[IC] Amnesia [Suki & Summer]

[sukikyoufu]

“I never thought about ice cream, that’s a good shout! Ice cream is pretty great too.” Grinning as he added in about Ice Cream, they were both definitely comfort style foods but sometimes that was what you needed. Watching him as he spoke about where they would go she perked up at the ideas, historical district sounded interesting and hopefully it would spark something, then potentially the mall if it didn’t. They all sounded great and she was sure exploring like this had to help, something would come back to her with her memories. That was the hope at least.

If not then she was back at square one, no clue on what would help. She knew it could take time but the fact she knew no one around her didn’t help and it was hard to keep feeling positive on the situation. Hopefully the historical district would help, she had to believe it would because it would only upset her if she didn’t focus on the positive side. “Well I’m sure something will help, plus it will be a nice day exploring anyway! Do you get to explore much with everything going on? I mean I know you have your studies and such, but do you get to go out and enjoy things?”

Feeling her face heat up as he mentioned she was hungry she chuckled rubbing the back of her head, “Yeah… I guess I was a little bit. Sorry! How embarrassing…” Trailing off as she watched him rise from his seat done with his food also. Watching the kitchen staff hurry to clear away their empty plates for lunch she stood up herself to follow him along excited at the idea of exploring this new area. Well it might not be new to her so hopefully it would bring back some form of memory for her.

“Yes! Let’s go!” Grinning back as she remembered to pick up the crutches that would help assist her walk. Following him down the hall it seemed familiar the route they were taking, well it was still new his home that she was staying in, but she was sure they had come in this way when he had drove them here unless she had imagined it. “Oh nice! It might be easier taking your car, especially as we don’t know how long we will be in certain areas. One could spark more of a memory than another.”

Hobbling along she couldn’t help but feel excited about visiting this area, the idea that it could bring back memories for her was enough to make her feel positive. Hopefully she could uncover some more of who she was and maybe even figure out where she belonged, it could turn out to be a big misunderstanding and hopefully things would slot back into place and she could start living her life. Although this was certainly an experience she would not forget. Who could say they stayed with the Prince? "Hopefully it will be nice weather all day."

[Rogue Sloth]

“Not so much lately,” Caspian shrugged in answer to Iris’s question, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. “I’m usually too busy during the day. That’s why I go out late.” Between his mandated studies and the responsibilities he often had to take over for his father, he rarely had time to himself when the sun was out. The past two days he’d spent with her had been some of the most relaxed he’d had in at least two weeks. However, he hadn’t given up on enjoying life just yet. The capital night life was where he rebelled against his encroaching fate. Even if it meant not getting a full night of sleep, he was determined to get out of his family’s manor whenever he heard about parties and other late night events that sounded fun.

Thinking about it now, he wondered how much longer the calm would last before the storm. It wouldn’t have been surprising to find out that he had to make an appearance somewhere or read something about the state of the nation tomorrow. That was yet another reason why he hoped Iris got her memory back soon. He couldn’t keep her entertained forever, especially when he usually didn’t have this much free time. As much as he would have liked to keep going about every day as carefree as they had been, his father needed him to pick up some of the jobs that came with being the heir to the crown.

Walking down the hallway that led to the Maydestone family’s enormous garage, Cas glanced at her. “I also just prefer to drive myself,” he chuckled amusedly. “I’ll take any chance I can get to sit behind the wheel instead of in the backseat.” Since the capital was so heavily fortified, he could often travel without bodyguards or chauffeurs, but occasionally, he had to endure the inconvenience of additional security. His father never went anywhere without multiple trained guards. Knowing he would one day have to step into the king’s shoes, he took advantage of every personal freedom he had left before it was swiped out by the requirements that came with being the next monarch.

When they reached the garage, the prince led Iris over to his car and helped her fit her crutches into the backseat. Enjoying the opportunity to be a gentleman, he also opened the door for her to sit in the passenger side before he circled around to get in the driver’s seat. As he started the ignition, his dark eyes flicked to the gauges on the dashboard. It looked like one of the family servants had charged the electric vehicle’s battery since he’d brought it back yesterday.

“Alright,” he grinned, turning on the stereo and setting up a song he liked. “Let’s get out of here.” Navigating his way out of the building, he drove the car out to the private road that led to the gate. “What do you think? Windows up or down?” he asked, turning briefly to Iris with a mischievous expression. “We’ll be taking the highway, so we can go pretty fast. The police know my plate number. They won’t pull us over.”

[sukikyoufu]

Hearing him speak about going out at night she could understand, if lessons were quite as boring and long winded as she assumed, she would go out at night too. “I’m curious about the night scene, it makes me wonder if I’d have been out at all. Am I a party person?” Pausing to contemplate the thought before she chuckled, “Or was I boring and spent my time at home, it would fit with why I don’t recognise much… or just maybe I have done quite the number on myself and really screwed with my head.” Grinning as they had reached the garage, she recognised the car he had used to pick her up, but she was curious to know what other cars in the garage belonged to him. There was quite the few after all.

“I can imagine, driving kind of looks free almost. Like you get to go your own route almost… it probably sounds silly.” Shaking her head in amusement, “I wonder if I learnt how to drive. Is that normal for everyone?” A puzzled look crossed her face as she began to think on it, trying to remember if she had ever been behind the wheel. It was hard not to smile at him when he was a gentleman and opened the door, saying her thanks as she got inside the car, she made herself comfortable before looking over at him.

“Living life in the fast lane?” Grinning as she glanced out of the window, debating on whether to have the windows up or down. The weather looked great so why not take advantage of it? “I say down it’s not every day I get to ride in a fabulous car without getting pulled over.” Tapping her fingers on her lap along to the beat of the music she couldn’t believe how comfortable she felt with him already, it was strange to think she had only met him a couple of days ago, but they spoke as if they were friends. It was nice to feel this comfortable with him but again it was a bit of a concern for her.

It was still hard for her to completely enjoy everything because in the back of her mind she was worried, she was concerned for what would happen with her. At the moment she had somewhere to stay, food and a genuine person trying to help her, but this couldn’t be forever. She couldn’t burden him forever and nor did she want too, plus she highly doubted his father would allow her to continue to roam free. Sighing softly to herself as her thoughts swirled on the negatives of not regaining her memories, she hoped that something would spark today.

That’s if I do belong here… surely, I’d have recognised something by now. Noticed even a familiar street or road. Nothing is making full sense.

As she focused on the thought of not belonging here her hands began to fiddle with the hems of her sleeves, the uncomfortable feeling rising, and it was hard to ignore. Glancing out of the window in hopes to distract herself she began to ignore the pit feeling in her stomach and instead enjoy the scenery and music for the drive.

