Summary:
It's three months later on Jades disappearance in Prospit, and mostly everyone has a say in something.
Notes:
(See the end of the chapter for notes.)
Three months after the kidnapping.
"Jade would never run away Karkat. And this isn't your fault either. We we're down in the hall and got caught up with each other before anyone could hear her, besides, shes on the other side of the castle in a tower." John patted his back only for his hand to be swatted away.
"Listen John, I never said it was MY fault because I never fucking admitted to it. Though I am her knight, I should have been around close by to protect her, she trusted me John, and I let her down by listening to her 'im fine karkat hehe go on ahead and ill meet the family!' instead of staying by the door like I should have." huffing, Karkat tossed his hair aside after adjusting his armor. "But I know as well that jade would never run away from her duty."
"Don't say it like it's her job to marry the prince."
"Can't really avoid the obvious numbskull. It was her job and don't say otherwise.. You could have been the one to marry those scums if it weren't for her being the oldest, and for her reminding the court that you are not of age to marry anyone yet." Karkat frowned and put his hand to his chin. "So who would take her? There was an obvious struggle, the mirror on her dresser is shattered with blood in some areas. So someone must have gotten hurt badly."
"Can you detect anything else?"
"I'm a knight, not a fucking detective here, besides, I don't know anyone who can detect stuff like this, unless..."
"I heard something from Vriska once that she had 'done something' to Jade once, she never told me what it was though, so maybe she could have caused what had happened to her? I may be wrong, I don't know, but she has rubbed off something on me, a feeling I can't shake off ever since me and her... you know."
"I'm going to go on my lunch break since there is no one to protect under my duty. I'll go check her out though for now."
"Alright, see you soon." John smiled and they both left their separate ways away from each other.
Be Karkat.
Making way through the corridor, ignoring most people that tried to talk to him, he made his way to the garden in the back, to find his friends, Sollux, Terezi and Vriska at their 'usual' spot. When it was just not that far from the secret passage way through the maze... That's right.
He remembered that Jade showed him around and it was easy to get lost in there, some could die from getting lost. It was her favorite thing to do when she was little, and he remembered how much she enjoyed discovering new things all the time, it was hard to catch up.
Vriska peered over Sollux's shoulder to look at Karkat when he approached them, curious as to why he was coming over at the time of hour. "Well well well, if it isn't Karkat? What's with the get up? Jade isn't around for you to impress." Vriska tugged at the ruffles from her sleeves and crossed her arms, leaning to her right.
"Thup Kar." Sollux shifted out of the way to let him join the circle, Terezi at the right of Karkat now. Karkat scowled at Vriska before pulling up a smug smile. "Shut up Vriska, I just came back from investigating the room with John."
"Find anything?" Terezi spoke up, putting her hands at her hips.
"No."
"What a shame, poor Jade out there all alone, probably cold, those idiot kidnappers didn't even leave another clue for you to find her. You guys can't even make a move." Vriska frowned in discomfort.
"Well for obviouth reathonths, they didn't want peace for anyone."
"Well I for one think they just want a ransom, there was just no note behind left for a motive." Terezi sighed and looked at Karkat.
"This is why I need you Terezi. You're really good at finding things out."
"What? Terezi knowing how to figure things out? If anyone who should be finding things out it should be me! Not her." Vriska snarled.
"Look Vriska, no offense, but you have been voted on as a suspect of the disappearance of Jade."
"What? That's nonsense stop joking around! That's not funny."
"I'm not lying. You've been accused for doing something to Jade. So if you try and run away from this instead of standing up for yourself, you'll be automatically thought of as guilty and will have a royal beheading."
"The is insane! I've done nothing but help that buck tooth girl!"
"Karkat mind explaining?" Sollux raised a brow.
"She probably ran away from her duty because she couldn't handle the pressure of marrying someone she doesn't even know. You know those lame princess tropes that they put out there for people to read, you barely know the guy and you instantly fall in love with them? Maybe she wanted a change." Vriska raised her voice.
"What, what did you help her with? You're a manipulative person Vriska."
"Me manipulative? what the hell? You know, people like you make me sick, stereotyping me into some sort of bitch that only does things for herself. You haven't even heard me yet and here you are taking some anonymous side. The things I did for her were helpful. She had trouble sleeping so I helped her sleep with my powers. Okay?"
There was a bit of an awkward silence and a new renowned feeling of shame for thinking Vriska was helping out the kidnappers.
"Yeah, you're a terrible person you know? I get told I look like a bad person, well I've made my mistakes before, don't judge me for who I was, judge me for what I do. And I've done nothing wrong. So take the stick out of your ass before you're the one being shifted the wrong direction."
Karkat sighed and pushed his hair back as Terezi and Sollux look at him.
"What the fuck wath that all about?" he asked again after being pushed aside from Vriska's rant before.
"Well it was a false accusation from yours truly. I'm just worried for Jade. They could have her doing something awful out there. Worse, these kidnappers could have the Queen and King tear this place apart and watch them fall under themselves looking for their only daughter..." Karkat suddenly gazed up in realization and moved forward before turning to the both of them. "Of course! How could I have missed that! They wanted the King and Queen to go out of their way to tear this whole place apart until they had no one else to rule yet. And when there is no one to rule, there is no kingdom."
Terezi went wide eyed, along with Sollux for the sudden realization.
"Then if the people start revolting, it's off with our heads!" Terezi held her neck softly in a bit of fear that struck in her eyes.
"Shut up, that's not going to happen. I'll just tell John what's the matter and explain everything to him so this sort of stuff DOESN'T happen, understood?"
