[over the palisade]

chapter nineteen

The sun rose over Helenguard, just as it had done the previous morning, but Tommy had been up long since the sun had. He would never admit it to anyone but after Tubbo had left his room late the previous night, Tommy had barely been able to fall into even the lightest and most uncomfortable snoozes. He guessed it was the mix of anticipation and dread that was building up in his stomach and throat like vile.

So, Tommy just waited. He waited until the hazy sunlight started filtering through his balcony doors and he could hear the songbirds start their melodic tunes and until he heard steps, familiar ones that no doubt belonged to Tubbo, though he didn't even miss a beat as he passed by Tommy's door, then Tommy decided it was a decent enough time for his to be awake.

And so Tommy began his daily routine, which admittedly was made much easier by the implementation of running water as amused to stagnant pond water. Tommy has come upon the belief that if he ever has to bathe himself in stagnant pond water again-- actually he doesn't know what he'll do, but he definitely won't like it.

Tommy ran his head under the faucet in his bathroom and scrubbed his scalp and hair, like Kristin had done when he had first arrived in their palace, until he deemed himself fit, then when he pulled his head out from the sink he shook his hair out like a dog. Now, Kristin wouldn't let him do that, but he might as well hold onto the freedom while it lasted. Plus it wasn't like Kristin washed his hair nowadays anyways, he could dry his hair however he pleased.

After he managed to sling water across the entirety of his bathroom, oops, he went ahead and thoroughly washed his face before walking back into his room to grab what he had been taught to wear under the heavy armor that he knew would accompany him throughout the day, so that he would be more agile and less sweaty by the end of the day.

By the time Tommy had wiggled his way into the easier bits of his armor and laced his boots up tight, making sure to knot them well so they wouldn't come loose in the heat of battle- that would be embarrassing. Dying because your shoes are untied? Sad. Anyways, by the time he had finished all he could on his own, sunlight had started to stream in onto the floor and refracted all throughout the room as it bounced off of mirrors and crystalline decorations alike. Tommy really didn't want to leave his room, it was safe and warm and there were no dead bodies littering the floor, but alas, he would be a coward to run now.

As so, Tommy turned towards his door and slung it open with pride, but let out a sudden- and definitely manly- yelp as a mindless, human servant stood at the door with a hot pot of tea and tea set carefully sat across a tray in her hands. For a moment, all Tommy could do was stare at her, as deep as he could into her almost lifeless eyes. It was like looking into a shallow pool, a puddle even, there was nothing there for him to grab onto. She just stared with an eerily pleasant smile at him.

Tommy didn't understand why any lord in the fae world keeps humans as their handmaids and servants, but it especially sat wrong with Tommy in this case, how could the good captain, a mortal himself, do that to one just like him? It made Tommy sick, but still, he politely took the tray out of the woman's hands and gave her a little wave as she mechanically walked off, same expression stuck to her face.

Tommy looked down at his reflection in the poured cup of dark tea. It wasn't like hers, was it? He was capable of thoughts and capable of making his own moves and he guessed, capable of philosophizing the morality of it all. She could not. None of them could. Tommy had long ago sworn to himself that when his day came, he would help as many as he could, if they could be helped that is.

Tommy shook his head to clear the thoughts and picked up the fine porcelain he had been given and shot down the cup in one quick gulp. It was a little cup anyways, Tommy always thought that little cups like that were stupid.