No more than half an hour later, Soul finds himself leading the Princess as well as his fellow guards back to the castle. It's strange, he thinks, how prim and proper they all look. Deep down inside, he truly missed wearing such fine and elegant clothes, but part of him found safety and sanctuary hiding under his guard armor. He felt like a simple person in his guard attire- like he was just a regular person with a normal job.

"This is going to be so weird," Kilik comments halfway through their tread. "I can't say I have ever truly met the King and Queen. Should I be worried?"

"I haven't either. I'm shaking, not going to lie," Blackstar adds on, grabbing out to reach for Kilik as they walk. "We can be scared together."

Maka, where she steps closely to Soul's side, just chuckles as she turns her head over her shoulder. "My parents are nothing to be scared of, I promise. I've met a handful of other Kings and Queens and I can assure you, they are very laid back compared to those I have met."

"They're your parents though, isn't that a biased opinion?"

"I think they're very laid back as well," Soul ends up adding into the conversation. "They always greet me during dinners. They're very kind."

They did truly seem kind. From the small interactions Soul had had with them, they were always kind to him. They always acknowledged his presence, at least. His own parents didn't even acknowledge his presence half the time when he lived with them. The only time he really got their attention was when he was being lectured.

"I don't know any, seems sus coming from you." Behind him, Blackstar quickened his pace, letting go of Kilik in the process. Without any warning, a hand was coming to the back of Soul'd head and yanking his bun out. Stopping in his tracks, he turned to Blackstar, who held the hair tie above his head with a mocked look of surprise.

"Okay, look, I know it looks bad, but, I was just meaning to tug on your hair, not pull it out."

"Haha,m very funny," He grumbles, reaching out to snag the hair tie from the guard. "You're so very lucky I don't feel like getting into another fight with you."

"Why, scared you're going to get your ass kicked again?"

"No, I just don't feel like getting gravel stuck into my face again," He replies bitterly, the memories of Blackstar quite literally throwing him into the gravel head first hit him like a truck. At that, Blackstar recoils back, mumbling a quick apology from his lips. Thankfully, Soul is took busy with his eyes fixated on the guard to notice the way Maka's face screws into something not so kind.

With little thought he finds himself gathering his hair neatly in his hands and getting the entirety of his hair out of his face. It wasn't a big deal to him- especially since all three people around him have already seen him with his hair pulled back completely, Maka especially. As he pulled his hair back, the others stopped around him, their eyes averting to the ground as if they were not supposed to watch.

A thought prodded his mind.

He was going to cut his hair for the party, right? Why was he still trying to hide his face behind his hair? Eventually, everyone would know who he was. It wouldn't matter prolonging the inevitable. Unless, of course, he did change his mind and told Hero he wasn't going to cut his hair.

He was sure he wouldn't change his mind though. He hated to be seen as a fool.

Besides, Stein was right. He was different from the person who arrived here four years ago. There was no way anyone would recognize him unless they knew him for a while before his disappearance. That was the only thought that brought him comfort.

For years he contemplated if it was worth it- Everyone knew him in the kingdom- the guard who had the long messy white hair. Inadvertently, he accidentally drew more attention to himself

Part of him thought it was awful- but another saw it as an opportunity. If anyone ever did come for him, people could easily vouch for him. He wasn't "Solomon" but Soul instead- Soul, the witty and sarcastic guard that stood in front of the walls for years. Soul, the skilled guard of Eibon who could easily slit someone's throat in the blink of an eye. Soul, the aloof guard who got along with everyone in the village. Soul, the guard who moved up the ranks and became a personal royal guard to the Princess.

Soul wasn't Solomon, the timid Prince of Cinder. Solomon was a quiet person, someone who sat and weighed out options rather than acting. Solomon was a Prince who couldn't even stand up for his guards, let alone his people. Solomon was a fuckng coward- a coward who killed his guard so he could escape the throne.

Soul was the furthest thing from Solomon, and that's what brought him a sense of security.

