Chapter Text
He looked wrong.
He looked wrong in every way.
His shoulders were too slumped. A king should stand straight—hands resting before him, shoulders pulled back, chest lifted, chin raised, eyes sharp. Kings carried a posture that spoke without saying anything.
He didn’t have that.
What a disappointment.
His green eyes trailed over him. Scars marked his skin, earned through too many battles. One was along his jaw, three across his chest and countless others scattered over his arms.
He lifted his hand, running his fingers through his golden hair. It did little to help. The strands fell back into place as if they had a stubborn and unruly mind of their own.
Disgust twisted in his gut. He wanted to hurl something at him, watch it shatter under the force.
But he couldn’t break another mirror, not again. Not that he couldn’t afford it, actually if he wanted he could own every mirror in this kingdom, but.. it wasn’t about mirrors.
Sharpness sighed and sat on the edge of his bed, rubbing his eyes. He should have been ready by now, but he wasn’t even dressed.
His clothes ley on his bed beside him. Ready to be worn. Yet untouched fabric lavish was enough to impress the whole room.
He’s becoming king in a year. When the flowers begin to bloom again—when spring returns.
The prince glanced around his room. It was far too large for one person—nearly the size of a farmer’s house. High ceilings stretched above him, luxurious curtains draping down the walls and pooling onto the marble floor. Light wallpaper from France dressed the walls, adorned with artworks gifted to him, each framed in gold. A king-sized bed stood nearby, covered in silk sheets and piled with soft, puffy pillows. Everything was exactly where it should be.
The prince’s gaze fell on the sword his father had gifted him when he turned ten. He hadn’t even been the size of it when he first held it. His small fingers wrapping around the handle, arms too weak to lift it properly.
But it grew on him. He learned to swing it well. He learned to care for it and in the end, he fell in love with the art of combat — so much that it became the only thing he thought about, the only place where he felt truly free.
Sword rested against the wall near the window. Where faint light slipped through the curtains, catching on the polished metal and making it gleam.
Knock knock
The sound slightly startled sharpness. His eyes shot toward the door as gentle voice followed.
“Your highness, your father is waiting for you”
voice belonged to one of the maids. A brunette one who usually took care of the furniture. Thankfully, she didn’t open the door. Sharpness never liked anyone being in his room uninvited.
“Tell him i’ll be there soon” he said, finally standing to dress.
The black, long-sleeved dress shirt came first, wrapping around him, followed by a deep red vest edged with gold. The fabric clung to him perfectly, structured and precise. A high collar framed his neck, slightly stiff as he adjusted it. Small golden buttons ran down the front, fastening him into place one by one, as if the clothing itself demanded order. As he stood up he slipped into black pants and tall leathery boots.
He grabbed red cloth and tied ribbon on back of his head, Then ran a hand through his hair again, attempting to tame his bangs before reaching for the small, almost tiara-like crown.
The gold caught the sunlight, a red, diamond-shaped ruby set at its center glinting.
It was bloody red with magenta undertone.
He carefully secured the tiara on his head before grabbing his sword and sliding it into scabbard which was attached to his hip.
Halls felt longer more he walked. His father hated waiting.
Well, he shouldn’t make king wait in the first place — even if it was his own father.
He made his way down the stairs, passing the noisy kitchen. Chefs barked orders while maids rushed about, one of them pushing a silver trolley filled with fresh food.
The smell of bread filled Sharpness’s nose, and he veered toward it, quickly stealing a small slice.
“Not very patient, are you?” the maid chuckled as she continued walking towards the dining hall, with silver trolley of bread.
“It’s just one piece” Sharpness huffed, already taking a bite. “What’s for breakfast anyway?”
“Scrambled eggs with milk. Though this time, it’s made by a professional” she humored.
“Come on, that was one time!” he protested, chewing. “Those ‘radioactive leftovers,’ as you call them, were because it was my first time cooking. If I were in the kitchen more often, I’d be a chef.”
“Apologies, little prince, but I doubt you’d be good at cooking in any universe” the maid laughed, glancing away.
They finally reached the dining hall. The room was large, a long table set at its center. At the head sat his father, surrounded by men he had seen all his life, yet they were nothing but strangers to him.
The maid moved past him, rolling the trolley toward the table to begin setting it. Her presence seemed to fade, as if she were trying not to exist at all. It was always like that when his father was around. People either left or made themselves invisible.
Including sharpness himself.
The table was filled with an array of breakfast dishes. The smell alone was overwhelming. Morning light spilled across the scene. Unlit large candles and flowers decorated the surface, things Sharpness had never cared for. He never understood the appeal.
He moved towards an empty seat, pulling back chair quietly, hoping not to be noticed.
“Here’s my boy!” Fuck.
His gaze snapped toward the rough sounding voice. His father raised a cup of wine in his direction, the men around him already watching.
Here it goes..
“Hi… everyone,” he said, offering a polite smile as he sat down.
“I didn’t even see you come in. A king should always be the center of attention!” his father laughed, and the others followed.
“Not yet, Father…” Sharpness muttered, lowering his gaze to his plate as he began cutting his food.
“That’s only a matter of time!” the king replied in the same amused tone. “We can’t have you swinging a stick your whole life—that’s a soldier’s job.” Guy sitting besides king laughed little too loudly at that.
“A sword,” Sharpness corrected, causing his father to raise a brow.
“Regardless.” The king set his cup of wine down a little too loudly. “That’s not something you should concern yourself with right now.”
Sharpness said nothing to that.
“Risking your life on a battlefield… why would anyone choose to be a pawn when they were born to be a king?” King laughed with his chest, not loud but— heavy and echoing sound.
Sharpness furrowed his brows at the sentence. “You’re talking about human lives, dad.. Not chess.”The room fell uncomfortably quiet. “Plus, I’m just admiring art of combat, what’s bad in that?”
“I don’t like your tone.”
There it is.
Even the clinking of forks against plates stopped. Sharpness pressed his lips together, lowering his gaze.
