Melissa stirred from her hammock as light seeped through the hut window. She groaned and begrudgingly wiggled herself out of bed. She plopped her feet down on the floor and let her arms hang. She was still in her uniform from the previous day, not bothering to change it. She cracked her eyes half-open. The dark circles under her eyes grew more prominent.

"Ugh…" She dragged her feet toward the front door.

After getting halfway through the hut, though, a pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and spun her around. She was greeted by her roommates, both bearing large, cheery grins on their lips.

"Hey-a, Melissa!" Pandora exclaimed. "Isn't it such a wonderful, sunshiny day? What a wonderful morning!"

Marie wrapped her arms around Melissa. "Oh, I concur, Pandora. It's such a beautiful day outside. And you know what's the best kind of fun on such a wonderful day? Spending time with the friends you love." She gave the Buneary a tight squeeze. "And would you look at that? We have another friend to join in our merriment."

Pandora leaped to Melissa's other side and joined on the hug. "Because there's nothing better than having friends, right?"

"Right!"

Melissa blinked at them for a moment before glaring. "What are you two doing?"

They pulled away and giggled. "Whatever do you mean?" Marie asked. "We just wanted to hang out with you. Oh, we simply must have a tea party at the mess hall. A girl's day between friends."

Pandora nodded. "Perhaps we can convince Lambert to let us use the kitchen and make our own appetizers."

Melissa's brow furrowed deeper. She pointed at Marie and said, "You're under house arrest." She pointed at Pandora. "And you can't cook. At all."

Pandora winced. "Yeouch. Okay, so I was banned from the kitchen after trying my paw at alchemy, but—"

"Besides, I'm busy today." Melissa turned to the door. "Another time, maybe. I guess." She stepped out and closed the door behind her.

Marie and Pandora frowned and slumped their shoulders. "Well, that didn't work," Pandora grumbled.

"I'm getting worried about her," Marie said.

"We're really sorry, Jason, but we just can't—"

"No…no, it's fine. This is your decision. I understand."

Jason stood at the fort elevator, seeing off a Snover, Nidorina, and Delcatty in regular clothes and bags hoisted over their backs. They were the third group to announce their departure from the Foresters after Jason ordered Petra to make the Senbo Kingdom's war declaration public. He knew they were bound to figure it out eventually, so he was only speeding up the inevitable.

With the trio's departure, it amounted to twelve Foresters resigning. On the one hand, it was for the best. With the threat of war and food shortages in the next few months, less Foresters meant less risks. On the other hand, it was a hard blow to watch the Foresters grow a little smaller each day, and there were no doubt plenty more still on the fence with their decision.

The Snover bowed to Jason. "It…was an honor working with the Foresters."

Jason bowed back. "Where will you three go from here?"

The Nidorina shrugged. "I heard the Arcania Kingdom still needs help maintaining territory. We figured if we still want to help people, that'd be a good start. Things aren't any better there, but it's…well, safer than here."

He nodded. "They will appreciate your help, I'm sure. Please stay safe."

The trio bowed their heads again. "Thank you for taking us in, sir," the Delcatty said. "It's been an experience we won't forget."

Jason stepped back and crossed his arms as the girls stepped onto the elevator. The operators rotated the crank and sent them on their way. He sighed and walked away. He folded his ears against his head to block out the sound of the crank.

With well over two hundred Pokémon in the Foresters, he wondered how many there will be left once everyone came to a decision. Would it just be him and the Nature Spirits? Or would it just be him still fighting while everyone else goes their separate ways? He wasn't sure, and he didn't want to know the future's answer.

"It's fine, it's fine," he whispered, running his hand through his disheveled fur. "I can fix this. When Blitz and the others get back from their mission, we'll find a way to sort this whole mess out. I've gotten through worse. I can get us through this."

He clenched into his arm, pressing his fingers into the healed scars under his fur.

"I have to…"

Melissa hunched over her breakfast, which was a single pancake and a bowl of berries. She thought she heard something about a rationing being implemented, but she didn't care to listen. She just shoveled whatever food was given to her without question, or rather picked at her food and occasionally take bites.

She closed her eyes and sighed. "What was up with those two this morning? Pandora's never that happy in the morning." She shrugged. "Maybe she got a compliment from Eadwulf or discovered some evil element to exploit…" She shook her head. "Who cares?"

She tore another tiny piece of pancake with her fork and lifted it to her lips. She paused when the table suddenly jolted from newfound company. Someone slid into her and nearly tipped her over, but an arm pulled her back up.

"What up, princess?!"

Melissa blinked and turned to the Hakamo-o and Morgrem on her side of the table. One grinning like he just got back from a party, the other with an awkward grin.

"…Ragger. Klaus," she said. "I—"

"Hold that thought, princess!" Ragger reached into his bag before plopping down a bottle beside her tray. "When's the last time you sat down and had yourself a good ol' drink? Believe me, there's nothing better than getting through the day while being completely wasted!"