[Rogue Sloth]

“No, that’s exactly what it is,” Cas chuckled when Iris spoke about driving. He enjoyed having the chance to decide how he spent his own time. Being able to go wherever he pleased without adhering to anyone else’s schedule was a good feeling. It was why he took every opportunity to get out of the mansion that he could get. When he was with his father or other members of the royal court, he pretty much belonged to them. Sometimes, he felt more like a figurehead than a person. As the next heir to the throne, he technically had more power than everyone but the current king, but he had to be mindful of the consequences of every action he took. When he was with his friends or among the other high borns in the capital, he could do what he wanted with only the paparazzis to worry about.

At her following question, he shrugged. “Sort of. Most people know how, but since cars have an auto-pilot option, they don’t often practice the skill. I’m definitely in the minority when it comes to volunteering to get behind the wheel.” It was the reason why he had bonded with Jay, he remembered. His friend was equally as fond of driving, especially when he could operate a luxury model like the ones the Maydestones owned. The two of them had had quite a few late nights joyriding and drag racing around the edge of the city when everyone else was off the roads.

“Always,” he glanced at Iris with a grin and rolled down the windows, turning up the volume on the stereo so it was still audible over the rush of the wind that flooded into the car. It had been a bit of a test when he’d asked her how she preferred to take the drive to the historic district. Most high borns were safety-conscious and might have been nervous to accept his proposition to knowingly disobey the traffic laws, but she wasn’t like most people. He was thrilled to find out that she might have been an adrenaline junkie like he was.

Since they were having fun, Cas took a longer route to get to their destination than he’d originally planned. Blasting music and speeding with the windows open with a friend was a nice change of pace after sitting through a boring lesson that morning. By the time they got to the old district, he was in a great mood. He dragged his fingers through his unkempt hair while putting the car in park, attempting to straighten it out a bit after the wind had ravaged it. His dark locks were cut short, so it didn’t take long to fix the damage.

He climbed out of the vehicle first and trotted around to the passenger side to help Iris with her crutches and offer a hand if she needed any assistance getting up from her low seat. “So, does this place ring any bells?” he asked hopefully, looking at the park he had chosen for their first stop. The scenic area was quaint, with a few trees and bright green grass. He’d always thought it was like a hidden jewel in the capital, a small piece of nature tucked away between all the surrounding skyscrapers and other elaborate, manmade works of architecture.

All around the park, across the streets that bordered it, were rows small shops with antiques and products made by old-time artisans. The little district as arranged in a rectangular shape, so visitors could walk through it in a loop and end up back where they started when they were done exploring.

“My mom used to bring me here about once a week when I was a kid,” he recalled fondly. “They have a lot of cool, old stuff to look at. If you want to, we could walk the circuit and stop at any of the shops that catch your eye.”

[sukikyoufu]

It was hard not to enjoy the ride, going at such a high speed, feeling the wind in her hair and the blasting music. It was just what she needed to forget the worries of her whole memory situation, something that was still nagging her to this day. She knew she couldn’t dwell on it because it only upset her but as much as she tried to distract herself, she still always circled back onto the fact she didn’t know who she was or where she was. It was still a scary thought and a part of her still felt like something was wrong. She was bound to find out sooner or later, she could feel it.

Bopping her head to the music that was blasting as she tried not to focus on the negatives, smiling over at Cas as she watched him speed along happily in the car. It was thrilling to be a part of this and even though they couldn’t get in trouble because he was the Prince, she still felt like they were breaking the rules and could get caught. Looking back out at the scenery as they started to slow down, she hoped it would remind her of something, again nothing but it was only the start of their journey. Feeling the car come to a halt she used her fingers to comb out her long windswept hair which had become quite the mess after the drive, grinning as she noticed Cas had done the same.

“What a drive!” Sighing happily as she watched him get out the car to give her hand, saying her thanks as she took his offer of help to get out of the car. Taking the crutches, she used them to lean on as she looked around the area they had pulled up in, it was a lovely scenic area and very picturesque. She could imagine the summertime that people would flock to her for picnics as it seemed quite the beautiful place to do so. Glancing towards the selection of shops she felt the urge to go explore them, they all looked so unique in their own way and it was far more exciting than the standard mall.

“I’d love to look around, this is such a beautiful place.” Smiling back at Cas though her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes, there was a stab of pain that nothing so far brought back any memories but again she was trying not to be so negative straight away. “Who knows I may have been here before; nothing is sticking out just yet, but I do have the urge to take a look in the shops.” Looking back at the shops as she mentioned them, she was sure that they had some hidden gems inside. “I’m sure you have wonderful memories visiting her with your mum, how old was you when you visited here with her?” She was curious about his past and what he could remember about this place and she was sure her fascination stemmed from the fact her own memories weren’t there.

[Rogue Sloth]

As always, Cas found himself grinning at the glee on Iris’s face when she climbed out of the car. He enjoyed sharing his interests with her. Since she didn’t have any memories about who he was, it was easier to take her by surprise than it was with other high borns. Most of the time, everyone he met acted like they already knew him, since a decent portion of his life was broadcasted by the media for all to see. It was no secret that the heir to the crown had a penchant for speeding and enjoyed supporting the small business owners that remained in the historic district, but Iris remembered none of that. Having the opportunity to tell her about himself on his own terms and in his own words rather than battling against what the media said about him was a welcome change of pace.

His excitement simmered down slightly when he noticed her happiness fade, reminding him that her amnesia wasn’t as invigorating to her as it was to him. Apparently even this place, as memorable as it was, didn’t spark any familiarity in her injured mind. It was difficult for him to understand. There didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to the things that triggered her memories to resurface. He hoped that didn’t mean there was nothing they could do to coax her mental fog to clear up faster. If it was left up to chance, there was no telling how many days, weeks or months it could take for her to return to normal.

“Maybe that will help,” he shrugged, trying to stay positive so they wouldn’t both be discouraged by the fact that she still couldn’t remember much. At the very least, he was optimistic that she would have a good time exploring the shops with him. There were plenty of intriguing pieces of history, some whose purposes were known and others whose uses could only be left to the imagination. To him, it felt like going back in time—getting away from all the expectations he had to carry around when he otherwise had to be the prince of Aspiria.

When Iris spoke about his past, Cas smiled melancholically. “Yeah,” he nodded. “She hated being cooped up in the house, and I needed breaks from studying to have a real childhood, so we visited places like this all the time.” As he talked, he led the way down the sidewalk that would take them to the nearest shop. His pace was purposefully slow, so he wouldn’t wear her out too quickly. If she could handle it, he wanted to complete the full circuit around the edge district before they left.

