Author's Note: Hello. Thank you for reading. I feel like this chapter leads into some exciting stuff, so I'm looking forward to posting it.
Lately, my chapters seem to be getting longer. It's not really on purpose, but... I don't know. Do you feel like the last few chapters have been too long? Should I try to shorten them?
Anyway, I'd like to hear your thoughts/comments on anything really! Without comments, I don't know how people feel about the story or its direction~ So~ Yeah~ Previous comment-ers, I love you!
Fair warning, I'm about to become quite busy in life for the next two or so months. I'm going to try to keep writing, but it might be a little delayed. Of course, with lots of comments and love, comes lots of motivation! haha~ Anyway, you're here for the chapter, not me, so... Here ya go~
Update: So I wrote this, edited it, posted it, then went grocery shopping. And had a revelation over a bag of onions that what I had originally written at the end was not how things actually worked. So I changed it. Sorry if you read the original and thought it was weird. It's better now (I hope).
Chapter 10
The day following the party was, thankfully, uneventful. Fiona explained to a moaning and groaning Bubblegum that the "day after" was usually reserved for recuperating and rarely involved any major events. Bubblegum was content to hide under her pillows for most of the day, trying to sleep so that the bits of memories from the evening before would stop harassing her and instigating pangs of worry through her spine.
The next day, however, was fair game. Even with roughly twenty-four hours to rest, Bubblegum still wasn't sure she felt at full strength. After a simple breakfast of buttered toast at her desk, she carefully got dressed as she thought about what she had to do.
There were so many things she needed to talk about with Marceline. Things regarding the Peppermint Advisory, things regarding people's opinions of the current state of affairs and King Hunson, and… even things between the two of them. If there were "things", that was. That part of the evening was one of the fuzziest to her memory, which only made her more nervous.
Once everything that she could possibly do to prolong leaving her room was finished, she forced herself out the door. The path to Marceline's office was uneventful, although every step seemed to take a bit of her confidence with it. Facing the giant wooden entrance, she squared her shoulders and knocked. When she thought she heard something that sounded like acknowledgement, she pushed the door open and stepped in.
"G-Good morning," she said, chastising herself for speaking louder than normal. Marceline was sitting behind her large mahogany desk, writing notes onto a document, and offered no response.
Bubblegum took a few steps closer to the desk. "How are you feeling?"
Marceline stopped writing long enough to glance upwards at Bubblegum before returning her eyes to the desk. "Fine. Yourself?"
"Much better than yesterday," Bubblegum answered, her nerves quieting but being replaced by suspicion. "I wanted to thank you for all your help."
"It was my duty, after all," Marceline's voice was flat.
Bubblegum stood silently as her wife's pen made scratching noises across the papers. This wasn't quite the attitude she had been expecting after their… well, whatever that conversation between them had been. If it had even happened… Had it happened?
"I thought I should come discuss with you some of the things I learned through the evening."
"Yes… your dubious attempt at playing spy," Marceline commented. While not completely condescending, her tone was not a kind one.
"I wasn't…" Bubblegum propped her hands on her hips. "I wasn't playing at anything. I was trying to learn things for you, to help. Like we planned."
"What we planned was to be able to drink the Peppermint Wine without adverse affects in hopes we could get a glimpse at why they are serving it in the first place," Marceline finally stopped writing and looked up to meet Bubblegum's eyes with a harsh stare. "Not to go play hero."
"I got that information and more!" Bubblegum argued, her temper growing. Why was Marceline acting like this?
"Right, 'more'," Marceline echoed. "And probably made quite a few lasting impressions on the other royalty with your antics."
"At least I had antics, unlike someone who went off and hid in some corner room most of the evening!" Bubblegum spat. "Did you do anything of use?"
"Well, I managed to get my drunken mess of a wife home without any damaging paparazzi photos surfacing afterwards. I think I'll count that a success," Marceline stood, her own temper flaring.
Bubblegum clenched her fists, wanting nothing more than to throw every potentially hurtful thought at the other woman. This wasn't how she intended the morning to go at all. This wasn't how anything was supposed to go… not after that conversation they'd had.
Bubblegum dropped her eyes to the floor and took a deep breath. "Marceline…" she said when she had her temper under control. "Why are we fighting?"
When she looked back up at her wife, the woman looked surprised. As if suddenly regretful, she looked away with a quietly murmured, "I don't know."
"Because you're both idiots," a familiar voice said drolly from behind them. Bubblegum turned to find an agitated Fiona entering the room.
"Excuse me?" Marceline inquired seriously. Bubblegum was afraid the woman would turn her anger onto Fiona, who was technically a soldier under Marceline's command.