Klaus folded his arms on the table and smiled. "Nothing wrong with sharing a drink, wouldn't you say? Now, we know you're not much of a drinker, but why not kick back for the day and indulge with us?"

"Yeah, listen to the sick goblin!" Ragger placed some shot glasses on the table and poured the alcohol. "I figured a royal brat like you would love something exquisite for those refined tastebuds, so I made my own brand of wine just for you. You should be honored! I don't make drinks for just anyone."

Melissa stared at the shot glasses with a cold stare. "…Why are you offering me drinks?"

"Just because. That's what friends do, and I guess we're friends and all! Plus, I want to see if Princess Penworth's a lightweight or not." Ragger threw his head back and laughed.

Her glare deepened the longer she stared at the glasses. "Probably poisoned…"

Ragger waved it off. "Well, it is technically poison for your liver, but mine can power through anything." He held up the glass. "Come on, have a sip."

She scowled. "No thanks." She turned out of her seat and walked away.

Klaus stood up. "Uh, Melissa? You didn't finish your breakfast—"

"You can have it." She left the mess hall and slammed the doors shut behind her.

Ragger frowned. "Yeesh, you weren't kidding. She is down in the dumps." He glared at the shot glasses. "Kind of rude, though. I went through all that trouble making this damn wine."

Klaus crossed his arms. "I think it's worse than that."

Melissa sat in the shade outside the mess hall with her notes spread over the table. She stared at the scattered parchment with her fist to her cheek and her quill tapping beside its inkwell. She grimaced at a line she reread and crossed it out in a think line of black ink. In fact, most of her notes had lines crossed out.

"Not good enough," she mumbled.

"Hey, Melissa!" She jumped as Sadie and JoJo leapt into the seats next to her. She only then noticed JoJo was a white-furred Buneary with blue fluff, some sort of transformation she had been wearing for several days. Melissa wasn't paying attention since returning to the fort.

Sadie cupped her cheeks in her hands and leaned onto the table. "Whatcha' doin'?"

Melissa glared. "Working on my heist."

JoJo picked up one of the notes and skimmed it. "Uh, you sure? This looks like something I would do when doing my taxes—" She saw Sadie shooting a glare at her. "Uh, but that's not important." She tossed the sheet down. "We just wanted to see if you were up for a break to spend time with us?"

"Aren't you two on cleaning duty or something?" Melissa mumbled.

"Yes, but who's to say fun can't be had when cleaning?" JoJo rubbed her knuckles against her chest. "Believe me, I also found the idea of doing this tedious labor mentally taxing, but why not indulge in tomfoolery when all the advantages exist at your fingertips? Or, in our case, a mere bucket of soapy water."

Sadie hooked her arm around Melissa and raised her hand to the air. "Picture it, bestie. What's the best way to turn a monotonous chore into an awesome, but efficient activity? Soap skating! It's like ice skating, but with sponges tied to your feet. We have the whole route figured out. We can race around the fort while simultaneously cleaning the floors. It's speedy and entertaining!"

JoJo prodded Melissa's side. "Plus, how can you say no to helping your two dear friends speed up these boring chores for protecting your secret? We wanted to treat you to some fun as our favor from you."

Melissa closed her eyes and groaned. "I'm not in the mood." She peeled Sadie's arm off and gathered her belongings. "If you'll excuse me, I have work to do, something you two should be doing as well." She crumpled her notes in a messy stack and walked away.

Sadie frowned. "I can't believe that didn't work."

JoJo shook her head. "You only have yourself to blame. I mean, turning cleaning duty into a sport? Get real." Sadie shot her a glare. "…Right, not the point."

The Audino sighed and stood up. "Come on. Guess we have to finish cleaning…"

Melissa dragged herself toward a tree protruding through the center of the platform and pressed her forehead against it. She lost the motivation to continue reviewing her heist nots, and she was running on fumes with how little sleep she got last night. She wanted nothing more than to put away the distractions and grant herself a long awaited respite.

"I swear, if one more person tries to talk to me with that stupid, happy grin…" she mumbled as she started her climb up.

"Good day, Melissa!" She winced just as she lifted her foot off the platform. She turned and glared at her three volunteer heist companions: Lucient, Wyatt, and Avel. They approached her with Wyatt hiding something behind his back.

"What?" she hissed.

Lucient ignored her tone and adjusted his spectacles. "Well, we figured with how hard you're working, you must feel exhausted. After all, being a leader is a lot of work."

"Yeah, it is," she growled. "That's why I prefer to be alone so I can catch up on some sleep."

Avel nodded. "Of course, but we figured you deserved a little something for your hard work…even if your recent attitude has been unwelcomed," he grumbled under his breath, but Wyatt gave him a firm nudge and glare. "But that's beside the point."

Wyatt grinned. "To commemorate your efforts, we present to you this present!" He pulled said present out from behind his back.

