Author's Note: Hello again. I'm sorry this update took so long. There's not much of an excuse. Lately, when I try to write, it feels like there's this void in my head and nothing good comes out of my fingers when I type.

But despite that, ya'll always leave me such nice comments and messages that make me happy. I really appreciate it. This chapter is a bit longer than usual, so I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think about the developments and the hints I've dropped in this one.

I will try to get on the next chapter… however, I am getting close to the end of the detailed planning I have done. I'll try not to take too long in figuring it all out though. I do have an end in mind, I just have to get there. Thank you again and happy reading!

Bitter Sugar: Chapter 9

Bubblegum's new party friends chatted around her incessantly as they reentered the main banquet hall. The Candy Princess, on the other hand, was thinking seriously. She had definitely seen Marshall Lee entering the secret door in the back of the Peppermint Advisory's Wine Room. It was the same door that Carrow the Crow had entered earlier. While she wasn't sure what the underlying connection might be, she was sure it couldn't be good.

"I should probably go find my parents and do all the necessary greetings before we hit another room," Huge sighed.

"You mean before you get too drunk to do it properly," Prism said dryly.

"Exactly what I said," Huge agreed.

"Let's reconvene near the sweets table in about twenty minutes?" Gene suggested, already inching in the direction of her husband.

Everyone agreed and went their separate ways for the moment. Bubblegum scanned the room for Marceline, but couldn't see the vampiress anywhere. She wanted to discuss what she had found so far with her wife. Thinking back on how Marceline had seemed so convinced that her brother was innocent, or merely a pawn, after the last incident, she began to doubt if it was such a good idea. What if Marceline's reluctance to view Marshall as a threat impeded their efforts?

At the very least, she needed to find Fiona to renew her antidote. Having decided on a course of action, Bubblegum immediately turned on her heel to approach the servants' area... only to find the room spin around her. She froze in place, determined not to grab onto anything for balance. She couldn't be that drunk, could she?

Silently debating about how sober she considered herself to be, she didn't notice the brunette woman from earlier approach until she offered a greeting. "Princess Bubblegum, good to see you again so soon."

"Ah, yes, thank you..." Bubblegum squinted at the woman. Did she know this person's name?

"It's Wyneva," the woman adjusted her glasses with a smile.

"Wyneva," Bubblegum nodded. She wasn't sure how Huge got "Why-darling" from Wyneva, but it didn't seem particularly relevant at the moment.

"I'm very happy that I was able to meet you this evening," Wyneva smiled. "I've been trying to find a way to approach you for a while now."

"Me? Why?" Bubblegum blurted without thinking.

Wyneva chuckled. "I've seen reports of you and your interviews on the holosphere. You seemed... interesting."

Bubblegum thought that hardly a reason to want to meet someone, but managed to keep her mouth shut this time. Before she could think of a proper response, Wyneva continued speaking.

"You probably don't know, but my family runs many of the public clinics in the lower regions of the city- including the Central Hospital. I also consider myself a scientist, or doctor at times, of sorts. I was particularly intrigued by your work at the water plants."

A surge of happiness rushed through Bubblegum. A chance to discuss her scientific work! And finally someone willing to take her seriously without making her work for it.

"I think the spread of the infection was more due to the foreign agent in the water than anything else. It's a bacterial construct from a country south of the Candy Kingdom- something most Nightos citizens have never come in contact with, I gather," Bubblegum explained. "So while it was easy for me to create the proper treatments, it probably confused previous researchers due to its rarity."

Wyneva raised an eyebrow, as if she highly doubted that was truly the reason behind it all. "I'm sure."

"Do you specialize in any kind of research?" Bubblegum inquired.

"Mostly anatomical," Wyneva twirled her glass in her hand as she spoke. "Recently the King has requested me to research the realistic boundaries of the body to better enable training soldiers."

"No two bodies are the same... it seems questionable to reduce such information to averages."

"Yes," Wyneva smiled again. "That's precisely what I initially told him. He wasn't pleased."

Their conversation continued swiftly, each of them easily able to keep up with the other. Bubblegum was ecstatic at finally being able to have a lengthy and intelligent discussion. Wyneva was in the middle of explaining what kinds of tests she had decided to employ in her research when she stopped mid-sentence.

"It seems as if someone is looking for you," she gestured behind Bubblegum.

Fiona, still decked out in neon orange clothes, stood at the back wall, watching them silently.

