Melissa yawned as she finished folding and packing away her travel supplies. Everything from dental care to casual clothes to blend in. There was hardly a need for their uniforms, so it made for extra room. She stood up and rubbed her weary eyes. "So tired…"

"Hey, you're the one who suggested we leave early in the morning," Pandora pointed out after shoving her belongings in a pack. She pushed in some tubes of blueprint paper and tools before moving on to her clothes.

Marie slung a knapsack over her shoulder and smirked. "You girls, so fussy with packing. I can get by packing the bare essentials."

Melissa pouted. "Marie, how did you fit your clothes into that thing?"

She leaned in and whispered, "To tell you the truth, I snuck them into Pandora's bag so she could carry them for me."

"What the heck?!" They glanced over at Pandora as she kicked her belongings into the pack. "This thing looks so much bigger on the outside!"

Melissa glanced at Marie and giggled. "You are bad."

She bowed her head. "I'm glad you noticed." She looked out the window. "Still, is leaving before the crack of dawn really necessary?"

"The party does not start until this Friday, and it takes a few days to reach Senbo. If we make good time, we might even arrive a day early to book an inn. That gives us time to relax, prepare for the party, and maybe an extra day to explore the city while Adenine…well, has her fun with Erasmus."

Pandora finally closed her bag and sighed. "As long as I get to see this big project that's being kept secret, I don't care what we do." She slung the pack on and waddled over. "Although, our travel plans are a bit limited at the moment. Adenine was only allowed to take Godfrey out for her supposed family trip. How are we going to get to the capital in time? Not many folks are riding out this late."

Marie chuckled and wagged her finger. "I figured that might happen, so I called in a small favor from Petra and had her deliver a letter."

"What for?" Melissa asked.

"You'll see~."

There was a knock on their door. Melissa walked over and opened it, greeted by the remainder of their travel party. "Lillia, Adenine! No one saw you two, right?"

They shook their heads. "We snuck out without a peep," Adenine whispered.

Lillia bounced on her toes, grinning from ear-to-ear. "This is so awesome. Totally excited! Ah, we brought along some tag-a-longs. Hee, that was fun to say." She stepped aside to let Sadie and JoJo (a Nidorina) through. "Our little safety measure to make sure no one suspects we're gone."

Sadie huffed. "You guys better know what you're doing. Covering for you once was bad enough."

JoJo shrugged. "As long as I get paid, I couldn't care less."

Melissa set her bag down. "O-Of course, JoJo, but you do know what to do, right?"

JoJo smirked. "What? Run around base and occasionally disguise myself as you five to throw off suspicion? No sweat. I've even been practicing keeping my pupils a normal shape."

Pandora raised her brow. "And you're sure you won't get caught?"

"Perhaps a demonstration?" JoJo cleared her throat and started shifting between the girls one-by-one. She went down from Melissa, Pandora, Marie, Lillia, and Adenine.

"W-What? I am not suspicious, I always look this cowardly and anxious! MEEP!"

"I'm super evil! Mwuahahahaha!"

"I'm perverted and harass everyone to satisfy my sexual desires!"

"I'm a witch with special eyes! Want to talk about magic and other fantasy stuff?"

"Well howdy y'all! Ah'm a rootin-tootin seamstress from this here side of the barn, y'all!"

She got a mix of reactions for her impressions. Melissa and Adenine looked annoyed, Marie and Lillia looked amused, and Pandora nodded her head thoughtfully.

"Wow, she makes a convincing me," Pandora said.

"I am not that cowardly," Melissa grumbled.

"That is stereotypin', madame," Adenine said, but looked away awkwardly. "Only mah cousins sound like that…"

Sadie pulled JoJo aside and shook her back into her Ninorina form. "We'll workshop it, and she'll have me to keep things straight. Lucient and the brothers are in on the plan, but…" She frowned at Melissa. "You are ditching your responsibilities for this, you know."

Melissa chuckled nervously and waved it off. "Oh, they will be fine."

"Them, or your apprentices?"

"Uh, yeah, that is what I said."

Sadie glared. "Melissa…"

"I-It is fine. I am just taking a break. No harm in that."

"Your heist is over a month away."

"S-See? Plenty of time." She shuffled away from the girls, laughing to herself. "Uh, you girls go on ahead without me. I just need to make a quick stop before we leave. See ya!" She dashed off.

Sadie crossed her arms and groaned. "That girl, I swear…"

Marie and Pandora shared a look with each other, then back to Sadie. "We've noticed she's been acting like that for a while," Marie said.

