A/N: I own none by any OCs! Some of which are borrowed out with permission!

I HAVE A NEW JOB. For those who DON'T follow my Tumblr, I got laid off. I'm actually still working that job, but lay off is in a few days, so I didn't have a ton of time to write still sadly. And new job wants me ASAP, so sadly no break to pump writing time into.

I also would like to update, that on top of new job, I will be moving soon, and then we go into holiday season. But I will be writing where I can, trying to create a decent backlog, so I can have more timely updates.

AmethystDragon14 – Yeeee! Look, Hadie has a couple of other hobbies! Eventually. Puzzles...magic...that still involve a lot of research and nerding out xD Maybe I'll add bouldering as an actual hobby for his climbing habit.

Ginnyrules27 – The slow burn hurrrrrrrrrrrrts. But I love them. It's so satisfying in the end to see the details.

SnowWhite45 – Gotta make Demeter liked too! I don't want to make her out like Zeus and bash all the time. Still a helicopter parent most of the time though lol.

Alexis – I do! I did not realize the Tumblr name on my fanfiction net profile was out of date, so here's the current: lotusquil. I also have an Instagram, which is lotus . quil , period in the middle is intentional there, but remove the spaces. I have plans for the engagement agreement, but it's not for a while.

Read, Review, & Enjoy!

Chad took a deep breath. Pumping more power into his long legs, he quickly sped across the fields to leave a bickering Kitty and Lucy behind.

He loved his sisters, truly, but he could do without the clinging. The prince had to wonder, if he hadn't been tortured, would the twins be as attentive as they were now? For the last year they'd done nothing but belittle him. That he was a disappointment of a brother, a bad friend, a poor student, a playboy. The list went on.

Deep down he knew they weren't wrong. It didn't matter that they understood he'd been under hypnosis after all this time. He hated that it came so naturally to him to be that smarmy; 'charming'. For other students, for his own sisters to see his charismatic behavior and think it normal, instead of question his behavior left him feeling ugly inside.

He hurt people. Disappointed them.

Bullies targeting his sisters; he'd failed to protect them.

Using girls in multitude to do his homework for them so he'd have time helping the school bring home Tourney trophies. Besmirched, dishonored his team. Not to mention the brothers of those girls he was teammates with. Or friends with.

By Gods, his friends!

How they hadn't given up on him, well deserved it would've been, he didn't know!

Especially Ben.

Every word hissed behind his back — and he knew there had been — he deserved. Plenty had even been said to his face.

Ben never did.

Through thick and thin, Ben had been there. Even when Chad himself knew he'd messed up, Ben was barely audible in his disappointment. Oh, but those puppy-dog eyes cut more than any blade he'd crossed!

A servant greeted Chad as he approached the stables. The Royal family took care of their animals themselves, something Ella had been adamant about if they wanted to bring in any creature. Animals, pets or otherwise, should be treated like family in her opinion, likely stemming from her own history with mice and birds. Apart from basic care, like feeding and light grooming while the Charming children were away for school or travel, the servants were rarely responsible for the horses. Even Kitty's cat was solely her responsibility when she was home.

'She would've had that giant feline of hers declared an emotional support if she was less honest just so she could take it to school with her,' Chad snorted to himself as he approached Arthur's lot.

A jolt of electricity tingled up his nose. Blinking, Chad paused to shake his head. Now there was an idea.

"Hello, Arthur," Chad smiled, unlatching the door to enter his horse's stall. He laughed a bit at Arthur's grumpy whinny, hooves striking the ground in impatience as the prince rolled his shoulders.

"Just a minute, just a minute," he chuckled again. "Let me stretch out first, can't saddle you up and be injured before we ever get on the trail."

'Definitely putting that idea in my back pocket for later though,' Chad hummed to himself.

The echoes brought him the catty cackling of Kitty and Lucy, the twins making up as quickly as they would start to bicker as always. He ignored them as he got himself and his stallion fitted for the hard riding, they would perform that morning.

Leading Arthur towards the exit, Chad looked around as he saw the twins also just about ready. He frowned as he noticed the lack of one Alexandria.

"Where's Alex?" he shouted over the still bickering girls.