“You’ll understand what I’m saying when you grow up,” his father said, his voice trying to soften but still coming out rough.
Sharpness looks up
And corner of his eyes he sees…
A cat.
A very familiar one.
Just outside the window. Grayish-brown, faint stripes along its back, staring straight at him. recognizing him.
The problem was, he wasn’t allowed to have pets. At all. Horses didn’t count—not really. That had been his father’s rule. He hadn’t planned to break it, but when he was twelve, he used to wander in their royal gardens and had found a small, frightened kitten hiding near the trees.
He didn’t know where it had come from.
He fed it once.
Even made small house in area of garden he knew no one was interested on visiting ever.
And It stayed.
The cat had grown attached to him and he to it. He had named it Tom, and had been secretly caring for it ever since.
Sharpness suddenly noticed the cat ducking down, slipping through a narrow gap in the window.
Oh, fuck.
Sharpness rose up.
“Sharpness, son, please let this be a peaceful breakfast” his father interrupted. Around them, people resumed eating and talking as if nothing had happened.
“But i’m just—” Sharpness tried.
“No ‘buts.’” His father cut him off, already turning back to his guests. Sharpness’s eyes darted back at the window.
Tom disappeared from sight.
Cold sweat ran down Sharpness’s back. He glanced around quickly, searching for where that little traitor had gone.
A sudden clink of glass snapped his attention forward.
“And now, for our special dish! I present my signature creation! sweet tartars! rich in flavor, topped with strawberries from our own garden.”
The royal chef stood proudly beside the king, while announcing the dish.
Maids entered, each carrying a silver cloche, placing them carefully before the guests. The largest one sat in front of the king.
In unison, they reached for the handles.
And lifted.
“Oh my God!” a lady seated near the king screamed. Within seconds, others followed with bug eyes expression.
Oh no.
The cat stood in the middle of the table—completely covered in tartar cream, licking its mouth, devouring cream.
All the color drained from Sharpness’s face.
His father looked furious.
“What is this!? Catch it damn it! What are you waiting for?” he barked, grabbing the chef by the arm roughly shaking him.
The poor man lunged forward, trying to grab the cat, but Tom leapt away—one paw landing straight into a nobleman’s plate.
Chaos broke out.
The cat darted across the table as people scrambled back. The chef chased after it uselessly. Women screamed, chairs scraped loudly against the floor, some toppling over entirely.
Absolute chaos.
“Tom! Here!” Sharpness called suddenly.
The cat froze, ears perking up, before immediately running toward him and leaping into his arms. Sharpness caught him, absently scratching his head as the cat began to purr.
“Tom?” The king’s voice cut through the noise.
Every eye turned to Sharpness—sharp, judging, angry.
“Dad, I can explain—”
“I do not want to hear anything from you!” the king snapped. “Take that cat and get out of my sight, or I’ll have it executed in front of you.”
Sharpness didn’t argue this time.
He nodded once, then turned and left the dining hall immediately, the cat still in his arms.
The town was already loud in the morning. Sunlight spilled across the streets, washing rooftops and market stalls in pale gold. Shopkeepers were pulling open shutters while early customers wandered between stands, voices blending into the usual chaos of the town.
Tom had nearly fallen asleep on the ride there. It was honestly impressive how the creature could sleep anywhere— even on a moving horse constantly swaying him side to side.
Sharpness smiled faintly at the cat curled between his legs on the saddle. With one hand, he tugged lightly on the leather reins, slowing the horse, while the other pulled his hood over his head to hide his face. He didn’t need villagers recognizing him right now.
He stopped in front of a familiar shop. Swinging one leg over the saddle, he hopped off the horse and tied it nearby.
“Come on, Tom,” he murmured, picking the cat up and pressing him gently against his chest. “Let’s get you a good home.”
Tom squirmed in his arms, clearly offended at having his precious nap interrupted, but the moment Sharpness stepped inside the shop, he let the cat down to wander around freely.
“Whoa, whoa—no animals allowed.”
A voice called out from behind the counter, pointing toward a sign hanging on the wall.
NO ANIMALS ALLOWED
Next to it hung a badly drawn mugshot of someone banned from the store. The man in the drawing wore swimming goggles for some reason, his entire face colored yellow while the word BANNED was scribbled across it in messy red letters.
“Can’t you read?” the voice continued. “Or does that rule not apply to royalty?”
“I’m sure you can forgive me,” Sharpness replied with a smile, tugging his hood down.
The boy behind the counter wore a blue dress shirt beneath dark brown overalls. One of his eyes glowed red. Protea.
“Can I, though?” N00b shot back, glancing down at the cat staring up at him innocently.
He lifted the wooden counter flap and stepped around it.
“Well, hello there,” he murmured, crouching to pet the cat. Tom immediately leaned into the touch. “What brings you here?”The question was clearly meant for Sharpness.
“I can’t keep him anymore…” Sharpness muttered, brows furrowing. “Dad said if he sees him again, he’ll… he’ll kill him.”
“Oh shit” N00b winced, sucking air through his teeth. “Dude i’d be glad to but.. we literally can’t.. like we travel a lot to get stuff, plus you know.. robberies happen…” N00b scratches Toms chin making kitty purr and lean against him. “It wouldn’t be safe”
Sharpness groaned and leaned back against the cold wall.
“What the fuck am I hearing?” another voice called from behind the counter. guy peeked from the other room, before halfway walking out. “Yo, get that thing out of my shop—I literally have a sign there. No animals—”
“Dude, shut up. He’ll leave in a minute,” N00b snapped, glaring at Tai.
Tai was a Voidling—not human like Sharpness and N00b. Creatures from the End dimension, Characteristic Void-colored skin, white sclera lacking pupils entirely, also they are usually tall and intimidating, but this one… well. Some people would mock and say that he was three apples tall.
Both of them owned the shop together—a place which offered strength potions and weapons, along with armor pieces, for a good price. Soldiers valued the store highly, which was why Sharpness had become a familiar face there.
“Whatever. And Why is he looking like a kicked puppy?” Tai pointed at prince as he leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms.
