Chapter 4 – Moors' Friendship

-:-:-

After the strange run in with Mal, Chad had been fairly certain that would be the last the saw of the cranky half-Fae. He didn't mind though, because maybe it was for the best. He didn't want to make Auradon or Sardinia look bad, especially when his goal on this trip was to expand his cultural horizons. That didn't necessarily include making friends, even though he'd been eager by the prospect of it.

And yet, who of all people showed up while Chad was nestled in the depths of the kitchen, learning how to make the most popular vegetarian dishes for the nymphs, then Diaval himself, who took in Chad's slightly disheveled visage with a smirk.

"Blond guy!" the man cheered, earning a few rolled eyes from the chefs closest to them. "You almost done? Your presence has been requested elsewhere."

"Um." Chad turned to the nymph he had been shadowing who gladly waved him on, seeing as they'd just finished creating the first batch of the newest recipe he'd learned. Chad would go so far as to say that the nymph looked interested, though that might just be a symptom of working in the kitchens – they all seemed like giant gossips down here.

"Don't let her boss you around, Chad," Flittle advised him while Diaval led him out of the warm kitchens, the advisor seeming torn between amusement and annoyance at this advice.

"Um- thanks, Flittle," Chad said, because when all else failed, it never hurt to be polite.

He wasn't entirely sure which 'she' Flittle was referring to, though. At least, he didn't until he was being led upwards through winding staircases, higher into less-inhabited parts of the castle until Diaval led him into what seemed to be an art studio. The room had high ceilings and plenty of natural lighting from the floor-to-ceiling windows that led out to some kind of balcony. That wasn't as distracting as the dozens of pieces of artwork scattered around the room – pastels and water colors and proper paintings on canvases, all of it breathtaking.

And in the middle of it was Mal in her trusty paint-spattered jumpsuit, setting up a series of canvases on easels that were surrounded by a bounty of plastic tarps.

"There you are," Mal huffed, pausing her work to pass over another jumpsuit to Chad. "I did my bullshit duties today like a responsible person and now we're going to throw paint at shit, does that work for you?"

"Um- okay," Chad said, because he was always down for testing out new experimental paint procedures.

"Of course, Mal," Diaval drawled in a dry sort of deadpan. "It is my pleasure to be your errand boy. No, no – don't gush, you'll embarrass both of us. Just know that I take satisfaction in a job well done-"

"I got you steak," Mal said, motioning off towards a comfy looking armchair angled not far from the windows and there was- yeah, that looked like a bowl of cubed raw steak sitting on the end table beside it.

"Today, you are my favorite," Diaval informed her sagely before all but skipping off to flop into the comfy chair.

"Ravens," Mal muttered, like that made any sense.

So… Chad guessed this was their chaperoned bonding time. Part of him had thought it wouldn't happen since Mal had obviously wanted to use him for something the day previous, yet here she was, explaining the different paint colors and the mediums she used to paint it and pointing out the sink she used for rinsing stuff off and washing her hands.

"I should probably get you a bandana for your hair, too," she said, squinting at his curls. "I don't think it will hide stains as well as mine."

"Probably not," Chad agreed, flattered that she still wanted to keep him around, that she was thinking of him, which meant maybe they really could be cool bonding art friends.

Wow, this was a great practice run for talking to Ruby. What a good day it was to be him.

Mal summoned a bandana for him with a wave of her hand, making a piece of material that had likely seen better days materialize in her palm. Chad eagerly tied it onto his head so they could work, and then Mal walked him through the painting technique they were going to use that day.

"My mom says I need to channel my annoyance in a healthy fashion," Mal muttered, handing Chad a brush. "I can't just growl at everyone who pisses me off, therefore, we are going to throw paint at shit and maybe somehow make some art along the way." She plunged her brush carelessly into a vat of purple paint and whipped it towards the nearest canvas, leaving a brilliant streak of purple behind. "Well? What are you waiting for?"

That was all the encouragement Chad needed.

Mal seemed to stick to her own colors – black and purples and a vivid green while Chad preferred the colors of Sardinia – pale blue and gold and white. Mal likely thought he chose the colors to be contrary, but Chad found he quite liked the contrast it provided him. It was fun throwing paint too, though Chad tried to keep his movements somewhat intentional – another counter to Mal's more annoyance-filled approach.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Chad asked after they finished marking up the first canvas and were moving onto the second one.