"Hopefully I will find you again later," Wyneva said pleasantly. "I'd like to ask you about some medical practices in the Candy Kingdom. Until next time, princess." The woman bowed politely before taking her leave.

Bubblegum half curtsied, attempting to not lose her balance. Once Wyneva had merged with the crowd, Bubblegum turned and marched over to Fiona.

"Do you need something?" she demanded, her voice coming out more forcefully than she intended.

Fiona's bored stare didn't change as she gestured towards the back of the room, where many "powder stations" had been set up. Bubblegum dutifully followed her handmaiden to an empty one, sitting upon a stool as Fiona revealed various makeup brushes.

"I see you're making friends," Fiona commented, patting Bubblegum's face with a large puff. The Candy Princess responded with a muffled "hmm".

"Just so you know, you should be careful around the Wolf," Fiona added.

"Why does everyo-bleh," Bubblegum choked as she breathed in makeup dust. She coughed a few times to clear the strange taste from her throat.

Fiona's amused snicker did not escape Bubblegum's notice. "Anyway. Have you found out anything?"

Bubblegum listed off everything she had seen and experienced in the Wine Room. When she got to the end about seeing Marshall Lee enter the mysterious door, Fiona frowned.

"Milady's brother? Why would he be involved? He's hardly interested in anything political."

"Maybe he's more involved than we think," Bubblegum thought aloud. "I don't trust him."

Fiona looked at her thoughtfully before spraying something in Bubblegum's hair.

"Where's Marceline?" Bubblegum inquired.

"I haven't seen her in a while," Fiona admitted. "She's probably off in the theoretical tactics room or something, as usual."

"So I'm here doing all the hard work while she's off having fun 'as usual'?" Bubblegum grumbled, suddenly losing her balance. Fiona helped catch her and set her straight on the chair.

"Princess... How much wine have you had?" Fiona stared at her.

"Only like... two glasses," Bubblegum lied. "It's not my fault they have a million little customs that make it impossible to deny a drink," she crossed her arms when Fiona stared at her. "Speaking of which, give me my 'lipstick'. I need to get back in that room."

"Maybe you should wait for Lady Marceline..." Fiona suggested gently.

"You don't know where she is, I don't know where she is... by the time we wait for her to decide to come back and take this all seriously, we may lose our chance completely," Bubblegum griped. "And you know she's blinded when it comes to Marshall."

Fiona stared at the floor in thought for a moment before reaching into her pocket and handing over the vial of antidote.

Bubblegum quickly twisted off the top and downed the contents, taking little care to conceal her actions. Fiona quickly retrieved the vial from the Princess's hands, looking around in worry as she stuffed it back into her pocket.

"Are you really ok?" Fiona asked worriedly. "I've never seen you this... rash."

"I'm not rash," Bubblegum griped as she slowly removed herself from the stool. "I'm determined."

"You need to eat something," Fiona informed her, forcing her back onto the stool. "Stay here and I'll bring you some sandwiches."

Before Bubblegum could argue, Fiona dashed off towards the refreshments area. How dare... It's not like she was that drunk! She had to drink the wine to be accepted in the group to get more information. It was that simple, really.

"Bu-bbles!" Huge's voice appeared as he poked his head around the curtain. "There you are. Why are you hiding in a changing room?"

"My handmaiden was fixing my hair and makeup," Bubblegum shrugged. "She insists I wait for a sandwich. She thinks I'm drunk."

Huge laughed and opened the curtain the rest of the way. "Is that not the point of a party? We're going to Party God's room! Let's go!"

Bubblegum felt minorly guilty for leaving without a word to Fiona, but she couldn't risk missing a chance to find more information. She hopped off the stool and followed Huge back to the small door on the side of the room. Bubblegum said little as they made their way through the maze of hallways. The others seemed to know exactly where they were going. During a break in the conversation, she decided to voice an inquiry about returning to the wine room.

"Visiting a room too long or too frequently can be bad for your image," Gene explained, obviously taking pity on the poor princess surviving her first real party. "For one, it looks like you're playing favorites."

"That's ok for some people, with strong alliances who need to make a statement," Prism butted in. "But for families like ours, or Marceline's in your case, it could spark some rumors. Also, it's just tacky."

"Don't worry," Huge reassured her. "We've got our room-rounds down to an art. We'll hit the Wine Room again before morning."

Bubblegum looked at her feet, her mind reeling. Morning? Was she actually expected to stay that long? How was she supposed to know which room was controlled by what people? Did Marceline have any particular alliances? Or worse, enemies? Well, enemies other than the Peppermint Advisory… But they weren't public enemies.

