STLTH 100

Welp, time for a new chapter. But first, let me answer the phone:

IROCK108 – (bumps fists)

Devor – Heck no I ain't, but I'm glad you think so. To Daron be the glory… before she spat on her religion, at least. I'm back, and I've kicked the writer's block! :D

Mr. Haziq: Nope, it's an ordinary plastic ring with a fake plastic gem in it. And yes, it's enticing enough to be a choking hazard for 3 y/olds.

5.

The castle was quiet now, for the first time since the first had awoken earlier that morning. River, finally realizing that he'd gotten everyone to settle, yelled out that everyone would receive monies to replace their underwear that had been destroyed. He'd thought that'd be the end of it and was about dismiss the throng of females out of the throne room when one of them exclaimed about needing some sort of reparation for their violated privacy.

In his moment of weakness knowing that he had little else to tell them, River glanced over his shoulder at his daughter. Star lacked any real interest in what was happening, and he could tell that she was still upset about how Marco had treated her after she'd saved him. After hearing the details, he believed that there had to be a misunderstanding and still wished to help Marco nonetheless, with or without her support. "He was unconscious. He did all of that in his sleep and did not actually see anything. Marco is under the influence of some strange drug, curse or magic…" he admitted the last very hesitantly. "Marco had no control of his thefts, either. That's obvious from how he outed himself by thieving my daughter's…" he paused, realizing that he didn't know the name of her hair accessory, "head… thingy. Rest assured, if that's not enough to ease your minds, feel free to request an apology; while it wasn't his fault, you're still quite deserving of one."

"Alright. So let's say that we forgive this dirtbag, forget that he stripped us and stole every single knicker in the castle," Lady Whosits stated, more than slightly pissed that she had inadvertently burnt every one of the panties to ashes. "I still want to know when we're getting the money to buy them back? We don't have a single one, so we're getting it today, right?"

"Yes, yes." River darted across the stage to Manfred and whispered into his ear. Manfred spoke back to him in a similarly discreet manner, and River was appalled to learn about the state of the treasury was nearly obliterated from the ongoing repairs to the castle. "Get the tax collectors to get the money earlier this month!" River hissed to the Head Servant, "before they rip us to shreds!" He turned back to the women, sweating a bit. "Three days."

"Are you kidding me!" Higgs yelled, "Three days?!" With her, there were other shouts and grumblings and complaints, and they grew louder and louder 'till the King could stand no more. Feeling his responsibilities even more with the absence of his wife, River now felt infuriated at the females who wanted to cower him down.

"You can either wait or don't. However! Know this… I am still here and always have been. I've turned a blind eye to your violence and your insults, but no longer." To the women, the King had always been the lesser serious of the royal couple, but he'd never exuded such a dangerous temperament until now. "Any more incitation, protests, and mob beatings because of your impatience and ignorance will be returned to your own heads; Queen forgive me, but I will see to the lashings MYSELF. That is all."

=X=X=

Higgs walked briskly back to her room, an angry undertone to her gait. More than anything else, she wanted to just sleep for the next three days, both to ease her fatigue, mental stress and to skip the waiting time before she was reimbursed. Almost going unnoticed, Higgs felt a tiny pang in her lower abdomen, a signal that even if she just went to bed for her fantasy, she'd only wake up to find bloody sheets. Definitely something she wasn't looking forward to.

Turning a corner and almost reaching her room now, she saw Marco in the hallway as if just exiting her room. He seemingly shrunk away when he saw her and hastened his speed. Immediately suspicious, Higgs had it in her mind right then and there that she wouldn't chase him right away. When she entered her room, if everything wasn't the way she'd left it, she was going to break his arms when next she saw him. Entering for herself, almost wanting to see something out of place, she noticed that her lost arm-warmer was on the bed. It was the very same one that she'd suspected Marco of stealing, and no doubt that he had just returned it. Grabbing it and running out, she looked back up the corridor, his retreating form almost out of earshot.

"Nerd!" she shouted, running after him. "Hey! I got a question— stop where you are, faggot!" At the least, he did stop, but seeing his face when he turned around made her consider the fact that he didn't stop because she demanded it, but rather as if he wanted to fight her; he was in a loose stance. "Oh, relax. I ain't gonna bite your head off."

For a brief moment, Marco thought of praying mantises. "You're the type of person who'd hurt people after you get what you want."

"Ah, stuff it. I want to know why you didn't return this to me sooner?" Realizing what she'd just said, she stepped a bit further away from Marco, keeping up a distance lest she lost something again. "What kind of sick bastard are you? Is stealing women's things your kink?"

"I just found it, so I gave it back. Bye." Just as he was about to walk away again, she asked him to wait a little longer. "What, me running away and ignoring you isn't obvious enough? Can't take a hint? I can't stand you!"

"The feeling's mutual," she grunted. "But did you see anything?"

"Huh?" Marco stared at her as if she'd grown a second head, before believing that he understood what she meant. "You mean about last night? Didn't see anything."

"Not me, you moron!" Coming to the understanding that he didn't see underneath the warmer, she shrugged in exasperation "Never mind." He watched her turn to leave whilst cradling her arm, before realizing what she meant.

"Hold on, did I do something to your arm?" Her lack of an answer was nonchalant, off-putting. After she'd chased him down when he'd wanting to be left alone, he felt as if he deserved to know why this was so important for her to switch attitudes when confronting about him it, as if afraid that he'd discovered something. "Did I have something to do with it?"

Higgs paused and turned around to face him, watching him silently. Only after observing him, all of his characteristics like his ascetic lifestyle, his mannerisms, how he stood, even the catching concern in his voice-… they were different. In fact, all he had in similarities was the face. People resembled each other all the time.

He wasn't Rocam.

"No," she said at last finally coming to terms, "You had nothing to do with it. Sorry, Marco." Nothing more to say, she walked away, heading back to her room. Marco gazed at her form, knowing that something important had just happened but he was too confused to understand what it was. He moved his hand to scratch his head, only to feel something soft pat against it. Looking to see what it was, his eyes widened in apprehension.

"Crap! Um, Higgs?"

The squire turned her head and gawked when she saw double-cupped white thing dangling from Marco's hand. "Is that my bra?!"