It took some doing, but Devon was able to reach all the students Crowley had listed that weren't already present with the group and have them gathered outside the Mystery Shop. Satisfied that they at least had a starting point for their plan, Dominic agree to sever the link for the time being so as not to overtax his blessing, though he would be checking back in with her soon. He also let Devon know that he would be filling DJ in on what was happening, including coming clean about being able to speak to Idia. He knew their older brother wouldn't be happy about it, but it wouldn't feel right to leave him in the dark now that Devon knew.

"Alright. I believe it's time for a quick roll call," Crowley announced. He began to rattle off the list of names he'd given to Devon and checking to confirm that everyone whose presence he'd requested was there. "Trey Clover. Jack Howl. Jade Leech. Floyd Leech. Leona Kingscholar. Vil Schoenheit. Sebek Zigvolt." He nodded. "Good. That appears to be everyone."

"Those ghosts were chasing me everywhere," Trey said. "I'm glad you all were able to get away safely too."

"I am also quite relieved that we were able to meet up with everyone again," Jade agreed.

"Headmaster, may I ask what it is you want with the seven of us?" Vil asked.

"I want you all to ask for the Ghost Bride's hand in marriage, of course!" Crowley chirped brightly.

"Wait a second, what?!" Jack exclaimed, shocked. "What are you even talking about?"

"Pardon me," Riddle interjected. "I'm not about to send my vice dorm leader off on this mission while I sit on the sidelines. Allow me to join them as well, headmaster."

Crowley shook his head. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Mr. Rosehearts.

"And why not?" Riddle pressed.

"Think of what these seven students have in common," Crowley replied. "The answer is simple…"

Ace looked over the group of seven students and paled as a realization dawned on him. "Oh no. Please don't tell me…"

"That's right!" Crowley replied. "All of them are over 180 centimeters tall!"

The entire area fell deathly silent-not even the birds could be heard chirping anymore. Fully aware of what was coming next, Devon scooped up Grim while she, Ace, Deuce, and Cater took a few measured steps back from Riddle.

"Are…" Riddle's voice and expression were almost icily calm but the irritation radiating from him was palpable. It wasn't long before that thin veneer was thrown at the window as he leveled a nasty glare at the headmaster, the same one that caused other students to cower in his presence before his Overblot. "Are you refusing my request because you think I'm too short?!"

"Hmm~? So you can't reach the "You must be this tall" sign, Goldfishie~?" Floyd asked with his usual teasing lilt. "You can stand on my tailfin if you want. Might give ya an extra boost."

Riddle took a deep breath as he regained his composure. "Not on your life, Floyd." He shook his head. "Does this bride truly mean to choose her husband based on height? So she'd prefer a scoundrel like Floyd just because he happens to be tall?! That's absurd!"

"Come on now, Riddle. Everyone's got their quirks, you know," Trey said in a placating tone.

"Yes, yes, I know there's no accounting for taste," Riddle huffed.

"Aw, don't get all bent outta shape, Goldfishie," Floyd said. "Bein' small has its charms too… Wait." The smile dropped from his face as he looked around. "Where'd Goldfishie go? He was just here a second ago…"

Riddle blinked in confusion before shooting Floyd an irritated look. "What are you talking about? I'm right-"

"Oh, there you are!" Floyd exclaimed teasingly. "Sorry, I couldn't see you from all the way up here!

Riddle let out a "Yeeaarrgh!" of frustration, his face turning as red as his hair.

"He's just goading you, Riddle," Trey said as he calmly placed a hand on Riddle's shoulder. "Don't let him get under your skin, okay?"

"Please try to understand, Mr. Rosehearts. The Ghost Bride has been searching for her perfect companion for centuries and is not one to compromise," Crowley explained. "She has a ridiculously long list of qualities she seeks in a groom, from countenance to physique, but when you get down to brass tacks most of those qualities are rather vague. That being said, the one quality that is perfectly unambiguous is height. I admire your dedication, truly, but I must ask you to stand down so that we might insure the success of this mission."

"Malleus meets this height requirement as well, does he not?" Vil pointed out. "Why have you not summoned him here as well, headmaster?"