“I can’t find a home for Tom,” Sharpness admitted miserably. “I don’t want him living on the streets. It’s dangerous.”
“Dude, you already gave him a name?” N00b scoffed, standing up with the cat still in his arms. “How long have you been hiding him?”
“Umm… somewhere around five years?”
“FIVE?!” both shop owners yelled at once.
“Well, Yeah?” Sharpness frowned in confusion. What was so shocking about keeping a pet?
“Dude, you hid that from the entire palace for five years? That’s insane,” N00b laughed.
“Seriously, how did you not get caught?” Tai asked.
“I did,” Sharpness muttered, cringing at the memory of everyone staring at him earlier. “Just today.”
“Oh,” Tai said flatly. “Damn.”
Shortly after his scoff, the door opened, and the small bell hanging at the top jingled.
Customer.
The trio looked toward him.
The guy was tall, though still shorter than Sharpness. He wore a gloomy-colored outfit with purple highlights, a black cape reaching his knees, and a hood that hid most of his face. His dark purple pants were baggy, covered in pockets, with a belt lined with small bottles and accessories hanging from it. The ends of his pants were tucked into tall black boots. A few strands of hair peeked out from beneath the hood—not black, but tinted slightly purple.
Damn, what wasn’t purple about this guy?
“What’s up?” Tai jerked his chin upward in greeting. “Need help?”
“Nah,” the guy hummed, stopping in front of the bags of powdered redstone.
“Alright,” Tai muttered before turning his attention back to Sharpness. “So, what are you planning?”
“I don’t know… I thought y’all might, y’know… keep him, but I don’t know anymore.” Sharpness glanced at the kitty playing with N00b.
But he already knew they couldn’t keep a pet. It wouldn’t be safe. It would be no different from leaving Tom on the streets.
The bell rang again.
This time, the customer was leaving.
“Motherfuckers enter the shop just to look around and leave. Like, if you don’t need something, don’t come in. The fuck?” Tai grumbled, pushing himself away from the doorframe.
“He stole.”
Sharpness’s voice cut through the room.
“What!?” Tai and N00b exclaimed, immediately turning toward the shelf where the man had been standing.
“There were eight bags of powdered redstone. Now there’s two—he stole them,” Sharpness said sharply before bolting toward the door after the hooded stranger.
“How did none of the three of us notice?” N00b groaned, rubbing his eyes.
As soon as Sharpness stepped out of the shop, he looked around quickly, searching for that purple bastard.
“Shit… where did you—there!”
He spotted him turning into a narrow street between the houses.
Sharpness immediately sprinted after him, shoving past people crowding the road. He slammed into someone’s shoulder hard enough to nearly trip, throwing out a rushed apology before regaining his balance and continuing the chase.
“HEY! YOU THEIF!”
The guy glanced back the moment he heard the shout.
And the second he spotted Sharpness, he bolted.
Sharpness barely caught the quiet, panicked:
“Shit.”
Then the chase truly began.
Sharpness ran after him, boots striking hard against the stone streets. The guy was fast. Really fast, But Sharpness had trained for this his entire life. He could catch him. He will catch him.
The narrow alley stretched ahead of them, walls rising tightly on either side. At the far end stood a tall wooden fence, nearly three meters high.
The thief suddenly stopped.
For half a second, he stood there, shoulders rising as he caught his breath.
Trapped.
Sharpness almost smiled.
Got you.
Then the purple bastard jumped.
One foot pushed off the ground as he launched himself toward the wall, body twisting smoothly. He pressed against the stone for barely a second before planting his foot against it and throwing himself upward again.
His hand caught the top of the fence.
And with terrifying ease, he swung himself over it as if gravity had simply decided not to apply to him.
Time seemed to slow down…
Sharpness stared in disbelief.. and in awe.
The thief’s cape slipped back midair, exposing dark purple hair beneath the hood.
And ears.
Long bunny ears.
No wonder he cleared a three-meter fence like it was nothing.
Fucking rabbit.
Sharpness didn’t stop running. Cold air hit his face as he sprinted through the narrow alley, boots slamming against uneven stone. If that purple rabbit could do it, so could he. All he needed to do was copy the movement.
The fence loomed ahead of him.
He jumped, planting his foot against the side wall and throwing himself upward, trying to force his body into the same smooth motion the thief had used seconds earlier—
Except his foot slipped.
Panic jolted through him immediately.
He didn’t gain nearly enough height as thief had.
Sharpness barely caught the top of the fence at the last second, his chest and face slamming hard against the wood and knocking the air straight out of his lungs. Pain shot through him.
“Hh—”
He wheezed helplessly, fingers tightening around the top as he struggled to pull himself up. Splinters dug into his palms.
One leg swung over the fence.
Then the other—
“OH NO, NONO—!”
THUMP.
Sharpness hit the ground back-first with a painful groan, dust puffing around him on impact. For a second he just laid there, staring up at the ocean blue-tinted sky in pure regret.
“God…” he muttered, rubbing the back of his head as he pushed himself upright.
Loud laughter echoed through the alley.
“HAH! How did the ground taste?!”
Sharpness’s head snapped toward the sound. The rabbit was already farther ahead now, still running, shoulders shaking with laughter beneath that stupid cape.
Sharpness narrowed his eyes.
Oh, he absolutely could not let that slide.
He shoved himself back onto his feet and immediately took off after him again.
Unfortunately for the bunny, Sharpness’s ego was far too big to simply give up now.
They had been running for nearly ten minutes now.
Both of them were panting, exhausted, yet neither willing to give up.
Sharpness could feel his chest tightening with every breath, lungs burning from the constant sprint. His ankles ached every time his boots struck the ground, but he forced himself forward anyway. He had to catch him.
The streets slowly began to disappear behind them.
Trees appeared more and more frequently now.
They were entering the forest area.
Normally, any sane person would’ve stopped chasing a thief this far out. The territory was unfamiliar, easy to get lost in or worse. For all Sharpness knew, the rabbit could’ve been leading him straight toward allies waiting deeper in the woods.
