-Kashion-
Kassia and Yina were playing something together when Kashion arrived.
"Oh, what brings my brother to me?" Kassia asked.
"I need your help."
Kassia looked at him expectantly.
"I want to prepare a nicer room for Prior. Oren is currently checking where it would fit best and will bring her things there. Maybe somewhere near you or Lina. I wanted to ask if you could help with the decoration or furnishing."
Kassia looked at him skeptically. "Oren is getting her things? But wouldn't it be better if she did that herself?"
Kashion swallowed. "She's not here right now. She'll be back tomorrow."
Kassia immediately sensed something was wrong. "Where is she?"
Kashion took a deep breath. "She is… she is… Father wanted to send her back to Saturn. He… abducted her… tied her up and gagged her…" Kashion suddenly couldn't continue.
"Oh, Kash!" Kassia said and hugged him. It felt so good. Kashion took a few deep breaths and then continued telling her what had happened.
Kassia kept shaking her head and squinting her eyes. She paced back and forth across the room.
"This can't be true. Father has gone mad! What was he thinking? Nothing at all! I need to talk to him."
"Kassia, I already talked to him. Can't you just—"
"Oh no, Kashion. I have to talk to him now. What he did is absolutely unacceptable!"
Kassia went to Yina and briefly told her she had to leave. Then she knocked on the connecting door in her room that led to Tendol's room. There was some muffled talking, and then Kassia came back without Yina.
Kassia looked completely beside herself.
"Alright, I'm going to our parents now. I'll let you know when I'm done."
"Kassia—"
"No, I'm doing this now, and nothing and no one will stop me. I'll let you know."
Then she left without another word.
Kashion sat down on the sofa and waited for Oren to get back to him. Or Kassia.
-Prior-
Prior was still sitting on the pier, but she had calmed down in the meantime.
Suddenly she felt a shadow over her and caught an extremely pleasant smell.
She turned around and saw Zho standing there with two pizza boxes and bottles in his hands.
He grinned. "I thought you might be hungry."
Prior sighed. "I don't really have an appetite."
Zho sat down beside her, almost dropping the pizza. He laughed softly. "You still need to eat something. The pizza from this delivery service is very good. You'll see."
"Alright," Prior said with a smile, taking a pizza box and opening it. An incredibly delicious smell rose to her nose. "Oh, with arugula and potatoes!" she said. She immediately took a slice and bit into it. "Mmmcker," she said, swallowed, and then added, "I mean, delicious."
Zho laughed. He was also eating his pizza. "Told you so."
"Have you been working as a Hualin for long?" Prior asked.
"Hmmm, a few years now."
"And do you enjoy it?"
He nodded energetically several times. "Oh yes. I grew up in the countryside, and it was always my secret dream to work as a Hualin. I was very lucky that Wanyi trained me." He looked at her with a grin. "And Prince Kashion is a really good ruler. I like working for him."
Prior felt warmth spread through her heart again.
"Why didn't you want to go back today?" he suddenly asked.
Prior sighed. "I don't know. Somehow I just couldn't. I felt so exhausted. And I want to face King Tyron with my head held high, not like a broken mess. And I also wanted a bit of freedom outside the palace." She smiled.
Zho giggled and covered his mouth with one hand.
With his mouth still half full, he said, "You can definitely face him bravely now." He thought for a moment. "And we Hualin will protect you. Prince Kashion stands behind you too."
Prior looked at him with gratitude. "Thank you. Thank you, Zho."
He shook his head, grinned, and kept eating.
They sat there for a while longer until Zho handed her a bottle.
Prior took it. "What's this?"
"With pizza and to celebrate the day, we absolutely have to drink Lantian beer. It's the best beer in all of Tingdao."
"Oh."
Prior opened the bottle, and Zho held his up for a toast. They clinked bottles, and Zho said, "To our shared adventure."
Prior laughed. "To our shared adventure."
-Kashion-
Oren had informed him that there was a room available right next to Lina's on the third floor. Now he stood there with Oren, Lina, and a few servants in the room, and they began cleaning and preparing it.
