"Right this way, esteemed guests."

Erasmus and Adenine followed a Beartic into the eatery. The prince kept his face hidden behind his hood, averting any potential suspicion by the patrons. Adenine awkwardly hid her own face behind the yellow parasol she brought with her, though for more self-conscious reasons.

The Beartic waiter guided them to the very back of the eatery and gestured them to the reserved booth. "As requested by our esteemed guest, a table for two for maximum privacy."

Erasmus nodded. "Thank you, monsieur."

Adenine gulped. "Um, yah. Thank ya—" She squeaked as the Beartic eyed her. "Ah mean…" She cleared her throat and smiled nervously. "Thank you very much, mon…sire?"

The waiter raised his brow at her, but shrugged it off and bowed to the prince. "I shall return with refreshments for you and your lady posthaste…Your Highness," he added with a whisper.

Erasmus nodded again as the waiter shuffled off. He graciously assisted Adenine into her side of the table, with a gentle kiss on the hand as a bonus. Adenine giggled feverishly as Erasmus hopped into his seat.

With only the back of his head partially visible to the other patrons, Erasmus pulled back on his hood to show his face. He smiled lovingly at Adenine. "I have missed you, my beautiful rainbow."

Adenine shifted nervously in her seat. "Ah did, too. It has been too long."

"I hope I did not pull you from anything important just to see me."

She shook her head. "No. Work's been slow lately. Mah parents can handle a few orders with me."

"You truly are a hard worker, Adenine, but you deserve only the best." He frowned at the kitchen doors their waiter went through. "I noticed the odd look he gave you, though."

Adenine frowned and rubbed her arm awkwardly. "Probably the accent. Ah'm tryin' to hide it, honest. Must've slipped."

Erasmus shook his head. "I would never ask you to hide that part of yourself. You have such a charming ring in your voice."

"Heh. Over half of them nobles would disagree with ya, prince or not." She lowered her head deeper inside the booth. "Ah get mighty nervous whenever Ah come to the capital. Ah'm not accustomed to all this luxury. Feels like people are watchin' me, like they know Ah'm from the sticks."

"Perhaps they, too, have been taken by your beauty," Erasmus said. "Not that I would appreciate the stares, but at least they know true beauty without the context."

"Ah'm not that beautiful."

"Oh, come now."

"Kecleon aren't really sought after where Ah'm from. Most folks like to rate the most attractive female Pokémon. Never seen a Kecleon on those lists, even if they are stupid."

Erasmus shook his head. "I appall such objectification, for clearly they miss out on the lovely Kecleon seated in front of me."

Adenine smiled. "Ya're too sweet, Razzy." She picked up her menu. "So, how is everythin' at the castle? Ah heard ya've been mighty busy." She smirked a bit. "Ah'm not holdin' ya up from anythin' important, right?"

Erasmus laughed and waved it off. "Perish the thought. I am merely keeping everyone in line. You should be more concerned for my father. Poor man's going to work himself to death one of these days. But I am looking forward to the completion of the project. The system will be set up between here and the Wick Kingdom as in the agreement with King Tetrarch. Once it is complete, perhaps we will be able to see each other more often."

Adenine's eyes widened. "Oh! Um…" She looked away. "R-Right, yeah."

"Something amiss?"

"No, no! Ah mean…" She forced a smile. "Ah'm just so happy for ya, that's all."

Erasmus frowned for a moment, but smiled nonetheless. "You truly are a gem, my dear." He leaned over the table and pecked her gently on the lips.

Adenine's tensed up as her skin turned pink and face lit up bright red. "Meep!" She hid her face behind her menu while Erasmus chuckled.

"D'aww~," Lillia quietly squealed from behind her menu. "Adenine's a big nervous mess on her date. So cute~."

Pandora peeked up from behind her menu and glared at her. "You say that now, but she's so going to spill a drink on him if she keeps acting up like that."

The girls had managed to sneak their way into the eatery without alerting suspicion from Adenine, Erasmus, and especially Erasmus' guard who Melissa thankfully recognized. Gaufroi stood by the doors in street clothes, and Linota and Rikmai were seated in another seat on the other side of the eatery within sight of Erasmus' table. Strangely, based on the quiet gesturing from Rikmai, it appeared the girls weren't the only ones gushing over the lovebirds.

"Yeeeeah, speaking of messes...Pandora?" Marie glared over her menu. "A word?"

"What?"

She slammed her menu down and pointed at the fake mustache she was wearing. "Why are these the only disguises you brought?"

Pandora set her menu down and twirled her fake, curly mustache. "First of all, that was eight words. Second, it's all about simplicity. A good disguise can be as simple as a pair of glasses or a hat. The very principle of blending in plain sight revolves around simplicity."

"I can buy that when it comes to cloaks or glasses, but we are girls!" she growled.

"Oh please, like anyone can tell the difference from a distance."

Marie pointed at Lillia. "Female Meowstic!"

Lillia stroked her fake beard. "I kind of like it. Makes me look like a grizzly warlock."

"What we really look like is the starring act of a freak show."

Pandora rolled her eyes. "You are the last person who should be judging a lady for having a mustache, Marie."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"…I don't know, I didn't have a clever comeback for that."