"I said, you're both idiots," Fiona repeated without hesitation. "You know I respect you milady, and I'd never question you in a fight," the woman crossed her arms. "But you have basically uncovered what looks like a coup waiting to happen, and you're too busy arguing about who was more useless at the party to do anything about it!"
"A coup?" Marceline seemed surprised.
Fiona turned her annoyed glare on Bubblegum. "Haven't you told her anything?"
"I was trying to, but-!"
"That's it," Fiona shut the door behind her harder than necessary. "Both of you sit down. Bubblegum, start talking. Milady, listen up."
"Technically, I'm a 'lady', too," Bubblegum grumbled, but quickly lost her nerve when Fiona began tapping her foot impatiently.
Bubblegum and Marceline sat across from each other at the coffee table, each on their own comfortable sofa. Unsure where exactly to begin, and worried she'd forget things, Bubblegum just began talking. She told Marceline everything from the initial conversation that triggered Carrow's dislike of her to sneaking back out to the powder rooms after her close encounter in the Pepp room. The only detail she left out was how involved Wyneva had been in helping her escape the maze. The look on Marceline's face whenever Bubblegum mentioned the woman's name made her think it might not be the best idea.
Otherwise, the only noticeable reaction Marceline had was to frown deeper when Bubblegum mentioned Carrow talking about arranging an accident to get rid of the Candy Princess. Everything else, from the automaton soldiers, factories, magic, and reporting to some other king, garnered no response.
Once Bubblegum's story was finished, Marceline sat in thought before asking any questions. "The Pepp Advisor specifically said something about a king?"
Bubblegum nodded. "I think… Carrow said something about making a report to… someone… and the Pepp said you don't refer that way to 'our king'… or…" she rubbed her head.
Truthfully, that part of the evening was the most difficult to remember. She had been so nervous and scared… and once they had begun questioning the point of keeping her alive… her mind could focus on little else. It made it hard to remember any pressing details, although she seemed convinced she had forgotten something important… some key phrase or word.
"Could they have been talking about Hunson?" Marceline wondered aloud. "He has been granting them rights to continue their research on the automatons."
Bubblegum shook her head. "No, I… for some reason, I distinctly remember thinking that it wasn't King Hunson. But now, I don't remember why… it's like it's at the edge of my brain but I just can't reach it…"
Marceline looked at her thoughtfully. "Don't force yourself to remember. You had a stressful evening. I'm surprised you remembered as much as you did."
"It wasn't just the conspirators in the room, though," Bubblegum insisted. "Even in the main room, I heard multiple people discussing their discontent with King Hunson and the current situation. There seems to be a lot of unrest about a 'coming war' with the Ice Kingdom, and they think Hunson isn't doing anything to protect the country."
"I've heard rumors about this 'coming war' with the Ice Kingdom as well," Marceline admitted. "But it was so… random and unfounded I just assumed it was typical old fear-mongering. There have been no attacks, no reports… nothing. Could the Pepps be stirring up fake rumors to try to convince father to mobilize the automaton army? But… why would they do that?"
"Marceline," Bubblegum gripped her hands together on her knees. She knew that asking this question could just widen the gap between them, but she also knew that it needed to be considered. "What are the chances that… they've already gotten to Hunson?"
"No," Marceline immediately dismissed the idea. "He doesn't even drink wine."
"That's not to say they're not infecting some other drink he fancies," Bubblegum countered, trying to sound reasonable and impersonal about it. "You yourself said that he was acting strangely… I just thought…"
"I need to report all this to him," Marceline interrupted.
"But, Marceline," Bubblegum tried to argue. "If they do have him in their pocket… you'd just be tipping them off that we know for sure they're up to something now. Couldn't you at least wait until we find a way to confirm that he's not under their influence?"
"I don't mean to take sides," Fiona interjected. "But I agree with the Lady Bubblegum. Too many coincidences and not enough evidence to be sure."
Marceline's frown deepened. "Fine," she acquiesced. "At the very least, the natural rumors you heard from various other royalty… I need to report those to him. Leaving such things untouched for too long leads to bad situations later."
"All right," Bubblegum agreed.
A silence fell between them. Marceline seemed to be studying the table in deep thought, but Bubblegum worried. She had been so sure that when she came here today, had this conversation with Marceline, it would go very differently.
"Ahem," Fiona coughed to gain their attention. "Actually, I did come here originally to deliver a cordial invitation to tea."
"I'm busy," Marceline waved a hand dismissively. "Ask them to reschedule."
"Ah… not for you, milady," she tugged a thick piece of paper from her jacket pocket. "It's for the Lady Bubblegum."
"From who?" Bubblegum sat up straighter to receive the message.
"…the Why-Wolf family," Fiona said with much less enthusiasm.