But stopping now would mean losing.
And Sharpness hated losing.
Ahead of him, the bunny suddenly turned left, abandoning the main road and slipping onto a barely visible desire path hidden between the trees.
Sharpness followed immediately, branches scratching against his clothes as he pushed through.
He needed a strategy. If he could just corner him somehow, force him toward—
Something suddenly tightened around his ankle.
“What the—AH!”
The world flipped violently upside down.
Sharpness barely had time to react before the rope yanked him high into the air, leaving him dangling helplessly by one leg. The sudden force ripped the sword from his hip, metal clanking on the ground.
His tiara slipped from his head a second later, the gold flashing briefly before disappearing into the grass.
“Shit—”
A trap.
He stepped into a damn trap.
“No, no, no—come back!! God damn it,” Sharpness whined, rubbing his face with a groan muffled into his palms.
He squirmed helplessly, stretching toward the sword lying on the ground barely inches out of reach.
That was it.
That was how this ended.
Blood would rush into his head until he died hanging upside down in the middle of the forest like an idiot. At least there would finally be something inside his head, because clearly a brain was absent.
If only he—
“You look hilarious upside down.”
Sharpness’s head snapped toward the voice.
Not even a second later, the guy stepped out from behind the bushes. Sharpness had thought he’d already left, but apparently not. The bastard had stayed purely to pour salt into his already wounded ego.
He leaned lazily against a tree, one leg crossed over the other. Sharpness still couldn’t properly see his face beneath the hood he had pulled back on.
“You bastard! Get me down from here!” Sharpness snapped, glaring at the guy in the cape.
“Hold your horses, princess,” the thief chuckled as he stepped closer, still keeping a safe distance. “Listen, how about we make a deal? You let me go, and I’ll let you go.”
Sharpness glared at him silently.
“Ah. I’ll take that as a no,” the guy sighed dramatically.
He circled around Sharpness before stopping behind him. The prince awkwardly twisted his neck, trying to see what he was doing.
Suddenly, a shove hit the back of his shoulder.
“HEY—!”
Sharpness immediately started spinning.
“I will get you arrested! They’ll torture you!” he complained while slowly rotating like some miserable hanging decoration.
“Uh-huh. You’re gonna get me arrested?” the thief snorted, amusement obvious in his voice as he crouched down and picked up Sharpness’s sword.
Cold panic rushed through him instantly.
Not that sword.
“Wait! Wait, no—okay, I’ll let you go, just—just don’t take that sword,” Sharpness stammered, swaying slightly from the movement.
The thief paused.
Surprisingly.
“Oh,” he hummed. “So this is valuable?”
He stood back up, lifting the sword slightly.
His other hand disappeared into one of the pockets beneath his cape for a brief moment, hidden from view, as if sliding something inside, before returning to his side and adjusting his grip on the sword.
Sharpness didn’t pay much attention to that, he stayed silent, eyes darting nervously between the thief and the weapon.
“So…” the rabbit said smugly, tilting the sword slightly. “Deal?”
“Fine,” Sharpness grumbled through clenched teeth.
“There we go,” the rabbit said as he walked toward a nearby tree.
He looked up before kicking the bottom of the trunk, causing a long rope to drop beside him. He gave it a tug and—
THUMP.
Sharpness hit the ground again.
Second time today.
“Okiess! It was nice meeting you, but tsk—” the guy tutted, tossing the sword beside Sharpness before turning around. “I gotta go—UUF—”
Sharpness lunged at him without warning, tackling him straight to the ground. Dry leaves crunched beneath them as they hit the forest floor.
Before the thief could react properly, Sharpness pinned him down and yanked his wrists behind his back, quickly tying them together with the same rope from the trap.
“What the hell?! We had a deal!” the rabbit barked, squirming beneath him. His hood had long since fallen off during the struggle.
Sharpness ignored the complaint completely. He grabbed the guy’s legs next, quickly knotting the rope around his thighs and ankles before he could kick free.
“I don’t make deals with thieves,” Sharpness huffed, slightly out of breath. “Did you seriously expect me to just let you leave?”
The thief glared up at him.
And now, for the first time, Sharpness could properly see his face.
The guy was… breathtaking.
Sharpness scanned him over.
Pointed chin tilted up, sharp jaw clenched in annoyance. Sun-kissed skin with freckles sprinkled across his nose. Almond-shaped eyes glaring at him… his eyes were red. Deep Bloody red with magenta undertone. It reminded him of something, though he couldn’t remember what exactly.
His purple bunny ears were pointed upward — alert, maybe? Sharpness didn’t know much about bunny traits.
His cape had fallen halfway out of the way, revealing enough for Sharpness to tell he wasn’t weak… but not particularly strong either.
“Are you… like… admiring me or something?” the guy on the ground asked, giving him a quizzical look.
“What!? No,” Sharpness objected, cheeks dusting slightly red as he furrowed his brows.
“Seems like you are.”
He was so annoying.
“Literally do one act of kindness and this is how the world repays me,” he sighed dramatically. “What are you planning now? Gonna hand me over to the guards? We can talk this out. I can return the redstone and everything’ll be just like before! We go our own merry way!”
“No. I’m returning you to the shop.” Sharpness squatted down, grabbing him by the collar before hoisting him over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
“H-hey!? We literally can talk this out— put me down!” He squirmed against his shoulder. “I’ll give it to you and you can return that damn redstone back to them!”
“Your fate will be in Tais and N00b’s hands,” Sharpness deadpanned. “That seems fair.”
“I say we throw him into the river.” Tai shrugged.
“Woah, woah, guys— let’s not do that,” the thief, who was tied to a chair, huffed sheepishly. “I returned the stuff, so how about you let me go?”
“I made you return it. If I hadn’t run after you through whole city, you would’ve gotten away with it. So how about no?” Sharpness narrowed his eyes at him, earning a small smirk in return.
“Payment for theft would be enough,” N00b said while dusting off bottles filled with green, faintly shimmering liquid. “No need for swimming lessons in the river,” he added, side-eyeing Tai.
