The cuffs on the gypsy teen's wrists chafed and streaks of blood smeared their way down his pale forearms. Jaw clenched, he gave an extra hard yank at them and hissed underneath his breath as yet another sharp stinging burn jolted up his arm like lightning. The damn things were definitely cursed.
"Dipper! Stop it!" His twin's worried voice broke through Dipper's concentrated gloom, making his tired brown eyes meet her mirrored ones. Her eyes were so downcast and puffy from tears that he felt his own irritation build even more. The shimmering violet skirt she wore was torn, and matted with mud, and her pale skin was covered in scrapes and dirt from when she was violently thrown to the ground. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't even reach out to hug her. The cuffs linked to a second set on his ankles, which kept him in a constant hunched over position. This made things interesting when riding in a rocky carriage, every bump nearly sent him toppling over onto his side.
"Well I can't just sit here Mabel! I need to get us out of here!" The brunet spat back, looking down at his worn charcoal grey pants and dirty bare feet. He hadn't even had time to grab shoes. "I just…need to think." Despite saying this, he felt more hopeless than ever. Dipper had been racking his brain for the past hour and nothing helpful was coming. It seemed his ability to strategize had run out.
The shackles were enchanted; if you struggled too much they bit deeper and deeper into your skin, probably eventually going to the bone.
Even if he managed to get out of the cuffs, there were the bars that caged them within the covered wagon, and the Royal Enchanters, also known as the king's "Huntsmen" for short, seated on the back and front of the wagon.
A ratty, thick tarp covered the outside of the bars effectively keeping them hidden and blinded, but Dipper guessed they had been riding for about an hour and the bumps in the roads were getting less and less. This could only mean they were on the cobbled royal road close to the palace.
Really close to the biggest cage of all.
While his fingers yanked at his hair Dipper curled in on himself and pressed his forehead to his knee. His mind was slowly sinking back, away from the dank, stuffy carriage.
This wasn't the first time they had been captured by Huntsmen. Back when the twins were 11, Huntsmen came to collect money their parents owed to the king of Athezia. They lived on the king's land, and gave part of their profit and crops to him from what they grew. Crops were bad that year. Their family was starving, but of course Huntsmen are trained to be heartless.
Their parents' blood painted the floor of their living room scarlet, and the Huntsmen took the new orphans to be slaves at the king's palace.
However, that time the Huntsmen had just used ropes and were too drunk off of cheap wine to pay too much attention to the orphans. Dipper was already an amateur Enchanter by that point, taught by his father. He used a simple spell and untied them. They escaped.
They found their way to the next town over on foot, and were discovered by family friends. Another set of twins named Stanley and Stanford, who were leaders of a gypsy caravan. With Dipper's little training in magick, or enchanting as the kingdom calls it, and Mabel's enthusiasm to learn anything she could, Stanley easily gave them jobs as performers, which became the Pines siblings' new lives.
Light flooded the wagon as two Huntsmen yanked them out, effectively wrenching the male twin from his memories. The light disoriented Dipper, blinding him for a terrifying moment. The young man didn't regain vision until the Huntsmen had already removed the ankle shackles and were shoving him up the palace steps. Basically he fell his way up the stairs while keeping a steady eye on Mabel. They were gentler with her, firm but only keeping a hand on her shoulder to make sure she didn't run.
The stairs up to the castle entrance were steep and ridiculously extensive, made entirely of shining marble. Dipper's hands clenched into fists in front of him as he swallowed the anxious lump forming in his throat. A shadow fell over the teen when he stepped up onto the landing after the stairs; the palace seemed to be looming over him, watching as they entered its mouth. The guards shoved him forward, making him stumble again, jerking his shackles and making them dig further into his skin. Dipper's blood dripped to the marble landing, and he stepped over it towards the open palace doors. It was ready to devour them, and he quickly looked back to catch a last glimpse of the pale blue sky. Lazy clouds flew overhead before they were blocked out by the closing palace doors; the ominous hollow echo of the doors caused the floor to tremor beneath their feet like a stamp of finality.