A Heliolisk waiter approached their table. "Good afternoon, gentlemen. May I take your orders?" Marie groaned and slammed her head down on the table, much to the waiter's confusion.

Melissa smiled awkwardly through her false beard. "Uh, non-alcoholic cider, please. For the table."

The waiter nodded. "Very good, sir." He wrote it down and went on his way.

Lillia glanced at Melissa. "Can we even afford that?"

Melissa laughed a bit and held up some coins. "No, but someone graciously donated some coins for our surprise lunch."

Marie picked her head up and grinned. "D'aww, our precious cinnamon roll pickpocketed someone without being asked~."

She laughed, but her amusement fell as she looked back to Adenine's table. "I just cannot believe Adenine is Erasmus' beloved. It is so…so…" She pressed her hands to her temples, staring down at the table in a daze. "Oh Arceus, she was the one who wanted to kill me."

"What?"

"Eh?"

"Wazzat?"

Melissa blinked and shook herself back to reality. "Sorry. Spiraling."

Lillia patted her back. "I feel for you. Must be super awkward that you almost married your friend's boyfriend."

Marie smirked. "You say that like it's a bad thing. If anything, the prince would've been a lucky, lucky—" Pandora stuffed a complimentary bread roll into her mouth. She pouted at the Growlithe and chewed on the roll.

Melissa sighed. "No wonder Adenine did not like me when we met. I nearly ripped her away from her one true love."

"Yeah, still having a hard time processing this myself," Pandora said, glancing at the couple's table. She didn't have Melissa's hearing, but the two seemed to be laughing and talking about something. "How the actual hell did Adenine score that hunk? Like, don't get me wrong, I love the girl to bits, but…c-come on, it's Adenine and a friggin' prince we're talking about. This just defies the nobility system altogether."

Marie swallowed the last of the bread roll and glared. "She is taking a big risk being with him."

"Because it could ruin the prince's reputation?" Lillia asked.

"Yes and no. It'll have an impact on the prince for sure, though it wouldn't be the first time royalty was interested in a commoner. I'm more worried about Adenine. Nobles are super vicious about this kind of stuff. Do you know the kind of ridicule she could go through if the prince ever dumped her? And everyone knew? The people would make fun of her because, and pardon my posh accent, what did that country bumpkin expect? Courting outside her social class? What an inept wench, that one. How truly pitiful she thought she could court an elite, much less the prince."

Lillia winced. "Yeesh, really?"

Melissa sighed. "Marie is right. Nobles can be very elitist about this kind of stuff. The mere thought of a commoner courting and even marrying into a class higher than their own is laughable to them. They would much sooner blame Adenine for her…foolishness rather than place any fault onto a noble."

"That's horrible!"

Pandora's brow furrowed. "The upper class thinks they can treat those in a lower class than them however they want, and they rarely receive consequences. Like harassing a cute Growlithe…" She dug her claws into the table.

Lillia frowned. "You good, Pan?"

"…Yeah." She eased up and sighed. "I swear, if that jerk prince does anything to hurt her, I'll—"

"He will not," Melissa interrupted. "Erasmus is a little…vain, I will admit, but he is one of the kindest souls I have ever met. He truly loves Adenine." She smiled to herself. "I saw it in his eyes when he told me his secret."

Pandora frowned. "Oh." She looked down at the table. "Lucky her, I guess."

"Adenine."

She looked up from her glass and blinked at her beau. "Yes?"

Erasmus clicked his claws against the table. "Before we enjoy our meal, I wanted to ask you something important."

Her eyes widened. "Uh, how serious is this question?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "Not that kind of question. Believe me, I would put a lot more notice in advance before I made such a…bold move." He cleared his throat and continued. "We both agreed to keep our relationship as quiet as possible, yes?"

"Y-Yes."

"But I do want to spend at least one moment with you in public. Not just in the farthest corner of a fine dining establishment. I want to spend a moment free of restraint with you."

Adenine blinked and relaxed her shoulders. "Erasmus?"

"I met the royals of the Echo Bell Kingdom, and they told me of a carnival that strips away the divisions of class. It allows all classes to blend together and enjoy each other's company free of social pressure. It would be a great opportunity to spend a week there with you."

She frowned. "Ah'm not sure Ah can attend durin' then, Razzy."

"I know, I know. But I am saying this because I want to push the limits of our secret, just to see how far I can go with it." He looked away. "I do eventually plan to tell my father of our affair, and hopefully to ease him into it. However, I would want him to meet you first before I ever reveal your…social standing. I know how harsh nobles can be to such arrangements, and a prince having an affair with a commoner is…frowned upon to put it lightly. But if we truly want our relationship to bloom, I at least want him to meet you."

Adenine felt a nervous itch on her arm. "Uh, Razzy, Ah don't…feel comfortable with that. It sounds too risky. B-Besides, he will find me out the second Ah speak to him."

He sighed. "I…I know, I just…I am sorry for bringing it up. I wanted to invite you to the big event being hosted next week. I wanted to share a dance with you, and for you to meet my parents. Even under a facade if you must."

