Heavy is the Head that Wears the Solemn Crown

Fifty-Two - Tainted Water Dripping into the Cracks

Tommy

The streets of Rammie, the capital of Schlatt's dukedom, are kept in pristine condition. Each stone shines as if it had been freshly placed, the edges smoothed over to minimize tripping or carriage accidents. The buildings are gilded and embroidered with flashy signs gleaming in the sunlight. The people hold themselves to a higher standard, wearing the latest fashions made from expensive materials. They speak to one another with saccharine sweet words and passive smiles to accompany their threatening gazes.

It is the back alleys that hide away the muck, ghastly faces with sorrowful eyes and sullen cheeks staring out in envy at the glamor of the presentation. The few times that those hands reach out, they are slapped away or, worse, completely severed. The people will gawk at the bloody hand until the guards arrive to remove it. Tommy stares at one such insistence. Instead of simply having their hand removed, they were beaten within an inch of their life because some of the blood splatter got onto a woman's dress. She screamed, and the sack of skin and bones that clung to life despite starvation and depression eating away at their mind was nearly killed. They were thrown back into the shadows as if they had never been there at all, and the guards cleaned away the blood to leave no traces behind. The woman calmed down with the satisfaction that the 'threat' was eliminated.

"I used to go to that cafe every morning for breakfast," A voice draws Tommy's attention away from the gorey show. Jack rides on the horse next to Tommy's mount, pointing at a building in the opposite direction. Jack turns back to look at Tommy and Tubbo with a wistful smile. "I always went with my best friend. We always got the same thing, and I think the owner knew our names despite the place being so busy. It doesn't seem to be as busy anymore."

A festival will be happening soon. It is Schlatt's way of celebrating the two-year anniversary of the war. Tubbo, as the duke's son, is required to attend such an event. Tubbo, though, hasn't been home in over a year. Most of his clothing had been sold by greedy servants or no longer fit him. Schlatt ordered Tubbo to visit a tailor in town to get an appropriate suit that would be in fashion for the times. Since he was going into town, he was meant to bring along a guard. Tubbo only trusted Tommy to protect his life, so Tommy was allowed to come. Jack Manifold came as a guide. Tommy wasn't certain about that until Jack told them Rammie was his hometown. He lived here for most of his life before he was enlisted into the army. He had gotten acquainted with it in the some months during the war, and he was now pointing out different places to Tommy and Tubbo, explaining his childhood with simple stories that held so much weight.

Jack frowns at the building he was pointing at. His hand lowers down to grab the reins of his horse. He looks at the road in front of him. "After I enlisted, my best friend remained here. She never liked fighting. She wanted to be a baker, and her dreams were realized when the owner of that cafe left the place to her. I... Some part of me thought she would still be here, but she must have fled when the war started. I don't blame her, but I wish she would have sent me one last letter to tell me where she went."

Tommy eyes Jack from the corner of his eye. Obviously, Tommy has been trying to sow discord into the ranks of the army. He has a few members questioning their loyalty, but those are tiny minnows. Jack is something else. He is relatively high-ranking. His superiors trust him, his peers respect him, and his juniors admire him. He's well-trained, intelligent, and he possesses a vague ability to sense magic even if he can't use it himself. Most importantly, Jack may think that his faith in Schlatt is unbreakable, but Tommy has already found cracks. Tommy simply has to slip his fingers in those cracks and pull, watching as Jack breaks apart right in front of him. When Jack is malleable, Tubbo can swoop in with his ideas and righteousness to convince Jack that the right path is a pacifist one.