"What!" Marceline sat straight in her chair. "Why is the Wolf heir inviting you to tea? I thought I told you to be careful!"
"I don't know!" Bubblegum tried to defend herself, studying the very un-detailed and nondescript paper harshly. "I don't even know who the 'Wolf heir' is! I was with Huge and the others most of the evening. Is it one of them?"
"No," Marceline practically growled. "Although rumor would suggest you and the heir are already quite friendly. Fiona, go with her. Don't let her out of your sight"
"Of course, milady," Fiona saluted and opened the door, signaling the end of the conversation.
Bubblegum stood and walked toward the door, pausing before her exit. "Thank you for helping me the other night," she said.
"Of course," Marceline said half-heartedly, already digging through a pile of papers on her desk again.
It wasn't long before Bubblegum and Fiona were on their way to the mysterious Why-Wolf family estate. She had assumed the 'wolf' the other two had warned her about was the man sporting the giant wolf head… but there was no conceivable reason someone like him would invite her to tea.
Fiona sat across from the princess in the carriage, silently staring at the window. It took Bubblegum a few moments to work up the nerve but she needed to ask someone about what was bothering her the most right now… and Fiona seemed like she might have answers.
"Fiona…" she started. The other woman looked at her quizzically. "Um… is there any reason… well, I mean, do you think…" Fiona raised an eyebrow, obviously growing annoyed. "Why is Marceline so mad at me?" Bubblegum finally spat out.
Fiona didn't answer immediately, taking her time to think about her response. "Well... you did undermine everything she thought about the situation. You revealed that the Pepps have probably been involved more deeply and longer than anyone thought. She's probably just trying to wrap her head around the situation. I wouldn't take it personally."
"It's not that she seems preoccupied," Bubblegum argued. "She seems angry at me in particular."
"Although she wouldn't admit it, she was quite worried when we found you that night," Fiona informed her. "You probably scared her."
Bubblegum wanted to argue that it felt like something else. After the moment she thought they had shared, she hadn't expected it to lead to more anger and arguments. Perhaps she had just imagined it. Deciding not to press the issue, Bubblegum spent the rest of the ride in silence.
The Why-Wolf estate was on the other side of the royalty compound in what appeared to be a small personal forest. The paved road turned into a gravel path through the trees, until the area suddenly opened to a meadow with a large mansion.
Bubblegum was impressed with the architecture. The main building was four stories high and at least triple the width of where she lived with Marceline. She wondered how old the building was.
Once free of the carriage, Bubblegum followed Fiona up to the front door. Acting the professional, Fiona announced the princess's arrival to the estate's footman, who lead them into a nearby sitting room. The plush furniture and decoration suggested generations of lavish taste.
A set of large wooden doors with exceptionally detailed imagery on the other side of the room opened. A familiar face framed by curly brunette hair and wire-rimmed glasses appeared. Wyneva, the woman who had helped Bubblegum from the Peppermint maze, smiled pleasantly.
"Wyneva!" Bubblegum said in surprise. "You... are you a member of the Why-Wolf family?"
"Of course," the woman grinned as she approached Bubblegum, offering her hand in greeting. "I thought I introduced myself."
"Only by your first name," Bubblegum answered, shaking the woman's hand.
Wyneva chuckled. "My mistake, allow me to try again?" She bowed slightly, "I am Wyneva Vaness, heiress to the Why-Wolf name and estate."
"Why did you ask for a meeting?" Bubblegum inquired.
"To see how you were faring after your evening at the party," Wyneva gestured for Bubblegum to sit on the sofa as she took a seat on a velvet red chair. "I didn't think it prudent to show up at the Vampire estate, after all."
"Right..." Bubblegum murmured, sitting on the sofa. She wasn't sure what Wyneva meant by that. Were there more rules about visiting another royalty's home that she didn't know about?
Wyneva snapped her fingers in the direction of a man standing in the corner. On her mark, he disappeared out the door only for a moment before pushing in a cart topped with a full tea set and a small cake platter.
"Is there some reason you have brought your armed bodyguard into my home?" Wyneva asked, eyeing Fiona. "Of course, I would allow it if you felt threatened."
"Oh," Bubblegum looked back at Fiona who stood near the door. Her bodyguard did not look pleased at having been pointed out. Would it be considered rude to have her stay? She really should have asked Fiona to give her a run down of estate visit etiquette on the ride over.
"Fiona, would you mind waiting outside?"
"If milady insists," Fiona practically grumbled, turning on her heel and heading out the door.
"So, tell me more about your work at the water plants," Wyneva smiled at Bubblegum as the male servant began to pour two cups of tea. "From what I hear, you've greatly improved the standards of filtration."
