Chapter Text
Technoblade had a suspicion.
He had many suspicions, actually, each one more bothersome than the next, and half of them would never be confirmed. He suspected that Phil instructed the medic to describe a heavier dose of pain medication than what Techno initially requested. He was used to dealing with pain. Honestly, Techno hadn't known a day he'd lived without pain in a long time, so he hardly saw the point in dulling his awareness with drugs just because it also took the edge off the aches around his body. But that was exactly what was happening, not a single uncomfortable sensation in sight, at the cost of feeling dizzy and drowsy all the time. He suspected that the little trickles of news they got from outside the castle had been heavily filtered. Aside from the medic and a maid who cleaned around the place, Phil kept any other servants far away from them and answered all their questions himself. Techno did not trust the truthfulness of any information they got, in particular anything concerning the war. He even suspected for a little while that maybe the kidnapping by Enderia was partly staged by the crown. He had no proof for it, and it was probably the most shaky of his theories, it just felt very convenient that Ranboo and Techno got kidnapped, only to be saved and then confined to the castle until further notice, with their capture by enemy forces making the perfect excuse to do so.
What Techno also suspected - was fully certain of, to be honest - was that Phil moved his cane.
He always put it down leaning against the nightstand when he went to sleep. And it would always inevitably have found its way to another spot in the room by the time he opened his eyes again. Tommy and Ranboo wouldn't move it without reason. That only left one likely suspect.
"Do you need some help?"
Phil smiled pleasantly at him from the doorway, having a tendency of appearing not long after Techno woke up. Techno would think he was being spied on, if not for the fact that he was pretty certain the more likely explanation was that Phil had a good memory for his habits and routines.
"I'm good," Techno said. He was sitting on the edge of his bed, dreading the dozen or so steps it would take for him to get to the other side of the room, where his cane sat innocently waiting against the desk. Not where Techno had left it last night.
He wondered if perhaps he could train Steve to fetch it for him, once he was allowed inside the castle. For the moment, Phil was insisting that Steve stay with the other dogs in the kennel since the medic had said that Techno needed to be careful with his stitches reopening, or the risk of infection if he couldn't keep his wounds clean. Overexcited wolves weren't exactly conducive to that sort of thing. But Techno had been wearing away at Phil's resistance to having Steve inside bit by bit.
Yeah, two could play that game.
"Don't be petty," Phil said as he went over to the desk without asking. He picked up Techno's cane and brought it to him. "Your stubborn act will do you no good, neither one of your apprentices is here right now."
Techno glared up at him a little, but took the mobility aid without further complaint.
"That's not what this is," he said. Phil had gotten it in his head that Techno's insistence on not needing help was nothing but a performative thing, an attempt from Techno to maintain his dignity, an inability to accept the sort of care he was more willing to dole out to others. Which… wasn't entirely inaccurate, maybe. Techno could admit he didn't like to appear weak. He felt more comfortable in the position of caring for himself and his loved ones, than when the situation was reversed.
He didn't want to be a burden on his apprentices, too young to be worried about making sure Techno wouldn't fall apart when they're barely adults themselves.
But Phil acted as if that meant he needed to pick up the slack and be the one who took care of Techno instead. Downright infuriating. Especially if he then smugly created situations where Techno needed his help even more.
"You know what would actually be nice-" Techno started, only for Phil to grab his elbow. He helped Techno upright.
"A walk around the premises with me?" he suggested.
"No. My actual service animal."
"We can visit your barely tamed mutt during the walk, I suppose," Phil sighed, as if it was Techno who was doing him some great evil with the request.
"You know," Techno said, "It takes a certain kind of person to hate a dog just because it doesn't like them."
"I don't hate Steve," Phil gasped, either mock offended or genuinely so, Techno couldn't really tell. "He hates me. Infinitely worse."
"Steve doesn't have the capacity to hate," Techno said. Phil scoffed at that.
As much as he loathed having to lean on Phil - proverbially or literally, though in this case it was the latter, using Phil's arm as a guide and a crutch in addition to the cane as they made their way down polished marble hallways - the moment sunlight hit his face, Techno hardly felt like he could care anymore. He struggled with the fact that he was bedridden for weeks after he woke up, feeling frail and exhausted all the time. He hated Phil for hovering over him during that period, nursing him to health worse than a wounded, abandoned baby animal. He hated the castle walls, and the royal guest rooms, and the gorgeous garden with the iron bench and the peaceful pond.
But he hated them in an absent way. Disconnected. Hated them because he wasn't there by choice, not because he was there at all.
"Much better," Phil said, once they sat down. He adjusted his clothes a little to keep the early morning chill out, and seemed like he was about to do the same for Techno, until Techno glared at him. "Do you need anything? A blanket so you don't get cold?"
Techno shook his head. "Nope, all good. You can go now."