“It’s been a long time since I last came here with her,” he mused in response to her question. “I think I was around eleven or twelve. After that, I sort of went through the usual ‘rebellious teenager’ phase and spent most of my time with the friends I’d made back then than I did with her.” He shook his head. Even though the information might have been considered personal to someone else, he had grown numb to the thought of other people knowing every intimate detail of his past. The media had broadcasted it all years ago anyway. Forgetting that Iris may have forgotten the fate of the Aspirian queen, and he added in a low voice: “If I’d known how little time she had left, I would have done things differently.”

[sukikyoufu]

Maybe it will help… highly unlikely. She thought bitterly to herself as she looked around the beautiful area, he had brought her in hopes of aiding the return of her memories. I should stop being negative, it could happen. We’ve only just arrived. Visiting the shops, exploring… that could help. What would help was if I knew what could trigger them. Nibbling the bottom of her lip as she distracted herself within her thoughts whilst looking around the area. Without even thinking she let out a sigh but immediately began to berate herself in her head about how that was not being positive.

Looking back over as Cas began to tell a little about his mother, she couldn’t help but smile, it was clear he held much care for her, and it shone through as he spoke. “That’s so lovely, having these fond memories to look back on. She sounds wonderful.” Listening to him speak about their visit to here and this rebellion phase he went through. Placing her hand gently on his arm her faced turned to one of concern, “What happened? If you don’t mind me asking of course. If you feel comfortable…” She didn’t want to overstep her bounds, but she couldn’t help but feel curious towards what happened to his mother.

Shifting her weight with her crutches she began to walk around the area as they spoke, thankfully the weather was lovely, and she did rather enjoy being outside. “I’m sure she is proud of you, even with this rebellious phase you mentioned.” Smirking over at him as she lightened the mood, “Teenage Prince going through his edgy phase, no one understands this brooding teen.” Giggling at her own remarks hoping he enjoyed the small jokes between them. “Did you dye your hair in this phase? Black nail polish maybe?” Raising her eyebrows as she looked him up and down.

Hobbling on she moved towards one of the shops so they could take a walk round, it was nice just spending this time with someone. Technically he was a stranger, but it didn’t feel that way, not with how they spoke and seemed relaxed in one another’s presence. A part of her wanted to live on so carefree and not bound by memories, have fun and enjoy her time but another part of her felt lost. Like she didn’t know who she was and that bugged her to no end.

It’s okay, you will figure it out. It’s just going to take time. Hopefully not too much time I don’t know if his father would like me staying too long. Plus I don’t want to intrude. “So, tell me a bit about the shops here? Have they all been here for quite some time or are some more new than others?” Maybe knowing a bit more about the history of the shops it could trigger some of her memories, maybe a huge event had happened in one of these shops and upon learning it again it would trigger something.

[Rogue Sloth]

Caught up in his thoughts, Cas blinked dazedly when Iris suddenly rested her hand on his arm. He turned toward her, unsure what to do with the friendly gesture. She was surprisingly touchy for a high born. Throughout the time they had spent together so far, he’d noticed that she was quicker to offer small physical gestures than most of the other people he had met. It was a comforting change of pace, but it also made her difficult to read. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought that she was flirting with him, but the context of the situation and her general behavior didn’t add up to that. Instead, it seemed like she simply didn’t care about the personal space bubbles most elites erected to keep others at bay. Or, at least, she cared more about offering support than she did about intruding.

At her tentative question, he bit the inside of his cheek, certain now that his mother’s fate had been wiped with the rest of Iris’s memories. It was a heavier subject than most of the other things they had been chatting about, but like the rest of his personal life, it was something he had grown used to discussing with the public. The royal family was a spectacle for the Aspirian high borns, and there had been no shortage of snakes who had seen the queen’s passing as an opportunity to sidle up to him and his father with honeyed condolences. However, he didn’t get the impression that Iris was trying to do anything other than sympathize. With her honest track record and the fact that she had recovered a memory of her own mother’s death, he didn’t mind giving her an answer.

Before he could, he chuckled at her cheeky inquiry. “Oh god no,” he shook his head vigorously. “Nothing like that. I just spent all my time practicing for the various sports teams I had joined in high school and hanging out with my friends. You could say I was more stereotypically jock than geek, but I was still just as obstinate with my parents.” He shrugged sheepishly. “I tried to assert my independence back then. In hindsight, it was pretty stupid though, since everything I am is tied to who they are.”

Considering her first question again, Cas slowed his pace slightly. “Anyway, I’m sure you’ll remember the full story when you get your memories back, but I can fill you in on what happened,” he glanced out over the park they were walking past, going on in a clinical tone. “My mom had something called eclampsia… It’s when a woman has seizures during labor. Nobody knew she was at risk until she had me. Back then, she almost died and had to be hospitalized after the doctors removed me by cesarean. Luckily, she recovered, discussed it with my dad, and they decided it would be best for him to have a vasectomy, so she wouldn’t risk losing her life a second time. I was healthy enough as a baby, and they just needed one heir to succeed the crown, so it was the best option for them.”

He sighed, “The problem was, medical sterilization doesn’t always work, and about six years ago, my parents found out that my mom was pregnant again. My dad tried to convince her to abort for her own safety, but she was determined to keep the baby. The second time she went into labor, she had another seizure before she could get to the hospital. Neither she or my sister made it.” Another halfhearted shrug followed the grim statement. It was an account he had repeated so often that he’d learned to detach from it emotionally, focusing on his current surroundings rather than on the vivid memory of holding his seizing mother on her side while his father screamed into a cell phone for an ambulance that they had both known would arrive too late.

Eager to change the subject to something more pleasant, Caspian leapt at Iris’s next inquiry. “I’m not sure exactly how long they’ve been here, but every shop in this district is older than I am. They all have different wares too. The first one up ahead—” he gestured to the small building they were walking towards. “—has a lot of old art from countries that fell long ago. Paintings and carvings and stuff like that. The storekeeper has some interesting stories to go with them if you ask him about anything. I think you’ll like it.”

[sukikyoufu]

Iris couldn’t help but smile when he spoke of his rebellious phase, she was certain that every child had one at some point in her life and she was sure she probably had one of her own too. After all there were definitely times when they thought they knew better than their parents so often went against every word they would say. “You may be tied to them, but you are still your own person. They can shape you and guide you but at the end of the day we all make our own choices.” Glancing back towards him as they continued to walk, “Like the choice you made to rescue me, offer me shelter even though you knew your father might not like it. You put quite the risk to yourself, what if I was dangerous?”