"What's there to talk about?" Mal huffed. "I've been focusing on my magic training, you know, like I should be so I can be a good protector of the Moors one day, and suddenly I have to do all this bullshit networking. My mom's never given a shit if I made friends before, and I figure – you know – who fucking needs them, but now suddenly I've got to be all buddy-buddy with these Auradon shitheads." She paused after a moment. "No offense."

"Um," Chad said instead of an automatic 'none taken', because Dr. Sweet had told him that he didn't always need to be so accommodating, especially if he wasn't feeling a hundred percent comfortable. "I know most of the people in the envoy," he settled on. "And a lot of them are pretty nice."

Granted, there was still the odd black sheep like Fritz, who seemed perpetually bitter that he was far down on the list to inherit for the Sothern Isles, but for every Fritz there was an Aziz or a Ruby, and that more than made up for it in Chad's opinion.

"Maybe," Mal allowed with a huff, and Chad was pretty sure he saw Diaval flail from the corner of his eye in response to that for some reason.

"Are you just mad that you're being forced into meetings instead of enjoying your summer?" Chad hazarded. "Because- you know, we're already friends."

There was a moment of silence, and then Mal looked up towards the ceiling with a frustrated huff. "There may be some truth to this," she allowed. "Maybe."

"That's fair," Chad said. "It's okay to be worried-"

"I'm not worried," Mal snapped and then, after a few moments of tensions, she started stirring up a different color of paint. "Okay, maybe I'm kind of worried, but that's perfectly natural."

"Yes," Chad agreed. "It is."

Mal shot him an unimpressed look. "You don't always have to be so reasonable, you know," she muttered. "If I wanted someone to psychoanalyze me, I would have talked to birdbrain over there."

"I'm not analyzing you," Chad said, his brows furrowed in concern. "I'm supporting you; that's what friends do."

Mal let out a small huff, keeping her focus fixed on the paint. "I bet you've got hundreds of friends," she muttered. "You must be a friend-making pro."

"Actually, no," Chad said, getting a curious look from her. "I uh- only have a few, because my grandpa, he…" Chad tried to think of a nice way to phrase it. "Well, he tried to keep me away from most people."

"Why?" Mal pressed. "He protective of you because of your mom?"

"It's complicated," Chad settled on, not wanting to dwell on thoughts of his grandfather. "But ultimately irrelevant, because I can make friends now, and that's all I really care about."

"You're sweet," Mal said, without a hint of irony. "You know um- my dad passed away when I was little."

"He did?" Chad paused his work to give her his full attention. "I'm so sorry. I know that's… it's awful, isn't it?"

"I guess?" Mal said. "I don't really remember him, but everyone else does and when the anniversary of his death comes around…"

"It's just kind of awkward," Chad said. "To stand in a room full of people who cared for him so much, who had all these experiences and memories you'll never get to have."

"Exactly," Mal said, giving him an unreadable look. "Is that how you feel about your mom?"

"All the time," Chad said. "It used to be hard," he explained. "My dad- he didn't do so well after she died, everything was- it was harder, I guess, and I thought I did something wrong, that it was my fault my dad was drifting away, and I kept wondering what if- if my mom was still around, if maybe she would have drifted away from me too. Like maybe I wasn't good enough to be worth sticking around for." He pressed his lips together, thinking back on years of low self-esteem and the lingering pain of rejection. "But that was never my fault. That's just life, sometimes." He paused when he realized the somewhat sad note he'd left things on. "Things are better now, though. My dad and I talk to each other every night."

"I'm glad," Mal said, and she seemed to mean it. "What about your grandpa?"

Chad's chest felt tight. "He's in prison now, so I don't have to worry about him either."

Mal considered him for a moment. "Well, fuck that guy," she decided, earning a startled laugh from Chad. "And fuck me for being mean to you yesterday."

"Aw, Mal," Chad said, feeling his cheeks heat up in embarrassment. "You don't have to apologize for being grumpy."

"But I do need to apologize a shit ton for trying to use you to weasel out of my duties," Mal urged. "They might be dumb, but that's no reason to take advantage of your kindness." After a beat she added, "Or your courage."

Chad was pretty sure his blush intensified, was pretty sure he looked like an idiot but he couldn't help it. It was all too nice, and so much more than he could have hoped for after the weird ending their afternoon had taken yesterday.

"Thanks," Chad murmured, holding his brush close to his chest. "I'm really glad I met you."