They popped out to look at him from where their own stabled horses resided. For a moment they looked at each other, and then turned back to him shrugging. Whatever their argument had been started back up, but Chad couldn't bring himself to care and figure out the details. Instead, he tied Arthur to the back post and returned to the entrance to check for Alex.

While the fences surrounded the immediate gardens of the palace, they didn't quite reach the stables. A natural river carving through a forest marked the property line. Guards regularly patrolled the area, but that didn't mean someone couldn't get through. Not that they'd ever had, to his knowledge, but if there was one thing the VKs taught him, it was to never let your guard down.

As another minute passed, he was just about to rush off and mount his horse to follow the path back to the castle in search of Alexandria when a glint from the sun pulled his attention back.

He sighed a breath of relief as he could finally make out the form of his littlest sister flittering across the field, a song alight in her voice as if heralding her arrival. She waved at him as she approached, just a few hundred meters away. Returning the wave, he headed back inside. The prince knew she would be impatient at having to be the last to get ready, so he began to gather and set up her gear. Even if Alexandria complained about being 'babied', he'd rather her be ready and properly secured than rush and not have her equipment safely fitted.

"Hey, why'd you do my equipment for me?" The predicted complaint pouted behind him.

"Are you going to do redo it, or did you want to ride?" smirked Chad. He tossed her helmet.

Alexandria caught it and glared. "Shut up and ride," she scoffed, striding to her horse.

With a single swing, she sat comfortably in the saddle, helmet clipped tight a moment later. A snap of her reigns later, Alexandria trotted off with Mirabelle.

Chad gave a light laugh as he returned to Arthur.

"Come on, buddy," he said, patting the side of Arthur's neck. The freshly brushed steed glinted with tones of red and gold as the deep brown fur entered the sunlight.

The four Charming children lined their horses up at the edge of the forest track.

"On your mark!" cheered Alexandria.

"Get set!" called back Lucy.

"Go!" The girls took off, the thudding beat of the hooves bringing dry thunder to the woods.

Their brother waited. One...Two...Three...He rarely did this, but today...Chad wanted to win.

Feeling the squeeze behind his shoulders, Arthur took the signal to bolt off. Despite having the mildest temperament of all the Royal horses, the Prince's stallion was built for war. The earth broke beneath his hooves, roots and fallen branches cracking into tinder.

The pair took a nice break at the victory line while waiting for the girls to catch back up. By which time a rematch was demanded.

They were trounced again.

Cheeks were pink from the sun and wind. Legs, abs, and back all hurt from holding their riding posture for hours. Nothing felt more freeing or brought the siblings closer than racing through the fields of their home.

The girls were long gone by the time Chad finished. Stepping outside, he looked around. The sun signaled noon. Lunchtime. A couple servants could be seen in the distance, pale specks amongst the vibrant greenery. His main target was for the gold of Alexandria, in case she hadn't followed their sisters as promised. So far, it looked like she was obedient. For once. The teen understood their worry, but it shouldn't have been so difficult to ask for some riding time alone.

Equipment placed in storage, and Arthur stabled with fresh water and food, Chad headed back to the castle.

He desperately desired a shower.

Chad paused as he was just about to open the door that led to the large shared family room from the girls' hall. He could hear his mother's voice through the slightly ajar doorway. Stepping to the side in case he was visible through the gap, Chad pressed against the wall to eavesdrop.

"He's here to visit you, Alex," scolded their mother. "You're his friend. Not Chad, not Kitty, and not Lucy. You."

"He said he was happy to explore the library on his own!"

"Did he?" Ella raised an eyebrow. "Because I was just off the hall when you decided to continue off this morning, despite his clear reluctance to join the ride considering he is very inexperienced."

"He wouldn't have gotten hurt," tried Alexandria. "He's a godling anyways."

"Godling or not, I don't think his parents would appreciate him taking risks. Even if it was something that he was happy to try, remember that you've been around horses all your life. They can be dangerous," Ella frowned. "I'm sure he got enough of that on the Isle."

"I—" Alexandria hesitated. "No, you're right. I should apologize to him..."

"Just do better," Ella said softly. "Spend time with him this afternoon, Lady Persephone will be coming sometime tomorrow."