It was a wrapped plate of cream puffs. Different colored creams oozed out of the pastries, coming in a variety of pinks, greens, or the classic white. Steam was visible under the wrapping, indicating they were baked only recently. She could smell them even with a meter of distance from the treat.

"We know how much you love cream puffs, so we asked Lambert to whip up his own special recipe just for you." He uncovered the plate and grabbed one, taking a bite from it. "Mmmm! So good~!"

Lucient psychically grabbed one and passed it over to Melissa. "Enjoy. They were made for you."

She stared at them and the cream puff for a moment, no visible change in her expression. She sighed and pushed the cream puff away. "I'm not hungry. Help yourselves to them." She went back to climbing up the tree and pulled herself out of sight.

The trio stared up at the tree, their mouths hanging agape. The plate slipped out of Wyatt's hands and landed on the platform, splattering cream of him and Lucient. The action alone would've sent Melissa into a blind rage, yet even that didn't drive her down from the trees.

"That…That is Melissa, right?" Avel mumbled.

"Sweet baby Mew, what happened to our precious cinnamon roll?!" Wyatt cried.

Lucient narrowed his eyes worriedly. "Melissa…"

Melissa lay in a tree, hands resting on her stomach, and tried to sleep. She was getting sick and tired of everyone acting weird and cheery around her. She just wanted to be alone. Was that too much to ask for?

She nestled herself into the perfect position and thought she could finally get some degree of rest. Her relaxation didn't last too long as she heard a twig snap. She angrily snapped one eye open and found Kenny the Cubchoo standing on her branch, hands tucked behind his back. He stared down at her with his usual curious stare.

"What?" she asked rudely.

Kenny smiled and opened his arms up to her in a beckoning gesture.

"A hug?" she guessed.

He nodded, his smile growing wider.

Her frown hardened in return, and she turned on her side. "No."

Kenny's arms and head drooped. Dejectedly, he scaled back down the tree and left her be.

Everyone gathered into Marie and Pandora's hut, sitting around on the floor wearing glum expressions. Pandora had her head down on her desk while Marie reclined in her hammock, glaring up at the ceiling. Joining their impromptu meeting was Adenine, who sat in by the front door hugging her legs and burying her face into her knees.

Marie finally let out a sigh and turned her head to the party. "No one was able to get a smile out of her?"

Lucient shook his head. "Afraid not."

Klaus glared. "She just kept brushing us off."

Wyatt sighed. "Worst of all, Lambert banned me from the kitchen for dropping the cream puffs he made for her. He even hit me with a wooden spoon."

Sadie frowned. "She was crossing out a bunch of her notes when JoJo and I talked to her. I didn't see what revisions she made, but some of them didn't look…well, like anything she would come up with."

"She's drowning herself into this heist," Avel said. "It's like it's become an obsession for her."

"I think there's more to it than that," Lucient said. "Her behavior isn't normal. She looks depressed. She hasn't been acting like herself in days."

"She hasn't been acting like herself for over a month," JoJo corrected. "She's been acting off ever since she came back from that field trip to the Echo Bell Kingdom."

"It's her locket," Marie said, her glare deepening. "It's basically a lucky charm to her. A source of comfort. She keeps reaching for it whenever she's doubting herself. It's become a subconscious habit despite knowing she doesn't have it anymore."

Ragger groaned. "All of this over a locket? If that's the case, we should take the direct approach. Smack some sense into her and tell her to get over it—"

"It's not that simple," Pandora interrupted. She lifted her face from her desk and spun around. "You guys weren't in the Wick Kingdom. You didn't see what finally set her off. You didn't see what we saw."

Wyatt tilted his head. "Come to think of it, none of you really explained what happened when you got back. I remember Jason being covered in blood and Melissa being unconscious. Did…Did something really happened between Jason and Prince Dimitri—"

"No!" Marie yelled, sitting up in her hammock. "Arceus, no. Jason wasn't responsible for that."

"But why was he covered in blood?" Lucient asked. "Ignoring his own injuries, that wasn't from a brief skirmish. It was something else. Something worse."

The girls shared a look before turning away from the others.

Klaus looked over his shoulder, spotting Adenine trembling in her corner. "Does it have anything to do with Prince Erasmus, then? If…the rumors are true, then—"

"Leave her be, Klaus," Marie said. She sighed and shook her head. "Poor thing's been through enough heartache. No, Erasmus has nothing to do with Jason or Melissa." She looked aside. "Though, with the recent announcement of war, I don't blame the Talbots' anger. Erasmus is just as confused as the rest of us, but he doesn't know the truth. We didn't have a leg to stand on to plead a case."

Kenny raised his head and signed, "Why is no one telling us what happened in the Senbo Kingdom? Was it really bad?"

