Chapter Twentyone: The Map
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Leveret blinked slowly at himself in the mirror.
He had half-heartedly dressed himself in the clothes Marty had dropped into the room the night before.
He looked much like a child.
The shirt sleeves covered his hands, which he didn’t mind, but made him look immature.
“I look like a twit.”
He muttered, looking down at himself and gesturing with his covered hands.
“...A very comfortable twit, though.”77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFLp8hFFQnc
He admitted quietly, spinning the button on the cuff of the sleeve with his thumb.
“Fine.”
He huffed, nudging open the door and trudging down the hall and into what he assumed was the kitchen.
He glanced around the room, the house quiet.
“Mornin’, deary.”
Leveret’s head snapped up at the greeting.
Marty leaned against the doorframe across the room, fingers wrapped around a mug of something steaming.
Marty smiled, pushing his hair back from his face as he slid a second cup across the table towards Leveret.
“Oh uh… I thought you’d want some tea. I- Well, I made ya some ‘cause I used to make ya some every mornin’ in the castle, dear.”
He tittered, gesturing vaguely towards the castle in the distance.
Leveret picked up the cup cautiously.
“I- Thank you, but should you be… um…?”
He stammered.
Marty’s eyes flicked from Leveret to the window.77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZOgFWrDRUz
“Oh, at the castle? Nah!”
He laughed into his mug.
Leveret tilted his head a degree.
“Why not?”
He inquired, tapping the floor with his foot.
Marty pulled out a chair and sat down, draping a leg over the armrest.
“I quit.”77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMWbQLHXtdM
He shrugged.77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEN4bS8i0au
Leveret paused, his cup half-way to his mouth.
“Pardon you? You did what?!”
He chirped, his voice cracking slightly.
Marty laughed like it was an inside joke between them.
“You bettchya, deary!”77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamI5fKjy0u
He grinned.
“Marty! I- Pardon my Phallowsish, but what were you thinking, you twit?!”
Leveret cried, placed down his cup and crossing his arms over his chest, stomping his foot.
“Well, someone’s gotta take care of ya.”77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Xf66ARRDl
“I can take care of myself.”
Leveret grumbled, glaring at Marty out of the corner of his eye.
“Deary, last time you ‘took care of yourself’ we found ya laying in the middle of a field.”
Marty remarked, staring at the bottom of his cup, biting his cheek to keep from chuckling.
Leveret glanced up at him.
“We shall not speak of such absurdities.”
He mumbled.
“If you insist, Princy.”
Marty said, placing down his cup with his fingertips and turning to face Leveret.
Leveret pulled out a chair, muttering to himself.
He sat down, adjusting his posture and making sure his crown didn’t tilt to the side, his fingers laced together under his sleeves.
“Since you are here… we must curate a plan. Due to the fact that you made an oath last night, you shall be helping me.”
Leveret announced, holding his head high in an attempt to look regal.
Marty leaned over the table, resting his chin on the base of his palm.
“Ah yes, our oath. Got any ideas, majesty?”
He inquired.
“Do you have a map?”
Leveret replied, biting back a small smile.
Marty’s gaze flicked to the upper right corner of the room.
“Ain’t that a good question…”
He murmured almost to himself as he stood up and walked into the next room over, followed by faint sounds of rummaging.
“Where is it?! I was just messin’ with it a week ago…”
Marty said to himself, digging through a desk drawer.
Leveret arched an eyebrow.
“Are you quite alright in there?”
He inquired, leaning over the table.
“Yep! Yep! Just… Aha! Found it!”
Marty sing-songed in response, trotting out of the room with a scroll in hand.
He unrolled the parchment in front of Leveret like it was the grandest thing to ever be unfurled.
“Your map, Princy.”
He declared.
“Thank you, Marty.”
Leveret nodded, smoothing the paper.
“Marty, why is there a mustache drawn on The Lips of Kalopsia?”
He asked, blinking slowly.
“Artistic vision, deary, but that ain’t important right now.”
Marty claimed, resting his elbows on the tabletop.
“What’s your plan, Levy?”
Leveret glanced at Marty and then back down at the map.
“I- Well, so you drew the farm house here… that is pleasing.”77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0LJxpLz4pS
Leveret purred, arching his eyebrows.
He cleared his throat.
“Anyway, since my…”77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkyn2RF5Czq
Leveret’s nose scrunched in disgust.
“...lovely mother has exiled me,”77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqRnCzJJEV
He managed to choke out.
“I must be out of sight of the townsfolk, so to get to the castle we must go around the Mystic Forest from the right side rather than the left.”
Leveret instructed, dragging his finger along the paper.
Marty’s shoulders untensed slightly.
“Alright.”
He hummed.
Leveret paused for a moment.
“That is… odd.”
He said to himself.
Marty shifted closer to look over his shoulder.
“What?”
Leveret pointed at the small cluster of trees drawn next to the farm.
“That was never labeled on the maps in the castle.”
He remarked.
Marty raised an eyebrow.
“Little Gretchen’s Labyrinth?"
“Yes.”
“I could take ya there if you want, dear.”
Marty half mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck as he stared down at the map.
Leveret let out a startled snort.
“Pardon you?”
Marty glanced up at Leveret with a half smile.
“Well, yeah. It’s jus’ a few paces away, Princy!”
Leveret tapped his foot on the floor.
“I have never been in a forest before.”
He admitted, glancing down sheepishly.
Marty tilted his head to make eye contact with Leveret.
“Then we have to go, dear!”
He exclaimed.
Leveret drummed his fingers on the table.
“This is extremely improper by royal standards.”77Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLC7lQFV3Yw
He replied, staring down at his hands.
Marty bumped his shoulder.
“But ya don’t have to care about ‘royal standards’ anymore, deary.”
Leveret let out an involuntary snort before covering his mouth with his hand.
“Marty, that is ridiculous!”
Marty rolled his eyes.
“I was bein’ serious, y’know.”
He groaned in mock exasperation.
Marty took Leveret’s hand in his, guiding him towards the door.
“I’m pretty sure Zoey got out again anyway.”
He chirped as he stepped onto the grass, swinging Leveret around to be next to him.
Bella sat on a fence post, following the duo with her hazel eyes.
“Do ya fancy he’s ready?”
She inquired, turning to her brother standing next to her.
“He ain’t, Bella.”
Will sighed, patting her shoulder.
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and then Add to home screen.