Lilia nodded. "It's true. Malleus is also a literal prince. Were he to propose to the bride, I'm certain she would eagerly accept him as her spouse. Unfortunately, the crown prince of Briar Valley cannot just up and propose to a random ghost, even if-no, especially if-said proposal is a lie. Doing so could set off an international incident and besides," He sent a quick sly look toward Devon, "I get the feeling that there is another that holds his entire heart. To that end, Sebek will be offering his services in Malleus' stead."

"I can think of no greater honor than to act on my lord's behalf!" Sebek declared, puffing up his chest proudly.

"Hold on. Are we just gonna ignore that whole bit about someone holding Malleus' heart? Because I'm gonna need more details, like, yesterday," Cater said.

Leona rolled his eyes as his tail flicked in annoyance. "Tch. Who cares? And you have no clue if Bridezilla would actually choose Malleus."

"Heh," Sebek scoffed. "Lord Malleus possesses a beauty that is unparalleled. Why, if he were here, he would be chosen as a matter of course! The rest of you are barely fit to be specks of dust on his boots!"

Leona snorted derisively. "Hah. That's quite the loud mouth you've got."

"Please. You're all a bunch of unwashed, over ripened vegetables," Vil added, outraged that Sebek had insinuated that someone on campus was more beautiful than he was.

"Trust me, we won't need Malleus as long as I'm here," Leona boasted.

"This might be an impossible task for most of you, but for me…," Vil began.

"This operation is in the bag!" they finished in unison.

"Wow… I'm sensing some bruised egos," Devon whispered to Grim, who snickered in response. "Vil is one thing, but I didn't think Leona was the type to get upset because someone else might be prettier than him."

'That's not quite why the lion prince is so irritated, Little Bat,' Lilia though, amused, as his enhanced hearing picked up Devon's voice. 'Something tells me that when he said we wouldn't need Malleus as long as he's here, what he really meant was you won't need Malleus as long as he's around. This is most amusing indeed.'

"Wonderful! How fortunate we are to have two dorm leaders so eager to step up!" Crowley exclaimed, beaming.

"I'll put up some surveillance feeds so the rest of us can monitor your progress," Ortho said.

"I'm certain the bride will choose Vil!" Rook declared. "After all, you'll find no finer or fairer groom in all the land." He smiled over at Epel. "Wouldn't you agree, Epel?"

"Huh? Oh, um…," Epel stammered from his spot with Devon, Ortho, and the other gathered freshmen. He kept his voice low so that (hopefully) only those standing closest to him could hear him. "To be honest, if I had to propose to someone all fancy-like and spout a buncha cheesy lines on the spot, I think I'd cringe so hard that my soul would leave my body…" He smiled brightly as he looked over at Rook, raising his voice back to normal. "I'm sure Vil can handle it, no problem!"

"I heard all of that, you know," Vil replied as he sent Epel a disapproving look.

"Not to worry, Vil! We'll make sure not to take our eyes off of your shining beauty for even a moment!" Rook promised.

Back in the school cafeteria, the final touches were being placed on the makeshift wedding venue. The tables were covered with fresh white tablecloths, the long benches now featured headstones affixed to the backs that served as place cards, blue and white flowers had been placed throughout the room as well as the white skull motif decorations, and a luxurious wedding cake sat near the head table waiting to be cut.

The Ghost Bride giggled to herself as she flitted here and there about the room, checking to make sure everything was perfect. "Ooh my, what a lovely day this is! I haven't felt this alive since…well, since I was alive! At long last…," She floated over to Idia, who stood rigidly near a corner of the room, "I've finally found you, my sweet prince!"

"SOMEBODY GET ME OUT OF HERE, ALREADY!" Idia shouted, coming back around from his fourth mental breakdown in less than twenty-four hours. "I don't believe this! First, I'm surrounded by a bunch of ghosts, then they tie me up, and now I'm about to be forced to marry one of them?!" He struggled against his restrains, but they held fast and kept him in place. "I'm too young to get married! I'm still in school, y'know! And I certainly don't wanna get married to a ghost!"

"Aww, just look at you, Idia! You're jumping for joy!" the bride gushed, either oblivious to her captive's obvious distress or choosing to ignore it. "I do love a man that's full of energy."

