"And what a coup she's made! Lady Avie's popularity has positively soared over the last few days, and it doesn't show any signs of stopping. Looking at the poll ending on the 7th of June, now there's only eleven of the Chosen left in the running, there's still a lot to be excited for. Thanks to all three thousand viewers having sent their votes by phone, we can see that-"

Arthur took the lull in the presenter changing to the ranking graphic to switch channels, hoping that there was something else to see.

"If you haven't gotten into the betting scene yet, contact your local bar or phone 385-319-942-184 to place your guess as to which our prince will choose to be his Queen! Once again, 385-319-94-"

This time it was Emma's turn to change the channel with a roll of her eyes. "The betting scene during Decidings is even worse than what I'm used to at home in Diamonds. Seriously. Everyone gambles on everything."

"And once again, there it is – ah, that's so sweet," The footage was re-airing the kiss, giving Arthur only a split second to wince, scrambling for the plastic button as Emma covered Sakura's eyes with a squeak. By then, Leon had come out of his shower, giving the three of his friends sitting cross legged in front of the miniature television they'd brought into his room an amused look.

"Are they, like, still at it?" he said, drying his dark hair with his towel. After a long day of working with Joker Katya on ideas for the summer solstice celebration, the four of them had decided to congregate in Leon's room for the night, hoping to take their minds off the awkwardness of possibly encountering Alfred for the night. As Avie was probably speaking with everyone in the Drawing Room, they'd agreed it was a good idea to stay out of the way and spend some time with each other.

"Without a single break," Arthur replied, rubbing the crease between his thick eyebrows as Sakura gave him a small nod. "I think even Emma's getting sick of it."

"And I don't get sick of anything Deciding, flat out!" Stuffing her hands in the pockets of her beige pants, she let out an exhale, barely audible over the chatter of the screen. "It's Avie this, kiss that, all over the news. She's a lovely girl and everything, but you do get kinda sick seeing her face. Especially after seeing her kiss the guy you like."

"I do not like seeing people kiss each other at all," Sakura admitted – she'd looked distinctly uncomfortable with every repeat of the clip that had been splashed onto screens ever since that night two days ago. Arthur gave her a nod - he completely understood where she was coming from. "But at the same time, it is better to watch these things with friends."

"Not to mention, in a sad way, they've gotten a new target that's not her," Emma rested her head on Sakura's shoulder. "I like Avie too, but with the stuff Sakura's had to go through the past few days…though everyone's nice to her outwardly, my maid said that other people have been telling their maids things."

Arthur sat up sharply, giving Sakura a look. "Wait, they have?"

She only responded with a small nod, resting her head against Emma's briefly before pulling away, resting her hands in her lap. "Well, they might not necessarily be unkind."

"What else could they mean? You've been the frontrunner for so long," Emma fiddled with the remote as Leon thanked his maid and handed them his towel outside of the door, requesting them to end their duties for the night. "I doubt they'll be thinking something other than unkind thoughts."

"But Lady Natalya is always kind to me."

"Right. Yeah, that's true," Emma gave her a nod. "Though it's really weird, she doesn't talk much with anyone outside of you and the other Inner Circle guys. Arthur, do you have any idea about her?"

"Well, she's from Hearts, and we met up with each other when I was handing in my form for the application, but other than that, no," Arthur confessed – at least, that was all he remembered other than their somewhat lax pact. "I just assumed she spent time with the other Inner Circle people."

"Other than that, I'm sure Alfred likes her enough to keep her here," Leon settled next to Arthur, grabbing a pillow to his chest as Emma changed channels again. "And that's what matters. I guess. She hasn't, like, been mean to the rest of us, so there's not much point in talking about her."

"She's so pretty though, I gotta admit," Emma sighed, plucking at a strand of her short hair. "And on that outside date she went with Marianne, she was that much more put together. Which hey, I gotta give her kudos. Man, I hate how mean she is."

"Ah, Emma, that is not very nice-" Sakura began to chide her, only to be distracted by what the people on the current channel were saying.

"She may not have come close enough to overtake Lady Sakura's lead, but certainly her numbers have impressed us! Then again, Lady Sakura managing to hold strong despite her reserved nature truly is a feat. What do you think?"

The four of them sat up straight, looking eagerly at the screen.

