Warning! I do not own Adventure Time or any of its characters. Sorry I took so long to publish this chapter. Now without further delay chapter 4!
The castle was huge! As Jane lead Finn through the maze of hallways he couldn't help but marvel at the massive structure.
"How big is this place?" Finn wondered out loud.
"There are three hundred rooms not including the throne room, dinning hall and the dungeon." Jane replied with only a moment's hesitation. "I spent a lot of time here as a child." She explained self-consciously brushing a loose strand red hair from her eyes.
"I thought you said you'd never met the queen?" Finn pointed out.
"My mother is a cook in the castle." Jane clarified. "When I was young she used to sneak me into the castle while she worked. I practically grew up in these hallways. And while this may be her home there are rooms the queen herself has never set foot in. Your mother rarely strays from her usual route from her room to the throne room."
"Hey guys wait for me!" Jake called as he ran down the hall way after them.
"What kept ya man?" Finn inquired as Jake fell in step behind them.
"I bumped into this creep on my way out of the throne room. I tried to apologize but the dude just glared at me and stormed off." Jake explained. "He wore this long creepy cloak."
"That sounds like the General!" Jane exclaimed. "That guy hates everybody, especially non humans."
"Why's that?" Finn asked.
"During his final exam at the U. H. K. Military academy he was thrown into a cage with a mutant who could supposedly see the future. I guess what it said really through him for a loop and while he was distracted the creature landed a cheap shot that left him with a nasty set of scars. Since then he's always been leery of trusting any non humans."
They walked in silence for a few moments until Finn spoke up
"Hey Jane, can I ask you a question?" He asked gazing into her piercing blue eyes.
"Fire away." Jane laughed.
"Do you really think I'm the long-lost prince?"
Jane thought for a moment. "Honestly? Yes. No human other than you and your father has left the city without a military escort in over a hundred years. Most people here are too afraid of the outside world to even consider it."
"What are they so scared of?" Jake asked.
"Their afraid of creatures like you." Jane explained. "You see Jake, a thousand years ago humans were the dominant form of life on the planet. Now we're lucky to exist at all. It's nothing personal; we just fear becoming extinct all together. There are maybe six hundred humans living within the city while beyond our borders there are millions of mutants. To protect our species Finn's great-great grandfather King Tyron ordered that no civilian was to pass beyond the city limits without military presence to guard them. The law is still enforced to this day. Violators are executed on the spot."
"That's messed up!" Finn exclaimed. "The people beyond these borders mean no harm. Well most of them, anyway. Just because they look different doesn't make them a threat!"
"Try telling that to the General." Jane sighed. "While many would shudder at the thought of leaving the safety our borders, lately more and more people want to see the world. The Queen herself once sought to open trade relations with other kingdoms but the General threatened to slay every man, woman and child who tried to leave. They're still negotiation over a compromise."
"If the General is such a bad guy then why did you join the military?" Jake wondered.
"The best way to fix a broken system is from within" Jane replied."Plus I figured it was my only shot at getting out into the world." Suddenly a man walked around the corner.
"Dinner is served." He stated before walking away.
"Well I guess our tour is over then." Jane sighed. "I guess I should be heading back to the barracks now. It was fun hanging out with you though!"
To Finn's surprise she turned around and hugged him. Before breaking apart she pressed something into his hand.
"See you around!" She called back over her shoulder as she ran off.
"What was that about man?" Jake asked unsure of what just happened.
"I don't know Jake." Finn replied mystified looking down at the square of paper pressed into his hand. Written on the page was a single line. Not everything is as it seems! "I don't know."
Well what do you think? Again I apologize for the delay. I intend to update again by the end of next week. Thanks for reading!