"You really think uth telling them would be a good idea? I mean, we aren't really high clath, any of uth really, you think telling them-"
"Yes. Yes I do, because John is my friend, he is my goddamn friend, and so is Jade and we are going to tell them to calm down before moving onto any other plans to destroy themselves. We will get Jade back, I promise you that." and he left the two there before heading back in the castle to find John.
Now, it wasn't like it had to be told in a rushed state of manner, but it's better now then later.
He looked all around, in the library, in the kitchen, the fencing area, the study room, even his own room. Now if there would be one last place to check, it would be in the main hall again, but that would be pointless. No one is in there unless its specifically for royal duties, trying people in court, the whole shenanigans.
It wasn't until then that it sparked in his head.
Heading back into Jade's room, he opened the door softly, peeking in just in case he was right and there he was, sleeping on his sisters bed like the hopeless he is.
"What will we ever do with you John.." he sighed and walked in.
He accidentally kicked one of the squiddles out of the way and watched his step before making any noise. He was going to disturb his sleep anyways, but he might as well be respectful of the various stuffed animals Jade has in her room.
Sitting at the bed side, Karkat shook John "Hey, wake up, I need to tell you something."
Sighing John shifted in bed and yawned, "Not now Jade... I'm tired."
"It's not Jade, it's me..."
"Ha ha. I heard you make that voice before..." he mumbled.
Well then, there was something to talk about once Jade got back.
As John continued to snooze, the more Karkat examined him all over. From his cheeks, to his lip line, he shook his on head and blushed, looking away.
"Wake the fuck up before I do something I /regret/ John."
John fluttered his eyes open as soon as Karkat turned back to look at him, a smile that hasn't left its place once he saw Karkat from the low light.
"What are you smiling at? I'm not Jade."
"I know, but you look really good in the light right here." he was still half asleep, figures, though that only just made Karkat blush more.
"Look I have to tell you something important." he shifted more directly towards him and leaned in close "It's about Jade and the kingdom and I think I know the motive of the idea."
"Mhmm..." John nodded his head and leaned up to kiss him softly on the mouth, his hand brushing up against the skin of the other, Karkat kissed back only for a brief moment before pulling back in a bit of shock and awe.
"John..."
"I've been wanting to do that forever.." he sat up and smiled. "I'm sorry if I attacked you like that, I just couldn't help it. It was the opportunity, since we were alone, and less serious.." he stretched out and looked at him. "Well, aren't you going to say anything?"
"I.. I just..." he coughed into his fist and looked at him. " I'm just surprised is all. I'm.. I'm not exactly royalty, my class made me who I was and.."
"Who care what a bunch of symbols determine what we are and what rank we have to be? That kind of stuff is stupid, you know? Who are we to judge other people for what mark they were assigned to as birth. I like you a lot and, I want to be more than just you looking up to me like a god."
He became a bit speechless at his words and rubbed the back of his neck. "I.. I don't know John.."
"Listen, if you're uncomfortable that's fine with me, I just wanted to tell you my feelings before it ate me from the center, you know? You shouldn't bottle up your feelings."
"You're right, and you're a great guy and all..."
"Is there someone else you had in mind?" John spoke softly, trying not to sound hurt.
"No! There's no one at all. I.. I like you too okay? But now isn't the time to worry over relationships, we can be in one, and it can be more serious later after we find the whereabouts of your sister. But I just don't want things to be overwhelmingly complicated, you know? But I'm going to be here for you until then, okay?"
John smiled and nodded his head "You're a sensible guy and that's what I like about you. You're smart, and have great leading skills." he kissed his forehead before slipping out of bed. "Alright, now this serious business that you were going to tell me, what was it?"
It was a while that Karkat had to wait out of the master chamber room from Johns parents, which the three of them were inside contemplating whether or not raiding the towns to find Jade would be a good idea. And there were a lot of yelling, smashing, and more yelling, more from his mother out of stress. It finally stopped and everything came to a low mumble before Karkat became more frustrated with the face that these people were taking two decades already to decide. Or so it felt like. Then everything came to a stop and Karkat immediately stood up straight, waiting for something to happen until the door opened up.
"Thank you for listening Mom and Dad, I really hope that you don't change your mind, so trust us on this one... Okay?"
"I hope you're right about this, and we thank you for your words, we will make the final decision though, and if we do, we probably won't even turn this place upside down, you'll see." the Queen patted his shoulder before shutting the door behind him, leaving the two of them by themselves outside of the hallway.
"So, what now?"
"We wait."
"Wait until when exactly?"
"For a sign of hope, for their final words if they will make their way around the kingdom, anything really." he looked a bit worried. "Even if a ransom would come up for her back they would pay them in full just to get her back. They are desperate. My mother lost it. She's out of her mind worried sick if she's even alive or not."
"It must be hard, I can tell. It gets me nervous just thinking what they could have done to her." They began walking out of the hallway as Karkat looked out of the window to see the sunset.
"Where ever she is, she can't be that far from here. And she will be safe. She's a strong girl, but facing out on places on her own would get her in serious shit if she can't find her way back."
"Well, where ever she is Karkat, let's just keep in mind that she's safe.."
Karkat pressed his hand up against the glass window and frowned, the sun set at the horizon as nightfall began to start. "So help me, I'll find you Jade. No matter what, I'm coming for you."
BLUH. I'm so sorry to keep you all waiting! I really am, I'm not giving up on this story though. I know how I want it to end and go, and it may not be that long til the ending, so bare with me throughout the end I will get this done! Thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated!-AR