Philza laughed as if he'd made a joke, staying exactly where he was.
They sat in what Techno would almost describe as comfortable silence, at least for a handful of minutes. Phil's company was… vexing for him. He did not find the man insufferable to be around in itself. Sometimes, dare Techno even say their conversation was bearable? It was the pushiness that Techno minded, the constant reminders that Phil felt he knew better than Techno, knew better what was good for him and his apprentices. Heh, maybe a slight edge of bitterness lay below the current. Tommy especially had taken an immense liking to Phil. Techno was grateful that Tommy had somebody to fall back on when Ranboo and he went missing, he could not imagine how frightening that must have been for the young man. But it did bother Techno when he felt that Phil's true intentions were never pure.
When he knew the kind of person Phil really was.
"The war will be over soon," Phil said suddenly, unprompted.
"That's good," Techno answered.
"It'll still take a long fucking time for things to settle down," Phil said. "But it's a start. Life can return to how it should be."
"Too bad the forge is gone," Techno said, swallowing thickly through the grief that still rotted there.
Not long after Techno and Ranboo were kidnapped, and Tommy was sent to the capital, a fire broke out in their town. A lot of the houses burned down, including Techno's forge and home. All his ledgers, his books, his belongings. Nobody got injured, thankfully, but it'll take a long while for them to rebuild. There is nothing there for Techno to return to.
It's another suspicion he has.
Again, there was silence until Phil cleared his throat. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"The old war left scars on you that I should have noticed earlier."
Techno frowned, a small twitch downward of his brow. He almost jolted when Phil touched his shoulder, briefly. The gesture held such immeasurable gentleness.
"They certainly explain your irrational behavior all the time," Phil added.
Techno snorted. Yeah, that made sense. He should know by now that Phil was not the type of person who had any self-awareness, unable to reflect on his own actions.
"You must be happy," Techno said. "You got everything you wanted."
"I did, didn't I?" Phil mused, with a pleased smirk playing around his lips. He leaned back against the seat, tilting his face up so the sun caught in his lashes. "But so did you. Your apprentices never got sent to the front, you didn't even end up having to make that many weapons. Everybody wins."
The words cut through Techno worse than a knife.
"And all you had to do was stage a kidnapping, right?" he said bitterly.
Phil laughed. "That's a grave accusation, mate. I had nothing to do with that."
"Unlike the other stuff?"
"What other stuff?" Phil asked, blinking at him innocently.
"Squirming your way into our lives, blackmailing me, making the entire town run scared," Techno said, unable to keep some anger from slipping into his tone. "Ruining our lives."
Phil looked at him - well and truly looked, like he was trying to see something else. Techno gripped the handle of his cane harder under the scrutiny. He expected another denial, but all he got was a small shrug.
"Perhaps some of my actions were extreme," Phil said. "You're putting more blame on me than is fair, though."
Techno didn't know anymore, was the thing. He felt unable to believe his own thoughts at this point, floundering to figure out what was Phil's design and what was simply the tedium of war wearing down civilians or his own paranoia playing tricks on him. He wanted to yell at Phil. He wanted to demand answers for once, rather than more cryptic replies.
Tommy walked into the garden and immediately came over to the bench when he spotted them.
"Techno, are you feeling better?" His cheeks were flushed, heated by the fire. Techno nodded at him. "Look, I made a teacup today." He held something up to Techno that, admittedly, could be called a teacup when one applied the definition quite broadly.
"Out of iron?" Techno asked, taking the item. The cup was still hot from the fire.
Tommy pursed his lips. "They said I have to practice more before I get to use the precious metals, because they can't afford to 'squander' it." He said that word in a pretty exaggerated fashion, making Techno chuckle.
"Silver and gold don't grow on trees," Phil agreed.
"It grows in the ground, which is basically the same," Tommy said.
"It's really not," Phil replied.
"It also doesn't technically grow," Ranboo said, walking up behind Tommy. He was holding a teapot, the shape more recognizable and distinct. And, Techno couldn't help but note with some amusement, made out of silver.
"Looks like you've both been working hard," Techno said.
Tommy turned back to him. "You should come check out the royal forge sometime, it's huge!"
"Maybe."
Techno honestly did not want to. He was glad that his two students were able to continue their studies, but every single time Phil told him he should also go down and work on his craft just to see how well equipped the place was, he became more assured about not doing that. He knew that was a bit childish of him, but for the moment, he had the excuse of his barely healed injuries. If he so much as exhaled in pain, Phil would herd him back to bed.
"They have a lot of good equipment," Ranboo did concede. "I just can't concentrate when there are so many people around. It's all really-" He flapped his hand a few times, trying to capture the exact words he was looking for. "Distracting?"
"We could always make a second forge," Phil said pleasantly.
Techno tried not to clench his jaw. "Seems redundant."