She suddenly ran into Huge's brick-like back when he stopped. "We're here!" he announced, rubbing his hands together excitedly. Bubblegum peered around the large man to find a larger double door. There seemed to be a strange pulsing sound coming from it. Before she could express any concern, they pushed open the doors and filed in excitedly.

The doors shut behind them, leaving them in darkness before another set of doors in front of them opened. As soon as a crack appeared between the wall and attached door, pounding music louder than anything Bubblegum had ever experienced flooded her whole body. She attempted to cover her ears, but Huge and Gene each grabbed one of her hands and pulled her out into the room.

The center of the room was full of people jumping and thrashing against each other in some semblance of beat to the music. Flashing and moving lights were the only illumination in the room, keeping every few steps a mystery. If it weren't for her companions' hands directing her across the floor, she would have no orientation at all. Rather than approach the center of the room, the group seemed headed for a table against one of the walls. There was a somewhat more reliable light above a selection of drinks.

As Huge handed out drinks, Bubblegum attempted to observe the room. At the back, there was an elevated stage. A man stood behind some sort of desk wearing a giant wolf head with a backwards cap. He raised a microphone to the open mouth of the wolf head, allowing his voice to carry over the obnoxiously loud music.

"How are ya'll doin tonight?!"

A delighted plethora of screams answered the man, making Bubblegum wince. "That's what I like to hear!" the man answered even louder. "Party God orders you… to DANCE!"

The beat of the music changed, picking up pace. Bubblegum found herself being dragged out onto the dance floor by the others. She attempted to sway her body back and forth in something akin to being on beat, but knew she was failing. She looked back across the room to the man on the stage. Was Party God the Wolf that Marceline and Fiona had warned her about? Seeing as he sported a giant wolf head… it would make sense.

While she was trying to decide if it would be better to find an excuse to leave the room, someone suddenly knocked into her from behind. Her drink slipped from her hands, crashing to the floor. No one took notice, and people simply continued to dance over the shards of glass despite the obvious hazard.

"Oh glob, your drink!" Huge yelled over the music. "I'll go get you another one!"

"It's ok!" Bubblegum yelled back, waving her hands to emphasize her words. "I'll get it!"

Bubblegum began pushing her way through the bodies, finally making it safely to the wall. She looked back out onto the dance floor. Huge and the others were nowhere in sight. She decided she couldn't take much more of this sensory-overload room, and headed back towards the exit. Besides, it seemed wise to stay away from the wolf-headed man.

Once back in the relatively quiet hallway, Bubblegum took a few deep breaths. She was tired, and her head was beginning to ache. There was a strange tingling feeling in her wrists and ankles that made her want to rub them. While entering the Wine Room alone wasn't ideal, she probably had a better chance of sneaking into the back without Huge and the others 'helping' her.

Heading down the hallway in the direction she assumed the Pepp's room to be, she kept a hand against the wall for stability. If she had any idea how to navigate these rooms she might risk trying to find Marceline and drag her along. That would more than likely take too much time, and some of the things Fiona had mentioned these rooms were used for made her not want to be too adventurous.

Much to her surprise, Bubblegum found the door with the red and white braided rope after only two random turns through the maze-like halls. Without stopping to think or consider her options, she charged forward. She needed to get into that back room and figure out what they were up to!

Cracking open the door, she slid into the room. It was quiet compared to Party God's room. While it was much easier to see, she was also aware of the numerous people looking in her direction. Trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, she edged along the room in the direction of the guarded door.

"My… The Lady Bubblegum. Back so soon?" a whispery voice spoke behind her.

Bubblegum turned to face the Peppermint Advisor from earlier, Alphee. He observed her with a pleasant smile on his lips, but his eyes bore at her seriously. "Whatever could have made you return to us so soon?"

"I just… I got separated from the others in a different room," Bubblegum responded, laughing softly as if embarrassed. "I really don't know my way around all these hallways, but… I recognized this room and thought maybe I could find someone I know in here."

"I see! How unfortunate," Alphee exclaimed, some of the suspicion leaving his eyes. He waved over a smaller, less important looking Pepp who held a tray. "Well, while you are here, please do enjoy another glass of wine. This is a rarer brand we don't often offer, but I think you'll find it to your liking." He poured a glass of wine and handed it to Bubblegum.