Pandora narrowed her eyes sadly. "Given the reaction everyone had, we figured it'd be best no one bothered Melissa over what happened. If anyone knew the truth, Jason feared rebellious action. He tries to stay out of politics and internal affairs, but he knows some of us aren't motivated by simple anger. Our troubles run deeper than revenge or envy of the rich. Whether or not something comes from it, we figured best no one bother Melissa. Though, I'm starting to reconsider if that was the right call."

Marie sighed. "The Foresters is a motley guild made up of misfits and outcasts with one reason or another to turn to thievery. None of us are equipped to deal with Melissa's troubles. All we can do is…try and help her through them."

Sadie looked away. "…Shade told me she had a bad reaction to the poison she was working on and another substance she ingested. I always knew she had doubts about herself, but they were never this bad. She treasured that locket more than anything, now all of this is happening to her and she doesn't have it to comfort her."

Marie frowned. "You know, then?"

"I had to. Melissa's my best friend." She closed her eyes and shuddered. "I feel awful for pushing her toward him."

"Him?" Klaus asked.

The hut door suddenly flew open. "She's talking about Prince Darby Tetrarch." Everyone whipped their heads to the entrance and saw Felix walked in, a sad glare in his eyes. "No wonder Jason didn't say anything. He found out who the Prince of Desire truly is."

"Felix? What are you doing here?" Lucient asked.

Wyatt raised his hands. "Wait, wait, back up. What's this talk about Prince Darby?"

Felix sighed. "Something Lucient told me a few days ago got me wondering, and…it brought back some horrible memories of my time in the slums of the Wick Kingdom. You hear some stuff down there, but no one opts to act on those rumors because there's just some things that should be kept in silence. If Melissa was involved, then I'm not surprised she's been acting distant recently."

Pandora glared. "Felix…"

"They deserve to know. All of them. Keeping this hush-hush is just going to delay the inevitable." He pointed over his shoulder. "I've seen plenty of Foresters leaving Fort Lucus already. What more harm is going to be caused by admitting to the truth?"

Marie glared at the Sylveon for a moment before sighing and standing up from her hammock. "Alright, the truth. As you all know, the girls and I concocted a plan to sneak into a high society party in the Senbo Kingdom. Reasons are…personal, to put it lightly, but that's not the point. Something happened while we were there, and it's not something we look back on with the fondest memories. One could say they're memories stained with blood.

"Melissa was drugged by Darby with a love potion and nearly taken advantage of in her stupor."

Gasps rang out from the party, shooting up to their feet. "WHAT?!"

"That's what happened?!" Wyatt yelled.

"Holy shit…" Avel said, his eyes wide in horror.

"That's…That's disgusting!" Klaus exclaimed furiously. "Someone of the royal family, to stoop so low in his position…AGH!" He pressed his fingers into his forehead.

JoJo clenched her teeth. "Someone tried to hurt Melissa? And a prince of all people?!"

Ragger growled. "That does it!" He turned and marched for the door, but Marie stopped him by his tail.

"And just where do you think you're going?"

"To the Senbo Kingdom to beat the shit out of that rotten prince!" he yelled.

She pulled him back and knocked him on his rear. "That reaction is exactly why we tried to keep this secret from everyone. We can't have Foresters suddenly marching in on the Senbo Kingdom to rip a prince to shreds. Arceus above knows I want to, but this reckless behavior is exactly what got us into trouble in the first place."

"She's right," Felix said. "It's no secret in some circles that the prince is a manipulator."

Pandora glared. "How long have you known about this?"

"I wouldn't say I've known. I always kept to myself on the streets. I'm an orphan. I didn't trust others, I just gambled for a living. I heard whispers and rumors around the slums, but I never knew them to be true. Prince Darby is a charismatic voice of the people. He walks among them and partakes in their livelihood to stand on their ground, to understand them. He does it without shame of his position, but there are those who believed there was more to his generous attitude. I never knew them to be true, but recent events led me to believe that they were far from a work of conspiracy. That's the sad truth, though. Rumors have the power to destroy someone, but they're flimsy against certain defenses. They can be your sharpest blade or your dullest knife. It all depends on where you aim them.

"However, I wasn't blind to the prince's risqué activity among commoner women. He was a flirt among the women, those who fantasize about finding their own prince. Somedays he's giving them a compliment, and others he takes them away for the night. It was unprofessional to the standards of a prince to act as such among commoners, yet no one dared question it. Darby was too beloved. Thing is, that beloved outlook comes with skepticism.

"Charisma is dangerous. Some questioned the women who have been with Darby, debating if they ever showed interest in the prince. One day it's a crush, the next it's proclamations of true love. It's the kind of love that borders on delusional and unhealthy. Now I'm hearing a fake Forester suddenly appears to frame us, and it just so happens to be a maid? All while Prince Darby is currently taking up residence in Castle Talbot? Darby doesn't love women. He loves the power he exudes over others. It's a lust for control, to use others and bend them to his will with false promises and a blind devotion to his word. Speak words laced with honey, and you'll have someone eating out of your paw. That's the power of charisma."

