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The corner of Destrian’s lip tugged upward when the girl used his name so casually. No blown up titles or ridiculously grand compliments came with it. She really was different. Any other peasant would have persisted to keep to tradition for fear of being executed. The girl’s straightforward boldness continued to amuse him. “Fine then,” he replied when she said that she and her mother were safe where they were. “I’ll leave you to your own business. However, if you ever do come across any woodland thieves, I would encourage you to seek help from the knights my father keeps stationed in this area. The nearest post is just beyond that valley.” He gestured at the indicated landmark. “I warn you, the knights can be a bit moody with the common folk. If they give you any trouble, just tell them I referred you. That should be enough to get them to offer their assistance.” He nodded at her, a glint of humor in his eye. “Good day, then. And make sure you keep a close watch on that cat of yours.” With that, he turned and made his way back to the clearing where his hunting party was waiting. “The Prince returns,” one of the knights proclaimed when Destrian came into view. All of the men stood to attention. Destrian paid them no mind. He made his way over to his horse and began to untether its reins from a branch where one of the servants must have tied it. Both of the servants now scrambled to assist him, but he waved them off. He could untie a simple knot without any help. “Your Highness?” one of the other knights ventured. “What did you find?” “Nothing of great importance,” Destrian shrugged. “It was only a girl who lost her cat.” “A girl?” the knight echoed incredulously. “So far out in the woods?” “Do you think she could be a witch?” another knight said in a hushed voice. “Ridiculous,” Destrian laughed. “She is merely a harmless young girl who lives with her mother in a secluded little cottage. Besides, if she was a witch, she would have attempted to kill me while I was alone. The magic-wielders all want my father’s line to end, and she had the perfect opportunity to cut it off. Yet here I am.” “But Sire…” another knight said uncertainly. “Your father wants us to take every precaution against the witches. We’ve all heard the rumors of wild magicians living in the forest. Couldn’t she be—?” “I know these rumors all too well,” Destrian cut in. “But I also know that there is no substance to them. No one has ever seen a witch in these woods. At least, no one can prove they have. All we can go on is the word of money mongers, searching to take home some gold for their reports of magic-users in the forest. I refuse to investigate a peasant girl without a proper reason to do so.” Destrian gave his horse’s reins a tug and began to lead it back to the looming walls of the kingdom. “Let us return then, shall we?” The knights gave up their futile attempts to argue. They gathered their own horses and followed him back in reluctant silence.