"Nonsense," Phil said. "If the crown employs you full-time, it'd be best for you to stay in the castle. We could build you some private quarters out on the grounds. A proper forge with a home, like you used to have." Phil scowled at the thought. "Well, a bit bigger and more luxurious. The Queen wouldn't want a hovel on her estate."
"If the crown employs me," Techno said tersely.
Phil squeezed his wrist. "We can talk about it more later."
"It'd be nice to live in the capital," Tommy said, flopping down on the bench next to Techno. He rubbed the teacup in his hands proudly. "Phil has been showing me around."
"And the castle feels pretty safe," Ranboo added. When Techno looked at him, he wrung his hands nervously. "I mean, that's- It's a good place to stay, I think. After what happened to us."
"Maybe," Techno said again.
It made sense to him that Tommy would like the capital. That kid was always too big for his breeches. He wouldn't thrive in the small town they were living in before, Techno knew that and had already accepted that Tommy would leave someday. And Ranboo… Ranboo went through some pretty terrible stuff during their kidnapping, too. He wasn't wrong that the capital - the castle walls specifically - felt far out of Enderia's reach. It made sense for him to want to stay there.
Perhaps Techno really was just being selfish.
"No good decisions can be made on an empty stomach," Phil said. "Let's see what we can scrounge up in the kitchen for lunch." He stood. "You two go ahead and make certain there's tea waiting for us when we get there?" he asked the apprentices while offering his arm to Techno again.
Reluctantly, Techno took it, using the cane to get upright while Phil provided him with balance.
But as the other two went ahead of them, Phil held back, allowing them to slip out of earshot before leaning closer and speaking right into Techno's ear. The gesture was warm, wrapping a wing over Techno's shoulder in a way that made him shudder.
"See, I told you they'd be happy here," Phil said. "Now all that's left is you."
Techno only met the Queen once before.
He was barely conscious at the time, raked through with pain. Ranboo and Tommy had been chased from the room for a change, where they'd been keeping up a constant bedside vigil for days. So it was Phil watching over him instead. Piercing blue eyes, soft humming here and there. Techno almost leaning into sharp claws working through his hair.
And then the door opened.
Techno blinked wearily as she entered. Gorgeous, striking. She looked at him and smiled wordlessly.
She also kissed Phil, which, huh, that probably meant something, though Techno was too out of back then to really concern himself with the intricacies of Phil's personal relationship with the Queen. He only remembered that there was something intimidating about her very presence, a calculation behind deep, dark blue eyes as they watched him.
Not much of that remained when Techno sat across from her at a long dinner table.
The Queen could not spare her time for them often, but to celebrate the end of the war, she had asked them to attend the festive dinner that took place. Techno felt awkward, dressed up more fancy than he had in ages, and posed between chattering nobles. Servants walked to and fro to fill their cups and plates, never allowing them to remain empty for more than a moment. Phil sat next to the Queen on one side, Ranboo on the other. As a royal himself, he was considered a guest of honor.
Techno felt himself ache longingly for that private forge Phil had mentioned. He'd love to hide away in there.
"To a victory well earned," one of the nobles near Techno said, raising his wine towards the Queen. Techno found it interesting that she had decided to seat herself along the length of the table rather than at the head of it. During the war, rumors of the Queen's coldness had spread far and wide. With that ruthlessness no longer warranted, perhaps she saw it fit to show a smidgen of relaxation, to endear herself back to the court.
Push and pull. An age old tactic in social strategy.
"Our sacrifices were many, but our outcome was just," she replied, inclining her own cup tepidly. And her eyes - almost purple in the waning evening light - fixed on Techno again.
Techno quickly looked away. Tommy was digging into the food in front of them with a notable lack of decorum, and Techno was uncertain if he should chide him for it. Phil did seem to be smiling so politely over it that his face almost contracted into irritation. That was what made Techno decide not to mention it. If Tommy's table manners were annoying Phil, Techno would rather he carry on.
"The economic opportunities will help the kingdom recover quickly," the same noble who had called for the toast said. He was a short, generously built man, with a thick, coarse blanket of a beard that almost reached down to his belly.
"Ah, yes, the trade routes have already been opened, haven't they?" another chittered happily.
"Have you decided what lord will be put in charge of the new territory?" a third asked the queen, feverish eyes betraying that they might be gunning for the position. "A loyalist, assuredly? To root out any remaining Enderian insurrection."
Techno couldn't help but notice that Ranboo tucked in his chin at that.
"It's a work in progress," the queen said.
"The citizens would take best to a return of their former rulers rather than being taken over by their enemies," Techno said. It wasn't entirely meant to be an opposition. But he could see a few of the nobles sit back, looking uncomfortable. Any form of disproval of the Queen or her methods would usually be struck down harshly. She did not tolerate disrespect.