"Ever since she lost her locket," Pandora added.

Sadie sighed. "I'm worried about her. Melissa tries to put on a brave face, but…sometimes I wonder if she understands the pressure she's putting on herself."

Marie narrowed her eyes, tightly gripping her knapsack's strap. "Yeah. Can't imagine what that's like." She closed her eyes for a moment, then stepped away. "Actually, I need to take care of something, too. I'll be down in five minutes."

Lillia tilted her head. "Where are you off to? Bathroom?"

She shook her head. "No, just…need to check in on something before I leave. It won't take long, I promise." She turned and limped off into the dark.

The remaining girls glanced at each other and shrugged before parting ways.

"Two hundred forty-seven…two hundred forty-eight…two hundred forty-nine—"

"Hey Ursula."

The Toxicroak, as she performed her handstand pushups, craned her neck and saw Melissa approaching the makeshift prison. "Oh, hey Mels." She flipped off her hands and landed on her feet. "Fancy seeing you out this late. I didn't take you for a morning person."

Melissa chuckled awkwardly. "Eh, just getting up bright and early for apprentice training."

Ursula frowned. "That reminds me, how are you feeling? I heard rumors that you've been a little…out of it lately. Like, you've been unfocused and stuff like that."

"Oh, uh…I am fine. Just tired. Heh, and look at that. Not solving the problem with early morning schedules, huh?" Seeing as the Toxicroak was still giving her the suspicious brow, Melissa changed subjects. "So, how is your leg doing?"

Ursula looked down and placed a little pressure on her leg. "It's getting there. If anything, it gave me an excuse to workout my arms." She flexed her muscles, giving them a firm pat. "That's grade A hard work you're staring at, Mels! Proof of dedication!"

"Heh, very nice. Um, sorry, but I am only here to see if Luna is awake. I wanted to talk to her for a bit."

Ursula glanced at the prison door. "She's still sleeping. Not that she has much to say to you. No offense, Mels, but that girl's been giving you the cold shoulder ever since you got here. I don't think she likes you."

Melissa looked away. "She does think I abandoned the kingdom…which is not entirely false. I just wanted to ask if she would tell me where my locket is, that is all."

"I'll see if I can wrestle an answer or two out of her on my next shift. Is that all you wanted?"

"…I guess." She turned away and waved. "I will see you around, Ursula. I have things to do."

Ursula frowned. "Alright. Try to take care of yourself, okay?"

Melissa smiled. "Heh. It will take a lot to bring my mood down." She bounced off into the dark.

Ursula crossed her arms and glared skeptically at the retreating Buneary. "What is going on with that girl?"

"I will see you around, Ursula. I have things to do."

Contrary to either Forester outside her prison, Luna was wide awake. A bad habit that didn't seem to go away after her time in the Echo Bell Kingdom. With nothing to do, she would lose herself in the sanctity of her thoughts trying to piece together whatever answers she can from the limited information she acquired. Not much she could do without her notes or a lead to follow.

She focused on the conversation happening outside instead. It didn't surprise her Melissa was still insistent on the location of her locket. She looked the item over enough times to know it meant the world to Melissa, but it was also a vital piece of evidence that she couldn't give up so soon. Not until she got a straight answer about why Melissa chose to abandon the kingdom.

It was a lost effort for both sides, and she knew this. Melissa had her secrets, and Luna had a responsibility to the kingdom. There wasn't much to accomplish when an entire fortress of highly trained thieves could descend on her at a moment's notice.

"What is going on with that girl?"

Luna shared the same sentiments with her prison guard. She knew enough about Melissa to know she wouldn't wake up so early in the morning unless there was an ulterior motive.

Luna sighed. Not my problem, though. She rolled onto her back and stared up at her ceiling. Still don't know if Matthias started a search party for Gerard yet. I need to figure out what this Crownless King business is. There's no way I'll get anything done under the Foresters' care, though.

…I need to break out of here.

The girls eventually reconvened outside the fort and walked down the main road. They had to wait for Marie a little longer, though she wouldn't specify what held her up. They dropped the topic and continued down to the edge of the forest.

Pandora glared. "So, how the hell are we getting to the Senbo Kingdom? We don't exactly have easy transportation, and it would take a lot of convincing to have Percival use the Teleportation Corp to take us there instantly."

Marie chuckled and wagged her finger. "Oh ye of little faith, I told you I have everything covered. Why go to a royal party without a little class to take us there? It's the only appropriate way to make an entrance."

