captain rank or a few specialists like cannon masters. This man’s shield, however, was marked with blue frosting... marking him as with The Church.

Her heart instantly fluttered, hoping this meant what she thought it did. She kept her composure, though, as the man stopped before her and saluted, nodding her head back. “Good day, soldier. What news do you bring?”

The man went into a deep bow. “I come with a personal message from Father Bluebell. He has finally worked out a time for the audience you have requested. He apologizes that a member of the clergy could not deliver it themselves, but they are very busy around the city.”

“No, no - that’s... perfectly okay!” the princess said, a bit of glee entering her voice. She released a breath, a wave of relief coming over her. She could not help the jitters in her hands as she smiled, unable to express what this meant to her.

She had truly feared that she would not receive an update from The Church’s leader for several more days. With all the chaos, she would not have blamed him. But now... she would at least know when she could see him - the man who had helped advise her for as long as she could remember...

Breathing deeply, she waved for the guard to continue. “Come, then. When will The Father be able to see me?”

The man nodded. “This afternoon, if you can make it, your Highness.”

...Loolilalu did not bother to hide her shock. Drumpick also looked surprised, tilting his head at the other. “So soon?”

The guard simply nodded again. “Yes. He was quite adamant in telling me to reassure you that his schedule would be free to you anytime later today. If you require a different date, though-”

“No!” the princess quickly exclaimed. Realizing her tone, though, she cleared her throat and shook her head, the smile on her face stretching wider than ever. “No, that’s... that’s perfect! Go back and tell him that I shall be there as soon as my morning duties are done!”

The man saluted, quickly running back the way he came. As he did so, Drumpick glanced at her, eyes conveying a raised eyebrow. “Is your schedule clear enough to do that today?”

“I shall fit it into my inspection and wandering of the city,” Loolilalu quickly reassured... though her focus was not on him. Her heart pounded, just begging for her to call out with joy and weep. She had prayed for a meeting soon, but this soon was... It was a miracle she had not dared to hope for.

Sighing, though with a hint of fondness, the captain led her off to where she would eat breakfast. Yet her mind kept racing, her mouth hurting from the smile straining it. A long day awaited her, but now she had something great to look forward to that would make it all more bearable.

This afternoon... she would be able to get advice from her oldest mentor. She would finally have an outlet for the various emotions boiling within her. She could clear her head and find a more defined path ahead for her kingdom.

And most importantly... he might be able to mend the wounded faith in her she dearly missed clinging to...

Chapter Text

The rest of Loolilalu’s morning passed by very quickly for her. For the first time in days, though, it was not due to an encroaching numbness that she hid behind her smiles. Rather, it was due to that spark of hope lit in her from the message delivered by that guard. It was her guiding light now, promising her some form of salvation from her heart tearing itself apart. A light she refused to let get away from her no matter how difficult the day was.

However, that did not mean that her morning was by any stretch easy. After she had breakfast - a fine meal of marble cake, light green marshmallows, and plain liquid chocolate - she had been thrust into her administrative duties. This largely consisted of listening to her guards, officials, and people representing other industries like construction about the ongoing rebuilding efforts. There was much to be done and only so much manpower, so they required direction on how to prioritize everything.

As their ruler, it fell on her to have the final say on these matters, especially if there was indecision. And in this crisis, there was much debate to be had. Just yesterday, she had to listen and deliberate for a half hour if repairing the walls took priority over the houses, ultimately deciding to focus on the latter instead. That in turn led to arguments on how many soldiers to station at breaches to compensate for this. And then there was the matter of the rubble in the moat, and...

...Well, needless to say, today had not been much better. It was not helped by her, quite frankly, feeling wholly unqualified to be making these decisions. It had been years since her lessons on how to deal with disasters of even a third of this magnitude. A lot of that had boiled down to just knowing how to prioritize based on circumstances regardless, but so much of even that escaped her. In her youth, something like this was inconceivable to her, and so she had admittedly not kept herself refreshed on the subject since taking power.

Now... she sorely wishes she could shake her past self for her lack of foresight.

There was nothing that could be done about it, though. So the princess did her best to evaluate the plans and proposals brought before her and make her choices accordingly. It helped if she pretended it was like more mundane issues from peaceful days, like how to handle expansion and smaller-scale fires.

Still, while it all passed by quickly... it still left her more drained than ever. By the time she was heading toward the front of the palace, her legs were shaking and her eyes drooped. A voice in her begged for her to take a nap somewhere, but she ignored it. Her day was far from over, and there was yet more that she needed to see to... And she would accept no delays in seeing Father Bluebell.

But, of course, Drumpick was not going to let her continue without a bit of pestering. His orange-swirled eyes peered at her, frowning uncomfortably. “My lady, are you sure I cannot bring you a fizzy drink at least? While your efforts to not indulge in fancier foods and drinks are commendable, perhaps a glass would help you with-”

“I am fine, Drumpick,” Loolilalu reassured for what she thought was the fourth time. They turned the next corner, a door of dark gram-cracker at the end that would take them to the room they needed to leave this place for now. “And for God’s sake - it’s Loo!”

“I hear you, M- Loo,” the captain said, glancing around uncertainly. “But... I mean, look at yourself. What would the people outside think if they saw you barely able to stand?”

That managed to get the princess to stop, halfway down the hallway. He certainly had a point. It was one thing to let her servants see her somewhat haggard since they understood the pains she was going through. Despite being their ruler, she was still a person with limits. (Even then, though, she tried to hide the full extent of it.)

But the ordinary people who could still move outside needed to see her standing strong. How might seeing her falter from simple walking affect morale? That could impact the kingdom’s survival as much as a wrong decision. I knew this already - it’s been one of my largest concerns these last few days! But... my haste nearly made me forget.

...Of course, she was sure her friend brought it up more as an excuse to get her to slow down rather than worry over what the populous would think.

Regardless, she sighed and complied, moving over to the nearby wall and leaning against it. “Fine. I will rest for a minute. But I still refuse to be brought any fancy drinks. Let my scribes and advisors indulge in those if they wish for all of their hard work.”

Drumpick stared at her for a time. Then, with a sigh of his own, he approached her and set his peppermint-tip spear on the wall. He reached for his belt, detaching and then holding out a flask that had been there made of gram-cracker and hardened caramel. “At least take a few sips of this. The caffeine will give you energy.”

Seeing no reason to deny it, and wanting the man to feel better, Loolilalu nodded and took the flask. Screwing off the top, she took a few sips of the liquid inside... though nearly choked on it. It was a dark-roast coffee, kept warm by isolation within the container. There were no sweeteners within, immediately assaulting her with a bitter taste.

Her training in refined eating kept her from spitting out the liquid, thankfully. She managed to get a few more sips, in fact, before she had to stop, taking a deep breath. Resisting the urge to gag, she looked at her fellow lollipop person with incredulity. “You... you enjoy this stuff?”

Drumpick shrugged, taking back the flask and taking a sip himself - all without a single sign of discomfort. Once he was done, he screwed back on the cap and replied to her. “Plenty of people within the city enjoy it. I actually prefer more bitter and sour foods, too. They have a way of keeping my senses alive.”

“At the expense of your tastebuds, no doubt,” the princess murmured, delicately wiping her mouth.

The captain rolled his eyes. “Well, we’re unfortunately short on fresh candy eggs from the wastes, so if you’re going to continue to avoid fizzy drinks...”

“...I suppose I’ve had worse,” Loolilalu said, taking a deep breath as she closed her eyes. Like many things, she should not be complaining too much. Coffee was not even all that common, say, in the south toward the Peppermint Reaches. In that way, perhaps she could pretend it was a luxury drink.

A brief silence fell over them as she continued to rest. No other guards were present in the hallway, or any other servant or citizen running around. It allowed her to ease up every so slightly... but the coils in her remained tight, knowing the sights she would be met with outside. So she savored this time to prepare herself for it, starting to get familiar with the heaviness of her heart from seeing it up close.

Further distraction was provided by Drumpick, who put away his flask and looked around. “You know... I was genuinely worried you were going to get yourself killed when you marched down this hallway that day.”

Blinking once, the princess looked around. It was only then that she realized they were in the same corridor as the night of the attack, when she went and confronted The Fudge. She had abandoned all sense of safety, consumed by a desire to see the beast dead. As if being there would atone her for failing to foresee those events happening.

Given how she felt now, she did not think it had worked.

She sighed, crossing her arms as she tried to defend herself. “I stand by what I said then. The old bond I had with him might have been helpful so that a proper counter-attack could be mounted. I had tired of hiding like a coward regardless.”

“Keeping yourself alive so you could lead us is not cowardice!” Drumpick exclaimed.

Sighing again, Loolilalu shrugged. “Perhaps that was the wrong way to phrase it. But I still had to face him... I had to. Do you understand?”

The captain looked at her face closely... before something close to understanding came to his eyes. He nodded slowly, looking down the hallway. “Yes... perhaps I do. I am just surprised that you would experience it yourself as a royal figure.”

The princess paused and tilted her head, not fully understanding. “Is this... something that a lot of soldiers have to deal with?”

Drumpick laughed somberly. “Not all of us - especially in the times of peace we had before. It’s not just a soldier thing, either - it’s just... That need to face someone you were once close to is familiar to me. To stop them once they had gone down a path you couldn’t follow.” He looked down. “Even knowing it would hurt you...”

Loolilalu’s eyes widened, shocked at the sudden pain in his voice. She thought of reaching out, lifting her arms, but ended up stopping, not sure it would be welcome. Their friendship was only days old, after all. So instead she gazed down as well, speaking softly. “Whatever you’re referring to... I’m sorry you had to go through it.”

“It’s not your fault - not mine, either,” the captain said. He looked at her, a sense of knowing in his eyes. “In the same way that the fudge beast becoming how it was wasn’t your fault, I’m sure. It made its choice to become a monster like its animalistic brethren.”

The princess pursed her lips, wishing she could believe those words more. It was certainly true that she had done everything in her power to raise The Fudge to be a kind, benevolent soul. So many hours she had spent in the latter half of her youth reading him stories of God and The Church, not to mention trying to give him a different diet to candy people. It had even seemed to work for a long time, with the two having so many talks about their future - how he would defend this city with his life.

But now she got to see where that had led. All of those fond memories were now tainted by the evil, hunger-driven monster he had become in the end. By that last look he had sent her before his death - amused at how uneasy having to execute him had made her. Despite all of her efforts... he had become the source of their ruin.

...It somehow hurt worse now, too - as though she had more memories on which to base her feelings than days prior. Ones that also felt more... lively. That was such a ridiculous notion, however, that she scoffed internally. There really must be something wrong with my head now. I was probably just too distracted with keeping our defenses organized to go too far down memory lane then.

Not that it changed anything. Taking a deep breath, she clenched her hands, shaking her head as she grumbled bitterly to herself. “I should have listened to my father. He was right to have been skeptical of my efforts with The Fudge. If I had never tried to...” She grimaced. “He also would have had the strength to kill him after he began to eat people.”

Drumpick shrugged. “I was still fairly young when your mom and dad passed, but... I do recall that he was known for his... severity.”

“He was a man of hard principles,” Loolilalu said. “Perhaps too much at times, but he still led the kingdom well.” She sighed, looking down somberly. How she wished he were there now. He would have been able to stand unflinching against the problems that this city was facing. Whatever people said about him being cold, he had held an authoritative aura where he went.

He would have been perfect for leading everyone now... But he was gone, and she was all that currently remained of the royal line. Everyone looked to her now... and touching the flower still in her hair, she was reminded of how much faith a little girl had in her to make everything okay.

Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself off of the wall. It would not make things better by comparing how she was responding to everything to how he likely would have acted. She might not have his resolve, but she would not let herself be a weak ruler. Her past choices regarding The Fudge could not be undone. All that could be done was to make up for them.

Thus, trying to shake off her more negative thoughts, she put back on her smile, gesturing to the door. “Well, I believe that was a long enough break, don’t you? I think the caffeine is kicking in, too. So let us go and face the city before you ask if I’m tired again in five minutes.”

“As you say, my lady,” Drumpick responded with semi-amusement, retrieving his spear. Yet even so, he cast her one last glance. “I hope seeing our progress so far will renew your optimism again. If I may say... it has seemingly waned from when you woke up.”

“That’s what constant meetings will do to you,” the princess joked... but even she could not ignore the strain in her voice. Still, she pushed on ahead and went down the corridor. Perhaps a stroll and, hopefully, finding and talking with Chelsa would raise her spirits and clear her head. Just some time away from official administration duties.

And if not... she prayed that her coming visit to The Church would.

-------

There was not much to be said about the large room that used to be where she dined. It was barren now of any furniture, but had several guards patrolling its large interior. Archers and swordsmen were ready to deal with anyone who might try to force their way into the palace. While Loolilalu did not believe that anyone would try to storm this building... yet... she would be a fool to not take precautions.

Beyond that, getting through there had been no issue... aside from wondering if it always had the banners of the kingdom for some reason. And her not being able to look up at the stained-glass image of God. Normally, she would offer a prayer here, given that her schedule did not often mean she could go to The Church, but... she just could not. It brought up memories of meeting him in person... then wondering why he did not come to their aid later.

So ignoring it, she went out through the doors... and was faced with her destroyed city.

Her steps slowed as she went across her balcony, getting closer to its edge. She... she had stood up here so many times in her life. From here, she had smiled and waved at people on the street below. Had taken in a piece of the daily activities of her citizens. Admired the life within her city.

But even here, so close to the northern section... she was met with sights of devastation. The edge of the balcony had collapsed, leaving it jagged and uneven. Right below, peeking down, she could see the rubbed remains of it, along with the hard-sugar bricks of the building used to destroy it and the street, only halfway cleaned up. The buildings lining the road were also cracked, with some of their fronts having toppled down over the last few days. Scorch marks and old pink-white bloodstains littered the area, along with even bits of fudge in the center.

That last one was unsurprising, given that was where The Fudge’s body had been. The main bulk of his kind tended to be hard to dig into, despite their half-liquid state. But progress was being made there... and she was at least glad its jawbreaker eyes had been removed. (The one the bandits had shot and caved had been an especially gruesome sight.)

Cleaning was going well even now, in fact. Scaffolding made of gram-crackers for platforms and red licorice for cross beams were set up around the buildings. On those, she could see fresh bricks filling holes and candy wood boards placed over cracks, which were also filled with hardened frosting. Rubble was also being moved and scooped up by a pink bulldozer and loader, with black tracks around red wheels with gumdrop caps, pipes and servos made of red and black licorice, and peppermint exhaust pipes.

I’m glad I invested in those vehicles, the princess thought to herself. This city was one of few places to have direct access to them, which saved loads of time on removing rubble. Dozens had been manufactured along with her standard fleet of trucks and other vehicles for commerce and travel. Without them, fixing everything would take years!

...Though they were still stretched thin. The number available had been in case of needing to make major renovations to one section of the city or for expansion. It was not to the scale required to properly fix the entire thing. Calls for some in the higher-class settlements of the kingdom had been sent out, but even then...

And why did this feel like the first time she was seeing them?

Sighing heavily, she turned and moved to the left stairs down, Drumpick by her side. That side had luckily been cleared for the convenience of guards coming up and down. So she descended as she shook her head to clear it. What in dark fudge’s name is wrong with me? Where do these strange notions keep coming from? Should I have my head examined? Perhaps when I fell out of bed a few nights ago from the nightmares...

She hissed quietly, turning her thoughts away from recalling any of those. Reaching the bottom of the steps swiftly, she tried to go down the street as quickly as possible. Guards and construction workers noticed her passing and waved, to which she tried to smile in return. But she dared not linger for too long - wanting to reach the proper northern section of her once fair city.

Her pace was such that Drumpick, for once, had to sprint to catch up with her. He looked down at her covered legs, whose movements made her red and blue dress poof out more with her speed. “My lady, this... might be a little faster than what’s proper. Not that I am an expert on how royalty is to conduct-”

“It’s fine,” Loolilalu stated, keeping her eyes ahead. While she rarely moved like this in public before, it was not entirely unbecoming. It just showed that she had important business... which reaching her destination was.

The captain matched her pace to stay beside her, his frown telling volumes of what he thought of her sudden speed. “My-... Loo. Father Bluebell is not going anywhere. He did not even give a specific time for you to arrive. I take that to mean that you could arrive at any time and he will still be within The Church.”

Of course he will be, the princess thought. He practically lives in that place. She swore the only times he ever left were for official visits to the palace or events around the city or other settlements. Otherwise, he was glued to his office writing scriptures and praying, or giving sermons at the altar. She knew it was not so now... though as a kid, he had laughed gently when she asked him.

Her heart warmed at the memory, making a small smile grace her lips. With a deep breath, she slowed down a tad, though not entirely. “You’re right, of course. I don’t know where this burst of energy has come from.”

“Maybe you’re sensitive to coffee?” Drumpick suggested, half-smirking.

The idea made Loolilalu laugh. “Then I suppose we should be glad that it was not of a lighter roast... which still would have tasted awful.”

“At least I’m not getting sloshed on the job,” the captain murmured.

The princess blinked, noting that despite trying to make it a joke, there was a... bit of seriousness in his tone. “Has... there been a drinking problem here recently?”

“I’d hardly call it a ‘problem,’” Drumpick clarified, looking around at the ruined buildings. “There were just two lads last night before I went off-duty who broke into the sherbet cellars they were supposed to be guarding. Needless to say, they have been relieved of their duties. As much as we need all available help, I wasn’t going to tolerate that on the job.”

Loolilalu nodded, knowing she would have done the same if she had seen this. She sighed, frowning to herself. “I am... quite shocked by their boldness. But you’re certain they are the only ones who have done this?”

“The inspection I ordered will let me know for sure,” the captain said. “But I believe no one else is drinking the reserves...” He paused, then sighed heavily. “...Though I cannot say if more might be doing it on their own. I’d hope not, but... Given everything...”

The princess understood what he meant, even if she did not like it. When faced with a massive upheaval in your life... a common response was to turn to stuff like sherbets. A quick way to numb the pain, though with the great risk of damaging oneself.

...She would be lying if the prospect had not crossed her mind right after the attack, even if only for a second. She was not going to follow her mother’s example, though. Still, I had not considered this potentially becoming an epidemic due to everything. Perhaps I should have some people monitor things to make sure it doesn’t...

As they turned down a new street - the one the jester had led The Fudge to them on that night, funnily enough - Drumpick sighed once more. “I apologize, my lady. I should not have brought it up. You’re stressed enough as is.”

“It’s perfectly fine, Drumpick,” Loolilalu reassured, watching a dump truck of similar design to the other vehicles pass by beside them. Being ignorant of these developments could be detrimental down the line. “I’ll be sure to bring it up with Chelsa as soon as we find her along our way.”

The captain hummed, waving away a bit of sugar dust kicked up by the vehicle. “Even so, there was definitely a more tactful way I could have-”

“Ha! What’s the ‘tactful’ way of saying two boys decided to melt their brains?” a voice suddenly said behind them - female, but gruff. “That they were ‘sipping at our finest drinks at inappropriate hours?’”

Both of them startled slightly, turning behind them. A moment ago, the princess was sure that no other guard had been within ten feet of them. Yet now, walking briskly just four feet away, was another soldier. Despite all of the rubble and lack of many people, this person had managed to get this close undetected, looking incredibly causal.

...Though, it was hardly an unwelcome presence, despite needing to take a breath. She actually stopped, in fact, so that the cannon master could close the remaining distance. “Chelsa! It is so good to see you!”

The woman laughed, smiling widely as her hands on her hips. “You say that like it’s been a while or something.”

A fair point, Loolilalu thought... though it did feel like something was different about the other woman that day. Yet she could find nothing wrong with the hard-candy person, whose skin was primarily red with jagged markings of dark green interspersed. Her blue eyes were as lively as ever, and her black hair was done in a short ponytail in the back. The body under her uniform suggested great strength, and while she lacked a shield currently, the peppermint spear on her back looked cared for. As did the ignition stick at her hip - a blue rod with red coils at its top.

The latter was the perfect tool for lighting the fuses on cannons, naturally. That was the primary job of Chelsa, as her title and the red sash on her arm would suggest. Hers was a specialized rank, signifying her skill and precision with such heavy weapons and directing others to use them. Skills that had helped protect the palace four days prior... and brought her into the kingdom’s ruler’s new circle of advisors and friends.

The princess could never fully repay her for her efforts that night - especially after the casualties she suffered from her unit. So she made sure to walk up and clasp her hand with both of hers and shake it to continue showing her appreciation, ignoring yet another of those strange feelings she kept having. “I am surprised to find you out here. You had said that you would meet us by the entrance to the northern section when I came to inspect it the other day.”

The cannon master shrugged, walking between the duo and prompting them to start following. (Quite the bold gesture to give a royal figure without bowing and requesting such.) “Yeah, well, I had some business at the main gates, not to mention the bozos near there didn’t give me the reports they promised. So I had to deal with those, then figured I’d wait for both of you near the palace and join you then.”

Drumpick sent her a slightly annoyed glare. “And you couldn’t have waited out in the open where we could see you?”

Chelsea turned and started walking backward to address them, smirking. “Aw, but then I wouldn’t get to see that adorable scared face you make when I pop up?”

The yellow-shielded captain sighed, shaking his head. “You are far too stealthy for someone of your position.”

“And what’s the regular amount of stealthy I should be?” the red-sashed captain asked with a grin. “Should it only be my breathing that’s silent? Or is it a specific skill? I’m not the best with slight of hands, but if you need me to-”

That was as far as she got before tripping on a crack in the road behind her. She yelped and started to fall back, only for Loolilalu to rush forward and grab her hand. The royal figure pulled her back onto her feet, making sure she was stable before letting go.

Once she got her bearings, the hard-candy woman looked at where her foot had gotten caught. She hummed... then simply turned forward and started walking like nothing had happened. “Alright - I see now. My stealth skills should be for walking backward because then that’ll mean I’m good at doing it normally! Thanks for the tip!”

Drumpick rolled his eyes. “If that’s the lesson you’ve drawn from that, then sure...”

The princess could not help but laugh from the interaction, using her hand to muffle it. She was glad that the captains she had come to trust had also been bonding with one another. She had worried they would not as things calmed down, especially Sprinkst given a few disagreements Chelsa and he had been having. But even those two had quickly found some common ground as the chaos had died down.

It felt as though they had all been friends for years rather than a few days. As though they had known one another for most of their lives, but that notion was ridiculous. (They would have to be about a week old then!) Yet even so... the warmth in her chest from having them close by was undeniable.

She was brought back into the present by Chelsa taking up position on her free side. The woman looked up at her, eyeing her hair in particular. “Love the rose, by the way. Trying to enhance your beauty a little?”

Loolilalu smiled, gently touching the petals of the flower. “It was actually a gift from a child in the medical wing named Rosey. I believe it was her way of saying we’re friends now.”

The red-sashed captain snorted. “Heh - I bet that kid loves making that kind of flower joke when she can. It’s how my sister was!” She hummed as she eyed the rose more. “Not much of a flower person myself, but I can appreciate a bit of femininity in others. You certainly know how to make it work.”