Feeling a twinge from her injured leg she stopped for a second to readjust before continuing on at a slower pace. She listened to his story about his mother and she didn’t dare interrupt. This was important to him and it would be disgusting of her to talk over, especially as he was sharing not the best of memories. Offering a warm gentle smile when he finished, she met his gaze, “I’m sure you’ve heard this so many times, but I do offer my condolences. I’m certain she was a wonderful woman.”

Turning to face the shops as the subject changed to a lighter note, she nodded listening to him delve into the history of the shops. Her eyes lit up at the first shop and the whole aspect of art; paintings and sculptures and stories behind each piece. It was hard to hide her excitement as she moved inside the shop to have a look around. Smiling as she heard the little bell tinkle signalling people had entered, she glanced around already interested in this shop.

“Ohhh, look at these beautiful pieces.” Smiling more as she moved towards a beautiful painting on show in the shop, it looked like Aspiria but it was quite different from now. Touching the frame, she focused on the artwork, it showed an Aspiria that wasn’t split. Everything looked equal and it was mesmerizing to see. Sure, none of it looked as modern or had the technology they had today but it was hard to deny how stunning the picture was. “Hey Cas, look at this! Isn’t this beautiful? I can hardly recognise how it looks now compared to this. I wonder how it all started, the whole separation. I’m sure there’s a history book explaining it all, but you can’t help but wonder.”

Grinning over at Cas she looked towards another piece, it was a little music box that was hand painted. There were hand painted vases, other paintings, ornaments. Everything clearly had a story and it was so interesting to be in a store full of history. “Do you ever wonder how you will be remembered. Like a hundred years from now will history still talk about you? Or will we all just disappear.”

[Rogue Sloth]

As Iris asserted that he was still his own person, Caspian bit his lip, considering her words. It was strangely warming to hear someone else say that he was more than just a member of the royal family. Everywhere he went, people and reporters were always pestering him about subjects related to the crown. Even his friends, who probably saw him the clearest out of all the high borns in the capital, made comments about his heritage when they were together. It was hard to escape the image that came with being the king’s son, but this girl didn’t seem to care about that one bit. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, a smile forming on his mouth. It was nice that someone thought he was an individual.

When she offered her condolences for his mother’s untimely death, he just nodded wordlessly. Sharing the story of her passing had become like a dance. He would repeat the same details he’d shared for countless media outlets, and they would ‘sincerely’ apologize for his loss. While he didn’t think Iris was pretending to care about what had happened to the late queen, it had become habit to brush off the remarks of people whom he knew couldn’t understand what he and his father had been through. Although, maybe she does, he thought, recalling that she had remembered something about her own mother’s death. If she’d lost a parent before too, then maybe she knew exactly what he’d experienced.

Not wanting to soil the mood, he kept the observation to himself as they stepped into the shop. He had seen the collection of antiques and art so many times that he’d lost count, but Iris looked like a kid who had just been introduced to candy. He grinned as he watched her look around, her enthusiasm as infectious as always. It was cute how enamored she was with every piece she saw, and he felt like the trip to the historic district was worth it just to see her reaction to it all.

As she pointed out a particular painting that had captured her attention, he walked over to stand by her side. It was a slightly faded oil painting of Aspiria from what he guessed was at least one or two centuries ago. “Separation?” he mused, thrown by the word she’d used. However, he didn’t have a chance to question her about it before she eagerly moved on to a nearby music box.

Deciding it wasn’t important enough to dwell on, Cas trailed after her while she explored the shop. “Well, my dad thinks the monarchy is immortal,” he answered her question with a sheepish shrug. “If he’s right, then I guess I’ll probably be remembered for whatever sort of king I become.” It was something he’d thought about occasionally but preferred not to focus on. Knowing that he would one day be the most powerful man in the country was nothing short of overwhelming. The decisions he made, both good and bad, would determine the state of Aspiria for decades.

“Honestly, I think I’d rather disappear,” he admitted, reaching up with one hand to rub the back of his neck. “It’s a lot less responsibility.” Drawing attention away from himself, he asked, “What about you? How would you want to be remembered a hundred years from now?”

[sukikyoufu]

“He is right, your father. Monarchs are remembered in history books, taught to generations.” Iris smiled as she examined the wares in the shop, “It’s up to you on what kind of king you wish to become. I think you will be fair and just. The people seem to love you so I’m sure you will be remembered for great things. Though I’m sure everyone tells you this, so the meaning becomes less and less each time you hear it.” Pondering her own words, she could only imagine feeling the pressure of becoming a monarch, ruling people with fair outcomes and ensuring there was a steady flow of food, money. It had to be hard.

“Disappearing…” Iris sighed softly, she honestly felt like she had disappeared from the world, no one had yet to say that she was from their family. No one had claimed her, and it did feel like she didn’t exist, on another note it was great because there was no responsibility, no expectations and she was lucky in the fact someone had taken her in. “I can understand, it would be quite interesting just to disappear and live a different life.”

Grinning she turned to Cas as she finished browsing the shelves, “How would I like to be remembered? Hmmm… you know what it may sound cliché, but I’d loved to be remembered for doing something meaningful. Something that changes things for the people for the better.” Tapping her finger against her chin she nodded as if agreeing with her own thoughts, “Yeah, wouldn’t it be nice to know that in a hundred years from now someone would learn about you and be like wow they changed this. They made an impact. Something that you as a King could probably do.”

As she had finished browsing this store, she signalled Cas to follow, she wanted to go look at another store and see how it varied with their items. “Sorry, I’m getting super distracted, we should probably take a look round so we make the best use of our time.” Chuckling softly as she headed to the door giving one last glance back at the historical painting that had originally caught her eye.

“But yeah, I just think that if you can do something that could have such a big change everything would be worth it. Does that make sense?” Turning to look at Cas as she headed towards another one of the shops in this district, it was nice being able to explore and as much as he was the Crown Prince, she didn’t see him any differently from another normal person. “So, my dearest tour guide, what shop is the next best thing to visit?” Teasing him gently as she kept things a bit happier than the conversation earlier, there was no need to be upset over things they could not change.

[Rogue Sloth]

When Iris asserted that she believed he would be a just king, Cas felt warmth creep into his cheeks. Despite what she thought, other high borns didn’t often comment on the kind of ruler they predicted he would be. He’d been told of all the qualities he needed to have: authority, steadfastness, confidence, charisma, et cetera, et cetera. But when it came to his eventual rule, it seemed like everyone had the same expectation. As long as the quality of life never changed in the capital, they didn’t care what else he did to leave his mark on Aspiria. Hearing her profess that she thought he was capable of great things left him tongue-tied.