"Well, maybe her maturity is something the monarchy needs. We have a stable leader in the form of the Spades Jack, but as both the Ace and the future King and are young and have a lot of space to grow, perhaps it'll take a mature, level headed candidate to guide the young monarchy into a steadier place. As Lady Sakura, as we remember rightly, comes from House Honda-"

"From a Hearts house, correct?"

Kiku's House, Arthur thought. Though not all of the Inner Circle came from old Houses or established lines, his best friend had mentioned that he'd fought hard to be allowed to study in the holding facilities when they'd first met. Had he been an exception? And what exactly was his relation with Sakura? It didn't really matter, he was sure of it, but he was curious.

"That's right, so it's no surprise that she's popular with the audience of all the Hearts based publications, including ours."

Leon gave her a wink. "Aw, Sakura, look at you go!"

"A-Ah, Leon, there is no need to be so kind," her cheeks had coloured, yet her dark eyes shone as she took in the praise she was being afforded.

The boys each took a cookie from the plate they'd put down before Leon's shower, now all their focus on the television and not their earlier conversation.

"Not to mention the lack of ruling experience on the king's part," the anchor was saying, "At least, from the time he spent serving in the military, and even dabbling in the navy from what I've heard, he's had less time to rule. I'm concerned if the advisorship is doing everything for him."

"Well, he's talked about some reforms to Spades policies before-"

"Oh yes, there was that one about updating the trade agreement," the anchor didn't seem terribly invested in what they were saying, yet it would seem much more newsworthy to the average person not interested in Alfred's Deciding. "Unfortunately, for something that important, they'll need to have more than half of the Primary Suit to approve it."

"At least he has his Deciding. Can't imagine the surge of popularity he's getting back home, not to mention how everyone loves a good love story, don't they?"

"It's a beloved tradition for a reason," the host gave a shrug, "not only does it bring the royalty closer to the people, but it gives them hope. After the sickness, Fates knows we need more of that."

The mood in Leon's bedroom grew solemn to match the faces of the presenters as all four of them mulled over their words.

"I never really thought about it like that," Leon said after a moment, putting down the cookie he was about to eat. "I mean. We all know it's totally a competition for his heart in the end, but it's also about getting a Queen for Spades. And people are still reeling from, like, the effects of the sickness and stuff. I think."

"Yes, they are," Arthur said, remembering the cracks in their sole bathroom at home, the nights huddled around the fireplace before he'd gone to the holding facility, the one day's mourning they were allowed for their father when his sickness meant that he had left Allistor and Erin to take care of the family. "Perhaps that's the reason there are so many Decidings this year."

"Three Decidings in a year, right? That hasn't, like, been heard of since all the kingdoms had to form the entire Suit from scratch after the Joker-Ace war. Right, Art?"

He couldn't help but feel pride in being asked to confirm. "Correct."

"Still, being in a Deciding is an important task more than ever now. What they said was true, and I am sure everyone is listening. To be His Highness's," Sakura's voice caught on the unfamiliar consonant, though judging by the way she said her next sentence especially quietly, it wasn't the only reason. "To be his b-bride is a wonderful thing, but there is a sacred duty to uphold for the crown."

Emma gave a thumbs up in response, seeing as how she was still resting her head on Sakura's shoulder. "It's important to do well in lessons too! But sometimes, it's normal to long for more with the prince. At least, this is how the competition should go. I think."

"Y-Yes, I think so. He's been spending time with a lot of us this week though, hasn't he?"

"Especially with you, Arthur, which is great," Leon piped up cheerfully, lightening the mood with ease like he usually did. "All your chats in the gardens were totally cute."

Emma's green eyes lit up. "Oh yeah, that's right! You're coming out on your own in front of the cameras. I didn't know about the Fates thing you were talking about before, so it was super cool to hear about."

This time it was Arthur's turn to be surprised. "You…you watched-"

"Yeah!" she gave him a nod. "I mean. Everyone watches the daily news roundup, usually after dinner. In the Drawing Room and stuff."

"Right."

"I know you don't like to watch the interviews and Broadcasts after we've taped them much, and you were, like, so busy last week," Leon interjected, giving him a friendly nudge before he muted the television set. "So we were all kind of surprised you were totally up for," he gestured to the portable television set, leftover from their karaoke night. "This."

Though they were under the soft glow of the television set, lighting up the darkness of Leon's room, his three friends could still see his cheeks mottle. "Oi, I…" he trailed off, rubbing the side of his nose, "It's…there's nothing wrong with wanting to spend time with one's friends, isn't there?"

