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51.

52.

53.
Valor: *bowing to Moon* “Good individual, could you tell us where we are?”
Moon: *tilts head, stares*
Victory: “Even the cat can’t believe you’re asking a cat.”

54.
Valor, still bowing to Moon: “Are we in the Endless Forest?”
Moon: *nods*
Valor turns to look back at Vicotory: “See? The good feline answered.”
Victory bends to address Moon while Valor straightens next to her: “Was that an answer to his question? Really?”
Moon: *nods*
Victory: “Oh. Well. Thank you, then.”

55.
Valor, bent to address Moon: “We’re looking for his royal highness, Zhenshay, prince of Ashland. Do you know of him?”
Moon: *rolls her only eye*
Moon: *turns around and walks away*
Valor, bemused: “Was that a yes?”
Victory, from off-panel: “We might as follow the cat. It’s not as if we can get more lost.”

56.
Valor and Victory, following Moon, approach Moon and Zhenshay’s enormous rambling house.

Victory: “A house! Maybe there’ll be a person who’ll talk to us.”
Valor: “Remember, we must be polite.”
Victory: “I’ll save all my rudeness for you, don’t worry.”
Victory, quieter, to Moon: “Thank you for your help, kind feline.”
Valor: “I’m still part of the ‘everyone’ group, Victory.”

57.

58.

Zhenshay sits at a table, a brush poised in one hand.

Victory has entered the room and is staring at Zhenshay, who’s still seated. Valor stands beside and a little behind her.

Victory: “Yes, we ... are.”
Valor: “Good sir, we’re looking for his royal highness, Zhenshay, prince of Ashland. Do you know of him?”
Zhenshay: “...ugh.”
Zhenshay: “Can we not.”
Victory and Valor: “??”

59.

Panel 1: Zhenshay slumped back in his chair, facing the ceiling, eyes closed: “There is no Prince Zhenshay of Ashland. I renounced my title. I’m just Zhenshay now.”
Panel 2: Valor kneels: “Your highness!”
Victory is starting to kneel, partly out of frame.
Zhenshay, off-panel: “What did I just say”

60.

Valor and Victory are both kneeling now.
Valor: “Your highness, his majesty the King of Ashland reinstated your title.”
Zhenshay, off-panel: “Then I’m renouncing it again. Please stop with the kneeling and the ‘your highness’ ugggh.”

61.

Victory and Valor are still kneeling. Zhenshay has moved to stand before the desk, leaning against it and glowering at them.

Victory, sneaking a glance: “Is ... is your highness unwell? Under a curse? We thought your highness was ... human?”
Zhenshay: “Yes, I am human. No, I am not cursed. Yes, I will be fine as long as the two of you drop the kneeling and the royalty nonsense right now.”
Valor: “Your --”
Zhenshay: “RIGHT NOW.”

62.

Victory and Valor have moved to stand, but they’re bowing, hands clasped before them and eyes down.

Valor: “As your -- as you request.”
Zhenshay: “Please just call me Zhenshay. There’s no need for the bowing, either. I’m a commoner.”
Victory: “But -- your -- we could not presume --”
Zhenshay: “Alternatively, you can leave now. I’m good with that too.”

63.

Victory and Valor stand before the viewer, their heads bowed and hands clasped before their chests, hands hidden inside their extremely wide sleeves.

Valor: “We can’t--”
Victory: “Sir, please--”
Zhenshay: “My name is Zhenshay. Just Zhenshay.”
Valor: “Zhenshay.”
Zhenshay: “Was that so hard?”
Valor: “...”

64.

Zhenshay is in the foreground on the right, back to the viewer, facing Valor and Victory, who are finally standing like normal people.
Zhenshay: “Who are you two, anyway? You’re not from Ashland. Sunglanders?”
Valor, indicating Victory with one hand: “Yes, your -- uh. Yes. We’re royal knights of Sungland. I am Sir Valor and this is Dame Victory.”
Zhenshay: “Lovely. Whatever Sungland wants with me, I don’t care. Feel free to leave now.”

65.

Zhenshay strides away. Victory takes a few steps after him, holding out a rolled message tied by a ribbon, while Valor hangs back.
Victory: “But we’ve a message from his majesty--”
Zhenshay: “Still don’t care.”
Valor: “We can’t leave without delivering it.”
Zhenshay: “Are you under a geas?”
Valor: “Well, no--”
Zhenshay: “Pretty sure you’re perfectly capable of leaving with it undelivered, then.”

66.

Closeup of Victory’s outstretched hand, dropping the rolled message into Zhenshay’s hand.

Victory: “Please, Zhenshay.”
Zhenshay: “Ugggh.”
Valor: “His majesty asks your hand in marriage. If you consent, we’re to escort you to Sungland.”
Zhenshay: “I don’t consent. Have a nice trip back.”