Melissa tapped her chin. "She is not wrong, though we are trying not to make ourselves stand out."

She patted the Buneary's cheek. "Hon, we're escorting Adenine to dance with the prince. We're going to have eyes on our party regardless." She looked up and purred excitedly. "I do hope I can drag a couple gentlemen and ladies away to a private part of the castle. I know a way to spice up the festivities—" Lillia bonked her on the head.

"Heel, girl."

Adenine tiddled her fingers together. "Ah'm still a mite nervous. What if Ah forget how to dance and trip over mahself? Oh dear, Ah can already feel a sweat comin' on. Oh Arceus, what if Ah soak my dress in sweat because Ah'm so darn nervous?! What if everyone laughs at me?! What if Erasmus' parents don't like me—OH NO! Ah have to meet his parents!"

Melissa reached over and hugged the Kecleon. "Deep breaths, Addy, deep breaths." Adenine breathed in and out rhythmically as instructed. "There, there, let it all out." She stroked the chameleon's back. "You have nothing to worry about. I have met King and Queen Talbot before. They are lovely people, and they will most certainly love you. You are a precious gem with so much charm."

Adenine smiled thoughtfully. "Does that mean they won't care if Ah'm not of noble blood?"

"…" Melissa sucked her lips in. "Um…"

Adenine slouched over and whined. "Ah'm goin' to grow old and alone…"

"AH! Do not say that! Hugs! More hugs!" She squeezed the chameleon and caressed her head. "You are a beautiful angel, do not let whatever they say to you hurt you."

"So they WILL hate me?!"

"AH! That's not…AH, no! That is not what I meant! I meant—"

"What the hay is that?!"

They stopped to Pandora's outcry and looked ahead. At the edge of the forest, and seemingly awaiting their arrival, was a white carriage pulled by two bold Rapidash that stood proudly side by side. Standing by the carriage door was a fancily dressed Passimian coachman.

He bowed and opened the door to them. "I take it you are the Marie party."

Marie waved. "That's us! Marie party, party of five!"

Lillia pulled on Marie's arm and stared at her in shock. "You rented us a fancy carriage?!"

"I told you, we're going in with style."

"How…did you afford this?" Melissa asked.

Marie waved it off. "That's my secret for me alone, hon. Just know that this guy will get us to the capital in time. He promises he can get us there the night before, and who am I to deny such luxury?"

Pandora grinned. "Well, I'm not turning this down. Woo!" She sprinted and lunged into the carriage, startling the coachman. "Ooooh! There's even some fancy water in here!"

Melissa, Adenine, and Lillia shared a look before shrugging. "Well, if Marie says it's alright, I guess it wouldn't hurt," Lillia said.

Melissa sighed. "Definitely beats sitting in a tiny crate."

"That's the spirit!" They gasped as Marie pushed them forward and into the carriage. "Hurry those cute butts in, we're burning daylight!" She winked at the coachman and flicked a gold coin into his hand. "Thank you, my good man."

He pocketed the coin and bowed. "My pleasure, madame." He closed the door once she was in, then hopped into his seat. "Alright boys, let's ride!"

The two Rapidash nodded, reared their legs, and marched out onto the open road. Next stop: the Senbo capital.

Senbo Kingdom Capital

"Hurry up, my darlings!" Queen Constance bellowed down the halls. "The Tetrarchs will be arriving shortly. I want to see everyone downstairs in fifteen minutes."

"Yes, Mother!" the Talbot siblings called from their rooms. Constance smiled and walked off.

The first to exit their room was Erasmus. He sat on his haunches to adjust his dress shirt and crown. Next out was Cairo and Galen, both adorning red and blue formal jackets respectively. Cairo absently scratched his cheek while Galen hastily cleaned off his spectacles.

"I do not see why we have to all greet them," Cairo said. "I was planning to head into town for a little fun."

Erasmus narrowed his eyes. "You mean fool around with more of the barmaids and having to be escorted home because of the drinks you snuck?"

Cairo chuckled awkwardly. "I only do that at night. A lot less risky."

Galen sighed and placed his spectacles back on his snout. "Regardless, this is not just a visit from King Tetrarch and his heir. The whole royal family will be joining us, and it's in our best interests to at least greet them."

Cairo rolled his eyes. "Whatever. First chance I get, I am dipping." He grinned at Erasmus. "You would not mind covering for me, of course, dear brother?"

Erasmus rolled his eyes and smirked. "So long as you do not cause any trouble, I suppose I can humor your request."