There were no parallels between the two of them.

As his hair elastic slipped from his fingers, he was moving again down the path. "Let's go."

Back at his side once again, he felt Maka's grasp at his elbow with a feather-light touch. "You're keeping all your hair up?" She questioned him quietly.

"Yeah," he replied. "I'm cutting it anyway, they're going to see my face eventually."

With her jaw dropping, Maka tightened her grip around him, tugging him closer. "Don't tell me you're seriously cutting it for the party."

"Why-"

"Just, tell me youre going to keep it," She interrupts, her grip hardening around his forearm. "I told you, I don't mind you keeping your long hair. Is what Hero said still bothering you? I will tell him you're fine, seriously, Soul."

There's a softness to Maka's tone that had Soul melting.

"I guess what Hero said kinda pushed me in the right direction. I don't necessarily love hiding behind my hair." Soul finds himself explaining, "I've been contemplating cutting it for a while. I guess tonight would be a good time to finally do it."

Maka's grip on his arm loosens, her fingers trailing from his forearm to his hand in a messy motion. The pads of the blondes' fingers tap against his palm, dragging across the calloused skin before pulling away with a quiet hum.

"Promise me that that's the only reason and you don't feel like you're being forced to do it."

"I promise, you idiot."

Thankfully, neither Kilik or Blackstar question him on his hair being pulled back, but he guesses it's because they could clearly overhear his conversation with the Princess.

When they finally arrive inside the castle, Soul can't help but notice how busy it is. Servants are walking back and forth frantically, chefs marching down the hallways with purpose. There's chatter from every direction, and honestly, it is a bit overwhelming.

"Is it always like this here?" Blackstar ends up asking as Maka slips her hand into Soul's.

Tugging at her hand, he leads Maka down the hall with him, Blackstar and Kilik keeping up at their sides. "Not really, but there's usually the same amount of servants moving about," He answers, maneuvering his group through the bustling servants who all paused in front of them, bowing to Maka as they come and go.

"Doesn't that get boring quick?" Blackstar can't help but question after the seventeenth servant bows in front of them.

"Oh, it does, it sucks." Maka grumbles, tucking herself behind Soul and Blackstar witha sigh. "The faster we make it to the dining hall, the better."

Sure enough, they do eventually make it to the dining hall. Even from the hallway, Soul could hear the bustling of people, the playing of music, and the clattering of plates. Standing just a ways away from the dining hall entrance was Kim, who perked up the moment she saw the group moving toward her.

"Hey guys! You all look so amazing," She complimented, her eyes trailing around their group before they landed on Soul wearily. "Soul?"

"Uh- hey, Kim." He greeted back cautiously. "You look good as well."

With a confused expression, the cook nodded before turning to Kilik with a smile. "Kilik, do you remember that caterer I was telling you about, Bob? He just showed up and said he would love to meet you as well!" In a moment flat, Kilik was excusing himself from the group, following Kim happily as they entered the dining hall together.

Soul doesn't miss the way Blackstar looks up to him. "You saw that too, right? Not just a me thing."

"Not just a you thing," he replies.

So, Kilik and Kim seemed close.

With a quiet cough, Maka was nudging between Soul and Blackstar. "We should probably head in, too. It looks like we may be some of the last people to arrive." With a reluctant nod, Soul and Blackstar follow Maka into the dining hall. If he thought the hallways were overwhelming, well, he was in for a surprise.

He barely recognized a single person standing in the room. The lighting seemed to be brighter than it normally was for dinners, a bright yellow hue shining from the chandeliers above them. The elongated table was already set and filled with a bizarre collection of tasty foods, some he never remembered seeing before.

So, yes. This was overwhelming, and he despised it already.

For the first few moments they're at the dinner party, Blackstar and Soul follow Maka blindly around as she welcomes the other guests with a happy smile. With his attention lying elsewhere, Soul couldn't help but focus on the immense amount of people in the room as well as the number of guards standing at every corner of the room.