Mabel managed to step closer to him and take his sweaty hand, not an easy process considering the cuffs kept their wrists bound close together near their bodies. Dipper gave her hand a timid squeeze as they were led through a brightly lit foyer. The palace had a lot of windows, filling the room with the sweet spring air from outside. Some stretched so close to the floor and high ceiling they were like doorways but Dipper could already feel the magical electricity coming from them. If you weren't meant to get in, or if you weren't meant to leave, you wouldn't.
The Huntsmen led them across marble floors, into hallways with rich carpets and portraits, always with high ceilings and such elegant architecture that Dipper could barely believe his eyes. Everything was cool and immaculate. It all was filled with ancient magick, and precious decorations like statues, pottery, and art of all sorts.
Even more amazing were the brooms, mops, and other cleaning supplies that seemed to be moving by themselves, quietly cleaning up the already spotless palace. Then again, it was probably spotless because of the enchanted cleaning supplies. Dipper didn't see any servants cleaning, in fact it seemed like the palace ran by itself, but someone had to be doing the magick. Lights illuminated the halls from almost nowhere, the singing of birds filled the air and when Dipper looked over at Mabel he saw that her eyes were locked overhead. Just as he thought, birds were sitting on the rafters overhead, and yet they weren't being shit on. Must be more magick.
Athezia is the only kingdom known to have magick. In fact, that's what it offered in trade to the neighboring kingdoms. Magick potions to keep you healthy, enchanted toys to entertain your children for hours, clothes that never wrinkle, soil that grew fields upon fields of crops almost overnight. The people from there just seemed to have magick in their blood. Yet everything in Athezia wasn't perfect like it pretended to be. They were almost at war with a larger technologically advanced kingdom called Delanu, and their own king was a tyrant. He didn't care about his people, and it was rumored that he had nearly bankrupt the entire kingdom. However, no one dared to say that in anything more than a whisper in passing when there wasn't a chance a Huntsman was listening. Even then, people barely spoke, because it was also rumored that the king was the most powerful Enchanter to be born in his family line. He had eyes everywhere.
The twin's parents had both been Enchanters, but only simple things like agriculture. Dipper was the only one between him and his twin born with magick, and he didn't favor agriculture. He preferred things like Illusions. He could make something appear to be something else for a short period of time, but it never lasted long. Though apparently it was realistic enough for him to be rumored to be the only human who could practice the one magick Athezian's couldn't actually accomplish… alchemy.
When Dipper pulled his eyes away from the ceiling, he found himself standing beside Mabel in a throne room. They were in the middle and left trembling there like two sewer rats in the kitchen of a 5 star restaurant. Not only did they stick out because they didn't belong there, but they felt like someone was about to chop off their tails. Dipper dropped his eyes, not daring to look up at the throne within a yard of them. He could hear the king talking to one of the Huntsmen, but his majesty's body was blocked by the larger guard. They were whispering something he couldn't make out.
The throne room was grander than most of the rooms the twins had a chance to peak at. It had towering white columns that aligned each wall, 4 on either side, holding up the rounded ceiling. Most of the room was decorated in blue and silver, those were the colors of the royals in Athezia. At the center of the room the ceiling opened up to show a dome of glass, revealing the blue sky from outside. Paintings of angels, mystical creatures, and many other things decorated the parts of the ceiling that weren't glass. Everything was wide and drafty. The sunlight coming from above warmed Dipper a bit, but he felt like it was all too far away.
Dipper's feet sunk into the deep blue carpet that was rolled out through the center of the room, and when he moved his foot to the side to feel the softness of the material, he noticed how his dirty feet left dark smears over the once pristine cloth. Woops.
His twin's body shook beside him. Just little tremors, and he could hear how her breath came out in uneven huffs as if she held it for too long then had to release it. However, before he could comfort her she took a small step forward "Y-Your majesty… why are we here?"
Shit, why did she speak?