As she explained that she wanted to be remembered for doing something meaningful, he couldn’t help but find it ironic how opposite their perspectives were. He had been born into a position where he had the power to effect change, and he would have given it up in a heartbeat to anyone who could do a better job than him. On the other hand, she was just a regular high born who aspired to do more with her life. If it had been so simple, he would have suggested that they should just trade places, but unfortunately, there was no good way to pass the crown off to someone outside the royal family without putting the stability of the entire country at risk.

At least, not outside of marriage, he thought to himself, averting his gaze as if one of the paintings was suddenly interesting. The only way any high born in Aspiria could rise that high up in power was by marrying into the royal family, but there was no way he could bring up the topic even jokingly when he was starting to have real feelings for Iris. It would have been way too uncomfortable, so instead, he kept his mouth shut and let the subject drop on its own as she headed for the door.

“It’s fine,” he offered her a reassuring smile. “I’ve been here dozens of times, so we can look around at whatever pace you want.” As she brought up effecting change one more time, he considered her words more thoughtfully. He supposed she had a point that if someone had the ability to do something great, then they should take advantage of it. Perhaps he’d been taking his status as the crown prince for granted, but it was also daunting to know that he would soon have the power to hurt the country too. Politics was complicated business, especially with other powerful nations, and he didn’t want to be the one responsible for causing irreversible damage to his homeland if he messed up.

“I think you’re braver than I am,” he confessed, casting her a sheepish look. “‘With great power, comes great responsibility…’ That’s something I’ve been told all my life, and it hangs over my head every day. It’s kind of terrifying to know that I could make or break Aspiria when I succeed my dad.” Especially with the ongoing rebellion. It was hard to tell how heavy-handed the monarchy needed to be when dealing with the Scourge, since the movement was made up of Aspirian citizens. He certainly didn’t feel equipped to navigate the complexities of calming a restless people if the fighting didn’t stop before his father passed.

Eager to move on, he brightened again when Iris asked him which shops were the best. “Any that catch your eye,” he answered with a grin. “They’re all great, so we can stop by as many as you’d like. Just let me know if you see anything so find interesting.” With a wave of his hand, he took the lead along the sidewalk to keep moving along the circuit.

--

For the rest of the afternoon, they walked the rest of the way around the historic district, dipping in and out of shops whenever one of them spotted something they wanted to take a closer look at. Cas felt like time flew by in Iris’s company. She was easy to talk to, and her occasional jokes always made him laugh. He could think of plenty of actual dates he’d been on that had gone worse, and by the end of it, he found himself hoping once again that she was single.

When they got back to the parking lot where he’d left his car, Cas glanced at his phone to check the time. “We’ve got a couple hours left before dinner,” he mused. “Not enough time to go back to the mall, but… how about some ice cream? There’s a stand in the park we could stop by before we leave.” He paused, his dark eyes flicking down to her crutches, and quickly lifted his hands. “No pressure though. If you’re too tired, we can go back to my place to rest.”

[sukikyoufu]

Glancing over she could have sworn she saw his cheeks redden from her comment, maybe it had just been a trick of the light? Surely, he wasn’t embarrassed by her comment... unless he liked her? Her own cheeks reddened when she begun to think on it, and she could only berate herself in her thoughts on even thinking such things. Of course, he didn’t like her, he was just helping her out at the moment and being a nice person. There was nothing more to it.

But…

Biting her lip slightly she couldn’t help but think he was good looking; his personality was great too. He was funny, caring, he wanted to help others and he had stuck up for her. What if I have a boyfriend? I mean… wouldn’t I have remembered him by now? Would he have not come looking for me? Her own thoughts began to swirl around in her head because a part of her did have a crush on him. Good job Iris, you have a crush on a Prince! Something that would never ever happen. Inwardly groaning at her own dilemma, she was frustrated with herself.

Focusing on her way out of the shop as if it was the most interesting walk she had been on she tried to calm herself down after working herself up over everything, she felt a bit hot but that was because she was embarrassing herself over the fact she had a crush on him. Thankfully though they had changed the subject, they had started talking about other items, other things of interest in this district and it was so much better. In all honesty everything had been wonderful, it was great to explore with him through this area and although she had not regained any memories, she was quite happy in the fact that it had been a good day.

The afternoon had passed quite quickly but then she figured it was because she was enjoying her time with him, they had lovely talks and he had told her as much about the area as possible. Nothing could upset her today; it had been such a fantastic start to the day, and she couldn’t wait to have more days like this. Without worrying over every little bit of detail.

They had made it back to the car and she smiled looking over at Cas, she was a little tired, but nothing was too major. “Will your father be joining us for dinner again?” She wasn’t too sure if she was ready for another awkward encounter with the King, not yet anyway. “Oh, ice cream? I love ice cream!!” Grinning at the idea she wasn’t fussed that they didn’t have enough time to go back to the mall, it had no doubt been partly her fault as she was far too interested in all the items in the shops. History really appealed to her. “No no! I can hold out for ice cream, plus I have plenty of time to rest on the drive back. Like I said earlier it’s not as bad today so it gives me hope that it’s going in the right direction!”

[Rogue Sloth]

“I don’t know,” Cas frowned when Iris asked if his father would be joining them for dinner. “I hope not. Dr. Emett said he needs to be getting as much rest as he can, so he would be better off in his room.” Where he wouldn’t be able to question the amnesiac’s intentions. He knew the king had good reason to be paranoid, since there were many people in Aspiria who would have liked to overthrow their family’s reign, but it had been ridiculous of him to veritably interrogate a girl with no memories. Until Iris’s family claimed her or she had recovered enough to remember where she was from, he planned to keep her as far away from his father as he could.

Moving on from the serious thought, he was glad to see that she was enthusiastic about the prospect of getting ice cream. Truthfully, he was less interested in having a dessert right before dinner and more motivated by the chance to spend more time alone with her, since he had agreed to invite Jay and Miles over to the Maydestone manor in the evening. As soon as his friends showed up, he knew he wouldn’t have a second to talk to her without their interruptions. Perhaps it was selfish, since he didn’t know if she had a boyfriend nor even if she was attracted to him the same way he was to her; but even if it was, he couldn’t help but indulge himself a little. Besides, she seemed eager to spend more time with him too.

