10th Red Ash Moon, 908

"Now, assume you are representing your father at a dinner party and the guests are esteemed nobles funding for reconstruction: how do you introduce yourself?"

The faux Buneary turned toward the vanity mirror and snapped her fingers at it with a wink. "Oi, what's up, noble dudes? Let's talk money—" She winced as Hilda lightly swatted her on the head with a duster.

Hilda sighed and pinched between her eyes. "Even you must know that was incorrect, dear."

JoJo shapeshifted into a Pawmi and leaned against the mirror with a pout. "How does anyone expect people to act formal all the time?"

"It's called having manners, dear."

"Sounds like too much work."

Hilda slapped herself on the cheek and sighed. "You are supposed to pretend to be Melissa. We've had too many close calls with your informal attitude, and we need to make the illusion look good." She leaned down and tapped the shapeshifter's forehead. "Especially since you'll need to fool Sir Matthias into thinking you're Melissa."

JoJo waved it off. "I can easily fool some meathead knight."

Hilda glared. "Dear, Sir Matthias is the head knight of this castle. If he so much as suspects foul play and realizes you are not his charge, this entire castle will be engulfed in flames in seconds just to ensure he erases every last shred of your existence."

"…" JoJo gulped and chuckled nervously. "That seems a little overkill."

"Then let us hope it doesn't come to that conclusion." She straightened up and crossed her arms. "All you need to do is mind how you speak. You don't need to say more than what is necessary when addressing the knights. When it comes to nobles, Gustavo and I won't be much help, so you'll need to seek the aid of Ortwin."

"The…Noivern, right?"

She nodded. "He is the royal advisor. As long as you stay in character, he'll assist you with any issue you don't understand. Fortunately, Ortwin has very little personal contact with Melissa, so he shouldn't suspect anything as long you don't…be yourself."

JoJo crossed her arms and pouted. "Harsh."

"This is your mission, dear, so try not to act standoffish. I am obligated to report your identity theft to the king, yet I choose not to as it would put Melissa in unnecessary danger."

JoJo sighed and straightened up. "Alright, alright, I hear you."

Hilda nodded. "Just try not to speak with contractions, refrain from using too much informal language, and always address everyone by their formal titles."

JoJo coughed into her fist and changed herself back into Melissa. She took a deep breath and curtsied. "Salutations, Sir Matthias. To what do I owe this momentous occasion to be met in your presence upon this fine hour to which the sun is highest?"

Hilda glared. "Right idea, too verbose."

"Isn't this how all fancy people speak? Just say a bunch of words in a row and unnecessarily exaggerate simple questions?"

"Just say the bare minimum, please. You've supposedly been away for nearly a year and suffered trauma, so we're going to work with that angle for as much as we can."

JoJo scratched her cheek. "So, should I throw in random flashbacks and have anxiety attacks whenever someone says a trigger word?" She grinned. "Ooh, I got it. Whenever someone says it's time to leave, I'll start freaking out about leaves!"

"Oh no…"

"Next, I'll start throwing out everything colored green because the color traumatized me. In fact, I'll request any Pokémon that's naturally green to be thrown out of the castle immediately!"

"Oh dear…"

"And if someone even mentions a forest, I'll be so traumatized that I'll order them to be executed—" Hilda slapped her hand over JoJo's mouth. The shapeshifter winced at her unamused expression. "Eh, too much?"

"You are going to be the death of me, I swear."

"…Next, we have an appointment with House Pickering who wishes to honor the princess' return. They request she attend the unveiling of the gardens in the capital park. After that, we're scheduled to have her meet with House Freia to issue a formal apology for Lady Freia's disappearance. After that…"

Roscoe listened to his trusted Noivern advisor, Ortwin, list off their plans for the upcoming days. With Melissa's miraculous return to the kingdom, the nobles wished to express their gratitude for her safety, whether by throwing a party, showering her with gifts, or having her attend ceremonies for some new unveiling. She was being requested for just about everything, even to honor the delayed filling of a pothole for a street. It felt ludicrous and exhausting, but Roscoe only agreed to them to gain the people's admiration. He had enough backlash given his last trip to the villages. The last thing he needed was the nobles turning on him.

Even so, the Lopunny king's mind was elsewhere.

"The local baker wishes to treat Melissa to a new recipe he has been perfecting, and—" Ortwin stopped upon noticing the king's sluggish posture. "A break, Your Majesty?"

"Huh?" He shook out of his thoughts and straightened up. "Uh, no, I am listening."

Ortwin tucked the report inside his vest and leaned on his twisted cane. "Perhaps you should use this time to get reacquainted with your daughter. You two have hardly spoken since her return."

Roscoe sighed. "I doubt she has much to say to me given our fight."

"Your Majesty, while there has been some friction between you two, you are still her father. A good relation between parent and child starts with communication. You now have two children to raise, and they need attention."

"Melissa will be turning nineteen in a matter of days, and Charlie is slowly adjusting to his new surroundings. That boy acts younger than his age dictates, but I still expect him to mature for his future."

Ortwin frowned. "In other words, even though Melissa has returned, you are still aiming to make Charlie your heir."

Roscoe shook his head. "If Melissa was not fit to rule before, she definitely is not now. She was shaken up by her kidnapping. I cannot trust her to rule a kingdom without slipping into a post-traumatic panic attack." He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "That said, I am trusting to her to raise her new brother to become the rightful king."

"Busy work for her?"

"I know she will not be happy about these arrangements, but they must be done for the good of the Verde Kingdom. Charlie will become a great king, and Melissa will help guide him in the right direction."