"Back at you, blondie," Mal muttered, a small flush spilling across the bridge of her nose, like she was embarrassed by his gushing.

Chad had no apology for that, though. He'd made a new friend, a nice – if grumpy one – and he was making art.

Overall, it was pretty great.

And then Diaval had to ruin the mood with a well-timed- "Don't start making out or anything! At least let me turn around or something."

"New lesson," Mal growled, dunking her brush into a different vat of paint. "I'm gonna teach you how to paint stupid, nosy chaperones."

"Don't you dare," Diaval hissed, and while Chad didn't contribute to the process, he didn't stop Mal as she started chasing the advisor around the art studio with a paint-laden brush, both of them hollering up a storm while Chad pondered if this was really his life.

Yeah, Dark Faes were pretty wild, but in the best way.

"Stop smiling, man!" Diaval yelled, ducking behind Chad to try and use him as a shield. "My robes are at stake!"

"Get out from behind him, coward!" Mal snarled, and Chad made a note of all of it so he could recount it to Ben later, who would appreciate the pure insanity of it all, he was sure. At the very least, this would seem like a cakewalk compared to the brunette's networking meetings.

At least, hopefully.

-:-:-

In the end, they were all spattered with paint, but Chad was a hundred percent okay with that for the laughs it earned them, both he and Mal collapsing in giggle piles on top of her lovingly-placed tarps while Diaval made a show of bemoaning the state of his robes.

"This is what I get for being a thoughtful, helpful uncle," Diaval moaned. "I indulge. I encourage. I arrange and chaperone, and for what? This ingratitude? I should throw you to the wolves. I should throw myself out the window. You are lucky I finished my delicious, delicious steak cubes. Had they not escaped your mischief I would have fed you straight to your mother."

"Don't act like you don't love it," Mal giggled, wearing a genuine smile, not one of her reserved ones.

Immediately, Diaval's disposition changed into one of mirth. "And don't act like you don't enjoy my complaining," he chirped. "Now come, I think we've all worked up a steady appetite. To lunch!"

"You just ate," Mal groused, but she followed Diaval anyway, offering Chad a hand up and pulling him effortlessly to his feet.

Right, Dark Fae had enhanced strength compared to humans. That was something Chad should remember.

Mal cleaned them up with a whispered spell, and they ended up eating in some distant sunroom that was far away from other people – Mal and Chad eating at a table near large floor-to-ceiling windows while Diaval worked his way through another bowl of raw steak. Chad suspected the man wasn't entirely human if that was his diet, but the chefs down in the kitchen hadn't explained any creatures that thrived on raw meat and Chad didn't feel comfortable enough asking yet. Maybe he'd try researching it later if he ever got back to the library.

"Hey," Chad chirped as two servants brought them covered trays. "I made this!"

He knew it was his handiwork because the flowers cut of strawberries looked a little haphazard and not nearly as pretty as Flittle's.

"Really?" Mal said before taking a big bite of the tart. "Good job, this shit's fucking great."

"T-Thanks," Chad said, trying not to burst with happiness. "Flittle seemed really determined that I learn this recipe for some reason."

"Don't have any idea why that could be," Diaval muttered before lowering another cube of steak into his mouth with a happy chomp.

Mal rolled her eyes at him but chose not to comment, an annoyed flush spilling across her cheeks that she seemed to counter with another generous bite of tart.

Chad decided to go ahead and follow her lead. Flittle was right, it was a pretty good dessert, and he may as well enjoy the fruits of his labor.

-:-:-

"So…" Mal said as they were perusing the gardens the next day, because apparently Mal had decided that daily meetups were going to be a thing for the remainder of their time in the Moors. Which, granted, wasn't long. They had maybe two more full days before they would be traveling off to Tangu – a sandy kingdom not unlike Agrabah – where the meetings and bonding and studying would all start anew, and maybe Chad was a little depressed that he wouldn't have Mal there to keep him company but for the most part, he tried to hold onto the time they did have left together. There was no sense in moping prematurely.

"So?" Chad echoed when she seemed to drift off in thought.

Or maybe she wasn't lost, she still seemed to be present with him, but she didn't seem to know how she wanted to phrase her question.

"Romance," Mal settled on eventually. "You uh- doing that, or something?"

"Not really," Chad replied honestly. "Or- that's still a work in progress."

"So, you don't have your eye on anyone?" Mal asked how he guessed friends did – at least, he heard the Tourney guys having conversations like this all the time, so yeah, it was like that.