"But Chad said we should ride more after lunch—"

"I know you want to be close to Chad right now, but your brother is...well, not fine, but safe here at home. You don't need to coddle him. If he feels like he needs to be, that's my job."

"But you and dad have to run the kingdom, and Chad won't even talk to his friends!"

"The kingdom is important," nodded Ella. "But so is being a parent. Your father and I have delegated and moved our schedule around to accommodate Chad as need be. That's our responsibility to all of our children. You're being a great sister, but you're neglecting your other duties."

"Fine...I'll be a better hostess," sighed Alexandria.

"I don't expect you to play hostess, Alex," said Ella. "I expect youto be a better friend."

"Mom..."

"Spend time with him this afternoon," Ella repeated sternly.

The doors opened, and Chad held his breath as his mother emerged. Luck sided with him as the opened door blocked view of him, and the queen turned the opposite direction of his hiding place.

Sighing once she was out of sight, Chad turned into the room.

"Hey," he greeted his pensive sister quietly.

"How long were you standing out there," she squinted at him.

"Just a minute or two," he shrugged.

"Hadie loves the library," Alexandria said unconvincingly, as if trying to explain herself to Chad for whatever he heard. "Bookworm just like Ben."

"If you say so," shrugged Chad.

"Well, do you think I shouldn't have gone riding?"

"I think we could've done the races any other time if he wasn't comfortable," Chad shrugged again, making his way towards his wing of the rooms.

"He said he'd be fine," pouted Alexandria.

"Saying one thing doesn't always mean what we feel though," reminded Chad. "Also, Hadie isn't like Ben when it comes to books."

"Uh, yeah he is?" Alexandria gave a confused laugh.

"Have you noticed the kind of books he reads?" Chad pointed out. "Only a small portion of it is fiction compared to Ben's choices. He's reading science and history books way outside of his class requirements. Not to mention the rigged 3D printer from Carlos, has helped those two make some cool custom pieces. Some of those STLs came in handy for my project re-do's. If FG allowed more magic outside of outlets, I'd bet he'd be devouring any books we could have had on the subject too."

"Look at you, complimenting VK's," smiled Alexandria.

Chad looked down in shame.

"You should go," he mumbled.

"I'm not leaving you to your lonesome," pouted Alex. "Why do you act as if the VKs are still bad?"

"That's not why I'm frowning. And I need to take a shower," Chad rolled his eyes. "I stink."

"You sure do," she wrinkled her nose. "But what's wrong then?"

"Alex," Chad grew frustrated, but his voice was firm and quiet. "I'm not going to be better instantly, and I don't expect you to be either, but you shouldn't glue yourself to me and miss out time with your friends."

"Pot, kettle, then," Alex sighed. "I think you've spoken to your friends even less than I have."

"They're busy," he said, looking away. "Ben's got his engagement party coming up, and he's king now. I don't need to add more to his place."

"You know he'd make time for you."

"And that's the problem, isn't it? Even when he has no time, he'll try to make some. The King's got too much on his plate, and I'm not about to bother him with my problems compared to leading the united kingdoms on top of it."

"Don't sell yourself short, Chad! And even if he is busy, that doesn't mean he doesn't have time for friends!" fumed Alexandria. "How many times has Mal stopped him from overworking? How many times have Emir and Akiho forced the logic of delegation on him? Being a king is just a title with more than liked responsibilities. But a Good king is one who takes care of himself, and his friends. Just like he would his people."

"I'll remember that," Chad smiled softly. His baby sister had come a long way from her daydreaming ways with no throne in sight, to quite the opinionated preteen. "But the friends he makes time for, don't you see the difference? And you still haven't explained why complimenting the VKs is a bad thing."

Alexandria cocked her head to the side, eyeing him confused.

"I'm the one friend who always stood against him. As for the VKs...I stood against the children of villains; children who had never done a foul thing the moment they realized they had a chance. Emir, Lonnie, Akiho, and everyone else did. He made time for them, not for me."

"But we know now that those weren't your own decisions!" protested Alexandria. "You were just parroting whatever Audrey said!"

"No...not really," Chad quietly said. "Even without the hypnosis, in moments of clarity, I remember being against Ben back then."