Bubblegum, ever ready to discuss any of her work in detail, sped into a long-winded account of what aspects of the plants she had changed and which she had only minorly altered. Whatever questions Wyneva threw at her, Bubblegum answered with ease. It was only when Bubblegum stopped to put sugar in her tea that Wyneva ventured a comment of her own.
"I hear the Candy Kingdom is known for its particularly high standard of living. I hope that you can bring more of that influence here to Nightos."
"I do have some ideas to help improve a few things," Bubblegum blew on her tea. "But you shouldn't sell Nightos short. There are plenty of things here that I think the Candy Kingdom could benefit from as well."
"Things like... the Peppermint Advisory?" Wyneva glanced at Bubblegum over the edge of her teacup.
Bubblegum pretended to take a sip of her tea, testing if it had cooled any. What was she doing, sitting here talking about water purification processes and health inspections... This was the woman that both Marceline and Fiona had warned her to be cautious around. The same woman who had had no trouble finding her way through the maze of halls in the Peppermint wine room. The woman who had, apparently, received an invitation from the Pepps to visit their private rooms in the first place.
"I'm afraid I don't know enough about their practices to judge that," Bubblegum finally stated.
Wyneva seemed only barely able to hold back a laugh. "Oh, really? Is this where you revert to your mask of ignorance?"
"Pardon?" Bubblegum set her tea cup on the saucer in her other hand.
Wyneva grinned, although she kept her eyes on her tea. "You seem more energetic than I expected of someone who partook of so much Peppermint Wine. I'm particularly interested in how you managed to avoid the effects of the persuasion magic."
Bubblegum could practically hear the alarm bells going off in the back of her head. She wished she hadn't sent Fiona from the room. "I'm afraid I don't know what you mean."
"You mentioned that they'd given you a sample of their newest Lemon Wine, correct?" Wyneva swirled her tea cup softly. "The strong acidic taste of the lemon hides the magical traces better, allowing them to put more of their agent into it. The two do not, however, mix well. I was worried you might be quite sick after."
Bubblegum stared at the woman in silence, unsure how to respond. While this entire conversation proved that Wyneva was aware of the reality of the situation, Bubblegum couldn't quite convince herself to suspect the woman of treachery. Still, she owed it to Marceline to play it safe.
"I know you have no reason to trust me," Wyneva offered when Bubblegum continued to sit in silence. "It is true that most of the royalty have been avoiding me and what's left of my family since we recently returned to court. We mostly keep to ourselves."
Wyneva sipped her tea, downing the last bit of liquid. "I received a private invitation from the Peppermint Advisory to visit their special rooms the morning of the party. Perhaps they thought to invite me into their little circle of treachery. While uninterested in that particular angle, I had noticed the extra ingredient in their beverage at past occasions and intended to search for answers. That is, until I ran into you, of course."
"Yes, I was separated from Huge and the others and was looking for them," Bubblegum murmured the excuse, although she doubted it held any weight with Wyneva of all people. It must have been clear as crystal that Bubblegum had been eavesdropping.
"Ah," Wyneva mused, setting her empty tea cup on the table. "That lot. I'm not surprised they were boozing it up in the Peppermint room. Huge is a fine specimen as far as physical prowess goes, but I dare say none of them are strong contenders in the brains department."
Bubblegum stared at her tea, thinking of the group from the other night. They were definitely not the type of crowd that she would normally contend with, but they had seen a nervous newcomer at a party surrounded by political figures and taken her under their wing. Huge in particular had had nothing but praises to speak about Wyneva. All of them were always so careful to represent their families, and the pressure those families forced upon them, to the best of their abilities.
"That's not fair," Bubblegum stated, surprised at the anger that rose in her.
"Excuse me?" Wyneva seemed shocked.
"Have you ever talked to Huge, or any of them, about anything?" Bubblegum demanded, her voice rising as it did when she felt injustice about a topic. "Have you asked for his opinion on any topics? Inquired if he also felt any suspicions about the wine? Or even thought to warn him of it?"
Wyneva sat in silence, her brows raised in surprise.
"I'll take that as a no," Bubblegum commented, setting her half-full teacup onto the table. "Then how do you have any right to judge any of them on their 'brains department' when you've never given them a chance?"
"Well, you're not wrong," Wyneva grinned, folding her hands comfortably in her lap. "It is a sound argument. I'm surprised you've been grouped with that gaggle of fashionistas."
"There are only 'groups' because the people in power purposefully keep every one else in the dark!" Bubblegum snapped, turning to stare at Wyneva as she spoke. "Those at the top keep the common populace in the dark by entertaining them with flamboyant royalty as a spectacle. And then they keep those 'fashionistas'," she threw the word Wyneva had used back at her, "in the dark by excluding them from important matters by labeling them unimportant.