“Thank you,” the princess said. She then sighed, touching a hand to her chest. “It is simply awful how that child ended up there, though. Such an avoidable fate...”

Drumpick looked toward her again, face conveying furrowed eyebrows. “Hm? I don’t believe you mentioned this to me. What happened to her?”

Pursing her lips, Loolilalu looked at the ruins of a building that had completely collapsed to their right, guards and workers picking through its remains. She debated whether to say anything, not wishing to rile up her new friends now that a bit of levity had been restored. However... she had already acknowledged the folly of ignoring problems herself. What harm could be caused by confirming something they already knew regardless when it came to the knights?

So, with a sigh, she answered the question. “...She encountered the rabbit - Jax. He was the reason she got buried under rubble and got hurt.”

A moment passed as her two companions processed this. Then the yellow-shield captain sighed, shaking his head. “Perhaps I should have been able to guess that...”

Chelsa huffed along with him, crossing her arms. “That man might be more of a monster than that fudge beast was. Not that both weren’t sadistic that night. The way he cut through my soldiers...”

The princess frowned sadly, having seen some of the carnage the knights had left. The hard-candy woman, unfortunately, had to witness much of it herself while trying to defend the plaza for what she assumed at the time was an attempt to break into the palace. In actuality, it was presumed that it was merely the best place to have their portal of escape open, though they did not know for certain. But regardless... the knight’s brutality had been noted in the reports of all those who survived that incident.

She shook her head, trying to dispel the memory of the bodies she had seen. Although... her thoughts did turn to some of the other traitors. She glanced at the cannon master, her voice uncertain. “Chelsa... did you notice anything in particular about the ribbon knight? The one whose face was completely white with no eyes?”

The question seemed to puzzle the red-sashed captain, who only shrugged. “Um... nothing that I don’t think I’ve reported already. She was mostly defensive trying to reach the plaza - barely even fought back. But she gave some pushback and didn’t surrender like the rest of them. Guards who had seen them running around elsewhere in the city say they heard the others call her Gangle. Why?”

Loolilalu rubbed her chin as they turned around another corner, signs of a tower having blocked the street at its edges ahead that was now cleared. “I’m just trying to understand what Jax’s connection with her is. Rosey said he was chasing after her while a guard was pursuing her.”

Chelsa scoffed, rolling her blue eyes. “Well, if he cared about her, he sure didn’t show it when I saw them. He just left her to get ganged up on by my men. That ragdoll woman showed much better care for her than he did.”

The tone used when saying this made the princess blink, tilting her head. “You... almost sound like you pity her.”

“...Maybe a little,” the red-sashed captain admitted, idly looking around at the damaged city. “It was easy to put all the blame on them while the fires were still raging, but... I mean, there’s just so much weirdness around them and their actions. Thinking back on it, that Jax fellow seemed to be the only one smiling as he killed. But the others...”

Drumpick hummed in consideration. “There are some scattered reports of some of the other knights doing more fleeing than killing. Even those soldiers they injured were seemingly done more in defense.” He shook his head. “Still, they took no real action to curtail that purple monster. And if they felt any remorse for our plight, they would have stayed behind to answer for their actions, or at least helped with defeating the fudge beast.”

“All valid points,” Chelsa conceded. “I’m just trying to think of if there were more unwilling participants than just Pomni. Doesn’t help anything, and they’re still cowards for not helping us... but we have no clue how they operate or why they did any of this. What else can we do but speculate like this?”

Loolilalu pursed her lips, hating the truth of that question. With most of the knights having fled through the portal, they might never know why they caused this disaster. They would never know if it was something they all agreed on, or if this Jax had been the main orchestrator... Not that it would make her any less angered at the other knights - passivity here might as well have been approving. But it would still be nice to know.

With them gone, though, and God having been absent (a pang went through her heart), there was only one person who could give them insight... And she had fled with the bandits she was supposed to bring to justice. Yet before that had also set the precedent that not all of them were traitors and heretics...

It was recalling that woman that also made her realize what the cannon master had just said. She turned to her, eyes conveying furrowed eyebrows. “Wait... Pomni? Is that the name of the jester?”

The red-sashed captain tilted her head. “Um, yeah? Did you not get the reports from Drack and Elsa? They used her name almost exclusively.”

“...Must have slipped me by,” the princess admitted, cheeks pinkening. There had been numerous reports about what had transpired all across the city that day. And while she tried to prioritize those who had direct encounters with the knights, it was still mountains of paperwork. This one felt especially shameful for her to miss, though, given how she had personally thanked those two soldiers that night...

She was startled out of her thoughts by Chelsa giving her a friendly punch on the arm, smiling easily. “Hey, come on, now! You’re a busy woman! It’s not like they would be offended if they were here. At least you know the name now.” She snickered slightly. “But... I won’t deny it’s a little funny that someone known for being attentive with reports missed something like that.”

Loolilalu frowned, though there was no irritation in her voice. “You know... most would not be so casual around royalty. Both in words and actions.” She rubbed the area she was punched, very unused to those kinds of gestures of camaraderie, but knew it was fairly common among her soldiers.

The red-sashed captain merely shrugged. “Well, someone’s got to not be as hard of a jawbreaker in our group. God knows Sprinkst is repressed enough. You’re a bit too professional all the time, too, Drumpick.”

Said main sent her a small glare. “I seem to recall you were about as respectful as both of us that night.”

Chelsa laughed. “Yeah, I don’t know what came over me then. I guess it was being scared for my life and not wanting my last moments being the princess being annoyed at me.” She grinned at her ruler. “But I don’t have to worry about that now, eh, Loo?”

The princess giggled, returning the expression. The other woman was certainly good at easing her tension over the last few days. While she could not accept a complete abandonment of decorum, having someone talk with her more like an everyday person was quite the novelty. One she had come to look forward to with their talks.

...She had to admit, though, that the change in the hard-candy woman’s demeanor had felt rather sudden at first. It had been right in the middle of the day after the attack, as though a switch had been flipped. But still, she had dismissed it as the captain getting over her nerves. She was still royalty, after all, and as mentioned they had been afraid that The Fudge would kill them all.

Pushing that out of her mind, she went back to focusing on the topic they had been on before. “Anyway, about this Pomni... did your scouts have anything to report about her and the bandits' path of escape?”

“What do you think the business I had at the main gate was?” Chelsa asked. She pulled out some official yellow papers, rifling through them and scanning the words on them. “The trail went cold a day out - the wind got rid of the tracks, and other remnants of their passing were too sparse. However, while not a straight path... they were definitely heading to the Peppermint Reaches like you suspected.”

The princess nodded, taking the papers and looking through them. She was not planning a pursuit of the group currently, but she did want to confirm a few things about them. That included where it was they resided. One never knew when that information might come in useful... especially if the maple syrup theft was not the end of their activities.

But still, they had seemingly given up on that in the end... given that they had abandoned the syrup tanker entirely. They had left both it and the war-rigged truck, in fact. Such actions were highly commendable along with trying to protect this city, and made her willing to overlook their actions earlier that day (for now). Honor must be shown by a ruler and their people, even for criminal elements if they showed they were not savage pillagers.

...But there were elements of their escape that they did not understand. Something Drumpick pointed out as he looked over her shoulder and read the report, addressing his fellow captain. “Did they also confirm the suspicions of a third vehicle in their possession?”

Chelsa nodded, looking quite puzzled. “As best as we can without actually seeing it. But... yes, the scouts were sure of this. It was the tires of a truck that they followed before the wind got rid of them all.” She shook her head. “I just don’t know where they would have gotten it. We only have confirmation on one tanker that they stole.”

The yellow-shield captain conveyed a raised eyebrow with his eyes. “Why is that such a mystery? If they did not hijack more than one, then perhaps it was one they had in their hometown. They obviously would not have been able to use it for the heist, but if they were able to get a signal out to another bandit...”

...The red-sashed captain sent him a flat look. “You’ve never been to the Reaches, have you?”

Drumpick blinked, looking around awkwardly as he shifted his spear into his arms so he could rub the back of his orange-white-swirled head. “Well, I... Um... No.”

“Well, most of the settlements there can’t even afford an out-of-date car, let alone a full syrup tanker,” Chelsa stated. “It’s a desolate frontier land where you live if you have few other prospects. Not to say everyone’s completely poor there, but the richest life you can get legitimately barely reaches the life of an average citizen here.

“It breeds plenty of bandits and criminals as a result. Some are more ruthless than others, but even the nicest will steal a few Skittles from your wallet if they’re on hard times. It’s not surprising that’s where our little criminals came from - the most successful of that lot do plenty of business outside of those borders.” She shook her head. “But while I can believe they picked up some driving skills somewhere... there’s no way they could get a whole second tanker without us knowing. Something’s up there.”

“You sound quite familiar with the Reaches,” Loolilalu chimed in. A bit of what the other had said sounded more like from personal experience than learning it in a class or gossip.

“My grandfather was a farmer out there,” the cannon master said, carefully stepping over a wide crack in the road. “My dad would take me to visit him sometimes. Some passings were... smoother than others, but our lives were never seriously threatened. It’s not too awful of a place, honestly, if you can avoid the more sadistic bandits.”

“What an endorsement,” Drumpick deadpanned. He sighed, shaking his head. “But if what you say is true about their lack of trucks, then where did they get a third?”

That was a fantastic question - one that the princess wished she could explain. Perhaps they stole it from one of the neighboring nations? But why would they do that when they were going to steal from them, given that it would only draw unwanted attention? She did not believe that individuals clever enough to fool her security and steal all of their maple syrup so easily would be foolish enough to make multiple enemies at once.

But then... who knew? There was no end to the mysteries and confusion surrounding the day of the attack. Perhaps she was giving them too much credit. Or maybe this other truck was something they had stolen from somewhere some time ago. This surely could not have been the first time such a vehicle was taken.

...But it was definitely the first time one had been used to steal such a luxury syrup from anywhere, let alone her kingdom.

Her gaze went to the ground, carefully stepping over bits of debris, lifting the blue ends of her dress to do so. God... she had nearly forgotten about how that would add to the kingdom’s humiliation to other parties. The top extractor and supplier of maple syrup across the entire land being robbed with seemingly little effort? How impotent might it look like they had become... All under her rule?

She had those thoughts at first when the theft had happened, praying that decisive action on her part would shore up damage to their reputation. But then, God appeared and said his knights would do it instead, which had sounded even better! Who would laugh at them if holy warriors came to their aid and brought the criminals to justice? It had just been an extra layer upon the hopes and elations she had felt that day from such a fated meeting!

It had seemed so perfect... until it was not. When the knights proved themselves corrupt and only brought them further destruction. Just what kind of rumors might spread across the canyons and wastes from this? That they had fallen from the favor of their god who they held in such esteem? Might some of their allies abandon them, viewing them as cursed now? Would the story be flipped to make it seem they were so weak that they needed such intervention?

It was only a matter of time before she would get her answers. There was no possible way to hide the destruction of the biggest city in this entire place. Doing so would only make things worse in the future. All that could be done was to try and control the initial stories coming out and give her own testimony for other leaders to deliberate on.

She hoped it would be enough... But what if it was not? What could she do if they were descended upon before they could get their unrest under control? What if... she was not strong enough to bear these burdens-?

“HEY, LOO!” Chelsa shouted beside her.

Loolilalu jumped, an undignified noise leaving her. She looked at the captain, looking at her incredulously. “W-why did you shout like that? I’m right here!”

...That was apparently the wrong response, given how the other two shared concerned glances. Drumpick cleared his throat, speaking cautiously. “My-... Loo. We’ve... been trying to get your attention for a few minutes now. You were not responding, though...”

“...Oh,” was all that the princess could reply with. She glanced around, suddenly feeling uncomfortable as she clasped her hands in front of her. Eventually, she also cleared her throat, trying to put on the best smile she could. Her posture straightened, trying to act like every bit the princess that she was. “Well, I’m sorry for getting so lost in my thoughts and for my response. This is no time for daydreaming, is it? Haha...”

The cannon master only frowned deeply. “Loo...”

“Do not bother,” the yellow-shield captain said, looking quite sad. “She will refuse it if you suggest she go back to the palace and rest. She is quite stubborn about reaching The Church and touring the city.”

The comments caused something to twist inside of Loolilalu, who faced forward. She was grateful for their concern, but... why did it feel like she was disappointing them? They must know that she could not neglect such duties no matter her state! Everyone needed her right now! She could not afford to spend all of her time in the palace!

But... she also could not be offended. She was not exactly giving them reassuring signs, was she?

Luckily, the uncomfortable silence was broken as they turned a corner and Drumpick spoke up again, a bit lighter this time. “Well, regardless, touring will be made much easier by having proper transportation, would you not both agree?”

The princess blinked, looking around as she realized that the signs of destruction had lessened. There were far fewer cracks in the ground or on the surrounding buildings. There were little signs of lingering fudge, either. The most damage to be seen was from scorch marks from all the fires, but even those were being scrubbed off or had signs of being replaced slowly.

She had not realized they had made it to the northern section of the city so quickly. Not that it was far away, to begin with, but... it did not help with how she must appear to the other two, did it? She only hoped her surprise did not show too much.

Though, perhaps they would assume it was due to the transportation she saw before her. It was a wagon carriage, not too dissimilar to the one that had brought the knights in four days ago. This one, however, used white chocolate instead of milk, and its candy canes had yellow swirls instead of red. The wafer sticks for the spokes of the wheels were similarly colored, as were the holding bars connected to the small yellow and pink gummy elephant. The whole thing looked freshly cleaned - untouched by the destruction surrounding it.

The yellow-shield captain approached it, waving to the guard at the front ready to help steer - a blue and orange gummy bear woman. He opened up the back, nodding back at his ruler. “My apologies for not having this prepped back at the palace. The roads are still too treacherous outside of the northern section for non-construction vehicles, though. There should be few bumps beyond this point.”

The princess glanced at the wagon, smiling a bit bashfully. “Oh, you did not have to get this, Drumpick! I like walking! It lets me-”

“It’s honestly for the best,” Chelsa chimed in, bumping her shoulder. “A lot more people are feeling well enough to move around now up ahead. That means thicker crowds and a lot more jostling. It might be slow, but if you don’t want to get pushed around by everyone, you’re going to want to stay in that thing.”

Loolilalu paused, considering these words. It made her happy to hear that people were recovering and were active. The other woman made a good point about the crowds, though. This area was incredibly overcrowded currently, and while she doubted people would intentionally try to impede her, with so many about...

In the end, she nodded and walked up to the vehicle. “Well, if you both insist, I suppose. I’d hate to cause too much of a disruption like this, though.”

“Your passing in general will already cause ripples,” Drumpick pointed out, stepping on. He held out his hand to her once she was close enough, helping her to stand on the wagon. She was soon sat on the left side, while he and Chelsa, after she clamored on, took the right one. They set their spears to their sides, with the male guard also putting down his shield, and getting comfortable like her.

Once situated, he called to their driver, who nodded and took up her reins. With a flick, the gummy elephant was soon taking them further down the street. It was a little shaky on account of the candy wooden wheels and the seams of the pink-tiled roads, but it was not like anything could be done about that. It was nowhere near as bad as riding on unpaved ground, too.

It did not take long before they reached the “border” into the northern section. That was the name people had given the streets that had temporary high barriers of pink crates, flour sacks, and whatever else had been used to build defenses against The Fudge. They were fairly crude, though in fairness were thick and reinforced with plenty of hard material. Cannons had also been lined up in front to shoot if the monster came that way.

There were still two on both sides of the wagon as they passed, purple licorice barrels posed as if to shoot on their waffle cone carriages. A large section of the barrier in the center had also been cleared away to allow wagons like this one to come in and out. Guards stood ready before it, more so out of obligation than anything. Still, it was a necessary precaution - with how damaged the city walls were, anyone could slip in, and any bandits would need to be kept away from the bulk of their citizens.

None of the soldiers stopped them, clearly recognizing her and giving salutes. They passed through the gap, entering the most intact part of the city. Aside from signs of fire, there was little damage to speak of, and even those had been better controlled than other sections. Looking at the colorful buildings and towers, one could almost pretend that no major disaster had occurred.

...Well, except maybe because of how packed it was with people.

Loolilalu looked around at the sea of citizens they were now in the middle of. Her captains had not exaggerated when they said that activity had become dense there. Everywhere, people seemed to be pressed against one another as they tried to get to places. She had thought they would have to go deeper in to get this thick of crowds, but even so close to the barrier it was like this. It rivaled the market streets during holidays - perhaps surpassed them!

It was not helped by how injured many of the people were. Some only had a few bandages and burns, which was relieving. Others, though, had their arms in slings, casts on their legs, and crutches to get around. She even spotted a few wheelchairs being pushed around. It was not just reserved for the adults, either... picking out some small figures running about with wrapped heads and limbs. (Her hand subconsciously went to the jolly rancher rose in her hair.)

Yet despite that... life went on. People carried bags of food and other supplies, keeping them close to themselves. A few temporary stalls made of candy wood and tarps sold and handed out even more goods, commerce not yet dead even with all the rationing. Guards made their way through the crowd to help direct people and to check on squabbles as they happened. The sounds of talking and shouting were loud, but while chaotic, it was not full of vitriol.

Her people were broken, but they were still standing... and she took what heart she could from that miracle alone.

Plenty of citizens noticed her passing, of course. They stared in awe at her, much activity stopping to have a look at her. While she had managed a visit here once before now, it had been when many people were still recovering within the various buildings. Now, everyone could see living proof that their ruler was alive and well. It caused quite a stir, with even a few cheers coming up from people.

The princess smiled, waving to her people as she passed, more glad for her transportation than before. A few advisors had suggested that she put this royal riding wagon away and have a fancy car built for herself. And she did have one being built before this disaster. However... could not see her using it for rides around the city. This open vehicle, where she could look out at people and feel the air upon her, felt... better for such trips.

A few guards within the crowd came up to guard the wagon without her needing to order it. They kept people from getting too close, and did their best to give them a clear path forward. They still could not go very fast - not that gummy elephants were too quick to begin with - but it helped prevent anyone from getting hurt.

Across from her, Chelsa looked at all the activity and hummed, drumming her fingers on the side of the wagon. “Have to say - it’s good to be back on busy streets again. Even just being gone a few hours wasn’t pleasant. It’s not just all the damage, either - everywhere else is just... so quiet now. I mean, I guess the construction is pretty loud in places, but...”

Drumpick nodded grimly, looking about as well. “I get what you mean. It’s not the same without people moving about like this. Hopefully, we’ll be able to get many of them back into their homes in the coming weeks.”

“I’m told that such prospects are promising... mostly,” Loolilalu chimed in, recalling the reports on the rebuilding efforts. “There are plenty of buildings that do not have to be torn down entirely, which helps things greatly. Once inspections have been done to ensure they will not collapse and that roads are safe, we should be able to move people back in slowly.”

“That is a relief to hear,” the yellow-shield captain responded, smiling at her. “One must commend the innovations made in construction. I shudder to think how long much of this would take without it.”

The princess smiled back... though a troubled frown soon crossed her face, looking at the wagon’s floor. “There will soon be a housing crisis, though... To say nothing of the personal possessions that many people have lost.” Financial compensation would be given out, naturally, but that could only replace so much furniture and other items. And no amount of money could replace lost heirlooms...

The two captains exchanged looks again, before the cannon master spoke up. “Loo, I’m sure that things will be-”

“Being fine in the end doesn’t change the struggle to get there,” Loolilalu stated firmly. She took a quick breath, looking at her. “How are we dealing with the overcrowding here? I have heard reports, but I’d love to hear from you directly, given that you lead much of the efforts.”

Chelsa seemed like she did not want to drop the previous topic. Seeing how serious her leader was, though, she sighed and spoke a bit more formally. “We’ve distributed people as best as we can. A lot of crammed rooms for sleeping and such, but we’re making due. Temporary tents and such are being set outside the north gate to help things more, too. But expanding on those will be tough before supplies get here.”

The princess sighed, wanting to slump over, but holding back on account of the crowds still around them. She hated the idea of forcing her people to sleep in such arrangements, but knew also that it was their only option. Still, she could imagine the discomfort many must be going through in the sugar dust deserts, even if it was just directly outside of their walls. Who knows how long some may be staying out there, even once other parts of the city are fixed...?

Drumpick caught her attention again. “You mustn’t worry so much, my lady. Many of these things will get better before we even know it, surely! As grueling as these days have been, we’re only four days in. That is not so much time.”

Loolilalu took a deep breath, smoothing out her dress. “Logically, you are right. As a princess, I am aware of these things more than most... I have never quite appreciated how seeing it all in person, though, can still shake you down to your core.” Shaking her head, she put on a new smile. “But we should indeed be optimistic about many prospects of this. The people are safe, at least.”

“That’s the spirit!” Chelsa said, grinning at her. “There hasn’t been much in the way of crime, either. Some petty thefts of food and stuff here and there, but I’m quite impressed with the comradery between people.” She glanced over the back of the wagon, tilting her head. “Though... things are still pretty iffy around the clergy.”

Turning to follow her gaze, the princess saw what she was looking at. In the crowd near some of the buildings, there was a member of The Church wandering around. The red hard-candy man was identified as such for the long blue robes with white trimmings he wore. They were simple yet ornate, helping him stand out but not appear aristocratic. On the front was also a white tophat within a ring of confetti - a symbol of God used often when not showing off his face.

The man was walking up to people, appearing to ask after them and offering to give prayers. He also had a small duffle of which he pulled out white wafers for people to eat. The whole time, he had a kind smile, acting every bit like a humble servant to the crowd around him. It was almost a perfect example of how Father Bluebell wished the clergy to act in public when engaging with the average citizen.

At another time, he might have been met with joy and happiness... but that was not the reception he was receiving. Most, in fairness, were not hostile to him - even accepting the wafers as he passed them out, or letting him grab their hand while he muttered a prayer. However, when they moved away and his back was to them... those people would look at him and the food uncertainly. As if unsure that it was wise to accept them.

Others, though, were less polite. One gummy bear woman - yellow and orange - actively scowled at the clergyman when he came close. When he offered a wafer, she smacked it to the ground and then shouted at him. The princess could not hear her words from there, but the way she pointed at the symbol on his robes gave a good enough impression of what it was about. Then, the woman stormed off, shoving past him as she did so. Bystanders looked at him with pity after that... with a few giving him glares.

The clergyman looked a little sad at that reception. However, he remarkably got back to work right afterward, finding his smile seemingly effortlessly. He was even able to laugh when a hard candy kid came up and checked on him, kneeling and patting them on the shoulder. He either has remarkable patience... or he’s as good at putting on an act as I am.

Drumpick, who also watched the scene, shook his head at what had transpired. “Such misplaced anger... It is not their fault that the knights betrayed us.”

“But they did endorse them once word of Loo’s meeting got out,” Chelsa pointed out. “Being men and women of God, they ‘should have warned the princess of the blackened hearts within them.’ Or at least that’s the general sentiment passing through.”