"You're such a gracious host!" Bubblegum smiled, inwardly cursing. The last thing she wanted was another glass of wine, especially not this strangely golden colored one. While she pressed the glass to her mouth for a normal amount of time, she only allowed a small bit to pass her lips.

When the liquid hit her tongue, she had to stop herself from showing her shock. She lowered the glass and hoped she looked properly appreciative. "This tastes very different from the others," she praised. "Very… interesting. What did you use to get this tangy flavor?" she asked, already knowing full well what this taste was.

"Ah, a true vintner does not reveal all their secrets," the man smiled pleasantly. "If you will excuse me, I see someone clamoring for my attention. I do hope you find your friends." The man bowed his head before walking into the room.

Bubblegum stared at the glass of wine in her hand. This was obviously made with ingredients from the Lemon Lands- the refugee area of the Candy Kingdom that she had created and managed for years. How had the Peppermint Advisory gotten a hold of produce from there? Had Gumball reneged on his promise and begun selling off pieces of their territories?

Great, just another thing for her to worry about. She walked over to the nearby drink table, hoping that she looked busy so that no one else would talk to her. This whole evening had just turned into a series of worries. Had she shot her only chance at having a good reputation among the other nobility by abandoning the others? Why were the Pepps collecting information on people? Why had Marshall gone into the back room? What was even in the back room? How was she going to get there? What was she risking by trying to get in there? How was she going to get out once she found whatever it was she was looking for?

She gazed at the door in question that stood a mere seven steps away at best. She was beginning to lose her determination. Without thinking, she took another sip from the wine glass in her hand. She frowned as the lemon hit her tongue. That made up her mind. She needed answers.

She observed the table in front of her. The tower of glasses decorated with fruit and pearls was impressive. It would probably be just as impressive as a distraction, but there was no way she could trigger something herself without being obvious.

"I'm telling you," a man's angry voice made Bubblegum jump. "A war is coming! And we aren't ready for it because our so-called King is…"

Bubblegum moved to the side as the man approached the table, his female acquaintance begging him to speak more softly. Just then, she saw it- her chance. Without thinking, so as not succumb to her natural plague of second-guessing, she focused her balance onto one leg, hoping her dress hid her movements as she stretched the other out just enough…

"Don't shush me!" the man began to yell. "You want me to be quiet when I'm the only one with the guts to say what everyone's thin-" As he tried to jerk away from the lady's arm, his heel caught Bubblegum's foot. Losing his balance, he swept his arms wide in an attempt to grab onto something. In what Bubblegum could only consider to be sheer luck, all he managed to grab was the tablecloth- sending the entire mountain of wine glasses down with him.

The sudden commotion first garnered shocked silence. Bubblegum backed against the wall, her heart beating at an alarming rate. What if someone had seen? What if-

The man, now on the floor and covered in wine, began to fill the silence with loud expletives. As everyone rustled forward to see what all the commotion was about, Bubblegum stepped back towards the door. Various Peppermint Advisory workers pushed through the crowd. Following the wall, Bubblegum quickly made her way to the curtained area. The former guard was nowhere in sight. With one last glance behind her, she pushed the heavy curtain aside and slipped through the door.

The hallway Bubblegum found herself in was dark and quiet. A series of doors lined the right side, leading to a fork down two more hallways on either side. Bubblegum fought to ease her breathing as she approached the end of the main hall. Was she going to get stuck in another maze? What if she ran into someone who knew she wasn't supposed to be back here? What if…

Bubblegum stopped and leaned her forehead against the wall. This was why she hated drinking alcohol. On a normal day her brain could formulate more worst-case-scenarios than anyone could ever need… but she could push it to the back of her consciousness and focus on work instead. Alcohol just made it that much more difficult to ignore.

"This is just… work," she murmured, standing straight. "Finding clues to the solution of the overarching problem." Taking a few seconds to peer cautiously around the edge of the corner, she continued forward. Every door she stopped to listen at revealed nothing but silence.

Two lefts and right later, Bubblegum was starting to feel agitated. Grumbling about Nightos architects and their apparent obsession with mazes of hallways, she turned another corner to face a dead end. Just as she turned to try another direction, the last door opened and two men emerged.

Shocked by their sudden appearance, Bubblegum back stepped quickly into the shadow of one of the doorframes. Thankfully, when the men approached the intersection, they turned and walked in the opposite direction from her while carrying on their discussion.

It took Bubblegum a few minutes to stop her heartbeat from pounding in her ears, but she did manage. Just as she was about to turn around, a muffled sound from the direction of the dead end caught her attention.