Adenine whimpered. "Razzy, Ah didn't mean to…Ah want to, truly, but…"

"I know. You are still hesitant around nobles. I understand. I will not force you to come. You can take as long as you need. I…" He reached over and touched her hand. "Someday, I would want you to be my wife, Addy. I do love you very much."

"Razzy…" She looked down. "The thin' is, Ah—"

"Excuse me, Your Highness." Adenine and Erasmus jumped from their seats and looked down at Linota. The disguised knight nodded her head toward the door. "Can we steal you away for a moment? We got a message from the castle."

Erasmus sighed and shook his head. "Very well." He smiled apologetically at Adenine. "Terribly sorry. If you need anything, just call for the waiter. He will serve you to your heart's content." He kissed her hand before following Linota outside.

Adenine squeezed the hand he kissed as she watched them exit the eatery. She sighed and slumped back in her seat. He wants me to meet his parents? He is willin' to risk that secret for us? She frowned. Would he still say that if he knew Ah was a dirty thief? A Forester?

She sighed and let her eyes wander around the eatery. Her sadness instantly vanished upon spotting a suspicious looking table. Her eyes then widened as the four mustache/beard-wearing, feminine Pokémon stared back at her with equal shock in their eyes. Her Forester training (and just the sheer fakeness of the disguises) alerted her instantly.

"WHAT ARE Y'ALL DOIN' HERE?!"

The bearded Buneary awkwardly raised her hand. "Uh, we are here for the cider?"

Erasmus followed his guard out back, where Serell waited for them. He fluttered down to Erasmus' side. "How's the date going for you, Your Highness? Have you complimented her weight yet? Girls love that—" Linota smacked the Togetic in the back of the head. "Ow."

"And this is why you're on a list," Linota grumbled.

Erasmus shook his head. "Serell, what is this about?"

After nursing his wound, the Togetic knight said, "I got a message from the castle. It's about the Tetrarchs. Your father invited them earlier than expected. They will be arriving on the 26th Rebirth Moon."

"The 26th? Much earlier than I expected," Erasmus mumbled.

"I overheard the conversation with that sleazy Gumshoos. The Tetrarchs want to be there early to help inspect the final model. They also seem to want to discuss shipping a special cargo they'll want imported to the Wick Kingdom. Something about cheaper shipping costs and a safer method of transport."

"I see," Erasmus said, scratching his chin. "Well, I suppose it will be good to see Darby again." He glanced at the eatery. "Though, I am apprehensive to introduce him to Adenine."

Rikmai squealed and threw her forelegs around Erasmus. "Does that mean she accepted your invitation? Oh, she's so lucky to have a stud like you for a beau!" She sighed and glanced up at the sky dreamily. "Do you think Prince Darby is still in search of a wife? Maybe his brother would be a good match? Ooh, maybe a nice hunk will be attending the party—"

Linota pinched the Vaporeon's ear and pulled her away. "Back down to Virdis, Juliet."

Erasmus shook his head. "Adenine is…reluctant about my offer. I cannot say I blame her. She gets anxious around the nobility."

Gaufroi crossed his arms and huffed. "Poor thing looked timid from what I saw. I can't blame her. I was just lucky to be assigned to you, Your Highness. Can't imagine having to keep an eye on one of your brothers. Especially Cairo."

Rikmai sighed. "Poor, deluded Cairo. Hmm, do you think it would be in poor taste to court him?"

"The point is," Erasmus interrupted, "Adenine may not come to the party after all." He sighed and rubbed his face. "Working up the confidence to even come up with this plan was bad enough. Still, I must respect her wishes. I would not want to sour our relationship by forcing her out of her comfort zone."

Linota patted his shoulder. "Give it time, Prince. She'll warm up to the idea eventually. There will always be more events."

"Even if she'll be instantly ratted out as a country bumpkin," Serell added. Rikmai slapped him across the face with her tail. "Ow!"

Gaufroi glared over his shoulder. "Well, maybe if she faked it well enough, though I'd be wary of letting her be seen by that Gumshoos. He looks like he can sniff a rat out in seconds."

Linota glared. "Well, that's what you get when you hire a gang boss as head of security. Seriously, King Tetrarch knows someone like that?"

"Not just knows him," Erasmus said. "Almost sounds like they are longtime friends."

"Extra concerning."

Gaufroi growled. "I don't like it. I've been around for a long time, and guys like that give me the creeps. A king shouldn't be that close to a bounty hunter, much less a gang leader. Anyone that connected has their secrets. The kind of secrets that need to stay buried."

Rikmai waved it off. "Don't you think you guys are overreacting? He seemed pretty chill to me. Have you seen the way he dotes on that Flygon chick? No dad that loving can't be evil."

"I'm more concerned about King Tetrarch," Gaufroi said. "I don't know. I got an uncomfortable feeling about him when he last visited. Have you ever felt that way, Your Highness?"

"Of course, every coin has two faces. Do not think for a moment I am unwise to your…particular talents."

Evangelina's warning echoed in Erasmus' mind. She and Darby seemed to have had history together. Whether or not they were indeed friendly or there was a tense truce between them was beyond him. It was hard to trust the Frillish when she herself provided ample reason to be untrustworthy, but Erasmus remembered the way she addressed Darby. She seemed…curt with him. Cynical. Maybe even suspicious.