"No, not at all," Emma giggled, patting his hair like how Erin used to when she teased him, "You're so uptight and formal all the time, so it's good to see you let your hair down with us!"

"I agree with Emma," Sakura said, her quiet laughter ringing in Leon's room, "It is nice."

"Sakura, not you too – I thought you understood more than these two…"

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Leon and Emma exclaimed at the same time, sending them into peals of laughter.

"Fates, Art, I take back what I said…"

"You better not shut yourself up in your room writing letters or reading books anymore, hey!"

"That's a great idea, Leon! That's settled then. We're gonna hang out every night before the summer solstice. Inbetween our prep, that is. Arthur's so smart, he needs to help us out with the lessons…"

"Emma, that is…that is a little much, I do not think that it is healthy, not to mention, what if His Highness tries to find us at night but we are constantly spending time together?"

Leon reclined against the foot of his bed, resting his slender arms at the back of his damp hair. "Pfft, every person for themselves. Not to mention, like, it's fine if it's between friends. Watch out, Emma's totally gonna beat us to the door."

"What, like you wouldn't give anything to spend time with Alfie?"

The three of them glanced at her. "Alfie?"

"It's cute, isn't it?" the corners of her eyes crinkled with a dreamy expression. "I asked him about it on Monday, and he seemed to like it. It's cute, isn't it? Hey, Leon, don't give me that face, it's cute!"

"Well, I guess not everything can be totally cool like me."

"What, hasn't anyone else given him a cute pet name?"

Sakura's shoulders hunched up, causing Emma to shift her head for a moment before resting on her shoulder again. "Em…he's the future king of Spades, is it not scary?"

"I wouldn't say that he's scary, it's just weird, y'know. We're not, like, married or anything, and giving a nickname to someone who you're technically dating, but is also dating another ten people, is totally weird."

Emma appealed to Arthur instead. "Back me up here, maybe? I mean, there's nothing wrong with a cute nickname, right?"

"That's kinda dumb of ya, Artie."

"Artie! That's so mean."

"I'm here for you, Artie."

"I'm sorry, Emma, but I agree with them," Arthur was relieved that he was already feeling self conscious, meaning that he was hard pressed to look even more embarrassed. "At least, when it comes to His Highness, nicknames are something I'd prefer to avoid."

Was that true, though? He hadn't…it wasn't like he hated Alfred giving him nicknames or anything, yet. It made him feel like they might be closer than they actually were. As if Alfred would be ready to choose him eventually.

"But aren't you smart?"

"In studies, not socialising," Arthur offered her the plate of snacks as she pouted, which was taken as a peace offering. "You've seen my rankings. Which, for lack of an elegant phrase, are poor."

"Eh. Who, like, needs popularity, anyway?"

"Says the guy who's ranking at least top five, average. What? Sakura and I like to read the paper in the morning."

"Yes, if you would like, we can save it until breakfast so we can look together. Now that Em is sitting with us."

For some reason, Leon looked less pleased than Arthur expected. The corners of his mouth drooped slightly as he nodded. "Kinda. That would be nice."

Expecting him to say more, Arthur watched his face as the television's changing scenes flashed on it, a strange conflict settling on it as the night continued.

He'd kissed someone else.

At least, that was what Matthew guessed, from how hastily Alfred blurted out a 'hello' at dinner the next day, and from how happy Sir Alfonso looked as they entered the dining hall that evening.

What was unusual though, was the fact that Yao had asked them all to stay behind – they'd managed to finalise the other Deciding candidates from the other kingdoms to join in the festivities, save for one glaring difference.

"So, the Clubs Primary Suit are coming, but none of their Chosen are? That's strange," Yao was leafing through his work earlier that afternoon whilst they were finalising preparations and Alfred was out on a date. "King Ivan narrowed it down to the last ten, finally? Or has he chosen? Katya, have you heard anything from them?"

Katya shook her head. "Though her work as a Joker had taken her away from her younger brother, Matthew had imagined the two of them would be close. "Nothing suggests that. I've tried giving the port, but Roderich won't tell me anything past that. He says he's still working it all out."

"Not even the Clubs national papers or news outlets have anything on them other than the occasional announcement that someone's left," Matthew adjusted his round glasses before patting Kuma resting at his feet again, "And the news from everywhere else are more than happy to broadcast much more important Decidings for queens than an Ace. It's been a nightmare to examine the Deciding. I tried asking Ivan about it back during the Meeting, and again, no answer. N-Not that it's your fault or anything, Katya."