Ortwin sighed. "I feel this is a discussion you should be having with her instead of me."

"I will after Matthias goes over the security details with Melissa and Charlie."

"Hmm." The Noivern looked out the office window. "I know it's not my place to speak, but I feel you should try to make a reconnection with her. Family is the most important part of life. They are the strongest force you can depend on no matter the obstacle. You haven't been the same since Odolina's passing, and I fear it's affecting your relationship with Melissa."

Roscoe sighed. "I am fine, Ortwin. I know what I am doing."

"Hmm, if you insist." He hobbled toward the office door. "We can go over the rest of the report later. Shall I send for the maids to fetch you a drink?"

"Sitrus tea."

"Very well. Take care, Your Majesty." Ortwin bowed and let himself out of the king's office.

Once the door clicked shut, Roscoe stood up and faced toward his window with a stern glare. He hated to admit it, but he had considered Ortwin's suggestion previously. Perhaps he was unsure of how to approach the topic, but a part of him feared confronting his daughter after the disastrous consequences of his secrecy. To think all could've been avoided, or at least smoothed over, had he just informed Melissa of her arranged marriage in advance. If he put more trust into her, could this all have been avoided?

Maybe it wouldn't have stopped Melissa from being kidnapped, but there wouldn't have been so much tension around the castle. He could've formed his merger with the Senbo Kingdom, Melissa and Erasmus would be running the kingdom together, and he would've finally been alleviated of his crown and duties.

Instead, it was more lies and secrecy, just like he had been taught.

He covered his face and sighed. "Everything I've done is worth the outcome. Everything I've done is worth the outcome. Everything I've done is—"

Tap, tap, tap!

He lowered his hands and found a Zubat fluttering in front of the window, carrying a letter inside a tiny pack. Roscoe quickly raced over to the door, locked it, and ran back to the window. He let the Zubat fluttered into his office.

"When leaves fall—" the Zubat started.

Roscoe glared. "All will return to earth."

The bat nodded and landed on the desk. "Special delivery, Mr. Fletcher."

Roscoe plucked the letter out of the bat's pack and ripped it open. He unfurled the letter and silently read it to himself. His eyes widened a bit in surprise. A wave of relief hit him first, but then glared at the letter the further he read down.

"…That early, huh?" He sighed and pinched between his eyes. "I was hoping for a few more months, but it can't be helped." He nodded at the Zubat. "Alright. Inform Terrowin I'll be there by next week. Contact Wilkin Tetrarch to have a party meetup with me."

The bat saluted and darted out the window. After Roscoe closed and locked his window, he went over to his secret compartment in the bookshelf. He folded and stashed the letter inside before locking it back up.

"Guess I got my wish after all." He pulled off his crown and stared into his golden reflection. "If everything goes according to Terrowin's expectations, the concept of war will be erased from Virdis forever."

Senbo Kingdom Capital

"Traumatizing, I tell you! Traumatizing!"

Atop his royal throne, King Gilbert Talbot hosted a series of in-person meetings with the fine nobles who partook in the Senbo-Wick train system mere weeks ago. The nature of these meetings wasn't to praise the ingenious development of revolutionary transport technology, but instead to hear out the complaints of its disastrous first launch.

The Darmanitan with a cast over his right arm pointed angrily at the king. "I purchased a ticket to witness the birth of genius, to experience the conquering of land through Pokémon's hands! Instead, I was a victim of agony, trauma, mayhem, and afflicted with a newfound case of claustrophobia! Do you have any idea how long we were all jammed into that wagon?!"

Gilbert winced. "I have…received similar complaints regarding rescue operations, yes."

"Oh, but that wasn't even the worst of it!" the Darmanitan continued. "Some madman on the roof was firing into the wagons!" He raised his bandaged arm. "He riddled me with bullets! He nearly tore my arm to ribbons!"

Gilbert tentatively pulled out a file that was handed to him earlier. "Um, according to the official report from your physician, you sprained your wrist after trying to swing over the other passengers—"

"That doesn't matter!" the noble snapped. "I felt like I was being riddled with bullets in that confounded confinement! There are plenty of more who were nearly dealt the icy blade of death! Close friends of mine were hospitalized because of that launch!"

Gilbert winced. "I am terribly sorry, sir. I assure you, measures will be taken to increase security on the train and to improve the train's mechanisms—"

"Heavens no! You expect me to get onto another one of those death traps?! Next you'll be suggesting something crazier like flying machines! I am not subjecting myself to an airborne coffin, Your Majesty. There was enough tomfoolery when you decided to loosen our borders, but to bridge our kingdoms with results like these? Inane, I tell you! Absolutely inane! I expect Castle Talbot to compensate for the damages done to me!"

Gilbert shuddered, but kept his composure and bowed. "Of course. The Talbot family will do all they can to pay off any damages caused by your experience."

"Hmph! See to it." The Darmanitan turned with a huff and marched out, temporarily forgetting he had a sprained wrist. "YOW! Blasted, confounded—" The guards closed the throne room doors once he stepped out.

Stepping out of hiding, Queen Constance walked up to Gilbert's side and touched his shoulder. "How are you holding up, dear?"

Gilbert waved it off. "Oh, holding in there, my dear Constance. This is the price of progress, is it not?"

The Purugly queen narrowed her eyes before turning to the guards. "Would you mind informing the other nobles we will be holding off on hearings for a moment?" The guards nodded and slipped out through the throne doors. Now officially alone, she glared at her husband. "Gilbert…"

"…" The Houndoom sucked in a breath and collapsed into her shoulder, breaking down into a fit of sobs. "Great holy gears, I cannot take another day of this!"