"To think you've finally found your soulmate, Princess Eliza!" said one of the ghostly attendants assisting with the venue preparations, smiling fondly at the bride. "You've always dreamed of marrying your perfect prince ever since you were a wee little girl. And yet fate cruelly robbed you of both your dream and your life." The attendant shook her head, her expression one of deep regret. "If only I'd gotten to your rooms sooner, you might have made it out of the attack alive…"

"Here now, none of that!" Eliza replied with a smile. "That's ancient history now, so don't let it bring you down! All that sorrow and suffering led me to Idia in the end, so I'd say it was worth it!"

"My, but you are a positive one, my lady!" the attendant said, bowing her head as she and the princess headed off to check on other preperations.

"Hey, can we pump the brakes here for a sec?!" Idia interjected. "I'm not trying to be That Guy here, but shouldn't I get a say in this too?!"

"Quiet down, you ungrateful lout!" scolded a large ghost guard that had been tasked with making sure Idia didn't try to get away. It had been clear from the start that this ghost was not fond of Idia, but he wasn't sure he preferred this ghost's hostility or the other's blatant disregard of all of his objections; this one at least acknowledged them, even if he was hostile about it. "You should be thrilled to have the honor of marrying Her Highness!"

"Thrilled?! You expect me to be thrilled about being married to a ghost against my will?!" Idia asked incredulously.

The large ghost sighed sadly, his glare melting into a wistful look. "You have no idea, do you?" He turned a longing gaze toward the princess as she tittered obliviously with her attendants. "You have no idea how wonderful it will be to spend eternity wed to our sweet, innocent princess…"

Eliza finally turned at the sound of their voices. "Oh dear… Are you being mean to my darling Idia, Chubby? You'd best knock that right off!" She smiled brightly before giggling again. "He's about to be my husband, after all!"

"Of course, Your Highness. My apologies," Chubby replied, bowing his head.

Suddenly, the cafeteria doors were thrown open and another attendant rushed in. "Forgive the intrusion, Princess, but it looks like we've got trouble!"

"Goodness, what's gotten you in such a lather?" Eliza asked.

"We've just received a report from the guards stationed at the gates," the attendant answered. "They say there are suitors showing up in droves to ask for Your Highness's hand in marriage!"

"Suitors?!" the ghosts in the room shouted in unison.

The attendant nodded. "Just so. And it looks like all of them are Night Raven College students, just like Idia."

Idia blinked, unsure of what to think of this new development. "I'm not really sure what's going on here, but I'll take any chance I can to get out of here… Whee hee hee!" He raised his voice slightly so the ghosts could hear him. "Just so you know, all the students attending Night Raven College are extremely eligible bachelors. Like, beyond eligible, actually. Whether you like 'em rich, preppy, bossy, cute, pretentious-you name it, they've got it! Surely one of them would make a better prince than me. For reals, I'm like the bottom of the barrel compared to them."

"Don't you worry, sweetie!" Eliza replied, floating over to pat Idia's cheek reassuringly. "It doesn't matter who comes calling. I'll turn them all down, so you just relax and wait right there."

"You're not listening at all!" Idia wailed.

Eliza turned to two of her attendants. "Nana, Grampy, please get my sweet Idia ready. I have to see to these suitors."

"Yes, Your Highness," the pair of attendants chorused.

Idia's eyes widened in fear. "What do you mean by "get me ready"? Ready for what? For what?!"

"Oooh, I can't wait to see how wonderful you look once you're all ceremony-ready!" Eliza squealed.

"Fret not, princess," the attendants said as they closed in on the immobilized dorm leader. "We'll make him into the finest of grooms."

Idia squeaked in fright and tried to back away, but was unable to do more than jerk his head away from them. "Don't you come any closer! Stay back! STAY BACK!"

"Okay Dev, I'm back," Dominic announced as he reestablished their link.

"Good, you're just in time. Those guys Crowley had me gather up should be reaching the gates in a sec," Devon informed him as she watched the feed Ortho had covertly set up using some of Idia's cloaked drones. "How'd everything go with DJ?"