Marie crossed her arms and sighed. "That sums that up."

"Wait, I'm still lost on something," Avel said. "You mentioned something about a love potion, right?"

Lucient adjusted his spectacles. "I heard they heightened certain emotions like love, but I've never heard of them being used as mind control potions."

"Not without the right mix," Marie said. "Darby used a modified version of Attract to keep that feeling everlasting. Repeated exposure with the addition of the love potion, you have a servant who will throw their life away if it'll earn your affection. It's an arduous process to undo, not even taking in the emotional trauma that comes from such an experience. It's a horrible practice."

JoJo raised her brow. "You sound like you speak from experience."

"…In a matter of speaking, I suppose."

Ragger shook his head. "Okay, I take back what I said about smacking sense into Melissa. This is screwed up even for me. Still, if this was such a problem in the Wick Kingdom, why hasn't anyone said anything?"

Felix glared. "People have tried. That's the problem, though. What do you say when you accuse a beloved prince of such vile actions? If Darby's the one responsible for the war on our heads, he did so with honeyed words and a manipulation of the facts. He crafted a narrative using existing information and whatever he had available. Worst of, what power do mere commoners have to topple someone of such a position? No one is willing to speak up against Darby or the Tetrarch family because they fear the consequences of treachery. People disappear when you speak ill of Darby Tetrarch. That's why even some of Darby's victims don't have the strength to go against him. He's in a position where he can do anything, and everyone else is powerless to stop him. That's the reason why part of the Wick Kingdom has become the Outlands. It's a vile hellscape because the Tetrarchs don't care about anyone but themselves. They do what they want because they can. That's why I joined the Foresters. I didn't know for sure if those rumors were true or not, but I do know the upper class is full of the manipulators like Darby who need to be toppled. I believe in the Foresters because they are made up of people who fight against the norms of our world. That's why I refuse to leave even in the face of impending doom."

Everyone lowered their heads after Felix's mini speech. His words spoke true to most of them. They joined the Foresters because they wanted to right an injustice either to them or to someone else. To think one of their own was a victim of such behavior fueled the rage bubbling deep within them, the rage they felt for high society.

Marie glared at the floor for a moment, drumming her fingers against her arm, before growling. "Screw this." She marched to the front door.

Adenine lifted her head as Marie opened the door. "Where are…" She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "Where are ya goin'? Ya're under house arrest."

She pressed her fingers into the door. "Melissa needs healing and time, I know that, but she's not going to get better like this. She's hurting herself, and she won't get better. I'm worried about her. If not even her friends can reach out to her, then someone else needs to. Fortunately for me, I know just the person she needs to hear from the most."

"No…no, not good enough."

Jason crumbled the parchment and tossed it over his shoulder with the rest of the pile. Hours were spent alone in his office trying to compose a letter of utmost brilliance, one that would hopefully sway the hearts of their former suppliers to give them a second chance. He struggled getting past the first paragraph, hitting a mental roadblock searching for the words.

He pressed his ink-stained hands to his face and sighed. "This is hopeless. No matter what I say, it's never good enough. I need this to be perfect. Even then, there's no hope it'll be enough to get our suppliers back." He dragged his hands down his face, smearing the ink into his fur. "I'm not cut out for diplomacy."

Reluctantly, he pulled out another sheet of parchment and dipped his quill into the inkwell. He pressed the tip down on the parchment, but didn't write anything. He just stared at the blank sheet, resting his cheek in his hand and hoping the greatest letter ever sprung from the quill.

He heard his front door flying open with a hard slam, rousing him from his daydreams. He glared as Marie came marching up to his desk, where she slammed her hands down and rustled everything on top.

"You and I need to talk. Now," she hissed.

"Marie." He set his quill aside and leaned forward. "You're supposed to be under house arrest."

"I don't give a shit. We need to talk."

"I'm in the middle of something. If it's so important, I can come by later and—" Marie grabbed him by the collar and pressed a dagger up to his throat. He didn't flinch, only narrowed his glare. "Well, this is familiar."

"I'm not playing games right now, Jason. You're wasting away in your office when you haven't even so much as talked to a certain someone who's suffering in silence. Or did you forget that outburst that drenched you in that scummy Prinplup's blood?"

Jason grabbed and twisted her wrist, throwing the dagger out of her hand. "Of course I didn't forget. You don't forget something like that."

She pulled her arm free and massaged her wrist. "Uh huh. So, when are you going to talk to her?"

"Marie, in case you haven't noticed, I have other matters to attend to. In a few months, we'll be on the verge of starvation, assuming we aren't flooded by the tides of war by then. I don't have time to look into the emotional state of Melissa. Percival is handling it."

"And what a great job he's doing! Seriously, aside from getting rid of her mental triggers, nothing has changed. Percy isn't a therapist, Jason."

"And you think I'm qualified to talk about emotional stability?"

"I think that Melissa needs someone to help her."