“Chill, I was just suggesting it.” Tai rolled his eyes.
Sharpness felt a slight pressure against his leg.
It was Tom, rubbing against his side and making Sharpness’s expression melt into a barely noticeable smile.
“Softy,” the red-eyed thief smiled, though Sharpness decided to ignore the comment.
Anyway.
He had more important things to worry about.
He still had to find Tom a home.
“Alright.” He ducked down to pick up the cat, cradling him in his arms. “Y’all can figure this out. I have to keep searching for a home for him before it gets late.”
“Sure, man. Good luck, and thanks,” N00b said. It was subtle, but he nudged Tai afterward.
“Thanks,” the voidling added after N00b’s nudge.
“I can help.”
Everyone paused.
Sharpness’s hand froze on the doorknob as he slowly turned toward the tied-up rabbit.
“I’m serious,” the thief continued. “I know a guy who takes care of animals and—”
“Why would I trust you?” Sharpness cut him off.
The rabbit shrugged as much as the ropes allowed.
“You probably shouldn’t,” he admitted. “Good thing I’m offering to show you the place myself. You can check it out, judge the guy and decide if you like the place for your… creature”
“Tom” Sharpness narrowed his eyes.
“Yeah. anyway. You have literally nothing to lose here,” the rabbit added, relaxing back against the chair. “Unless you’re scared I’d kidnap you or something.”
His head tilted slightly to the side, purple ears drooping with the motion.
Sharpness glanced toward Tai and N00b.
Tai rolled his eyes before walking out of the room. “If he does something sketchy, I’m throwing him in the river.”
“Seems fair,” N00b said absentmindedly. He placed another bottle onto the shelf before glancing at the rabbit. “Besides, we remember his face. If he tries anything, it’ll be easy to find him.”
“And throw him into the river” Tai called from the other room, making N00b sigh and pinch the bridge of his nose in annoyance.
Sharpness smiled softly and placed the cat down, letting him wander as he himself stepped behind the chair the guy had been strapped to. He noticed how the rabbit’s ears tilted toward him, listening.
“You heard him,” he muttered with an amused tone as he unknotted the rope. “Better not disappoint.”
He let go, allowing the ropes to slide down.
“I won’t,” the rabbit huffed as he pulled the ropes off himself and stood up. “Thanks for the warm welcome. See y’all later! Bye-bye.”
He waved at the shopkeepers with a fake smile, earning an eye-roll from N00b and a middle finger from Tai in return.
They left the shop.
Sharpness untied his horse before placing Tom onto it. He climbed up after him, planting one foot into the stirrup before swinging the other leg over.
“Lead the way, bunny.”
“Hare, actually,” he corrected, grabbing the reins to lead the horse forward. “But besides that. Judelow.”
“Sharpness,” he replied.
“What? Really?” Jude laughed, walking beside the horse while matching its pace.
“What’s so funny?” Sharpness furrowed his brows.
“Nothing, just-“Jude chuckled“Sharpness..” Jude repeated quietly, like he was testing the name on his tongue.
Sharpness ignored the weird twist that caused in his chest.
“Is it far?” he asked instead.
Jude glanced back at him. “Are you gonna turn into one of those five year olds? ‘Are we there yet? Are we there yet?’”
Sharpness frowned. “You never even told me where we’re going in the first place, so that sounds like your fault.”
Then, after a short pause..
“…Are we there yet?”
“Oh my god.” Jude snorted.
“By the way,” Sharpness added as they walked, “you’re still paying your debt to them.”
“What?” Jude whipped his head around dramatically. “Why?”
“Because you stole from them.”
“I’m helping you now,” Jude argued. “Doesn’t that automatically cancel my debt out?”
“No. This help is compensation for making me run across half the kingdom.”
“First of all, I never made you run,” Jude said, sounding deeply offended. “That was your own personal decision.”
Sharpness gave him a flat look.
“And second,” Jude continued proudly, “I returned the redstone bags. Which technically means I never stole anything.”
“That is the dumbest logic I’ve ever heard.”
“Redstone genius logic.”
Sharpness narrowed his eyes and slightly raised his brows. “Are you actually a genius tho?”
Jude grinned. “Didn’t the trap answer that already?”
Sharpness glanced at him properly this time.
“You made that?”
Jude let out a loud cackle. “Of course I did. Who else?”
There it was again — that stupidly proud look.
“Do you have more traps like that?”
Jude’s smirk sharpened immediately.
He knew exactly why Sharpness was asking.
“That,” he said lightly while tugging the horse along beside him, “is a secret.”
Sharpness raised a brow at Judelow’s answer, making a mental note to stay careful around him in the forest.
He found himself studying him again anyway.
Jude’s ears bounced slightly with each step he took, occasionally twitching whenever nearby birds rustled through the trees. It was… strangely entertaining to watch.
Sharpness looked away before he could stare for too long.
“I’ve never seen you around before,” Jude suddenly said, breaking the silence.
Sharpness glanced at him. “Do you know every person who lives here or something?”
“No,” Jude shrugged. “It’s just hard not to notice you.”
Sharpness narrowed his eyes slightly.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s hard to ignore you,” he said without looking at Sharpness, but Sharpness could catch a small glimpse of the corners of his lips curling up.
“That’s not what you said!” Sharpness objected with a little smirk. “You said it’s hard not to notice you, not hard to ignore—”
“—See? Hard to ignore. So loud,” Jude said, rolling his eyes playfully.
If there wasn’t a sleeping cat nestled between Sharpness’s legs, Jude would’ve received a good kick in his legs.
Jude glanced down at the cat.
“Why are you trying so hard to find a home for that thing?” he asked.
“Tom.” Sharpness corrected with stern tone.
“Right..”
Part of him understood attachment to pets, sure… but this felt different.
Sharpness looked down at Tom, who was curled between his legs, fast asleep. The slow swaying of the horse gently rocked him back and forth.
His hand moved almost absentmindedly, scratching behind Tom’s ears. The cat’s ears twitched slightly beneath his touch.