“Alright, just let me know if you start getting too tired or sore to keep going,” he grinned back at her. “Come on, it’s this way.” Taking the lead, he walked with her across the grass in the small park that occupied the center of the historic district. As he did, he saw a flash in the corner of his eye and turned to see a man with a camera pointed in their direction. It seemed like the paparazzi had finally figured out where he was and started flocking to snap photos of their crown prince and his outing with a mysterious woman. He rolled his eyes. It was a good thing it had taken them this long to catch up, or he and Iris might have had to cut the day trip short to escape the reporters’ incessant questions.

When they reached the stand, he smiled at the old woman who operated it. “Hey, Ellen. It’s been a while.” She had owned the cart since as far back as he could remember and had known him since he was still the little boy who used to drag his mom across the park for a scoop of ice cream.

“Caspian, it’s good to see you,” the creases at the corners of her eyes deepened as she smiled at him. Her words were friendly, but she still bowed her head to him, as was customary for every Aspirian citizen to do. “I assume you’re here for your usual?” she asked with a knowing glint in her old eyes.

“You know me too well,” Cas teased. “Yeah, I’ll get a cup of mint chocolate chip and whatever she’s having.” He leaned over to nudge Iris playfully with his shoulder. Since she didn’t have any money, he had planned to pay for her. And, if he was honest, the gesture made it feel just a little more like a date. He kept that detail to himself though.

[sukikyoufu]

“I take it he is not the resting type.” Smiling when he spoke up about his father needing the rest, she could only imagine that because he was a ruler, he was always doing something. A kingdom didn’t run itself and that was something she was certain of. Following him over towards the ice cream she was quite happy with how the day had gone, it had been such a great day and she was excited to spend more days like this with him.

But… I should go home. I should regain my memories and not burden him any longer.

“Thank you, I’m doing quite alright! I thought I’d experience more pain if I’m honest, but I have been pleasantly surprised. Maybe it’s just because I am having such a great day.” Smiling she hobbled along with her crutches, happy spending time with him. Seeing the flash out the corner of her eye she couldn’t help but look towards the paparazzi, a part of her felt a pang of guilt towards Caspain. He was out and about taking her to places to help restore her memory and no doubt they would spin the story into something else and then it would cause more trouble to him. It was such a shame that he had no privacy just because he was a Prince.

Shaking her head slightly she looked up at Ellen who was serving the ice cream, smiling at the old woman she seemed so friendly. So welcoming and it was nice. Who didn’t want to be served ice cream with a friendly face? “Oh, you’re usual?” Teasing gently at the fact he had clearly visited often at some point. “Sweet tooth?” Smiling as she looked over at all the flavours, mint chocolate chip was a good choice, but she was such a huge fan of just chocolate. Her eyes softened as she looked at the chocolate remembering how when she was in hospital Caspain had brought her a few snacks, one of them a chocolate bar. He was incredibly kind and that was one reason as to why she thought he would be a just King, kindness to her went a long way.

Looking up at Cas when he nudged her, her face flushed pink at his remark. Of course, he was teasing her but still she couldn’t help but cringe due to the fact she was currently penniless. Sure, he was a Prince who probably wouldn’t miss a couple of ice creams worth of money, but she still felt like she was just taking. She had probably cost him a pretty penny from the moment she met him. “I’ll let you get this round, but I will be taking you out to dinner and you can’t refuse!”

Nodding her head before she looked over at Ellen smiling, “I’d love the chocolate, who doesn’t love chocolate? Nothing better! Although I was almost tempted by the mint chocolate chip.” Nudging Cas back playfully as she waited for the ice cream. "Or maybe I'll just steal a bite of yours."

[Rogue Sloth]

“Okay, I don’t come here that often,” Cas defended himself with a roll of his eyes when Iris accused him of having a sweet tooth. “I’ve just visited occasionally since I was kid, and my taste in ice cream hasn’t really changed.” Turning back to Ellen, he stiffened as he noticed that the old woman was watching them with a knowing glint in her eyes. He had brought one other girl to the historic district for a date before, so she probably thought that’s what they were doing here now. The thought made his face feel hot, and he averted his gaze, trying to will the flush away before anyone else saw it. The trip would have been much easier if he didn’t actually have feelings for the amnesiac.

When Iris declared that she would be taking him out for dinner, he casted her an amused smile. That was one big difference between her and the women he’d actually dated before. They always seemed to expect him to foot the bill. The offer gave him pause though. It was hard to tell if she was flirting or sincerely planning to use a meal to repay him for covering her at the park. “I would never refuse dinner,” he grinned at her playfully, deciding to go along with it no matter what her motives were. “But if you think I’m gonna let you pay, you’ve got another thing coming.”

As Ellen prepared the ice cream they had requested, Cas laughed at the way Iris nudged him back. She really was friendly considering they hadn’t known each other longer than a few days. “Go ahead,” he greenlighted. “But in exchange, you have to give me a bite of yours or it’s just not fair.” Now he was flirting with her, but he couldn’t help himself. He’d been trying to keep things platonic all day, which wasn’t easy when she kept making comments to him that could be taken as coquettish. While he was still determined not to make things awkward by blatantly expressing interest in her, he decided there was no harm in a little ludic banter.

“Here you are,” Ellen’s voice drew the prince’s attention as she set down two cups of ice cream on the counter. There was a smile on her lips indicative of her entertainment watching them exchange playful remarks.

“Thanks,” Cas dug in his trouser pocket for his wallet and proffered his credit card to pay for the treat. Once the transaction was complete, he picked up both of the cups so that Iris wouldn’t have to fumble to hold hers and use her crutches at the same time. “Over here,” he gestured for her to follow him over to a bench, where they could sit down and eat before returning to his car.

Settling down as comfortably as he could on the wooden seat, he waited for Iris to do the same before he handed off her ice cream and dug into his own. The cold dessert melted on his tongue in a pleasant way, and he sighed contentedly. “How do you like yours?” he asked, turning to her curiously. “Does it bring back any memories?”

[sukikyoufu]

Chuckling to herself as Cas defended not coming here too often, she was glad he knew it was only playful teasing. It was strange to think how comfortable she was with openly teasing him and often she’d forget he was the crown Prince, to her he was just like any other person and someone she did consider a friend. Well… Glancing over at Cas she felt her own face heat up a little as her thought trailed off. Maybe? No. Don’t be silly.

Grinning as he commented on how he would never refuse dinner she was actually quite excited at the idea of them going out to dinner together. Maybe it could be like a date? Looking over at him and the way he smiled, it was hard to deny she liked him, but there was a part that was nagging at her as if something was wrong. “You can’t pay for everything, Or I’ll end up having to take you out for drinks every night to repay your kindness.” Although that wouldn’t be so bad, going out every night together. I enjoy his company. I can’t deny the fact I like him.