She wrapped her forelegs around him and stroked his back. "Let it all out, dear."

"My darling, I simply cannot handle anymore of these complaints! I am a failure of a king! I failed my people! I failed my father and his legacy! I failed my kingdom!" He embraced her and buried his face into her neck. "Why, of all the days, did those dastardly thieves pick then to cause trouble?!"

Constance shushed him gently, scraping her claws along his back. "The Foresters cannot be blamed for this mess. Gaufroi reported as much that they were not responsible for the train malfunctioning. If anything, they saved a lot more lives that could have been lost."

Gilbert shuddered and wiped some of his tears away before pulling away. "Y-Yes, I am aware, but not even the passengers are willing to believe that. We barely know the other assailants on the train. The Foresters are a convenient scapegoat."

"But it is not the truth." She stroked his cheek. "This was nothing more than a freak accident. Let us be grateful there were no casualties, and King Tetrarch is still willing to work with you to improve the train system. Even he understands this was an accident."

Gilbert sighed. "It does not matter what we think. The people see nothing but a blunder caused by the royal family. The mistakes of criminals fall onto us for not enforcing a tighter grip on the law. You heard what the last man said. The people are still hesitant to accept the loosening border policy. The Wick Kingdom already has a criminal problem, and this will just reinforce the fear of criminals entering our territory."

"Then we will increase security and assure them this will not happen again."

"I am afraid it is not that simple. Increasing security will not alleviate the paranoia. It may even worsen our relations with our subjects, giving the impression that we are at war with crime." He covered his face and groaned. "A nightmare I have brought upon us."

Constance kissed his snout and patted his cheek. "Darling, perhaps you should take the rest of the week off. I will handle the rest of your appointments."

The hound sniffled. "A-Are you sure?"

"I can handle some angry complaints. Besides, they clearly have their ire turned on you, their king." She took his paw and guided him from his seat. "Take some time off. You have been through enough."

Gilbert sighed. "Where would I be without you, my love?" He kissed her paw. "Thank you."

"I am always here to support you, darling." She stepped aside to let him walk away. She frowned just as soon as he passed through the secret door out of the throne room. Even if I cannot condone some of your decisions. She shook her head and took her own seat. "Guards! Send in the next group!"

Erasmus sat by Dimitri's bedside, stroking his sleeping brother's foreleg, while Dr. Sappington rifled through her medicine bag. The eldest prince stared at his brother, but was clearly lost in his thoughts based off his vacant expression. He hardly moved beyond his affectionate action the past half hour.

After Brinley pulled out a couple of vials, she glanced at the distracted prince and glared. "A coin for your thoughts, Your Highness?"

Erasmus blinked and snapped awake. "Eh?"

"I do hope you didn't catch anything in that grubby kingdom you call our allies. I have enough on my plate dealing with your brother, and I don't want to add another unknown illness to my list of responsibilities."

The prince sighed and retracted his paw. "Apologies, Dr. Sappington. Yes, I suppose I have been a little under the weather lately."

"Then kindly jettison your posterior out of the room before I administer emergency decontamination."

His eyes widened. "Uh, not that kind of…I am not sick, doctor." He sighed and rubbed his foreleg. "I have been confused lately. A lot on my mind, really. See, I—"

"Your Highness, I am a doctor of medicine, not of the mind. Whatever personal problems you're dealing with, seek someone who actually has the patience to listen and not my short-tempered attitude."

"I…of course." He glanced at Dimitri. "How is my brother?"

"A question I can answer." She set her vials on the nightstand. "I am still trying to find the source of his condition. The poison has already fused with his bloodstream, so I'm doing everything I can with the blood samples and remnants found at the crime scene. I still can't determine what the poison was made from, though his condition is remarkably similar to something I saw a long time ago."

Erasmus raised his brow. "Oh?"

"It was back when I was much younger. An…acquaintance of mine accidentally poisoned himself after eating some flowers and was held up in bed for days. Course, his symptoms were minor compared to Prince Dimitri's, and he recovered on his own eventually."

"If they were similar cases, maybe these flowers were involved."

"Worth looking into, but not even my parents remember what species of plant they were, or where we even got them in the first place. Still, the symptoms were only similar. This is clearly a lab-made poison. Synthetized after several test trials. It would be nice to at least know what kind of flowers they were to narrow my search, but not worth researching if I don't know what I'm looking for."

"Hmmm…" Erasmus thought it over, but ultimately shook his head. "So, any hope of an antidote?"

"Trial and error. I can only take so many blood samples from the prince." She picked up one of her vials and uncorked it. "I am, however, making potions that should ease his discomfort more effectively than the regular medicine." She pulled out a syringe and inserted it into the vial, sucking up the potion.

Erasmus stepped off his stool and sighed. "I should return to my room and leave you be."

Brinley frowned. "…He'll get better, Your Highness. I refuse to let him die on my account."

He nodded. "Thank you, Dr. Sappington." He turned to his brother and patted his paw one last time. "Rest well, Dimitri." He headed out the room.

After flicking out the syringe's air bubbles, Brinley knelt down and jabbed into Dimitri's foreleg. The small jolt stirred him from his deep slumber, only briefly to see his older brother exiting the room in the haze.