67.

Victory and Valor start piling packages on Zhenshay’s desk.
Zhenshay: “Look, I took your message, what’s all this?”
Victory: “Proposal gifts.”
Zhenshay: “I’m not marrying anyone. Take them back.”
Valor: “They’re yours whether you accept or not.”
Zhenshy: “Where were you even keeping all this??”
Victory *holds up sleeve*: “These things are amazing.”

68.

Zhenshay, flopped back into the chair, looking at the scroll: “You said his majesty is proposing? Wait -- Kelezhi is the king of Sungland now?”
Valor: “Yes.”
Victory: “Does that change your high -- your answer?”
Zhenshay: “Absolutely not.”

69.

Zhenshay drops the scroll back to the package-laden desk: “How did Kelezhi end up as king? Never mind, don’t tell me, I don’t care.”
Zhenshay: “I had fifteen other siblings last time I checked. (It’s been a few years, I’m sure the number’s changed, but still). If Sungland and Ashland want a marital alliance, Kelezhi can marry one of them. Leave me out of it.”

70.

Victory and Valor stand with their backs to the viewer, while Zhenshay sits before them, his head dipped and eyes downcast.

Valor: “His majesty only wants you, Zhenshay.”
Zhenshay: “It’s not as if the love potion was my idea. I’ll make an antidote for him. Again.”
Victory: “It’s no use. He still wants your -- you.”
Zhenshay: “And I want to be left in peace. He can get used to not getting what he wants. I have.”

71.

Zhenshay leaning back in his chair, looking down. Valor stands with her back to the viewer, looking between Valor and Zhenshay. Valor bows towards Zhenshay.

Zhenshay: “Is that all? Because I have a life to get back to.”
Valor bows: “We shall take our leave, Zhenshay.”
Victory: “But--”
Valor: “Good day.”
Zhenshay: “You can pick up the antidote tomorrow. Kelezhi can consider that my answer. Even if he still won’t drink it.”
Zhenshay: “Pleasure meeting you. Apart from the proposal and the gifts and the kneeling and the royalty nonsense.”

72.

Close-up of Victory, smirking: “Then what were the pleasant parts, exactly?”
Zhenshay: “I can’t think of anything, to be fair, but that’s not your fault. You’re just doing your jobs.”
Valor: “We appreciate the sentiment.”

73.

Valor and Victory, side by side, walking through the woods, facing the viewer. The sky behind them is a deepening blue.

Victory: “Don’t you think we should have told his highness that we’re not leaving?”
Valor: “He already dislikes us. It won’t aid our mission to alienate him further.”
Valor: “Speaking of which, you should break the habit of calling him ‘his highness’ even if it’s just with me.”
Victory: “Right. Of course. Zhenshay. Gah. I can’t get used to it.”

74.

75.

Victory and Valor walk side-by-side away from the viewer. The sky above is dark and the forest ill-lit; Victory, with a white outer robe, is easier to make out than Valor, who’s wearing dark blues.

Victory: “I thought we’d have to, I don’t know. Fight our way past his army of ogres or somesuch to deliver the king’s message.”
Valor: “Haha, you did not.”
Victory: “Maybe not ogres. Or an army. But something we have experience and training in.”
Victory: “Not a beautiful demon telling us to stop kneeling at once or he’d rip us to shreds.”
Valor: “Come now, at no point did he threaten us with violence.”
Victory: “See that’s the problem! I was ready for violence. I’m not ready for ... whatever this is.”
Valor: “...me either.”

76.

Panel 1: Zhenshay is slumped in his chair, extending one hand to Moon, who looks up at him, purring.
Zhenshay: “Hello, Moon. Is there a customer waiting? Sorry I’ve been so distracted.”

Panel 2: Moon hops into Zhenshay’s lap and rubs her head against his chest. Zhenshay strokes her.
Zhenshay: “Oh. Yes, I could use a cat to cuddle until I feel better. Thank you.”
Moon: *purrs*

77.

Zhenshay is still cuddling Moon.
Zhenshay: “I shouldn’t have been so rude to them. It’s not like any of it was their fault.”
Zhenshay: “And it was heartless to tell them to leave at sunset.”
Zhenshay: “Do you think I should go after them?”
Moon: *purrs*

78.

Victory, looking up at the darkening sky: “I should’ve asked Zhenshay if there was a village nearby where we could stay.”
Valor: “I suppose we’d better camp.”
Victory: “Yes. Maybe we’ll get lucky and bugbears will attack us during the night. Again.”
Off-panel: “Sir Valor? Dame Victory?”
Valor: “Is that ... Zhenshay?”
Victory: “I’d almost prefer bugbears.”