"I'm not thrilled with him right now, I can tell ya that much," came DJ's voice through the link, "but I plan on getting as much mileage teasing him about this Idia guy as I can. That and he agreed to let me watch these shenanigans with the ghost princess so I can't really be too mad. I mean, this sounds hilarious! "

"It is not hilarious!" Dominic exclaimed. "You remember when I told you about Idia's life being on the line, right?!"

"Sure. That sucks for him, but as long as it's not one of the two of you that's in danger, I'm just gonna sit back and appreciate some NRC tomfoolery," DJ replied. "You can't find entertainment like this in our world."

Devon couldn't help but smile inwardly-leave it to DJ to find the humor in just about any situation. "I'm glad you two get to experience some of the non-Overblot related craziness around here. Just make sure Dom takes breaks, okay?"

"Will do. Baby bro ain't passin' out on my watch," DJ promised.

"Hush, you guys! They're at the gate!" Dominic interjected, causing his siblings to fall silent and focus on the feed.

"Goodness me! To think that seven suitors would show up at once," commented one of the guards at the gate to the main building.

"I am the prince best suited to your princess," Vil declared confidently as he stepped to the front of the group, putting on his most charming smile to match his tone. "Any other would be just a paltry substitute."

""Prince"?!" Jack repeated, the look on his face a mix of confused and freaked out.

"It's a guarantee that she'll fall head-over-heels for me," Vil continued, "so why not be a good sport and let me meet her, hmm?"

"Okay, seriously, what's your damage?" Leona whispered to Vil as the guards discussed the situation amongst themselves.

"In addition to being one of the most in-demand models, I'm also a professional actor," Vil reminded him. "I have any number of acts tucked away for a rainy day. The Ghost Bride wants a perfect prince, so I'm going to give her one."

"Yeah, but…well, you don't even know if you like her, Vil," Jack argued. "You're okay with leading her on like that? You oughta take love more seriously, if you ask me."

"Aww~! Didn't know ya had such a sweet side, Sea Urchin," Floyd teased.

Jack rubbed the back of his head and looked away, embarrassed. "All I'm sayin' is that toyin' with someone's feelings ain't cool."

"Come now, Jack," Vil replied. "You're looking at this all wrong."

Jack quirked a disbelieving brow. "How do you figure?"

"The way I see it, the seven of us are in a competition to see which one can charm the bride," Vil explained, making sure to keep his voice down so as not to attract the guards' attention. "I never hold back in a competition. That's all there is to it."

"Ugh," Leona scoffed. "I'd take the regular you over whatever slimeball character you're playing right now any day."

"What's the matter, Leona? Afraid you'll lose to me?" Vil taunted with a smirk.

Leona rolled his eyes before sending Vil a glare. "Oh, please. You can't honestly believe I'm scared of you." He turned and called out to the guards. "Oi! Ghost lackeys! I came all this way to see that princess of yours, so get a move on and bring her out here already."

"How dare you refer to Her Highness with such disrespect!" the lead guard scolded. "We've no reason to trust a group of strangers, you know. You'll have to prove your strength if you really want an audience with our princess!"

The guards were dealt with quickly enough. After all, that's what happens when you've been out of practice for close to 500 years and you're facing off against some of the greatest student mages of the day.

"Hmm, you all are much better than I thought," the lead guard conceded. "It's clear now that your suit is serious. Very well. I shall permit you an audience with the princess." He waved at the guards behind him who began immediately opening the gates. "You may pass!"

The potential suitors made their way to the cafeteria and the princess, having already been informed that the group has gained entry to the building, floated over to meet them. "Are you the ones who seek my hand?" she asked.

"So that's the one that nabbed Idia, huh," Jack muttered as he watched the ghost carefully.

"I'm dreadfully sorry to have to do this, especially after you came all this way," Eliza continued with a look of pity on her face, "but I'm afraid I must turn you all away. You see, I've met a lovely man named Idia and we've already promised ourselves to each other" Her expression brightened and she brought a hand to her lips as she giggled demurely. "Oh, you should see him~! He's tall with an air of nonchalance, his skin is wonderfully luminous, and he's lovely lidded eyes are so dignified! And that's not even getting into his charming smile that only I get to see! His hair is so vibrant it burns and he's got the loveliest lips-a color I've never seen before!" She sighed dreamily. "He's positively dashing~! The perfect prince in every way."