"This country claims to have a government that supports the people by a group of representatives all working together," Bubblegum gestured as she spoke. "But how is that possible when all the top tier does is separate them into groups and attach labels of who is worth what?"
Wyneva stared at Bubblegum in silence, her eyes wide in surprise. Plenty of what she had just said could be taken as treacherous or worse. Unsure what kind of hole she had just dug for herself, Bubblegum stood from the couch.
"Thank you for the tea," she said, her voice back to a demur level. "I'm feeling quite tired and wish to return home."
"Princess!" Wyneva beckoned, rising from her seat and chasing Bubblegum towards the door. "Please wait," she stood next to the door where Bubblegum's hand was poised to open it. "I truly apologize if I upset or offended you," she said, holding a hand to her heart in apology.
When Bubblegum didn't immediately reply, Wyneva continued. "I meant what I said about having much to learn from you and the Candy Kingdom. I had hoped to be friends, perhaps discuss improvements to some medical practices. I didn't realize, well… I spoke out of turn."
Bubblegum shook her head. For some reason, she really couldn't bring herself to be suspicious of this woman. And it wasn't Wyneva's fault Bubblegum had a temper.
"It's fine, Wyneva," she attempted to smile back. "Truthfully, I would like another friend. But I also believe that I would very much like a nap…"
Wyneva nodded, reaching for the door handle and pulling it open for Bubblegum. "Of course. My apologies for calling you out when you must still be quite tired."
"It's not a problem at all," Bubblegum stepped into the foyer. "I do quite enjoy our talks. It might be presumptuous, but I'd be quite interested in visiting one of your medical facilities in the future." She hoped the request would mend the awkward ending to their meeting.
Wyneva's face brightened considerably. "Absolutely!' she agreed. "I would be very happy to give you a tour. Perhaps next week?"
"That sounds nice," Bubblegum agreed. The two women shook hands before Wyneva escorted Bubblegum to the front door and back into Fiona's care. Bubblegum sent one last wave back out the carriage window as they pulled away.
Bubblegum stared out at the passing trees, deep in thought. The first ten minutes of the trip went by in silence, before Fiona impatiently gave in. "Well?" she asked.
"Well what?"
"That wasn't a very long visit. What happened?" her bodyguard inquired.
"Not much," Bubblegum sighed.
"Are you alright? Did she try something?" Fiona looked at Bubblegum with worry.
"No, no," Bubblegum waved her off. "I'm just… frustrated."
"Frustrated? With Lady Wyneva?"
"No…"
"Lady Marceline, then?" Fiona guessed.
"No," Bubblegum shook her head.
"With me?" Fiona gestured at herself. "Or with Nightos in general?"
"With myself, ok?" Bubblegum leaned her head against the cushioned seat behind her. "I'm frustrated with myself!"
Fiona either finally took the hint or merely didn't know how to respond and dropped the questions. Bubblegum returned her gaze to the window.
Who was she to sit here and criticize Nightos and its royalty and its citizens? Not so long ago, she had been just like them. In the Candy Kingdom, she would leave people she deemed unworthy or unessential to a conversation out of it. She had always thought that was just the way things worked- someone needed to be at the head of the strings, but the individual pieces of the puppet didn't need to know the whole picture.
For the first time, she thought of herself and truly wondered. If she had become queen of the Candy Kingdom, what kind of ruler would she have been? And would the person she'd recently become like the answer?
Marceline floated through the halls towards Hunson's private office. She was considering the best way to go about this conversation with her adoptive father. She didn't want to believe that he could have been taken under the influence of the Peppermint Advisory. The more she thought about Bubblegum's suspicions, however, the more she thought about how prevalent the strange men had been in the higher ranks recently. Was there a way to find out for sure without rousing suspicion?
Arriving at the large doors, she took a deep breath and squared her shoulders before she knocked. Hunson's answer was muffled through the wood of the door, but she allowed herself in anyway.
"Marceline," Hunson looked surprised to see her. He stood near the bookshelf to the right of the fireplace, his finger poised on the spine of a book. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Making sure to close the door firmly behind her, she scanned the room looking for any evidence of the Pepps.
"Nothing, father," she responded politely. "I merely wished to see how you were faring after the party the other day."
"The party…" Hunson repeated. She couldn't tell if he sounded confused or was merely being his normal hum-haw self. "I've survived worse."
That sounded like a typical Hunson answer. Marceline's eyes landed on the small table between two plush chairs by the fireplace. An open box of professionally wrapped cigars and a quarter empty bottle of whiskey sat open. She walked over and picked up the whiskey bottle by the neck.
"A gift from the Peppermint Advisory?" she asked accusingly.