"You're her friend."

"Melissa isn't opening up to anyone, and none of us have the heart to get her to talk. She wants to talk about what she's feeling, but she's scared of something. I don't think it's just her traumatic experience with Darby. Shade said Melissa suffered a horrible reaction to the love potion and poison. That girl already has multiple personalities bouncing in her head. Who knows what happened while she was hallucinating?"

"Again, I'm not a therapist, and I'm certainly not an alchemist. If she's not going to open up to you or the others, there's not much I can do. And again, even I know I'm not quite the person to come to for emotional support."

"Except you were." Marie sighed. "You told me a lot about yourself when we first met, and I've heard plenty of stories from Eadwulf when you two were growing up together. You were compassionate. You were honest, happy, and filled with idealistic potential. I've never met the real you, but I know you hate this. You hate being a leader, and you hate having all this responsibility burdening you. All you ever wanted was an answer for what the Penworths did all those years ago. It's been well over a decade, and you're still brooding. I've seen through the cracks, though. You want to let go, but you refuse to show weakness."

"What does this have to do with Melissa?"

"She knows you hated her family. Have you ever told her the depths of your hatred, though?" She leaned forward, steeling her glare. "Have you told her how much you hated her when she first came to Fort Lucus? When you agreed to let her take part in training, you wanted to see her crash and burn just so you could get rid of her."

He turned from her stare. "You knew about that…"

"I'll admit, I was wary of Melissa when she first arrived, but I was willing to give her a chance. On some level, I think you wanted to give her a chance, too. You just couldn't look past the one half of her lineage you despised. Jason, I think Melissa needs to learn the truth between you and Roscoe."

"…Are you actually insane?" Jason stood up and slammed his hands down. "You come in here asking me to be her emotional support, then you suggest I should tell her that? I might as well just slap her to her senses. It's a lot more effective than addressing that part of my history. What good will that do?"

"I'm not saying tell her while she's depressed, but I am saying she deserves the truth. You've always been cold and distant from everyone, but you and her have had time to bond through training. She respects you, and you are the only person who has the guts to get to the point even if it means making her cry." Marie frowned. "Honestly, I think that's what she needs most of all. She just needs to cry, but I can't bring myself to do it. None of us can."

"That could just make things worse."

"And what she's doing to herself isn't helping either. Goodness sake, Jason, she's barely eating! This isn't something that's going to go away with time. Melissa is hurting inside, and she's rejecting everyone she holds precious to her. I think if we want to help her, you need to be the one to break her out of this resentment. We've been patient long enough, and I don't want this going on for months. How is she going to react when a war does break out? She'll think it's her fault. I'm worried about her. She's not well."

"…" Jason frowned. "What exactly has she been doing lately?"

"She's been throwing herself into working on the heist. Sadie said she's been crossing out her notes, and Lucient told me the other day she's been revising their plans for something more bombastic. Other than that, she's either sleeping or growling at someone."

Jason looked aside. "I did say she didn't have to work on it until she gets better…" He glared. "Is that what this is all about?"

Marie sighed. "Now you see what I'm seeing. She's trying to prove something, and it's killing her inside."

"…That sounds familiar," he mumbled. He shook his head. "Look, I really need to get this all sorted out. I'll…try and talk to her when I can. Given the Otis situation between you and Basil, it's hard for me to put my faith in either of you. That said, please keep an eye on Melissa. No matter how many times she pushes you away, just make sure she doesn't…do anything drastic. She needs someone to look out for her, even if she thinks there's no point to it all."

"…" Marie closed her eyes. "And that's why I think you're the one who needs to talk to her."

"That so?"

"She's not the only one who needs healing, you know." She picked her dagger off the floor and headed for the door. "The strongest mountains can be weathered overtime by the unrelenting winds. They can stand mighty and proud until one day, even from the slightest breeze, they shatter and crumble to pieces. A Pokémon's resolve is no different." She opened the door, resting her hand on the knob. "What happens when that resolve breaks, and the spirit shatters? How do you fix a broken spirit?"

"…" Jason leaned back in his seat, hanging his head.

She looked over her shoulder. "If you ask me, you two might be able to help each other. You've learned to live with that sadness, but you need someone to remind you of happiness in the world. Just like how she needs someone who understands what she's going through, feeling useless in a broken world. I'm sure you'll find a way to help her." With that, she gently closed the door behind her, leaving Jason to himself.

He crossed his arms, sighed, and gazed up at the ceiling. "…But am I ready to confront my past?"

So. Boring!

Charlie could barely keep his head up as his tutor, a Kadabra, went on about the laws established during the rise of the Verde Kingdom. There was a time the young Clobbopus boasted optimism in hopes of being a worthy king in the future, but it didn't occur to him just how exhausting the lessons were going to be. He was supposed to be taking notes, but all the information started to blend into the background like white noise after a while.

