Odell watched as Gwyn wandered off with Mina down the beach and chuckled slightly to himself. So that’s his type, the grey prince thought to himself. He held back a snicker, just enough to keep it from going audible. His friend hadn’t shown much interest in ladies, and the grey prince was starting to worry—what if Gwyn was secretly into mechanical things like him, and his individuality was under threat?

  He was happy to see Gwyn just seemed to like the Netzian girls. Ones with all the features Netzians seemed to clamor for overdone to an extreme that might be considered parody if the girl was from a book, but a Netzian all the same. This, coupled with learning Hal had a girl, meant the grey prince was free to hide in the garage without others getting in the way. Though, thinking about it made him realize just how much less he had been doing just that. Odell rubbed his arm where the muscle was still sore and watched as Gwyn and Mina disappeared into a path carved through some woods.

  “Where is he going?” Fiona asked with concern in her voice. Odell wasn’t sure what she could be so worried about. The blue princess looked at where the duo had vanished, then turned back to the table—moving back and forth in a steady rhythm.

  “Perhaps he got annoyed with you?” Harlan offered in such a quiet voice the grey prince was sure not everyone heard it.

  The masked Aqueenian next to Hal pressed two hands to her exposed cheeks and made an ‘aww’ noise.

  “I mean,” she explained, “when a man and woman go off like that, is there any other explanation!”

  “They could be attending a secret meeting,” Hal added with zero emotion. Masquerade sighed and nudged his arm with her shoulder.

  “Mr. Lack of Romance aside, I think we might be seeing some love brewing!”

  “I don’t know,” Fiona added. “I am not sure that girl is someone good to leave around Gwyn. She might get him in trouble.”

  Rheba shook her head, “There was once an otherworlder who was famous for creating the saying, pot meet kettle.”

  Haliegh stood up and pushed her green hair behind her hair. She looked to the same spot and shook her head. Her green-haired brother had locked into the movement and stared with squinted eyes.

  “The Aqueenian princess may be right. Didn’t you see what strength she had during the volleyball game? Without even a Needaimus attached. Something is not right about her!”

  Of this girl, Odell could be sure of ulterior motives in her words. He wouldn’t have considered himself wise, but he knew a thing or two about people hiding things, thanks to his brother. The blue girl which jumped up beside her and nodded vigorously; he was not so certain about. Perhaps Fiona was simply worried, though, in all the years the prince had known her, she’d never been one to show too much concern about others. Then again, she did seem to have changed recently.

  Either way, the newly formed duo locked eyes and seemed to share unspoken words with each other. Fiona spoke up for the new team as she scooped her Needaimus off the neighboring table.

  “We’ll go catch up with them, just to make sure nothing strange is going on.” A smack on the table from Hal turned all eyes to him.

  “Why do you need to go, Haliegh?” His voice was even-toned, but his eyes were narrowed, and his mouth turned downward.

  Masquerade put a green hand over his mouth and possibly made a wink obscured by the ornate mask.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “Don’t you pay any mind to him? You go, girl!”

  Haliegh scratched at the side of her head and looked away from the masked girl. Hal’s green companion whispered something into his ear, prompting him to roll red eyes. Rheba coughed on some food mid-bite and had to chug a drink while her two pupils snickered.

  Fiona tugged at Haliegh’s arm.

  “We should go now before we lose them!” The green-haired girl agreed, and both soon vanished into the woods. Hal groaned, but perhaps due to what Masquerade had said, or perhaps due to her clinging onto one arm, didn’t try to say anything more.

  Odell sighed until he suddenly grew aware of two eyes locked on him. Cecilia hadn’t said anything during the whole exchange but apparently stared daggers into him. The prince wondered what it could be about. Did she want to say something, but he interrupted? Did he miss some queue she was giving off? Did she simply want to stab him again for no reason? Or at least no reason, as he was aware.

  He decided he wouldn’t worry about it for now. The excuse the girls had given to follow Gwyn at least got the prince wondering if he should pester that writer Gwyn had exchanged words with before leaving, and if he was trying to be a little more responsible, it meant he should at least try. He scanned the area for Kako, but she had already vanished. The prince wasn’t even sure which direction she could have gone. Nor was he sure he could predict it. He had once heard all writers were wackjobs, and she sure didn’t do anything to alleviate him of that opinion.

  At the very least, Odell was free to enjoy himself now without any unneeded responsibility. Cecilia cleared her throat.

  “Odell dear, it is such a lovely night; why don’t we go for a walk as well?”

  Did she want to chase after Gwyn and Mina, too? Odell wasn’t sure what the big deal was.

  “Don’t you think there are enough people on that path?”

  “So, we take a different path; the beach looks clear over there!” Now Odell was very confused, but the girl tugging at his arm didn’t seem like she would take no for an answer.

  Harlan whispered into Rosmary’s non-ear, and the turquoise lizard girl chimed in.

  “Perhaps it is time we started exploring some night activities, and maybe Harlan and I can also go fo-ah.” A whip from Harlan’s tail on top of Rosemary’s head stopped her sentence at an unclear point.

  “Yes, let’s!” Cecilia added, and she pulled Odell away before he could say or hear anything else. He let her hang to his arm tightly, but neither said anything as they walked in silence under the illumination of the twin moons. The grey prince looked up at them and silently mouthed, “Oh, Sisters of Night… help.”

  He was at a loss of what to say or do but walked with his fiancé all the same. If only there was a garage that needed work done.

  “Say, Odell,” Cecilia suddenly chimed in. Her voice was low and even-toned. It was a bit unusual from the excitement she usually had. “Did my coming make things a bother for you?”

  “I, uh, what do you mean?”

  “Just watching you chat with everyone else… you seem more open, more flexible, more… happy.”

  Odell had trained for weeks since arriving back home. He dedicated his mind to all the books he had skipped and his body to all the combat practice he had avoided. Yet, none of that gave him any preparation for the question the girl asked. What was he to say? How did he actually feel? She had become his fiancé off his father taking his own big mouth too seriously, and she never took the hint he’d rather get greasy than dressed nice for a fancy dinner. Or she just ignored the hint. Feelings of frustration with her had left her to get more aggressive with her advances, and he was starting to see how he played some responsibility in that—her going too extreme was another story entirely.

  But the grey prince was at a loss of what to say when faced with it. Did he hate having her here? Was he just playing along now in some blend to sate her emotions and hold to his attempt to be more responsible as prince?

  A previously less cautious version of himself would have replied, “I don’t know,”’ and he almost did on instinct. He stared at anything else but the grey girl. At the trees swaying on the beachfront. At the resort, building off in the distance. At a Zenotote villain with miscolored scales in his chest.

  It didn’t hit Odell until the stranger had walked away, but he was certain that it was the one from Nun who beat him to a pulp and smashed his crown. Odell’s eyes grew wide.

  “It’s him!” the grey prince stammered. “Hold on, Cecilia, I think I just saw trouble.”

  Hobusians weren’t built for running, but Odell did his best through the sand and up to where the familiar face had just been standing. He looked all around, but he waited too long to react. The man was gone. The grey prince turned back to his fiancé, and she just stared at her feet.