something stupid || dnf royalty AU ||

part two || chapter nine

Clay rode until his horse slowed from sheer exhaustion. And he stopped at a running stream. Without even allowing Dream to dismount, he flopped next to the water and drank lazily, throwing Dream off his back.

"Agh!" Dream cried out. "YOU-" he stopped yelling when he saw the state he was in. He was filled with guilt. The horse looked to be near death.

"Oh I'm so sorry Samson." Dream scooted closer to his head and pet him gently. "You deserve better" he muttered to himself out of self pity.

He looked around at his surroundings and realized he had no idea where he was. He looked to the sky. He could tell it was well past noon. Dream sighed to himself. He wasn't sure what to do. His stomach grumbled in a grim reminder that he hadn't eaten anything all day.

"Shit." He muttered to himself. He cupped his hands and filled them with the water from the creek and drank it. It was better than nothing. As he was drinking, he heard the boisterous conversation of what seemed to be a couple of kids. He figured that they might be able to at least point him in the right direction.

Once his horse had taken his fill of water and gotten up, Dream took his reins in one hand and lead him up the stream towards the noise. He walked a little ways before coming upon two boys playing near the river. There was a large fallen tree that made for a bridge that one of them sat on reading a book. And the other sat on the creeks bank picking flowers and looking at the bugs in the water.

"I'm telling you Ran!" The one next to in the river said proudly "I think I was a bug in a past life. I relate to them."

The kid on the log bridge scoffed not looking up from his book

"That's because you're just as smart as them." he said smugly

The kid on the river bank was about to respond but Dream cleared his throat letting his presence be known "Excuse me." he said leading his horse forward. Both of the boys looked over to him at the same time. They both stayed silent for a second before the one on the rivers bank spoke up

"Hello stranger. What are you doing here?"

"Well- you see, I'm lost." Both kids tilted their heads in unison; it almost made Dream laugh. "I- was wondering if you might be able to point me in the right direction."

"Well that depends." The kid spoke

"On?" Dream asked

"On where you're trying to get to." The kid laughed

"The castle."

"King Philza's castle? It's not too far."

Dream's eyes widened. King Philza's castle? Had he really traveled into the neighboring Kingdom? He had met King Philza and his three sons before. They're all incredibly kind.

"Well- n-no not that Castle."

"You mean to tell me you've come all the way from the other castle?"

"Thats right kid."

"Wow. You really are lost." he laughed.

Dream sighed "That I am kid."

The kids looked at each other for a second before looking back to Dream "Well we can't really take you there, it's way too far away."

"Right."

"Tubbo-" the one on the log bridge spoke up quietly. "The cliff."

"That's right!" Tubbo snapped his fingers "There's a view of that castle not far from here. It's not much but at least you'll know where to go."

"Can you tell me where it is?"

Tubbo bit his lip and looked down while scratching his head. "Well it's hard to explain, I know HOW to get there but I don't know how to tell you how to get there."