What didn't help was that his teacher was, to put it in the nicest way possible, super boring. He didn't want to be mean, but the man's voice could lull a Vigoroth to sleep. The willpower Charlie was exuding just to keep his eyes open was a testament to how dedicated he was to his lessons. Though, four hours of non-stop history lessons gradually took its toll.

Need to…escape before…die of boredom.

His eyes shifted down to what little notes he did write, which showed the remarkable improvement in his penmanship. His tutor was worried they would have to start off teaching Charlie how to read, but the Clobbopus was quick to pick up on it. For what little reading he did do back in Marshland Village, it was enough for him to understand letters and such. At most, his writing sucked, but it improved.

Charlie skimmed what he wrote down, most of it just paraphrasing what he heard, but his eyes landed on something he nearly forgot about. It regarded some obscure law in the past that recognized the shipment and transaction of peanuts to be illegal. It was a brief mention when they went over how some laws were still technically in effect despite no longer being enforced.

What caught his eye about it was the little note he wrote himself regarding his teacher's tone. After listening to the same monotone voice for hours, he easily noticed an increased pitch upon mention.

Charlie narrowed his eyes and chuckled mischievously under his breath. Though he never did enjoy partaking in thievery back home, he did pick up some tricks from his friends.

"Excuse me, Mr. Post?"

Post turned to his charge with a dignified expression, his nose raised high and lips pursed in a snooty fashion. "Yes, Your Highness?"

Charlie tucked his fists under his chin and stared up at his tutor with shimmering eyes. "Sorry to interrupt you, but I was curious about that illegal peanut trade you mentioned earlier. Why was it illegal to sell peanuts?"

Post's eyes widened for a brief moment. "Oh, that old yarn? Well, I don't know, it's quite a long tale. I'm sure you don't want to hear it."

"But I do! I love peanuts and—"

"Very well, you've talked me into it." Post turned his back to the child and flipped through his book. Though his expression hardly changed, there was an eagerness to his flipping and a higher pitch to his drab voice. "Not many people know about this, but my family has ties to this law when it was enacted. It all started with my great-great grandfather. He was a man passionate about peanuts, making all sorts of peanut-related products with his bare hands. But then, war was over the horizon against the Wick Kingdom and Great Gate Empire of old. A powerful family in the empire discovered an explosive compound now known to the modern era as black powder. Potent stuff, it was. Now, you may be wondering what this has to do with peanuts and the law. It all started with the infamous Yap clan, a gaggle of mad alchemists in their time. Oh, don't even get me started on those loons. They were the source of this peanut phobia! Instilling fear through such an innocent nut. How? Well, in light of the Great Gate Empire's discovery of black powder…"

Charlie slowly crawled out his seat and shuffled to the door as the man prattled away, gesturing to the air excitedly as he spoke. The Clobbopus opened the door, slid out, and gently closed it behind him.

Charlie pushed open the kitchen doors and let himself in. The cooks briefly stopped working to bow to the prince, who waved happily as he walked by. He scuttled about until he found Gustavo and Hilda by the stove, sizzling something that smelled delicious to the young octopus.

"Mmm, what a divine aroma. And the color looks exquisite," Gustavo said, stepping back from Hilda. "I must say, Hilda, you are improving masterfully. You're almost a natural."

Hilda laughed. "I only got as far as I did because of your wonderful teaches. I never thought I would get so good at cooking. I could bake a sheet of cookies here and there, but this is nothing like I ever imagined myself doing."

Gustavo bellowed with laughter. "You flatter me, my dear."

"Hello!" They turned to Charlie as he approached them.

Hilda smiled. "Hello, Charlie. What brings you here?"

Gustavo crossed his arms. "Aren't you supposed to be with your tutor?"

Charlie groaned. "I tried, but he's so boring. So, I snuck out to see you!"

"Aww, how sweet~," Hilda cooed. "Well, you're still young, so a little mischief is good for the soul. Feel free to stay."

Gustavo waggled his finger and psychically pulled a stool over. "You can sit here while we work. Just promise not to get in anyone's way."

"Yes, sir!" Charlie hopped onto the stool and sat down. "Can I have a cookie?"

Gustavo laughed and nudged Hilda. "Looks like you got him interested in your baking."

Hilda giggled. "Oh dear. Sorry sweetie, but we don't have cookies. But there's some chocolate you can nibble on."

"Yes, please!"

Gustavo psychically opened a shelf and retrieved a handful of chocolate, dropping them into Charlie's hands. The Genger sighed and shook his head. "I envy you, kid. You can still maintain a bright-eyed whimsy even when the rest of the world looks worse off."

Charlie tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

Hilda nudged Gustavo's side and shot him a dry glare before smiling back at the Clobbopus. "Oh, nothing. Just grown-up talk. You can worry about that when you're older."

"Okay!" Charlie nibbled on his chocolate, wiggling his tentacles happily.

