Barrel had always felt terrible for Andrias, even as a toad guard sworn to safeguard the kingdom. A part of him felt the pressure his friend was under to show himself worthy of his father's affection. But, while his own father had been no better, King Aldrich appeared far more aggressive about his son's reputation.
The old monarch always managed to make him feel uneasy whenever he was in the same room as him, though he never confessed it to Andrias or Leif.
There was something odd about his frigid and unwelcoming presence; he was the polar opposite of Andrias in every regard.
He'll never understand how a king could have such a quiet disdain for him. All he wanted to do that wasn't part of his role was cheer up Andrias from the weight of his responsibilities as Amphibia's future king.
That was something he would gladly do for his comrade in a heartbeat.
"Don't! Wait!"
The sound of Andrias's terrified voice alerted Barrel to see the large prince rushing towards him, Leif clutching the music box in the lead.
Wait…what is she doing with that-
Before he could complete his thought, Leif leaped over Barrel, followed by Andrias smashing into him and holding him down instead of clutching onto the pink frog.
"Hey! What's the ruckus?" Barrel inquired, concerned due to Andrias' firm grasp on him.
"Leif has betrayed us!" Andrias snapped in response.
Barrel frowned, confused and surprised by the words that came out of Andrias's mouth.
"What? She would never do that!"
"I saw it with my own eyes," Andrias said, helping Barrel get off the ground, "We got to find her before she does something crazy!"
Barrel nodded and followed Andrias as they continued their pursuit of Leif. He didn't realize where she was headed until they passed one of the laboratories.
"She's heading to the armoury, I'll cut her off!" he said before heading through the secret passage behind one of the paintings that hung on the wall.
I have to stop her before Andrias gets to her first. His rage is going to make him reckless if he manages to catch her at all.
When Barrel heard the soft pitter-patter of Leif's feet on the other side, he burst through the wall in time to catch Leif off guard. Leif stood her ground even though she had no weapon to fight him with.
"Stop right there, Leif. Don't make me do this!" he said as he took a defensive pose with his hammer in hand.
"Barrel, please trust me. What I do, I do for all of us," Leif begged, her words felt very sincere.
Barrel gazed into her eyes, trying to figure out why Leif would do something so drastic. For the first time in his life, Barrel hesitated. He had no notion what to do in the heat of the moment.
Was she truly speaking the truth?
"Jeeze Leif, I don't know...," Barrel paused for a moment before realizing, too late, that his delay had given Leif the boldness to leap right over his head.
"H-hey, get back here!" he shouted, though Leif ignored his plea.
Barrel tried to grasp her by her foot but was shoved aside when Andrias rushed ahead of him in his desperate attempt to capture her.
When he caught up with Andrias, they had arrived at the armoury. Barrel could only watch in terror as the enraged prince attempted to attack Leif with his fiery sword. Luckily none of the swipes landed on her.
Leif had directed her gaze at a nearby arm cannon on the worktable she was on. Normally used as a replacement for the royal family's side projects, she used it to her advantage and took it upon herself to use it against Andrias.
Andiras masterfully shielded himself from the firey blast she unleashed from the detached arm with each precise swing of his fiery sword. She sprinted thru the vent above the workbench before Andrias could finish deflecting the final blast.
Andrias then glared angrily at Barrel. He could see how frustrated he was getting. "Why didn't you stop her?!"
"She-she confused me!" he blurted out.
Andrias seized his horn and dragged him forward without saying anything more. Fortunately, it wasn't a strong enough grip to fracture it.
He eventually released his hold on it and Barrel was free to run beside Andrias again, searching high and low for where Leif could of gone with the music box. The sound of a muffled explosion immediately drew their attention.
"She's in the garden, quickly!"
Barrel tried all he could to keep up with Andrias, anything to keep him from harshly punishing Leif for her treason.
When they arrived at the garden, they were stopped by the sight of the enormous hole in the far wall. A hole had been blasted through the city wall in the distance, most likely made by the same arm cannon Leif had seized from the armoury.
The frog he and Andrias had known their entire lives was gone, a friend who abandoned them to do everything she could to prevent Andrias and his royal lineage from ever abusing it's powers again.
"Leif...LEIF!" Andrias yelled in vain. Andrias sounded more distraught than he had ever been before.
Upon hearing the prince weep, Barrel reached out to comfort his childhood friend. But Andrias saw his hand and quickly turned to swat it away.
"Please, Andrias-"
"Leave me alone, Barrel!" I don't want your pity!" he snarled angrily, finally deactivating his flame blade in defeat. He couldn't even bare to look at Barrel face to face.
"Andrias-"
"LEAVE!" he shouted fiercely, making Barrel almost flinch at how violent his voice had grown. He'd never seen Andrias that enraged before.
He bowed respectfully, trying not to let his own emotions get the better of him.
"I-I apologize for speaking out of turn, Prince Andrias."
Barrel departed from the garden without another word. In turn, leaving Andrias alone with his own negative thoughts on the events that transpired in the castle's walls.
Several days had passed since Barrel had last seen Andrias leave the capital with his tropes in an attempt to find Leif.