"…E…Er…asmus…"

In the castle training halls, in response to the disastrous train heist, Gaufroi doubled the training of his trusted underlings. He oversaw Linota and Serell as they clashed their practice swords together, working against the training weights strapped to their wrists and ankles. Having worked under similar conditions, they were used to the intense training despite the increase in weight.

Gaufroi paced around them, arms tucked behind his waist. "We of the Senbo Knights are the trusted enforcers of justice. We cannot let another accident like the train heist slip under our notice again. We will work day and night to hone your bodies into the perfect weapons."

Linota parried one of Serell's strike and staggered back to catch her breath. "A-Aye, Sir Gaufroi. I'm giving it my all!"

Serell wiped his brow and lowered his training sword. "Can we take a break, though? We've been going at it for over an hour. My wings are cramping." He splayed his wings, showing the weights that have been strapped to them as well.

Gaufroi crossed his arms. "Try to hold out for another half hour."

The Togetic groaned and lowered his head. "This is so stupid. Why do we have to suffer training instead of Rikmai?"

"First of all, Rikmai's strength comes from her water manipulation. It's an entirely different process than just building muscle. Second…" The Ursaring knight glared. "Actually, I don't know where she is. She was supposed to come to training as well."

Linota wiped her brow. "She might've slept in again."

"Hmm, she's been doing that a lot lately—"

The training hall doors flew open, and the topic of conversation herself came sprinting through. She slid to a stop and hunched over to catch her breath. "S-Sorry! Sorry I'm late! I was just getting breakfast and remembered we had training scheduled."

Serell groaned. "You've been slacking lately, you know that?"

She sat on her haunches and scratched her nape sheepishly. "Heh, yeah. I'm usually better at getting up early. Must be off my game or something." She slapped her cheeks and glared determinedly. "But I'm here now and ready to give it my all! Put me through the wringer, Sir Gaufroi, I can take—"

"Wait," Linota interrupted, glaring suspiciously at the Vaporeon. "What's that under your armor?"

Her eyes widened. Beads of sweat dripped down her forehead instantly. "Uh, my clothes?"

"Hmmm…" Linota undid her wrist weights and dropped her training sword before approaching her comrade. She circled around her, all while Rikmai tried to keep a straight face. Linota stopped behind her and suddenly dug her hand down the armor plate, fishing out a camouflage hood. "Aha!"

Serell gasped. "SPY!" He flew for his halberd, but forgot about his wing weights and crashed face first into the floor.

Rikmai gulped as Linota dropped the hood. She tapped her digits together and laughed nervously. "O-Oh, uh…where did that come from?"

Linota stepped in front of her and raised her brow disapprovingly. "Really? This is weird, even for you."

Rikmai pouted. "For your information, I did wash it beforehand." She hugged herself and purred. "It's the sentimental value that counts~."

"Sentimental value? You kept the uniform of the guy you were fighting during the train heist. Didn't he hammer you into the wall or something?"

Serell's eyes widened. "Wait, wha—"

"An actual, literal hammer!" Linota snapped.

"…Continue."

Rikmai rolled her eyes. "In his defense, I did try to drown him, so…eh, it evens out." She waved it off and clasped her paws together lovingly. "But none of that matters because we came together in a dire situation and saved the train from disaster." She sighed dreamily. "A true, chivalrous knight cladded in scrap metal~."

Gaufroi covered his face and sighed. "Oh boy…"

"A knight cladded in scrap metal?" Linota asked.

Rikmai laughed awkwardly. "Actually, that's why I've been sleeping in more. I occasionally get these dreams and…well, they're just so exciting that I want to see what happens next, so I snooze a little longer than I should. I recently started keeping a dream journal so I can remember them—"

The Rattata knight groaned and facepalmed herself. "I cannot believe you are crushing on a Forester. Whatever happened to not falling in love with criminals?"

Rikmai purred. "Oh, but this one was different. He was brave, handsome, resourceful, courteous—"

"This sounds like every other description you've given of your other crushes."

Rikmai glared. "Well, I actually mean it this time!" She clasped her paws against her cheek and curled the fins of her tail into a heart. "I found the one~."

Linota glanced at Gaufroi with a deadpan expression. "Please tell me she's not serious."

He shrugged. "It's not my place to get involved."

Serell crossed his arms and glared. "Even I have to call her out on this. You've gone around asking every random guy you meet to marry you, but suddenly this one catches your fancy?"

Rikmai sighed. "Yeah~."

"Why, though? What about this random thief has suddenly got your attention?"

Linota raised her brow. "It's a strange day where I'm agreeing with Serell on something. All your other flirtatious escapades were just shallow proclamations of love. I bet you're going to get over this one in another day or two."

Rikmai glared at them. "Hey, you guys always criticize me for being shallow with my other crushes! I've been thinking about my beloved Tank ever since the train heist, much longer than my previous crushes!"

"Exactly. Longer than your previous crushes. This one's just an outlier."

Rikmai gasped. "How dare you! I'm actually trying with this one."

Serell laughed. "Oh please, you don't even know his real name."

"I just said it's Tank!"

"That sounds more like a nickname than an actual name someone would give their child."

"Well, excuse me for not asking him deep, personal questions while we were enemies and, oh yeah, stopping a train from crashing!"

"And you're still obsessing over this guy why?"

Rikmai crossed her forelegs and pouted. "I don't expect either of you to understand love given your sucky romantic lives."

Linota's eyes widened. "Excuse me?! I will have you know that I have no time for relationships! I'm a proud member of the Senbo Knighthood and focus all my attention to serving my kingdom!"