"Huh… This is going to sound really weird, but I can't really say that her description doesn't fit Idia," Trey commented.

Eliza shook her head sadly. "You flatter me with your requests for my hand, you truly do. It's just that compared to my darling Idia, you're-"

"A far superior prince than he could ever hope to be!" Vil and Leona interjected simultaneously.

"It seems they've both lost sight of our objective here," Jade commented with an amused smile. "Faster than I thought."

Eliza sighed. "Oh fine, have it your way. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to test you to see if any of you are fit to become my husband." Her eyes landed on Leona. "We'll start with you-the rugged one with the cute ears."

"You're talkin' about me, right?" Leona asked as he stepped forward and crossed his arms casually. "Yeah, hey. Name's Leona Kingscholar." He smirked confidently. "Throw whatever test ya got at me. I'm your guy, guaranteed."

Eliza quickly cleared her throat and began to sing. "~Would you believe how long I've waited~"

Leona just blinked, completely baffled. "…Huh?"

Undeterred, Eliza continued with her song. "~I've been waiting for so very long~"

"Okay, seriously, what is this?" Leona asked.

"~For a glimpse of that tender smile… From youuuuuu!~" Eliza finished, looking at Leona expectantly.

"I am so lost right now," Leona grumbled, pressing his fingertips to his forehead before turning to the others. "Why is she just burstin' into song all of a sudden? Is pickin' one of us too difficult for her?"

"Rejected!" Eliza shouted suddenly before slapping Leona clean across the face, leaving a bright red handprint visible on his cheek.

"OWW!" Leona shouted in pain, standing there rigidly as though trying the slap has shocked him out of his senses.

"Wh-Why would you slap him like that?!" Sebek demanded, his eyes-and everyone else's-wide with shock.

"Unbelievable!" Eliza cried as she glared at Leona. "A princess was singing right in front of you and you wouldn't even join her in a duet! Hmph! You're no prince at all!"

"Eeesh… And Leona's the only actual prince in our group," Jack commented.

"You there, with the pretty blond hair," Eliza called out as she caught sight of Vil. "We'll move on to you next."

Vil flashed Eliza his most debonair smile as he stepped forward. "Why, hello there. The name's Vil Schoenheit."

"Alright then…" Eliza cleared her throat once again and began her song anew. "~Would you believe how long I've waited~"

Vil joined in seamlessly. "~You've been waiting for me all this time~"

Eliza's expression brightened when she saw that Vil was able to keep up with her. "~I've waited for so very long~"

"~My feelings won't steer me wrong~" Vil sang back.

"~For a glimpse of that tender smile…~" Eliza paused briefly, a split second cue for Vil to jump in to join her. "~From youuuuu!~"

"You're telling me he's actually able to keep up with an improvised song as though he's sung it his whole life?!" Sebek exclaimed incredulously.

"And harmonizing with her perfectly as well," Jade added. "A most impressive display."

"I could serenade you forever if you'd like," Vil offered to the still-beaming ghost. "Doing so is a trivial matter if it's for the one whose love I seek."

Eliza giggled. "Oh my! I see you're quite the charmer, indeed! Now, what is your dog's name?"

Vil blinked. "I…beg your pardon? Why are you asking about dogs? For one thing, I live in a dorm at the moment so naturally I don't have a-"

"Rejected!" Eliza shouted again. Just like Leona, she slapped Vil across the face-the bright red handprint was even more noticeable this time.

Vil's amethyst eyes widened in shock as he stared at Eliza, disbelief etched onto his features. "You… I don't believe this! Do you have any idea how much my face is worth?!"

"There we go. Now he sounds like himself again," Jack said.

"Well yeah, anybody'd break character if they got slapped like that," Floyd replied.

"Everyone knows that all true princes have a big dog that will come running when they whistle for help," Eliza huffed.

"Her view of what a true prince sounds a little…narrow, don't you think?" Trey observed as he looked over at Leona and Vil. "Are you guys okay?" His expression grew concerned when Leona and Vil stayed stock still. "What's wrong? Why're you both freezing up? Did she really slap you that hard?"