"We didn't do anything wrong.. sir." Despite normally being utterly outspoken, and fiercely opinionated, Mabel was even taking a soft tone. It was something Dipper rarely saw with her, but he still would have rather her not to have spoken at all. Her doe eyes were pleading and she winced when her cuffs dug into her.. She wasn't bleeding like Dipper was, but she still had bright angry pink rings lining her wrists. Her dark wavy brown hair fell over her chest, and she looked so out of place in her ragged belly dancer outfit. Mabel had learned dancing from one of the women in the caravan. She was great at it, though not graceful in any other part of her life.
The bulky Huntsman moved to one side, heading back down the stairs away from the shining throne. Finally, the twins got a view of their king. They had only ever seen him from far away before. He was a year or two younger than them, around 15 maybe. When he stood from his silver and blue throne, Dipper could see the lord was shorter than he himself, the same height as Mabel probably. She reached 5'5, while Dipper hit a gangly 5'9. So he was a child king. Dipper always heard that the king had taken the throne young but the brunet couldn't believe how young. Already the king had been ruling for 5 years, though for the first 2 advisors tried to guide him. That didn't last long, however.
"Why bless my soul I'm so sorry about your conditions!" The king said, coming down the stairs with an exaggerated frown "I told them not to be harsh when they brought you! But you know how Royal Enchanters are, they always take things out of hand." He snapped his pale broad fingers and the twin's cuffs fell from their wrists, clattering noisily to the floor.
Dipper winced at the sudden cool air on his irritated wounds and quickly glanced around, the Huntsmen were gone, but he had a feeling they weren't far away. However, it didn't really matter. If the king was as powerful as rumors said, then they weren't really needed.
Mabel rubbed her wrists as her eyes studied the king nervously "Your majesty, please let us go… We didn't do anything wrong, and our family is probably worried sick about us now."
Their family; it was funny to think the orphans actually had one. They weren't actually related, but really… what made up a family anyway? A flash of shining red hair, and a dazzling freckled smile ran through Dipper's mind and his heart sank. She would be worried sick about them. He could only hope Wendy wouldn't do anything drastic. The red head got worked up when someone she loved was in danger. It wouldn't surprise him if she stormed the castle for them. But he would never forgive himself if she got hurt on his behalf. After all, he was in love with her, and was so close to asking her to be with him forever.
"Call me Gideon my lady." His majesty smiled, wrinkling the freckles over the bridge of his upturned nose while he reached out and took her hand. A few strands of his white hair fell around his blue eyes and he brushed them back as his touched Mabel's wrist. The angry whelps that had formed there slowly faded away "There now, isn't that better?"
Despite the relief that fell over Mabel's features when her wounds were healed, her eyes still held a bit of discomfort in the sudden closeness. "Thank you… your maje-.. Gideon." She took a hasty step back and touched Dipper's hand closest to her, holding it "Could you heal him to? His are worse than mine." Of course Mabel always worried about him first. It was how things had always been, and Dipper gave her hand a small squeeze.
The shorter man frowned a little, his squared jaw clenching as he eyed Dipper. It looked like he was annoyed for a split second before he gave a wide charismatic smile "Well of course my dear."
Before Dipper could protest he felt Gideon's grubby palm yank his free hand away from his body, and his knuckles brushed the front of Gideon's blue suit. The wounds on both of his wrists quickly stopped bleeding "Thank you for healing us…" Even though it was his fault they were hurt in the first place "But could you please explain..."
Gideon dropped Dipper's hand and sighed "Well isn't it obvious? The kingdom needs you my boy." The king gave a small shake of his head and a fluttering laugh, as if he were surprised he were being asked something so evident.
"What are you..?" Dipper held Mabel's hand a bit tighter. Both of their palms were sweaty at this point, but neither moved to let the other go. Needed him? An orphan gypsy? With very little money to his name, and no real practical magick? If the king needed him, then why was Mabel here as well? Something didn't feel right.
"Don't try to hide it from me.. I know what you can do." The young tyrant wagged his finger at Dipper as he walked back towards his throne, obviously expecting them to follow. So of course they did, huddled together and stepping over the shackles still left on the ground.