Loolilalu could not help but huff at this, frowning hard from the attitude she had witnessed. “I will not stand for Father Bluebell getting unnecessary blame for that. It was on me as much as everyone else for not noticing anything off about them... Moreso, even, since I am supposed to lead us. I should make a statement to clear things off of him.”

The cannon master hummed. “Sprinkst has been mentioning that a lot himself, actually. I told him not to waste your time when you’re stuck doing so much else. I’m sure hearing that from you will make him very happy.”

The yellow-shield captain shook his head. “While I don’t disagree with that sentiment, I would ask you not to act in too much haste, my lady. As I told you this morning, you are still favored by the public! So be sure if you make such a statement that you are careful with your wording to not jeopardize that.”

The princess almost felt like scoffing, but carefully reframed. It was a fair point - right now, she had to be careful over who she publicly backed and how. If she did not... an uprising could be upon her. And more so than losing her position, she feared how an upheaval of the monarchy would affect the survivability of the kingdom.

Chelsea shrugged, leaning back in her seat as the wagon went around a corner slowly. “A delay probably won’t hurt things. The Church’s personal guards should keep everything in check in the meantime. They are the primary peacekeepers here right now.” She gestured to the soldiers guarding them, whose shields indeed had blue frosting trimmings. She then focused on her leader. “Though... we don’t need all of our guards here in the city, I don’t think...”

A small laugh left Loolilalu, having wondered when this would come. “Ah, yes - the syrup fields. I have considered your request to send more aid there. I believe I can comply, though... I am still debating how many to actually send.”

“As many as possible with as many cannons as can be spared,” the red-sashed captain suggested. Her tone was suddenly very serious, looking more like a proper soldier. “Those syrups are our most valuable resources - not just the maple, either. The moment our enemies learn we are vulnerable, they will seize the opportunity to take them from us and set up their own supply line right within our borders!”

Drumpick hummed grimly, staring at her. “I am quite glad you take matters of security and defense seriously despite your more... lax attitude.”

“I wouldn’t be the rank I am if I couldn’t,” Chelsea responded, returning focus to the lollipop woman. “And this is a serious matter. The fields might be dry now, but when they start flowing again, we can’t afford to not be the ones in control. The defenders will always have the advantage when that’s the case. So we need to do everything in our power to ensure that’s us, for those stationed there and the rest of the kingdom who are desperately going to need all of that syrup.”

The princess nodded, looking down in contemplation. The logic of the cannon master was sound in every way. Even dried up, those fields were a resource that would determine this kingdom’s wealth in the coming months. This was a fairly long drought they were in, but it would end soon, hopefully. She could only imagine the further disgrace the kingdom would face if they lost control of that area and the next day they coincidentally started flowing again.

It made perfect sense to send more support there... The only trouble was that she was not sure she wanted to commit too many resources. Not when the city and other settlements would be dealing with unrest and confusion in these times. She wanted to be able to send soldiers as needed in case some places got worse than others. Plus, the forts at the fields were already pretty well staffed, so was sending as many forces as Chelsa was suggesting truly necessary?

More choices without a right or wrong answer... yet it would still cause her potential problems if she chose incorrectly.

Sighing heavily, she kept herself from dwelling on that. Delaying too long would only lead to more complications, and she could not let doubts delay her. She had all the information she was going to get to make this decision, including personnel counts here and there. All that was left to do was choose... and what kind of monarch would she be if she did not listen to the advice of one of her new trusted friends?

With that in mind, she slowly nodded to the others, straightening herself up. “Well then... I will begin committing resources to help strengthen our defenses there. I shall make sure they are sent out no later than within one week! To that end, I would appreciate you providing a list of what numbers of guards, cannons, and other weapons should be sent.”

Chelsa smiled, shoulders slumping with relief. “That would be wonderful, Loo. We’re all going to be glad for this - believe me!”

“I trust your word on that,” Loolilalu said, before rubbing her chin. “Though... I could use your help before then trying to draft up a new chain of command for the kingdom’s soldiers. The current structure I fear is unsuited for the current crisis. And... honestly, it has never been an effective one.”

That got the cannon master to blink, tilting her head. “Oh? What’s wrong with it? I’ve never really encountered any problems.”

“That’s because we have only ever had to deal with issues no greater than a small riot or bandits on the road before now,” Drumpick said, looking troubled. “I have been listening to the complaints of citizens and even our soldiers about the matter these last few days, and... truly, we were blessed with times of peace to not reveal these problems so readily. It is by good luck that we have time to try and begin rectifying the issues.”

Chelsa furrowed the small area where her eyebrows would be. “But what are the actual problems we are facing?”

The yellow-shield captain sighed, looking at her. “It can best be summarized with this scenario. We are both captains, yes? Holding the same rank?”

The red-sashed captain nodded. “Yes? Though I am primarily assigned to leading our cannon squads as a cannon master also.”

“True, but that leaves us with three different kinds of captains,” Drumpick continued. “Regular ones like me, cannon specialists like you, and religious ones like Sprinkst. All soldiers within the kingdom are either regular infantry or captains like us - no other ranks. Not like in other places where they may have sergeants or generals that are not just their ruler.” He gestured to the princess as he made this point.

Chelsa sighed, looking a little bored. “Yes, I know this.”

“And clearly complacency is making you overlook the obvious,” the yellow-shield captain said, looking at her intently. “In problems before, a single captain with assigned soldiers would be sent out to deal with problems. However... what if we face a battle requiring multiple captains? Who has more authority if our lady doesn’t state it beforehand? Even if she does, what if that captain dies? Who takes over? And does a captain like me have the authority to counteract your orders? What of how we divide our soldiers up, too, and the need for smaller divisions?”

...The cannon master blinked, more alert now, and glanced at her leader. “...How has none of this been addressed before now? No offense, of course, but...”

Loolilalu shook her head, ashamed of not having done just that over the years. “It’s been a long time since the kingdom suffered any major wars or otherwise strong opposition. The current structure of our forces was done by my great grandfather in what he believed would help to signify we are a peace-loving people - not tyrants. A fair sentiment... but as is obvious now, not one born from good logistics. Even my father, despite his interest in combat, never found time to address it. But now we must do massive overhauls of the chain of command.”

“Indeed,” Drumpick agreed. “There was much confusion while trying to contain the fires and dealing with the fudge beast, not to mention the knights later. Imagine that we are still in this system should multiple threats descend upon us!”

Chelsa hummed, rubbing her chin. “It’s certainly not going to be easy. Even if we don’t do anything too complex, there’s going to need to be a lot of promotions of both normal infantry and other captains. That’s a lot of people to comb through, and I’m not sure how we would even judge who deserves it. And that’s just considering the ones in the city! The other settlements and forts will need to be addressed as well!”

“...It is not going to be an easy task,” the princess agreed, her tone a little quiet. She grimaced slightly, not liking the lack of strength in her voice. But while she had recognized the duties she would be faced with there, having it all laid bare like this...

The red-sashed captain looked at her face, and did not appear to like what she saw, given how her eyes widened. She quickly shook that off, though, and gave a big, if slightly strained, smile. “B-but it isn’t impossible! If anyone can figure out how to fix the system, it’s you!” She wrapped her arm around the back of her fellow captain’s neck. “And you’ve got us to help you with it! We’ll work it out - just like everything else going on here!”

The lollipop man looked a little annoyed at the sudden contact. But even so, he nodded along with her words and also smiled at their ruler. “I believe we shall have all the time we need to get everything in order. For now, I would recommend you assign one captain at the fields to have top authority while we work out the system - at least until the syrup flows again, if nothing else. But I am sure that, while difficult, the change in structure shall be welcome by our soldiers.”

Loolilalu took a deep breath, trying to take courage from their words. “I pray that you are right.” Her gaze went out of the wagon again, looking at the people as they continued to bustle about. She managed to bring her smile back, waving to passers as she put on her regal aura again. “These people need to feel safe in these times. We must ensure any new structures - to our forces or otherwise - help them be able to.”

The two captains voiced their agreement, exchanging more looks. Before she could ask about it, though, Drumpick sighed and stretched in his seat, taking on a professional posture. “As important as all this is, perhaps we should discuss... lighter situations around the city. Do you have any such reports, Chelsa?”

Said woman nodded, taking her arm off of him. “Oh, yeah! There was actually some good news earlier that, not far from one of the northern borders, a cache of food was found intact! Not exactly enough to feed everyone, of course, but just that little bit will help with...”

The conversations continued like this for a while afterward. The princess and the two captains discussed many smaller things happening around the city and the state of its citizens. All the while, they continued to make their way through the crowds as people watched their vehicle pass. There were not always cheers, but the mood on the street seemed to be lighter every time people noticed she was there.

It’s just like the visits to the patients, she mused to herself. And like with those, she was flattered... but it also felt like she was not doing much. She was not even speaking with these people like she did with those in the palace. How long would that also remain effective? She believed a lot of it came from just knowing she was alive and unharmed from the attack, but that effect would wear off over time. These people were going to need more than some public appearances from her.

So... what were her options to further help the people herself? Sure, she had servants and soldiers she could order to do what she wished, but... while she could not neglect her other duties, could she not do something else as well? Some act that showed more than these visits that she cared for their safety?

Her hand touched the flower in her hair, feeling like chuckling. She wished she had the skills that Rosey had rambled about, with medicine or combat. But none of her tutors had ever given her any lessons, nor her parents. She could listen to the needs of doctors and soldiers, but not perform their tasks. It was as though they had expected her to have an uneventful rule.

How much she, and likely everyone in the kingdom now, wished that were the case...

So while Loolilalu talked with her captains, she also tried to consider what else she could do to show her care. Perhaps... by presenting gifts? Nothing too fancy, but even giving a person some food directly from royal hands would hopefully be a big boost in their morale! There was the question of how she would choose people to do that with, though.

Maybe, though... if she started with gifts to children? Her thoughts went back to Rosey, picturing how happy the little girl would be if she brought her a stuffed toy or the like. She could practically picture the sparkles in those crimson eyes if she presented her with one on her promised next visit! Seeing a kid filled with so much joy...

She smiled more easily after that, already trying to come up with arrangements for such a thing. But she also needed to consider other children if she wanted to do this as a form of help, including how to fit it into her schedule. She could not just run around the city finding whatever kid she could! Would it have to be some special event she held in the palace once things were calmer? Or could she do it from a wagon like this one and pass them to children she rode past?

...I’ll ask Bluebell about it, she eventually decided. He was very good with children - she knew it from experience, having been just a kid when she first met him. The Church held events for families in need all the time under his direction, and had even had her as a guest during. If anyone could help her with this, it was him! It made her eager to finally reach her destination.

And soon enough... they did just that.

She was able to tell they were close before they turned the last corner. The steeple rose above the nearby buildings by a good margin. The black spire and the blue bell tower below it were clearly visible from all angles. With afternoon only having begun, the gold-colored bell within was also visible thanks to the black shudders being open. It did not rise as high as the palace’s towers... but it was a fair second place.

Soon, the rest of the building it was attached to came into view. It was expansive, made primarily of blue and black hard-sugar bricks meshed in a way that kept it from being too imposing. The tall steeple was between the long structure’s front and middle, with four smaller ones at the corners with open columned platforms instead of bells. With how sturdy it appeared, one might mistake it for a fortress.

But the signs of a holy place were also plain to see. Jutting perches near the slanted roof depicted a round creature whose beady eyes almost seemed visible from down there. Large stained glass windows decorated the sides, showing God in various poses that showed his eccentric nature while on mountains, the sun behind him, and much more. And, of course... a large round one with seemingly every color possible was at the front, with an almost exact copy of his face as decorated her palace’s front.

The Great Canyon Church, or simply The Church, looked exactly as the princess remembered it. Every brick and bit of glass looked as clean as it had upon her last visit. (She could not recall when that was exactly and why, but... it had to have been recent.) The bell above was being rung to signal the new hour. Just visible over the pink walls surrounding its courtyard, she saw tall trees with green and pink marshmallow leaves and tall lollipop plants of blue and yellow peaking over as healthy as ever.

It was as grand as one would expect the main place of worship for her kingdom to be... and she could not be happier to be this close to it again.

It took a lot in her to not tear up as they neared the gold-colored gates that led to their grounds. Beyond, on a blue-tiled path and up some stairs, stood the tall, dark gram-cracker doors to enter. Both were opened wide, allowing people to walk in and out. Stood in front of the gates were a few guards at attention, as well as more simple-clothed clergy handing out wafers and even small books of prayer.

In contrast to the scene she saw before, she was pleased to see many citizens entering The Church seemed happy about being there. Many people who stopped and conversed with the clergy looked pleased by the interactions even after walking away, too. It was as if all the turmoil she had heard about did not exist there. But then again, I guess anyone who has issues with Ringmestology would not be here. Still, at least the clergy are not without support!

...Hm, that’s odd. I don’t... think I have thought of the name of our religion all day.

She pushed that weird thought aside as the wagon came to a stop in front of the gates. One of the guards who had escorted them turned to look at her - a gummy rabbit man with a yellow head. “Your Highness, would you like an escort into the church?”

Loolilalu shook her head, standing up. “I believe I will be fine. I will not stop you if you and one other follow behind, though.” She turned to her companions, nodding to them. “Do you mind staying with this wagon? I... wish to see Father Bluebell on my own, so you will not be needed.” She wished for privacy for... all she wished to unload upon him.

Chelsa nodded back, smiling at her. “Go on ahead. We’ll keep any over-eager citizens from clamoring on!”

Drumpick hummed in ascent, gesturing to the back of their ride. “We shall await you patiently, my lady. Do keep yourself safe.”

With one last nod to them, the princess stepped off of the wagon, accepting help down from another guard. Then, she marched toward the gates to begin walking up. Many people parted for her, all talking excitedly at her visiting this place. The clergy nearby likewise smiled at her, giving her bows.

As she stepped past that first threshold, her eyes went up to the depiction of God... immediately feeling a stab of guilt. It felt... sacrilegious to enter this place while she had so many doubts in her heart. So many times she had come here with full devotion within... but this would be her first time entering like this. A part of her felt she should turn away, not feeling worthy of going inside.

...But she needed to see Father Bluebell. He was her greatest hope of making sense of the chaos she had to experience. With him, even if he could not restore her faith after all, then he might give her direction on how to manage the kingdom. Perhaps give some advice like he might have done with her parents.

And... she knew he, failing everything, would be able to comfort her.

Thus, with a deep breath, she continued up the path toward the large doors. Her heart hammered as she wondered what would await her... but she knew that whatever it was, she would be in good company.

(As Loolilalu went up, back in the wagon, the two captains watched her. Drumpick frowned, glancing at his companion and whispering. “Do... you think Bluebell will be able to help her? Watching her today... I’m worried the stress might finally be making her...”

Chelsa sighed heavily. “Yeah - me, too.” She shook her head, glaring hard up at the window depicting God’s face. “So if he doesn’t, I don’t care if it’s heresy - he’ll be answering to me!”

The yellow-shield captain sighed, but offered no comment. He instead watched as the princess entered The Church, giving what silent prayers he could that The Father would get through to her. They had done what they could... but she did not share everything with them. Why would she for friendships so new? And it hurt having to see her try to act like she was fine, having glimpsed the pain she tried to hide from the public.

There was only so much they could do, and he feared it was not enough. All his attempts seemed to be only a temporary reprieve, not helped by needing to keep her informed on developments. So... he hoped the man would succeed in offering her aid where they could not.

He did not want to see such a kind soul break.)

Chapter Text

The inside of The Church always seemed to have a chill to it. Even on the hottest days out in the city, it felt cool to step beyond its threshold. Some of it, Loolilalu knew, was from vent systems installed below, using a variety of fans and the like to send cold air in. Though, sometimes, she wondered if it was a psychological thing thanks to the colors and aesthetic of the interior.

Passing through the small hall from the entrance - two closed doors at the sides - she was met with it as she entered the large, grand main room. It rose high with a roof that looked almost rounded from the inside, held up by large black and blue swirled columns of special peppermint. From those rafters above was a large chandelier of similar colors, dimly providing light. Black licorice scones were on some of the far walls left and right, but most of the light was currently shining through the huge stained glass windows next to them.

A large central aisle with black carpeting over the blue tiles was before her, leading through the central rows of pews made of dark chocolate. Additional paths were further to the left and right for benches closer to the windows. On them were dark blue cushions, and on their backs were small pockets where pamphlets with the usual itineraries for the week were kept. (If a special event was happening, one with info on it would also be kept there.)

Right on the back wall was a large stage made with dark brown candy wood, and an altar made of blue wood. On it was a large open book, and two silver-colored candelabras, with one on each side. They were lit currently, with blue flames burning from their peppermint-infused wax and wicks... And right behind it was a large mural depicting God himself - arms spread wide as colors seemed to explode from behind him in seeming chaos. Above him was also a depiction of his round helper, giving a sharp-toothed grin.

All of it was familiar... but it felt like to the princess that she was seeing it with fresh eyes. She supposed it was due to having met the man depicted at the back, and whose image dominated the various windows. As a child, she had giggled at some of the silly faces he made in those. Even the mural had him with his tongue out, as though the explosion of color was nothing to be feared or concerned about. It was part of the world’s creation story, in fact!

Things were different this time, though... She knew his name now - Caine. She had heard his actual voice and how his eccentric nature affected how he explained his tasks. She knew the types of knights he could send, who like him were not candy in any way.

...And she knew now that he was not infallible... and perhaps did not care for the kingdom.

Blinking hard at where her thoughts had been heading, she sighed and started to move through the central aisle. She tried to occupy herself with the intricate wavy and swirly patterns carved on the benches and columns, the former also having depictions of God’s hat and cane. She did her best not to let her conflict show. Many people surrounded her still, sitting in the various rows talking with one another and giving prayers. Here, of all places more than any, she did not want her people to see her faltering.

There were no sermons going on, she noticed, or songs being sung on the stage. Plenty of clergy were moving around checking on people, but it seemed that there was no mass prayer going on today. The confession booths at the back beside the stage - made of blue wood with black doors - had some small ques, though. She supposed it made sense, given that all plans for these last few days had been completely derailed. Perhaps it did not feel right to do their regular routines while the scars of the attack were still fresh.

The people did not seem to mind, at least. The quiet hush around the room was very... serene. As though this place was an escape from the horrors inflicted outside. Somewhere that these people could go to vent their frustrations... and to hope for the future.

Loolilalu did her best not to disturb any of them as she made her way to the back. A few people looked at her with surprise, but did not break the atmosphere. They merely nodded to her, which she returned where she could. Soon, she had reached the stairs up onto the stage, where she gave small waves to those waiting at the booths.

I hope Bluebell isn’t in one of those, she thought as she went up. She... was not sure she could stand to wait much longer. Her heartbeat was getting harder to control, which in turn was making her body tingly. Her hands, which she had managed to control the whole way over there, had also begun to shake again. She was this close to being able to confide with him, and if she had to delay any longer...

She felt a stab of guilt at these thoughts. If he was in one of the booths, then who was she to deny others the chance to talk with him? Compared to the city at large, she had suffered very little from the attack besides some stress. They all would deserve the chance to speak with him before she did, with all of their injuries, the unknown fates of many still, and just the upheaval of their lives.

Really... what right did she have to call him away from these people just to listen to her troubles?

Sighing to herself, she tried not to dwell on that gloomy thought. She made her way to the back of the stage, careful to not get close to the alter, lest anyone believe she was making an announcement of some kind. There, she came to one of the black candy wooden doors that blended into the walls. She opened it and slipped inside, taking her to the back of the church.

The hallway she was in was similar to the main room in color scheme and the intricate designs on the walls. The difference was that the scones back there were lit to provide light rather than the massive windows. More doorways made of dark gram-cracker rather than wood were on either side, leading to rooms for clergy and smaller events people were sometimes invited to. Tapestries hung on the walls, with pink ones depicting the kingdom’s symbol and blue ones The Church’s. There were branches and turns into other corridors further down as well further down.

Her entrance was noticed immediately by a guard standing close by, who immediately snapped his head her way. “Hey! You can’t enter here without-!” He stopped short as he realized who it was he was talking to, blinking in surprise and facing her way. “Ah, Loo! My apologies! I had not thought you would be here so soon!”

The small reaction managed to get a laugh from the princess, who smiled at the man. “I did not want to do this too late in the evening. I am glad to be greeted by you, though, Sprinkst. I hope the day has been treating you well?”

The blue-shield captain grunted neutrally. Like Chelsa, he was a hard-candy person with blue skin with large specs of green sprinkled along him. He had green eyes as well, along with white hair cut short... and perhaps a little dry in its gummy texture. It made her worry about how he was handling himself, but his uniform seemed to be in order - blue and with a tophat design on its front above the kingdom’s symbol.

If he was not feeling well, it did not show as he walked up to her, standing tall with his shield and spear both in hand. “Did you come here alone? You really should not be wandering the city without a proper escort!”

“I was accompanied here,” the princess reassured. “I arrived with Drumpick and Chelsa, and a few guards I believe kept an eye on me while I walked through the main room. I did not pay them much mind, though.” She shook her head. “You mustn’t worry so much. I am in no danger of being hurt in here of all places.”

“Perhaps... but the streets might be a different story,” Sprinkst stated, eyeing the door behind her. “You must be careful out there, Loo. God’s sight will only protect you so much when out there. Things are stable now... but desperation could set in at any time. Not to mention opportunists from outside the city who could sneak in any day now.”

Looilalu frowned, but nodded at his advice. Her recent friend rarely minced his words, and his concerns were very practical when he spoke. “I will keep that in mind. I do not wish to not be able to view my city, though...”

“Then do so - as long as you are well-protected,” the blue-shield captain said. He then sighed, turning his attention fully to her. “Anyway, I assume you wish to be taken to Bluebell’s office right away?”

The princess nodded, trying not to let too much of her eagerness show. “Yes! That would be lovely, thank you. Is he busy? I had wondered if he was in one of the confession booths.”

“Not today,” Sprinkst answered. “Aside from some paperwork and some casual meetings with other clergy, he kept his schedule mostly free in anticipation of your arrival. He was quite insistent that we not disturb him unless the matter was of great importance.”

That was a relief to hear... but it also made her guilt flare. She pursed her lips, glancing behind him at the hallways beyond. “My... request for an audience has not caused issues around here, have they? I... do not want to cause him trouble with this personal meeting.”

The blue-shield captain merely rolled his eyes while muttering. “Of course even with this you would worry about selfishness...”

That startled Loolilalu a little, her eyes widening. “Huh? W-who said I-?”

“Rest assured that Father Bluebell does not have any problems with your request in the slightest,” Sprinkst continued, looking at her firmly. “He is only upset that he could not make the arrangement yesterday, as we have been hosting plenty of the sick like in the palace. Things are more manageable today, however, and he has been concerned for your well-being.”

The princess looked down, her heart quivering. “B-but-”

“Loo,” the captain cut in. His gaze bore into her... but it softened a tad as he gestured behind him. “I can assure you he is looking forward to this audience with you. So please, let us not keep him waiting if you are ready, yes?”

For a moment, Loolilalu stood there, gazing down the corridor. It was laughable how desperately she had wanted to reach here, only to suddenly be getting cold feet. A small voice in her whispered that she should leave and leave The Father to help more with the common folk. There were so many issues that they were both dealing with, making her wonder if coming here was a mistake.