"I can't move!" Leona and Vil shouted simultaneously, much to the shock of the other students.

"Wait, wait?!" Trey exclaimed.

"I haven't been able to move a muscle since Bridezilla over there slapped me," Leona said. "Can't even flex my fingers."

"I haven't been able to summon any magic, either," Vil added. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"I've been searching for my perfect prince for the 500 years now," Eliza said, faint exasperation in her voice. "You two dare to parade in here and claim to be my true love when you so clearly are not?" She sniffed, looking down her nose at them disdainfully. "I'd say that more than warrants a lesson on the consequences of toying with a fair maid's heart. You shall remain frozen in place until I see fit to release you. I'd say the same amount of time I've spent waiting for my love should suffice."

"You intend to leave them like that for 500 years?!" Sebek exclaimed.

"I've never heard of a ghost that could paralyze humans with a slap," Jade commented. "It would seem her power is as great as her obsession with finding this prince of hers."

Leona glared at the princess. "You've got a lot of nerve turnin' me down over somethin' so superficial."

"I couldn't agree more-you need to get over yourself," Vil agreed. "To think you'd actually rebuff me, of all people!"

"I still don't like the thought of lyin' to her to get her to fall for us, but…," Jack trailed off for a moment before looking back at the others. "If the two dorm leaders in the group couldn't make the cut, the rest of us are really gonna have to step it up."

Meanwhile, Eliza was ready to continue testing her "suitors". "Next will be…you there!" She pointed at Jack. "The strapping one with the big white ears."

Jack stepped up to the princess, inclining his head respectfully. "…Name's Jack Howl."

"How is your skill with a sword? What's the biggest monster you've slain?" Eliza asked. "Do you have a legendary sword passed down for generations?"

"A sword? I don't need a sword when I can just punch-" Jack began.

"Rejected!" Eliza shouted, followed by another slap.

"What the heck?! That hurt!" Jack shouted in pain, now frozen in place as well.

"How do you expect to rescue a princess from monsters without a legendary sword?!" Eliza demanded. "You're no prince at all!" She turned toward the next suitor. "Next! You, the sharp-eyed handsome one."

"My name is Sebek Zigvolt," Sebek bellowed as he stepped up to the princess.

"What instruments do you play?" Eliza asked. "The piano? Or maybe the flute?"

"If you're interested in musical talents, allow me to tell you about my lord," Sebek replied, beaming. "His proficiency with stringed instruments is beyond all comprehension! His violin melodies are hauntingly beautiful. I heard him play the cello once before and the depth of his playing shook me to my very core! His music is every bit as mystical as he-"

"Rejected!" Eliza interjected, slapping Sebek across the face.

"PARDON?!" Sebek exclaimed incredulously as he froze in place too. "How rude! I was still speaking!"

"What's rude is bringing up a completely unrelated person during what's supposed to be a romantic interlude!" Eliza countered. "You might be the furthest one from prince material yet! Next will be…" She looked over the remaining three suitors before pointing to Trey. "The one wearing the fetching spectacles."

"I'm Trey Clover," Trey supplied politely. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness."

"…I can't do this!" Eliza wailed dramatically. "I'm so sorry, but we shouldn't see each other anymore. Farewell!"

Trey watched in confusion as Eliza "fled" to the other side of the cafeteria before turning back to look at him expectantly. "Huh? Why'd she just take off like that?" He turned to the others. "Am I supposed to chase after her?"

Floyd shrugged and crossed his arms. "Prolly."

"Okay, well…" He turned back toward the princess before calling out to her woodenly. "Umm… No! Please, wait!"

Eliza seemed placated when she saw Trey running after her, though she kept the same dramatic expression on her face. "Didn't I just say we couldn't see each other anymore? Please, you shouldn't spare a second thought for me!"

"Okay, yeah. It looks like chasing her was the right call," Trey muttered to himself, sighing in mild relief. "What am I supposed to do next, though?"

"I believe you're supposed to serenade her now, Trey," Jade called to him.

"Wha-?! Right now?!" Trey exclaimed.