"Heh, not going to give me a speech about how I am my own worst enemy or some crap?"

Erasmus shook his head. "Harsh as I was in pointing out your frivolous activity, it is mostly harmless…and hopefully it will stay that way."

Cairo laughed. "I promise, I am responsible with my shenanigans."

Galen huffed. "The only activity you take responsibility for…"

"What are you three talking about?" They turned as their little sister's door pulled open. The young Houndour wore a simple white dress with puffy shoulders and a skirt that dragged behind on the floor. "Cairo, are you going to get in trouble?"

Cairo nervously laughed and waved it off. "Um, I will explain it to you when you are older, squirt."

Teri pouted. "I am not that oblivious. I know what you do when you hang out with those barmaids." Cairo turned away and nervously scratched his cheek. Teri sighed. "Do I have to keep the youngest princes and princesses company?"

Erasmus tapped his chin. "Well, the Shellos pair are a few years older than you. I think the two Piplup are nine and seven, so you can keep them company."

Teri groaned. "Great, babysitting."

"You are only one year older than the oldest Piplup. Think of it like this, they are probably better company than the Johnson kids."

Teri grimaced. "Snobby, no good brats…" She sighed and smiled. "Alright, I will put on a good first impression for the guests."

Erasmus smiled. "Good."

"This feels like a waste of time." Everyone turned as their final sibling left his room. Dimitri tugged on his shirt collar, loosening the bowtie until it hung loose around his neck. "Erasmus and Darby are the ones destined to take the thrones. Why should we introduce ourselves to the rest of their family? It is not like we are going to spend time together after this."

Erasmus shook his head. "Do not be like that. Mother wants our families to get along as we are on the verge of finishing a treaty with our kingdoms. This project is to commemorate that bond."

Dimitri scoffed. "And you do not find it a little concerning King Tetrarch happens to have history with a gang boss, who was recommended to run security?"

Cairo sighed dreamily. "His daughter was pretty hot, though." Galen slapped him upside the head. "Ow!"

Erasmus huffed through his nose. "If you are so concerned about it, ask King Tetrarch yourself. It is not uncommon for kingdoms to get in contact with mercenary groups to help fight wars."

"Yeah, except we never had to rely on outside help like that. We were perfectly fine relying on our military for protection, and now we are opening our walls to complete strangers from even stranger kingdoms."

Erasmus glared. "Dimitri, you need to be a little openminded about this stuff. Father wants to end our history of isolation and finally make a connection with the other kingdoms. I assure you, the Tetrarchs are good people."

"Is it wrong to be a little suspicious? I mean, Father has his own closest of skeletons I bet he has never told you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"…" Dimitri looked away. "If you are so concerned, ask him yourself."

"…" Erasmus pinched between his eyes and sighed. "Dimitri, I am not in the mood to argue with you. Just please be on your best behavior for the Tetrarchs. You have nothing to worry about from them."

Dimitri glared at the floor. "…Whatever."

"I will take what I can get." Erasmus nodded his head along. "Alright, Mother is expecting us. Come on." His siblings followed behind.

Galen glanced at Cairo and said, "Just for the record, that Flygon chick is way out of your league."

Cairo gasped. "How can you say that? Who can resist a handsome, rich stud like me?"

"Well, for the record, I am pretty sure she has a whole decade over you."

Cairo sighed happily. "And how can I refuse the beauty of an older woman?"

"She would also snap you like a twig."

"Ah, and strong, too? My kind of woman!"

Galen facepalmed. He is going to die the second he opens his mouth.

The Talbots got into position, standing in the foyer and waiting for the front doors to swing open. Servants were on standby, standing at attention and waiting to serve the guests. Dimitri let his eyes wander and saw the Indeedee maid from before bouncing anxiously on her toes. She noticed his staring and immediately looked away with a nervous yelp.

Erasmus heard his brother muffle a sigh. "You still have not apologized to her—"

"I am working on it," he said through gritted teeth.

They straightened up as the front doors creaked open. The servants bowed as the guests entered into the foyer, accompanied by an Arcanine, Octillery, and Beheeyem dressed in armor. The Talbots bowed their heads to the party.

"Hello, my friends!" King Gilbert greeted, taking a step forward. "And welcome back to the Senbo Kingdom!"

Heading the pack was the Empoleon and East Sea Gastrodon couple, King Wilkin and Queen Saige. Accompanying their sides were their children. The youngest were two Piplup, male and female. After that were two teenage Shellos, also male and female. Finally, it was the older Prinplup brothers, the eldest son recognized as Darby.