"…I do not know," Erasmus admitted. "Perhaps King Tetrarch will have an explanation for his unusual friendship with Mr. Hobs."

Gaufroi sighed. "I'm still going to keep an eye on him, just to be sure. You shouldn't trust bounty hunters. They're the worst."

Serell smirked. "Having flashback, old man?"

The Ursaring glared down at him. "…" He shook his head. "You've been struck enough for today." Serell quietly shuffled away from him.

"Oh mah gosh, oh mah gosh, oh mah gosh…" Adenine whimpered into the table, her arms covering her head. The girls joined her at the table to try and calm her down.

Marie, gently stroking the Kecleon's back, said, "Hey, it's okay, Adenine. Deep breaths." She felt the tension in Adenine's back loosening as she took deep, calming breaths. "That's it, let it all out."

Pandora played around with the wine bottle on the table. "Yeesh, this is the good wine, too. I didn't think you would drink this stuff, Ad. Don't think I've ever seen you drink wine, either. Though, there was that one party we had—"

"What…" Adenine finally lifted her head and looked between the girls nervously. "What are y'all doin' here? How much of that did ya see?"

Lillia winced. "Ooh, about…ever since you arrived."

Adenine whined and slammed her head back onto the table. "Ah'm so doomed."

Marie shook her head. "Relax, we're not going to tell Jason or anyone. It's just between us girls…and Godfrey, apparently. And probably Sadie because she is totally going to twist our arms over this—"

"Ah can't believe y'all followed me all the way out here." Adenine lifted her head and frowned at them. "What were ya expectin' to see when ya got here?"

Melissa awkwardly scratched her cheek. "Definitely not a hot farmer…"

Pandora crossed her forelegs. "We definitely weren't expecting you to be lovey-dovey with the friggin' prince, either."

Adenine winced and retreated inside the cushions. "Ah wasn't doin' anythin' treacherous, Ah swear!"

Lillia frowned. "So, he doesn't know you're a…well, you-know-what?"

"Of course not! Ah'd sooner pass out from the stress than throwin' out that bombshell of a secret." She groaned and covered her face. "Ah'd be up the creek if that information got out. Worst of all…Razzy might not want to see me again."

Marie shook her head and pulled the quivering Kecleon into a hug. "There, there. Like I said, we're not going to tell anyone. I admit, we got a little curious regarding your trips and those secret letters you've been getting. I figured you had a boyfriend, I just…didn't expect this."

"I don't think anyone expected that," Pandora said with a deadpan glare.

Adenine felt some movement through the booth, then tensed up as Melissa through herself around the startled chameleon with tears streaming down her face. "I am so sorry, Adenine!" she cried, barely keeping her voice down. "No wonder you hated me so much. I knew Erasmus had a secret lover, but I never thought it would be you. I nearly stole him away from you!" She pressed her face into Adenine's shoulder and sobbed. "Please forgive me!"

Adenine's somber mood lightened up as she watched the Buneary cry her eyes out. She awkwardly patted her back and offered a smile. "Melissa…" She pushed Melissa upright and used a napkin to wipe her tears. "Ah told ya before, Ah never hated ya." She sighed and shook her head. "Though, Ah should've been more open about what Ah was feelin'. It took a long time just to confide in Godfrey. Ah didn't think Ah had the strength to tell another soul."

Melissa sniffled and wiped her eyes again with the napkin. "S-So, that s-stuff you said about bad experiences with nobles…"

"Not a lie, per say." Adenine looked around as the girls gave their full attention to her. She sighed and continued, "Thin' is, mah folks aren't terribly rich. We have a modest tailor shop in a small little town of the Wick Kingdom. We don't get a lot of fancy folk around those parts. Richest fella in town was the local faux meat seller. Carnivorous Pokémon pay a lot to get somethin' to satisfy their cravins'. Still, he was a nice man and made a modest livin' like the rest of us.

"But just because there aren't a lot of fancy folk doesn't mean we are scarce of visits. Not all of them are bad, if a bit stuck up, but some just…" She closed her eyes. "They make a lot of rude comments whenever that visit our shop. Insult Ma and Pa's hard work, callin' our clothes rubbish and such. Whenever a fancy fella saw me and mah brother playin' outside the shop with sticks, they always had somethin' to say about how poor we were. Darn near sent mah older brother into a blind rage. Ah had to hold him back before he did anythin' stupid.

"Even the nice ones make the odd comment or two, though Ah hardly blame them. Probably from the way they were raised. Ya just can't escape it somedays." Adenine closed her eyes. "The worst of it was when we visited family who moved out to the Senbo Kingdom."

Melissa frowned. "Oh no…"

Adenine nodded. "Senbo, where all the bright ones get to show their stuff. Mah brother is a whizz when it comes to numbers, but no one would take him seriously here in the capital. Everyone just thought we were bumpkins overwhelmed by the fancy city life. They weren't wrong, it was overwhelmin' first time round. So much that Ah got lost on our way to our relatives."

Lillia's eyes widened. "Oh dear."

"That must've been scary," Pandora said.