Serix walked in step with Cassie as she guided him around the storage, showing him different rooms. As she said, most of them were empty or filled with boxes and junk. Very few were furnished as living spaces. As they walked, he did his best to make a mental plan of the hallways, just in case he ever needed it in the future. **“See? Nothing but pretty much junk in here,”** Cassie said as they entered the last room. Piles of scrap metal and boxes littered the floor. She approached a rather precarious looking stack that leaned up against a wall and nudged it with the toe of her shoe. The boxes wobbled and then crashed to the ground just as Cassie jumped out of the way. She looked at him with a sheepish grin, **“Well, I guess that goes to prove I’m not the most graceful person around… or graceful at all really. I’m kind of clumsy actually.”** “It’s a wonder you’ve survived this long on your own,” Serix replied with a sarcastic shrug. He then noticed the hidden door at the same time Cassie did. He carefully navigated his way around the jumble of overturned boxes to join her as she scanned her hand to open the door. It slid aside to reveal a small, nearly bare space. Three sealed boxes sat by the back wall. “What’s that?” Serix asked, leaning forward to look over Cassie’s shoulder as she knelt beside one of the containers. She pulled out her tiny pocket knife and tentatively cut along the edges of the clear sealant. When that was done, she opened the top to reveal an assortment of various objects. It didn’t look like anything special to Serix, but Cassie’s voice was heavy with emotion when she spoke again, **“This... is my parents’ stuff. They must have brought it here just in case they needed to hide here...”** She trailed off as she pulled out each object in turn, handling them all as carefully as though they might break at the slightest touch. Serix watched her in silence. A strange mix of emotions churned in his stomach as Cassie examined her parents’ things. He felt a bittersweet happiness that she had an opportunity like this, but at the same time, he was frustrated that he had nothing from his own deceased parents. It was customary that when his people died, their possessions were all returned to the ownership of the higher powers to be redistributed according to their will. Such was the case with his mother and father. Serix had nothing left but their memory. After a moment, Cassie returned the items to the box and sealed them away again. **“Let’s go eat. I’m hungry.”** She stood up and turned for the door. Serix was about to follow her, but in the next instant, the lights flickered out and the door slammed shut. His eyes widened in shock. Something must have malfunctioned in the system. They were trapped. _Cassie._ Serix remembered her fear of closed, dark spaces. He whirled around, trying to make out her form in the darkness. His eyes were still adjusting to the abrupt change in lighting, but he could see just enough to find her standing next to the door. **“No, no, no, no!”** Cassie was crying out as she tried to pry the door open with her hands. It was no use. Serix saw her shadowy figure sink to the floor as she dropped to her knees. Violent sobs wracked her body. She was having a mental breakdown. “Hey,” Serix said gently, kneeling down beside her. He took her wrists and coaxed her hands down from her ears. Then, he wrapped one arm around her waist and held her close, trying to ignore the pounding of his own heart when he did so. He took one of her hands in his. “It’s going to be all right. I’m right here, okay?” They had to get out of here somehow, and Cassie was the only one who knew anything about electronic wiring. She had to calm down or they really would be trapped forever. “Cassie, do you remember what I told you last time?” Serix went on in a hushed tone. “Focus on me. Feel how steady my breathing is. Try to match it, okay?” He held her close to his side and closed his eyes, taking slow breaths. If she could get her heartrate down, Cassie might be able to gather her thoughts. Stopping her from hyperventilating could be the best way to do that. “Is there anything else I can do for you?” Serix asked, gently running his thumb over her hand.

Destrian groaned inwardly. He really hadn’t thought that last line through. Of course she would be afraid to bring him back to her cottage. It was an unusual request for a strange man to make of a young woman. She had every reason to doubt his intentions. He just threw away any chance he had at offering her assistance. “You misunderstand me,” Destrian held up his hands in a gesture of innocence. He paused, searching for words. How was he supposed to explain the real reason he wanted to see her cottage without giving away his status? “I don’t mean you any harm. I merely wanted to see how you and your mother were getting by without protection or help from the kingdom.” He knit his brow in frustration. The girl had no reason to believe anything he said. He sighed. It appeared his fun with anonymity would have to come to an end. “From the way you address me as a stranger, I have to assume you don’t know who I am,” Destrian crossed his arms and shook his head. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to explain myself, but I can’t think of any other choice.” He met her frightened gaze evenly. “My name is Prince Destrian Forthwind, first and only son of King Merek Forthwind.” He quickly held up a hand. While she had proven to be different from all other peasants he had come across, the girl might still panic when she realized who she was speaking with. “Please, don’t bother with formalities. I’ve had enough people bow down to me for two lifetimes.” He smiled at his own joke, trying to lighten the mood, but quickly realized that the girl probably didn’t understand what he was talking about. Destrian shifted his weight, “Err… Nevermind. What I’m trying to say is that you have no need to fear me. I only wish to ensure your wellbeing. It is part of my responsibility to you and your mother as people of my father’s kingdom. These woods are known for bandit attacks and I just want to be sure that you are both safe out here by yourselves. Do you think you understand me now?”

