Prizes, Plunder, and Adventure

Chapter One: At Wit's End

Emmet tried not to look as despondent as he felt, as he sat listening to his father and Vitruvius speak with the foreign king and queen and their advisor, though he wasn't really hearing a single word that was being said. It had been a rough week, starting the moment the Scalan royalty had arrived. Emmet had done his very best to be cordial toward them. They had simply looked him over, then promptly ignored him in favor of his father. Even the princess had barely murmured a hello, then hadn't deigned to speak a word to him since despite all his efforts to try to talk to her. The whole purpose of their visit was to negotiate (and hopefully plan) a marriage between the two of them, surely it was a good idea to get to know each other at least a little beforehand?

Princess Lotte apparently didn't think so. He'd given up at the look of thinly veiled disgust she had given him at dinner that first night, as she watched him piling all his favorite foods onto his plate. She had also looked displeased at the familiarity with which the retired Captain of the Royal Guard and his wife treated Emmet, especially as Ma leaned over to add another helping to Emmet's plate before kissing his forehead. Emmet's bright smile fell away once he realized the scrutiny he was under. He didn't miss the disdainful looks the Scalan king and queen gave him (though he did miss the way his father's eyes narrowed at them in turn), and had made a conscious effort since to not take so much for himself.

There was no way he was going to tell Ma and Pa to back off though, their open affection was perhaps the one thing getting him through this disaster in the making.

He'd tried voicing his concerns to his father, telling Sirius he didn't understand the need for such an arrangement. Octan wasn't at war with Scala, not even close. His father had mentioned something about the arrangement being made to strengthen their relations with the neighboring kingdom. After all, Octan was growing wealthy, and it couldn't hurt to have a solid alliance with a nearby region in case someone got ideas. Emmet didn't know why they couldn't simply talk, and try to come to an understanding, but he didn't argue. After all, his father was so smart, surely he knew what he was doing?

Finally he decided he'd had enough. He couldn't sit and listen any longer as his future was arranged with a princess who clearly didn't care a single wit about him. Slowly and silently, so as not to be noticed, he pushed himself away from the table and made his way out. He needed some space, to think, to breathe-

His stomach grumbled.

Sagging in defeat, he shuffled toward the kitchen, fully intent on gorging himself. Nothing he'd done the entire week seemed to win him any points, so what did it matter if he decided to drown his sorrows in sweets? Food had been a source of comfort for him since he was able to escape his caretakers and toddle his way to the pantry (although Pa sneaking him goodies between meals didn't help matters). The kitchen was also the location of his best (though if he were honest with himself, his only) friend. Larry was one of the rare few employees in the palace that was close to Emmet's age, and he made some of the best baked goods Emmet had ever tasted.

(He also made a mean cup of coffee, but that was rather beside the point.)

Larry barely crooked an eyebrow at Emmet's sudden appearance, not even pausing his kneading. "Thought you were supposed to be in some meeting."

Emmet sagged in defeat, even as he snatched an éclair and began to nibble on it. "I was," he admitted. "But Princess Lotte only ever seems disgusted or annoyed with me no matter what I do, and Father won't hear my concerns, and I couldn't take having to listen to it all anymore, it feels like no one cares..."

Larry did pause at that. Emmet was the most recklessly cheerful and optimistic person he'd ever met; to hear him openly complaining... "It's really that bad, huh?" Emmet gave a forlorn nod.