However... with a deep breath, she tried to quell these doubts. She had already made it this far, so turning back now would be pointless. Besides... she knew she needed this outlet for her emotions. If she put this off, then managing the city would only wear her down more.

Thus, plastering on a smile, she nodded to her friend. “Of course. Please, lead the way!”

The way Sprinkst eyed her made her believe he did not buy her expression. Nonetheless, he nodded back and turned, leading her down the hallway while standing beside her. They moved quietly forward, their steps echoing lightly in the confined space. They did not pass many people as they took turns and went deeper, but a few clergy members and guards they ran into gave silent waves.

Most she imagined were busy elsewhere in the city offering aid. Others, she was sure, were behind the doors they moved by doing administrative work or looking after injured. It was not as simple as praying and doing sermons for someone who worked in a church or other holy site of any religion, after all. They had to contend with finances and other bits of work like everyone else. How else could they afford to have a place so massive, even with support from the monarchy over the years?

The direction they were going was familiar to her - something she had known since childhood and likely did not need an escort to reach. Though despite this... her nerves were still acting up, making her hands shake even more. So to distract herself, she whispered to her friend to pass the time. “You didn’t answer my question of how your day had been, you know.”

Sprinkst shrugged, eyes forward as he responded. “It is as good as it can be, I believe. The Church has been quiet for the most part... but even here, whispers of our worth reach our ears. The clergy, of course, do not divulge what those in the booths say, but I think it self-evident what the majority are there for.”

The princess grimaced, looking down. “That must be difficult for you.”

“It is certainly not pleasant to see,” the captain agreed, shaking his head. “I find it quite frustrating, if I may be bold enough to say. So many generations of faith - strong and sturdy in the public eye - only to be undone by this tragedy. You would think it would bring the faithful together to aid one another... but instead, it is making some drift away.”

“How bad would you say it is?” Loolilalu asked. Chelsa and Drumpick had given their evaluations, but given that he worked so closely with The Church, he would know better than them about it.

“That is difficult to determine at this time,” Sprinkst replied, clearly not pleased by his own answer. “Much of what I’ve been seeing could be dismissed as the attack being fresh on everyone’s minds, meaning it will die down in the days to come. Father Bluebell certainly seems to believe this, which is reassuring.” He sighed heavily. “And yet... he will not deny the possibility of an opposition faction starting in the city - the whole kingdom - against Ringmestology.”

The words made the princess’s eyes bulge despite herself. She turned sharply to him, only barely keeping her voice down. “A-a full movement could start against The Church?!”

“So it is rumored,” the captain said, face grim. “If we are lucky, the dominant sentiment in such a case will be for a reformation of our religion. Although, I do not want to be caught off guard if calls start to come for the dismantling of our churches entirely.”

Loolilalu could only listen in stunned silence. She understood the reasons people were upset with The Church - she herself was dealing with a crisis of faith! But... a desire to get rid of it entirely? To cast down one of the fundamental parts of this kingdom that had been around practically since its founding? It... it was absurd! It bordered on insanity! She wanted to laugh, believing such a thing could never come to pass!

But... these were strange, hard times they found themselves in, so who could say if something so crazy could happen?

Perhaps it... it was her fault? Or, perhaps that was taking it too far, but she might not be helping matters. Her servants had to be noticing how little praying she had been doing, when before she did it several times around the palace. Yet had she knelt and clasped her hands at all these last four days?

Even with the state of things, word might be spreading of this change in her behavior. Her... her weakness of faith might be adding fuel to the fire against The Church. I should have made a statement before now. How could I not realize things were this bad? Why... why is it so difficult to muster a prayer even now? I-

“You may wish to clasp your hands tightly together, Loo,” Sprinkst suggested. “I know you do not like others seeing them shake like that.”

Startled, the princess looked down... and indeed found her hands trembling very noticeably. She quickly followed his advice, which helped significantly, though did not entirely eliminate the tick. She pursed her lips, hating how common this sign of stress had become since the attack. All of her training to keep composure in public, and she could barely keep her hands still...

This ate at her as they reached an entrance to a small spiral staircase going up. Being so deep within The Church, the blue sugar stone steps and walls were lit by scones with electric bulbs in them. They began their ascent toward the third floor, the captain at the front and her behind due to the limited space, where Bluebell’s office was. (There were five stores in total, not counting the top hallway that led into the bell tower. Other staircases offered access to the other steeples at the building’s corners.)

As they went up, she decided to shift the topic a little bit. “So... are Drack and Elsa here? I wanted to make sure they were being justly rewarded for their actions.”

“They are out currently, I’m afraid,” Sprinkst stated, before giving an approving hum. “They were actually quite adamant about heading out to help with maintaining peace in the city. It does them well that their heroic deeds have not made them believe they are above the simple act of patrolling the streets.”

Loolilalu smiled a little as well. The two guards may have been fairly new recruits, but since the attack, they had proven their fortitude from what she had heard. It was as if staring down The Fudge and managing to hit it with their cannon had awakened something in them. Now, they were throwing themselves into their duties and helping ensure that the people were safe.

...She had also heard that they were experiencing quite a bit of fame for their deeds, thanks to the captains. She could practically picture their faces from the attention they must get on the streets (which felt weird to think about for a second, but it quickly passed). She was sure they were flattered for it, though, despite any embarrassment. It was well-earned, and a fine reward while they worked out giving them more formal rewards.

Still, she did worry about their health, which she inquired about. “Is Elsa’s leg good enough to walk like that?”

The captain shrugged. “She claims it’s fine. Given her actions, she earned some maple syrup to help her recover on the first day, which helped. The doctors still don’t want her moving on her own, but Drack is constantly with her, so I approved of their patrols. They still should not be far from here, though, if you wish to find them later. I can also arrange for them to visit you in the palace tomorrow.”

The princess shook her head. “There’s no need for that. I simply wished to make sure they were receiving what rewards can be spared currently.”

Sprinkst hummed as they finally reached the third floor. He replied as she came up, too, and took position beside him again. “I am doing what I can, but... they more often than not don’t stick around long enough for good meals. I have more so resorted to making sure they have money to buy whatever luxury goods they can while out.”

Loolilalu nodded, not entirely surprised by that. She rubbed her chin as they went down the hallway, taking the turns needed to reach Bluebell’s office. “Well, I believe I could show my appreciation further with some promotions. Reformation is going to be happening among the soldier ranks soon, so I believe they could do as sergeants for their efforts.”

Another hum left the captain. “So we are moving to that kind of system? I can see how that can be rewarding to the two of them, though we’ll have to see how they handle leading squads of their own - even small ones.” He looked over at her, his tone more curious than worried. “What will such reformations mean for my, Drumpick's, and Chelsa’s standings, though?”

The princess paused, scratching her head. “Hm... Well, I suppose you’ll all be fairly high-ranked, both due to your service until now and the advice you’ve given over the last few days. But I’d best also find some others to promote to your levels so that it doesn’t seem so much like... well...”

“Nepotism?” Sprinkst offered.

Loolilalu blushed lightly, but nodded. She doubted that the friendship she had been developing with them had been unnoticed by other soldiers and servants. It would already be obvious, at least in part, why she would give them promotions in the new system once it was developed. It was therefore best to show that merit was very much still a part of things.

The captain shrugged, appearing unbothered. “Do whatever you feel is best. It would be good to consider, though, if the soldiers of The Church are to be filed into the normal ranks of the kingdom sooner rather than later. And if not, if both are going to have different ranking systems.”

“Good point,” the princess murmured, mentally filing that for later. She nodded once more to the other. “Thank you for your input. Be sure to give the news of potential promotions to Drack and Elsa next time you see them, as well.” Word may as well start spreading about the reform to help with adaptation.

Sprinkst grunted, eyes turning forward. “I will do so... though I may suggest that Chelsa give the news to them instead.”

That made Loolilalu blink, looking at him with confusion. “Oh? Why?”

“While I have been doing my best to lead them, they are... a little hesitant around me,” the captain admitted. “It is a passing thing, I can assure you. They simply feel awkward talking with me since yesterday due to a... debate about the current status of the remaining knight. I do not wish to discomfort them further until they realize I am not truly angry, and Chelsa is around enough to help with organizing guards around the northern section, so...”

The princess processed this, realizing what must have happened. After all... there was a particular issue of which the hard-candy man had been in disagreement with them all about. And while she knew the man did not mean to do so, he could come across as rather... intense about his feelings on the matter. Something the other two must have realized yesterday.

Sighing, she decided she might as well talk to him about it so that he knew his concerns were being heard. “I understand that you are concerned about Pomni - the jester - running free like she is. But she has proven to not be a threat to us currently.”

“With all due respect, we don’t know what she is in relation to us,” Sprinkst countered, frowning deeply. “While I can concede that she is not the savage the rabbit was, that does not mean she is an ally, and certainly does not prove she isn’t a heretic.”

“She helped to destroy The Fudge,” Loolilalu pointed out. “She put herself at risk for not only some of your soldiers, but this whole city.”

“Then left with the bandits who tried to rob us,” the captain stated. “This also despite us being one of the most devoted practitioners of Ringmestology in the Candy Canyons... before now, anyway. The point, though, is that if she wanted to be reunited with God and expose the treachery of the other knights, she would have surely stayed here...” His gaze hardened as he stared ahead. “Unless, of course, she has sins against God she is running from...”

The princess pursed her lips at the notion... But it was a fair suspicion, unfortunately. As Chelsa pointed out before, they had no clue what any of their motives were, and that included Pomni. Her saving of the city could have been for any number of reasons. The cannon master and the two guards were quite convinced of her heroism that night, but even so... they had no clue what she was going to do next.

...Or, well, there were some pretty good guesses. Unless she chose a life of anonymity from here on out... what else could be assumed when running off with criminals back to their home?

Needless to say, the speculation surrounding the jester was a mess. Yet all any of them could do was wait and see what she would do... Unless, of course, they followed Sprinkst’s suggestion of sending out soldiers to bring her in. Not necessarily as a prisoner, given her lack of true crimes, but still back within their grasp.

Her stance had not changed on the matter, however. She made it clear once again as she shook her head and looked at him apologetically. “I fully understand your concerns, Sprinkst. But for now, to avoid any more needless speculation among the public, I believe it best to leave Pomni be. She has earned her freedom after what she did for us.”

“...And if she falls within those bandits’ ranks?” the captain asked.

“...Then if she commits any more crimes against the kingdom within our borders, we will treat her like any other criminal,” Loolilalu said, even if that idea came with... mixed feelings. “What that entails will depend on the severity of the crimes.”

Sprinkst sighed, but nodded as they made their next turn. “I suppose that’s fair enough treatment. Still, I hope you and the others recognize the risks with this.”

“We do,” the princess reassured. “There are other things we should be prioritizing, though.”

The captain shrugged, slowing down his pace. “It is your decision, Loo... Though I believe that I have given enough council for now. Bluebell shall have plenty more to say, I’m sure.”

Loolilalu blinked, looking ahead... and realizing they had arrived. A few feet away was a set of double doors - dark gram crackers like many of the others, though with blue icing trimmings. Two guards stood at attention there, peppermint swords at their hips. They barely moved, though their eyes flickered to them as acknowledgment.

She... had finally made it here. Beyond those doors, she would get to have the talk she had been yearning for. She would be in the presence of one of her most trusted confidants. To talk with the highest authority in religious matters in the kingdom.

At last... she would learn if her faith could be salvaged.

The prospect made her heart hammer again. But despite this, she managed to take a deep breath, keeping her voice in control as she looked at her friend. “I am sure he will, too. Thank you for escorting me here, Sprinkst. I do hope my stance upon Pomni hasn’t upset you too much.”

“I am mildly frustrated, but again, not angry,” Sprinkst replied calmly. “And even if I was, I would not embarrass myself with further outbursts like that night. I shall not be ruled by haste like I was then again if it can be helped.” He looked at the two standing guards. “You two! Move away to give the princess and The Father some privacy!”

The two nodded, marching past them and further down the hallway. Satisfied, he looked at her and bowed. “Good day, Loo. Simply call for me when you are done and I will lead you back out of here.”

The princess nodded, bowing back. With that, the blue hard-candy man walked away, leaving her alone in front of the double doors. She stared at them a moment longer, trying to steel her nerves. She was so scared that this trip would be for nothing and would not give her the relief she sought. It was a heavy burden that she was walking in there with, which somehow seemed to crush her more the longer she stood there. It made her worry again that she was wasting both of their time once more.

...But she would never know if she did not try. And so, with one last breath for confidence, she walked up and stood in front of the entrance to the office. She knocked on the door firmly, ignoring the continued shaking of her hands.

Immediately, an old, wisened voice came from the other side. “Hm? Who’s there?”

Tension already bled out of her from the sound of his voice. Clearing her throat, she called back to him. “It’s Loolilalu, Father Bluebell. May I come in?”

She could hear rustling within as the man answered, his voice noticeably brighter than before. “Ah, Looly! Come in, come in! The doors are unlocked!”

Loolilalu giggled, blushing lightly from the nickname from her childhood. He loved to embarrass her with it where he could... though she never said anything to stop him. So it was with a smile that she pulled the door open, quickly stepping inside.

The large office was as homely as it was grand. Lit by some scones, a lot of the rest of the wall space was taken up by large dark blue candy wood shelves. Most rows were taken up by a selection of various books - mainly religious, some historical - though on occasion, other things were placed on them. This included small blue candy stone statues depicting God’s helper, and a few small green pots containing candy plants that did not require much sunlight. Much of the ground was also taken up by a large, purple rug with yellow designs of God’s face across it.

This all surrounded a large desk near the center of the room. Made of rich orange wood and intricately carved with swirling patterns, its top was neatly organized with paper stacks, writing utensils, and a candy oil lamp for extra illumination. Just behind it was a large, yellow-framed painting of God, surrounded by his various all-seeing eyes on a colorful background, flanked by two windows with purple curtains. In front of it were three chocolate chairs with plush blue cushioning, and behind it a tall black wooden one that seemed to radiate authority.

And within that chair... was Father Bluebell himself.

Like so many others that day, it felt like she was seeing him for the first time. He was a lollipop person like her, with a head with light and dark blue swirls, bald on the top. They complimented his green eyes well, and his blue gummy beard, long and triangular. They also matched his blue and black robes, much more ornate than typical clergy and having silver trimmings to signify his station. On his hands were black gloves which he used to write on a paper before him with.

His age was very apparent to anyone who saw him. His face had bumps, wrinkles, and cracks that made him seem wisened and tired. (That was far from the truth, though, for anyone who knew him.) His beard was whitened and faded with a dryness similar to Sprinkst’s. Even beneath his gloves, she swore she could see the frailty of his hands.

It was to be expected for someone who had lived as long as he had. At over a hundred years old, he was one of the oldest people in the entire land, let alone the kingdom! That he was still able to move around and think as clearly as he could was nothing short of a miracle. His tenure as Father of The Church had gone on not only for her parents' rule, but her grandparents' as well. (He even jokingly told her as a kid that he did so for her great-grandparents as well... which she was still embarrassed that she ever believed despite her age then.)

But there were times when one could forget that he was older than a century. Such as when he looked up at her, his smile warm and his eyes twinkling. “Ah, Looly! It is so good to see you today. I had thought I would only be graced by your presence well after supper.”

Swallowing thickly at the genuine happiness in his voice, the princess closed the door behind her, stepping further into the room. “I would never think to keep you waiting so long after accepting my request for an audience.”

Bluebell chuckled, moving the paper before him onto one of the stacks and setting aside his pen. “Oh, you are much too kind!” His eyes grew softer, standing from his chair. “But it is good to see you in such good health. When the attack against us became apparent... I had worried The Fudge would take you as one of its first victims. My relief was immeasurable when word of your survival reached me.”

Loolilalu’s heart hurt at the idea of him worrying about her in his office while the city burned. Someone as old as him did not need such stresses in his life. She gestured to herself as if it would reassure him further. “Well, as you can see, that did not come to pass. The Fudge did not seem all that interested in trying to reach me specifically. Just... causing general chaos.”

“Still, I shudder to imagine what the palace was like that night,” The Father said, rounding his desk. He moved like someone far younger, if perhaps a little slower. Never once had she seen him in need of a cane or aid unless injured in some way. It was like he was blessed by God to be strong despite his aging body - standing tall until the end.

If so... at least a blessing from him had worked out for one of them.

Shaking that thought away, the princess clasped her hands, maintaining her smile as he came in front of her, standing at about her height. “It is good to see you were similarly unharmed by the attack, too. The Church... needs you more than ever, from what I hear.”

To her surprise, Bluebell laughed as looked behind him toward the windows. “Ah, yes. It is only natural, I’m afraid. There has been no true challenge to our religious views for many decades, so it is no surprise those under me are struggling with how to respond. But I a doing my best to advise them.”

Loolilalu tilted her head, surprised at how... unbothered he appeared. Not that she expected him to have a strong reaction, but she had still expected more. He seemed to know that an opposition party to The Church might be forming from what Sprinkst said, so how was he this calm? Did he feel un-threatened by it... or was he as good of an actor as she was?

Before she could ask more, though, The Father turned back to her, eyeing her closely... before a sad sigh left him. “If we may hold any discussions on that for a moment, though... I think it best to address why it is that you’re here.”

Tensing briefly, the princess instinctively straightened her back, widening her smile. “O-oh, of course! I would so love your council on many issues that-”

“And so I shall give it... but that is not quite what I meant,” Bluebell interrupted. He reached out before she could react and grabbed one of her hands... and despite being old, his was steady while hers shook. His thumb went over her palm, shaking his head. “There is the matter of your well-being that requires addressing first.”

...She should not be shocked that he saw through her that easily. He had practically watched her grow up and could see past any facades she attempted. But even so, she felt her breathing stop at being called out so soon. She had thought she could ease into that stuff, and having it brought to the forefront left her floundering... and caused a crack deep inside of her to widen.

Vainly trying to keep it closed, she swallowed again, trying not to let her voice tremble. “That... that isn’t...”

“Loo,” The Father said, the change in nickname and tone indicating his sudden seriousness. He brought up his other hand, clasping both over hers. “If you are struggling, then you are free to tell me what ails you. It has been my pleasure and honor to lend you my metaphorical ear all of these years, and I shall do so again now.”

“...I shouldn’t keep doing so,” Loolilalu said quietly, trying to fight off the stinging in her eyes. “I-I am not the young child I once was.”

“And I’ve certainly not gotten any younger, either,” Bluebell teased, smiling lightly. “But age does not stop you from having feelings. And I believe I can guess easily enough this time what the source of your troubles is...”

The princess tried to hold on for a little longer. But... his eyes were so patient and inviting, waiting to listen to her response. It was a look she knew from growing up - when she knew her mother would dismiss things and her father would not show care. An offer made by a nice old man to a child in need, and kept giving as she grew up-

...And it seemed that nothing had changed. For soon, she was looking down as she sniffled, using her free hand to wipe her wet eyes. Her body trembled as the crack inside her became too wide to close, her voice coming out broken. “It’s... It’s all coming apart, Father. T-the city is in ruin and... a-and it’s my fault!”

“It isn’t your fault,” Bluebell reassured, voice steady and calm as he squeezed her hand. He gently pulled her, leading her to one of the chairs in front of his desk. “The only ones to blame are the perpetrators of the atrocity.”

“But I trusted them!” Loolilalu wailed, a sob leaving her as she rubbed her eyes harder. “I-if I had only stuck with my plans to send the soldiers... B-but I let myself be blinded by God’s words. Believed that there was no chance the knights would betray us!”

“As did we all,” The Father said quietly, helping her to sit. “It seemed unthinkable that God could be tricked... but we perhaps put too much faith in old, fanciful texts mired by the perspective of mortal men. A mistake even I make at times.”

His words only caused the princess to whimper, a dark idea crossing her mind. She wanted to keep silent about it, the thought alone blasphemous, let alone to speak it in the middle of The Church to its leader! It was not anything that someone of her station should be saying in times like this, either. Not when faith was already in short supply.

But despite these things... somehow, she found the words leaving her lips anyway, almost too quiet to hear. “...But what if he was not tricked?”

She tensed, half-expecting a harsh reprimand like her father would have given. But instead... Bluebell’s voice continued to be patient, not showing any judgment. “Is that something you believe?”

Flinching, the princess could only shrug helplessly, sniffling more. “I... I don’t know. I... don’t know what to believe anymore...” It felt like the words were barbed as they came out, trying to tear apart her throat.

Back when she was a kid, the older man might have wrapped her in a hug at this point. She had tried to set up boundaries after taking the throne, though, out of propriety of their stations. He respected them... though that did not stop him from placing a hand on her shoulder, his grip surprisingly firm. “Then I suppose we’ll have to work that out a little bit, won’t we?”

Loolilalu's vision blurred as more tears built up, unable to look at him. Her composure was slipping gradually, her breath hitching. With anyone else, she would have been mortified to be seen in such a state - so unbecoming of royalty! But while she still felt a bit of that... being here with her oldest mentor in more ways than one...

“I... I’m scared, Bluebell,” she muttered.

“Even leaders are allowed to be afraid, Loo,” The Father said, keeping his hand where it was. “You’re very strong to hide it from the public in these times... but you do not need to worry about prying eyes here.”

Another sob escaped the princess, who buried her face in her hands. She stayed like that for a long while afterward, releasing all of the anxiety and fear she had been feeling with each wrack of her body. Undignified noises left her - the likes of which barely more than a handful of people had ever heard from her. And all the while... the head of The Church waited on her, his touch grounding her by reminding her a friendly face was here.

It was a painful affair... but also one that brought her a huge relief. Right now, she did not have to worry about her responsibilities as ruler of the kingdom. Here... she was a woman who needed guidance from an old friend. She could be honest about everything and how it made her feel.

She could ignore the weight of her crown for a while... and instead, try to find the strength to bear it.

Eventually, her crying petered out, allowing her to breathe properly. When she lifted her head, she looked over at Bluebell, who had a smile mixed with both sadness and kindness. “I see your burdens have been great indeed. I wish I could be more surprised.”

Loolilalu flushed, looking away. “I’m sorry...”

“It is nothing to apologize for,” The Father promised, removing his hand as he moved back around his desk. “I only wish you might find more than just this silly old man to confess your problems to, even if it is partially my job.”

The princess chuckled humorlessly. “Growing up to be princess came with lots of lessons on being polite... but had surprisingly few opportunities for real friendships.”

“Ah, but that’s changed now a bit, hasn’t it?” Bluebell asked.

Thinking of the three captains, Loolilalu could not help but smile a little. “I... suppose so.”

Chuckling, The Father sat down in his chair turning to give her his full attention. “Ah... I guess there is time to discuss that later, though. Please, tell me of your issues.”

The princess sighed tiredly, unsure of where to even start as she rubbed her eyes a little more. But still, she tried to speak. “I just... you understand, right? I’m... not crazy for feeling responsible for all of this, right?”

“It is understandable why you came to such conclusions,” Bluebell answered. “Whether it is rational is another matter.”