"It was. It was the absolute worst." Adenine clutched her head and shuddered as the memories came back. "Because the Senbo Kingdom was still heavily isolated from the rest of the region, outsiders were distrusted almost on sight. Between the way Ah was dressed and mah accent givin' me away, Ah was ripe for a fierce pickin'. Surprise, surprise, it was noble children…"

Marie patted her shoulder. "Adenine, I'm so sorry. That must've been a traumatizing experience for you."

"It was…or at least, it should've been." Her expression lightened up. "Because, even though it started out terrible, it became the best day of mah life…"

Ten Years Ago…

A ten-year-old Adenine cowered against the wall, hugging her tail against her chest, as she stared up at the two older kids glaring down at her. A fancily-dressed Dartrix and Excadrill hovered over her, with sharp feathers and metallic claws in plain view.

"What's some dirty rat from the sticks doing in the capital?" the Excadrill asked. "A shrimpy little nobody like you wouldn't be caught dead here."

"Maybe she's a spy from those Wick Kingdom scum. I heard they're a vile bunch," Dartrix said.

Adenine cowered beneath their scowls. "Ah'm lost. Ah just w-wanted directions to mah relatives' place—"

"Can you understand a word she's saying?" Dartrix asked his friend. "She even sounds stupid."

"What did you expect? She's definitely from the sticks," Excadrill said. "Probably can't even read." He glared down at Adenine. "Hey. DO you underSTAND what WE are SAYing? Can you ar-tic-u-late? Or is that word too big for you? Do you want me to use smaller words for your uneducated head?"

Tears brimmed in Adenine's eyes. "P-Please, Ah don't want to start any trouble. Ah just want to know where mah family is."

"She's definitely a spy. Look at how fake those tears are," Dartrix said. "I heard from my dad that Pokémon from the Wick Kingdom tie people up and drag them through the sand by their wagons."

"That's nothing. My cousin said they still eat raw meat like in the old days," Excadrill said. "I bet she still has some flesh stuck in her teeth."

Adenine fell onto the ground and whimpered. "W-We don't do that—" She gasped as the metallic mole pressed his claws against her throat.

"Maybe we should warn everyone there's a dangerous carnivore on the loose. Better safe than sorry, right?" Excadrill asked, flexing his claws. Adenine squeezed her eyes shut as the tears went loose down her cheeks.

"Such uncivilized behavior."

Adenine's eyes widened as her two bullies recoiled back in pain, blood spraying from their faces. Claws marks were scratched into their faces with blood running down them. Before she could scream, someone landed in front of her. A Glameow around her age, and dressed in ragged clothes. He had blood dripping from his claws.

The Excadrill pulled his claws from his face and snarled at the newcomer. "What the hell was that for?"

The Glameow scoffed. "Dearly sorry. It is just that I saw two scoundrels harassing a young lady, and I could not help but exercise my right to step in and put an end to it. The blow I dealt to you both should be a fair trade to the emotional stress you have subjected her to."

Dartrix scowled. "You wretched little twerp! Who do you think you are?"

The Glameow narrowed his eyes, his pupils sharpening. "Perhaps you would care to exercise those tiny brains of yours? Does my stare not reflect the fear you should be feeling?"

The boys glared at him for a moment longer, but then the color drained from their faces. To Adenine's surprise, they were now cowering from the poorly-dressed cat. They were cowering in fear as if they were caught by their fathers.

"Oh…Oh no," Dartrix mumbled.

"We…We didn't mean anything, honest," Excadrill said with a quivery tone. "We just thought—"

"And there was your first mistake," the cat interrupted. "You thought. You thought, and you believed such thoughts were a stroke of genius. I never realized harassing a young lady—nay, verbally abusing her and threatening punishment through baseless conjecture was even remotely considered an act of intelligence."

"We—"

"Your second mistake," the cat continued, "was daring such idiocy in my presence. Perhaps we shall bring this up with your fathers. I am sure they will be riveted with the tale I have for them. Tell me, which sounds more appealing? Two noble sons bully a defenseless young girl for accusations so baseless that even a cleverly spun wives' tale would have more substance? Or shall I just go with the more extreme version that involves you two defiling her?"

Their eyes widened. "W-What?! We weren't going to—" Excadrill tried to say, but the cat stomped his foot down.

"And it will not come to that unless you offer her up an apology immediately."

The boys looked at each other before bowing their heads. "We are sorry, Your High—OW!" They recoiled as the Glameow whipped them with his tail.

"Do you have corn rammed through your ears?" He pointed to the teary-eyed Adenine. "Apologize to her."

They yelped and dropped into a bow in front of Adenine. "We're very sorry, miss! It'll never happen again!"

"What's going on over here?" Adenine and the Glameow turned their heads and saw an Ursaring in armor approaching them. His intimidating stature alone was enough to send the two bullies fleeing for their lives. He sighed. "Really, boy?"

The Glameow flicked across some strands of fur on his head. "You cannot blame me for getting some fresh air, Gaufroi."

"You shouldn't be sneaking out like this, much less starting a fight in the streets."

"It was a joke of a fight, if you ask me," the cat said. "Besides, how could I abandon a lady in need?" He turned to Adenine and winked at her. Her face flushed red as she nervously hid behind her tail.

Gaufroi shook his head. "Your father is looking for you, Prince Erasmus. Hurry along now."