“He’s kinda the only family I have,” Sharpness admitted quietly.
Jude looked at him properly then.
The joking expression faded from his face for the first time since they met.
“Mm.” Jude hummed.
He will tuck this information away for now.
The rest of the trip was mostly quiet, interrupted only by the occasional sarcastic remark thrown back and forth between them.
Surprisingly, the silence in between wasn’t uncomfortable like it usually was.
It simply existed.
The place itself wasn’t far, only around a thirty-minute walk from town.
Once they passed the wheat fields swaying beneath the breeze, the farm finally came into view.
It sat on the outskirts of town, surrounded by long wooden fences and open fields that stretched farther than Sharpness could properly see. Small dirt paths cut through the grass, leading toward barns, animal pens, and the main farmhouse in the distance.
As they walked farther in, Sharpness noticed animals everywhere.
Chickens wandered freely through the yard while sheep rested beneath shaded trees. Horses stood near the stables, lazily flicking their tails. Some animals wore bandages around their legs while others had slings, patches stitched into blankets, or healing ointments spread carefully over old wounds.
The owner must’ve had a heart of gold.
Sharpness scratched Tom behind the ears, waking the cat from his nap.
“This place is…”
“Amazing, right?” Jude finished for him while leading the horse toward the fence to tie the reins around it.
Sharpness hopped off and followed after him, Tom resting comfortably in his arms.
The main house was nearly twice the size of the barn beside it, built from warm-colored wood with vines crawling along parts of the walls. Flower pots rested near the windows, adding small splashes of color.
“Lettuce! Knock knock!” Jude called as he pushed the door open and walked inside.
Sharpness followed behind him.
“You know,” a woman’s voice spoke from somewhere deeper inside the house, “civilized people usually actually knock instead of announcing it.”
She was standing at the top of the stairs with broom in her hand.
The first thing Sharpness noticed was the sheer amount of pink and purple on her.
Her hair fluffy and almost cloud-like —was dyed a soft purple that looked slightly uneven in the best way. Each of her cat ears, which were hidden in her hair, were different accent of pink. Her dress, a loose summer piece, was beige-white with delicate handmade patterns, but it was covered in pink details: ribbons, stitched accents, small accessories that tied the whole look together. It reached her ankles, brushing over worn cowboy-style boots.
“Heyy, Lopezz!” Jude opened his arms dramatically.
“Hi, Jude,” she said, completely ignoring his open arms as he came down from the stairs and stood in front of them, one hand on her hip and second one holding the broom, leaning on it.
Then her gaze shifted.
“Hello,” she added, looking at Sharpness.
“Hi,” Sharpness muttered.
He stood there awkwardly, holding the cat like a lost child who had accidentally wandered into the wrong conversation.
“Sharpness, meet Lopezz. She and Lettuce take care of animals with nowhere else to go,” Jude explained, turning toward him. “Sharpness is looking for shelter for his… thing there.”
“For the hundredth time,” Sharpness corrected flatly, “it’s a cat. His name is Tom.”
Lopezz raised a brow, the corners of her mouth curling slightly upward.
It wasn’t quite a smile.
More like she already knew something no one else in the room had figured out yet.
“Shelter, you say?” Lopezz lowered herself to Tom’s level, leaning closer to scratch beneath his chin. “Adorable… but I can’t.”
She straightened back up suddenly.
Jude furrowed his brows in confusion.
“Uh, what? Why? You literally have all this space and can’t take one cat?” He gestured around dramatically. “It’s homeless, hello? Isn’t this, like, against your morals or something— Ow!”
Jude jerked back after getting jabbed in the ribs with a broom.
Sharpness let out a quiet chuckle, drawing Lopezz’s attention.
“Sorry, but since Lettuce isn’t here, I can’t make decisions alone. That’d be disrespectful to my business partner.” She shrugged before nudging the broom toward Jude again — not hitting him this time, just warning.
Jude opened his mouth, clearly ready to argue back, but thought better of it. His ears drooped behind him instead.
“I can pay,” Sharpness offered immediately. “As much as you need. Money isn’t a problem.”
One of Jude’s ears twitched at that.
“I know you can,” Lopezz said gently, “but money isn’t the problem here.”
She sighed.
“Look, I could take him in right now for free, but…” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Lettuce will be back in two weeks. How about you return then?”
“Where am I supposed to leave him for two weeks?” Sharpness complained.
His voice sounded strained enough to make Jude glance over.
Sharpness looked genuinely miserable standing there with Tom in his arms. The cat stretched his paws against Sharpness’s chest before nuzzling against his chin, completely unaware he was making the situation worse.
Honestly, it was pathetic.
“Jude,” Lopezz said, raising her brows pointedly at him.
“What?” he grumbled immediately.
“You can keep the cat for two weeks. Be kind.”
“What? No. That’s not—”
“You can?” Sharpness looked at him so quickly it almost felt like a trap.
“Dude, I already helped you enough!” Jude protested. “I brought you all the way here… and…”
He stopped.
Sharpness was staring at him again with those stupidly pathetic puppy eyes.
Jude’s ears had started drooping behind his head.
That was the final nail in Jude’s coffin.
He was being cornered by Lopezz, a cat and him.
Jude gulped.
“…Fine,” he muttered bitterly. “But I need to talk to Parker about this first and also you’re paying for everything.”
He crossed his arms tightly across his chest avoiding their gaze.
Sharpness let out a quiet breath, like he genuinely hadn’t expected Jude to agree. He looked almost relieved now, his shoulders finally relaxing for the first time since they arrived.
“This is temporary,” Jude warned, pointing at him. “Two weeks. That’s it. You dump the creature on me, you pay for everything, and after that, get out.”
“His name is Tom,” Sharpness grumbled with a sigh. Tom stretched lazily in his arms. “And… thanks,” he added, almost in a whisper.
Jude glanced at him — and froze.
He was smiling at him.
Too soft to be cynical.
Jude paused for a second, staring at him with slightly widened eyes.