While he had asked him if he might assist him in his search for her whereabouts, Andrias had angrily declined his help. Since that day, Barrel has been concerned for the safety of both Andrias and Leif.
Even if she had betrayed the kingdom, he wondered if the reason she had taken the box had anything to do with the terrible calamity that she had foretold and had tried to convince Aldrich to heed her warnings.
Even if that were true, would I have the courage to betray my kingdom like she did? Over an omen she foresaw?
Nothing like this had ever happened between them before. They were meant to be inseparable, the closest of comrades battling against the odds side by side. To always be there for one another. That had always been their way of life until now.
On the seventh day since he last saw the wandering prince, he returned to Newtopia empty-handed. No Leif or the music box.
He looked drained of the vibrant soul he used to know.
What could have been a matter discussed privately, was turned into a meeting of all the races that would stand as witnesses to the humiliation of Prince Andrias. He of all people knew what King Aldrich was doing to his son was the cruellest punishment the old newt could do without hurting him physically for his mistake to keep watch over the birthright of his family heritage.
All he could do was watch the meeting and feel sorry for Andrias' situation. For Barrel wished he had greater willpower to defend Andrias publicly, if only he was like Leif. Daring enough to stand up to others in such a vast gathering.
As a result, it only broke his heart more not being able to do anything but witness his longtime friend go through the most humiliating experience of his life.
"Because of your incompetence, the worst has come to pass. The box has left this world, it is lost, and with it our legacy," King Aldrich growled, clutching his fist in anger as he sat upon his throne overlooking his court.
From the crowd, Barrel noticed Andrias bowing before his own father. A prince pleaded to a monarch who was notorious for rarely showing pity to those who opposed him, including his own son.
"I will do everything in my power to right this wrong".
"There is nothing you can do, son," Aldrich rasped, unamused by his son's attempts at forgiveness,"Our way of life is ruined-"
When the king abruptly ceased speaking, the chamber fell silent; not a single member of the court dared to speak out.
"I see...there is one way," his father spoke up once again, drawing Andrias' attention away from the carpeted flooring beneath him.
"According to the olm prophecy, the box will return. When and how is impossible to calculate, so we will wait. We will bury and preserve our glorious civilization until our birthright has returned to us. Only then, can you ever hope to redeem yourself".
With a mighty tap of his halberd staff, the court dispensed from the throne room. It was a sure enough sign that the meeting had come to an end.
Despite the fact that both of them stood up, King Aldrich left the room without saying anything, only sternly eyeing Andrias before heading down the hallway opposite of where his court was headed.
He followed Andrias out of the throne room without saying anything. Half out of dread for his future, and the other out of concern for the consequences of the punishment that was given to Andrias by his own father. More than anything, he understood that the prince was infuriated.
When they arrived at Andrias' quarters, the prince finally let go of the rage that he had been trying to hide from his father.
"That slippery little frog ruined everything!" he shouted, pacing around the room.
At one point, Barrel dodged a pillow thrown at him. Avoiding it before it struck his face.
Before long, Andrias stopped in his tracks as if an idea had come into his mind. Something Barrel feared was anything but good.
"Her and her kind will need to be kept in line...".
He eventually turned to Barrel, his eyes frigid and devoid of warmth.
"As for you, you failed me as well. You failed to stop her and for that I'm having you resigned".
The Barrel was bewildered by this news and stared at Andrias.
Was the only thing Andrias saw in his old childhood friend was a traitor like Leif? He can't be serious!
"You will travel to the outskirts and defend the villages. Now…get out of my sight," Andrias spat out the last sentence, making Barrel felt like a sword had stabbed right through his heart.
Coming from Andrias, it sounded so bitter and cruel. Someone he had always regarded as a friend.
"Your highness," Barrel said, as a few tears finally wept from him as bowed his head before he turned to walk away from the prince. Upon leaving the room, he could only hear the furious sobs of Andrias ravaging in his room. Still a shell of his former self.
Even with the castle behind him, it broke his heart to see how the city of Newtopia had declined since the music box was taken. Without it's power, much of the marvellous wonders within would likely never work again.
Barrel noted that many frogs and toads had already left the city to begin their lives elsewhere.
But the stubbornly proud newts persisted to stay inside the city's walls.
Many of them were hesitant to leave the protection of the city in search of a better life in the wilderness. Many of them were still devastated by what had been lost to them.
He could see some of the lingering newts watching him with hostile glares and muttering among themselves as he led himself to the gate with only his hammer in hand.
This didn't stop Barrel from hearing them as he passed by.
"There's Barrel! I told you he was still alive"
"He's the only one left that was close to Andrias, do you think he's a traitor too?"
"What?! Why would the king let his son's closet guard escape on good terms, he's not that mad!"
On any other day, he couldn't care less what newts thought of him. But, having lost everything, Barrel didn't know what to make of such harsh remarks, or if even anything could hurt as much as what Andrias had said.
One thing was for certain, he didn't know what awaited an ex-guard of the royal family. He could only hope that fate would be kind.