Chapter Text
The Magnolia King
Achievement City was a vibrant hub of life and craft in the very centre of the Achievement Lands. It’s once meadow of grassy biomes was the most industrialised in the land, impossibly tall buildings and statues, sculptures and miraculous fortresses designed initially for fighting but used most often for games and entertainment. It was a jovial space of land amidst the wider regions, each split into sections ruled over by different families for generations upon generations.
King Ramsey owned the Achievement Lands as a whole, including Achievement City. However, the way rulers were selected and honoured was an age old tradition that nobody dared to defy- so among the wider regions he was significantly less powerful, and thankful for it. The last thing he needed was more responsibility.
Geoff lived in Achievement City just as he had when he was a boy- only now that he was king he resided in a tall, stone building- the highest the land had ever seen. It had taken almost a year to complete with Geoff himself assisting the production. It was monstrous and ghastly and a stain on the landscape at first, but under his ruling- more and more of Achievement City found itself being built up and created upon. Geoff Ramsey loved his people- and he appreciated nothing more than providing beautiful architecture he and Gavin (amongst others) had designed first hand for them to admire and participate in.
In the centre of Achievement City where his tower sat, just on the edge of the giant flag- he lived happily. Most of the actual work was done in the throne room, a giant open air stadium where his golden throne was tall and grandiose, and the people of the lands could approach him freely and without judgement. The throne wasn’t much of a seat at all- more of a structure and beside him on it often sat Jack Pattillo- his closest friend and trusted advisor.
So of course, it was Jack who shared the news with him that Ryan had sent word that he had agreed to come over and pay Achievement City a long awaited visit. Ryan, or The Mad King as he was commonly known to the people, was the king of the snow biomes, residing far out in the corners of the map. To the civilians, Ryan was someone of great power to be feared. He was an expert with ancient magicks and enchantments, with ice in his gaze and a penchant for ruthless violence. To Geoff- Ryan was an old friend he’d fought strongly against in the trials that won him is throne in the first place. Geoff had barely scraped by Ryan’s raw talent but had taken advantage of his failure to persist. That was where Ryan often lost a lot of things- he had absolutely no patience.
“That’s great.” Geoff smiled as Jack told him the news with an unreadable expression. He frowned. “It’s great, isn’t it?”
“For us? Sure.” Jack nodded. “We might finally get that peace treaty signed. But the people are terrified of him, Geoff- you know that. If anyone gets wind he’s coming in before he arrives it’ll cause a riot.”
“Please.” Geoff waved a hand dismissively. “It’s all just petty rumours. They’ll get over it.”
“I suppose so.” Jack sighed. “Also, Gavin’s complaining about… something, probably. He was whining about you to Michael and Ray tattled so keep an eye on him.”
Geoff rolled his eyes at the mention of Gavin’s name. Technically- or at least, in the eyes of the people and the kingdom Gavin was his son. Really, Gavin was a kid raised in the forest with creepers that Geoff had stumbled across, not long before he became king. Then, he was put forwards for the trials and thrusted into the spotlight with a toddler already in his arms. People assumed Gavin was just his bastard child and would likely be the next candidate for the throne when Geoff stepped down.
And Geoff wanted to assume this too- but Gavin, as usual had other ideas. He had strange interests, mostly involving archery and a certain bear-warrior. Also, he was a loveable thorn in the thigh- continuously irritating and dangerously unpredictable. But Geoff couldn’t help it. He loved the kid.
Geoff loved Gavin as a son- but then Michael and later, Ray had been introduced to the kingdom and he found himself half-adopting two other kids along the way. Michael- or Mogar, as they first had been introduced was a warrior prince from the wild people out in the jungle biomes. However, a brutal forest fire had ravaged his habitat, leaving him and a cluster of others the only survivors of their people when they were pulled out of the fire by Geoff’s knights.
And one of them, unknown to him, had been Gavin- barely seventeen when he snuck out to assist the kings guard. He had laid eyes on Michael- his skin black from smoke and his eyes wild and feral and had fallen in love instantly, not that he’d ever admit it. Years had passed with Michael becoming a full-fledged member of his court and every time Geoff brought it up Gavin would blush furiously and tell him it wasn’t like that.