Serell crossed his arms and huffed. "I don't exactly meet a lot of guys who are interested in dating me, and I've had better luck with men than women. Do you know how crazy women are?"

"Excuse me?!" Linota and Rikmai snapped his way.

"Well, it's true! I was nearly mauled by that crazy Lycanroc a couple months ago."

"And that's your blatant blueprint for how all women act? Like savage beasts?!" Linota yelled.

"You're not exactly disproving my point by yelling at me!"

"Oh, I can do a lot more than yell at you, you feathered paperweight—"

A booming clap cut into their arguing. They flinched and looked up at an annoyed Gaufroi, who groaned through clenched teeth and lowered his hands. "Okay. Serell, Linota, you two need to sort out your quarrelling, because it's starting to get on my nerves."

"He/She started it!" they yelled. They winced under his intensifying glare. They bowed their heads. "Sorry, Sir Gaufroi…"

He sighed and turned to Rikmai next. "As for you, while I'm glad you're thinking more seriously about your future, relationships are much more than just little fantasies. I was married once, and that takes a lot of hard work and patience. Why are you so fixated on this particular Forester?"

Rikmai frowned and looked away. "Well…he is good looking. I mean, if you saw those muscles, you would be swooning—" She stopped herself and cleared her throat. "Um, not the point. I…guess I wanted something like Prince Erasmus has. He seemed happy with his relationship, as impossible as it sounds given their different backgrounds, so I was hoping maybe I could find something like that in an impossible relationship."

"So, you're only attracted to the idea?"

"Um…" She looked away shamefully.

Gaufroi sighed and knelt down, patting her shoulder. "Erasmus and Adenine built up that relationship through years of secret meetings and a strong friendship. You and this Tank don't quite have that connection."

She tapped her digits together sheepishly. "I mean, I was planning on hunting him down and arresting him so we can have private dates during his incarceration…annnnnd that sounds super creepy now that I heard myself out loud…"

He shook his head. "Look, I trust that you want to improve yourself, but I suggest not getting too attached to the idea of seeing him again." He looked away sadly. "Love shouldn't be forced. Clinging onto a happy fantasy just makes the relationship harder to maintain…"

Linota and Serell frowned at his sudden shift in tone. "Sir Gaufroi?" Linota asked.

"You okay?" Serell added.

"…" He sighed and stood up. "Besides, I don't want you getting hurt over a fantasy. Erasmus is still hurting because of Adenine, and I don't think he'd appreciate you emulating his relationship like some cute game."

Rikmai frowned. "I…suppose that makes sense." She tucked the green hood back under her armor. "I saw how happy those two were, and now…ugh, I feel bad for Prince Erasmus. I wish there was something we could do to help him."

Linota sighed. "Adenine's a criminal, and their relationship kicked Erasmus from his right to the throne. There's no overlooking the facts."

Serell glared. "But he truly does believe she's a good person. And…we've met her before. She is a good person. Even I can see that."

Rikmai glared and slapped her armored tail down. "Then we need to figure out some way to prove their love was real and that Adenine was always a good person!"

Gaufroi crossed his arms and nodded. "I'm in agreement, but we have no leads."

Linota raised her hand. "Not necessarily. Remember what Erasmus mentioned when he was fighting Fairy Knight Jason? He mentioned something about Adenine and Copper Bluff."

Gaufroi glared. "Copper Bluff. What does that mean?" He closed his eyes for a moment before stating, "Training's over for today. Let's head to the castle library and see if there's anything on this Copper Bluff."

Rikmai grinned. "Let's do it! In the name of true love!" She turned and burst out of the training hall.

After removing their training weights, the others followed after her. Serell whispered to Linota, "I feel like part of her enthusiasm is the realization she gets to skip training."

She shrugged. "Meh, I prefer sparring with you anyway. Your freakouts are entertaining."

"…I'm going to ignore that."

Upon returning to his room, Erasmus jumped onto his bed and spun on his back, staring at the stony ceiling with a vacant expression. The swirl of thoughts and muddled feelings continued storming inside his mind, a twist of emotions and cold facts clashing together and pulling him side-to-side.

A lot happened in the last few weeks, some things he should be proud of and others that have him feeling worse than ever. Between the travesty of the train launch and dealing with his brother's condition, all he could turn to was his own jumbled mess of thoughts to make sense of them, yet that itself was a task of herculean proportions. Perhaps nowhere near the stress his father was dealing with, but it felt like it in a smaller scale.

Erasmus prided himself on his swift judgment and calculated thinking regarding any situation presented his way, yet recently he felt lost in a sea of questions and mysteries. Everything he thought he knew and understood suddenly didn't matter when it could all be falsehoods hidden under his observant stare, or so obviously before him that he stared blind to the travesties unfolding.

His own brother was poisoned, and he didn't notice.

His ally, Prince Darby, may not be the saint he presented himself as, and he didn't notice.

His beloved, Adenine, may have a dark history contrary to her sweet, humble beginnings, and he didn't notice.

His friend and former fiancé, Melissa Penworth, was lost to Virdis for nearly a year in a desperate search that ultimately ended in a chance encounter…and he couldn't help but notice.

"Nothing makes sense anymore," the prince mumbled.

Was he truly blinded by love that he didn't notice the twisted mastermind that was Adenine? Was she a black-hearted fiend inching her way into his life to steal his riches or trick him out of his inheritance to further some devious scheme? Or was this just a simple case of the full story being unknown to him?

No matter the evidence against Adenine's good-natured spirit, there existed plenty more proving to the contrary that she was the sweet, honest girl he befriended all those years ago. Emotional evidence and personal accounts, sadly, was not truly evidence.