Stepping quietly, she entered the short hallway. A glimmer of light shone through the edge of the final door. The two men who just left must have not shut it all the way. Next to the door was a decorative table, topped with flowers in a vase. Bubblegum crouched behind it, setting her glass of golden wine onto the vinyl, and strained to listen.

"...taking too long!" a man's voice complained.

"You act like your factories are even important," a haughty sounding woman's voice spoke closer to the door. "The goal is to produce the soldiers... your stupid little factories are just a side benefit."

"Stupid!?" the man's voice rose angrily. Something in the way he sputtered reminded Bubblegum of Carrow. "Need I remind you of the risk I am taking in all this? And you call my contributions stupid?!"

Someone muttered something that Bubblegum couldn't quite catch, sending the man she assumed to be Carrow into another fit.

"Calm down," the woman from before said with a sigh. "You know we can't fully control the automaton soldiers yet- the magic component is too unstable. Until we find a better solution, you'll just have to keep dealing with it."

"Well then maybe," Carrow sounded threatening, "in your next report to Simon, you can explain what is taking you so damn long!"

"That is not how you address our King," a whispery voice that could only belong to a Peppermint Advisor interrupted.

Bubblegum pressed her fingers to her mouth in thought. She thought the King's name was Hunson? Could they be talking about someone else? A different king? And magic?

Bubblegum readjusted her position behind the table, listening harder.

"And I want something done about that Candy Princess!" Carrow was complaining.

Bubblegum's heartbeat sped up instantly. If they were talking about her like this, then she really couldn't afford to get caught listening.

"She is being handled," the Pepp's voice responded, although it sounded more exhausted than reassuring.

"How? She's married to someone outside of our influence. She's already slipped through your little plans to watch her multiple times. Shouldn't you have been the one to marry her and keep her in line?" Carrow said accusingly at someone.

"I'm not a fanizen favorite," Marshall's voice answered smoothly. "Keep her in the public eye and there won't be a problem."

"I don't even know why she's here," Carrow continued. "If you'd asked me, I'd have said to arrange an 'accident' months ago and have done with it."

"You know we need-"

"Princess Bubblegum?" a surprised voice said directly behind her.

Bubblegum's entire body jumped in fear, hitting the table and subsequently knocking the wine glass onto the floor. The sound of the breaking glass was deafening to Bubblegum's ears, making her oblivious to the golden wine that began to stain the edge of her dress.

Bubblegum half-stood, turning to find none other than Lady Wyneva staring at her in confusion.

"Princess, are you-" she began, but was quickly interrupted.

"What was that?!" Carrow's voice demanded from inside the room. "Someone go check!" Sounds of movement began to approach them.

What should she do? She couldn't just stand here, they had literally just been discussing why they had allowed her to live this long. If she ran, they'd just follow her. And the likelihood she would accidentally trap herself in another deadend was pretty high. Or Wyneva would just tell them she was here. Should she pretend to be lost? Sick?

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her forward. Wyneva tugged Bubblegum against the wall, facing the Princess but standing between her and the door that suddenly opened. Bubblegum stared up at Wyneva in shock. The woman leaned forward, her words barely audible even as close as they were.

"Just stay behind me."

"Lady Wyneva," a whispery voice spoke from the open doorway behind them. "What a... surprise... to see you here."

Wyneva glanced over her shoulder with a grin. "Ah, good evening Advisor," she said cheerily. "My apologies for the glass. My companion and I were just looking for somewhere quiet to... talk."

An awkwardly long silence stretched between them. Bubblegum kept silent behind Wyneva, eyes locked on the woman's collar. She knew that due to the sheer size of her dress, it wouldn't be hard for the Pepp to recognize who she was. She just wasn't sure exactly what Wyneva was doing or why.

"I see," the Pepp's voice was wry. "I'm afraid these rooms are not for... private usage."

"Oh?" Wyneva shrugged. "The invitation I received seemed to have no description or instruction, merely to 'visit as I see fit'. Well, vague language aside, I apologize for any incorrect assumptions on my part. My friend and I shall relocate elsewhere."

"Indeed," the man responded. Even without seeing his face, Bubblegum could tell he was annoyed. "Shall I see you out?"

"No need," Wyneva turned just enough to wrap an arm around Bubblegum's waist and push her towards the opposite direction, careful to stay between them. "Till next time, Advisor."

