King Magnus and his Bumble Bee (Karlnap)

~Chapter 22~

Y'ALL

This chapter's art is very VERY special, as it is my FIRST ever fanart submission! Drawn by the lovely @R0bbyXP0ley

They really cool and sweet, and I think it turned out great <3

If anybody else wants to draw or submit their own, feel free to do so :)

ANYWAY, back to the plot

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No One's P.O.V

"She didn't find anything" Sapnap whispered the idea to himself as a new realization and feeling of hope hit him.

"what?" karl asked, his voice muffled in the embrace

"That's why they stayed" sapnap added, as though in a trance

"Who stayed? What are you talking about" karl said through dying tears as he pulled away to look at him

"She was sent by someone to find information on us, but she never found anything - that or she got caught before she could. After a while of not hearing from her, someone was sent to break her out. When they found out she failed to get anything, that's why they were mad at her, and that's why they stayed behind that night... I think they're still looking for something"

Karl processed everything that sapnap was saying, wiping his tears with his sleeve "but what could they possibly be looking for? My mom hasn't even been in power that long: what could she have done?"

Sapnap hesitated, trying to find the right words

"It might have to do with how...um"

"What" karl asked

Sapnap softened his tone, "I'm not trying to sound rude, but don't you think it's a little strange that an outsider like your mom somehow became next in line for the throne over the queen?"

Karl's eyes looked off to the side, his expression saudade, like sapnap had said something hurtful. He could see the visible sadness on karls face.

"What happened to her, where is she?" he asked

"...that's something I ask a lot" he said remorsefully, looking back at sapnap

Sapnap didn't say anything, wanting karl to go on

"My mom was one of the few castle attendants left after the ban. He didn't want to run the risk of people sneaking in with us or getting corrupted by spies, so he ordered everyone to move in to the castle or be banned as well. After we moved, he locked all the doors and said that this was our home now, and if anyone was seen trying to leave, they would be killed. We stayed that way...all those years"

Sapnap heart broke upon hearing this: it explained so much.

"He would interrogate the attendants and me daily, wanting to know everything we did in exact detail. He would put us to work wherever he needed: weapon making, cooking, cleaning, laundry, guarding-everything. For some reason he took a liking to my mom because he kinda promoted her to the easier jobs: make his meals, wash his robes, survey the other attendants and forge activity and report back to him. There were times where she would go into his office to report and not come out for hours. I would try to listen to their conversations through the door, but whatever it was was inaudible. His queen would try to console him, but he would only lash out: saying she was a traitor and deserved to die; it was like he didn't recognize her anymore. My mom changed to: she started becoming so critical, pointing out anything and everything wrong with me."