Darby continued to be a figure of growing concern. His actions and, admittedly, childish outburst in Barrenworth pointed to a darker personality hidden under layers of charisma and flattery. His dogged insistence that Harlow and Melissa were one in the same stood as a point of suspicion that the observant cat couldn't shake. Despite his claims on how he came to such a wild conclusion, something in the back of Erasmus' mind told him there was a truth being withheld.

Even ignoring his outlandish claims, Darby was not the noble man Erasmus first met in the Verde Kingdom. There was only a single instant of darkness from the penguin, but he shrugged it off as a moment of jealousy upon stealing a dance with Melissa. Looking back, his comment seemed much harsher than he first interpreted. Almost possessive.

Dimitri clearly had something against Darby, though Erasmus again wrote it off as the Senbo Kingdom's history of mistrust. After rethinking his own stance on the penguin, was there more to his brother's mistrust than societal bias?

Then there was the lost princess herself, recollected from a year vanished from the world and returned to her rightful place in the Verde Kingdom. A ceremonious event that brought tears to her subjects, grateful that their precious princess was safe and sound. It seemed too good to be true, and Erasmus couldn't help seeing past the spectacle and miracles of her return.

It seemed simple enough. The Foresters needed money, so they kept ahold the one person in Virdis they had access to who could give them unimaginable riches from the scummiest filth possible. They used the train launch to distract anyone searching for them to make a transaction.

…except Erasmus ordered his personal guard to do a sweep of the town to see if such a criminal transaction was being performed, just before they disembarked back to the Verde Kingdom.

As far as they knew, there was no one in Barrenworth planning to purchase a princess. No one from the town, and no one who happened to visit Barrenworth that day. There was no business deal going on, so was there another reason why Melissa happened to be in town?

Another point that bugged Erasmus was when he spoke to her. He wasn't surprised that the familiar cadence of her voice changed after so long. Being held in captivity would be an emotionally draining experience for anyone, so he expected her to not sound like her old self. He didn't expect her to sound strangely upbeat and casual, however. Too casual. Almost…completely unlike a princess. Was it trauma that changed her, or was there another reason she wasn't acting completely like herself?

Something was amiss. Everything was amiss. Something needed to be done.

The prince glared to himself and sat up in his bed. "I need to get to the bottom of all this. I cannot rest until I put these mysteries to sleep."

Verde Kingdom Capital

After being put through Hilda's etiquette lessons, JoJo headed down to the dining hall, where Charlie was already waiting for her. Gustavo served the pair lunch before Matthias was scheduled to meet up with them, accompanied by the likes of Ivone, Nathaniel, and Jakke. As Hilda informed JoJo, the meaning was in regards to the guards' new schedule and changes to ensure her safety.

In other words, a slight bump in her plans to investigate Roscoe.

JoJo tried to pay attention to Matthias' lecture to the best of her ability, but wasn't prepared for the most dangerous knight in Verde to be a windbag who couldn't possibly speak any less enthusiastically. She stayed awake through a combination of willpower and the tantalizing lunch distracting her.

Charlie, meanwhile, did much better at listening to Matthias. His wide-eyed curiosity and attentive attitude allowed him to absorb every drop of information presented with little issue or complaint. JoJo wondered how a ten-year-old could muster the strength to listen to a lecture without tearing up from boredom. When she was his age, any lecture she got from her parents would've been met with a swift snoring fest.

"…As such, every time you leave the castle, you will be accompanied by at least five knights," Matthias continued. "With the commotion regarding your return, princess, many high-ranking nobles seek your favor. We cannot leave anything to chance. We were too lax given your sheltered upbringing, but now we'll guarantee no one comes within a meter of you without armed protection."

JoJo forced a smile. "Greeeeeat."

Charlie raised his hand. "Does that mean we'll be getting our own personal guards? Oops, I mean…we will be getting our own personal guards?"

Matthias nodded. "The finest around to personally protect you. Even the inside of this castle has been compromised. We've neglected to give you a personal guard for too long. As such…" He nodded at Ivone and Nathaniel, who stepped forward. "Princess Penworth, you will be guarded by Sir Nathaniel Ward. Prince Penworth, you will be guarded by Sir Ivone Cardoso."

Both knights took their positions next to their charges. Charlie looked up to the intimidating Corviknight and held his hand out. "Hello, Mr. Ivone."

Ivone nodded back. "Greetings, Your Highness. I will do all that I can to protect you."

Nathaniel bowed to JoJo and said, "And I shall do the same to ensure your safety, princess."

JoJo gulped. "Wonderful."

Having a Lucario as her personal guard was the last thing she needed. It was a miracle he didn't sense anything off about her aura. She did her best to emulate Melissa in every way she knew how, but changing her aura was a difficult task on its own. Since Nathaniel hasn't immediately pointed out the obvious, he likely hasn't had much prior contact with Melissa, thus doesn't recognize her aura. Good for her, but if he ever compared her aura to Roscoe's, it wouldn't take long for him to notice a difference.

Best to avoid that eventuality as long as possible.

Matthias nodded at his underlings. "I'm trusting you two to keep a watchful eye on your new charges. Don't let them out of your sights."

Nathaniel saluted. "I shall guard the princess with my life, sir."

Ivone bowed. "The prince is in safe wings."