Wyneva began to guide Bubblegum down the halls, taking the turns with enough confidence that Bubblegum felt a little suspicious. Once it seemed they weren't being followed, Bubblegum tried to pull away.

"Let me go," she murmured, surprised at how tired she felt.

"At least let me help you get out of here," Wyneva said gently.

"I'm fine," Bubblegum tried to argue.

"Right," Wyneva replied with such sarcasm Bubblegum could practically hear her eyes roll. "Wait here."

Bubblegum leaned against the wall as Wyneva poked her head out of the main door that lead back into the Wine Room. After another moment, she reached back and guided Bubblegum out the door.

"Stay along the wall," Wyneva was saying, but Bubblegum was fighting the urge to the just sit down. The lights in the room hurt her eyes and made her head pound. Allowing herself to be lead along, Bubblegum wondered what in Ooo was happening to her. She'd never had a reaction like this to alcohol.

"Bubblegum," Wyneva suddenly appeared before her eyes, snapping her fingers to get the Princess's attention. "We're at the door to the main hall. Can you walk by yourself?"

"That was fast," Bubblegum murmured.

"When was your last drink?" Wyneva inquired, pulling on the skin under one of Bubblegum's eye and looking at it critically.

"Um... the gold one," Bubblegum answered unhelpfully. "Before the maze."

"The gold...," Wyneva repeated, followed by a soft curse. "Can you make it to the powder rooms at the back of the main hall?"

"Powder room," Bubblegum echoed. "Got it."

"I'll send your handmaiden from earlier to meet you there," Wyneva informed her. She reached forward and tucked a stray hair behind Bubblegum's ear.

After the woman disappeared into the hustle of the room, Bubblegum set about making her way to the powder rooms in question. Despite the fact she was now alone, Bubblegum felt the strange need to argue that Fiona was more of a friend than a handmaiden.

As she pushed past the curtain of a powder room, she wondered if that was even true. The only reason Fiona was around her was because Marceline had ordered her to. And Marceline... who knew what she was thinking. Everytime they had to touch or act more than friendly in public, her wife apologized and stayed at least a few feet away from her at all other times.

Bubblegum sat on the chair in the corner and stared at the wall, her thoughts a jumbled mess. A slow, cold feeling began to eat its way into her chest. For the first time since she watched Jake and Rainicorn leave Nightos, she felt truly alone.


Marceline chuckled politely at one of the officer's jokes. She had just returned to the main room for the first time that evening. Hiding in the back rooms was more her forte.

She was listening politely to an older woman's story when movement caught her eye. Kovmir stood near the columns at the edge of the room, signaling for her.

Excusing herself from the group, she slowly made her way over to the man. He was probably going to scold her for not coming out to renew her anti Pepp wine antidote earlier, although she had made a point to avoid that room so far.

"Yes, Kovmir?" she asked as she approached.

"We've got a problem, milady," her soldier murmured, gesturing for her to follow.

Wondering what could possibly be going on, Marceline followed the man to the back of the giant hall and towards the powder room area usually used for freshening makeup.

"Kovmir, what-" she stopped when the soldier frowned at her. Silently, he gestured towards the last curtain on the end of the row before standing aside.

Marceline stepped through the curtain, shocked at the image that greeted her. Fiona was standing in front of Princess Bubblegum, staring down at her with a worried frown. The Candy Princess was slumped in the chair, her arms wrapped around herself as if she were cold. A yellow and green stain spread over the right side of her blue gown and her makeup was noticeably smeared. The dead look in her eyes was what worried Marceline the most.

"What in Ooo happened?" Marceline demanded, stepping forward. She tried to touch Bubblegum's hand, but the princess pulled away.

"I found her like this," Fiona answered. "She won't talk to me. She must have had too much of that wine. Last time I saw her, she-"

"I don't even like wine," Bubblegum muttered, not looking up at them. "It's disgusting. It tastes like vomit."

Marceline knelt down in front of her wife. "Bubblegum, can you tell me what happened?"

Bubblegum just sighed, finally meeting Marceline's eyes. "Do you care?"

"Of course I do," Marceline answered, surprised at the question. "Did you drink too much wine?"

"I was trying to help you," Bubblegum grumbled, her brows furrowing as if annoyed. "Because you were off with your book club or whatever and nowhere to be found, so I had to go in there by myself looking for answers."

Marceline straightened, propping her hands on her hips. She suspected they wouldn't be getting any clear answers from Bubblegum in this state. "We need to get her out of here," she decided. "Although it looks bad to be the first to leave so early in the evening. It's barely midnight, none of the elderly members have even left yet."