She gave him an obliging nod, yet her expression was still troubled. "Yao…have you had any luck in getting to Roderich? Or Eliza? Or even to Ivan himself?"

"No one seems want to talk about it there," Yao let out a sigh. After taking a moment to sip his tea, he continued. "I asked if there was an issue with the amount of coverage they were getting in comparison with us and Hearts, but Roderich said it wasn't, and it was more complicated. And as confusing as the situation is, our colleagues haven't had much occasion to lie to us."

"Why would they start now? If they wanted to curb discussion of it entirely, they wouldn't have let any sort of information leak out. It's just that perhaps they think their Deciding is uninteresting to the point of it simply not being worth to parade them around."

The harsh strip of light landing on his cheekbone made Katya wince, causing Matthew to adjust the curtains so the harsh summer sun was concealed from Yao's office. "Even if they think their Deciding isn't important enough," she said, "It still could be the chance for us all to meet their future Ace."

"Yet if they were trying to hide something, they wouldn't all come. Eliza's bringing their daughters, too. So honestly," the Jack shook his head, "I cannot make heads or tails of the situation. Much like the fact that Ivan opted for a Deciding so quickly."

Trying to lighten the mood a little, Matthew nodded at his mentor. "Morale raising isn't good enough when nothing gets past the palace walls, eh?"

"I believe so."

"Do you think that's why Alfred's been more active this week? To drum up support for the summer solstice celebrations?"

Yao and Matthew exchanged a glance, the Ace deciding whether or not to keep his mouth shut entirely about the entire fiasco with the advisors, sticking to his promise to his twin, or ignoring his prideful request.

He didn't go with either of them. "I'm not sure, actually," Matthew said, his wavy hair shifting as he looked at both the Joker and the Ace, "Perhaps someone's pressuring him? Or, I mean, he's feeling the pressure?"

"Who is?"

"Not Matthew, surely," she said quickly, "And I'm sure that you spoil him too much, Yao."

"I'll admit that, grudgingly. and you've been nothing but supportive. So who would it…"

"Wait," Katya pulled her brown coat over her chest, protecting her from the air conditioning luxury of the palace, "Could it be the advisorship? I haven't had much experience dealing with them, but they weren't very kind the last few meetings they've had together."

Yao's eyebrows quirked in surprise. "In what way have they been unpleasant? I mean, they're difficult to work with at times, but…"

They don't view you as easy prey, because they hate the King's royal line more than anything, Matthew thought as his mentor frowned, and they're weak enough to know they don't stand a chance against a seasoned royal who knows what he's doing.

"They haven't been particularly nice to him, no," she said, keeping her soft voice low, "They speak over him sometimes unless I intervene, and it's not even helpful advice either – sometimes they criticize what he writes, how he words things, even when he stumbles on what he is saying. I don't like it, but I'd rather do my best with what little power I have than let him go through it alone."

"I didn't…" Yao sounded a little taken aback, though it wasn't the fact that Katya had accompanied him that was troubling him. Cupping his chin and resting his elbow on the desk, he leaned forward. "I didn't know he asked you to accompany you through those meetings. I'm sorry, those are a pain. And with all the planning we've had to take on these few months, I'm sure his personal right hand man has been busy…I'm sorry, Katya."

"Don't be, Yao. As a Joker, there might not be a lot for me to be able to do in terms of governing Spades, but I'm happy to support Alfred in this way." She squeezed the Jack's hand. "More importantly, is there a way we can support him through this going forward?"

Matthew paused to think. "For starters, as a Primary suit, we're beyond weak," he started counting off his fingers, hitching on his pinkie, "So there's not much in terms of making sure there's no need for the meetings with the advisorship when we're so reliant on them."

Katya looked confused, so he rushed to reassure her. "Not that…we won't ever need their aid again, it's just that when it's just Yao and I, we're too reliant on them. And it's not good."

"I'll come with him next week to the meeting he has with them," Yao gestured with the hand he had cupped his chin with, "See what happens then. But for now, we must continue to support Alfred wholeheartedly."

"Yes, of course."

Katya placed her cool hand to steady Yao's shaking one, resting on the desk. "Wholeheartedly."

"Chosen, I hope you enjoyed your dinners." After a light sound of agreement, Yao continued. "Excellent. As many of you are aware, the summer solstice celebrations are in ten days time, and you have all been spending some time with Joker Katya in our preparations for it."