"Maybe I do," Chad allowed. "I mean – do you know Princess Ruby?"

"The girl with the super long hair?" Mal asked, her brows furrowed in consideration. "What's the deal with that anyway?"

"It has magical healing properties," Chad said. "But it loses them if it gets cut, so-"

"So it's a super long monstrosity," Mal interrupted. "Just the thought of washing all that hair – yikes."

"I think she uses magic for that," Chad said. "Her family is one of the few that embraces it in Auradon, and- well, I don't think she really knows I exist, but I've been practicing drawing so maybe we could have something to bond about, right? I was thinking maybe we could be friends, and if we were friends, maybe we could um…"

"Be more?" Mal prompted, expression neutral. "So what's so great about this Ruby chick?"

"She's really nice," Chad said. "And funny and smart and her family's super cool. I don't really know if we'd work together but- well, I never tried having a crush on someone before. Never really tried dating, so this is new territory for me."

"You have a crush on her?" Mal prompted.

"Maybe?" Chad said. "Like I said, it's all new."

Mal let out a small chuckle. "You're an odd duck, Chad," she declared. "But I think that's an admirable quality."

"I have heard that normality is overrated," Chad boasted, and they spent a moment enjoying how very little they fit into a mold that could be considered 'average'. Normality, according to Dr. Sweet, was something that could only be defined by yourself. Not everyone's normal was the same, and trying to adhere to some base average would only make you unhappy in the end.

It was something Chad had fought to achieve for such a large portion of his life, hoping if he could just be like all the other princes, maybe he could get his dad to talk to him, but that had never been the root of the issue – and more than that, trying to conform to such ideals had made him miserable and stressed, playing the part of what he thought a prince should be rather than actually being himself.

"You know," Mal said, a coy grin on her lips. "I can't help but agree."

-:-:-

Ben had to pick Chad up from the library that night, the blond trying to make up for his lack of reading by finding new hours not occupied by cooking or Mal or art to absorb new stories and histories.

"You seem to be as busy as I am," Ben mused when he tracked down the window seat Chad had squirreled away to. "Though you are definitely happier."

"Books, Ben," Chad said, knowing Ben understood his interests in a way few others did. "So many books."

"And look," Ben said, withdrawing something from behind his back to reveal yet another book wrapped in a pale blue ribbon. "It seems another one has found you."

"A gift?" Chad asked, barely able to believe such a thing.

"From Queen Maleficent," Ben said, further rocking Chad's world. "I think the librarians told her about you, and they're all happy to feed an eager mind."

"Oh." Chad took the book slowly as he tried not to stare like an overwhelmed baboon. "That's um- that's…"

"You deserve it," Ben said gently, like he knew the doubts that lingered in Chad's mind. "This is yours, Chad, and you should have it."

"If anyone should have it, it should be you," Chad said, holding the book close to his chest. It was on Dark Fae culture. A full outline of understanding for an outside perspective. It was a gift of knowledge, an extension of trust. "How do I thank her? Should I thank her? I didn't… I haven't done enough to warrant this."

"She disagrees," Ben hummed. "And I gotta say, this is a nice positive note compared to how all the bonding activities are going."

"Not well?" Chad hazarded as he slid to his feet, easing the book into his satchel before hooking it onto his shoulder.

"Not as well as we'd like," Ben said instead of agreeing with him, the ultimate politician. "So take this win, please. It's a relief for all of us. And I'm sure she'd love to hear from you. Maybe you could draw her a thank you picture."

"Ben," Chad said, his cheeks heating up in embarrassment. "I'm not even that good."

"You're great at flowers and animals," Ben said, and as someone who had been watching Chad's progress, the blond couldn't really disagree with him. "Draw her those."

"But-"

"She'll like them," Ben said as he nudged Chad towards the library's exit. "I have a feeling she has a soft spot for you."

Perhaps after that accidental conversation they'd had out in the gardens she did, but Chad didn't know how to explain that beyond what he'd already offered Ben. It was definitely a fluke, in his opinion. Still, it ended with him getting an amazing book, so he supposed he'd navigated that interaction well after all.

Ben guided him out towards the public halls, until eventually they fell in step with the other Auradon heirs, who seemed to be keeping each other in high spirits the same way they always did.

"Hey, Chad!" Ruby, of all people, greeted, the blonde princess bounding over to him with a cheerful grin. "A little birdie told me you picked up drawing."