"I'm just a performer." The male brunet tried to reason, meeting Mabel's worried eyes with his confused ones. The hand that wasn't bound to his own clenched in his rusty red shirt. Mabel tugged at it, probably trying to make sure he wouldn't leave her alone. Not that Dipper could really go anywhere.
Gideon sat on his throne, adjusting his tie as he did so "Ah but you have to have heard the rumors. The gypsy boy who can make anything into anything else." He waved his hands and threaded his fingers together, leaning back against the cushions behind him. If it weren't for his broad shoulders and husky build, he would almost look too small in that throne. "Doesn't that sound awfully like something… special?" Dipper watched a small smile fill the king's lips, blue eyes alight with something between greed and excitement.
"You mean… alchemy." Dipper's throat closed, and he felt Mabel hug his arm tighter. So the rumor had caught up with him. The only reason he let people believe the rumor was because it added a bit of mystery to his performance. He never would have thought it would lead to something like this "You brought us here.. because you want me to do alchemy for you?"
Gideon crossed one leg over the other, foot tapping a little "Well yes, and while you do alchemy for me, I'll take care of your beautiful sister and she will want for nothing." His eyes slid over to Mabel, as he tried to meet her eyes but she was staring at Dipper.
"But Dipper you.." Mabel started, frowning, but Dipper cut her off before she said something that would get them into more trouble.
"What if I don't want to?"
The happy, carefree look on Gideon left in a split second "Then I'll force you." Before Dipper could interject, Gideon leaned forward and gazed down at them. The way he sat above them only made him all the more intimidating "I am king. If I say day is night then it is so. If I say you will be locked down in a coal shaft until you change all that coal into gold, you will. If I say you stole from me and are to be executed, then I'm afraid the only decision left to make is whether you will be hanged, decapitated, or dragged behind a galloping horse until you're arm falls off." Each punctuated word was like a job into the male twin's stomach.
A chill ran down Dipper's spine and he felt Mabel give a soft horrified gasp beside him. There wasn't anything he could do, he had to protect her. He had to find a way because she was the only blood family he had left, and that look in Gideon's eye when the young tyrant looked at her… suggested that while Dipper was decapitated, Mabel would be experiencing something far worse than death. Dipper took a small step forward deliberately in front of Mabel, blocking her partially from Gideon's view "Alright, I'll do it.. but you have to promise you won't hurt us."
Gideon gave a frown, as if that was the most horrible idea in the world "Of course not! As long as you're working for me you'll be honored guests in my home." He looked up, behind the twins "Ah! Rosemary, take Miss Pines to her room please."
Mabel clung to the back of Dipper's long sleeve baggy faded red shirt, effectively untucking it from his pants. "You'll be ok.." He whispered to her, because he knew she would be forced to go. The brother turned and brushed her hair from her eyes, their faces close together as he calmly smiled, hiding his anxiety "Just be smarter than usual." He teased.
Eyes narrowed, Mabel shook her head "Don't die, ok Dipstick? Or I'll be forced to bring you back and kill you." She punched his shoulder, just as the older maid came and started to usher her away. Her hands clung to his until she was too far away to hold on anymore.
"Let's go get you cleaned up, and in proper clothes? How does that sound Miss?" The maid asked, rubbing Mabel's back as they walked away. The young girl held Dipper's eyes until the door shut behind her, and the brunet felt his throat close with it.
The silence that followed Mabel leaving the throne room was the loudest Dipper had ever experienced. He circled back to glare back up at the king, wiping a bit of the sweat off his palms as he did so.
"You'll see her again. If you do what you're told." Gideon's voice sliced through the silence like a razor. For the moment, Dipper chose to believe the tyrant because he didn't really have any other option. Any other thought was painfully unthinkable.
The coal shaft was so dark and utterly freezing that Dipper immediately craved sunlight. It was like every memory of ever being in the sun was gone from his body, and the 17 year old was left with nothing but the suffocating darkness. He intently listened to the elevator that had dropped him here lift back up and his grip on the flickering lantern tightened.