The only person sicker of it than him was most probably Ray- The Rose Prince, as he was most fondly known (to his own dismay). Ray had been the darling of the flower kingdom in his youth, existing out in the meadows not far from Achievement City. But their ruler had been foolish- more interested in alcohol than the people and civil war ravaged the kingdom before it was over thrown by rebels. Geoff, as king of not only Achievement City but the whole of the land couldn’t sit back and stand it- so he sent as many men as he could gather and took over the entire kingdom, making it part of his. Ray was the only survivor of royal blood- a wisp of a boy at barely twenty with skinny limbs and matching dark hair and eyes, far from fit to be king. Gavin and Michael took one look at him and begged Geoff to let him stay in the court, so Geoff- soft even to Gavin’s whiny demands took the boy in and let him keep his title.
But it worked. Geoff liked Michael and Ray- Michael was an excellent fighter who never gave up and Ray was pretty handy with a sword and a bow himself, plus, they kept Gavin occupied. And the less time he had Gavin breathing down his neck- the better.
“Geoff! Geoff!”
Geoff rolled his eyes to see Gavin, bumbling into court waving a piece of paper in his hands. Michael and then Ray weren’t that far behind him, but entered in a much more respectable fashion, politely bowing as they had been taught and remaining silent, waiting for Geoff’s word to speak.
Gavin had no care for such trivial things as etiquette.
“Your best mate Ryan’s wrote you a letter.” Gavin announced, skipping up the steps to the throne two at a time to hand deliver it. Geoff looked to Jack, who rolled his eyes and shrugged before standing up, and taking the letter from Gavin.
“Thank you, son!” he announced loudly, hoping his audience of citizens couldn’t sense the irritation on his tongue. “Now go on- have fun with your friends. Mogar. Rose Prince.” He nodded at them both separately, as they bowed on one knee with their heads dipped and muttered a custom my king, before straightening again. Gavin grinned.
“Cool. See you later, old man.” He teased. Geoff bit his lip, trying his hardest not to crack a smile. Gavin made it so hard to be annoyed sometimes. The kid was just effortlessly charming- it was incredibly annoying. Gavin could break every rule in the book and Geoff knew he would be there to laugh along with him as the kingdom came crashing down.
But, the citizens couldn’t know that. It was far too late for secrecy regarding Ryan’s arrival as Gavin skipped off with Michael and Ray following, so with a brief look toward Jack, who nodded, Geoff was pulled a sharp letter opener from the inside of his cloak, and speared the envelope open.
“My dearest friend, Geoff.” He read, aloud.
“I regret to inform you that my father’s once most trusted advisor, and then mine, has died. It is with great sorrow that I write you this letter. However, in the Dark Lands we know how to deal with death so we will live on. I am greatly excited to see you and your people tomorrow, when I shall arrive on horseback with crates of gifts and produce.
Until then. James Ryan Haywood the Third, Dark God of the Dark Realms and its Land, otherwise known as; The Mad King.”
“Propaganda?” He whispered to Jack. His advisor nodded, rolling his eyes.
“Excellent news, as you all heard!” Geoff announced loudly to the no longer smiling faces below him. “King Ryan will be here soon. Then, finally, we may be able to draft a peace treaty protecting ourselves and each other from harm for the next forty years.”
“-and a banquet.” Jack muttered.
“And a banquet!” Geoff yelled. “Yes, my people! I would like to announce that a regal banquet is being held in honour of this momentous occasion and you are all welcome to join the festivities as the formal dance which shall take place afterwards. Good day.”
“Good day, my king!” They chorused in unison, just before the knights assembled to escort them out. Geoff waited for the last smiling citizen to leave and the ivory gates to close before he collapsed on the cushioned chair placed on top of the throne and pulled his grown off.
“It gets creepier and creepier every time they chant it.” Jack laughed. Geoff glared at him.
“Is this bullshit real?” he waved the letter from Ryan around vaguely. “About his dad’s advisor- that old croon. He really kicked the bucket?”
“That’s what I’ve heard.” Jack nodded. “Ryan should be pleased- that guy’s the one who was holding him back from keeping so much peace in their kingdom. It’ll be good if he’s gone.”
“Indeed.” Geoff relaxed, reaching for his golden cup of unsweetened wine. He took a refreshing sip and smiled at the tart taste. “Hopefully Ryan won’t cause too much trouble with his new found freedom.”
The trumpets blared and Geoff felt himself groan, the piercing shrieks pounding his head and waking him suddenly. His chamber was located on as small raised platform right at the back of his concrete tower but he had still heard the trumpets as clearly as if the musicians were at the foot of his bed. Clearly, it only meant one thing.