"I um- have," Chad said, shooting Ben an unhappy look, but the other prince seemed just as surprised as he was. "Now that my grandfather's gone, I can try out hobbies he wouldn't have allowed before, so I thought art would be fun."

At the mention of his grandfather, Ruby's expression got a little pained, but she rallied beautifully, as resilient and steadfast as both of her parents. "I'm glad," she said, seeming to mean it. "I've been on the lookout for a new art buddy to compare pictures with. Would you be mine? We can share inspiration and bemoan drawing block to each other."

"That sounds great," Chad said, a gentle warmth curling in his chest, amazed at how things were slotting into place.

"Good," Ruby chirped, sending him a meaningful look. "My dad says you can never have too many friends."

Friends, right, she wanted – well, that was good enough for Chad. Friendship was a great start.

But then she continued with. "But um- just to clarify, because my mom says it's better to have too much communication rather than not enough – that's um- all I'm looking for, okay? I like you a lot but um- not like that."

Past Chad would have been humiliated at her blunt delivery, but present Chad understood that Ruby was merely communicating her needs to him in a direct fashion so nothing could be misconstrued. She was being honest with her feelings and leaving Chad under no delusions, and that was a kindness.

"That's okay," Chad said, watching her slide into a relieved smile. "I'd be honored by your friendship, and I appreciate your honesty."

"Thanks," Ruby said, giving his shoulder a little nudge. "I really appreciate it."

There was a second of awkwardness, and then Ben was clearing his throat, taking the princess's focus like the hero he was. "So Ruby," he began. "Anything interesting happen to you today?"

"Nope," Aziz said rather loudly from Ruby's other side, making Chad realize he'd been eavesdropping all along. "It was all super boring, aside from the, you know, wooing mission we're on."

"Super, super boring," Ruby agreed with a smile, and Chad-

Well, he decided not to press it. After all, he had no idea what kind of pressure Aziz and Ruby were subjected to as some of the potential romance candidates or whatever. In light of that, they were more than intitled to their secrets.

Chad would be happy enough with their friendship. And, of course, his books.

It was more than enough for him in the end.

-:-:-

"Are you really drawing something for Queen Maleficent?" Mal asked from her place at the easel, proper paint pallet gripped in one hand and a brush held high in the other. Despite Chad's rather strenuous objections to being the subject of her current painting (there were much worthier people than him – like Diaval or Ben or even the queen), he still ended up perched across one of the window seats in Mal's art studio, working on his own sketch while Mal painted him for the challenge or something.

"Mal," Chad whined, because he'd been hoping they that would drop that subject. "It's not even going to be that good."

"Sure it will be," Mal said, shooting him an unimpressed look. "Just sketch her a bunch of flowers, you're great at those." A pause, and then – "Tell you what, I'll even enchant it for you so that it's durable. Make her a bookmark – that way it's pretty and useful. And, you know, she gave you that book, so it's related."

Chad stewed her suggestion over. "It's not a bad idea."

"I don't have bad ideas," Mal huffed, but she wasn't mad, her grin spread wide because Chad seemed to be fidgeting less.

Wow, this was definitely what friendship was like. Go him.

"I don't know about that," Chad said, earning a giggle from Diaval. "But you're right, a bookmark is a good idea. I'll do that. Thanks, Mal!"

"Happy to help," Mal said, a certain something sparkling in her eye, and Chad was pretty sure she wasn't even lying.

-:-:-

The day before they left for Tangu they had the evening off – mostly so the envoy could pack and make whatever last-minute preparations they needed before heading to an entirely new kingdom. Chad himself had been taking in the sights, opting for one last stroll through the gardens so he could say goodbye to the animal friends he'd made. In addition to his books, Mal had given him a new set of colored pencils because his old ones, to quote her, 'lacked options', which wasn't wrong. He had a good base set – high quality things because his father would accept no less – but he didn't have a whole lot of variety available to him. Mal's set, however, had a whole depth of options, including a huge section of pastels that gave Chad multiple light blues to work with, pale yellows and pinks and lilacs and evergreens, and he loved them so much that the first thing he'd done upon breaking them in was draw a bookmark for Mal's own use as well.

"You didn't have to do this, Mal," Chad said, hugging the pencils close. "Hanging out with you was a gift enough."

"You disgust me," Mal informed him sagely. "You and your disgusting sentimentality are going to make me ill."