It was hard to believe she had only known him a couple of days, it honestly felt like she had known him longer. Smirking up at him when he had greenlighted her plan to steal some of his she wasn’t going to hold back; she was definitely going to steal some ice cream. “Nope~” Winking at him as she denied him at stealing some of hers in return. Smiling back at Ellen as she placed down the cold treat, she couldn’t wait to try it, ice cream was always a great treat especially on a nice sunny day like this.

“Thank you.” Watching as Cas took both the cups and moved over to a bench where they could sit and enjoy, she followed along with her crutches. Settling down on the wooden seat she said her thanks taking the ice cream from him, grinning as she began to tuck in, she couldn’t help but smile at the taste. Ice cream was good for everything.

Sighing with content she saw a flash of memory, a younger her sat on a sofa eating a bowl of chocolate ice cream.

The bowl of chocolate ice cream was sat on top of her legs, phone at the side and it was clear she was unhappy over something. She had been crying and she slowly started to remember what it was over. An ex-boyfriend. Picking up the phone in her memory she looked at the text message,

You’re too interested in your father’s cause. Why don’t you want to just settle down? Have a family! You’re so selfish. It’s over.
E.

It was a breakup text from what she assumed to now be an ex-boyfriend, but it didn’t feel like the memory was that long ago? It felt quite recent. Had she made up with this ex? Had she not? It was very confusing, but she was trying to remember the name. E.

“It’s good!” Smiling slightly as she looked back at Cas realising, he had asked her how it was and not wanting to dwell on the memory any longer she grinned holding up her spoon. The grin turned into a playful smirk as she leaned over and took a scoop of his ice cream and tasted it herself giggling. “Very tasty, but mine is so much better. Try it!” Looking down at her own cup of ice cream she took her spoon and put some of the chocolate flavour on it, turning back to Cas she eagerly offered him some from her spoon but she had accidentally poked his nose with it causing a small blob of chocolate ice cream to sit there.

Unable to contain the laughter she cracked, giggles erupted, and she could barely hold the spoon steady. “Oh wow, I’m so sorry!” Trying to apologise between giggles she had not meant for him to wear her ice cream, but it was hard not to laugh at it.

[Rogue Sloth]

When Iris ‘refused’ to share her ice cream with him, Caspian rolled his eyes in mock exasperation. Her playful humor continued to put him in a good mood. Spending time with someone who wasn’t afraid of offending him because he was the crown prince was a breath of fresh air compared with the people he usually interacted with. Even when they were friendly, it wasn’t hard to see that they were guarded with their speech. His father had set a strict precedent that citizens of their country had to show the royal family nothing but reverence and respect or risk facing a penalty of jail time. Cas thought the law was overkill and never enforced it unless someone was going out of their way to heckle him.

As they ate, his thoughts wandered again to how similar their hang out felt to a date. Granted, he didn’t have any close female friends, so he wasn’t used to spending one on one time with a woman outside of a romantic context, but there were more parallels than just that. He was sure the few paparazzi who had found them were eating up the scene. It wouldn’t be long before all the news sites were flooded with headlines about him and the new mystery girl who seemed to have won his affection. He shook his head to himself. The one good thing that might come out of the journalists’ misplaced assumptions was that someone who knew her might stumble across one of the articles and recognize her.

Distracted by his idle musings, he didn’t notice Iris’s belated reaction to his question. “That’s good,” he nodded, glad that she was enjoying her ice cream. In his biased opinion, Ellen made the best ice cream anyone could get in the capital. While he didn’t particularly care if she agreed with him about that or not, he was happy that she thought it was good.

In the next moment, he blinked as she swiped a spoonful from his cup and tasted it. Even though he’d already told her that she could try a bite, her boldness caught him off guard. An amused laugh escaped his lips. That was something even Jay and Miles wouldn’t have tried. His father’s laws about speaking out of turn were stringent, but the ones surrounding anything that could even remotely resemble stealing from a member of the royal family were even harsher. Of course, he wouldn’t actually let a solider arrest her if one had seen her and tried, but she didn’t seem to care one way or the other. She was either fearless or fully trusted that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

“I don’t believe you,” he teased when she said the flavor she had picked was better. No sooner had the words left his mouth than the amnesiac’s spoon moved toward his face, leaving a dot of chocolate ice cream on his nose as she missed his mouth. He froze in surprise at first and then rolled his eyes at her again while she giggled. “No you’re not,” he poked her in the side when she said she was sorry, trying hard not to laugh with her. After rubbing the ice cream off with the back of his wrist, he reached out to clasp her hand in his, pointedly holding it steady as he closed his mouth around the spoon she had offered.

“Not bad,” he smirked at her when he pulled back. “But I can’t say it’s better than mine. Too much chocolate and not enough mint.” He winked at her jokingly, but the jovial expression faded as he realized how close together they were now. Her hand was still in his, and her face wasn’t that far away since he’d moved closer to take a bite of her ice cream. The lack of distance made his heart hammer, and his dark eyes drifted down to her lips. If he just leaned in a little further, he could kiss her…

But what if she has a boyfriend? The thought made him pause. There was no way of knowing if she was taken by someone else, but he had to think that if someone was out there who loved her, they would have reached out to find her by now. That they hadn’t meant, to him, that she must have been single. He swallowed hard. Since he’d first found her in the woods, he’d been trying to keep things platonic between them, so she wouldn’t feel uncomfortable. Yet, he was hovering close to her now with her hand in his, and she hadn’t pulled away. Maybe she wanted him to kiss her too… Screw it.

Throwing caution to the wind, Cas caved to his desire and leaned in. His eyes closed, and he squeezed her hand, but just before their lips touched, he halted as the sound of an alarm went off on a device attached to his belt. The noise jarred him out of the moment, and he abruptly turned away from her, releasing her hand to unclip the device from its spot at his waist. It was a communication tool used exclusively by the royal family and their security team to liaise when there was an emergency in the capital that required immediate attention.

“Shit,” he muttered to himself, putting in the earpiece. It had been months since the last time they had needed to use the device. The fact that the alarm had gone off now meant something new must have happened. Pressing the handheld part of the device to his thumb—it used fingerprint data to give the user clearance to join the frequency used by the security team—he spoke in a clear tone, “This is Caspian. What’s going on?”

The voice of a man named Jacob, one of the security guards who worked directly for the king, replied through the earpiece: Your Highness, there has been an attempted terrorist attack on the palace. The criminals have been apprehended, but we must request that you return at once for your safety, because there may be others.