After just a few moments he couldn't hear any other noises except the occasional drip of water and his own shaky breathing. Was he always so loud? Oh gods what was he going to do? Dipper sat the lantern down on the damp rock pile to his left and laid out the couple of plush blankets he had been given. He had two days to do this. But how the fuck was he supposed to?
Gideon had provided him a few things to take with him into the mineshaft; a box of matches, heavy copper lantern, a few warm blankets, and a basket of rations. Dipper picked up a match and rested it in between his palms. Then he lifted up his hands and cupped them. His lips brushed the heel of his palm as he whispered a few words. A ball of fire formed from the match… the fire flickered and he directed it up, releasing it to hover in the air. It gently illuminated his home for the next couple days. Its light was brighter than the lamp and moved around the area like a large firefly.
The mine was several hundreds of feet underground… damp, and filled with dank air pumped in from above. Quickly, the young enchanter used the fire from his ball to light the torches hanging from the walls of the small mineshaft. It flew down the line of torches, igniting each one easily before disappearing all together, a bit of ash dropping to the ground.
Despite what he anticipated, the mine was actually quite small; the walls of the hall where they mined the coal were just big enough for three people to walk shoulder to shoulder down. It was only a couple yards deep. Then where he had been deposited was a small round room, obviously where everyone crowded to get the hell out of this depressing place, or to eat lunch. There were deposits of large rocks against the walls, probably meant to be makeshift chairs or benches. Behind him was a shaft down where the elevator passed through, just an open hole. Once he saw there was nothing keeping him from falling down into the elevator shaft, he moved himself and his things closer to the narrow hall.
After he was settled again, Dipper rested his forehead to his knees and took a shaky breath… "Think… Think. You fucking idiot think!" His sister's very virginity depended on him somehow turning all that dark stuff in the walls into gold. The light from the torches glinted at him, casting shadows across the earth, as if they were laughing at him. He ran his feet across the ground, disturbing the dirt just beyond the reach of his blanket.
"What am I going to do…?" The brunet muttered, tears stinging his brown eyes. He couldn't change coal to gold. He didn't have that power. No one did. Alchemy to that extent was impossible. If he just made it look like gold for a short period of time… maybe they could escape before Gideon noticed?
"No… he's too smart for that..." Dipper replied to himself, not having anyone else to talk to. "And he'll just drag us back once he finds out…"
Gods what was Wendy going to do when they never came back? Robbie? Grunkle Lee and Ford? Mabel would never finish that dress she had been raving about. Dipper would never get to give Wendy that ring he had made with his own two hands. It was still hidden in a little box at the bottom of his chest of clothes. They would never be able to get married like they had always talked about…
"You're having quite a rough day aren't ya kid?" A voice broke out through the dim light, and Dipper lurched, letting out a small gasp as his head jerked up from its position pressed to his knees.
"H-How did you? Where did you?" Dipper couldn't seem to form words. Had the stranger come down here before him? No… the brunet hadn't seen him when he lit the torches. There wasn't anywhere to really hide.
"Does it really matter?" The voice got closer as the twin clenched his fists in his pants. Then he smelt it, the smoky residue of a teleportation spell, just a slight taste in the air, but it was enough. The man speaking to him was an enchanter. The young brunet's eyes narrowed as the stranger finally stepped out of the shadows. His head was covered by a dark black hood from a cloak that stopped at his waist, and Dipper couldn't make out his face through the shadows. "I mean, you're not really in a situation to question me."
"No, I guess I'm not." A small crack echoed in the brunet's voice as he stood up, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. He stepped off his blanket and shivered at the cold of the ground underneath his bare feet. Something between a stone and a barbell weighed down his stomach as he studied the ominous man carefully.
"Now...On to business. I'm here to offer you a deal." With a bit of a flourish the stranger flicked off his hood, revealing a mop of golden blonde hair and a wide smirk that made Dipper feel like he was staring into the face of a hungry shark.