"She thinks you're a gift too," Diaval had whispered, causing Mal to hurl one of her throw pillows at him.

The week in the Moors was a wonderful start to the trip, and Chad couldn't wait to see what the rest of the summer had in store, even if he would miss Mal.

She wasn't like him, though. She wasn't a tagalong – not that he'd asked her, that he had deferred to Diaval, who had shot him an odd look before confirming Chad's suspicions. So Mal would be left behind him, here in the Moors, and until Auradon and Enchancia figured out how to connect their communication networks, Chad wouldn't be able to talk to her. At least, not until the envoy returned to the Moors after they finished touring the other kingdoms for the big end of summer ball. Maybe the communication thing would be figured out then, but for now, Chad wasn't going to worry because Mal wasn't worried, and there was no point in getting more invested than his new friend.

It was good.

Chad was musing over Mal and sketches and colored pencils when he heard someone call out to him, and with a startle, Chad turned to see Carlos sitting in a nearby clearing of the garden, occupying a bench with a navy-haired girl who was dressed very snazzily.

"Carlos!" Chad greeted, jogging over to the other teen and his friend. "It's good to see you again. Did your meetings go well?"

Carlos shared a strained look with his friend, then shrugged. "They went," he offered. "That's really all I could say about that."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Chad said, aching for the Enchancian teen. Really, things didn't seem to be going well at all with the romance envoy, but this was still the first week. Maybe things would get better in time.

"It's… fine," Carlos settled on, before deftly moving on. "I'm glad we ran into you, though, now I can introduce you to Evie." He motioned to the girl beside him. "She's the one that made my clothes."

"That was you?" Chad gushed, likely louder than he should have. "Oh, wow, Evie, this stuff is- I mean, you're so talented. Just- the zippers alone, and the seam work! I'm not a sewer, I won't pretend to be a sewer, but your clothes look very well made and spiffy and I have been wanting to say that for a while now so I'm glad I finally get to."

Evie laughed at him, a small thing she hid behind her hand, so Chad didn't feel bad for it. "Thank you," she said. "Carlos mentioned you were a designer?"

"I dabble," Chad admitted. "My mom- she was the one that had an actual eye for it. I just try to sketch things out to connect with her, you know?"

"That's sweet," Evie said, and it wasn't one of those empty platitudes nobles used sometimes to politely move the conversation along.

"Thank you." Chad felt his cheeks heat in a dull flush. "What made you start sewing?"

Evie paused, like she wasn't expecting the question, watching him for a moment in case he was going to change his mind, like he was tricking her or something. "My mom," she said finally. "She wanted me to be well-versed in domestic crafts. She really only wanted me to learn how to do basic repairs, but…"

"You took that skill and ran with it," Chad deduced. "Well, I'm glad, I think the fashion world can only benefit from your artistic flair."

Evie seemed surprised for a moment, but then she melted into a happy smile, pleased with Chad's compliments, even if he was only stating the truth. "You really are a sweet one, aren't you?"

"I'm just being honest," Chad insisted.

"Why don't you honestly join us for dinner?" Carlos asked. "You can catch us up on your adventures as a person who actually gets to learn things on this trip."

"Oh, please do," Evie said, eagerly latching on.

"Um- okay," Chad said, deciding then and there not to mention Mal since Chad got the feeling she greatly valued her privacy. Still, he'd done enough non-Mal activities to safely compile a meal's worth of anecdotes.

"Perfect," Evie chirped, standing up in a graceful movement. "I can feel our evening looking up already."

"Told you," Carlos said, and before Chad could ask him what that meant, the other teen was moving on, Evie and Carlos nestling Chad between them as they decided to take a private meal in Carlos' guest room. They could do that, though Chad hadn't, wanting to absorb the feel of all the public eating areas.

Still, he could make an exception for one evening. Besides, they'd be coming back to the Moors soon enough, there was no need to worry.

They could have a nice meal together, and then look forward to where the future would take them – to Tangu, land of a thousand sands.

And wasn't that an exciting thing?

-:-:-

Endnotes:

Next stop – the next kingdom of Enchancia!

Thanks for the review! The excitement and support is greatly appreciated!

Story notes:

Fritz is an OC of mine – one of the many princes of the Southern Isles.

Diaval – sitting there amazed in the corner that Chad could get Mal to even sort of agree that the AKs might be nice.

Tangu is from the show Sophia the First, though really I'm just borrowing the name. Huzzah laziness.

Until next time :)