Chapter Text
As they walked through the halls, George couldn’t help but feel quite anxious. Yes, he lived here and every twist and turn was filled with overwhelming familiarity, but he couldn’t help the thoughts gnawing at his brain. He knew why Punz was dead... and he knew for certain who did it.
It was with no doubt that Punz was dead because he had a slight resemblance to Dream. It wasn’t much, but the color of their hair was strikingly similar, both having the same golden touch to the ends of their hair. As George began to pick at the similarities between them he saw the same green mask that both wore, same color but not at all the same design. It was a miracle, one could say, that one was dead and not the other. Without a doubt, soon there would be talk of the dead noble, and George couldn't help but cringe inwardly at himself as he began to write a speech in his head that he would say to Luke's parents.
George didn't know why he wasn't as sad as he should be, perhaps he was in shock. No, he was good at taking things in, then why wasn't he feeling bad about the death of the old 'family friend'. Well- that was a lie. He never truly liked Luke and his family, they were the stuck-up type, using their role in society to an advantage against those below them, a crude act really. A flick of memory sparks in Georges head, a memory where Luke and his friends had almost drowned a sickly commoner boy with their magic after he refused to "fetch a bucket of water for them". George had almost grown sick with disgust at his former friend, wanted to strip him of his title and send him below those he hated so much, make him realize what it feels to be treated like you're nothing.
The King and Queen decided against what George had suggested, later giving him a less harsh punishment, not a punishment at all but a mere warning.
Perhaps George should thank the mystery killer for taking out someone who was a danger for society. Or perhaps he should just move on and make sure that nobody else got killed in this- this- assassination? What were his parents thinking though. Without a doubt word had traveled in this past hour to where his parents had been staying in the summer home that one of the nobles sons had been brutally murdered on one of the most sacred and respected nights in centuries. Word traveled through the kingdom faster than anyone had thought possible, nobody knew how everyone seemed to know everything five minutes after it happens. It was almost like a professional game of telephone.
Dream gazed towards George, he could practically see the gears turning and turning in his head, see the clockwork work in his brain. It was wonderous how clueless of the things around them people became when they were lost in thought Sapnap was babbling to himself, Dream not listening and George not even hearing his useless words. It was almost strange how George managed to walk through the halls without thought, not paying attention to the sconces on the walls as he practically swung around corners. About to hit one for the fifth time, Dream lunged forward to block his head from ramming into the metal holders, placing his hand between the soft skin of Georges forehead and the cold metal of the sconce. Georges eyes flicked to his own, immediately snapping out of his daze. He stepped back, placing his own hand to where Dreams hand had been mere seconds ago.
"You just like saved me from getting my head bashed inwards."
"I was actually saving the sconce," Dream said, raising his hand to knock on Georges head, "yup, solid as a rock." George blushed furiously, swatting Dreams hand away from his face as he continued walking. Sapnap laughed from ahead of them.
"You really would have torn that from the wall Georgie."
George scoffs "I would not- hey! Don't call me Georgie."
"Whatever you say Georgie Poo." Sapnap makes kissy faces his way. "Oh and Georgie are we almost there, this is tiring and I wanna get to searching so my investigating skills can come to use."
George began to look around the hall they were in, it looked like every other to he went to his last resort. He walked over to the nearest corner, knocking on the stones and Dream and Sapnap walked towards him. As soon as he found what he was looking for he began to pull out the brick, a folded piece of paper coming out along with in. He shifted the stone back into place and carefully worked on unfolding the dingy paper.
"A map of this part of the castle." George said to the peering eyes over his shoulder.
"Interesting but where are we."
He pointed. "We're here so one more turn and we should be there."
"Perfect." Sapnap says as he starts to hop off towards the wrong direction.
"Wrong way shorty." Dream calls out for him.
"I knew that." Sapnap calls back before skipping back towards them and making the correct turn.
"Ugh, we've been searching for so long." Sapnap drawled, walking out of the sixth room towards where Dream and George were. "I think it's time to go back, being in here makes my mask sweaty."
George makes a disgusted noise before turning towards the door, "First of all: ew why is your mask sweaty and second of all, I think we should start to head back as well." Dream nods and leads them back down towards the hall, George and Sapnap following in suit.
The trio made there way through the halls for the second time today, relishing the feeling of being out of those suffocating rooms. Murmuring came from behind them, from where they had been previous, and before they knew it Quack boy Schlatt and Karl something were coming their way, laughter filling the hall. Dream and George nodded to each other before speed-walking away, making sure to not look back in fear of being noticed and called over. Sapnap didn't seem to get the memo because he stood there and walked the two of them practically run away, arms pumping like one of the old women in the village power-walking, while he waited for the group.
A silly situation, really.
Eventually, Dream and George made it to the ball room, where Tommy, Tubbo, Ranboo, Nihachu, and Eret sat in a circle, playing this hand game while chanting a highly off tune song that included the words quack-dilly-o-so. As the two boys enter everybody stops their game and looks up towards them. "Hi Dream." Tubbo says before turning back towards the group. George begins counting heads, messing up a few times before realizing there was a missing head.
"Where's Wilbur." he asks, walking towards the group in the middle of the ballroom.
"Oh, he went to use the loo." Tommy says, earning a look from Ranboo. "What?!"
"Oh, I'm using the loo hohoho." Ranboo mimics in an insulting accent. George and Eret scoff and the sour attempt.
"Oh yeah, and I'm going to the bathroom." Tommy mimics back, although his fake accent wasn't so bad. Ranboo sticks his tongue out at Tommy as he drops the accent. "My kingdom is so much better because we don't say bathroom." Before anyone had time to blink Tommy and Ranboo were arguing, Tubbo trying to break them up as Tommy went into the topic of women.
As they argue, the rest of the people filter in from behind, everyone but Hannah and Wilbur.
A scream sounds from the other direction, everyone turning their heads towards the sudden noise. Everyone starts to walk towards the sound, slowly and carefully, maybe wary because the screamer is unknown, or maybe afraid of the cause. Hannah comes tumbling into the room, dress torn at her knees, blood a film over a side of her face, knees wobbling with effort. Her mask is discarded somewhere else, her hair creating a slightly messy halo around her head. Alyssa and Niki run to her, Dream and George following. The girls catch her before she collapses onto the white marble floor, setting her down gently.
"What happened." Niki asks, creating soothing circles across her back.
"I was just trying to find Wilbur, I didn't mean to do anything." tears started to stream down her face. "They took me, they snatched me from the hallway and put a necklace on my neck-" George could feel Dreams comforting presence behind him as he studied the girl who was a mere five feet away. There was indeed a necklace around her neck, pulsing red and the size of a baby's fist. " and, and then they asked me about Clay. I don't even know who that is." With that, Alyssa turned towards George, worry laced in her gaze. George soon realized that it wasn't him she was looking at, he turned to Dream who stood there looking at her right back, eyes looking like they would pop out of his head.
Whatever was going to happen next, wasn't good.
And they were not close to being prepared.