Jade nodded. "Of course. You need to establish a romantic mood with a touching song."

Trey shook his head. "Well, I'm not exactly the best singer but… Here goes." He cleared his throat. "Uh… Your… ~Your…~"

Eliza smiled eagerly. "Yes? My what?"

"Your veil is as white as…as a freshly bleached dishtowel," Trey stumbled through the improvised lyrics, barely even keeping up the semblance of a song. "Your eyes are like…um, like grapes… You're… You're so…lively…"

Eliza merely stared at Trey for a moment as he trailed off before… "Rejected!"

"Yep. Could've seen that coming," Trey said calmly, unfazed by the slap that followed.

"Comparing my veil to a dishtowel and my eyes to grapes?!" Eliza exclaimed. "A true prince would never make such utterly unromantic analogies!"

"In fairness, those similes were rather mundane," Jade said to Trey. "I'm surprised you couldn't manage something like, "Your eyes sparkle like jewels.""

"Hey, I'm just a regular guy and I was put on the spot," Trey defended himself. "All that came to mind was stuff I knew!"

Eliza's grape-like eyes landed on Floyd. "You there with the aloof, disinterested look. You're up next."

Floyd heaved a sigh. "This ghostie's really been gettin' on my nerves. Can't I just squeeze her and be done with it?"

"Rejected!" Eliza shouted, followed by a slap.

Leona closed his eyes in exasperation as Floyd howled in pain. "What did you think was going to happen?"

"And last we have…," Eliza looked over at Jade, "you. The handsome one with the pleasant smile."

"Jade Leech, at your service," Jade supplied with a smile. "I do hope you'll be gentle with me."

"You're the last man standing, Jade," Jack said. "It's all riding on you!"

"Your Highness, please accept this humble gift to commemorate our meeting," Jade said, offering up a small terrarium with a beautiful blue and purple flower inside.

Eliza gasped, marveling at the flowers color and beauty. "Oh my, what a lovely flower! Is it for me?"

Jade nodded. "But of course, Your Highness. I picked it myself. I couldn't help but think of you when I saw it."

Sebek with the exchange in shock. "He brought her a present?!"

"What a thoughtful gift! I'm positively thrilled!" Eliza squealed as she carefully took the flower out of the terrarium for a better look. "Goodness me, you've got my heart all aflutter~!"

"I think it's working," Trey said hopefully.

Floyd rolled his eyes. "Pfft. Whatever, Jade. Ain't that just the flower you dug up on your last trip to the mountains? Ya know, that real poisonous one?" He sent a mild glare toward his brother. "You're just tryin' to dump it on her since you can't plant it anywhere else."

Jade's smile never faltered; if he was irritated that Floyd had just given him away, he didn't show it. "That's correct, Floyd. It's a highly toxic flower that utterly ruins any other plant life growing near it. Normally a person's hand would break out if they so much as touched it, but that doesn't seem to be the case for ghosts. Seems I've learned something new today."

"Are you mad?!" Eliza shouted before slapping Jade as well.

Jade's eyes widened but he didn't seem to react much otherwise. "That hurt, Your Highness!"

Vil sent Floyd a tired look. "You know, he might have succeeded were it not for your big mouth, Floyd."

"Look, I just didn't like that he was standin' over there all smug while I just got stuck in slapsville," Floyd huffed.

"Then this mission was a total loss," Jack sighed.

Eliza glared at the gathered seven. "What rude louts you all are! Not a one of you is anywhere near prince material!"

"Hang on. Something just occurred to me," Trey said to the others. "I mean, not be Captain Obvious or anything, but we're all students at an all-boys school…with one special exception. And they expected us to propose to royalty? Doesn't this whole challenge seem a little, I dunno, beyond us?"

Everyone was silent as they mulled over Trey's question before a resounding, "Yeah, actually," erupted from the group.

Ending Notes: I love this event so much, you guys! It's really hard to pick a stopping point for each chapter because I just want to keep going! We'll be back with the peanut gallery's commentary back at the Mystery Shop in the next chapter as well as Operation Proposal's second wave.

Thank you all so much for reading! As always, feedback and constructive criticism are welcome. Geekinthepink, out!