"...You said, 'back then', though." hummed his sister. "What about now?"

"Well, now I know the VK's, even if not very well," shrugged Chad. "And so long they keep being vetted to keep people like that Frollo guy out, I guess...I'm not totally against it anymore, yeah."

"Then you have nothing to worry about," she offered, placing her hand over his. "People change, Chad. I'm sure Ben would reach out, just because he's Ben, but I know he'd be happy to hear from you. You've been friends the longest out of everyone, and just because you haven't been a good friend lately, doesn't mean you can't be a good friend now."

"Don't tell Kitty or Lucy, but you really are my favorite little sister, y'know that?" chuckled Chad.

"Well, duh, I'd expect that to be obvious," Alexandria replied haughtily. She smiled softly as Chad pulled her into a hug.

"Apart from Ben, I think you're the only one who never gave up on me. Never only seeing the worst of me. Thank you."

They enjoyed the hug in silence for a moment longer.

"Are you going to go? To Ben's engagement party then?" Alexandria asked after another beat, pulling away.

Chad took a minute to think about it.

"I'd like to try," he said honestly. "I think it's being held in the gardens since it's summer, but the idea of being at a party with a lot of people again...I'm not sure yet."

"You've got a couple weeks to decide, in the meantime, I think you should go," supplied Alexandria.

"Of course you think so," said Chad, rolling his eyes fondly.

"No, well yes, but I mean like, right now." She skipped to the exit. "You really do stink."

It'd been a long time since he last let himself wander the halls blindly. When he'd first gotten back, running home with his tail between his legs, Chad had sought out places he'd long felt attached to. Places he knew he could feel safe in, even if the walls sometimes still felt like they were towering over him, ready to collapse at any moment.

Hopefully the servants didn't blame him too much that the floor of his bathroom was so wet. There was just no way he could close the door to the shower stall, glass or no, if it still built up his anxiety!

Slowly, he took the long way round on his way towards the dining hall. As hungry as he was, he was in no rush to be gawked at and pitied by his servants or family.

'Speaking of...' Chad looked on in concern as he saw one of said servants fidgeting at the entrance to what he realized was the library.

"Gervaise? Is something the matter?" the prince asked.

"Not exactly, Prince Chad," sighed the man. "But I can't seem to grab Prince Hadie's attention for the lunch bell."

"Ah," nodded Chad. He'd seen this phenomenon at school a few times from afar.

It wasn't like Ben getting caught up in paperwork, or falling asleep. When Ben got his hands on a book for leisure, even fully immersed, he would still have open ears and wave off whoever interrupted. Just until he got to a stopping place to lovingly place a bookmark to pause.

Hadie, Chad had seen, blocked the world out and had to be carried off by Jay or Harry, and eventually Herkie, until he somehow managed to snap out of whatever kept him in his intense trances. If it were a particularly stubborn episode, that was. At least there were a few options Chad felt comfortable enough to try before defaulting to attempting to bodily move the kid. Gods, he hoped so. He didn't know Hadie that well, and he wasn't sure how it would look to Mal if it got back to her if her brother turned out to be less than pleased.

"Just in case I can't snap him out myself, could you bring some chocolate?" Chad asked Gervaise.

"Of course, my prince," Gervaise bowed off.

Taking a deep breath, Chad entered the library.

The library wasn't as large as, say, the Le Bête's, but it was sizeable nonetheless. Gilded arches flew several stories above, leading the eye up to intricate patterns across the ceiling. The bookshelves themselves were only about two stories along the walls, with shelves only a few feet tall lining the pathway. The rest of the height along the walls were just like the rest of the castle; filled with impressively tall windows and glass art.

'This is...actually perfect for my claustrophobia,' Chad thought in surprise. There were some rooms tugged beneath the upper walkways, hidden behind the side shelves to create private studies, so he'd avoid those. The rest of the library felt open and welcoming for the first time in his memory after a long history of uncaring avoidance. 'Now that the hypnosis is off...I wouldn't mind doing my homework in here.'

All the way on the far side of the library, sat Hadie, back towards the bookshelves in order to see anyone who would come through the main doors. The moment Chad stepped into the room; the clack of his boots echoed and piercing blue eyes immediately met his.