Alfred adjusted his collar as he waited for Yao to reveal the news. It was only because there were so many Decidings this year that they were able to do something as special as that; he remembered the elation of seeing Ludwig again, held it close to his heart. In some ways, it would be the same.

Between the excited chatter, Yao continued speaking clearly. "There is one more surprise we have prepared for you. After discussing it with the Other Primary Suits, the Hearts delegation have agreed to bring their Chosen for an impromptu cultural exchange between our kingdoms in addition to the other royals."

A polite smattering of applause broke out throughout the room, with the exception of one person. As Alfred inclined his gaze towards where everyone was now standing upright, he noticed the other boy was clapping, yet the enthusiasm was more than polite. Once the Chosen stopped and they all sat down, Arthur clasped his hands to his chest, looking like he'd won a million gold.

Was it because of his friend in Hearts? Were they that close, or was Arthur that lonely? The last one didn't make sense, because they'd been spending a lot of time together last week, not to mention Alfred had heard from the maids in passing that they'd been hanging out together a lot as well. So that meant someone was that close to the prickly guy, huh…

Alfred smiled, in spite of himself. It would be cool to meet the aforementioned friend he'd heard about.

"Through the next few days leading up to the event, likewise with the Meeting, we will fill you in the details as they're finalised. However, your schedules will be receiving an update, as now there are only eleven of you," Yao's gaze raked across the group, "We expect you all to be thoroughly involved in planning the event."

"Yes, Jack Yao," everyone chorused.

His shoulders relaxed. "All right then. You are all dismissed for the night. Please come to the leftmost room on the fourth floor west wing for your lesson at ten in the morning. If you somehow get lost after staying in the palace for so long," he held back a laugh, "Please, as always, ask your maids for assistance. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Jack Yao," and that was the end of the dinner. They'd ended a little early, around seven, meaning that Alfred's plan of two dates, one in the afternoon and one in the evening, was working out to be fine. Sometimes he'd get too tired and tried to push it up to the afternoon, but he always felt guilty if he couldn't get at least two.

Unable to help himself, he let his eyes linger on where Arthur was standing off to the side with Leon and the rest of his friends – it reminded him that he really had changed, though a lot of him was still endearingly Arthur.

Taking a breath, he approached Emma with a small smile. though some of his interactions with the other Chosen had their own, unique challenges, spending time with her never seemed to carry any weight with it. There was no need to overly interpret her words to deduce their true meaning or tiptoe around her complicated lineage, she was unabashedly herself.

"Lady Emma?" he said with what he felt was a winning smile, coming up to their clump. "May I ask, is there something you have planned with your friends tonight?"

She adjusted her hairband self consciously as she responded. "Umm..." Giving the other people in her friend a bashful look, she nodded. "Well, erm, gosh, we were gonna go play cards in Leon's room, but…"

"Hey, that's okay! I don't want to interfere at all," Alfred put up his hands in a light gesture, but Arthur caught his mischievous eye over the top of her head, as if to say be honest about your intentions already. Even now, from eye contact between such a brief distance, he was struck by how Arthur's green eyes captured the light of the chandeliers.

Leon seemed to have caught on as well. "He's totally asking you on a date, Ems," he gave her a friendly nudge. "We can still play cards with the three of us, you know!"

"Oh, but – won't you guys be lonely?" Still, as she said it, the excitement was unmistakable on her face. It was rare for anyone to refuse one on one time with the royal during any Deciding.

"We will be okay, Em, there is always tomorrow," Sakura took her hands in her own, giving them a squeeze, which warmed Alfred's heart. After the first group date, he had been worried about her reserved nature getting in the way of making friends, but it didn't seem like there was anything to be concerned about. "As they say, the cards will not become cranes and fly away."

"We joked about this yesterday, and we're sticking to our answer," Leon nodded as he moved backwards, allowing Emma to thread her arm through Alfred's, "Have fun, you two."

There it was again, Alfred thought to himself as they started to walk out of the door. He didn't want to eliminate anyone before the summer solstice celebrations, especially not someone who was in the top five of the popularity rankings, but something was off about Leon's behaviour. It tempted him to revisit the night when they went looking at the paintings; had he misinterpreted it? Had that date stopped the Chosen's feelings for him? It was odd, so deep into the competition, that he would be greeted with the fact that his friend was spending one on one time with the prince and not himself. He had no idea what to expect, he just hoped that it wasn't something he'd screwed up with.