“Interesting…” Lopezz mused.
Jude snapped out of it immediately.
Her chin rested against the edge of the broom, hands folded over it as she glanced between the two of them with a smile that made Jude strangely uneasy. She usually looked like that when she had a secret.
“What is?” Sharpness asked, furrowing his brows in confusion.
Jude quickly followed his gaze, finally looking at something else.
“Nothing. Just cat intuition.” She grinned, tilting her head to the side. “See you in two weeks?”
Sharpness nodded with a smile.
Lopezz waved them goodbye once they left the farm territory.
Sharpness had expected her to be worse.
Instead, she had given Tom a small bag of kitty treats and even let Jude borrow one of the horses after listening to him complain dramatically about how much he had walked today.
The place where Jude lived wasn’t far.
Just hidden.
The deeper they traveled into the forest, the quieter everything became. The road slowly disappeared beneath roots and patches of moss, tree branches knitting together high above their heads until sunlight only slipped through in thin golden streaks.
Sharpness almost missed it at first.
The forest suddenly opened into a wide clearing, uneven and wild around the edges, as if nature itself couldn’t decide whether to reclaim it or leave it alone.
In the middle stood a house.
Enough for two people.
Built from dark wood and uneven stone, like someone had repaired it a hundred different times with whatever materials they could steal, trade, or find lying around. The edges of the roof were crooked in places, though sturdy enough to survive years of storms.
Nearby sat a tiny chicken coop enclosed by rough fencing, and beside it stood an old well with a wooden roof leaning slightly to one side.
Wild grass swayed around everything, interrupted only by narrow dirt paths created by repeated footsteps.
Sharpness found himself quietly observing everything as Jude led the horses toward a wooden fence near the side of the house.
The fence itself was uneven too, repaired with mismatched planks and rope.
Jude tied the horse first before glancing back at Sharpness.
“Parker should be inside,” he hummed as they walked towards the door.
Tom meowed softly in Sharpness’s arms making Sharpness smile as he followed behind him.
“Okey,” Sharpness replied.
They entered the house.
It was tidy.
The kitchen was on the left, the living room on the right, and directly ahead stood a staircase leading to the second floor.
Probably their rooms.
“Parker?” Jude called out, peeking into the kitchen first.
After realizing the guy wasn’t there, he stepped into the living room instead.
Sharpness followed behind him.
The moment he entered, he spotted someone lying across the couch with a newspaper covering his face.
“Yo dude, we have guests,” Jude announced.
The newspaper slowly lowered.
It was an enderman.
The guy wore mostly yellow clothes with black accents, messy dark hair falling into his face as he blinked at them tiredly.
“Guests? It’s not often we—”
The second his eyes landed on Sharpness, he froze.
He glanced at Jude.
Back at Sharpness.
Back at Jude again.
And then—
“I swear he isn’t a bad person, on god— he isn’t that bad, please don’t arrest him. He can’t survive in jail, he’s a fragile rabbit! people would eat him alive. Look, we can ignore whatever he stole, he’ll return it, right Jude? He—”
“DUDE?” Jude threw his arms up in disbelief. “I’M NOT GETTING ARRESTED, CHILL.”
“Oh.”
Parker blinked.
“For real?”
Jude rubbed the bridge of his nose with a long sigh.
“Um… hi,” Sharpness offered awkwardly.
Parker looked back at him.
“Hi,” he replied automatically. “Why is—”
“He’s here to leave that”—Jude pointed at the cat—“here for two weeks,” he explained, sounding mildly annoyed. “Turns out Lettuce isn’t in town and Lopezz can’t take care of one cat.”
“Oh.” Parker raised his brows before slowly standing up from the couch. “Sure. I mean, yeah, no problem. But uh… can I talk to you for a second, Jude?”
He smiled nervously.
“Yeah. Sharpness, you can sit wherever you wa—AH—”
Jude got dragged away mid-sentence.
Sharpness watched as Parker physically hauled him outside by the arm.
The door slammed shut behind them.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING? WHY IS THE PRINCE HERE?” Parker whisper-shouted while violently shaking him.
“What? What do you mean— stop shaking me!” Jude huffed, prying himself out of Parker’s grip.
“Dude, you cannot be serious. Do you even know who he is?”
“Uh…”
“FUCK YOU MEAN ‘UH’?” Parker looked seconds away from collapsing. “He’s the prince! How do you not know what your own prince looks like?!”
“Is he really…” Jude started before realization slowly began sinking in.
His eyes widened.
“WAIT, HE’S THE PRINCE?!” he whisper-yelled. “I thought he was just some rich guy!”
“You are so unbelievably stupid,” Parker sighed, dragging a hand down his face. “I mean… he isn’t wearing his signature tiara, so I guess it’s slightly understandable, but still.”
Jude suddenly looked away.
Parker narrowed his eyes immediately.
“What.”
“About that…” Jude muttered.
Slowly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the exact tiara.
Parker stared at it.
Then at Jude.
Then back at the tiara again.
He looked moments away from committing murder.
“LOOK, I thought it was decoration!” Jude defended quickly. “People wear shiny stuff like that all the time, no?”
Parker continued staring at him in complete silence.
“Plus, he doesn’t even act like a typical rich prick—”
“Sometimes it’s better to keep your mouth shut and let people think you’re stupid than to open it and remove all doubt,” Parker interrupted while pacing around the yard.
“Okay, look, it’s not that bad. He doesn’t even remember this thing is missing.” Jude casually waved the tiara around.
“Stop doing that!” Parker hissed, immediately shoving his hand down. “You go back in there, apologize, and return it.”
“What? No.”
“FUCK YOU MEAN ‘NO’?” Parker whisper-shouted aggressively.
“Dude, he doesn’t even know it’s gone,” Jude argued. “Plus, if I return it, he’ll realize I’m the one who stole it, so…”
“He doesn’t know it’s gone yet,” Parker corrected.
“Okay, fuck it, fine,” Jude groaned, slumping his shoulders dramatically.
“And since when are we an animal shelter?” Parker added.