Wilkin and Saige bowed to the Talbots. "And thank you for allowing us to stay in your wonderful kingdom again, my friend," Wilkin greeted.

Saige smirked. "Oh yes, it is quite lovely. Wilkin was not jesting about the industrialized environment. So much more different to the Wick Kingdom. You either find the ocean at your backside, or stare at endless miles of sand. A shame there is not much plant life here."

Constance chuckled. "If it is plants you enjoy, I have a treat for you in the royal garden. We have some of best gardeners to tend to our plants."

"Oooh, I may just take up your offer."

Wilkin cleared his throat and brought attention back onto himself. "I believe this is the first time I am meeting your entire family, King Gilbert."

Gilbert chuckled. "Yes. Aside from Erasmus, my other sons and daughter tend to wander off doing their own thing. I give them free reign in and out of the castle. I trust them to behave without our supervision."

Cairo felt all his siblings giving him the looks and quietly coughed into his paw.

Gilbert gestured down the row. "You have already acquainted yourself with Erasmus, my heir. This is my second oldest, Dimitri. These are my twin sons, Cairo and Galen. And this is my only daughter and youngest of the family, Teri."

"A pleasure to meet you," the Talbot children greeted.

Wilkin smiled and nodded. "Very good." He gestured to his children. "And these are mine. Darby, my heir. My second oldest, Kaolin. The two Shellos are Stephen and Irene. And my youngest are the two Piplup, Matthew and Colleen."

"And a pleasure to you, too," the Tetrarch siblings greeted.

Darby stepped forward and bowed to the Talbot siblings. "It is a real honor to finally meet the siblings of my dear friend. I have heard so much about all of you from Erasmus."

Dimitri raised his brow. "Oh? He was badmouthing us that much?"

Darby chuckled. "Perish the thought. He spoke warmly about each of you. I simply wish to extend a wing of friendship to my new allies." He held his wing out to Dimitri.

Dimitri eyed his wing suspiciously. "Err…"

"Be nice," Erasmus whispered.

He sighed and reluctantly shook Darby's wing. "Yeah, yeah, whatever."

Darby laughed. "We will work on that."

The servants approached the Tetrarchs and bowed to them. "May we escort you to your rooms, Royal Tetrarchs?"

Wilkin shook his head. "I assume my wife and I will be staying in the guest room I took up. Feel free to escort my children, though."

Matthew and Colleen shared a mischievous look with each other. "Or we can just ditch them and see if this place has any secret entrances to explore," Matthew whispered.

"With folks like this, they are bound to have some super-secret areas for us to uncover." They snickered under their breaths, but froze under the watchful gaze of their older brother, Kaolin.

"Yeeeeah, I think I will take the room closest to these troublemakers," he said.

They pouted at him. "Spoilsport…"

The Indeedee maid approached Darby and curtsied to him. "Um, I shall lead you to your chambers, Prince Darby."

Darby smiled and took her hand in his wing. "That is awfully generous of you, my dear, though I do hope this is not your attempt to pull me away from intruding eyes."

Her eyes widened and face turned bright red. "Oh, n-no! That is not my—"

"Shh, shh." He pulled her close and gazed into her eyes. "I never said I disapprove. I would not mind a tour from someone as lovely as you, my dear."

The Indeedee giggled awkwardly as her legs buckled under her. "O-Oh, um…Prince Darby—"

"Just Darby, my dear~," he whispered before kissing her hand. "How about you wait for me over by the stairs? I wish to catch up with Prince Erasmus first, then we can get to know each other better."

"Ooooh, uh…hehe, s-sure. I would love that."

"Off you go, then." He kissed her hand a second time and shooed her off. She stumbled away, giggling senselessly toward the stairwell.

Dimitri groaned. "Are you always this shameless with the help?"

Darby chuckled. "Jealous, Prince Dimitri? I do not blame you. She is quite attractive."

"I do not court the help like my younger brother."

"Harsh blow, bro!" Cairo chirped in as he and Galen conversed with Stephen and Irene.

Erasmus sighed. "Darby, I do ask not to be so overt with our staff. Though you once claimed this is all to invigorate them, I agree with my brother that it is a distraction."

"I never said that. It was just freakin' stupid."

Erasmus facepalmed. "Dimitri…"

Darby sighed and shook his head. "Have it your way, Erasmus. I shall not distract her or any of your staff members while they are on duty. You have my word." He hooked his wing around Erasmus. "How have you been since my last visit? I have actually been working on my sword swing. I could use a sparring partner later."