"Get some rest, okay? I'll see you in the morning."

Leon gave him a light wave, Sakura bowed with a shy smile on her face, and Arthur simply gave him a nod. When his head lifted, though, the same light was still shining in his eyes, making it an irresistible sight for Alfred.

And there it was, inbetween the haze of confusion and planning – his breath of fresh air, affording him precious clarity. Of course, Arthur being Arthur, he broke their eye contact as he ducked away, flushing slightly, but it was enough for Alfred to cement for himself what he felt for him.

With everything that had happened over the past few days, Arthur still found himself writing a letter after he and Sakura had returned to their rooms when the card games had finished for the night. He'd spent some time chatting with Anna about her day before she'd went to prepare his bath, giving him some time to himself again.

He was still stuck on the Dear Kiku.

After all, not much had happened that his best friend wouldn't know about from simply watching the news, and he wasn't quite ready to share his relationship with Alfred, just yet. But with the announcement that he would be coming to visit, well…

They'd left the television set in the background; at least, Leon had confessed he'd been too attached to the thing to let his maid help him take it downstairs again. They'd aired footage of the Hearts Deciding, and Kiku was there – so he had nothing to worry about.

Had it really been five months since they hadn't spoke in person? Writing letters was one thing, but speaking was another. Now with the ample amount of time Alfred had been spending with him, not to mention the tangle of feelings Arthur still hadn't sorted out, he felt like he needed his best friend around more than ever. But it wasn't like he'd say that. Then again, Kiku had known him so well, and for so long, that he wouldn't have to put it into words.

Still, he had to try. Picking up his pen, he blotted out the sounds of the other Chosen outside the corridor, the ambience of the quieting summer cicadas through his open window, the lovely scent of rose petals wafting through the bathroom door and the blue rose on his desk as he began to write. Finishing before Anna re-emerged, her baby hairs wispy from the heat of the summer and the bathtub, he had time to profusely thank her hard work before soaking and turning in for the night.

Which, in hindsight, was a massive problem, as he had no excuse to write to Kiku twice in the space of a week when he received his schedule on Tuesday the next day, coming with his usual list of lessons that had been rerouted to preparations for the summer solstice celebrations, and his outside date on Friday.

Anna smiled at his frantic expressions, patting his shoulder that afternoon before lunch, as their schedules were now handed to them at eleven.

"You don't have to look so stricken," she said as she was gathering up his messy basket of laundry for the week; "It's your outside date, finally! Does it say who you're going with, since you're going in pairs?"

Turning the paper around, Arthur shook his head. "There's no name on the box," he gestured with his finger, "Just mine. Do you know what that means…?"

She shook her head, picking up the large basket – seeing as he could have saved her some time and tidied it better, he rushed to the door to hold it for her. After all, he was still supposed to be a gentleman. "Thanks, Sir Arthur. Erm. I can ask around the workroom," she gave him a wink, "Today, if you'd like?"

"Workroom? But-"

"Word's gone around that the Jack's going to announce the big theme of the ball that's going to be taking place," she said, "And after all, you're going on an outside date in three days time. With how much you've been on cameras this week, they've probably cycled through all the clothes I've made you. And as a maid, that's pretty much no good!"

"But Miss Anna, the clothes you make for me are exquisite-"

Rounding the corner, she already waved away all his complaints. "Aw, thanks. But still! Your outside date's gonna be your debut, of sorts. And it's on me to look my best! Also, catching up on the gossip's much more fun in that air conditioned room than the kitchens."

"Well…if you put it that way, then…" Arthur felt a little guilty he didn't know more about her life in the palace compared to how much she knew about what he was doing, but he'd have time to fix that, hopefully. "I'd appreciate if you tell me what you've found out."

"No worries, my liege." Their paths divulged as he had to be at the dining hall, so they prepared to say their goodbyes, until they saw Leon jogging downstairs from the stairs. As they'd spent so much time together lately, their maids had grown close.

"Miss Anna," he greeted, giving her a small wave. "I hope you're totally doing well."

"Sir Leon," she gave him a curtsey, putting down her basket in the process, "I'm doing fine! Came to take Sir Arthur for lunch."

His closest friend in the palace gave her a nod, gesturing to Arthur. "Thanks for taking care of him, we'll be going now. Take care!"

"Thanks, Miss Anna," Arthur allowed himself to be dragged back into the day, barely giving himself any time between walking down the stairway to getting into the dining room to think about his outside date.