The adults turned away from him with a sigh. Hilda glared at Gustavo again. "Don't talk about that stuff around him. He's just a child."

Gustavo sighed. "Sorry, it slipped. It's just…the recent news has me stressed."

Hilda closed her eyes and sighed. "I know." She rested her hands on the counter and shook her head. "You and I both know it can't be true, right?"

"There's no way the Foresters staged an assassination on Prince Dimitri," Gustavo whispered. "I just can't believe it. Our sweet Melissa wouldn't dare go along with such boorish plans. It doesn't sound right."

"And yet, the rest of Virdis has every reason to believe it's true." Hilda glanced over her shoulder, watching Charlie eat his chocolate. "Poor kid doesn't even know a war might break out soon, and he only just became a prince. That's too much to put onto a child."

"What do you suppose the king has to say about it?" Gustavo asked. "If he refuses, will the Senbo Kingdom still attack? If they bring conflict to the forest, it might spell doom for more than just the Foresters."

"I think even they know that." Hilda shook her head. "Unless this matter gets resolved somehow, we can only pray the worst doesn't come." She frowned. "I just wish we had a way to support her, you know. It hurts that we know her secret, and I can't even tell her how much we miss her. I want to support her."

He patted her back. "Perhaps a chance will come in time. We just have to wait."

She sighed. "I just hope she's doing alright…"

Roscoe reclined in his chair, massaging his temples as he gazed down on the letter that had arrived yesterday. It was the current subject of rumor around the castle, given his initial outburst over its appearance was anything but discreet. He could've responded with a bit more tact, but it was hardly the message he expected from the Senbo Kingdom. A worrying one, most of all.

Ortwin stood by the Lopunny's side, leaning on his twisted cane and staring at the letter with a grimace. "This is most troubling, Your Majesty."

"You do not need to state the obvious, Ortwin." Roscoe straightened up and took the letter in his hands. "Our failures to flush the Foresters out of hiding have finally come around to bite us. We failed to find Melissa, now they have become bolder in their approach."

"To think the Foresters attempting assassination on a prince…" Ortwin shook his head. "The mere action is unbelievable. How far have the Foresters stooped to deploy such heinous tactics?"

"The last year has shown a staggering change in their objectives." Roscoe closed his eyes and groaned. "Well, what do you suggest? How do we approach King Talbot's request?"

The elderly Noivern sighed. "I'm afraid even I lack the wisdom for an answer. To give in to their request may spell unrest for the nearby villages. To deny brings distrust from a vengeful family who feel spited by inaction. Worst of all, there's very little we can do to fight back. The Senbo Kingdom is vastly powerful, and taking them on directly would only bring disaster. I doubt even Matthias is equipped to combat their weaponry."

Roscoe glared. "What you are saying is there is nothing we can do?"

"Best we can do is plea to King Talbot's good nature and explain the issues with an assault on the Forbidden Forest. There's simply too much land and trees to cover, and we've searched every inch of that forest with no luck. The Foresters are a crafty lot. The only option we've neglected is setting everything ablaze, but the damage it would cause to the environment is too great. There's simply too much to burn, and the resulting ash will have consequences on crops."

"The Senbo Kingdom is riled up, then." Roscoe sighed. "Leave me be for now, Ortwin. I wish to deliberate in peace before I come to an answer. Send word to King Talbot to hold off on his invasion and that I will have my answer before the month's end."

Ortwin bowed. "I fear we haven't the luxury of time, but it shall be done." He hobbled out of the king's study.

Now alone, Roscoe dragged his hands across his face and sighed. He stared at the letter for a moment longer before standing up and walking over to his bookshelf. He traced his fingers along the spines, glaring to himself as he did.

"So, now we're doing things the hard way. I wished not to bring more trouble than needed, but it seems I've wasted enough of my time."

His finger landed atop a book, where he gently pulled it by the corner. A click sounded behind the bookshelf, causing a second of it to depress into the wall and open up to a hidden space made entirely of wood. Sitting inside was a small chest, which he picked up.

"All my efforts to do things peacefully…just so we have to resort to scheming again." Roscoe closed his eyes for a moment. "Forgive me, Odolina. I've brought shame to your family name. And forgive me, Melissa. If only you knew the truth, my expectations for your future, and the burdens I wish I could take back."

He opened the chest, where two items sat inside. First, a wax stamp sitting atop a velvet cushion. Second, a folded piece of parchment where words could be seen on the inside in the candlelight. He pulled both out and set the chest down. He sat back in his seat and retrieved an envelope. He stuck the parchment inside, then dipped the stamp into the melted wax of his candleholder.

"I've done all I can for now. It's time to get back to work." Roscoe pressed the stamp down on the envelop, sealing it shut. "I'll have to rely on Ortwin to guide Charlie. That boy will grow up to be a fine ruler of his own, hopefully in a better Virdis."

He pulled the stamp away. Sealing the letter shut in red wax, it was the symbol of an autumn leaf.