"Prior likes blue and green. Can you get curtains, tablecloths, and bedding in those colors?" he asked the servants.
They agreed.
"What else?" Kashion asked. Everything else was already furnished, after all.
"Stuffed animals would be nice, and maybe some flowers," Lina suggested. "And something to snack on."
Kashion laughed. "Hmm, I don't even know what flowers she likes."
Lina grinned. "In Gelserkh, she always admired wildflowers."
"Did you hear that?" Kashion asked the servants. "Wildflowers."
They nodded.
"But stuffed animals? For Prior?" he asked Lina.
"Of course. I think she'd like that."
Kashion thought for a moment. What could he get her? What would make her happy?
"Ah!" he said. "Oren, check if there are things like strawberry-shaped pillows. And a fox… or no. A bear." He grinned. A bear was good. She would inevitably think of him. "But Oren, order a fox too."
Oren was already searching for everything on his tab.
Suddenly Kassia entered with Ada.
Kassia still looked troubled, but she smiled faintly.
Ada stopped in front of Kashion and lowered her gaze. She sniffled. "Kashion, my boy, I'm truly sorry. I knew nothing about all of this."
"It's alright, Mother."
She looked at him and bit her lower lip. "How can I help here?" she asked.
He was surprised. "Does that mean… you accept her?"
She pressed her lips together. "It's not easy. But I'll give her a chance. Because I realized how much you truly like her. And… because… because she showed that courage to stay with you."
That made Kashion happy, and he hugged his mother. "Thank you, Mother! You'll see what an amazing person she is."
"Alright, alright," she said, pulling away from the embrace. "What can I do?"
"We're almost done, Aunt Ada," Lina said. "Maybe you can help set up the balcony and the flowers when they arrive."
Ada nodded. "I'd be happy to."
-Prior-
Evening was approaching, and Prior still couldn't pull herself away from the sea. She walked barefoot along the beach. Zho was sitting somewhere farther away, but she knew he was always keeping an eye on her. Prior was surprised at how warm the ground still was. It wasn't too hot to walk on the sand. On Saturn, beaches never got that warm. Everything was more regulated there. Slowly, she began to feel better and better. She was even starting to look forward to the next day—and to seeing Kashion again.
-Kashion-
Kashion was sitting in his room. They had finished preparing Prior's new room.
When he had said that the fox plushie was for himself, he had only received puzzled looks. Kassia had laughed. She hadn't said much about how her conversation with their parents had gone—only that she believed both of them had come to their senses. His mother had already shown goodwill. That comforted him.
He looked at his bed. Luu had immediately settled on it after eating. And now the fox plushie was lying there as well. Prior had gotten the bear. And of course, the strawberry pillows.
Suddenly, his messenger vibrated. It was a message from Zho. A photo. He opened it. He smiled, warmth spreading through his chest, mixed with a deep longing. Prior was standing on the beach at sunset. The colors were beautiful, but her silhouette was even more so.
Then another message from Zho appeared:
"She's doing better. She cried a lot after everything, but now she's in better spirits. Don't worry, Prince Kashion, I'll make sure she comes home to you tomorrow."
Kashion swallowed. She had cried a lot. And he hadn't been there for her. And not only that—this time, he was somehow part of the cause. Once again, he felt the urge to sneak away and go to her. He considered it briefly. Then he replied:
"Thank you. Do you think I could come now? Would she be happy to see me?"
He waited impatiently until Zho replied:
"I think it's good for her to be alone right now. If you come now, it might stir up all her emotions again. Be patient. I'll take care of her 👍🏻"
Kashion exhaled in disappointment. He would have preferred if Zho had told him to come. And then that thumbs-up… He, Kashion, wanted to take care of her. He sighed. He truly didn't know what was best.
He looked at the photo again. Prior looked so peaceful. Maybe Zho was right, and this was the best thing for now. But he would make it up to her. A sunset by the sea—together.
Suddenly, there was a knock on his door. Kashion stood up and opened it.
It was none other than King Tyron.