That somehow got Loolilalu to breathe a little easier... though did not make her feel any better. She grimaced, looking behind him and out the windows, the tops of buildings visible. Her next words felt like more blades being forced out. “Am I... fit to rule during such a crisis, Bluebell? Do you believe that I have the resolve to make the decisions necessary... no matter how difficult?”

The Father took a deep breath, rubbing his hand down his gummy beard. “Well, if it is to any credit... you are doing far better than your mother would have been. The fires alone would have had her downing her fiftieth glass of sherbet by now to try and avoid responsibility.”

A small chuckle left the princess, able to picture the scene quite well. “And dad would have to try and save face with the public regarding it... again.” She then frowned, looking down. “He still would have done it, though... and be leading the kingdom back to prosperity while he was at it.”

Bluebell hummed. “I will not deny to you his obsession with military and combat would have served us well during the attack. Though how quickly he would have resolved things, or if he would have been able to deal with the knights, are not things I can say for certain.”

Loolilalu sighed heavily, hands in her lap as they shook. “He would not have needed this kind of counseling afterward. He was much stronger than that.”

“...So some may wish to believe,” The Father said, looking distantly to the side.

The princess blinked, not expecting that response. “H-huh?”

“You must remember, Loo, that his reign was similarly as uneventful as yours- until recently,” Bluebell explained. “He dealt with a riot or two, and cracked down upon bandits within our borders, but he still led us in times of peace like you. He appeared a stoic king of whom emotions were secondary... but never was it put to the test.

“Who can say if he would have stood strong? Perhaps he would have, and then led the rebuilding efforts. Or perhaps the mass death would cause him to break, needing time in isolation to build his resolve back. Maybe this all would have enhanced his worse traits and turned him into a tyrant. We shall never know these things for certain... because he’s not the one here to deal with everything.”

Loolilalu bit her lips, a little uncomfortable with the imagery of that last point. Her father may have been cold, as she acknowledged earlier, but something like that... She did not want to believe he would ever have become so bad. He had cared for her, after all, even if he had not shown it often.

Seeming to sense her mood, The Father sighed, hands on his desk. “I am sorry if I upset you with my words, Loo. All I am trying to convey to you is that... it is hard to know if someone is able to lead during such disasters until they are put in the middle of one. Even with all of my years, it is hard to gauge it - there are so many factors of great variety involved...”

“I see,” the princess murmured. Honestly... she did not know what she expected there. He was wise, but he was still just the head of The Church. For all of his connections to the monarchy...

She was surprised, then, when Bluebell looked up at her with a soft smile. “But I can tell you that you have a good trait that helps your case... A heart that bleeds for your people.”

Loolilalu flushed a little, not fully understanding but flustered all the same. “M-my father cared for the people as well...”

“He did, but he more often than not looked at things in terms of statistics,” The Church’s leader said. “I am sure it helped lend to his ability to remain so closed-hearted around others. If given the chance to be around the injured outside, I believe he would avoid their eyes when possible, and keep his conversations short.” He met her eyes, a small twinkle in his. “And what have you been doing with the injured?”

The princess blushed harder, able to tell he knew the answer. Yet even so, she gave a response. “I’ve... been visiting them. Trying to make them feel noticed even by someone so high above them.” Her hand went up to the Jolly Rancher rose in her hair, smiling softly. “A child even saw fit to give me this.”

“A lovely flower, I must say,” Bluebell commented, smiling as well. “Your father I doubt would have smiled if a kid did the same with him, nor let them, as I assume with you, touch his hair. And your mother... Well...”

“Would be drinking too many sherbets by then - I know,” Loolilalu finished. She sighed, rubbing her hands together as she gazed at him uncertainly. “But a willingness to show compassion alone is not enough to fix this city or keep the kingdom together.”

“No... but it shows everyone you are not going to needlessly make sacrifices,” The Father replied. “That you are trying to help.”

“...There has to be more I can do, though,” the princess whispered, recalling how little she could do during the attack and her inability to help the injured.

Bluebell shrugged. “Only you can decide what you wish to do to rectify that, if you believe it to be a problem.” He leaned forward, reaching out with one hand expectantly. When she complied and grabbed it, he gave it a soft squeeze. “But I have faith that you shall do your best, which is all that can be asked. I shall not lie and say that every choice you make will be perfect - no rule is without its faults. But if you keep standing tall like you have been... I am sure we shall be alright.”

...Loolilalu had no response to that. It was the kind of belief in her she had been hearing from the captains and others who worked for her. With them, she was constantly plagued by her uncertainties, finding it hard to believe them.

Yet coming from such an old friend... she perhaps could take it a little more to heart.

Though that did not mean she was free of her doubts. Sighing, she took back her hand and gazed around somberly. “I still wish my father was around to help with this. I’d like to think he would do well here.” She shook her head. “But then again, that almost feels like I want to force this on someone else.”

“I believe anyone sane would wish that such a large crisis did not happen in their lifetimes,” The Church leader replied, before sighing as well. “But we unfortunately do not often get a choice on such matters. All we can do is make sure the best people for the job are by our sides and to take care to listen to them.”

I... guess I’ve been doing that much, the princess thought. She had been doing plenty of listening to the concerns of the various experts at her disposal on construction, commerce, and much more. While she may question if she is doing everything efficiently, she supposed no one could say she did not recognize her necessary duties.

Though... her position was not the only one she worried about. She looked at her old teacher with concern, leaning closer so she could grab the edge of his desk. “And... do you have such people close to you for the troubles facing The Church?”

“As much as can be spared,” Bluebell responded, turning to look toward his windows with an unbothered expression. A brief chuckle left him. “It helps that we are fortunate enough to not need to repair this building. Perhaps a small mercy from God given to us on that night so that we could focus elsewhere in the aftermath.”

“Or just luck,” the princess murmured, before flinching, recalling where she was.

Yet The Father did not seem offended - simply shrugging at her words. “That could also be it. Praying on my part may yield to me an answer there.”

Loolilalu pursed her lips, thinking back to what she had witnessed some clergy going through on the way over. “I... was thinking that I might give a public statement to help ease some blame off of you. Make it clear that you are still trusted by the royal family... even if it’s just me right now.”

“You do not need to concern yourself with that,” Bluebell said, still looking out. “But if it will put your mind at ease, I can put together a time for you to do so right here right at the church. I understand that your usual balcony is in much need of repairs right now, to say nothing of The Fudge’s remaining body.”

“And how soon would that be?” the princess asked, worry leaking into her voice.

“...Perhaps not soon enough for you,” The Father answered, tone somehow both serious and joking.

Loolilalu groaned, shaking her head. “How are you able to be so calm about this? People are calling The Church into question right now! Who knows how long until my advisors have to start addressing it as a problem to me!”

Bluebell chuckled, stroking his whitening beard. “Well, part of it is admittedly age. Maybe I would be more panicked if this had happened fifty years ago. Such is the truth of growing older for most.” He sat back in his chair, facing her. “But do not mistake me. I am concerned about the future of The Church. I certainly don’t want to leave whoever comes after me with too large of a mess to manage.”

The princess felt her heart twist, her face falling. “Don’t talk like you’re going to be gone soon...”

“Oh? Do you suppose my days will be brighter if I reach a hundred and fifty years old?” The Father asked, his smile far too mischievous for such a topic.

Still, it managed to draw a chuckle from Loolilalu. “You know what I mean!” She then sighed, looking down with frustration. “The whole thing is ridiculous, though. You are not to blame for what the knights did to us.”

“Ah, but I am a man of God, and so are the rest of the clergy,” Bluebell pointed out. “And the knights were sent by that very God. Who would not have questions about the strength of our religion now?” He gazed at her softly. “Including our very own princess?”

Said woman flinched, wrapping her arms around herself as she suddenly felt vulnerable. She avoided his eye as she whispered. “That... that has nothing to do with my conviction in you. Whatever the truth about God and the knights, you are trustworthy. I know that much.”

The Father gave a small smile. “That is very kind of you to say.” He sat forward again. “But still, I ask you to not stress yourself over the woes of The Church. There shall be much debate over scriptures and beliefs in the times ahead - of that I am certain. But even if factions come to oppose us in the palace rooms, we shall continue to do as we have always done: pray for people, give people a place to commune, and try to inspire hope for the future.”

The princess swallowed thickly, wishing there was more she could say. But... what else was there, really? She could hardly force people to not be angry at The Church. She could do many things to endorse them, but in the end, the people would decide how they felt. And as Drumpick had told her, pushing too hard could end badly for her public image.

...And what right did she have to lecture, given her own dwindling faith?

That got another grimace out of her, finding it harder to ignore that now. It was a hole inside of her chest - not too big yet, but desperate to be filled. And surrounded by the iconography of the religion she once held in the highest regard, she could feel the edges of that hole collapsing ever-so-slowly, making it wider.

She could not bear it... and so she met his eyes once more, uncaring of how desperate she must have looked. “Is... is there anything you can say to help my faith?”

Bluebell looked at her sadly, clasping his hands before him. While his voice did not lose its softness, it became more professional. “As head of The Church, it is my solemn duty to do so. Though I would be helped if you could explain the details of your wounded faith.” He shook his head. “And I can make no promises that it shall work.”

Loolilalu’s eyes widened at that. “Huh?”

“Faith is down to the individual - all I can do is advise and give my perspective,” The Father explained. “I am not a magician who can make someone a believer with the wave of my hand.” He smiled kindly. “But I do hope my words may bring you comfort.”

...Well, the princess supposed that was fair. Thus, taking a deep breath, she tried to collect her thoughts on where her lack of faith began. “I just... you taught me about God and his all-seeing eyes - how he watches over everyone in the entire Candy Canyons. Nothing is supposed to be able to escape his gaze, or be able to blind him of seeing their intent.”

Bluebell hummed. “I don’t know if I taught you that last one, but then, I can see how the stories can lead to such a conclusion. But yes, he is supposed to be watching everyone - weighing our deeds to decide our fates when we pass on.”

“And he’s supposed to be all-powerful,” Loolilalu continued, gesturing widely. “He helped to create this world at the beginning of time! It was by his hand that all life sprung, and by which our candy lands came to be.”

“A tale of which all religions in the canyons and wastes agree upon, at least,” The Father confirmed. “Anything beyond that is a different matter.”

The princess bit her lips, her voice starting to wobble as tears started to build up again. “...So how is it that he could be tricked? And why does he not come again to aid us in our hour of need?”

“...How indeed,” Bluebell said quietly. For the first time, his eyes and voice seemed to reflect his age. It was like she was truly seeing him as over a hundred years old for the very first time.

The sight shocked Loolilalu a bit, tilting her head. “You... you say that like you have doubts of your own.”

“Doubts?” The Father asked, shaking his head. “No, that’s not the right word. Plenty of questions, but I am no less a follower of Ringmestology as I was when I first took this position.” He glanced at the various books in his office. “But I have perhaps realized how complacent my beliefs were becoming. I should have looked for more challenges to them, so that I may remain humble.”

The princess frowned. “Should you not have absolute conviction in these matters?”

“If I did, I would risk becoming a zealot,” Bluebell stated, strength returning to his voice. “And those are not people you wish to have directing a whole religion - believe me.”

Loolilalu nodded, deciding to take his word for it. Focusing back on the topic, though, she shook her head. “So how do you and the clergy keep your faith in the face of this disaster, then?”

“Through the belief that God is seeing us through these times,” The Father answered. He laughed lightly at her confused expression at this. “I know that might be hard to fathom, but think about it. God has so much power, but instead of returning the stolen syrup tanker himself, he sent the knights to do it in his stead. And if he intended to cause us suffering, then why not do it himself when he appeared to you?”

That got the princess frowning again, rubbing her chin. It was a good point - the creator of this world would surely have plenty of strength to destroy the city, or even the whole kingdom. She could just imagine the power of which he could have unleashed upon them. And how would they have been able to fight back if he did so?

But... he had not. If he intended them harm, then why not do it himself? It did not make any sense... Unless...

She looked at her old mentor, looking to confirm her suspicion. “Are... you suggesting that he cannot use his power here?”

“Or he does not wish to do so,” Bluebell confirmed, hands resting on the desk before him. “The second I believe more likely, and not without good reason. Think of the old stories, like ‘Fruisca the Great’ and ‘The Tragedy of Saint Pepper.’ God gave boons and curses in those tails to the religious and heretics respectively. Yet we never question why he does not get involved directly. I have given it some thought before, and now I am more certain as to why...”

He looked at her expectantly, and Loolilalu realized with a start she wanted her to guess the answer. It was... quite the welcome task, actually. It reminded her of how he taught her about Ringmestology growing up. He wanted her to not only know the stories, but understand them on a personal level.

And so she tried to again, recalling those very stories. (Though it took her a moment, her mind seeming to stall for a time before the general plot of those tales returned to her.) It was true that God did not often get directly involved in the two he mentioned. Good pudding, his voice was not even heard by everyone he helped! It was quite a puzzling thing to consider unless... his intent was...

“...Because God wants us to fight our own battles and live our lives without his direct control?”  she offered, a tad uncertainly.

She was rewarded with a nod from The Father. “He may give his favors, but I do believe he wants to keep his distance from us. He made this world so that we could have lives filled with wonder, fulfillment, and of course a bit of wackiness. And though we follow his teachings, he does not wish for us to be beholden to him, waiting for his calls.”

The princess... thought she was seeing his logic. How many stories had him appear in a vision or in-person to give advice like with her? Yet there were also plenty where he spoke no words, yet it was evident who had his blessing. All the while watching from his domain, giving those below space to do what they wished with his gifts and words...

Was that why he did not come back now? Would that be, in his view, too heavy of interference in the world? How would people react to God personally keeping a kingdom strong and prosperous, she now wondered? Certainly, it would raise faith in him greatly, but what would happen beyond that? Would other nations become envious and try to destroy them out of spite? Would they be left weak should he ever have to leave for a long time?

Did that perhaps mean that... there was more to his absence now than simply abandoning them? Did he believe that they already had what they needed to pull through? Were they receiving invisible blessings even now?

Such thoughts stirred hope within her... but it was heavily mired by questions and doubts. Mainly about the causes of this disaster. Her eyes conveyed furrowed eyebrows, looking at her old mentor as she voiced this. “But then... what of the knights he sent? If he wanted to help us, then why did he not see the evil within them? And why would he save them after what they did to us?”

Bluebell sighed, looking down forlornly. “That... may be indicative of an uncomfortable truth about God. That perhaps he is not truly all-seeing.”

Loolilalu winced once again. She had the same thought during the attack, but... “Is that not blasphemous to consider?”

“...Would it not be up to me to decide if that were so or not?” The Father asked.

After a pause, the princess giggled, easing up a tad. “A fair point.”

Grinning briefly, Bluebell shook his head and got back to his musings. “But truly, do the texts not support this? He had to task Fruisca once to find him his magical cane - a short story though it was, it gives precedent. And it is said that this is not the only world of which he looks down upon. He sees many, where not everything is candy. The knights were not made of any, so that is further support of this. So if his attention was divided...”

What he was saying made a lot of sense, Loolilalu thought - blessedly so! Such simple explanations as to God’s actions and why the knights could somehow deceive him. All of it derived from their texts rather than blind assumptions, too. (How had she forgotten that story about Fruisca? It was so clear in her mind now, where before she had not recalled it.)

...But it was not fully satisfying. She frowned, rubbing her chin. “I... still don’t understand how all the knights slipped beneath his notice, though. He must have picked them for a reason. So how could so many of them have been corrupt? Even if not omniscient, he surely cannot be that bad at judging character!”

The Father shrugged. “We know not the full history between him and them. Perhaps at one point, they were heroic knights who were sent to do tasks by him. But lacking his divinity... their souls became ragged and corrupted. Whether by demons or their own greed, what we witnessed could be the remaining phantoms of once holy warriors.”

The princess mulled over this, recalling what was told to her the night of the attack. “Now that you mention that... it was mentioned that Pomni was allegedly the newest of the knights. And of all of them, she proved the most capable of heroic deeds. Could it be that her drive to do that was why she was selected, and why she was not corrupt like them?”

“It is very possible,” Bluebell said. “And it could be witnessing the other knights’ betrayal that she decided to leave with the bandits. Her own faith might have been shaken in God and his servants, and she wished for distance.”

The idea made Loolilalu’s heart sink, now feeling a deep pity for the jester. She could picture it - watching a group she might have once admired and been glad to join... only to see their luster was a lie. That could very well cause a crisis of faith... It had for her, after all. Could she fully blame her for wanting to put distance between herself and the kingdom that holds God in such high esteem then?

...If this were all true, anyway.

Her frown seemed stuck on her face by this point. She gazed at her fellow lollipop person, speaking carefully. “This is all fine speculation, Bluebell... but we lack proof for much of this.”

A small chuckle left The Father. “Ah, yes... such is often the difficulty of religion. Much of it, you have to simply believe in despite lacking physical evidence.” He looked at her, gesturing to his collection of texts. “I’m afraid that is all I can offer you, though. I maintain my belief that God wishes for us to succeed. He will simply not hand us that outcome without us putting in our own efforts. What you believe... That remains up to you, as I said to begin with.”

The princess pursed her lips, looking at the bookshelves. Then her sights went back to the painting behind the desk, showing God - Caine - in all of his glory. She recalled how jovial and excited he seemed when he appeared before her that day. He talked of adventure and many other things she did not comprehend. Nothing about his demeanor or the instructions he gave her suggested he wished to have them destroyed.

Yet to accept that he meant no harm... would also mean accepting he was not infallible. That the knights in some way had tricked him to not only escape, but also leave one of their own behind. It could even mean he did not notice their plight, too preoccupied with other worlds of which he gazed over. Or perhaps the knights were keeping his eyes pointed elsewhere, which made her feel sick.

It was a difficult thing to accept... but when the alternative was believing that God hated them now and had left them for dead...

Taking a deep breath, she straightened her posture, feeling more... centered than earlier. Carefully sorting through the various emotions going through her, she spoke slowly to her old mentor. “I see... Thank you for sharing your beliefs, Bluebell. It will take time, and I am not sure I will accept all of them... but I think it will help.” She sniffled, a tear escaping her eye as she looked down. “I... I don’t want to lose my faith.”

Bluebell’s face was full of sympathy as he nodded. “Struggles with faith are things we all must go through - even me. But if my words help you to pull through your turmoil, I am glad.” He glanced at the door to his office. “If you also wish, you can talk with other clergy about their own interpretation of events and how they relate to God. There has been much debate within these halls, as you can imagine.”

“Oh?” Loolilalu asked, wiping her eyes. “What kind of things have they been saying?”

The Father snorted. “Well, one young man proposed quite the... interesting theory to me just this morning. That being it was not God and holy knights we saw... but charlatans pretending to be such.”

...The princess had to blink a few times to process that. “...Charlatans?”

Bluebell shook his head with clear amusement. “He was quite serious about the suggestion. Saying how it would be the perfect ploy by one of our enemies to let our guards down and more easily hand them the means to destroy us - referring to the gate key. They just did not predict that one of their conspirators would feel guilt and try to undo their vile act.”

“...God and the others were most assuredly not candy people,” Loolilalu said, a bit baffled. “I don’t know how you would pretend to be otherwise. God floated in front of me, too! And Chelsa saw the portal of which they opened to escape! How would charlatans pull all of that off?”

“It may not be said that some go to quite interesting leaps to preserve their faith,” The Father replied with a shrug. “I myself try to keep my theories more grounded. But I do not wish to discourage the man much. With all the stress, even insane ideas can seem appealing.” He rubbed his chin. “There was another clergywoman, actually, who mentioned the idea of them being imposters. But that they were also not from this world, holding strange magics to pull off the charade.”

“That... still seems like a stretch,” the princess said, then sighed. “But talking with some people like them might help as well...”

“I will arrange another day of which to do so,” Bluebell promised. He then hummed, tapping his finger on his desk. “Though while we are on the subject of the knights, if I may diverge the conversation a little... what is your official stance upon the jester, Pomni?”

Loolilalu sighed again, heavier this time. “Has Sprinkst been talking to you about trying to find her, too?”

“Elsa has also wanted to search,” The Father replied. “Not for capturing reasons, but to more personally thank her for saving her life that night. And to apologize for trying to kill her.”

The princess tilted her head, not having known that detail. I should really find where their reports got shuffled to. Regardless, she sighed wearily. “Currently, she is guilty of no crimes, other than having arrived with a terrible group. And I want to believe Chelsa, Drack, and Elsa in their belief she is a kind soul.” She grimaced. “But with how things look... it seems she’ll be going the route of a bandit with a heart of gold.”

Bluebell hummed thoughtfully. “Not the worst thing you can be out there.”

“Nowhere near the best, though,” Loolilalu responded. Being a criminal, no matter if there was an unselfish motive, never was. “And... it’s only going to cause more questions around the kingdom and other nations.”

The Father shrugged, shifting in his chair. “Well... we shall at least likely have time to account for this and prepare. I must imagine the bandits will be taking time to recoup their losses. Especially since they had to leave behind the maple syrup they stole. It may be some time before they attempt to rob anything from us again, too.”

There was a measure of comfort in that, the princess could admit. Whatever intent they had with the syrup, those plans had not fallen through. They also had to have taken quite the beating while running around the city and confronting The Fudge. In theory, they potentially had weeks to prepare for Pomni’s reemergence in a way that could not be ignored.

...Assuming she was not found in the meantime. Just because she was not actively searching for her, did not mean others would not. There was only so much she could do to hide the news that one of the knights was still here if she tried. And no matter what she might say publicly... there had to be plenty of bitter people who would like a bit of revenge.

More issues of which to cause her headaches, she supposed. She released a long breath, moving her chair close enough to the desk so she could lay her head on top of her arms on it. She looked down, images of that jester flashing through her head. So unassuming, and even seeming apathetic when she welcomed them to her city. But when everyone needed her... she might not have defeated The Fudge, but her bravery...

What she wished she could give... just to have her there to help boost morale. To help dissuade resentment toward The Church. To... just tell them what the fudge had happened that day.

Then her thoughts turned to the bandits themselves, a question bubbling out. “Do... you think the bandits stole the syrup for profit, or to help with sick people in their home?”

Bluebell looked at her curiously. “There truly is no way to know without finding them and asking questions. Why do you ask?”

“...Just wondering if they’re suffering, too, in their attempt to alleviate our own pains,” the princess answered softly.

The Father hummed softly. “I would not be too worried. If they have people in need of healing, I am sure they took whatever syrup would be necessary before they left. I doubt they needed the entire tanker if that was their reason for stealing.”

Assuming they had any, Loolilalu thought. But rather than point that out, she turned her gaze to the side as she pondered. “I... really do hope they were not terrible men. Evidence points toward them not being so, but after all Pomni risked for us - on top of being left behind by what should have been her... I pray she does not come to harm. If God still has any mercy for her, then may she find a stable place to live out in the wastes.

“But the other knights... They did not deserve the swift escape from us that they managed. Even if we assume the rabbit Jax was the main perpetrator of all that transpired, there must have been something the others could have done to stop everything. If they had worked together, perhaps they could have vanquished The Fudge for us! But instead, they ran away and left us all to potentially be eaten! For one of their own to be eaten!”