Ryan was here.
Even Gavin, bitterly so was at the parade of an entrance, wearing his crown for once and bowing in all the right places beside Michael and Ray. Ryan was lead in first on a pure black horse and followed by another fifty, ridden by knights and pulling crates filled with tropical birds and flowers and spell books and foods. It was an extortionate amount of stuff- but then, Ryan had never done things small.
He dismounted his horse in one fluid motion, velveteen cape draped over his shoulders and golden, slashed crown askew on his brow. He smirked around him at the people bowing for a few more seconds before nodding for them all to stand. It was mostly Geoff’s knights and dignitaries, the only people not bowing being Geoff himself and then, just behind him, Jack.
“Ryan.” He smiled tiredly, as everyone got to their feet. “How good to see you.”
“So, Ryan.” Jack’s spoon thudded against the wooden bowl of soup. “I trust you had a good journey.”
“It rained the second day.” Ryan said. He ate disgustingly, shoving hunks of meat and mouthfuls of soup into his mouth at rapid pace, chewing frantically as if it was the first meal he’d seen in a week. Geoff rolled his eyes and slid another napkin over in Ryan’s direction, knowing all too well the savage table manners of the Dark Realm citizens.
“Gavin said it would do that, didn’t you Gav?” Geoff nodded from the head of the table. All eyes turned to the creeper-boy prince, who merely shrugged and sipped from his drink.
“It’s science, you see. If you document the clouds patterns over a solar period of about four days, you can predict the outcome of the weather by calibrating the angle-”
“-enough.” Ryan interrupted him. “I don’t need a five-minute lecture on meteorology. How long has it been since you picked up a spell-book?”
“I don’t believe much in practicing magic anymore.” Gavin mumbled. Ryan laughed, loudly and curtly.
“And why is that, may I ask?”
Gavin glared at his food, refusing to meet Ryan’s steely gaze. “It’s primitive.” He muttered. “Outdated, dangerous. Unpredictable, to say the least.”
“Only if you’re doing it wrong.”
Geoff watched the tension at the table build until his stomach turned. Jack was staring frantically between him and Ryan. Gavin’s eyes were fixated on his plate, and Michael’s fists were curled around his cutlery so tightly that they became even paler as he glared at Ryan. The only one who had no reaction was Ray, absentmindedly chewing on a mushroom as he gazed distractedly out of the window.
“So anyway.” Jack eventually cut the silence. “Ryan. Your advisor- he died?”
“Yes.” Ryan leant back, wiping his hands and his mouth on the silk napkin Geoff had given him. “Finally got out of my way. He was really holding me back- honestly, he was so against this peace treaty.” He rolled his eyes. “You know I killed my dad what… fifteen years ago now? I’ve been king for so long- but some of those old school royalists, they were still so loyal to him- they’d rather listen to his advisor than to me. I’m glad he’s dead now so I can make some real difference.”
Geoff didn’t flinch like the princes did when Ryan casually mentioned the cold blooded murder of his own father. He and Jack were more than familiar with the brutish traditions of the colder biomes- and to Ryan it was nothing but normal dinner conversation. The next reigning monarch, usually the king or queen’s first son would slay their predecessor and take their throne. That’s what Ryan had grown up with, and being the only child- it was his duty to carry on the family bloodline.
Not that his father hadn’t put up a good fight. As far as Geoff knew, Ryan still had the scars across his back from where he’d been whipped after his first failed attempt to kill him by slitting his throat in his sleep. Apparently, in Ryan’s world- any death that wasn’t in battle or wildly painful at least was considered unworthy. For Ryan to want such a thing as almost painless peace for his father, he had to be punished.
Gavin didn’t look so hungry anymore.
“I really feel that this alliance will be in everyone’s best interest.” Ryan continued, oblivious to the reaction he received from the younger end of the table. “If there is any kind of war or attack… our armies together would be wondrously ruthless.” His eyes sparkled at the notion of war and Geoff huffed, keeping his thoughts to himself as best as he could.
“He’s creepy.”
“He’s alright! You’re just a baby Gav.” Michael teased. “Never seen bloodshed in your god damn life.”