"So sorry to fuck up your precious reputation yet again," Bubblegum snapped from her chair.

Before Marceline could respond, Fiona tugged on the lady's arm, leading her to a corner of the small room.

"You're not going to like who told me to find her here," she murmured. "Lady Wyneva."

Marceline took a deep breath to assuage her annoyance. "And?"

"All she said was that they met in the Wine Room, and something about a new wine that Bubblegum probably drank. Of course, she could just be drunk," Fiona looked back at the Candy Princess with worry. "But we have no way of knowing if they tried to infect her with something else."

"All right," Marceline sighed. "Let's use one of the servants' exits to bypass the paparazzi. I'll come back after we get her home to save face."

Fiona stepped out to relay the plan to Kovmir, sending the man on to clear a path. With the help of the two soldiers, Marceline managed to half-carry half-drag Bubblegum out a door and into a back alley without any unnecessary attention. Once they were far enough away, Marceline lifted Bubblegum into her arms and began their low-altitude flight back to their estate.

Bubblegum's silence was broken when she pressed her face against Marceline's shoulder with a murmured, "I'm going to be sick."

"Well maybe you shouldn't have spent so much time in the Wine Room," Marceline replied.

"There's a secret door in the back that leads to a hallway maze and meeting rooms. They were talking about magic and soldiers and reporting to a king and…" Bubblegum grew quiet.

"What?!" Marceline tried to look down at her wife, but Bubblegum's head was buried too securely against her shoulder. "Who was?"

Bubblegum didn't answer immediately. "…Carrow, a Peppermint Advisor named Alphee, and… Marshall."

Marceline didn't respond. She didn't want to believe it. Maybe Bubblegum had been mistaken… but she knew as soon as she thought it that the probability was low. She needed to make up her mind whether she was going to trust Bubblegum or not. And the princess had put herself in considerable danger to learn all this.

"Fiona said you drank a new wine. Is that what's making you sick?" she asked.

"The new wine… tastes like lemons. Why do they have lemons? Gumball must have given them access to my land…" Bubblegum's voice cracked and became silent.

Marceline wasn't sure how to react. She didn't know what a 'lemon' was, but it was rare for Bubblegum to be this upset. "It's alright," she tried to sound comforting. "We're almost home."

They flew the last of the trip in silence. When they finally arrived, Marceline flew straight to the balcony of Bubblegum's room. As previously agreed upon, Fiona had traveled the more direct way in order to arrive first. Marceline softly shook Bubblegum awake as Fiona walked over with a glass of water.

"Where are her pajamas?" Marceline asked, trying to get Bubblegum to stand on her own.

"I dunno," Fiona shrugged, pointing at a shirt and pants on the bed. "I got those."

Marceline tentatively let go of Bubblegum's arms. When the princess didn't immediately fall over, she stepped closer to the bed and frowned. "Those are mine!"

"Yeah, well, I don't know where any of her shit is," Fiona picked up the shirt and shook it out. Two personified pieces of fried food danced on a colorful background.

"You're her handmaiden, isn't that your job?"

"She does all that herself," Fiona tossed the shirt at Marceline.

A crashing noise brought both of their attention back to where Bubblegum now leaned against her desk. A bucket of pens and a few books lie strewn on the floor.

"Sorry…" Bubblegum murmured, gripping the back of her desk chair. "My head…"

"It's fine, don't worry," Marceline rushed over to help pull the chair out so Bubblegum could sit down. "Fiona's going to help you change so you can lie down."

"Why me?" Fiona crossed her arms. "She's your wife."

"And she's your charge," Marceline countered, putting the shirt in Bubblegum's lap.

"I told you when I took this position, I'm strictly bodyguard only," Fiona argued. "And she's like this because no one could find you, so you deal with her."

"This isn't my fault!" Marceline snapped.

"Both of you just… go… away…" Bubblegum's suddenly muffled voice grumbled. Marceline turned to find one of the princess's arms sticking out of a sleeve, and a puff of pink hair obviously stuck in the neckline.

"Bubblegum," Marceline turned and helped move the shirt so her wife's head could come through. "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking… care of myself…" Bubblegum sniffed, trying to get her second arm through the other side of the shirt. "Since I obviously… disgust you… so much…"

Marceline knelt in front of Bubblegum, gently tugging the shirt around her caught arm. "Why would you say that?"