"Excellent. Now, in regards to our plans for this week and the upcoming events, both the prince and princess will be escorted via carriage. We will have knights posted on all sides and guarding the roof. Furthermore, you two will be present with your charges inside the carriage—"

The dining hall doors creaked open and interrupted Matthias. He turned away and saw the elderly advisor, Ortwin, peeking his head through. "Pardon me, Sir Matthias, but the king wishes to speak with you."

The black knight nodded. "Very well. Nathaniel, Ivone, stay here for a moment. Jakke, come with me."

The Alolan Golem groaned and followed his superior. "This better not be another blasted ribbon cutting, I swear…" They followed Ortwin out the door and closed it behind them.

Nathaniel and Ivone stood at attention beside their charges, stern-faced and perfectly postured. JoJo awkwardly shuffled in her seat, still adjusting to having her enemies in such close proximity. She envied Charlie's composure, looking relaxed around the guards and not understanding the potential danger his non-sister was currently in.

Okay JoJo, deep breaths. Don't rile yourself up too much. You don't want them suspecting anything about you. Stick to the plan and work around this situation. You've conned your way through life up until now, you can do it again. Just need to keep my eyes on the prize—

"Big sister?"

"EEP!" She jumped in her seat, but calmed down when she saw it was just Charlie. She sighed and wiped her brow. "Oh, uh…hey there, fella. What is it?"

Charlie scooted closer to her and tapped his hands together. "Well, I just wanted to say I'm glad your back. I never had a big sister before, and I miss my friends back in the village. Is this what it's like living in a big castle by yourself?"

"…" JoJo took a deep breath and laughed. "Oh yeah, this place is huge, let me tell you. So many useless rooms and paintings everywhere! There are some areas where you can hear an echo. I mean really hear the echo. You could probably hold a conversation with some from the opposite side of the castle."

"Did you do that?"

"Oh no, I was incredibly lonely and friendless."

"Oh. I'm sorry."

She waved it off. "Do not worry, I am used to being lonely and friendless." Totally nailing my Melissa impression!

Charlie's eyes sparkled. "Well, you don't have to be anymore. We're family now!"

"…Right. Family. Always wanted a little brother. Yeah."

Charlie looked down at the table. "I haven't had a family since my parents died. I only had my friends to keep me company. But now I get to live in this cool castle and a big sister." He reached over and grabbed her hand. "We're going to have so much fun together!"

JoJo laughed nervously through clenched teeth. "Y-Yeah, right. Of course. I am looking forward to getting to know you better, Charlie."

Charlie narrowed his eyes sadly. "I'm sorry you're not the heir anymore. Maybe I can ask Mr. Fletcher to give it back to you."

"Oh, pfft! Do not worry yourself over that. I am already pretty awesome without a stupid crown." She froze upon seeing Nathaniel and Ivone's strange looks heading her way. "Ahem. What I meant to say was you…have a rare opportunity most kids in your position never get, and perhaps some fresh perspective will help the kingdom out."

Charlie gasped. "You think I'll make a great king?"

"Yeah, sure, whatever."

"I'll do my best, big sister!"

"Just…call me Melissa."

"Okay, Big Sister Melissa!"

"…" JoJo took a deep breath and sighed. For a ten-year-old having lived in poverty, he's strangely optimistic.

The dining hall doors cracked open again. Matthias returned and cleared his throat to gain their attention. "Prince and Princess Penworth, please report to the main foyer immediately. Your father wishes to speak with you."

Charlie tilted his head. "Mr. Fletcher?"

JoJo winced. Oh great, now what?

The knights escorted JoJo and Charlie into the main foyer, where Roscoe waited by the steps. As JoJo took in the setting, she noticed the troubled look on Ortwin's face, his attention mostly stuck on Roscoe. She casted a suspicious glare at the king, wondering what the nature of this meeting entailed.

Charlie broke the silence by waving to Roscoe and saying, "Hello, Mr. Fletcher. Did you need us for something?"

Roscoe nodded and approached the royal pair. "Melissa, Charlie. The last few weeks have been…hectic, to say the least. Between Melissa's return and the recent conflicts as of late, my attention has been spread out. Priorities take precedence, and my duty as king comes first, whether to my kingdom or our allies."

JoJo crossed her arms and raised her brow. "Okay?"

He knelt down in front of the pair and sighed. "Melissa, I do wish I could make up for our argument last year and make up for lost time, but I am afraid I have prior obligations that need to be handled first."

JoJo squinted. "What sort of obligations?"

"This may appear sudden, but I have been requested by King Tetrarch to pay the Wick Kingdom a visit. There have been growing concerns regarding the New Chariot Empire, thus he wishes for me to visit to conduct business. I will be leaving in a few days."

JoJo and Charlie's eyes widened. "What?"

"Huh?!" Nathaniel, Ivone, and Jakke gasped.

Matthias glared. "Your Majesty, your daughter was rescued mere weeks ago. Surely this isn't the appropriate time to be leaving the kingdom, especially if it concerns the growing warfront from the east."

Roscoe stood up and nodded. "I understand your concern, but the Wick Kingdom is a trusted ally of ours. Should anything happen to them, the warring will eventually reach us. This is meant to be a simple business trip regarding supplies and such."

Ortwin groaned and hobbled up to the king. "Your Majesty, if that's the case, surely this business can be conducted via messages. We have some of the swiftest mail carriers in Verde. A far more productive and safe method of negotiation."

Roscoe shook his head. "Out of the question. This is about helping with the warfront. An issue like this cannot be settled through letters. This has to be done face-to-face."

Matthias stomped his foot down, getting his attention. "With all due respect, reports claim New Chariot spies have begun infiltrating West Virdis. This is far too dangerous to allow."