It, sadly, reminded him of home, and the busy dining halls they would constantly have.

At some point, he's tugged away from Blackstar and Maka's sides with a gasp. "Soul, my man, is that you?" Liz stood before him, accompanied by Patty, wearing fancy dresses he's never seen before. They were both holding happy smiles as they greeted him.

"Oh, hello." He finally managed to get out, feeling a bit too exposed with the way Patty's eyes are trailing his face excitedly.

"You're looking good! I like different hairstyle. Are you still cutting it for the party?" Liz queried excitedly, tugging at his arm.

"You could say that."

The two laughed happily, which was kind of funny to see. Soul couldn't pinpoint a time he'd seen the two genuinely laugh since he became a royal guard. Their conversations over the royal family's dinner were rather quiet.

"Did you know about all of this?" Patty finally questions, motioning to the room around them. "Liz and I didnt even hear about it until the King and Queen left their meeting room with guest lists today."

"I didn't. Princess Maka didn't even know until a few hours ago," He replies, "Was this really a last-minute thing?"

"I suppose. I kind of overheard them talking about some sort of celebration earlier this week, but I really hate to snoop."

"That's a lie, Liz, you snoop all the time," Patty is quick to correct, tapping her sister on the arm furiously.

With a sigh, Liz shrugged her shoulders, looking rather defeated. "Okay, so yes, I snoop- I was just tired the day I heard them talking about the 'celebration' and didn't really care enough to find more details."

"So, they were thinking about having a party for a little while, but planned it last minute?" Soul ends up questioning.

"I guess so."

"Interesting." Soul turns his head over his shoulder, realizing that he truly lost Blackstar and Maka. With a sigh, he turns back to Liz and Patty. "Have you guys run into anyone else you've recognized?"

"We ran into Ox Ford not too long ago! Other than that, it's just been a bunch of chefs and tailors," Patty replies, looking around them with quick yet frantic eyes, "You'd probably recognize some of these people, since Maka invited you to her party."

"How-how did you know about that?"

With owlish eyes, Patty looked up to Soul with a quirked eyebrow. "Kind of thought it was public knowledge now, the King and Queen talked about it the other day over some tea. They think your friendship with the Princess is quite endearing."

"Friendship?" Soul croaks out, his cheeks heating up.

"What, you two are friends, are you not?" Liz questions. "You two are close in age, Maka talks about you quite often, and you guys do hang out often. I thought it'd be a given that you two would end up being friends."

"I- isnt that, you know, unprofessional?"

The two look up to him and practically burst out into laughter.

"God, what village did you crawl out of?" Liz reaches up to his shoulder and smacks him lightly. "We're not living in the eighteenth-century anymore, dude. Why would a friendship between a guard and a Princess be unprofessional? They're human too, at the end of the day."

Suddenly, Soul is starting to believe that his childhood was a little more fucked up than he originally believed it was. Growing up, his parents engraved it into him that those types of friendships were dangerous. Hell, even Blackstar thought the same thing- and he lived here his whole life! Why did Liz and Patty have different views on this?

Scratch that, why did the King and Queen even think they were friends in the first place?

"Oh- guess I am still stuck to old customs then, huh?"

"Does that mean you aren't friends with Princess Maka?" Patty asks quietly. "I'm sorry we assumed you guys were if you're not."

"No, no, I guess you can say we are then," Soul corrects politely, smiling down at the sisters. "I think i just-"

Before he can finish his thought, there's a subtle tap at his shoulder. Turning his head, he's met with a rosy-cheeked woman who's holding a delicate smile and a glass of red wine. Her brown hair is pulled back into a quant bun, her makeup looking a bit smudged.

"Oh- sorry!"

The woman looks up to him, dropping the red drink she'd been holding to her lips. Her eyes widen as they meet gazes, and honestly, Soul just wants to just off a balcony right then and there.

"Well, aren't you a cutie?" She beamed, tipping her head slightly. From his side, he could hear both Liz and Patty chuckle subtly, coughing to cover it up. "You were the guard with the messy hair during the tailoring session, right? Soul, was it?"