A growl left her. She sat back up, disgust bleeding into her tone. “It... How is any of this fair?! They betray the will of God and this kingdom and yet were able to return to his domain? The only one of them who had a heroic heart was left in this world all alone with nothing but the clothes she wore? I, you, and all of the people here have shown nothing but devotion... and we are left on the brink of collapse for it?”

“...I wish I could give you an answer to that,” Bluebell whispered, looking down morosely. “But even with God’s favor... not all things are fair, it would seem. No matter how much you of all people would deserve it to be so. To not be suffering like this...”

The princess actually laughed humorlessly, a false smile on her face as she stood suddenly. “Me? I’m not the one who is suffering the most here!” She gestured to her red and blue dress. “I’m royalty! I have plenty of food that I can eat if I so wish, fancy clothes to wear - I am by no means suffering! I did not even get a scratch from the attack!”

She marched up to the windows, gesturing out to the buildings outside and the crowds just visible beyond The Chuch’s walls. “It is my people who have paid the price for my negligence! The ones who remain in pain and may even still die from the injuries that they sustained! Who have no stability within their immediate future!” Her hands clenched, glaring out the window as venom dripped from her voice. “Who... who can’t even have the satisfaction of those who did this being brought to justice!”

Behind her, she heard The Father stand as well, walking up behind her. “Loo... If I may ask, as sudden as it is, if you had Jax before you - any of the knights besides the jester - to do with as you wish... what would you do?”

...Loolilalu knew what the respectable answer should be. To have them imprisoned and properly tried for their treason and heresy. To, if necessary, have them executed for what they did. She was tempted to say these things primly, just like she would have as a child during lessons.

But... she could not lie to him - could not ignore the rage in her heart. And so, she closed her eyes, shame mixing with the anger in her voice. “...Something awful, Bluebell. I don’t know what exactly, but... I so badly wish to see them suffer. Jax, if no one else. Just the idea of him withering at my feet... It does not disgust me like it should.”

...Silence filled the room for a long time after this. It made her squirm, keeping her eyes closed to avoid seeing her old mentor’s expression. Yet she could feel his gaze upon her - hear his steady breathing that gave nothing away. He let her have her moment as the confession hung between her, obviously wanting to let her have the next words.

It took a few minutes for her to find her voice again. Her head was just too filled with images of the fires and screams from that night. Of that final grin The Fudge sent her to mock her as he died. Of the bodies found at the front of the palace, shot with the very weapon she had provided the knights out of trust-

Her eyes eventually opened, staring out the window blankly as she whispered. “What... what is wrong with me? Why do I feel this way? I’ve never...”

“...The more you love something, the greater one’s response is to seeing it hurt or destroyed,” Bluebell answered, his voice so gentle it almost hurt. “And you... you have always loved this kingdom deeply. You were practically born to be in a position of power.”

The princess chuckled bitterly, resting her forehead against the glass. “It kind of hurts the idea that I’m fit to rule, though, huh?”

“For wanting to punish the villains who did this to us?” The Father questioned. “You are in much need of an outlet for your anger, but it is hardly misplaced. I am sure many around the city have been having such... fantasies.”

Loolilalu bit her lips, feeling the moisture building once more in her eyes. “But... I’m supposed to be better than that. I’m who everyone is looking to. I have to remain focused and steadfast, otherwise everyone will... will...” Her voice gave out, unable to finish the thought.

Though... she did not need to, as Bluebell stepped beside her and grabbed her arm softly. And while she did not turn to him, she could picture his kindly expression as he spoke. “You are our ruler, Loo... but never forget that you are a person, too. You are never in too high of a position to need help.”

It was such a simple bit of advice... but it struck her deeply nonetheless. She sagged more against the window, giving a long exhale as she felt his comforting presence. For a time, she could almost pretend to still be a child, being comforted by him in this office. No matter how many years go by... this never changes, huh?

She tried not to linger too long on this, though. Soon, after finding her strength again, she pushed off the window and looked at him again, no longer bothering to hide her exhaustion. “I... I still feel so overwhelmed. Every second that passes, I seem to realize a new issue that needs to be addressed.”

She gave a half-delirious laugh. “I’m even questioning my own sanity at times. Wherever I go, I keep thinking there is something... different about the world, but at the same time not. Or I suddenly remember something, only to question how I never recalled it these last few days. I did not even recall how God supposedly watches over many worlds. How insane is that?”

Bluebell sighed, patting her on the arm. “If it is any consolation, that appears to just be a general sign of stress for everyone right now. I myself have had a few pauses when looking at members of the clergy. We are all incredibly overwhelmed, I believe - jumping at perceived changes that are not more but conjurings of our overworked minds.”

“...In your case, it might just be because you’re old,” The princess offered, grinning a little as she hoped to lighten the mood.

She was pleased when The Father laughed, smiling back. “Ah, I have missed such jokes from you.” Once he calmed down, he sighed and looked at her. “But please, Loo... you sacrifice so much for this kingdom. If you could, I do not doubt you would give up every meal and dress you have just to make sure one less person struggled.” He made eye contact. “So as your friend... I ask you to look after your health. Do not destroy yourself in your attempt to keep the kingdom together. I beg this of you.”

Loolilalu blinked, nearly trying to deny she would do that... but that would be a lie, would it not? She had already cut back on many of her luxuries... and had contemplated limiting her necessities, too. Just how far was she willing to push that in an attempt to feed more people and try to fix everything?

...It did not look good the more she thought about it. So she sighed, nodding slowly. “Alright... I’ll try not to.”

Bluebell nodded back, walking to his desk again. As he did, he looked over his shoulder to keep addressing her. “Oh, and do keep working on your friendships with those captains, will you?”

The princess’s eyes conveyed furrowed eyebrows as she looked at him. “Huh? Why is-?”

“Loolilalu,” The Father stated, the use of her full name making her stiffen. His gaze was serious as he regarded her. “We joke about it... but I do not imagine I have much longer left in this world. Eventually, I am going to die.”

Loolilalu wilted, trying to shake her head. “D-don’t say-”

“It is only the truth,” Bluebell said somberly. “And tell me - when I am gone, who will you go to vent to about your troubles and questions of theology?”

...The princess did not have an answer to that. He had always been her default option for this stuff. For a while, she had deluded herself into believing he would always be around, like being an old wise man made him immortal somehow... But in times like these, it was not good to hold onto such delusions, was it?

When she did not respond, The Father sighed, sitting back down in his chair. “I do not expect you to be so open with them as you are with me too quickly. But please... take time to strengthen those bonds, and perhaps find others. It is saddening for me to think about you suffering in silence whenever I pass on... and I do not want grief to twist that good heart of yours.”

Loolilalu looked down, hands trembling. “Seems... like it might be a little late for that.”

“A few dark thoughts do not ruin a person alone,” Bluebell retorted. “Not so long as they have people to pull them back... and do not isolate themselves.”

Another moment passed as the princess pondered this. Then, with another sigh, she walked back to the desk as well, getting into her seat. “I’ll keep that in mind...”

The Father hummed... before his eyes became warmer as they regarded her. “Do not mistake me, though, Loo. For as long as I still breathe, you shall have my support. Your struggles are many - more than can be solved with one meeting. But in the days to come, I am sure you will find ways to deal with them. And I shall give you whatever time I can to continue to help advise you.”

“...And you truly believe I can be the ruler this kingdom needs now?” Loolilalu asked.

Bluebell smiled. “You alone can choose what sort of monarch you shall be in these times. But whatever that may be... I know you shall help keep the kingdom together.” He nodded to her. “You’re strong, Loo... and I know you have the strength to pull through this.”

The princess stared down at the desk for a moment. His faith in her really did mean a lot to her. As did the captains. They all seemed to see the best in her, believing in the choices she was making. Knowing it is all for the benefit of the people. It filled her heart with pleasant feelings that chased off the feeling of a hole within.

Perhaps... she could learn to share a little in that faith. She just needed to figure out what she felt was missing from her efforts so far...

Until then, though, she was grateful for their talk so far. She smiled, this time the moisture in her eyes not being born from sorrow... and her crown not feeling as heavy. “Thank you. I... I am glad that you were able to talk with me today. I needed this.” She swallowed thickly. “I hope it isn’t the last time, though...”

The Father laughed, that twinkle back in his eyes. “I’m not dead yet, am I? I’d love to have more talks with you - they soothe my nerves, too, if you can believe it!” He leaned back in his chair, gesturing to her. “Our talk now isn’t done yet, though, is it? What else would you like to discuss?”

Loolilalu hummed, scratching her head as she considered her options there. She really should not stay too much longer - she had a duty to inspect the rest of the northern section and see if anything needed immediate addressing. Yet there was still so much on her mind - questions on logistical advice, about how to address the situation with Pomni, how to deal with her anger against the knights, and much more. It was definitely going to take more of these meetings to address it all... and she looked forward to those.

But for now... brushing the rose in her hair, she thinks she knew what to ask about next. Thus, with a small smile, she continued the conversation with the person she trusted most in this city. “Well... I was wondering, actually, if you had any advice on how to best make children happy? Especially if they are still recovering.”

Bluebell smiled back, looking pleased by her chosen topic. “Most certainly, Looly...”

Chapter Text

“...So reconstruction there might suffer delays due to the hole?”

“Unfortunately, my lady. We’re trying to rectify the issue as best as we can, but while not too deep, it’s a pretty wide area. Filling in the ground there shall take time.”

Loolilalu hummed, looking over the yellow papers in her hand. They were the latest reports on the reconstruction efforts around the city, including major issues being encountered. Not that any of this was not already a big problem, with so many buildings needing to be rebuilt or reinforced. However, some of them stuck out more than others... like a large sinkhole that opened up on the city's western side just today.

She looked this over from the back of her white and yellow wagon, stopped currently on their way to the barrier to go out of the northern section. Crowds bustled around them as people continued to do their business, but they had thinned somewhat from earlier. This was likely due to it being late in the afternoon by that point, the sky shades of dark pink and blue. Some guards were even coming out with orange lanterns to help keep things illuminated for late-night wanderers of the streets.

A pity the streetlight system wasn’t finished before the attack, she mused. A few other settlements had them, but there had been constant delays in getting them implemented in the city. Granted, a lot of them would have been broken thanks to the attack if they had, but it was a lot more convenient than needing to bring your own lights constantly. She made a mental note to see about finally getting those set up once things were more structurally sound.

However... that also required there to be streets not sunk into the ground.

Sighing, she scanned the words on the page before her, before looking at the captain across from her. “Please tell me that no one was hurt, at least.”

Drumpick shrugged, sitting attentively. “Nothing serious, thankfully. The signs of the collapse were noticed and most everyone got away. A few more clumsy people got scrapes from running, or nearly tumbling over the edge by being too close as everything was sinking. But it hasn’t caused us to gain a new influx of people who need to be cared for.”

The princess shook her head. “I suppose that’s good enough for now.” She shuffled the papers she had, reading a different part of the incident report. “So the filling is going to take a few weeks at a minimum, then?”

“From our best estimates,” the yellow-shield captain confirmed. “As I said, we’re lucky it was more wide than deep. That could have delayed efforts by months or years.”

“That’s the last thing any of us need,” Loolilalu murmured. She handed him the papers, giving him a nod. “Tell them to give me a better estimate of the materials they’ll need to do this, and I’ll arrange for them to be delivered. Also have them try to salvage what they can from the buildings caught in the sinkhole if it’s safe to, as well.”

Drumpick saluted. “I’ll ensure your orders are delivered before nightfall!”

The princess giggled lightly at his response, relaxing against the back of her wagon’s seat. Her eyes wandered to the people passing by, all trying to get home with their supplies. A couple stopped briefly to look at her, to which she smiled and waved like she normally did. And even with the clear exhaustion of the day in their faces and postures, it seemed to make them happy.

She was pleased to have found that things were alright in this part of the city - or as good as they could be, anyway. Aside from the overcrowding, her tour of the place after she was done with Father Bluebell had not revealed any immediate problems. The buildings were in far better condition than most parts of the city, and the guards seemed to be keeping the peace. Other reports that had been brought to her by messengers had also only revealed issues that were more easily addressed than other areas of the city.

There was a problem with thefts, as could unfortunately be expected in such times. But there was little in the way of violent crimes so far, and aside from the animosity toward The Church, people seemed to be getting along. It would perhaps be foolish to hope this relative peace lasted with all the tension still in the air... but she was proud of her people. For being able to stick together like this.

All they needed was a good ruler... and she was going to make sure she kept filling that role.

Sighing contently, her gaze went to some nearby stalls set along the streets. Many were closing down for the night, but some merchants were still trying to sell their wares and other items. She scanned the people still around that area, trying to find one person in particular. “Do you suppose Chelsa has found anything yet?”

The yellow-shield captain shrugged, looking out at the crowds, too. “I’m sure she’s almost done. She’s probably just wasting time trying to find something especially cute for your little friend.” He shook his head. “Honestly, though, I think just about any small little present would be appealing to a child with how things are.”

“You can’t blame her for wanting to be thorough,” Loolilalu said, brushing the rose in her hair. “Poor Rosey is going to have a hard time recovering yet. It’s only natural to want to make it the best gift possible.”

“I guess that’s true,” Drumpick conceded. He scratched his orange-white swirled head, looking at her curiously. “Although... are you sure you want to visit her again so soon? I know you’ve been concerned about showing favoritism to the injured.”

The princess hummed in acknowledgment. “I still am. Still, even if I don’t deliver it in person, I want her to have a small gift directly from me. She was quite excited about meeting a princess  - I can only imagine what having something directly from my hands will be like for her!”

“Then... shouldn’t you be picking it yourself?” the captain asked.

Loolilalu sighed. “I don’t want to cause too big of a stir in the market by browsing personally. I trust Chelsa’s judgment to pick something nice, too.” She took a deep breath and smiled. “It’ll be a good first step for showing support for the injured children of this disaster, I think! Her having the honor of being the first kid to get something from me shouldn’t cause anywhere near a massive stir among people.”

“...But I’m sure she’ll flaunt it like any kid in her position would,” Drumpick pointed out.

The princess laughed. “One can’t fault children for their enthusiasm!”

The captain hummed at this. Then... his eyes grew softer, looking her over. “You... have really seemed to be doing better this afternoon than this morning, if you don’t mind me saying.”

Blinking at the comment, Loolilalu laughed, trying to wave it off. “Oh, I wasn’t doing too bad earlier!”

...Drumpick did not appear impressed by her deflection. “For respect of your station, I will not go into any detail about why I believe that’s an understatement.” He sighed, relaxing again. “But I do mean it - you’ve been handling the reports given to you better than you had been. Most might not notice the differences, but...”

That made the princess blush a little. Had she really let herself be so lax around the captains that they could pick up on these things now? It made her a tad embarrassed... but at the same time, she did appreciate them looking after her health. God knew she could let it slip away from her if she were not careful.

And... it had very much been slipping away from her earlier. Mentally, anyway. She herself had not realized the extent to which the stress had been getting to her. All of the problems with the city and her personal vices... They had broken her down severely. Much longer, and she might have been close to breaking.

But that had not happened, thanks to her old friend. She smiled a bit at that, sitting as causally as she would allow herself in public. “Yes, well... Bluebell has a way of calming people down when they’re having a bad day.”

“So it would seem,” the captain agreed. He hummed, seeming to remember something. “Sprinkst actually came out to see me and Chelsa while you were having your meeting for a few minutes.”

Loolilalu perked up at that, a bit glad the man had not simply waited on her in the hallway the whole time. “Oh? Did you discuss anything of interest?”

“He mostly just confirmed with us what the current placement of soldiers was around the city,” Drumpick replied. “Though he did also mention to Chelsa to let Drack and Elsa know about the potential of a promotion in their future if she saw them.”

The princess smiled. “Ah, yes! I was going to say something about that a little later.” She tilted her head. “And... how did Sprinkst and Chelsa get along?”

The captain chuckled lightly. “About how they always do - Chelsa teasing him, and Sprinkst trying to maintain full professionalism around her antics. She got in a tease about being the ‘favorite captain’ while she was at it.”

Loolilalu laughed as well, shaking her head fondly. “Oh, dear...”

Drumpick did the same for a few more seconds. Then, he frowned to himself as he looked down. “I... am glad those two can talk without actually arguing, though. I wasn’t sure about it after some of their first conversations.”

That got the princess to frown as well. She would be lying if she said it had not been a concern for her, too. Mainly because those two could not agree when it came to discussing the bandits and the runaway knight. She felt a little bad for him, honestly, with how all of them did not take his stance. Yet she could not ignore the testimonies and evidence she had been given. I do get it, though - someone so religious watching icons of God betray us... It was certainly tempting for me to follow suit.

She had plenty of anger surrounding the other knights, though. So taking a deep breath, she tried to put that topic aside and focus on the bright side. “Disagreements are going to happen between those in charge. The important thing is that they can be professional about it and continue to work to protect the people.”

The yellow-shield captain snorted. “I’m not sure I would exactly call Chelsa’s attitude as ‘professional.’”

Loolilalu rolled her eyes with a smirk. “You know what I mean!” She shook her head, glancing above the buildings to where she believed she could just see the tip of The Church’s main steeple. “But regardless of his personal feelings, I’m sure he’ll be quite pleased by the speech I have set up for the end of the week with Bluebell. We’re going to be making it clear that the kingdom is not cutting governmental ties with The Church. We can hopefully clear up any rumors regarding the knights then, too.”

“Wonderful news!” Drumpick exclaimed, smiling at her. “I’m sure all the clergy will be grateful for your speech. But as I said earlier-”

“-Don’t risk ruining my reputation by doing this,” the princess finished. “I remember. Bluebell will help with writing what I’ll say. He won’t let me take things too far.”

“I’ll trust you on that,” the captain said. He then gave her a curious look, setting aside the nearly-forgotten papers. “Can I ask, though... what was his view on God and the knights? I assume, at least, you conferred with him about it.”

Shrugging, Loolilalu smoothed out her dress as she responded. “His faith is still strong in God. He proposed the idea that the knights had corrupted over time, once having been noble, which was why they were sent to us, having hid this from him.”

Drumpick tilted his head, seeming to process this. “Do you believe him? Not that I am questioning The Father’s wisdom, but we don’t have proof of their motives.”

“...Many things are taken on faith with religion,” the princess answered softly.

The captain frowned, speaking carefully. “And... do you have faith in this?”

...That was a good question. Loolilalu had been pondering what Bluebell had said about his perspective of everything the whole afternoon. They had arranged for times that she might see some clergy to hear their interpretation of events, hoping it might help her further. But for now, she only had what he said to work with.

And his ideas, much to his credit as The Father, were very plausible. If they accepted God was not “all-seeing,” especially with reading people’s intents... then his story made a lot of sense. That all of this was just one massive, terrible mistake caused by deceptive knights who had blinded their deity somehow. It gave hope that they may yet still receive blessings that could help them persevere.

But also... it left a rather bitter taste in her mouth - worse than any coffee. For if God knew of what was happening to them... even if he would not interfere directly, could he not come to apologize to them? For unintentionally bringing them this ruin? Of course, he might not be consciously aware of their plight, depending on how much influence the knights had on him. But even so, to have allowed his divinity to be taken advantage of like that...

The two sides of her emotions about the story swirled around in her for a moment. Then, with a heavy sigh, she gave her response on her current feelings on this. “I believe that there is a good chance that what Father Bluebell has said is true. It brings me comfort in some ways... but it still leaves me rather... frustrated with God.” She glanced at the scorch marks on some nearby buildings. “I wish to believe this was all unintended by him... but that does not mean I can quite forgive him.”

Drumpick rubbed his chin at this. “I see...”

The princess took a quick breath... then gave a faint smile, gaze turning toward the sky. “But if he is the gracious, wacky God we have always believed him to be... I believe he will make amends. The more we pray and receive invisible blessings, then perhaps the greater the chance he will realize what happened here. And when he does... he will set everything right and give the justice deserved by my people to those who have wronged us.”

The captain blinked, sitting forward. “Justice? Do you mean... dealing with the knights? Do you think that he might learn of their treachery eventually?”

“However long they have hidden their evil hearts, surely it cannot last forever,” Loolilalu stated. “Even if not infallible, he is divinity! He must be able to see through their lies eventually - particularly if we pray for it.” She sighed, her hands clenching. “And when he does... the knights shall regret what they have done here.”

Drumpick stared at her for a moment. Soon, though, he gave a smile. “...That might be the first time I’ve actually believed any of your reassurances about God these past several days. Though don’t tell Sprinkst that I ever said that.”

The princess laughed. “My lips are sealed.” She shook her head, looking back at him again. “I’m still working on my faith, honestly. But now... I at least have a path to follow to do so. That’s a good first step as any.”

The captain nodded. “Well, that’s still stronger than it’s been. I am very pleased to hear your meeting with Father Bluebell was so productive.”

“They always are,” Loolialu said, sighing wistfully. “He knows me better than I think my parents did. He’s always been there for me ever since I was a kid. If ever I feel burdened... there is no one I trust more to help.”

Drumpick gave a low whistle, crossing his arms. “Huh. I didn’t quite realize how close the two of you were. I think I understand why you were so determined to see him.” He chuckled. “Though I hope I and the other captains’ inputs weren’t for nothing!”

His tone indicated that it was a joke... but it still gave the princess pause. She recalled what Bluebell said about him... not going to be around forever. And as much as she still hated thinking about it, it was well past time to start facing the music there. One day - perhaps even during this crisis if she was very unfortunate - she would have to face her problems without him.

...She also remembered her promise to him. She looked at the man across from her, who remained determined to protect her and always listened to her even when she pushed things past formal engagements. She thought of Chelsa, who was so casual and seemed to do her best to lighten up the mood, never ashamed of expressing herself. She thought of Sprinkst, too, whose bluntness was much needed at times, and while perhaps a little overeager to seek out Pomni, was only concerned for both the kingdom and Church’s survival.

They were an interesting bunch... and she rather liked them as friends. So really... her promise was not all that hard to keep, was it?

Thus, it was with a warm smile that she nodded to her fellow lollipop person. “It very much was not nothing... I cannot thank you enough for your patience with me. I know it isn’t easy at times... so if you ever need it, I’d be happy to listen to your troubles as well to repay you if you so wish.”

The yellow-shield captain blinked, clearly taken off-guard from the open offer. He cleared his throat, cheeks a light pink as he managed to keep his composure. “That... it very kind of you, my lady. But I would not presume to-”

“I insist,” Loolilalu said calmly. “When and if you ever feel comfortable to do so. You’ve more than earned it for your help recently.” She smiled teasingly. “And how many times must I say it? It’s Loo!”

Drumpick sighed, glancing to the side. “Right. I apologize for that. It’s just a very ingrained habit to break-”

“Especially when it’s your default for when you’re embarrassed!” A voice suddenly called at the back of the wagon.

Jumping slightly, the two of them turned that way, seeing Chelsa grinning at them. In her arms was a green paper bag, something rather bulky inside. But it also appeared to weigh nothing as the hard-candy woman climbed in with them, taking a seat next to her fellow captain.