"Uh, hi, Hadie," Chad awkwardly approached the guest.

"Hi, Chad," Hadie replied courteously. He placed a bookmark and closed the book he'd been reading.

'Well, would you look at that. Something not non-fiction.' Chad thought to himself. He couldn't resist smiling as he saw the cover.

"Princess Bride?" he asked.

"It's less girly than it sounds!" Hadie said defensively.

"I know what it's about," Chad said. "It's one of mom's and the girls' favorite books, and I like the movie a lot, too."

"There's a movie?" perked Hadie.

"Yeah! Maybe we can put on the tape after you finish the book?" offered Chad. "Since you leave tomorrow, if you don't finish yet, I'm sure mom would let you borrow it. Then, when you come visit again, have a movie night."

"I'd like that," Hadie smiled bashfully. "I could probably count on one hand how many movies I've seen."

"Really? Even at school?"

"A couple for classes," shrugged Hadie. "And mom took me to see El Dorado before Spring Break."

"That was a good one," Chad nodded, taking the chair diagonal to Hadie. "Or rather, I thought so. What'd you think of it?"

"Um," Hadie furrowed his brow in thought. "I liked it! Not everything, but I love adventure stories, and I'd never seen animation before, so all the colors were very hypnotic."

"Your first cartoon, huh? We'll have to catch you up on pop culture then," said Chad. "I'm sure your friends know plenty, but I personally think we have the best home theatre. Shows and books are easy to access at school, but I'll make sure Alex knows to invite you to buff up your movie knowledge here."

"Sounds fun!" It was Hadie's turn to smile. "Herkie and Carlos are at least working on my video game know-how, but I'm not sure I'm into the same genres as them."

"I remember Hyllus complaining about the FPS game Herkie dumps his allowance into, so I'm not surprised," smirked Chad. "I've never really had the time, so can't help you there."

"Would...you want to try though?" Hadie asked carefully. "You could with me and try the latest game Carlos preordered! He said it's more of a 'pick your poison' adventure game."

"Maybe," hummed Chad. "I'll ask Carlos if it's okay for me to join next time I see him."

"Oh yeah, I probably shouldn't be offering the use of someone's room without them knowing," blushed Hadie.

Chad simply gave another small smile. "Well, I originally came in here to let you know lunch starts soon."

"Already?" floundered Hadie.

"Don't worry, we're not late, but we shouldn't keep everyone waiting."

The pair stood, book still in Hadie's hand, as Chad led them through the halls.

"Is there anything else planned for today?" Hadie asked. "Apart from dinner of course."

"The twins have some summer work left, but Alex and I were going to go riding again," said Chad. He didn't miss the grimace on Hadie's face.

Chad eyed the son of Hades carefully. The words he'd overheard from his mother talking to Alexandria returned to the surface of his mind. Then, in turn, his heart-to-heart with said sister, and realized this was his opportunity to give the VKs a chance. A true chance.

"Come with us."

"Pardon?" Hadie choked.

"You heard me," shrugged Chad. "No race this time. It'd mean a lot to my baby sister if you learned to ride."

"I trust you have a plan? It's not that I wouldn't like to learn, but your sister rides like she's possessed by a demon."

A small chuckle escaped Chad's lips, surprising both of them.

"Yeah...I honestly don't know where she gets it...But she gets out there and it's like she and her horse are one, carried by the wind."

"Maybe my Uncle Poseidon would know," Hadie laughed lightly. "He did invent these 'ἰππος, after all."

"Oh yeah, I guess he did," Chad mused, shocked at the reminder. It was hard for him to comprehend that there was a time the animals didn't exist, and to remember there were still people alive who knew that time...Even if they were Gods.

"Wait, did you call them hippos?" startled Chad.

"Well, I guess it's ἀλογο, but originally it was 'hippo', yeah," Hadie thought aloud.

"W-wha—no, these are hippos," Chad rushed to pull up the search on his phone. He turned it around to show Hadie the hulking river beasts on his display.

"Ah, yes, those are ιπποπόταμοι; river horses." Hadie nodded with finality.

"I—" Chad paused. Another chuckle slipped out and he shook his head. "If you say so."