Adenine's eyes widened. "P-Prince?"

Erasmus faced the stunned Kecleon and smiled. "Terribly sorry, but it seems I am needed." He took her hand in his paw. "May I ask the name of the fair maiden I rescued?"

"Ah…Ah'm Adenine?"

"Adenine. What a charming name." He gently kissed her hand and let it slip from his paw. "I bid you ado, dear Adenine…for now." He winked again and followed after Gaufroi. "I must say, Gaufroi, you are much more persistent than my usual babysitters."

"I am your guard."

"And you are still more capable of tracking me down. You are quite difficult to shake off…"

Adenine watched them leave as she caressed the hand the young prince kissed. Her cheeks were glowing red. "The prince? He was the prince? And he came to rescue me?"

Her eyes wandered down to her feet and stopped on something scratched out in the mud. She knelt down and squinted at the message

'Meet me here at 8. I wish to make up for your poor introduction to our fair capital.' -Prince Erasmus

Adenine sighed dreamily as she rested her cheek in her hand. "After that, we stayed in touch, sendin' letters back and forth between each other. Ah always had to come up with a clever excuse to visit the capital. Fortunately, we have a good relationship with our relatives, so it didn't take much convincin' for me to stay at their place for a few nights. Erasmus was awfully sweet to me, givin' me a private tour of the capital…with his knight alongside us, granted. Still, he considered me the first real friend he made outside of the castle. He treated me as his equal, and Ah treated him like mah friends back home. We felt comfortable around each other."

A blush crept up onto her face, as did an embarrassed smile. "Then one day, he confessed his love for me. Ah must admit, Ah was quite smitten by him, and Ah never expected he would see me like that. Ah didn't even think about it and said Ah loved him, too. It's been our little secret ever since, and it's been some of the happiest moments of mah life."

The girls stared at her with big, dreamy smiles and shimmering eyes. "AWW~!" They piled around her and squeezed her into a group hug which she happily snuggled into.

"That is so romantic!" Melissa cried. "You two deserve nothing but happiness!"

"No wonder you were willing to sneak around Jason and the others for this long," Marie gushed. "It was all worth it to see your special beau."

"I shouldn't be moved by this sappy nonsense!" Pandora cried as a waterfall of tears ran down her face. "I can't even tell Eadwulf how I feel, and you managed to snag a prin—" Lillia slapped her mouth shut.

"Oookay, dial it back, Pan," she whispered. "We're trying to keep her secret, remember?"

The girls shuffled away from Adenine and smiled at her. Melissa said, "Still, this is incredible. You must feel like the luckiest girl in the world."

Adenine smiled sheepishly. "Ah'm still not used to this fancy stuff yet, and Ah try to stay modest, though Ah must confess it does feel nice to be spoiled." She picked up the wine bottle. "Ah mean, this stuff alone could pay for renovations to mah house. Might even pay for a new one, too." She set the bottle down and laughed. "There are admittedly some perks, though we try not to make our relationship public for obvious reasons."

Lillia frowned. "That's a real shame. Doesn't it ever get tiring having to sneak around so much?"

"Most days, but it's a small price to pay." She shuddered. "Ah'd be horrified to think what would happen if Ah agreed to go to that party."

Pandora perked up. "Party? What party?"

"Ya know, the one they're hostin' next week?"

The Growlithe's eyes lit up with joy. "Wait, you mean to tell me that he was going to get you into that party? Just like that?"

Adenine shrugged. "Well, he IS the prince. He mentioned how he snagged some invitations to invite some socialite friends of his." She sighed. "That was before he brought up how he wanted to invite me, and Ah kind of froze up after that. He said he wanted me to meet his parents."

"Aww!" Lillia gushed. Her eyes widened. "Oh wait, that's bad, isn't it?"

"Very." She hid her head under her arms. "What do fancy people even talk about these days? Do Ah need to talk about taxes or somethin'? That's more mah brother's field of expertise than mine—" Pandora slid into Adenine and wrapped her foreleg over her shoulder.

"Adenine, sweetheart, do I have the proposition of a lifetime for you." She grinned. "Convince him to spare an invitation for me. If I have one of those, I can get into that party without fail. I'll have the prince's stamp of approval, after all."

Adenine frowned. "Ah'm not so sure about that, Pan. Razzy's lenient on a lot of things, but Ah'm not sure he would agree to invitin' complete strangers, even if Ah know them."

"Well, we're not ALL complete strangers," Marie said, winking at Melissa.

Melissa shot her a deadpan glare. "Yeah, we would have other problems if I tried to talk him into it."

"Just messing with you, hon."

Pandora tutted and wagged her digit. "Adenine, think of the possibilities in the name of the Foresters. Examining their project for myself will allow me to step up in the innovative world of Forester equipment. I would be able to steal those secrets for myself."

Adenine frowned. "Pan, Ah don't feel comfortable with that." She groaned and covered her head. "This is the other reason Ah didn't want anyone findin' out about our relationship. Ah knew ya or someone else would use mah unique position to get somethin' out of it. Ah would feel awful goin' behind Razzy's back like that. It would feel like a betrayal of trust."

Marie frowned. "Ad, you're a member of an infamous thieves guild dating a prince. There's already a lot of wrong going on with your position."