Said man sighed with exasperation, glaring lightly. “Is it so hard to make your presence known in a way that does not cause fright?”

The cannon master shook her head with a grin. “Not where you’re involved!”

Drumpick groaned, rubbing a hand down her face. It drew some giggles out of the princess, before she turned to the other woman with an expectant look. “So were you able to find something suitable for Rosey?”

Chelsa’s grin got wider, holding out the bag toward her. “You tell me! It took a long while of browsing and haggling, but I think I found just the perfect thing for her!”

Curious, Loolilalu took the bag, which was as light as she thought it was. There was no paper or foam inside to conceal the item, allowing her to pull it out easily... And in doing so, she was met with a miniature version of herself.

Or, well, it was a doll of her. It depicted her in her iconic pink dress, with sprinkles and trimmings that actually matched the real thing very well. The body was loose, its stuffing fluffy and yielding to her squeezes, but still had fairly accurate proportions. Even the head was moldable, and also had a good imitation of her brown and golden swirls. Glassy white eyes with pink swirls in them stared at her, a smile switched below them. And on top of its head was a mini-candy wooden version of her crown.

(That last one was a little funny - she was ignoring the weight of hers much easier now, that she nearly forgot it was there.)

She smiled widely at the toy, turning it over to inspect it. “Oh, this is perfect! It looks so well-made, too! I can barely find a stitch out of place!”

“The old woman selling it looked rather proud of it,” the cannon master said, clearly happy about her approval. “She fought me on the price a lot - wouldn’t sell for less than fifty green Skittles worth. A bit pricey, but you can hardly deny the craftsmanship.”

The yellow-shield captain hummed, looking at the doll as well. “I must say, you have quite the eye for this. I was a little skeptical, I must admit, given how much you lean away from anything... well, feminine. But this is quite a nice toy - and not for a bad price for this quality, given the situation the city is in.”

Chelsa shrugged. “Yeah, well, I paid attention to what my sister liked growing up. My nieces nag me for this kind of stuff all the time, too. Can’t say I’ll ever understand why, though. Never could get into them like other girls.”

Drumpick tilted his head at her. “What did you play with, then?”

“...Toy cannons,” the red-sashed captain admitted somewhat sheepishly.

This only caused an eye roll from her fellow soldier. “Had your career all figured out from childhood, I see.”

Chelsa huffed lightly. “Ah, quiet you!” She looked at the front of the wagon, where their driver sat nearly forgotten as she conversed with some nearby people. “Hey! We’re ready to go! Get this thing as close to the palace as you can manage!”

Waving the people off, the gummy bear woman nodded, grabbing the reins. Soon, their elephant steed was pulling them down the streets toward the exit of this section. They could move a little easier now with the thinned crowds. Though it was still hardly a fast journey, and not just because of their chosen animal.

It did let them relax, though. Yet, even so, the princess felt the need to give some reassurance as she put the doll back into the bag. “You don’t have to worry about the proximity. Walking is a very nice activity!”

“Sure is... until you have to walk a whole city’s worth of distance,” the cannon master retorted. She leaned back in her seat, hands lying at her sides casually. “Trust me, Loo - shortening that length is a blessing whether you’re a peasant or the royal crown.”

“I have very good endurance, but... I take your point,” Loolilalu conceded. She then paused, looking down at the gift in her hands. She frowned slightly, fingers tapping the bag. “So... can I get your opinion? Would it be better to deliver this personally, or have one of the doctors do it?”

Thinking for a moment, Chelsa eventually shrugged. “That’s really up to you. But with how late it's getting, do you have the time to? Weren’t you complaining about needing rest earlier?”

The princess sighed, unable to deny that. With all of her inexplicable confusion about seeing certain things today, it was clear she needed the sleep. Even after talking with Father Bluebell, she kept experiencing those moments as they went around the rest of the area. (Honestly, if she was getting surprised at seeing the City Library of all places...)

And beyond that, her duties were not quite done. While she had taken care of most urgent matters that needed addressing today, there were plenty of other reports she could be looking into. The work was never going to truly be done for a long while, but she could make things easier by looking into what she could.

Thus, she reluctantly nodded, putting the present beside her. “You’re right. I’ll just talk with Dr. Stephie to have this delivered on my behalf.”

“And also finally ask about those sleep aids,” Drumpick added.

That made Loolilalu chuckle, smiling at him. “ And ask about those sleep aids, yes.”

The cannon master laughed as well, sending her a grin. “I hope you’re real sure about that, Loo. I bet that kid is going to jump out of bed and do a little tap dance the moment she gets that. It’s a sight you might be sorry you missed!”

The yellow-shield captain gave a tired sigh. “Were you not just expressing concern over her sleep a second ago?”

“Nah - just pointing out facts,” Chelsa retorted, expression teasing. “Sleep is a worthy thing to sacrifice to see a kid happy! If a child isn’t excited enough one night to stay up and regret it the next day, have they truly lived?”

“...I managed to grow up without having a restless night like that.”

“Yeah. I can tell from your attitude nowadays. Just like I know Sprinkst probably prayed for all of his good rest. Completely repressed, I’m telling you!”

The princess could not help laughing, shaking her head fondly. She looked out at the passing buildings, feeling rather at peace with things. The problems facing the kingdom were far from over, and she fully expected roadblocks on things eventually. However, with the people she had to support her... she was feeling more confident about her ability to face them.

She would show God that they were still worthy of his blessings. She would continue to lead to the best of her abilities. And with this doll as the start, she would keep the morale of the people - especially the children - high with hopes for the future. So long as she stood steadfast, she believed everything would be fine. They... they could make it through this like she had been saying the whole time.

...So then why did it still feel like there was something missing from her plans?

-------

The sky was still darkening as Loolilalu and her captains reached the entrance to the palace. Fortunately, the streets immediately outside of the northern section had been cleared up a bit more. This let them get much closer than where their journey had begun. After that, it was not difficult to navigate the streets back to the balcony and ascend the stairs.

Many of the construction vehicles were still working when they came over. Not too many so as to not cause too much noise at night - no need to disturb the citizens rest like that. But quite a few kept rolling around as night guards and crews took over for the day shifts, their headlights brightly illuminating the roads. Reconstruction was a long, arduous process, and the extent of the damage necessitated this need to work at all hours.

She took one last glance behind her before she passed through the front doors as dump trucks and bulldozers continued their work. She felt bad for what she was putting those men and women through, rifling through the remains of once-strong structures. If there were more incidents like the sinkhole, then who knew how much further everything might be delayed?

But... they were making progress. There was less rubble in front of the palace than earlier. More scaffolding and patches had been made to the surviving structures. And, perhaps most impressively... the large puddle of The Fudge’s main body seemed just a little bit smaller now. A very notable bit of progress, given the difficulty of removing it.

They were slowly healing this city every day - cleaning up the scars. And if they could continue doing their job... then so could she. With people helping her, just like them.

Her musings were interrupted by Chelsa, who lingered back at the doors behind her. “Well, I was glad to be able to assist you today, Loo. I’d better get going, though. If I hurry, I might be able to catch up with Drack and Elsa about their upcoming promotions. I know this one bar that they frequent.”

The princess turned her way, the green bag with the toy in her hands as she tilted her head. “There’s a bar still functioning right now?”

The red-sashed captain blinked at her... then chuckled heartily, shaking her head. “Loo, if there’s anything you can count on running in the middle of a crisis, for better or worse, it's a bar with all of its drinks.”

“Makes you wonder why those other two Necco-heads stole from the royal stores,” Drumpick murmured from his place beside their leader.

“I know, right?” Chelsa said. “Like, the cheap stuff is way better, in my opinion!”

“...That’s not the point I was making,” the yellow-shield captain deadpanned.

Giggling a bit, Loolilalu spoke up before they could get carried away. “Well, be sure to give them my best regards, Chelsa. And if they need anything, tell them I shall do my best to help as continued repayment for their actions.”

“Will do!” the cannon master said, giving a salute. She moved to leave... but stopped, looking at her a bit more seriously. “Oh, and... I doubt they’ll be going near the settlements, or would mean any harm if they did, but... if there’s any word on Pomni within our borders, I’ll let you know.”

Frowning slightly, the princess nodded at this. “I appreciate that. Carry on, captain.”

Giving another salute, Chelsa moved off, the doors shutting behind her. This left the remaining two to make their way through the former dining hall, which still had plenty of guards. Loolilalu did not pause her stride - not even to look at the stained-glass depiction of God. While she was mending her faith, she was not quite ready to give a full prayer within this room again yet.

...But while not giving a proper prayer, she did look down and clutched her bag tighter. She could see the image clearly in her mind as she cast her thoughts outward. I hope you shall be proud of us when next you look directly our way... Caine. This kingdom will be prosperous again - I promise you.

No response came, but she had not expected one. Soon, she and Drumpick were passing through the dark gram-cracker doors and into the pink hallways. They made their way into the palace proper, heading down the route that would get them to the temporary medical wing the quickest.

As they moved, her friend looked over at her, his spear and shield gripped casually. “How soon do you think until we hear word of Pomni’s whereabouts? Beyond simply being in the Peppermint Reaches, I mean.”

The princess shrugged. “It’s hard to know, really. But by then, I hope to have our story public on what happened with her and stop the speculation... and also make sure the kingdom is not held liable for any crimes she may commit.”

That caused the captain to frown deeply. “Is there truly no better outcome for her than joining heists and robberies with bandits?”

“She had to have left with them for a reason,” Loolilalu stated, not exactly thrilled by her own words. “We cannot ignore the most likely outcome of her leaving, no matter how indebted we are to her. Drack and Elsa confirmed that she and the bandit leader had some sort of bond, which does not help our prospects there.”

Drumpick hummed, eyes conveying furrowed eyebrows as he rubbed his chin. “What do you suppose happened between them? It must have been quite a troubling experience for them to have bonded so much within a single day. We all saw how much she was clinging to him when escaping the beast.”

They had indeed, which the princess had pondered on a few times now. Just what had transpired out there to not only make the jester help the bandit leader, but also run away with him? It could not have had to do with The Fudge - they likely would have been prisoners of the other knights in that case. Something had happened that caused a significant separation between them and those two... and made Pomni trust him more than the monarchy.

There was, unfortunately, very little to work with there. All they knew was that she had wanted to leave with the gummy alligator through that portal. Now, though, they seemed to be settling with returning to his home. But him being willing to leave this world behind to be with her raised even more questions. So little of it made any sense!

She prayed there might be answers given to her one day. But for now, all she could do was shake her head with bewilderment. “We can only speculate on that. But no matter what happened then, we shall not be caught off guard by her now. I only hope she will continue to be a merciful soul like she was that night.”

The captain nodded slowly. “Yeah. I’m sure she will be. Though I wish we were able to provide her more hospitality for her efforts.”

“As do I,” Loolialu admitted. It was a great pity that any meetings going forward would not be... favorable for either of them. Not when one was on the path of an outlaw and the other the head of a nation and its rules. 

But even if they were forced to be enemies in the future... she hoped they could still show respect to one another.

Turning her thoughts away from that for now, she focused back on the halls. The journey was rather quiet after that, the day appearing to catch up with them both. She was fine with that, though - it gave her time to think over things. As much as she enjoyed talking with her newest friends, silence was a necessity sometimes to keep one’s head straight.

...That included trying to figure out what it was she felt she was missing. It was an annoying itch in the back of her mind, telling her there was one last thing she needed to do beyond delivering her present. It was rather insistent... but she was no closer to figuring out what it was her subconscious wanted her to do than when she left Bluebell behind.

She... thought it was related to Rosey in some way, though. Something to do with their conversation before. It made her debate if she wanted to deliver the doll personally after all. She knows the child would love that, anyway. But she decided to ask Stephie about it first, reminding herself not to cause a stir unnecessarily.

Still... what was bothering her so much? What did it feel like was missing from her as a leader at this point?

These thoughts continued as she began to smell the sour-sweet scent of blood. It was very soon after that she saw the stains of the pink-white substance on the floors and walls, which a few servants were trying to clean now that the day was winding down. Doctors and nurses moved about, clutching cups of a variety of colors filled with, by a sniff, she could tell was coffee. And even at this hour, they were helping citizens find and visit their loved ones, leading them to one room or another.

The princess sighed as she saw it all. She greatly admired the resolve of these men and women to be able to do what could be a very macabre job well into the night. Patient care was not something you could put on hold - someone ill could start convulsing in the middle of the night and people had to be ready. A fact that was made all the worse by the sheer number that had to be looked after at this time.

I need to arrange for some sort of financial bonus for them all when this is done, she thought. Or, well... she supposed some patients might be recovering for a long time to come. But still, once most were in stable condition, these doctors deserved some recognition. The same with the construction workers outside, and the guards protecting this city and the rest of the kingdom.

Though, speaking of doctors... She looked around, trying to spot the hard-candy woman from before. She had no clue what her shifts were, so she might have to come back tomorrow. But if she could catch her out here before she went off to do some more administrative duties...

Then, as she turned the next corner, she spotted her! Stephie was leaning her back against a wall near the door to the room she was working in before, a hand over her eyes. Her pink skin with wavy orange lines was distinctive enough, though. Smiling, Loolilalu moved toward her, about to call out to her-

-only to stop, blinking as she took in her appearance more. Her orange hair looked quite disheveled now, and her black clipboard was on the ground beside her, seemingly forgotten. And... at first, she thought the other was just rubbing her eyes from being tired... but now, she could hear the sniffles and see the tears going down her face.

Concern filling her, the princess got closer, standing in front of the woman with her captain beside her. She called out gently, trying not to scare her. “Dr. Stephie? Are... you okay?”

Jumping a little, the doctor looked up at her, yellow eyes still filled with tears. Once she registered who it was, though, she tried to use the sleeve of her white coat to dry them, voice fighting for composure. “Y-your Highness! I’m sorry! I-I wasn’t-”

“Doctor, please!” Drumpick said, a bit of worry in his voice. Putting his spear on his back, he reached down and retrieved the clipboard, before standing again and holding it out. “Take a deep breath. Are you alright? What happened?”

Taking a breath as instructed, Stephie shakily took back the clipboard. She shook her head, still trying to make her voice steady. “I... I’m sorry. There was just... Something tragic happened while you were away. I... I just needed some space, and...” Her gaze went to Loolilalu... and for some reason, her sorrow seemed to deepen. “I’m... so sorry, Your Highness. I...”

Said woman stiffened, suddenly feeling uneasy. Something about that tone set her on edge, feeling something terrible was looming ahead of her. She could not place what it was... but it made her want to run away. To get as far away from the other so her words could not reach her.

That would be unbecoming of her, though, and rather ridiculous in general. So trying to ignore her sudden nerves, she cleared her throat, looking at her uncertainly. “Should... we come back later? I don’t wish to disturb you if...”

Stephie sniffled, eyes slowly drifting to the bag in her hands. “What... what did you come here for? I thought you did not visit patient rooms this late?”

“Not normally,” the princess said, opening the bag. She pulled out the doll version of herself, trying to give a smile. “I was simply hoping I might have this delivered to Rosey? I am planning to do more for the children hospitalized by the attack, and wanted to start with her for inspiring me.” She giggled, eyes darting to the rose in her hair. “And to pay her back for the flower!”

The doctor stared at the toy for a long moment... Then, her eyes overflowed with tears again. Her free hand covered her mouth, a choked sound leaving her as her eyes shut tight. Her back hit the wall once more, appearing to be stopping her from falling to the ground.

Startled by the reaction, Loolialu instinctively reached out and helped her, speaking a tad frantically. “H-hey! What’s wrong? What did I-?”

Stephie removed the hand from her mouth and held it up in a gesture telling her to stop. Gently nudging the hand off of her, she took several shaky breaths, more tear tracks joining the old ones. When she spoke next, her voice was croaked. “It... it isn’t your fault. It’s because of me that... If I had just been more attentive...”

Drumpick exchanged an uneasy look with his leader. Then, he addressed the doctor carefully, his voice placating. “What are you talking about?”

The hard-candy woman was quiet for a time, looking down in misery. But then... she gave her answer, voice barely a whisper. “Rosey... Rosey died, Your Highness.”

...The doll slipped from the princess’s fingers back into the bag, which she only just kept a hold of. Her eyes were wide, feeling unable to breathe as though her chest was physically constricted. The words kept repeating in her head, but she was... unable to comprehend them. She almost wanted to believe she had blacked out and that the words had never actually been spoken. That it was not... not...

When she found her voice again, it was wispy - lacking any of the normal grace she tried to have. “Wh... what?”

The doctor hung her head, wiping at her eyes once more. “She’s... dead. Rosey... I wasn’t able to...”

Loolilalu’s gaze fell to the floor, still struggling for breath. That... could not be correct, could it? Surely it was some kind of mistake! Rosey... She was fine that morning! She had given such bright smiles - been so excited to see her! How could it be that...

Drumpick was evidently in as much shock as she was, gaping at the hard-candy woman. “How... how did this happen? I thought you said no one in that room was in fatal condition, let alone the child!”

Stephie flinched, wrapping her arms around herself. “I-I didn’t think she was! We... we still aren’t entirely sure what happened! By my best guess, though, her chest... There must have still been some debris inside of the wound. Hidden behind some organs and bones so no one noticed when treating her. Maybe even too deep for us to remove, but we don’t know yet.

“It couldn’t have been too big, given how little pain she was in, even with the painkillers. But somehow... it must have shifted and damaged something vital.” She bit her lips. “She... didn’t even make a sound. She was just sleeping, and turning over must have... No one even noticed anything was wrong until a patient near her started yelling that her chest wasn’t moving. We tried to check on her, but by then...”

Further words were lost as she choked back a sob, eyes closing tight. Loolilalu did not say anything, though, as she continued staring downward. The hand still holding the bag clutched it tightly, familiar tremors going through it. She focused on the light weight of it - of the toy for Rosey that...

...that could not be given to her anymore... because she was gone. Just like that, in the few hours she was away... a child was dead.

The acceptance of this came with a sudden, crushing weight atop of her. It felt like she was suffocating, feeling light-headed and woozy. Spasms were traveling up her arms, and a pressure built behind her eyes. It all came pressing down and-

She took a sharp, but quiet breath, hardening her expression. Not here, she demanded of herself. She could react however she wanted in a few minutes, but she could not release those feelings now. Not in front of the doctor and others moving down the hallway. They could not see her like that while the crisis was still fresh.

So it was with composure she did not feel that she stood up straighter, her tone even as she nodded to the other woman. “I... I see. I am... very sorry to hear that. She was such a sweet little girl. Has the mother been informed?”

The doctor nodded sadly. “She’s with the body - we had it moved away from the other patients. She was grieving, and... had quite a few things to say about me and my colleagues.” She swallowed thickly. “I... don’t have a defense for any of it. Someone... I should have... I needed to get away from it all for a little while. I couldn’t take her screaming, and... It’s not the first patient I ever lost, or even since the attack, but... it was a child. That...”

“You don’t need to explain yourself,” the princess reassured. She gave her an empathetic look, suppressing her other emotions. Don’t let them show. “If you had known, I am sure you would have done everything you could have.”

A bitter laugh left Stephie. “As if that does Rosey or her mother any good now...”

The words nearly made Loolilalu crack. However, clenching her hands tighter, she stayed strong and just gazed at her sadly. “I... cannot refute that, I suppose.” She took a step back, giving the woman more space. “Still, are you going to be okay? Do I need to arrange for someone to take over your duties?”

Taking a deep breath, the doctor slowly shook her head, pushing off of the wall. “No... no, I can handle things. I’m sorry for snapping a little, Your Highness. I’ll be fine.” She grimaced. “Though I will be having the other patients in that room’s injuries double and triple checked. Anything to minimize the chances of another incident like this.”

The princess nodded. “A very good idea. I wish you luck on this.” She turned away, keeping her breaths steady... though not feeling like any air was actually reaching her lungs. “I’m sorry for bothering you. I’ll just take this elsewhere and... give you time to keep processing.”

She could feel Drumpick’s eyes on her, his voice laced with deep concern. “My lady...?”

It made Loolilalu’s eyes water a bit, but she blinked them back. There were still too many eyes around her. Even now, many were looking her way with various expressions of worry. She did not think they suspected anything was terribly wrong with her... and she was going to keep it that way. She started to move down the hall, using every ounce of her self-control to keep her face neutral.

...She had not made it but two steps, though, before Stephie spoke softly behind her. “I’m... so sorry, Your Highness. This never should have...”

The princess paused, staring ahead for a time. She wanted to keep moving, but... something kept her in place for a few seconds. It gripped her heart, refusing to let her go. Not until she did something before leaving. Not before being sure of something, despite any answer there being guaranteed to hurt her.

But even so... the question left her anyway. “...She didn’t suffer, did she?”

After a moment, Stephie gave her response. “No, she... When we reached her, her face was actually quite serene. She even had a smile, like she had been having a pleasant dream.”

“...I’m happy to hear that,” Loolilalu replied honestly - even if her heart was also twisting painfully. She swallowed, moving again as she felt cracks forming in her facade. And despite her efforts, her tone warbled a little bit. “E-excuse me, please.”

There were some calls behind her, but she paid them no heed as she continued walking. She tried to keep her steps measured, but her pace became more hurried soon enough. She could feel every twitch on her face - the moisture behind her eyes - as her mask started to break. Her throat was clogged up, several noises fighting to escape it.

She fought these feelings off, trying to escape the eyes around her. She kept moving through the halls, trying to head to... She did not know. She was losing track of where she was, actually. Her thoughts were too disjointed - moving far too rapidly. Replaying the memories of that conversation just now, and... and of Rosey. It was like peppermint blades were carving into her head, feeling like it was going to crack open.

Yet she kept moving, feeling the eyes around her. She kept moving and moving... And eventually, she stopped feeling those gazes. She looked around her, surroundings coming back into focus for a second. She was in a random hallway - one she would likely recognize if she were in a better frame of mind. Currently, though... all she cared about was that it was empty. There were no doors close by to slip into, unfortunately, but it did not look to be too frequented. Or maybe she was just trying to make herself more comfortable.

Either way... she could not hold her emotions in anymore.

A small, pathetic gurgle left her throat as her eyes watered. This quickly turned into whines, then full sobs as she shut her eyes tightly, which did nothing to stop the tears falling rapidly down her face. She turned toward the nearest wall, moving there and resting her arm there, then her head on there. Her other arm clutched the green bag to her chest, trying to vain, the doll within nearly flattened. (It was a miracle she had kept hold of it.)

Alone, the princess cried to herself, not caring if she was being too loud. All she could do was stand there, grieving for a child who was not even from this city. Who had only wanted to play in a park, only to run into the worst of the knights and get injured for it. And now thanks to that, she was now gone from this world...

There had been too many injustices here recently... yet this one managed to strike her deeply. Some might have thought it pathetic, being so affected by a kid dying who she had only met once. She had talked with children plenty of times before. After everything that has happened, one would also think she was a bit desensitized to death. The casualties were still piling up, after all - many more would likely succumb to injuries from the attack.