"It's from my home estate," Hunson eyed her with annoyance. "You know I only partake of such things from my own lands."
One of Hunson's ideas was that if he only ever partook of things made from his home lands, it would reduce the risk of being poisoned. While it seemed like a sound idea, Marceline doubted the Peppermints would have a difficult time finding a way to infect a bottle before it reached Hunson.
"Father," Marceline began, an idea coming to her. "I came to you today to report things overheard at the party. Word is that there are some members of the royalty who feel… unconvinced by your ability to continue to lead our country."
When Hunson opened his mouth to make an angry comeback, she pressed forward. "Please, listen, father. Of course, I do not agree with them. I merely wanted to bring the information to you, so that you know what is happening. Other royalty, they talk and sneer when they think no one of import is listening. And… some people blame your new reliance on the Peppermint Advisory."
The last part was a lie. Of course, with the Peppermint Advisory most likely fueling the angry discourse and rumors, they were never the subject of ridicule. However, if she could use the idea to lessen Hunson's trust in them, it could work in her favor. And on the chance they already held influence over Hunson, then perhaps the idea that people were gossiping about them would set them on edge. She hoped the lie was worth the gamble.
"That's absurd," Hunson almost laughed. "Those Advisory folks are harmless. I know they're real game- they're just here trying to make a quick buck."
"I think they're trying to make you look bad," Marceline countered. "The more your image suffers, the easier it is to incite a coup against you and your rule."
"Marceline," Hunson frowned at his adopted daughter. "These are treasonous accusations you force onto people who've done nothing but help us so far."
"Don't you think they're helping a bit too much?" Marceline pressed on, hoping Hunson would wake up and see she was right. "Why are they so involved in the automaton soldier production? Why are we even making automaton soldiers? The idea didn't even exist until they appeared. Why won't they tell us how the soldiers are programmed? Why have you even allowed it to go on this long?"
"An automated army would reduce our fanizen casualties in future altercations," Hunson replied simply. "I'd thought you of all people would appreciate an attempt to stop any repeat of what happened in the last war… after what happened to the Vampire-"
"That's not what I'm saying," Marceline interrupted. "I'm asking, why are you letting them control the production?"
"They know what they're doing. I have my scientists watching them carefully at all times. They are never unsupervised," Hunson seemed to be growing irritated. "Why are you harping about this so? Did you actually hear these rumors yourself? From what I understand, you spent most of your evening in your tactics room as usual. Except for your short rendezvous home."
Marceline froze. Of course Hunson would know about her whereabouts that evening. She also knew better than to outright lie to Hunson. It was something he did not tolerate.
"No," she answered. "My servants reported over hearing small talk," also a lie, but she didn't want the entirety of the responsibility to fall onto the only other person she had to name. "And Princess Bubblegum visited-"
"Tch," Hunson scoffed. "You bring me information provided by that Candy scum? I wouldn't be surprised if she's the one trying to sew dissent, and drive a wedge between you and me as well. Perhaps I should have her detained in the main castle…"
Marceline's breathing sped up. Detained? That was a coded way of saying arrest her and put her in solitary confinement under the image of "protecting" her. It was an old tactic, used often by former leaders to bring unpleasant and challenging members of the royal society to heel. And if it didn't work on them, it was common to "protect" said people's family members.
"Why are you like this to her?" Marceline questioned, her worry for Bubblegum outweighing her fear of Hunson's anger. "You always talk down to her and treat her rudely. Why do you act so anti-Candy Kingdom, when you're the one who signed the treaty and brought her here in the first place?"
Hunson's brows furrowed first in anger, then in confusion. "I didn't bring her here!"
Marceline couldn't believe what she was hearing. "You sat me down right here," she gestured wildly at the nearby chairs, "and explained to me all the reasons why a treaty with the Candy Kingdom was beneficial to Nightos. You listed off countless points of how marrying her would improve my image and make me a valid candidate for the next Inheritance Ceremony after you. I even tried to provide counterarguments, but you made it obvious that I didn't have a choice!"
Hunson was silent. He looked as if he wanted to argue, but Marceline's emotional outburst must have convinced him something wasn't right.
Marceline didn't understand. As far as she knew, the magical additive the Peppermints used didn't alter memories. Unless… the person in question was acting out under suggestions from the Pepps in the first place. That would mean that the entire conversation, the entire marriage between herself and Bubblegum, had been part of the Advisory's plan from the beginning.
She remembered what Bubblegum said she had overheard in the Pepp's room at the party. They needed Bubblegum here for some reason. Or at least, they needed her out of the Candy Kingdom.
Marceline straightened, composing herself. She looked Hunson straight in the eye. "How long has the Peppermint Advisory had you under their control?"