"Anyways," Chad began again, "I'm going to have Alex ride with me. Dad makes sure to get each of us a sturdy horse in case anything happened, so you can borrow Arthur who I can command with clicks instead of needing to hold the reins for you."

"Arthur was the really calm one I rode last time, right?" asked Hadie. He nodded a moment after Chad did.

"Alright, I'm game."

A small perk appeared in Chad's posture at the positive response. With the smallest of smiles, he beckoned Hadie to follow him back towards the stables the Godling had only visited once before.

"Hadie?" Alexandria said in surprise as she turned to greet the footsteps that approached. "I'd thought, since you weren't interested this morning, it'd just be me and Chad..."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Hadie joked. At least Chad thought he was joking, or rather, hoped. He didn't know any of the VK's that well, least of all Mal's little brother. Jay and Carlos, sure, but his memory under hypnosis was foggy at best. Either way, Hadie's awkward smile was either because, well, everything was still awkward with the whole situation when it came to Chad, or because it was a poor facsimile of a smile at his sister's unspoken desire for brother-sister time. That, Chad knew for sure considering he'd known his littlest sister all her life. Being the oldest came in handy sometimes, with having the ability to remember things to blackmail a sibling, or three in this case, since before they could remember.

Chad gave Alexandria a pointed look just in case. He hoped she'd get the clue to remember their earlier conversation about friends.

"No! I'm happy you're joining us this time!" she backpedaled, getting the clue to Chad's relief. He turned to hide a smile as Alex's eyes caught the book in Hadie's hand.

"Ooh! The Princess Bride? How are you liking it so far?" Alexandria gushed as they entered the dining hall.

"Well..."

"Another ride, another shower," groaned Chad as he toweled his hair dry. The day was finally coming to an end, the sky filled with a dusky rose. He would need to do some stretches before bed to help the sore muscles from riding, but he always felt satisfied from the pain of racing and school sports.

Tossing the towel into the laundry basket, Chad took a seat at his desk with a groan. He was sure Hadie might be doing the same, as the novice had mustered through almost two hours of practice. The Charming prince had learned much gossip, as well as about what his sister and her friends had been up to this last school year before he was shaken out of hypnosis. There was even a dynamic he couldn't help but appreciate between his baby sister and the VK.

Barring that Frederick guy, Chad was beginning to understand where Ben and the others were coming from when it came to the new kids. Bad to the bone, but not bad to the heart.

Despite being a slower ride, the calm discussions between the two boys had eventually lulled Alexandria to sleep in Chad's arms. The additional one-to-one time had the son of Hades growing on Chad.

They'd even returned to the library with a groggy Alex in tow, Chad lending the godling some of his own favorite books. Not all of them had a movie to add to the list after being finished, but the fantastical genre was something Chad had been interested in as well when he was younger. There may have been a running theme of the hero having some sort of steed. Horse, dragon, or otherwise.

A packet of papers fell from his desk as Chad adjusted his keyboard to boot up his PC. Reaching down, he realized it was the set of brochures the school psychiatrist had given his parents after he's come home. The brightest colored one caught his eye, and he began to peruse it as he waited for the loading screen to finish.

Something in his mind clicked. As soon as he could, he researched the topics more and began to weigh his options. One in particular stood out to him.

For many, an animal companion can go a long way to helping work through mental traumas...an ESA can accompany their person in public, and even be trained to determine when reprieve is needed...

'An animal?' he wondered to himself. For a moment, he considered his horse, Arthur, but while he took care of and felt attachment for the equine, he wasn't able to go about town into stores with Chad. Riding out to the markets were one thing, but in the tight, small shops...And he doubted he'd be able to swing a horse when it was time to return to school.

'I think some of the girls at school have cats, and Carlos has Dude...'

Dude.

A dog. He could get a dog!

Well, he'd have to run it by his parents first, but he was confident they'd agree.

"Hey, mom, wait up!" Chad bolted off his chair as he saw his mother walk by his wide-open door.

"Chad? What is it, dear?" Ella asked worriedly. She calmed at the sight of his hopeful look, the most positive expression he'd had in weeks.

"Mom...would...would it be alright if I got a dog?"