At that moment... she thinks she would punch anyone who suggested these things to her. She just could not get those innocent crimson eyes out of her head, her interactions with Rosey feeling somehow... special. Almost like it was the first kid she had ever talked to like that, though that was likely just from the high of her emotions. She could not pin exactly what it was otherwise, though - the informality of the visit, the flower she received, the nickname the other called her...

...Why did she call me Loolili, anyway? she suddenly wondered. She had not thought to ask... and now she would never know the answer to that. It was such a small detail, yet it still made her try harder.

Shakily, she maneuvered the arm against her chest enough to grab the doll out of the bag. She opened her eyes as she looked down at it, the bag falling uselessly to the ground. Tears fell onto the fabric, making it seem as though it was crying, too. She almost envied its stitched smile - never faltering or showing any weakness. It was the kind of image that her people needed to see from her. But she could not even fake a small one as her lips quivered.

Why could she not have gotten this to Rosey before she died? Let her pass knowing that the princess she admired was trying to look out for her? But then, why did she have to die at all? Why could she not be saved? Just... why?

...She recalled what Bluebell had said earlier about her father suddenly. About how he tried to view deaths more as statistics and not be too close to the average citizen... And in that moment, she felt she understood him a bit on that front. When getting attached hurt so much when tragedy struck...

Not that she regretted her actions. Rosey got to meet her, at least, and that had clearly meant the world to her. But... those questions still lingered, drawing more sobs from her. She gripped the doll hard, wishing so badly she could bring that little girl back. To see those red spots on pink skin one last time. To-

She heard frantic footsteps rounding the bend of the hallway, pausing before heading her way. She tensed, throat seizing up as she stopped breathing... But when the person reached her, the familiar voice of Drumpock was what greeted her, slightly out of breath. “My lady! There you are! Y-you moved so quickly, I...!”

Loolilalu’s shoulders sagged with relief, a wet, sorrowful chuckle leaving her. She stared at the wall she was up against, her voice hoarse and raw. “Dr... Drumpick, I...”

She could almost picture the captain's frown as he stared at her. She heard him shuffle closer, his voice hesitant. “My la-... Loo? Are you... okay?”

...How did she even begin to answer that? How could she explain the torturous emotions running through her? She grasped vainly for a response to give - something to reassure him. To tell Chelsa and Sprinkst later. But... she realized she could not lie about this. Not when she was caught in this state, sorrow radiating off of her freely. So she continued to try and find anything to say...

...In the end, though, all she could do was whisper one sentence. “I... I promised her I would visit her again. I...”

It felt like a stupid thing to say at a time like this. However, it still succeeded in hitching her breath, forced to use her arm to muffle the sound. She just... She did not understand. Why was this affecting her like this? Was there anything she could have done? Could she-?

She suddenly felt a hand on her back, rubbing up and down. It was awkward and clumsy, but the intent for comfort was apparent. Drumpick spoke softly as he continued the motions. “It’ll be alright, Loo. Just breathe with me, okay? Steady now.”

The princess heard him take some deep breaths, clearly exaggerating the motion. Still... the noise and the touch helped her to anchor herself. Swallowing down another whine, she did her best to follow his instructions, breathing in and out.

She held the doll close again, trying to use it as a further focus point as well. Don’t think about her being dead - not yet. Focus on how happy she was earlier. You were an idol to her... so pull yourself together. Be the strong princess she admired - or at least pretend so.

Gradually, her breaths evened out, becoming more natural with each second. Her tears slowed until only the wet trails on her face remained, along with her aching eyes. The shaking of her body died down, and soon... Well, she did not feel better, exactly, but she was functional again. She would take that for what it was worth.

Slowly, she pushed herself off of the wall, turning to face her friend. The captain pulled his hand away as she did, his orange eyes showing his deep worry. “Loo? Are you alright? Are you feeling any better?”

A lie was on the tip of Loolilalu’s tongue... but she was too exhausted to even try. So she just sighed heavily, looking down as her dry eyes moistened a bit again. “No... I’m not...”

Drumpick frowned sadly, before sighing as well. “That’s okay... I’m not exactly handling the news well myself, and I never even talked with the kid.”

A frail smile formed on the princess’s lips. “I bet she would have liked you. It would have been entertaining to her to see one of my ‘repressed’ captains being so professional while I prodded with jokes.”

Rather than annoyance, the captain responded with a small chuckle, shaking his head. “We could have done a whole conversation like that for her. Put on a show like one of those performances in the city theater.”

Loolilalu laughed with him, able to ignore the pain in her heart for a few seconds. Not for the first time, she was grateful for the bonds she had formed with him. She could not imagine her joking like this with any random guard or captain to ease her tension. Without him... she was not sure how long she would have been stuck there crying. (And it reminded her again of why she tried not to be as cold as her father, no matter the risks of getting hurt for it...)

As they trailed off into silence, though... she knew they could not dance around the topic. Taking a deep breath, she looked down the hall where her friend came from, and she assumed herself. “Did... I cause much of a stir with my haste?”

Drumpick shrugged. “You shocked Stephie a little bit, but I calmed her down before running after you. Everyone else I passed seemed rather confused, but you haven’t raised any alarms, best I can tell.”

The answer still made the princess pursed her lips, once again giving the doll a hard squeeze. “I shouldn’t have reacted like that. I can’t afford... Showing weakness like that is...”

The captain stared at her, a sense of... despair coming over his features. “M-... Loo. With all due respect, of all things to show grief over... a child’s death is surely understandable, even for the monarch. Especially with how sudden it was.”

Loolilalu grimaced. “B-but I-”

“Loo!” Drumpick said firmly, catching her attention. Taking a breath, he reached out and grabbed her shoulder, looking at her pleadingly. “I beg of you... do not try to blame yourself for this. If even the professional doctors missed something like this, then what could you have done? No one had any reason to be suspicious regardless! So please... don’t do this to yourself.”

The princess stared at him for a long moment, taking in his words. Then... she gave a shaky exhale, nodding slowly. “You’re... you’re right. I’m sorry. I... I was just so shocked, I...” She took another breath. “But you’re right. This is no one’s fault - not directly... save for Jax’s for causing the injury to begin with.”

The captain hummed, eyes darkening. “Let it not be said that I don’t see the reason for Sprinkst’s deep hatred for the knights, even if he extends it too far for a few.”

My rage runs rather deep, too, Loolilalu added mentally. She kept quiet on that, though, as she looked down and held the doll out before her. She gazed at it gloomily, her free hand also going up to touch the rose in her hair. She wished more than ever she could bring that rabbit to justice. But all she could do now was pray and hope God realized his true nature soon... and that his helper guided Rosey’s soul to heaven.

Yet even knowing it was not her fault... the incident did not sit right with her. Pressing her lips into a thin line, she tried to put these feelings into words. “It... doesn’t feel right that I’ve been unable to help, though.”

Drumpick’s eyes conveyed furrowed eyebrows. “I’m sorry?”

“To do something for the injured,” the princess explained, looking to the side. “Even if I couldn’t save Rosey... I wish there was more I could have done to help her. The same with any of the injured! I am glad to visit them to help brighten their moods, but it feels so... limited. Like too small of a contribution.

“And it’s not just that! So many guards worked hard to keep the city safe from The Fudge, while I did practically nothing! Oh, I approved strategies and damage control, but most of it came from you and your fellow captains - not me! And even when I stepped out to confront the monster, I could only stand to the side while Chelsa and her men finished him off!”

She groaned with frustration, lowering her hand to rub it down her face. She pursed her lips once more, unable to keep a slight tremor out of her voice. “I... Am I crazy for wanting to be more involved with these things? To want to lend an actual hand rather than telling everyone what to do instead?”

The captain frowned, rubbing his chin in consideration. She appreciated that over an instant response, honestly. This was... quite the complicated issue she had dropped on him. One she had not even fully recognized herself until she finally put it into words.

She now realized how true it was, though. These past few days, she had felt so... powerless. Unable to do anything as outside forces - The Fudge, the knights, her soldiers, even those bandits - all affected her kingdom in one way or another. Everything had cascaded so fast... and what had she done? Tell everyone to have faith? Tell professionals that they were doing a good job in the things they were experts in?

Was that really all that she could do? Was... she that helpless in this?

Her friend took a few moments longer to consider, her heart beating in anticipation. Bluebell had helped her with her faith and helped soothe her turmoil. But Drumpick... He was an active participant in everything. If anyone could give her help here - a direction to follow...

Seconds passed... and then, at last, he sighed and gave his response. “I... would like to make clear that your actions have made an impact, Loo. You may view it as you giving orders from safety, but... you’re our ruler. It is my duty along with the rest of the soldiers to keep you and the kingdom safe, and that of your advisors and other helpers to keep it running. And for that, we need direction - something only a good leader can give. Just because you are not wielding a weapon yourself or laying the foundations for rebuilding does not mean your contribution isn’t needed or appreciated.”

Loolilalu sighed, her body sagging. He was right, of course - her work had a purpose, even if she did not get her hands dirty. Did she have a right to complain about that? Starting to think she had said something foolish, she looked down in resignation. “I see... Then I-”

Drumpick raised his hand, cutting her off as he continued. “ However ... I think I understand how you feel. And honestly... I see the benefit in you gaining such skills.”

The princess blinked, staring at him with wide eyes. “You... you do?”

The captain shrugged. “It was not strictly needed in the peaceful times we had before... but with the future uncertain now, there is great merit to it. I do my best to ensure you are protected at all times, but... what if all of those soldiers and myself are separated from you or die? What would you do then?” He sighed wearily. “It is... unfortunately not too paranoid to think about, given the carnage Jax unleashed upon those who tried to capture him, based on Chelsa’s reports.”

He then nodded to her. “And to your point about dealing with injuries... basic medical experience is always a boon to have. Being able to dress your wounds, even if it is only temporary until proper care can be administered, sounds rather wonderful, in fact. Who knows what could happen in the next several weeks? Any aid you can provide yourself...”

Loolilalu stared at him, a little surprised at how easily he was going along with this. Not that she expected a rude denial from him of all people, but... he was making points she thought she would have to. There was no saying it was below her station like her father might have insisted (on anything beyond swordplay, anyway). Only encouragement for her idea.

She stood up straighter, swallowing nervously as both hands went to hold the doll lightly against her stomach. “And... what of applying those skills for others?”

Drumpick grunted, eyes hardening for a moment. “Well, I would prefer you not actively put yourself in harm's way, to be clear. If you don’t have to fight, you shouldn’t. And these things should not come at the expense of your normal duties as our princess.” His gaze softened. “Though... if you have free time away to do these things... That is another matter.”

The princess nodded, her eagerness making a smile pull at her lips. “Yes... yes, yes, of course! I would never neglect those! I only want to help those suffering when I can! I...” She swallowed again, gaze once more falling downward. “I just want to make a difference... To not feel idle while the kingdom struggles to pull itself together again.”

The captain nodded, patting her shoulder as he smiled. “Then, if learning some of these skills and applying them will help you with that... You have my support. And I am sure you will become an even greater ruler for us than you already are from it.”

Loolialu laughed, smiling back teasingly. “Oh, you flatter me!” She gazed at him warmly. “But... thank you. Really. I... think this will help me.”

Drumpick bowed to her. “It is my pleasure to serve you, Loo. Whatever helps you to continue persevering through these times.”

Nodding, the princess sighed, once again holding up the doll. Sadness washed over her looking at it, still wishing she had gotten one last chance to speak with Rosey. The grief hung over her, refusing to leave her alone entirely.

However, it did not suffocate her like before. She could even manage a faint smile, running her finger over its fake hair. I’m sorry you were taken so suddenly from this world... But I hope you’re watching down on us. Your mother, and this whole kingdom, is going to be okay. I’ll make sure of it... I’m going to become the “super princess” you were talking about!

For a few seconds, the hallway was peaceful, with both of them just standing there. Eventually, though, her friend cleared his throat, speaking more professionally. “I am glad we had this talk, Loo, but you do still have some final tasks to do this evening - including giving the preparation order to send reinforcements to the syrup fields. I will, of course, try to have everything arranged soon so that you can start learning these skills, but for now...” He frowned. “Plus, we forgot to ask about getting sleep aids... again.”

Loolilalu sighed, though smiled as she nodded. “Yes, of course. So sorry for the delay there.” As much as she would love to get into learning immediately, that was not currently feasible. She would have to figure out how to fit them into her busy schedule over the next couple of weeks. At least I have two fields I want to learn already.

All of that was for the future, though. She looked at the ground, trying to find the bag the doll had been in as she wiped her face more from her tears. Going over the palace’s layout mentally, she believed that she was not too far from some of her meeting rooms. Once she had cleaned up a bit, she could go to one of them and summon her advisors. Then they could begin-

A loud thunk down the corridor in the direction they came from, followed by shouts. Startled, she exchanged looks with the captain, who did not seem to know what to make of it, either. He quickly shook off his surprise, though, and started to march that way to investigate. Grabbing the bag and putting away the doll, she followed after him, continuing to try and make herself presentable.

It only took a few moments to reach the fork in the hallway, looking down the right path where the sound came from (they had come from the left, she now knew with her head clear). Despite Drumpick trying to keep her back, they both peeked around the corner to see what the commotion was about. She worried for a brief second it was an attack... but luckily, the problem was far more mundane, as she saw four guards standing around some dropped pink crates of various sizes, scattered around. A transportation problem, then. Nothing serious.

The men were clearly incensed by the mistake, though. A red and yellow gummy bear man was reprimanding one of the others. “-your hand that slipped! I saw how your arms were sagging!”

The other - a lollipop man with a red and green swirled head - scoffed at him. “As if you were not constantly pushing the corner of the crate into me with your turns. I’m lucky my leg didn’t get crushed thanks to you!”

The gummy bear growled. But before he could retort, a hard-candy man next to him - pure dark blue skin - sighed and bent down to start reorganizing the crates. “Stop it - both of you. We have deliveries to make. These supplies are needed to help save lives.”

The other two glared at him for a time. Soon, though, the lollipop man conceded with a sigh, trying to help stack everything as well. “Yes, you’re right. God, do I need a rest after this, though. It seems like everyone is running blind these days.”

The gummy bear man sighed, too, crossing his arms. It was then that the last member of the group spoke up - another hard-candy man with yellow and orange skin. “Speaking of... which room did you want to stop by first? That one old guest bedroom, or the ballroom?”

“The ballroom,” the gummy bear answered immediately. “That’s where most of this is going. Unless you want to lift this great ton down to the opposite end of those hallways after delivering one fudging crate.”

The yellow hard-candy man nodded. “I... suppose that should have been obvious.” He bent down, grabbing one of the crates. It was rather bulky, requiring both of his arms under it, but it only went up to his chest, and did not appear overly heavy. “Who’s delivering this one after the first stop, then? I doubt it needs all of us.”

“Fudge if I know,” the lollipop man replied, gesturing to the very large crate used as the base. “None of us can go to do it right now, though. It takes all of us just to lift the main stack. We’ll figure it out once this is done.”

“Organization is really falling apart for the suppliers,” the blue hard-candy man said, shaking his head. “Why give that one to us and not some other guard who is tasked to move these things? I mean honestly!”

The rest of the men murmured in agreement, but went back to organizing the stack. The princess, meanwhile, continued to watch. There was not any reason to linger any longer, though, really. There was nothing special about what she was witnessing - just guards going about their business and grumbling to pass the time. It would be easy to leave them to it and get back to her own business.

...However, she found her eyes fixed upon the crate still held by the yellow hard-candy man. Her hand touched her rose again as she thought of her resolve to be more active. And... she realized she had an opportunity here to do that. She may not be able to do anything for the injured yet, but... if she wanted to offer help right now, then...

She glanced at her friend, clearing her throat. “How does my face look currently?”

Turning to her, Drumpick gave her a confused look but answered regardless. “Um... fine? You look a bit tired, but your eyes are clearing up. You’ve done a remarkable job of wiping up the tear tracks, too.”

“...And do you suppose I can afford one more delay in finishing my administrative work today?” Loolilalu asked, smiling playfully.

The captain tilted his head... but as he looked between her and the scene, realization seemed to dawn on him. He started to smile as well, nodding to her. “I suppose there is still time... Though do also take the opportunity to finally ask about sleep supplements.”

Nodding back, the princess smiled widely. Handing over the green bag to him, she went around the corner and approached the guards, who were still talking among themselves. Once she was close enough, she spoke up and caught their attention. “Excuse me? I believe you may need a little bit of help with transporting some supplies?”

The men turned toward her, eyes widening immediately as they recognized her. The gummy bear stood at attention, bowing on behalf of all of them. “Your Highness! I-I’m so sorry if we’ve caused you any disturbances! We are getting ready to-”

Loolilalu waved for him to stop, smiling kindly. She then turned to the yellow hard-candy man and walked up to him. She pointed to the pink crate he had, which he had been about to put onto the stack again. “I believe you said this was going to one of the converted guest rooms?”

The guard looked down at the item, before he blushed lightly. “You... overheard us? I... Do excuse our language, princess. If we had-”

“Is it the one with the painting of my great-grandmother?” the princess asked.

Blinking, the man glanced at his companions, who looked as confused as him. Yet despite this, he nodded slowly. “Um... actually, I think it’s the one with your grandfather? The one that-”

“I know where that is,” Loolilalu said... then reached out and grabbed the crate from him. She grunted a little as she adjusted her hold, but as she had hoped, it was not too heavy for her. She smiled at the men, holding back giggles as they gaped at her. “Carry on, soldiers! I’ll get this to where it needs to go. You focus on resting once you’re done with the rest of those, okay?”

Still in shock, a few only nodded numbly at her. Chuckling, she turned and started walking off down the corridor back toward the medical hallways. So much for not causing too much of a stir this evening, she mused. No doubt Chelsa and Bluebell would have a good laugh about her boldness doing menial work like this when they found out. Even Sprinkst might be able to crack a smile at it!

But regardless... it was a good first step. Even knowing her arms would likely ache by the time she reached her destination... her heart felt warm at finally being able to physically contribute. And if all went to plan... it would not be the last time, either. All in the name of her kingdom... and a sweet little girl.

(Behind her, Drumpick watched her pass, still holding the bag. Then, he overheard one of the men voice their bafflement. “What...? Did that actually just happen? Do I need a doctor?”

Laughing, the captain turned their way and called out to them. “You’d better get used to it. She’s quite set on doing this more!” He then started to follow after her, leaving the men to process that.

Honestly... this was not a bad outcome. He was worried that Rosey’s death was going to cause Loolilalu to regress and have a full breakdown. But while she needed a minute, she had recovered quite quickly as one would expect from a strong leader. Death was tragic, but you had to push on to keep everything running.

As he caught up to the princess, watching her carry that crate, he hummed to himself. He had no clue what to expect from her when it came to learning to be more active. He hoped anything related to combat would end up being unnecessary... but that was a fleeting hope in times like these. To say nothing of the potential of needing medical knowledge when out.

But no matter what... he had faith in her. If there was anyone who could keep this kingdom together, it was her. And he would ensure she remained safe to do so...)

~~~~~~~

Within The Void, The Sphere continued its tireless efforts at building up the candy world. Were it human and could feel joy, it might have been humming a tune as it did so. It had been so long since it had gotten to do this properly. For too many years, it had not been able to make a properly fleshed-out world, but with Caine none the wiser, it was already weaving the coding that let it function expertly, fixing the broken lines and registries.

One of its focuses currently was on where the human now resided. It would not do for her to have traveled all that way to a village that lacked NPCs to populate it, now would it? So it was in the middle of fixing things up and putting in some NPCs to fill it out. A full history for the area was going to take a while, but at the rate it was going, the biggest essentials would already exist for her to view and explore a bit while still acclimating.

However... part of its focus was also on the kingdom and its princess, which it hoped to flesh out once more.

While The Sphere did not have a proper mind, within it was data on the original intended form of these things. The Candy Canyon Kingdom was originally meant to be the main hub for players. It was meant to be the focal point of the entire world, with influence that stretched even beyond its borders, politically and religiously. Whether it stayed that way or not, though, would have been left to the players.

And the princess Loolilalu... The plans it originally had for her. A truly benevolent leader who was as intelligent as she would have been deadly in a fight. A woman with great combat skills, and was quick to adapt to losses and problems within her kingdom. Yet beneath all of that would have been a sensitive soul whose heart, while well-meaning, could get her into trouble. All while giving prayer and believing full-heartedly that God would guide them!

It had been quite the setup on both ends with many other details to go along with them... But naturally, much of that had been stripped away by Caine with his “edits.” The kingdom retained its importance, but it was left rather nebulous beyond them having lots of maple syrup. And poor Loolilalu, while keeping her kind attitude and religiousness, was reduced to a quest-giver. It filled in what details it could for the adventure, but as always, its options had been limited.

Now, with the generation lock gone, it had a chance to rectify these things. It could not restore things entirely to how they were originally intended to be, unfortunately, but it was determined, in its own way, to build it up again. It was still supposed to be important, after all, and humans loved to revisit areas. Even if the map area designated “The Peppermint Reaches” became the abandoned player’s home, making the entire world feel alive was very helpful for maintaining mental health in humans like her.

It... did have to work around the obstacle of the main city now being in ruins, though, and consider the realistic consequences of that. But it would make it work - a nation that faced disaster and then worked to rebuild itself could allow for some interesting adventures and choices for the human. It was just a manner of giving her quests eventually to do so if she wanted. And if not anytime soon, the NPCs would be allowed to give it their best shot.

...Not without challenges, however. Realism, even in wacky settings, helped with immersion and forming investments. Hence why it was also overhauling the NPCs and giving them updates on their models and personalities.

As for Loolilalu... The Sphere was content with what it had done for her so far. Alongside more solid memories, she was also on her way to becoming a more active monarch like in the original version of the setting! It would have been proud if it could feel such emotions... though perhaps also a bit of pity regarding the death of that child helping inspire that change. It had not necessarily intended for that, however. It just happened to proceed that way amid the small nudges it tried to send her.

That was another dark edge of realism... People could die, even children, in these worlds. Especially if a player had a hand in it. But while it may create hostile forces that could cause it, The Sphere did not seek death to anyone - it just kept the world from being static. The responses and consequences were in the human’s and NPCs’ hands.

But in regards to Loolilalu herself, the way its code shifted showed it was proud of her progression. By the time the player met her again, it intended for her to be a far more realized character. Whether they would be friends, foes, or something between was up to them, but... in its own way, it was interested to see a reunion eventually.

So overall, it was “fine” with the kingdom’s updates so far... Though if it had eyes, it would roll them at Caine being their god. Even it understood the many ironies of that. But still, trying to change that could cause glitches with how embedded it was in the setting already. So it would leave it be and let NPCs view any generated “blessings” from it as the work of the malfunctioning AI. It was not petty... Not that it properly felt such an emotion.

Still, there was much more work to be done for the kingdom both in design and its people. (The main city did not even have a proper name yet!) So it continued on, perfecting its creation... All the while it also began to generate ideas for more areas and nations beyond the kingdom and Peppermint Reaches. All the better for more exploration in the future...