"Uh-huh," Fiona interrupted, picking up the empty glass of water and heading out the door. "This ain't part of my job neither."

"It's 'either'," Bubblegum grumbled, staring down.

Marceline smiled despite herself. If Bubblegum could still correct people's grammar, she couldn't be that sick. A few moments of silence stretched between them before Marceline reached forward to tilt Bubblegum's chin up.

"What's wrong, Bonnibel?" she asked when the woman finally met her eyes. "Talk to me."

Bubblegum hesitated, as if what she really wanted to say was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't bring herself to step over the edge. She pulled away from Marceline's touch. "It's nothing."

"Please?" Marceline tried insisting. "With extra sugar on top for the Candy Princess?"

Bubblegum gave Marceline an unamused look before she took a deep breath. "When we're in public, we act like we're so close. I know it's important for your public image… you need to look happily married with a secure relationship. But… But whenever we touch, I can feel your hesitation. And the second we're alone again… you move at least three feet away and apologize. You must… really hate it."

"What? No…" Marceline rubbed her lips in thought. "I thought it made you uncomfortable. I mean… You haven't been particularly quiet about your disillusionment with our marriage."

"I… I guess that's true," Bubblegum mumbled. "I didn't mean… Well, maybe I did mean it at first… but I don't think that now. I mean, wait…" She rubbed her head. "Look… I only came here out of duty, but you know that. And I also know that was the only reason you agreed to this marriage.

"All my friends and helpers went back home. At times, I feel so alone here. I feel like... I'm just waiting for something to happen to justify leaving. Like I'm looking for some way, any way, to get back to the Candy Kingdom," Bubblegum rubbed her hands together nervously.

"But recently, it's not so bad, you know? I think of little Shoko and the kids, my work at the water plant, even Fiona. And I… I think about you. But at the same time, I can't imagine that you have any other feelings for me than… I don't know… disgust? Annoyance?"

Marceline rubbed her face with a sigh. All her efforts to hold herself back and not impede on Bubblegum's personal space… seem to have gone completely awry. "Bonnibel, you are… the opposite of disgusting."

"Oh," Bubblegum said, although she looked even more confused. "What… does that mean?"

Marceline grinned a little. "Honestly, I think that means this is a conversation we should have when you're not drunk."

"I'm not-" Bubblegum began to argue.

"Ok," Marceline interceded, "When you're not sick, then."

"Hmm," Bubblegum frowned. "I can't argue with that."

Marceline chuckled and stood, helping Bubblegum stand. With Marceline's help, Bubblegum was able to escape the confining dress with minor hassle. Still cloaked in Marceline's T-shirt, the princess crawled into the large bed and collapsed. With much prodding and begging, Marceline managed to get the blankets out from under Bubblegum in order to tuck the woman in.

"Get some rest. I'll ask Fiona to have water and bread ready for you in the morning," Marceline sat on the edge of the bed.

"Thanks," Bubblegum's eyes were already beginning to close. "Sorry I… caused you problems… again."

Marceline shook her head. "No. I should have been there to help you. I ran off to hide like usual," she sighed. When no response came, she looked back to find Bubblegum seemingly asleep.

"That was fast," she sighed, reaching forward to sweep a bit of pink hair from Bubblegum's face.

Bubblegum could be quite a handful, but that was part of what made her so endearing in Marceline's eyes. The woman's insistence to see everything through and her perseverance until she had the answers she sought were admirable. Rather than hide and worry about things outside of her control, she made an effort to shape her own path. Perhaps Marceline could try to incorporate such positivity into her own actions.

First things first, she had to get back to the party and save face for her absence. As she stood, she felt something beneath her foot. One of the pens that Bubblegum had knocked off the desk had rolled across the room. Marceline set into action, picking up pens and other fallen debris.

Near the desk, she piled the few books from the floor onto the chair. One final pen lay near the wastebasket. Leaning down, she noticed a bit of paper singed at the edges caught between the basket and desk. Tugging it out of captivity, what was left of the words caught her eye.

She stared at the partially burnt piece of paper, reading the words over and over. A heavy feeling came over her heart, as if something were forcefully trying to push it beneath water. She crumpled the paper into her jacket pocket, looking back at the bed where Bubblegum slept.

" 'Looking for any way to get back to the Candy Kingdom,' was it?" she asked the empty air, her voice laced with disappointment. Turning her back on the room, she squared her shoulders as she prepared to return to what was left of the evening's festivities.