Adenine whined and dropped her head into her arms. "Still, Ah don't want to use mah relationship for an underhanded scheme against him or his family. He said he wanted me to meet his parents, because he does one day want to open up about us." She sighed. "And Ah'm nothin' but a yellow-bellied coward…"

"Adenine…"

Lillia glanced at Pandora, then back at Adenine. "I guess I see what you mean. You're already risking a lot keeping this secret from him." She nudged Pandora in the side.

"Hmm? Oh! Uh…" Pandora awkwardly scratched behind her head. "R-Right."

Adenine sighed. "Even with Razzy by mah side, Ah would feel so alone in an ocean of riches and contempt."

Melissa's ears drooped down. "Oh Adenine…" She turned away and scratched her cheek. She closed her eyes for a moment, tapping her finger against her cheek, then looked at the Kecleon again. "Hey, Adenine?"

"Yah?" she mumbled.

"Out of curiosity, do you want to go to the party with Erasmus?"

Adenine lifted her head and shot Melissa a confused glare. "What?"

"Do you want to go to the party and spend time with Erasmus?"

Adenine blinked, then frowned down at the table. "…Of course Ah do. Nothin' would make me happier."

Melissa smiled. "Well, would you feel more comfortable if you had friends with you?" She gestured around the table. "Like, four friends, for instance?"

Adenine's eyes widened. "What? But, if anyone sees us, we might be—"

Melissa raised her hand and shushed her. "Pandora and Marie rarely leave Fort Lucus, and Lillia is still relatively unknown compared to the others. As for me, well…let us be honest, I should have been caught a long time ago, yet I am surprisingly good at walking around in plain sight. I would need to hide my face from Erasmus, but I should be able to walk about without much issue."

Adenine frowned. "Still, Ah don't want to go schemin' behind Erasmus' back."

Melissa reached over and patted Pandora's shoulder. "This will be the one and only favor Pandora is asking of you. Besides, eventually she is going to use whatever invention they are presenting for her own…twisted purposes, so consider this an early start. Plus, with an opportunity like this dangling in front of her, better she does not cause any trouble by crashing the party."

Pandora grinned. "My scientific mind has no room for morals."

"That sounds an awful lot like blackmail," Adenine mumbled.

Melissa shook her head. "Regardless of what she does, the rest of us want to see you spend some quality time with Erasmus. You two clearly love each other, and he wants to eventually spend the rest of his life with you despite the differences in your classes. He cares about you so much, he is willing to risk everything on it. Maybe even risk the right to the crown if he must."

Adenine's eyes slowly widened. "Y'all really think he would go that far?"

Melissa grinned. "He is that kind of guy, I would say. And if us being there to give you support is the ticket to your future with him, then we will cheer you on. That is what friends do for each other, right?"

The stunned Kecleon looked around the table as the girls smiled and nodded in agreement. Tears welled up in her eyes. She sniffled and wiped them into the sleeve of her dressed. "Ya girls…" She shuddered, then smiled warmly at them. "Y'all are the best."

"Aww!" The girls piled in for another group hug and squeezed her.

Adenine giggled, then looked up at the ceiling with newfound determination. "R-Right. When Erasmus gets back, Ah'll reconsider his offer, and ask him for the extra tickets."

Melissa nodded. "And you will not have to worry about any nobles with me around. I promise."

Adenine smiled at her. "I was definitely wrong about you, Melissa. Thank you." Melissa smiled back, her cheeks glowing with joy. Adenine peeked around the booth and at the front door. "Y'all better make yerselves scarce before Razzy gets back."

"Right," Marie agreed, shuffling out of the booth. "We'll just grab that cider and wait for you with Godfrey."

Lillia giggled. "What a relief we won't have to sit in that crate on the trip back."

Adenine laughed. "Ah was wonderin' what that there crate was really for. Bet it was cramped in there."

Melissa shuddered. "Cramped is one way of putting it." She and Pandora got up and followed the other two back to their table.

A thought came to Adenine's mind before they got too far. "Hey, hold up!" The girls stopped and faced her puzzled expression. "Y'all were in that box the whole trip?"

They nodded slowly, looking away from each other with mixed expressions.

"Ah mean, Godfrey and Ah stopped a few times to relieve ourselves. So, does that mean y'all were usin' the bathroom in the—"

"WE WILL NEVER SPEAK OF THAT AGAIN!" the girls yelled before bolting out of the eatery, snatching their cider from the waiter and throwing coins in his face.

Adenine blinked, then looked away with a horrified expression. "Somethin' tells me Ah won't be seein' that crate when Ah meet back up with them."

Adenine only had to wait a few minutes before Erasmus popped back into the eatery. She took a few relaxing breaths to calm her racing heartrate just as he pulled himself back into his seat.

"Sorry for the wait," Erasmus said. "Even when I am trying to get away from it, a prince's duty is never truly over."

Adenine nodded. "Ah understand, don't fret. Ah was able to…keep mahself occupied while ya were gone."

Erasmus smiled. "That is good." His ears perked up as the kitchen doors opened. "Excellent, our food has arrived."

