Just The Two Of Us- A Hermitcraft/Ethubs Fantasy AU

Chapter Twelve

Etho was quietly reading a book in his room when he heard a knock on the door. Oh- maybe it's BDubs? The shout from the other side of the door informed him that it very much was not BDubs.

"Prince Etho! Are you in there? Your presence is required in the meeting room." Isn't that just for knights and stuff? Etho shrugged in response to his own silent question, putting the book down and opening the door to reveal the blonde haired woman that commanded most of his mother's army.

"Commander Symmetry." The prince said wryly. "Is it urgent?"

"Well, depends on how urgent you think a couple of cases of arson linked to someone you spend a lot of time with are." The woman said sharply.

Etho paused. "What?"

False shrugged, staring at him blankly. "Just come with me." She said coldly. Geez, something's up with her-

"Uh... okay." She could be a bit more respectful to a prince. Wait, no, don't think like that- that's something Mother would say. Etho shot her a look that was confused but still slightly alarmed (in regards to the arson comment, obviously) as he got up from his bed and followed her.

The walk to the meeting room was very quiet- almost eerily quiet. Everywhere they walked, he could see hybrids ducking out of sight with nervous expressions, and their fellow humans glancing at them warily. Man, those hybrids do not like her, huh. To be fair, she isn't too fond of them, so- fair enough?

The white-haired boy tried to ignore the increasing rate of his heartbeat as they continued to walk along to the meeting room, but he had begun to hyperventilate slightly and it was becoming slightly hard to breathe. The fact that Etho didn't know much about what False wanted him in the meeting room for definitely wasn't helping.

Etho was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he didn't realise at first that they had reached the meeting room.

He hesitated slightly as False held the door open, glancing around for some sort of excuse that would get him out of entering that room before sighing internally and walking inside.

The only other person in the room was Commander Wels, who looked slightly anxious as he glanced over the notes spread out on the table in the middle of the room.

The blonde looked up as False and Etho walked in, his fingers tapping lightly against his helmet, which had been placed down on the table. "Ah- Commander Symmetry." His gaze flicked to Etho and he relaxed slightly, a small smile forming on the corner of his lips. "Prince Etho!" His smile faded as he glanced down at the notes on the table. "Take a seat, both of you. We have a lot to go over."

Etho nodded slowly, taking a seat and coughing awkwardly before attempting to use his 'fancy formal' voice (as BDubs referred to it). "So, I understand that there's been cases of arson, but I fail to see how this is relevant to me? Surely if anyone needs to be called to help with this, it is my mother." Etho grimaced slightly at how much he did sound like his mother in that moment. He also didn't miss how False looked away with an unreadable expression.

"About that. You know that- Floran hybrid? Your assistant?" Etho frowned at Wels' words- he didn't like how worried the knight looked, or the fact that BDubs had been dragged into this.

"I... do know him, yes. How is that relevant?" The prince asked slowly.

Wels and False exchanged a glance. "He burnt down a bunch of houses in Lower Pherus." The only woman in the group said bluntly, an unapologetic smirk on her face as Etho stared back at her.

"I- respectfully, Commander Symmetry, I do... believe you're mistaken." He said slowly, trying to stop his voice from trembling. Why am I worried? BDubs wouldn't do that. At all. Ever.

False's smile widened just the right amount so that Etho could tell she was enjoying this- he could practically hear her thinking 'I told you so.' "With all due respect, my prince, we have numerous pieces of evidence that state otherwise." She said icily.

"Uh- such as?" Etho snapped, his heart rate quickening again.

False simply continued to smile as she slowly slid one of the pieces of paper towards the prince. His frown deepened as he glanced down at the paper and recognised BDubs' handwriting. What?

He scanned the writing swiftly. 'This is what you filthy humans deserve.'

Etho blinked as the woman sat next to him passed multiple pieces of paper, all with threats or taunts scrawled on them in BDubs' handwriting.

'Serves you right for trying to enslave hybrids.'

'The castle's next.'

'Watch your back. This won't be the only incident!'

Etho stared back at False in disbelief as she spoke again. "Multiple of these notes were found around the sites of the arson attacks. As well as that, there were multiple eyewitness accounts that perfectly described the Floran boy. Looks like I was right about how letting the hybrids into our kingdom would end badly. They can't be trusted."

Wels looked mildly alarmed at this, laughing nervously. "Uh, I'm sure that- that not all of the hybrids are bad. My- my assistant Jev is, uh... he's... not awful." He finished quietly, his retort (if it could even be called that) gradually faltering as False turned her gaze to him.

"Are you disagreeing with the queen?" She said quietly. She didn't need to speak loudly to get her point across- the tone of voice she used, dripping with venom and silent threats, was terrifying enough.

Wels mumbled something like, 'no, no, of course not,' shrinking back in his seat as the blonde haired woman turned back to Etho.

"Your mother seems to think it would be best that you lead guards to arrest the Floran. She seems to think you've gained his trust. Foolish on his part, to believe a human would ever care about one of his kind. But your aid is needed to lower his guard. And shatter his confidence while you're at it, if you'd like." Etho met False's gaze for the first time in the conversation. "So... will you help the guards arrest him? Confront him, if you will, for his heinous crimes against Pherus?"

The silence after False's question could have lasted seconds, minutes, hours, days- Etho wasn't sure (he was still reeling from BDubs' betrayal- that was what he had mentally dubbed it, anyway).

Then he spoke, his voice much quieter and cold than usual. "Yes. I'll help."

OOOOooooOOO

Hahahah imagine coming back from a three month long (unintentional) break with angst/the setup for angst hahaha couldn't be meee

Also Wels is there :D Etho isn't the only one secretly dating a hybrid :]

Anyways woooo update

Comments and votes are appreciated, they help with motivation (mostly comments lol) <3 :]

I don't proofread, so sorry for any errors lol