Yet, the Queen nodded her agreement. "You're not wrong. That's why Ranboo has agreed to graciously disavow his heritage and its ties to the land publicly. As the last remaining member of the royal line, that should squash down on any silly ideas of rebellion. Don't you agree?" The last question was aimed in Ranboo's direction.
"I hope so," Ranboo said, hands pushed into his lap.
"It's the better choice," Phil praised, which seemed to comfort Ranboo somewhat.
"Y-yeah! It's not like I was really attached to the throne after my uncle- I mean, he…" Ranboo smiled slightly, halfway looking at Techno's face. "I don't really want to be a king, you know?"
Techno supposed that was fair. Ranboo did not strike him as the type of person to enjoy ruling a country, and if the Queen offered him a choice between returning to Enderia as its rightful king and making their nations into allies, or conceding the land so he could live out his life as a regular noble, he wasn't surprised by Ranboo's decision.
Something about it still rubbed him wrong. Maybe it was the way Ranboo's thumb pressed into the edge of the table, leaning away from the Queen a little as she grinned at him.
"As I said, many sacrifices should be made for the betterment of everybody," she mused. "He won't regret this."
Techno didn't dare speak more on it. Not there, with all these ears listening in.
Only when Ranboo had helped him to his room after the dinner did he ask about it. For once, he'd managed to shake Phil, since he was busy tending to his Queen (wife? Techno still hadn't figured it out). Tommy was already tucked into Techno's bed, barely able to keep his eyes open after a night with that much excitement, and too sleepy to make it to his own down the hallway. Techno sat on his desk chair, the flickering light of a candle the only thing illuminating the dark corners.
"Are you really okay with this?" Techno asked.
Ranboo knelt before him, helping Techno undo the laces on his boots because his pains were too great to consider bending over himself. Like this, things weren't much different from how they used to be, aside from the opulence surrounding them. Ranboo crouching down just the same as back in the forge, looking up at Techno, reluctant but content.
"Of course," he said. "Tommy loves it here. You don't have to work so hard all the time, and they have good medics to help you with your-" He cut himself off, probably aware that Techno didn't like to talk about his physical state, especially since it deteriorated after their kidnapping stint. "It's good here," Ranboo finished lamely.
"What about you?" Techno pressed. Ranboo made a little noise of confusion. "You mention Tommy and me. But what about you?"
"I want you both to be safe," Ranboo said. Seeing it wouldn't satisfy Techno, he forced a smile. "And I don't want to leave you guys."
"Even if it means you never get to go home?" Techno asked.
"I'm already home."
Something inside Techno softened at that.
"Ugh, you're being too loud, I can't sleep," Tommy complained from over by the bed. Techno managed to get his shoes off with Ranboo's help, then the jacket of the formal clothes. He didn't bother with anything else, walking over to the bed and nudging Tommy to the side.
"You got a big mouth for somebody who is currently drooling into my pillows," Techno teased. The mattress dipped when he sat down on it. Tommy had an arm wrapped around him before he even fully lay down, instinctively burrowing closer. They'd done this a lot back when winters were rough, and when Techno didn't make enough money to waste firewood on keeping the forge warm when he wasn't metalworking. During the night, Tommy would sneak into his bed.
Techno allowed Tommy's head to rest on his shoulder, considering if maybe Ranboo was right.
"I'll move my rook and take your knight," Phil said, but he didn't actually touch the pieces.
Techno waited as Phil watched the board, scrutinizing it with the levity normally reserved for a general studying a war map, contemplating if the next decision would doom dozens of his men. Phil was even holding his chin in one hand. Techno waited for about thirty seconds until he couldn't stand it any longer."Yes?"
"Ah fuck, if I do that you're just going to use the bishop, mate." Phil sighed and dropped both his hand and head in defeat. "Then it's checkmate in two moves."
"We could do something else," Techno said.
"No, no, it's fine. Give me a minute."
Techno chuckled. He'd quickly learned that Phil was rather competitive. Well, maybe he'd already known that, but it was starting to get kind of ridiculous how long this man could draw out a simple chess match because he refused to admit defeat.
At his feet, Steve snored quietly. Techno reached beneath the table to pet the wolf a few times.
"There," Phil said eventually, moving his queen rather than his rook.
Techno didn't hesitate to make his next move. "Checkmate."
Phil's eyes went wide. "Seriously?" He blinked several times, then sagged back into his chair. "How did I miss that?"
"Maybe it's time to get your eyes checked, old man."
Another few blinks, then Phil laughed. "Okay, you little shit. Do you want a rematch, or are you tired?"
Techno looked out the window. The sun had set a while ago, though he could see the droplets of rain that clung to the window. "I won't make you walk back in the storm," he said. "One more match?" As if they didn't both know that the entrance to the castle proper was twenty paces at best from Techno's new forge and home, Phil would survive.
A lazy grin curled around the other man's lip. "One more match."