The Beartic waiter bowed to them before setting down their platters. Berry steak for the pair with a side of mashed potatoes and asparagus, drizzled in a sauce that sent Adenine's uncultured nose through the roof with its rich scent.

"Enjoy," the waiter said before shuffling off, leaving the two to themselves.

Adenine gulped. "So fancy~."

Erasmus chuckled. "Terribly sorry that I spoil you, my dear. I see you so little these days, I cannot help myself."

She smiled, her cheeks turning rosy red. "Ya really are sweet, Razzy. Ah don't mind bein' spoiled from time to time. Ah try to stay humble around all this stuff. Ah wouldn't want ya thinkin' Ah liked ya for yer money."

He laughed and shook his head. "Perish the thought. It is good to be a little selfish, I say. You deserve it."

She frowned, feeling her confidence waning slightly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "So, Ah don't normally do this, but would ya protest if Ah had a particularly selfish request?"

"Of course not. I would do anything to help you, Addy." Erasmus set his fork down. "Is something the matter? Does your family need money for their shop? I am willing to sent them an anonymous donation if their shop is not doing well."

She smiled a bit. "That is sweet of ya, but it's not that kind of request." She scratched her head awkwardly. "Ah…took some time to reconsider yer offer to go to the party and…meet yer folks."

His eyes widened. "Really?"

She nodded. "Yep, and Ah…" She sighed and smiled at him. "Ah would be honored to accept yer invitation."

A smile broke out over his face. "You mean it? Addy, that is wonderful!" He slid to the other side of the booth and hugged her. "I am so glad you reconsidered, though are you absolutely sure you want to come? I do not want to pressure you into it."

Adenine nodded. "Ah…do love you, Razzy, and Ah guess Ah want to eventually reveal our relationship, even if the thought terrifies me to mah core."

Erasmus frowned. "Addy, if you still feel that way—"

"B-But a little fear is good for the soul!" she corrected. "Ah do feel a little awful keepin' this from mah folks and brother, though Ah doubt they would be prepared to learn Ah've been secretly courted by some rich fella, much less a prince."

He sighed, but smiled at her. "Well, if you are absolutely sure, then…I cannot wait for you to attend. You will not regret it, I swear." He pulled away and reached inside his suit. "I have an invitation for you here. Just show it to the guard on the day of the party and—" He paused as Adenine raised her hand at him.

"There is, however, the matter of that selfish request Ah mentioned," she added with a grimace.

Erasmus blinked. "Oh, yes, I nearly forgot about that. What is it?"

She gulped and nervously scratched her arm. "Ah still have mah reservations bein' around so many fancy, rich folk. Scares the dickens out of me. Though, um…if Ah had some familiar company with me to keep me from…fleeing in a blind panic, to put it lightly, Ah would be a tad braver than Ah normally would."

Erasmus narrowed his eyes. "Are you saying…?"

She sighed through her nose. "Would it be alright if ya gave me four more invitations for mah friends?"

He raised his brow. "Adenine, forgive me if I sound judgmental, but most people would have a hard time believing you were able to acquire a single invitation to this kind of event, much less five. Unless…" His eyes widened. "Wait, do these friends of yours know about our—"

"Um, well…" Adenine squeezed her eyes shut and tried to come up with an excuse. "Ah…didn't know how to brin' this up, but some friends of mine may have figured out where Ah've been goin' these days. Just…before Ah left, actually." Or just ten minutes ago, but Ah'll keep that to mahself.

Erasmus frowned. "They have not told anyone, right?"

She shook her head. "No, no, they swore themselves to secrecy! They won't tell a soul, Ah assure ya. They're good people, and they just wanted to make sure Ah was doin' okay. That's what friends do, after all. They keep us on the straight and narrow." She sighed. "Ah was strugglin' on how to brin' this up because Ah wasn't sure ya would be okay with it. Ah…declined the first time because Ah didn't think ya would agree to invitin' strangers. Ah just really could use the moral support."

Erasmus sighed and leaned back into the booth. "Well, I must admit, that is a rather selfish request. Inviting you is risking a lot as it is, and I do not know how to gauge your friends."

She sighed. "Ah'm sorry for brin'in' up. Ah don't want to cause ya any trouble—"

"However…" He sighed and smiled at her. "If it means I get to spend a day with you, I think I am willing to be riskier."

Adenine's eyes widened. "Really?"

"My personal guard will make sure everything goes as planned. Plus, it sounds to me that these friends of yours want what is best for you. That is enough reason for me." He plucked five invitations from his suit and handed them to her. "The rest of these were supposed to be delivered to some socialites I know, but they will just have to wait a little longer to get theirs."

Adenine's eyes watered with joy. "Thank ya, Razzy. Just…thank ya."

Erasmus smiled. "I cannot wait to share a dance with you, my dear Addy." He cupped her cheek and pressed his lips to her. Adenine shuddered from the contact, her cheeks blooming bright red, and leaned into the kiss.

"WOOHOO! YAY!"

They jolted from the kiss and looked to the front of the eatery. Erasmus could've sworn he saw a few heads ducking out of view from the door. "Adenine, did you see anything?"

Adenine's whole body turned pink as a bright red blush covered her face. "Nope! Must've been the wind." Dammit, girls! Give me a little privacy!