The Prince of the Republic

Chapter Ten

You two! Stop that!" A knight called to the pair of Cookies currently racing down the Hollyberry Kingdom halls.

The Cookies laughed loudly, still running alongside each other happily. "Where are we running to again?" Royal Milk Tea Cookie called to Clotted Cream Cookie.

"I'm not sure!" He happily called back. "I figure that if we just run in one direction, eventually we'll run into something useful!"

The halls grew longer and longer, lined with velvet carpet and paintings portraying the royal bloodline of the Hollyberry Kingdom. Royal Milk Tea Cookie thought back to Dark Cacao Cookie and his family portraits, one of which had his half-brother in it. The same half-brother that had to be crumbled due to his hubris. It was a dark story, Royal Milk Tea Cookie knew. It was something the Cacao line and the Milk line would carry forever in their jam.

Clotted Cream Cookie noticed his friend slowing down. "Hey," He stopped the race, slowly coming to a stop in the center of the hall. "Everything alright?"

Royal Milk Tea Cookie blinked several times, shaking himself out of deep thought. "Yeah," He nodded. "Everything's fine. I'm just thinking back to Dark Cacao Cookie."

The golden-haired Cookie nodded. "Do you want to talk about anything?"

"No. I'm okay, I promise. We should keep looking for someone who might know about Tea Knight Cookie or Oat Milk Cookie."

"Tea Knight Cookie?" A prim voice sounded from behind the two. They had stopped their informal race right in front of the royal museum wing. This tall, thin Cookie wearing what appeared to be a beret speared with a quill had emerged, staring down the new arrivals. "I know of a Tea Knight Cookie. Why do you know of him?"

Clotted Cream Cookie looked to his shorter counterpart, who swallowed before speaking. "He's my father. Who are you?"

The Cookie scoffed, tossing platinum hair behind his green robes with one hand, the other hand occupied by several scrolls. "I am Eclair Cookie. The head of the Tea Leaf Order's trusted comrade in battle!" His voice pitched up toward the end, indicating what he was saying was... less than true.

"Trusted comrade?" Clotted Cream Cookie repeated, facial expression twisted and an eyebrow raised in suspicion. "A valiant knight trusted a history teacher in battle?"

"History teacher? Oh, please!"

"Espresso Cookie told me about you during his time in the Republic. I've heard about many of his coworkers at the Parfaedia Academy."

The Cookie turned red with what must have been anger. He began to scoff repetitively, shuffling the many scrolls he was holding and turning to reenter the room he'd just emerged from. He muttered something as he turned, about Espresso Cookie and how he likes to remember things whenever he pleases.

"I'm sorry, did we offend you?" Royal Milk Tea Cookie spoke up, following the Cookie into the museum wing. "My friend–" The shorter Cookie shoved the taller of the two to emphasize the damage that had just been done. "Was just running his mouth foolishly. We're trying to find Tea Knight Cookie because Earthbread is in danger!"

Eclair Cookie turned on his heel, intrigued. "Danger?"

"Yes! There is a dragon currently on its way across all of the kingdoms, looking for my mother because of a promise she broke."

"Come this way," Eclair Cookie grabbed Royal Milk Tea Cookie by the wrist, dragging him into the wing further, approaching a large alter-esque display filled with dragon claws and sketches of wings. "I have an atlas of many dragons spotted across Earthbread. Which dragon is after you all?"