“It’s for two weeks, chill.” Jude reached for the doorknob. “Plus, we’re getting paid for it, so. Win-win.”
When they stepped back into the living room, they found Sharpness sitting awkwardly on the couch.
Legs pressed together.
Hands folded neatly over his thighs.
Tom wandered around the floor nearby, sniffing curiously at every corner of the unfamiliar house.
The second they entered, Sharpness’s eyes immediately landed on Jude.
“So… deal?”
“Yeah, but—” Jude dropped into the armchair across from him, “you’re paying, uh… a hundred gold coins. Plus extra for his food.”
Parker physically turned away and walked into the kitchen before the embarrassment could kill him.
“A hundred?” Sharpness furrowed his brows.
“Yeah, well—”
“That’s it?”
Jude paused.
“Deal,” Sharpness said easily. “That’s not a problem. Just remember to feed him and pay attention to him… he likes wandering around.”
His voice softened slightly as he glanced down at Tom, a small smile appearing on his face.
Jude stared.
“I think taking care of one cat isn’t that hard,” he muttered with an eye roll. “I’ll handle it.”
“I’ll be counting on it.” Sharpness smiled softly.
Return it.
Parker’s voice echoed in the back of Jude’s mind.
He should return it.
He had no idea what kind of trouble stealing from royalty could get him into. He couldn’t risk it.
Slowly, his hand slipped toward his pocket, fingers hooking around the tiara hidden inside.
And stayed there.
Jude hesitated.
Real gold.
Real rubies.
He could probably sell it for an absurd amount of money.
“…Um, sure.” He shrugged casually instead.
He wasn’t giving it back.
“Oh, and also—” Sharpness interrupted his thoughts. “If you ever need to contact me about Tom, go to the west side of the castle and ask for Twirps. He’ll bring you to me.”
Jude blinked.
Right.
The prince.
Somehow he kept forgetting that part.
“But I’ll visit daily to bring supplies and check up on him, so in case I—”
“Yeah, yeah, I get it. West side, Twirps, whatever.” Jude waved his hand dismissively. “I’ll handle it. You pay up. Did I miss anything?”
“No,” Sharpness hummed with slight annoyance. “That’s all.”
Sharpness crouched beside Tom, gently scratching under the cat’s chin.
“Behave, alright?” he murmured softly, rubbing his head.
Tom answered with a quiet purr.
Jude leaned against the armchair with crossed arms.
“You’re acting like you’re dropping a child off at war.”
“He’s sensitive.”
“He’s a cat.”
Sharpness ignored him completely.
After a moment, he finally stood again and for a second, he hesitated.
His gaze drifted around the house briefly before settling back on Jude.
“Take care of him.”
Jude rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, yeah. I got it.”
Sharpness still didn’t move.
Like he wanted to say something else.
“Okay… see you tomorrow?” he asked instead while opening the door.
“Sure.”
Then he finally left.
Jude stood by the doorway, watching as Sharpness climbed onto the horse and rode back toward the forest path they had arrived from.
Only after he disappeared between the trees did Jude close the door and turn around.
Parker stood there with his arms crossed.
“You didn’t give it back”
“Don’t start.”
“Don’t start?” Parker repeated incredulously. “You started it! I told you to give it back and you didn’t. Do you want to get publicly decapitated?”
Jude walked back into the living room and dropped onto the couch beside Tom, who was already asleep.
Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the tiara and waved it around proudly.
“It’s real gold,” he said, raising his brows. “This thing’s gonna sell for a fortune.”
“I will laugh at you when you get caught.”
Jude huffed before placing the tiara dramatically on his head.
“How dare you speak to your prince like that,” he declared in an exaggerated royal voice. “Hang him!”
“Forgive me, Your Majesty,” Parker replied dryly, raising both hands in surrender.
Jude chuckled quietly and removed the tiara from his head.
He held it in his hands for a moment, tracing his fingers along the golden patterns and embedded rubies.
A fortune.
Suddenly, Jude felt a small paw press against his hand and he glanced to the side.
Tom was staring up at him.
“…Dude, you can’t judge me for this,” Jude muttered.
The cat blinked slowly.
“You literally lick yourself for entertainment.”
Tom meowed softly as Jude pushed his paw away and scratched him behind the ears instead.
Before returning to the palace, Sharpness stopped by Tai’s and N00b’s shop to make sure they were alright and hadn’t been kidnapped by a certain rabbit idiot.
After that, he finally headed back to the castle.
He could already imagine the boring lecture waiting for him. Funny enough, it usually wasn’t even his father doing the lecturing. It was the tutors his father paid to follow him around and “fix” his behavior.
Which was exactly why Sharpness was currently roaming the castle halls instead of heading toward his room.
He knew his father would be there by now.
“Sharp?”
Sharpness turned around in panic before immediately sighing in relief when he recognized Twirps approaching him.
Not that Sharpness actually needed a guard, but his father insisted.
He never complained, though.
He liked Twirps’s company.
“Where have you been?” Twirps caught up to him. “I’ve been looking for you all day. Heard you got in trouble.”
“Yeah…” Sharpness cringed slightly. “I don’t really wanna talk about it.”
“Fair enough.” Twirps shrugged before squinting at him suddenly.
“…Where’s your tiara?”
“What?” Sharpness frowned in confusion and reached for his head.
Empty.
His expression dropped instantly.
Oh no.
“I—I must’ve lost it while chasing him,” he panicked, pressing both hands against the sides of his head.
“Wait, what?” Twirps blinked. “Who?”
“The bunny— I mean…” Sharpness groaned tiredly. “It’s a long story.”
“Damn.” Twirps winced sympathetically.
“Fuck,” Sharpness whined quietly. “Father’s gonna notice eventually.”
“Relax, we’ll find it.” Twirps gently patted his shoulder. “I’m sure he won’t notice till we find it, or we can get new one secretly.”
Sharpness sighed dramatically.
“Yeah.. you’re right.”
Twirps watched him for a moment before smirking slightly.
“Now tell me about the bunny guy.”