79.

Valor and Victory face Zhenshay. Zhenshay is offering them a slight bow, hands clasped together before his chest. A glowy crystal thing hangs from his wrist like a lantern. Uncannily, it does not illuminate his reflectionless black body, though it lights the other two figures. Victory and Valor are taken aback.

Zhenshay: “Please allow me to apologize for my earlier rudeness. It’s too late to travel in the Endless Forest. You’re welcome to stay at House, if you’d like.”
Victory: “At your house?”
Zhenshay: “It’s not my house. I just live there. But there’s plenty of space.”
Victory: “...whose house is it?”
Zhenshay: “That’s something of a philosophical question, really. Let’s just say House belongs to itself.”
Valor and Victory: “...”
Zhenshay: “Welcome to the Endless Forest.”

80.

Valor and Victory offer slight bows, similar to Zhenshay’s just now, rather than the deeper versions they used earlier.

Valor: “We are much obliged. Thank you for your hospitality.”
Victory, muttering: “Bugbears still look pretty good to me.”
Valor, also muttering: “Hush.”

81.

Valor, Zhenshay, and Victory are walking back to House through the darkened forest. Zhenshay leads the way, the glowy crystal lighting their immediate surroundings.

Off-panel: *distant rumble*
Valor, looking wary: “What’s that noise?”
Zhenshay: “Oh, the living room and the dining room were squabbling when I left. Moon’s sorting it out.”
Victory: “What--”
Victory: “No, never mind, I’m not asking.”
Zhenshay: “You’re getting used to the Endless Forest already. Congratudolences.”
Victory: “Thanks, I hate it.”

82.

Smiling, his eyes in cheerful curves, Zhenshay opens a cabinet in the kitchen and reaches for a big white canister. The kitchen is all in light and medium greens.

Zhenshay: “I haven’t eaten dinner yet. If you’re hungry, I’ll make food for you, too.”
Valor: “We brought rations with us, but fresh food would be welcome, thank you.”
Victory: “You eat normal food, right? Not, like, baked moonbeams and boiled troll toes or something?”
Zhenshay: *laughs* “No, I was thinking rice and stir-fried vegetables.”
Zhenshay: “Also, moonbeams are better steamed than baked, really.”

83.

Victory is dicing vegetables while Zhenshay adds rice to a pot.

Zhenshay: “We’d better eat in the kitchen. Don’t want the living room to think we’re taking the dining room’s side.”
Victory: “Are they still squabbling or are you just teasing us? It’s been quiet since we got here.”
Zhenshay: “I am not teasing you. If it was settled, Moon would be here, demanding dinner.”

84.

Panel one: Moon jumps on the counter next to Zhenshay.

Zhenshay: “See? Now it’s settled. Chicken, Moon?”
Panel 2: Moon flattens her ears.
Zhenshay: “Fish?”
Panel 3: Moon’s ears perk.
Panel 4: Zhenshay, grinning: “Fish it is.”

85.

Zhenshay, Valor and Victory all sit at chairs around a rectangular table, eating with chopsticks off of plates. Moon sits on the table, eating off an elevated dish so that she doesn’t have to crouch to eat.

Victory: “Um, Zhenshay, you’re not already married, right? That’s not why you refused?”
Zhenshay: *laughs* “No, I’m not married.”
Victory: “Oh, good. There’s a rumor that you renounced your title to elope with a servant, so I couldn’t help wondering.”
Zhenshay: “What?”
Valor: “His majesty told us it wasn’t true.”

86.

Same dinner scene as yesterday’s comic, but a different angle.

Victory: “So a servant didn’t come with you when you left the palace?”
Zhenshay: “She did, but I was fourteen and she was nine. What kind of person would think we were eloping? No one at the palace even accepted I was male at the time!”
Valor: “Well, now I know why his majesty said it was false.”

87.

Panel 1: Close up of Victory, looking bright-eyed and inquisitive as she says: “Would it be rude to ask why you left with a servant girl?”
Valor: “Yes.”
Victory: “Aww. I won’t ask, then.”
Valor: “...”
Victory: “What?”
Panel 2: Closeup of Valor with a hand over his face, listing to one side in exasperation.

88.

Zhenshay, with his head bowed: “Her mother asked me to protect her.”
Zhenshay: “Her mother had been my nanny. My parents had her beaten to death. Before she died, she asked me to protect her daughter. So we left together.”
To one side of Zhenshay, Victory looks horrified and speechless.
On the other side, Valor mutters, “This is why one ought not raise such topics,” with his hand still over his face.

89.