"What?" Hunson's anger began to flare again.
"You don't even realize it, do you?" she asked, realizing that for the first time in a long time, she wasn't afraid of him. "Somehow, I'm disappointed, father."
Hunson froze again. Before either of them could speak, a knock echoed through the room. On Hunson's reply, a footman stepped in the door.
"Your highness," the man bowed. "An emergency summit has been called in the great hall."
"By whom?" Marceline demanded.
"The… Wizard family, milady."
Marceline bristled. Why was the Wizard family calling a summit? Well, she thought, there could only really be one reason. Bubblegum's information was proving more correct with every passing moment. The attempts to dethrone Hunson were already happening.
"We will attend shortly," Hunson dismissed the man. Once the footman was gone, he looked at Marceline. "We will continue this conversation later."
"If there is a 'later'," Marceline replied. She offered a quick salute before exiting the room.
Marceline glided through the halls towards the area of the summit. She wanted to return home and talk with Bubblegum… actually talk with her, not whatever that had been this morning. She knew it was her own fault. She had been pouting like a child over that bit of letter she had found a few nights before. But the situation was bigger than her and her feelings, and she needed to acknowledge that.
How deep did everything go? If the Peppermint Advisory had managed to influence Hunson even before Bubblegum's arrival… what else had they done? If Hunson was under their control… then Marshall was also definitely in danger. Could she convince him to stop drinking the wine and get him back from their influence?
As she entered the great hall, she looked around the room. Most of the main representatives of the royal families had already arrived, taking their seats around the circular area. Some sat alone, while others had brought various family members with them. While anyone from a royal family could attend such meetings, each family only held one vote. Her eyes stopped on the seats assigned to the Why-Wolf family. Wyneva sat alone.
As Hunson's adopted children, Marceline and Marshall's place was to the right of his throne at the head of the circle. As usual, however, Marshall was nowhere to be seen. She would have to find him later.
As she approached the seating area, she grimaced to find a Peppermint Advisor hovering around the King's throne. She approached, not bothering to keep her extreme dislike of the man hidden. "What are you doing here?"
"Lady Marceline," the man bowed, obviously trying to be ingratiatingly polite.
"You are not a member of the royal society," Marceline informed him. "You may take your place in the observers area, along with the other non-members." She indicated a squared off area at the back of the room where paparazzi and other fanizens were allowed to stand.
"As his highness's personal advisors, we have been granted permission to attend. We are well aware of our position and inability to participate or vote in the proceedings. We merely wish to observe," the man said coolly.
Before Marceline could answer, Hunson entered from the private leader's entrance behind the throne. "Advisor," he looked down his nose at the man. "You will stand at the door and not approach my throne unless summoned."
"Yes… sire," the man bowed, although Marceline noted a look of confusion cross his face. He did as instructed, standing far enough back against the doorway that he could not be heard.
Marceline regarded Hunson with a hint of surprise. He nodded to her to take her place at his right as he stepped forward.
"As all are present," Hunson's voice carried through the room, "may the party responsible for calling this summit come forward with their grievances."
A short man with grey hair that had retreated halfway back his skull stood and descended the stairs to the main floor. He stared up at Hunson with a frown before speaking to the room. "I am Jenkins, of the Wizard family. We have called this summit because…" the man looked back to where other members of his family sat. An old woman nodded at him encouragingly. "Because we believe that the current King Hunson has become unfit to continue rule."
Whispers, some shocked and some already in support, spread through the room. Hunson raised a hand and waited for things to quiet. "What are your reasons?" he inquired.
"You've been in rule for over forty years!" the man's voice rose. "You're growing too old and weak. You sit on your throne, complacent in your seat of power, and you do nothing to protect the people! Almost everyone agrees that another war is approaching with the recent activity of the Ice Kingdom, and…"
"Hold on," Marceline interrupted, standing. "What approaching war do you speak of? There's no reports or proof of anything that suggests…"
"I reported every raid on my northern farmlands through the entire summer," a man from the Berry clan spoke up. "Directly to Hunson himself."
"I, too, have reported suspicious activity near the border of our mining operations," Carrow the Crow said loudly.
"If I may," a very tall and muscular bald man stood. Marceline noticed Prince Hughes sitting behind him. "Under King Hunson's orders, have we not allocated extra troops to these areas in the past year?"
"That's not the concern here," Jenkins argued. "Putting a bandage over an infected cut doesn't heal the main problem. You still need to treat the infection."
"So what you're saying," Wyneva's voice was quiet but strong. "Is that you want a leader willing to go to war. Hit them before they hit us."