Erasmus chuckled. "I am willing to oblige to your request—"

"Wilkin!"

Everyone turned and saw Hobs and Ignacia entering the foyer from the west hall. Ignacia mindlessly gnawed on some jerky, barely paying attention to the visiting royals. Hobs, however, made a direct move toward the Empoleon king.

Wilkin grinned. "Hobs." He met the Gumshoos halfway and initiated a firm handshake with him. "How are you doing, you salty bastard?"

Hobs picked at his teeth and smirked. "Living as I am and keeping business alive. How's the royal life still treating you? You haven't gotten soft on me yet, have you?"

"HA! I'd be more worried about your sharpshooting. You still using that damn slingshot? Modernize yourself and pick up a gun."

Hobs laughed. "The day I picked up one of those noisy death sticks is the day my eyesight goes bad."

"Same old Hobs. You never were one for progress."

"When it comes to business, I progress. I'm a traditionalist when it comes to warfare." Hobs finished picking his teeth and stuffed the toothpick away. "You would know that better than most. Remember when you and I fought in the Arcanian War of 874?"

Wilkin slapped himself on the forehead. "How can I? I would've had my head blown off if you hadn't intercepted that Hyper Beam."

"And you still claim my sharpshooting needs to be modernized? Maybe we should reenact those events to prove I can still kick your butt with a few pebbles."

King Gilbert raised his paw. "Um…terribly sorry, but you fought in that war, Wilkin? Were you not your kingdom's heir back then?"

Wilkin crossed his wings and chuckled. "I was no stranger to a little mischief. I was twenty at the time, and I had a tendency to sneak out for long periods of time. I was bored, so I joined Hobs to help out with a land dispute. I didn't care which side I was on. Whoever paid Hobs, I would join without remorse."

Dimitri glared. "How…apathetic of you."

Hobs shrugged. "Hey, Arcania was and still is a small kingdom. I was hired to scare off the Subterra soldiers and send them a message. I don't care what side I'm fighting for as long as I get paid. It's simple business." He smirked up at Wilkin. "And this maniac was looking for a good excuse to nearly get himself killed."

Wilkin chuckled. "What is the point of all my training if I cannot put it to good use?" He glanced at Ignacia. "Although, I must admit, I never expected you to become a father after all these years."

Ignacia stopped gnawing on her jerky and glared. "Eh?"

"She is definitely not your biological daughter. When did you two meet?"

Hobs scratched awkwardly at his nape. "Eh…I was hired to do a job some years after we parted ways. Found the kid as a baby Trapinch and decided to raise her."

Wilkin sighed. "And you called me soft."

Hobs glared. "Hey, even I have my limits on what jobs to take. I wasn't leaving a baby to fend for itself." He clasped his hands and smiled at Ignacia. "And what a wonderful young woman she grew up into!"

Ignacia blushed and looked away. "Dad! Stop embarrassing me!"

Hobs snickered. "Can't help myself."

Darby closed his eyes and chuckled. "Well, I do commend your actions, Mr. Desierto. You made the right decision." He approached the Flygon and took her hand. "And I must say, what a fine specimen she grew up into."

Ignacia narrowed her eyes. "What are you doing?"

"What? I cannot compliment on the beauty standing before me? Who am I not to acknowledge such a beautiful, capable—" Darby froze as Hobs seized him by the collar and ripped him away from Ignacia.

"Don't even think about it, boy," Hobs snarled.

Erasmus and Dimitri's eyes widened. What the…?

Darby blinked at the scowling Gumshoos and glanced at his father. The kingly Empoleon nodded at him. Darby relented and pulled away. "My apologies, Mr. Desierto. I did not mean to strike a nerve there." He winked at Ignacia and stepped away.

Ignacia groaned. "Weirdo."

"Stay away from him, Ignacia," Hobs ordered.

She shrugged. "Wasn't planning on hanging around. I'm going to go stretch my wings." She flapped her wings and took off through the front doors, throwing them open with a whirlwind of sand.

Wilkin sighed. "Terribly sorry for that, Hobs. My son is just…very friendly towards other women."

Hobs glared at him. "My advice, old friend? Keep your son away from her, and we won't have any issues."

He nodded. "Of course."

Gilbert and Constance shared an awkward look before deciding to break the tension. "O-Okay, how about we give that tour of the castle?" Constance suggested. "Queen Saige, I would be delighted to show you the garden."