Cas felt a chill shoot up his spine, “Is my father okay?”

His Majesty is unharmed. A vehicle has already been dispatched to your location and will arrive shortly to collect you. Confirmation code: AEX779.

“Thank you, Jacob,” Cas said tensely and stood up from the bench, turning back to Iris. “We have to leave. There might be rebels in the city.” Despite the seriousness of the situation, a half smile tugged at his lip as he offered her his hand. “Ever ridden in a hover car before?”

[sukikyoufu]

She couldn’t help the laughter, the enjoyment of spending this time with him. A part of her kept forgetting he was a Prince, that she probably should be a bit more cautious around him but then that wasn’t her. That wasn’t who she was and if he didn’t like it, she would have hoped he would have told her by now, no she was sure he would have said something.

The laughter did not stop, she watched as he wiped the chocolate ice cream from his nose, hand still shaking as she held up the ice-cream for him to try. “H-Hey!” Jolting from the poke in her side as she giggled some more, she couldn’t help it she was incredibly ticklish especially on the sides. Eyes lit up as she felt his hand on hers, steadying it so he could try the ice-cream and she could feel her steady heartbeat. A part of her felt like this was romantic, this could be taken as a date or the wrong way especially feeding each other ice-cream, although she had swiped her portion from him. It’s not so bad, considering this a date? Does he feel the same? But what about E? He has to be an ex surely; I would have remembered if I was dating someone. Right?

Listening to his remarks on how it wasn’t bad she couldn’t help but smirk, he loved the chocolate mint through and through but that wasn’t a bad thing. Feeling the rush die down she glanced down at their hands, his hand was still in hers and he was quite close. Close enough for her to realise she felt a little flustered, a little hot under the collar. Eyes glanced at his lips, a part of her wanted to kiss him.

I can’t have a boyfriend, man up Iris! Go for it. Although whilst she was thinking she turned back to look at him, he was leaning closer, her heart began to hammer in her chest. Feeling the squeeze of his hand her heart began to flutter, cheeks tinged red and she closed her eyes out of instinct. It was so close, she just wanted to feel his lips against hers. It never came, instead she heard the sound of an alarm and it made her jump back not expecting such a noise.

Opening her eyes as she came to her senses she watched as he unclipped some sort of device from his waist, it had to be something important. She could still feel her heart in her chest and a part of her was disappointed that the call had come through, it was typical timing but maybe it was for the best. Grimacing at the idea of the paparazzi making this into some huge story she could already imagine his father not being too pleased, he didn’t trust her.

Biting her lip as she watched him talk to the earpiece, she wondered what was going on, it seemed serious. Looking down at her hands it was hard not to feel disheartened over their almost kiss, would the moment ever happen again? It was doubtful especially as surely someone by now would be looking for her. She hoped anyway.

Being torn from her thoughts when she heard Caspain speak to her she looked up smiling slightly, hoping that the blush had gone from her cheeks. “Rebels…” She had heard that name before, she knew that these were some sort of bad people, but it was ringing some sort of bell to her which was worrying. Maybe she was just overthinking things as per usual. Frowning up at Caspain she took his hand that was helping her up saying her thanks, “Oh? A hover car? I don’t think I have.” Smiling slightly as she felt the warmth of his hand before letting go. “What happened? Is your father okay?”

[Rogue Sloth]

Cas couldn’t help but notice the absent look on Iris’s face when he turned back to her. It was difficult to tell what was going on inside her head, but he was fairly certain he knew the subject of her thoughts. He bit his lip. Maybe it was a good thing that the call from security had come through when it did. Trying to kiss her had been a mistake. He didn’t want to ruin the friendship they’d been building, and he didn’t even know if she felt the same way about him as he did about her. Just because she hadn’t pulled away from him when they had been close didn’t mean she was interested in him romantically. It was entirely possible that she had just been too flustered to move. He wished they had time to talk about it, but he could already hear the hum of the security vehicle in the air. Right now, the Scourge infiltration was more important.

“Well, you’re going to today,” he said as he helped her to her feet. Private, airborne vehicles were usually reserved for the elite, so he wasn’t surprised that she hadn’t ridden inside of one before. His father used to use them as his primary means of transport when he’d been healthy enough to travel, but Cas preferred to drive himself on the ground in their luxury cars. He only let the royal pilots fly him around the capital when there was a security breach, as there was now, or when he needed to attend crowded functions in which he would be swarmed by high borns and journalists if he drove there by himself.

At her following question, the prince nodded reassuringly, “He’s fine. There was an attempt on our home, but it sounds like security contained the culprits before they could do any real damage. We just need to go back in case there are any others who might come after me while I’m in the open.” As he finished explaining the situation, he turned away from her to watch the approach of their ride. The sleek, all-black car descended in the middle of the parking lot. It looked like a small, private plane with shorter wings and a wide body that resembled a stingray.

As soon as the vehicle touched the asphalt, the doors opened, and two men in broad shades and black uniforms embroidered with the king’s seal stepped out. Cas gestured for Iris to come with him as he walked over to meet them halfway. Stopping at the edge of the park, he left some distance between them rather than closing it all the way. It was protocol to wait for the security detail to verify the code he’d been given over the com before he went anywhere with them, just in case enemies of the crown tried to impersonate the bodyguards.

“Confirmation?” he prompted them. He recognized one of the men, so he knew they were real members of the team, but he had to say it anyway.

“AEX779,” the guard on the left, the one the prince recognized as Harry, bowed his head. “Please come with me and leave your car keys with Ryan, Your Highness.”

Cas stepped forward and dug in his pocket for the keys, which he handed over to the guard on the right. Ryan bowed as well and walked over to the parked vehicle, sliding into the driver’s seat. It was another measure of protection developed by the team, in case the rebels located the easily recognizable sports car and attacked with the belief that the crown prince was inside. The vehicle would serve as a decoy while they escaped back to the mansion by air.

Noticing that Harry seemed unprepared for his company, Cas placed a hand on Iris’s shoulder, “She’s in my care right now, so she’ll be coming with us.”

The bodyguard didn’t appear particularly happy with the announcement, but he didn’t argue. “Very well,” he bobbed his head again and led the way to the hover car. The compact vehicle didn’t have much space, since it was designed to transport just a small number of people, so Cas helped Iris into the backseat and climbed in next to her, laying her crutches across their laps as Harry climbed into the passenger seat beside the pilot. Once everyone was strapped in, the engine revved, and the car began to lift off the ground.