Heated murmurs passed through hall at the suggestion. "Not go to war," Jenkins argued again. "Prepare for it. Hunson has done nothing to fortify us against future raids or attacks or…"
"With all due respect, sir," Marceline interrupted again. "I think you are forgetting that King Hunson was, in fact, the one who lead our country through the last war. If you are so convinced we are at risk again, why would you replace someone with that experience with a leader who may know nothing of war?"
"I'm rather surprised to hear you say that, Lady Marceline," Jenkins said almost accusingly. "So we should allow other families, entire clans, to die off because you blindly side with your adopted father?"
Before Marceline's anger could overcome her, Hunson stood. "Enough," he ordered. "You speak out of turn."
Jenkins at least had the decency to look away as if in shame from his comments. Marceline sat, taking deep breaths to calm her nerves.
"What is it that you want, specifically?" Hunson inquired. "A declaration of war against the Ice Kingdom? I refuse. I will not put this country and its people through another decade of violence and loss."
"We want a new leader," Jenkins shouted. "The people demand a new leader of action and solidarity- not flippant words and empty promises! Step down from the throne and allow a new leader to pick up your legacy, before you destroy yourself and our country along with you. I demand a vote of incompetence!"
Hunson squared his shoulders. "Members of the royal society, you have heard the claim. Jenkins of the Wizard clan wishes to hold a vote of incompetence regarding my ability to lead this country, despite his lack of any real evidence. He presents you with rumors and speculation. I know for a fact that all current heads of each clan remember the last war and what it cost us.
"If you believe I am unfit for my current position and desire new leadership, vote in the affirmative. If you disagree, vote in the negative. You may all have three minutes to deliberate. Then, we vote."
As Hunson returned to his seat, hurried voices spread throughout the room. Marceline didn't try to listen, her own thoughts keeping her mind busy. While she had little doubt that the Peppermint Advisory had somehow gotten their influence on Hunson, she couldn't disagree with his anti-war stance. She didn't particularly want him to be dethroned, either.
"Marceline," Hunson's voice was quiet. He didn't look at her as he spoke. "I realize your trust in me is not… absolute. You do not have to act outside your beliefs. I will not ask it of you."
Marceline knew that he was talking about what would happen after the vote. The next logical outcome from either vote was trial by combat. If Jenkins lost, he would demand it as a last resort. If Hunson lost, he would demand to preserve his honor.
There were so many factors to consider. What she truly wanted to was to be rid of the Peppermint Advisory once and for all. But if Nightos was plunged into some sort of crazy war because of this, the Advisory could end up being the least of their worries. There were also these reports of raids and other attacks. How had she heard nothing of them?
She gazed out over the room. In the end, she knew what she needed to do. "I know my responsibility, father," she said. "And I will not allow Nightos to fall into a senseless fear-driven war. Not again."
The footman in charge of keeping the time announced the three minute mark was up. Hunson stood again. "Now, we vote. All those in favor of the proposition?"
Hands went up around the room. The footmen responsible for noting votes scratched their notepads quickly. "And those against?"
Marceline raised her hand, watching as others did as well. She was surprised to see Wyneva of all people also voting against the dethronement.
Once the footmen collected the final numbers, they handed a piece of paper to Hunson. He looked at the results before crumpling the paper. "Let it be known that the vote is in at sixteen to fourteen, against the proposition."
"By the skin of your teeth! You have too many of us living in fear of your backlash!" Jenkins yelled, anger getting the better of him.
Hunson stared down his nose at the man, obviously thinking before giving his reply. "If you wish to pursue this past the representatives of the royal society, you may call for a census vote of the population. If the people's desire is for my resignation, then I will respectfully step down."
"That would take months!" Jenkins cried. "Perhaps years! While you stall to keep yourself on that throne, our entire country could be in peril!" The old man pointed up at Hunson accusingly. "You leave us no choice. We demand a trial by combat!"
Marceline's shoulders stiffened.
Hunson looked around the room in resignation. "Your terms?"
"If we prevail, you step down and allow the next Inheritance Ceremony to take place. If you prevail, you keep your throne. For now."
Hunson squared his shoulders. "These are the terms. Does anyone wish to stand against this proposition?"
As Hunson paused, only a few clan leaders stood to his defense. Most of them were soldiers who were old enough to remember fighting in the past war. Despite the fact that Hunson had won the original vote by a slim margin, it seemed not many people had enough faith in him to stand against a combat declaration.
"Those who desire the trial take place?"
To Marceline's dismay, more people stood. She knew what was coming next.
Hunson turned and looked at Marceline, as if waiting for an answer. She nodded her agreement.
"The trial by combat is accepted by the majority. As custom dictates, I nominate my daughter, Marceline of the Vampire clan as my representative. The Wizard family has until dawn to nominate their own personal champion. The battle will proceed at noon tomorrow."