Panel 1: Closeup of Victory, wide-eyed with dismay: “How was I supposed to know it was awful and traumatic? If you knew what happened, why didn’t you tell me?”
Panel 2: Closeup of Valor, looking annoyed, perhaps angry: “I didn’t know what happened. I just know that there’s no cheerful, happy reason that two children would flee a palace for the Endless Forest.”
Victory: “...”

90.

Valor, shifting in his seat to give a slight bow towards Zhenshay: “Please accept our apologies for prying.”
Zhenshay: “It’s fine. I am as much in the wrong; I knew the answer was poor dinner conversation and chose to give it anyway.”
Victory: “Please don’t apologize, your -- Zhenshay.”
Zhenshay: “I won’t. I’m not ashamed.”

91.

Victory, with an expression of righteous indignation: “You shouldn’t be! It’s your father’s behavior that was abominable, not yours.”
Valor, looking drained: “...Victory.”
Zhenshay has his back to the viewer, saying: “Haha! Thank you, Dame Victory. We should switch to a normal topic before Sir Valor dies of secondhand embarrassment, however.”
Valor: “Thank you. Now I can die of firsthand embarrassment.”

92.

Panel 1: Moon stands before Valor, one paw against his shoulder as she peers at his face.
Valor is tilted down to look at her, still looking rather drained: “Ah? Hello, good feline.”
Panel 2: Moon curls up in Valor’s lap.
Valor: “?”
Zhenshay: “Moon does that when she thinks a person needs a purring cat.”
Valor: “Oh. Thank you for your consideration, Moon.”
Moon: *purrs*

93.

Panel 1: Closeup of Moon in Valor’s lap while he pets her.
Zhenshay: “You can push her away if you don’t like cats. Or pet her if you do.”
Valor: “Who dislikes cats?”
Zhenshay: “She’ll let you know when she’s done being petted. By biting you.”
Valor: *retracts his hand*

94.

Valor: “...do you have a nonviolent way of expressing that you’re done with petting, Moon?”
Zhenshay: “She usually twitches her tail before biting.”
Valor: *cautiously pets again*
Victory: “Couldn’t she just leave?”
Zhenshay: “Well, she’s done being petted. She’s not done with the lap.”

95.

96.

Panel is a close-up of Zhenshay’s head.
Zhenshay: “I do not mean to presume; you worked hard to gain your titles. Mine was glued onto me at birth and I’ve spent my life trying to unstick it. It’s not the same.”
Valor: “Understandable.”
Victory: “But I still can’t deal with calling you Zhenshay while you call me Dame Victory. So don’t.”
Zhenshay: “As you wish, Victory.”

97.

Valor carries a stack of plates to the sink.
Victory: “So you have a huge house but no servants?”
Zhenshay: “As previously noted, it’s not my house. House takes care of itself in some ways. It’s not a manor in Ashland.”
Zhenshay: “One could argue that I am Moon’s servant, but neither Moon nor I care for this designation, so I won’t.”

98.

Valor is washing dishes before the sink, while Victory dries them. Zhenshay sits on the counter near them.
Valor: “Thank you for hosting us, Zhenshay. Dinner was delicious.”
Victory: “Yes! So much better than field rations.”
Zhenshay: “You’re welcome. It was my pleasure.”
Zhenshay: “Note I didn’t even add qualifiers this time.”
Victory: “I noticed!”

99.

Zhenshay and Victory are in the foreground, back to the viewer as they face a spacious bedroom with a purple and gold trim color scheme.
Zhenshay: “You may have the use of this room and the one across the hall from it.”
Victory: “Wow, are they both this large?”
Zhenshay: “Yes.”
Zhenshay: “My bedroom is at the end of the hall; feel free to knock if you need anything.”
Victory: “I realize you don’t want us to treat you like royalty but you realize there’s no way we’re waking you up in the middle of the night if we can’t find the toilet paper or something, right?”
Zhenshay: “I do. Let me show you where the bathrooms are now.”

100.

Victory and Valor in the foreground, in a hall with doors to either side of them. In the background, Zhenshay is at the end of the hall, beside a door.
Victory: “I’ll take this purple bedroom unless you care, Val?”
Valor: “I do not.”
Valor: “Victory...”
Victory: “Mm?”
Second panel: In the foreground, Valor bows to Victory. In the background, Zhenshay has left, closing the far door with a “click”.
Valor: *bows to her* “Over dinner, I was too sharp with you. I apologize.”
Victory: “What? When?”

101.

Valor is still bowing. Victory bends towards him, with one hand on his clasped ones as she urges him to straighten.
Victory: “Wait, wait, you mean after I asked if you already knew about Zhenshay’s nanny being beaten to death?”
Valor: “Yes. I was out of line.”
Victory: “Ooh, all right. It didn’t bother me. You don’t have to apologize.”
Victory: “Please stop bowing, Val.”