Saige smiled. "A delightful idea."

Gilbert nodded. "And Wilkin, I would like to show you the working model we will be using for the party. I believe you will love what we have done."

"Looking forward to it, Gil."

Soon, the two royal families parted ways, some heading through the side halls and others heading up the stairs to be escorted to their rooms. Erasmus kept an eye on Darby as he and the Indeedee maid headed up. He had his wing around her and whispered something to her that caused her to break out into a fit of giggles.

"My advice, Prince Erasmus, do not leave any of your female staff alone with that flirty penguin."

Evangelina never really specified why, but…something is amiss. Erasmus shook his head. Curse this sensitive curiosity of mine. Darby is just being friendly…excessively friendly, but still friendly. Evangelina certainly seemed to still be in good graces with him, so it cannot be that bad.

"Dimitri, I am…going to join Darby upstairs," Erasmus said before heading up.

Dimitri glared. "That is fine. I have some business of my own to attend to." He watched Hobs exit out of the castle.

"Stupid brat," Hobs grumbled. He reached inside his coat and pulled out a small sack of dried herbs. He grabbed a pinch and dumped them inside his mouth. "Wilkin, great king as you are, you are a shitty father…"

"I see your friendship with him has some cracks." Hobs turned as Dimitri exited the front doors. "How long did you say it was since you two last talked?"

Hobs closed his eyes and sighed. "What do you want, kid?"

"For starters, I wanted to know why you looked like you were about to end a life. Not that I particularly care about what happens to Darby."

"Heh. Protective of my precious Ignacia."

Dimitri shook his head. "I believe that, but…no, there was something else."

Hobs sat down and threw another pinch of herbs into his mouth. "Is your entire family this shrewd?"

"Just my older brother." He sat down next to the gang boss. "What exactly are you eating?"

"Heh. If I told you that, I might lose my job." He stuffed the bag away. "I get pretty bad headaches these days. Let's just say I had to do some trading in the black market, and this is the strongest stuff I can find for it."

"Alright, I will not ask." Dimitri crossed his forelegs. "So, you and King Wilkin knew each other for so long that you fought in a war together? A war he had no reason to take part in other than a cheap thrill?"

"I always told him that stuff royal life was going to screw him over, but he never listened. I say he turned out decently as a ruler." Hobs glared. "We went our separate ways…oh, a long time ago. Nearly twenty-five years. We kept it touch with letters, but that was about it. Actually, that's when I found Ignacia and took her in as my daughter. Things were…different back in my day, and there was a lot going on that required my attention. Wilkin had his own duties to worry about."

"Hmm. What made you want to take care of Ignacia?"

Hobs chuckled. "Do you want my whole life story or something?" He shrugged. "Really, it's a long story, and not one I feel obligated to talk about. I just…felt bad for the kid. My own old man was tough on me. Pretty much pushed me to get stronger and fight my own battles. Got beat up a lot when I didn't do things right. So, I went my own path. When I found Ignacia, I wanted to raise her right. Tough, but fair. I may dote on her a lot, too."

"…Hmm." Dimitri looked out into the city. "I find it hard to believe someone in your profession could be so kind."

Hobs shook his head. "You're a naïve brat, then. I just do what I do for money. There's no hard feelings or kindness in my business. But…" He leaned back and rested his head against the castle wall. "Like hell I'm going to emulate my dad towards Ignacia."

"I still do not trust you."

"That's good. Trust is…a delicate balance we all must walk. Shit, this stuff's kicking in pretty fast…" Hobs held his head and chuckled drowsily. "Oooh, that feels good~."

"So, can you humor me about something? What made you lash out at Darby like that? You almost looked like you know him personally, not just as the king's son."

"…" Hobs closed his eyes. "Kid, take my advice, and don't make an enemy out of Darby Tetrarch."

"Hmm?"

"That kid…that damn kid." He glared up at the sky. "He wears his ideals on his sleeve, but you don't see what's hiding under the sleeve. He speaks the truth, but he's not completely honest when he says something."

"How do you know anything about Darby if you have not seen King Tetrarch in so long?"

"…Some people will whisper rumors about Darby back in his kingdom. These rumors, they tell horror stories that are too farfetched to believe. They're dismissed because everyone loves his enigmatic charm and kindness. He leaves the capital a lot to trot around his kingdom. He knows people personally, and they hand him favors because of all he does for them. I admit, I have issues with the entire Tetrarch family. Only kid I tolerate is that Kaolin fellow, but he's…basically clay."