Roscoe glared. "I have fought a few battles in my lifetime, Sir Matthias. I can handle a couple of spies should they try anything. What is important is preparing the Verde Kingdom for war should our allies fail. The Senbo Kingdom is one of the most heavily fortified territories in Virdis, and New Chariot knows this. Striking at the Wick Kingdom first would grant them an advantage and direct routes to us. We are on the far west side of Virdis with three kingdoms separating us from potential invasions. The Verde Kingdom, as powerful as it is, is not equipped for a full-scale invasion."

Matthias backed off and sighed. "But if anything happens to you—"

"I will prevail. I understand my departure is too soon after rescuing Melissa, but this has to be done."

Ortwin shook his head. "I still don't like this. There must be another way to go about handling it—"

"Excuse me." Everyone quieted down and turned to JoJo, who raised her hand high for everyone to see. "If this is all concerning me, I have no objections to King—err, my father making the venture to the Wick Kingdom."

Their eyes widened. "Your Highness?" Ortwin gasped. "Are you sure?"

She shrugged. "Look, I get it, the kingdom is on high alert after what happened to me. However…" She paused to think over her wording carefully. "Father raises a fair point. Negotiations will not be as effective over letters. There are far too many variables to consider through speech, and thoughts can change in the moment. Sending messages back and forth regarding a heated topic would be ill-advised and far too inefficient. Deals are much more effective in person. Personal interaction and tone can work wonders when closing out a deal. It's all about reading your client in the mo—"

"Client?" Matthias interrupted.

JoJo's eyes widened briefly before she coughed. "I-I mean, well…not important. My point is, how could you possibly weigh the safety of our kingdom on letter exchange when this is a matter that must be dealt with in person?" She waved her hand around. "Besides, one could argue the threat of invasion will cause more trouble, so it is best to eliminate the problem as swiftly as possible."

The adults looked at each other with a mix of surprise and disbelief, Roscoe especially. He scratched behind his ear and looked down at his (fake) daughter. "I…yes, that is close to what I was trying to get across. Um, thank you, Melissa."

JoJo curtsied. "Just doing what is right for our kingdom, Father."

"Right." He glared at Matthias. "We cannot afford an invasion. Helping the Wick Kingdom will prevent it, or at least buy us enough time for a counterstrike."

Matthias glared defiantly for a moment, but ended up sighed in defeat. "I don't like this one bit, but protecting the kingdom comes first. Very well, but I demand you be escorted by a squadron for safety. I refuse to let you go to the Wick Kingdom without protection."

Roscoe grimaced, but shook it off and nodded. "Of…course. Thank you, Sir Matthias."

Ortwin sighed. "I will handle your responsibilities in your absence, Your Majesty."

"Thank you, Ortwin." Roscoe turned to his children and knelt down. "I am sorry I am leaving so soon, but—"

JoJo waved it off. "It is fine, Father. Do what you think is right."

Charlie grabbed his hand. "Will you be okay, Mr. Fletcher?"

Roscoe patted his head. "I will be okay, Charlie, I promise." He glared at the unknown shapeshifter. "Melissa, though you are no longer my heir, I expect you to guide Charlie to become the perfect successor in my absence. Can I trust you with this?"

She bowed her head. "I will do all I can, Father."

"I am…surprised you are okay with this."

"I still have a lot to learn about becoming a queen, thus I will see to it that my new brother becomes the successor I could not."

For a brief moment, Roscoe squinted at her, almost studying her. A small voice in the back of his head told him something was off about her compliance, but prior obligations overwrote his suspicion. He shook his head and wrapped his arms around the pair.

"I am glad you are back, Melissa. I…I am sorry for what I have done last time. I know I may have been tough on you, but everything I have done was for your benefit." He breathed a sigh and patted her back. "You will understand in time."

Unsure what he meant, JoJo hesitantly returned the hug. "Uh, sure, whatever you say."

"Be good to your little brother. Raise him right." Roscoe pulled away and nodded at them. "I have high expectations for the both of you."

Charlie saluted. "I will not let you down, Mr. Fletcher!"

"I know." Roscoe stood up and dusted his legs off. "Ortwin, come. I will need to make preparations for my trip."

"Of course, Your Majesty." The elderly dragon hobbled behind the king to his office.

Matthias sighed and shook his head. "This is a bad idea." He pointed at his underlings. "You know your assignments. I am going to appoint some knights to escort the king. Jakke, come with me. Ivone and Nathaniel, stay with your charges."

They saluted. "Aye, Sir Matthias!" The black knight nodded and went on his way with Jakke tagging behind.

Nathaniel looked down at the royal pair and smiled. "Would you two like to return to the dining hall to finish your lunch?"

Charlie nodded. "Yes please."

Ivone nodded. "Come along then."

The knights escorted the pair back to the dining hall with JoJo lagging behind. She didn't take her eyes off Roscoe until he disappeared down the hallway. The con's mind stirred with questions. Everything about Roscoe's body language and the suddenness of his trip roused suspicion in her. It was all too much to overlook.

On the other hand, the trip served as the perfect way to get him out of the castle.

I don't know what he's up to, but this couldn't be more perfect. She rubbed her hands together and smirked off to the side. With him gone, I can search his room and office without interference. Sir Nathaniel may prove to be a problem, but I haven't felt this thrilled in ages. There's no con I can't pull off, and I'm going to dig up every last secret that lying king buried. Hoohoo, this is going to be fun~!