He can't help but squint at the lady. She was the tailor from the other day, wasn't she?

"I'm sorry if I have mistaken you for the wrong person! I remember Advisor Hero talking about hair being under control, and i sort of recognized the haircolor so I just guessed-"

"Ah, no you were right," Soul corrects kindly, "It's nice to see you again." He hates how he cringes at the forced formality, but the tailor doesn't seem to care, as she just grins back at him.

"The names Chrustine, it's nice to see you again as well!" She raises a dainty hand to him, looking for a handshake. With a forced smile, he took her hand, shaking it carefully. He couldn't help but notice how cold she was and how her hand didn't necessarily feel right in his- not the way Maka's did, at least.

Her hand lingers in his for a moment before she pulls it away, a bubbly laugh escaping her. "Sorry for being so forward, but truly, you're a great looking person." His cheeks don't heat up the same when they'd heat up at Maka's compliments to him, and he loathes it. "Do you have anyone to hang with?"

Again, he is interrupted when a comforting hand lands on his shoulder, gripping it hard. It's a familiar touch, one he can lean into and feel relief from. "Sorry to interrupt you two, do you mind if I steal my guard back?"

The woman blinks, looking startled as she raises a hand. "Sorry, your highness." Without another word, the girl is off and lost in the crowd, as if she were never there in the first place.

"God, thank you so much." He can't help but sigh, turning to meet Maka's eyes. "That was so awkward. Thanks a lot, you two, for nothing." He spat out in the direction of Liz and Patty, who were not in hysterics at Blackstars side.

"I thought you were into it! She called you a cutie!" Liz tells in defense, leaning on Patty for support as she wipes tears from her eyes. "I have never seen you interact with a woman other than Maka and suddenly I know why."

"Soul just hates women," Blackstar comments, rolling his eyes as he nudged Liz. "So many girls would hit on him when we were back in guard training and he was so oblivious, it was so painful to watch."

In defense, Soul raised an accusing finger at Blackstar. "First of all, none of those women even knew what I fully looked like with all that guard armor on, they just liked the whole mysterious vibe. Second of all, I am not the type who goes for someone who just blindly throws themselves at me."

While it was partially the truth, there were also many other factors that played a part in ignoring the many women's efforts to get his attention. One, he was still actively running from a whole ass kingdom. And two, he really wasn't that interested in romance at the time, (especially after what happened with Kid).

"You like it when people play hard to get?" Maka suddenly questioned with a giggle. "Guess that explains a lot."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Soul replied, his voice raising an octave.

"Oh, I don't know, Soul, you tell me." The two stood there for a moment with challenging gazes. Honest to God, Maka looked like she was ready to fight him again like she'd done earlier that day, and Soul wasn't sure why.

"Well, if you're not interested in Christine, Maybe I can be interested in Christine!" Liz recommends. "She seemed like a nice woman!"

"Christine looked like she was in her late twenties, Blackstar." Patty interjected.

"Pshhh, C'mon Patty, be my wingman here."

As the two dismissed themselves, Soul still found himself stuck in Maka's intense gaze.

"I'm serious, what was that supposed to mean?"

With a smirk, Maka was rising to her tippy toes, planting a steady hand to Souls shoulder as she whispered into his ear, "You did chase me around the castle for a week straight without a complaint. Didn't you?"

Heat rises to his cheeks as he frantically pushes the Princess back with a soft push. "Oh, you're an idiot," he replies way too fondly. Out of the corner of his eye, he can tell Blackstar even caught onto it. His eyebrows are raised suspiciously, a smile pulled on his face.

"What, I was answering your question seriously," Maka replied, jutting out her bottom lip in a mocked pout. "Guess I won't answer your questions anymore."

"I can live with that."

With a hum, Maka was linking her arm with Soul's, similarly to how they did when Soul took Maka out of the castle. "Come along, my parents were just asking about you."