The three of them, the ‘lads’ as Geoff so fondly called them, where holed up in Gavin’s stone corner masterpiece of a house, laid out together on the bed surrounded by the countless artworks Geoff had collected over his many years. How every single portrait ended up in Gavin’s house, Ray would never understand, Gavin just had a way of winning the king over in a way that nobody else could.
“He’s creepy, isn’t he Ray?” he insisted. Ray shrugged.
“I don’t know.” He said, truthfully. “He seems… powerful, for sure. A typical king, I guess. I didn’t take much else in.”
“Whatever.” Gavin rolled his eyes. “Ryan is a creep. Stay away from him.”
“Don’t tell him that.” Michael shoved Gavin gently, but enough to make him almost lose his balance over the edge of the bed. “Ray, look.” Michael looked over, ignoring Gavin trying to cling onto his back to pull himself more securely on the bed. “Ryan’s scary as shit- but he’s a nice guy deep down. I’ve met him a couple’a times and he’s always been good to me.”
“Yeah?” Gavin smirked. “Brutes stick together I suppose.”
Michael shoved Gavin roughly so he was on the floor again before he pounced. Within seconds, they were wrestling and laughing as Gavin continued to shout about Ryan and Ray staid laid out on Gavin’s soft bed, wondering how someone with eyes as beautiful as Ryan’s could be apparently so dangerous.
“Creepy.”
“Nice.”
The pair were still bickering as they made their way out to the centre of Achievement City until Jack hissed for them to stop. Ray took his place, bowed in the procession next to his foster brothers as the crowds gathered behind ropes and the Mad King’s parade began.
It was nothing more than a stupid tradition designed for Ryan to show off his power and his riches- the extravagant shining gifts he had graced upon Geoff’s people being led through the crowd for them to coo at. The only reason Jack had suggested the idea at all was because Ryan was so completely feared by their people, and they wanted nothing less than any kind of opposition to Ryan’s kind offer of peace.
The procession ended with Ryan, riding into the centre of achievement city on a horse that was completely back, strappingly tall with fierce hooves and ingrained muscle. Ray recognised it straight away by the cow-skin saddle. This was Edgar XII, the most relevant in a long line of Ryan’s kept pets- something he was famous for.
Ryan said a few words to appease the crowd before the farce was over and they filed out one by one until only the original six of them remained at the centre of the flag, Gavin reaching forwards to stroke Edgar affectionately before the horse snapped at him, attempting to chew at his fingers as if they were treats.
“Even your bloody horse hates me!” He whined, but Ryan only chuckled in reply and ruffled Gavin’s hair fondly with a heavy hand. Then, once Gavin had wriggled out of his grip and started chatting to Michael, Ryan allowed his eyes to fall on Ray.
He had a swallowing gaze, and Ray felt himself squirming as Ryan watched him silently, the slightest smirk playing on his face. Geoff and Jack had been talking to him, but he had stopped listening all together in favour of staring at Ray until the king and his advisor took notice.
“Ryan?”
“Right, sorry.” Ryan looked away quickly, taken off guard for the first time in his visit. For a second, Ray thought he could see the slightest hint of a blush on the dark king’s face. “What were you saying.”
There was the slightest frown playing on Geoff’s face as he glanced briefly between Ray and Ryan, before he nodded over to the tower and suggesting they continued their discussion in private. That left the lads in the centre of the city, Edgar being led away by one of Ryan’s many hands the minute the kings disappeared together.
“What was that?!” Gavin demanded, once the others were out of earshot. Ray’s eyes widened.
“I… I don’t know. It was nothing.” He said, staring at the back of Ryan’s cape as he was lead inside the tower by Geoff and Jack.
“Oh my god.” Michael said softly, waving his hands in front of Ray’s face to catch his attention. “Don’t tell me you’ve got a crush on him, Ray- you sly dog!”
“I don’t.” Ray frowned. “He was just staring at me. I don’t know why.”
“He likes you!” Gavin exclaimed, poking Ray teasingly in the soft material covering his chest. “I’m calling it now. Ryan likes you!”
“Whatever.” Ray rolled his eyes, shrugging off the subject. “Think what you want. I doubt a fucking King like Ryan would want anything to do with a shitty little technical prince like me.”
“Ray.” Michael rubbed his head with a smile. “Don’t fucking undersell yourself. You’re a total catch and Ryan would be fucking lucky if Geoff even let him get anywhere near you after that.”
“It’s true.” Ray faked a grin, even though he didn’t believe it for a second. “I am a solid ten out of ten.”