||Beefsteak || DSMP ||

20. Barely Four Letters

Anita's POV
I waited at the end of the tunnel, ready to hear the whirring of crude machinery.
Tubbo was supposed to be here today.
It was already late, but he wouldn't miss it.
Unless something came up..
Then he'd come tomorrow, right?
I mean if it's-
"Hey, kid." Technoblade said, startling me.
"Ah- yes?"
I didn't know this man well, but I could tell that Belle trusted him. That was interesting, because Belle trusting someone is a punchline to an ironic joke.
"So, you were a princess?" He asked.
Were..?
"I mean.. yes."
"Ah..." he nodded.
I looked down to my book and colored in my latest potion.
"So, how'd you feel about your government?"
My pencil snapped.
"Huh?"
He itched his hair. "I- well.."
"I didn't know much. I just know that my father didn't deserve to be ruling."
He.. smiled?
He looked slightly relieved. "Was he a tyrant?"
"He was power hungry and hurtful. My mother tried to rule with such grace and he.. he just gave pain."
"Oh, I hate royalty as a form of government. It allows people like that to get in power." He said, trying to be casual.
"I agree. Rulers should be selected by the people."
He squinted.
"I.. see where you're coming from. But aren't Funturian kings selected by the people while the queens are bloodline rulers?"
I swallowed hard. "He was an angry man. The queen before my mother chose him because there were more Taurans and she wanted my mother to have their approval. I've never met a more evil Funtauran in my life."
"What did he do?"
I slammed my book closed. "Every scar on Belle. The emptiness in my mother's eyes. My people's suffering!"
A silence fell.
"Maybe elected leaders aren't great either. I mean, look where you are now because of an elected leader you've never once spoken to."
I thought.
"Gotta pamphlet?"
"Huh?"
I smiled. "A little "spreading your philosophy" booklet? Convert me to what? Full anarchy?"
He awkwardly laughed.
A rumbling came from down the tunnel and I turned happily. "Oh! He's here!"
"Alright, kid." He nodded, confused as he walked away.
"Anitaaaa!" I heard echo.
A cart stalled and footsteps came closer.
His figure came into the light and I ran, swinging my arms around his neck and spinning.
He deeply inhaled and pulled me close.
"God, I have so much to tell you.."
"You sound stressed.."
He chuckled softly and gripped the back of my jacket. "Oh, you don't know..."

Tuppy POV
We sat on the floor around a low table as Belle passed around bowls of stew.
She gently placed a bowl in front of me and offered me a smile. "You need to eat up. Make you strong for your all your hard work." She said wisely, her accent thick in her order, making it sound more threatening than caring.
"Thank you, miss Belle."
She smiled.
"Can I have some??" Tommy asked harshly.
Her smile dropped when she placed his down, some spilling around as she did.
"He's got you working a lot?" Wilbur questioned, thanking Belle.
I laughed. "Yeah. New housing and monuments.."
He took a deep breath. "Ridiculous.." he mumbled through a bite.
The conversation continued and my tummy began to feel warm.
"Belle? Are you gonna have any?" Anita questioned.
She shook her head and quietly left the small room.
Anita looked concerned, so I motioned her to go follow her.
She furrowed her eyebrows and shook her head.
I mouthed "it's okay.."
She looked between the exit and me, but almost as a defiant point, wrapped her hand around mine under the table and squeezed.
The warmth in my core rose to my face and I turned back when Techno asked me about a book he read.

Anita's POV
"I'm really worried about him. As much as I wanna punch him, he was my friend first and seeing him being hurt like that.."
We laid on top of the hill, our arms barely touching as we stared upwards.
"I get it. Hopefully Quackity willsee that he's being taken advantage of."
He sighed.
"I wish I could stay."
"Me too.."
The back of his hand touched mine.
"Anita?" He asked.
My heart began speeding.
"Yes..?"
He turned to look at me and I to him.
"Bees are really cool." He said softly.
My scrambled brain pushed away the comment I imagined to come from him.
I just giggled.
"I have a point! Like- they're so simple but still complex? Calm! It just seems so calm."
I nodded along and looked back up. "We can be calm. People, I mean."
He smiled. "I wish. Trust me, there's always war if there's more than one of us."
I frowned and perched on my elbow, looking down at him.
"Not true!"
"So is.."
"Are we at war??"
"Sounds like it right now."
I scoffed and looked around.
I grasped his hand at his side and softly brought his knuckles to my lips.
"There's no war here. Just us." I said triumphantly.
"Maybe you're just an exception to people." His voice dripped slowly with thick admiration.
An intensity I'd never heard or felt.
I wouldn't dare think it. What I heard was a simple word that he offered to me without a sound. Just with a look.
He gripped the hand with his, that I had laid my lips on.
Pretty eyes reflected myself, and I couldn't defy my own feelings at my reflection.
My eyelids felt heavy, and with my hand he lead me forward, guiding me on the only path visible.
"DON'T MOVE!"
My eyes shot open and I jumped back.
"FUCK!" A loud male voice yelled from down below and Tuppy shot up, meeting me to look over the ledge.
Belle had her knee on the neck of a man, illuminated in the moonlight just enough to see him struggling.
"ITS.. ME! BELLE!" He choked out and my eyes went wide.
"MOREL?!" Belle's voice cracked and she backed off of him.
My hand shot to my mouth. "Morel!" I cried as he stood, sliding down the side of the hill.
"Princess?!" He called out as I ran into him. "God! I thought you both had perished!" He hugged me.
"Anita?" Tubbo's tone was cautious.
I turned to him, tears on my face and smiled. "This is Morel!! He's- he was the one who taught me to ride horses! He's the one who helped me escape!"
He let out a relieved laugh and I turned to the bright-red haired man in the moonlight.
"My gosh, you've grown just in these few months." He said with a gentle tone.
The door swung open.
It was hard to comprehend how a man who was part pig could be genuinely terrifying.
But those red eyes and swift movements made me step back as he held a sword to the neck of the stable master.
Belle quickly grabbed his wrist and pushed his arm down.
"Back up!" She ordered, but he didn't break eye contact with Morel.
She squeezed his arm and he looked back at her, his expression softening.
He harshly shook his head. Something I've noticed he does when lost in thought.
"You yelled-"
"We're fine." She interrupted, tone stern but assuring.
He took a step back. "Who is this?" He asked.
"Morel. He worked for the palace too."
Morel gulped. "I've seen you before, no?"
"He's the traveler you saw, right?" Belle asked, excitedly.
"Probably." His tone was dry.
"He's been watching for a few days and I've finally caught him! I didn't know it was him though!"
Techno stiffened, but she turned to me instead.
"Morel, we're so glad to see you!"
He looked between us both. "You two being okay is the best thing to ever happen to me."