Dimitri glared. "I fail to understand. What are you trying to say about Darby?"

"Heh. You might see soon enough. He might've already got his hooks into someone, and they can't help but let themselves be reeled in. They submit to their fate because they don't even notice the hooks. Just the handsome face of a prince no young girl can resist."

"Huh?"

Hobs closed his eyes. "He has a nickname among the rumor mills, and a fitting one at that. If your older brother is considered Prince Charming…the Wick Kingdom sees Darby Tetrarch as the Prince of Desire."

"Prince of…Desire?"

Senbo Capital – Midnight

The two royal families and the castle staff turned in for the night and whisked themselves off into silent slumber while the night guards took their posts outside. It was a chilling quiet through the halls of the castle, not a sound stirring save for the gentle cold winds outside.

There was, however, an exception in Dimitri Talbot, who had finished raiding the kitchen cooler to grab himself a glass of milk. It wasn't uncommon for the dark-furred Glameow to stay awake at night, often stirred when his mind his preoccupied with intrusive thoughts. He tried to push aside his earlier conversation with Hobs and prayed he would finally fall to sleep.

"At this point, I should request for a cooler of milk in my room," Dimitri mumbled as he sauntered up the stairs, deftly carrying his glass of milk in his spiral tail.

He didn't mask his footsteps as he traveled to his bedroom hall. His naturally soft paws allowed him to move through the dark undetected. It was something he and Erasmus took advantage of when they were younger, back when they were a little closer. They would way for the right moment to ambush their father in the dead of night, sometimes even giving him a fright with scary noises. He could never quite pinpoint their stealthy footsteps.

Dimitri sighed. "I sort of miss those days. I never even cared about becoming king since Erasmus was first in line. I even encouraged him." He glared. "And yet, Father doted on him more and more as he got older." He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I do not even want the throne. Why am I being so—"

He stopped and wiggled his ears. He heard soft footsteps dragging along the rugs. Based on the sounds, it was definitely someone dragging their feet, which wasn't terribly unexpected with how late it was. He wiggled his ears some more and pinpointed the direction of the footsteps to the guest hall.

Curious, he backtracked toward the hall before peeking his head around. Another wonderful trait he and Erasmus adopted from their mother was night vision, which was convenient for spotting their Houndoom father in the dead of night.

Or, in this case, an Indeedee maid.

"Her?" Dimitri whispered.

He watched her as she dragged her feet across the rug with a sluggish posture. Her stance alone told him she must've been tired or on the verge of falling asleep. Strangely, he didn't understand why she was up so late. All the staff should've been in the staff quarters sleeping.

"You still have not apologized to her."

Dimitri sighed. "Well, might as well get this over with." He stepped out from around the corner. "Excuse me, miss—"

He froze as she stopped by a door and knocked on it. Dimitri ducked back and glared at the door. He just noticed there was candlelight flickering through the gap. One of the Tetrarchs were still awake.

"What the—" Dimitri set his milk down on a hall table and slinked through the dark. He hid behind a potted plant and peeked through to get a good look at the maid.

Fortunately, he didn't need to use his night vision as the door opened up and bathed the maid in candlelight. He squinted at her face and noticed she seemed to be in some sort of daze. Her eyes were half-open, and she wore a vacant smile. She didn't even look like she was tired. It was like…she wasn't all there.

"Hello, my dear~." Dimitri's eyes widened as the eldest Tetrarch son stepped out of his room. He cupped his wing under her chin. "Thank you for accepting my invitation."

"You're welcome, Prince Darby," she said with a monotone voice contrasting her dazed stupor.

He tickled her chin playfully. "Please, join me inside. We have much to discuss."

"Okay…"

Dimitri watched as the prince beckoned the dazed maid into his room before closing the door. He sneaked up to the room and placed his ear against the wall. He could hear Darby whispering to her, but nothing he could make out. His heart raced and pounded against his ribcage. His legs trembled beneath him. He inhaled a gulp of air, nervously glaring at the closed door.

What the hell was that about? Should I break in and demand what is going on? But, nothing is going on from the sound of it.

Dimitri clenched his teeth. He didn't like the way the maid was acting. It seemed unprofessional and unusual. It didn't help that it was the same maid Darby was flirting with early.

Prince of Desire. That is what the gang boss said his nickname was. Dimitri crouched low to the floor. I am not leaving here until either she leaves or I have to intervene. What are you up to, Prince Darby?