Serix took the controls from Cassie and started up the robot, obeying her simple instructions. The machine whirred to life and rose shakily above the ground. He could clearly see that Cassie was better at operating the device than he was. He would just have to spend some time practicing with the various robots she fixed up. “This is amazing,” Serix said. He tried to keep his voice level with mature intrigue, but he couldn’t stop the note of excitement that slipped into his tone. He cleared his throat in a weak attempt to cover it up. “Your father designed such simple controls for a complex machine. It’s ingenious how user-friendly it is. In my society, technology like this can only be used by trained professionals and there would be dozens more buttons and dials to manipulate.” After a while, he carefully brought the robot down for a landing and shut it off again, handing the remote back to Cassie, “Well, I’m satisfied.” He grinned at her and then looked around at the room, taking on a contemplative expression. “You know, this underground hideout seems pretty huge, but I’ve only seen three or four rooms.” He turned back to Cassie and smiled again. “You know this place much better than I do. Mind giving me a tour?”

Destrian raised a brow at the girl’s curious explanation. It was true that, despite his father’s ceaseless attempts to have them captured and executed, the kingdom wasn’t completely rid of its criminals. Yet at the same time, the kingdom was a much safer place than the surrounding woods. If anything, the girl and her mother were in even more danger out here than they would be behind its secure stone walls. The forest was teeming with rogue bandits who were just waiting for unsuspecting peoples to rob. Surely, her mother must know this. **“Thank you for finding Grounii,”** the girl went on. **“But I think I should be going. My mother will be expecting me soon, and she has warned me to not speak to strangers. So, farewell.”** Strangers? Destrian wanted to laugh at that. She wasn’t just putting on a careless act; this girl really _didn’t_ know who he was. Her mother must have kept her sheltered outside of the kingdom for many, many years if she didn’t recognize the face of its future king. Her blissful ignorance made the situation all the more interesting for Destrian. The girl dipped in a brief curtsey and turned to leave. Destrian’s amusement faded. Was it alright to let her return to her cottage home? The peasant sectors were crowded in the kingdom, but he was confident that he could find their small family a place to live. It would be much safer than the open woods. “Wait,” he said, reaching out to put a hand on her shoulder before she could take a step away. “Show me this cottage of yours. I’d like to see it for myself.” He wanted to verify whether or not it was a secure place to live. The girl and her mother might not live within the walls of the kingdom, but they were still members of its people. As such, Destrian felt that it was his duty to ensure their wellbeing. Still, he carefully avoided the topic of his status. For some reason, he didn’t feel it was prudent to inform her that he was the prince. Not yet, anyways.

Serix watched Cassie work on the robot for a few minutes. Her hands moved with nimble dexterity as she manipulated the internal parts. As he had no experience with technology like this, Serix could only sit by and wait for her to finish. It didn’t take long. After a few last tweaks to the machine, she sealed it back up and turned to him. **“Hand me that remote off of the table so I can test its functions so far,”** Cassie instructed, gesturing at a table that was pushed up against a nearby wall. Serix got to his feet and stepped over to the table, grabbing the remote she had indicated and bringing it back to her. Cassie stood up and turned it on. A number of flashing lights blinked to life on the robot. Serix watched it in fascination. Its durability was impressive. It was still able to function with only a few minor adjustments after so many years of sitting in a storage room. Cassie’s father had done an amazing job in creating this machine. **“Yes! It works! It actually works!”** Cassie exclaimed joyously when she got the robot to hover over the ground. In the next instant she flung her arms around Serix’s neck, pulling him into a tight embrace. He tensed up in surprise, his mind reeling. He wasn’t sure how to respond. Should he return the gesture or let his arms hang by his sides? Why was she even doing this? Cassie didn’t give him time to react. She let him go again and returned her attention to the hovering machine. Serix just blinked at her, still shaken from her spontaneous embrace. Silence dragged on between them for a short while before Cassie spoke again. **“Do... you want to try and drive it?”** She sounded oddly subdued compared to her bubbling excitement just moments before. Serix covered up his discomfort with a wry grin and a sarcastic roll of his eyes, “Do you even have to ask?” He stepped over to her and held out a hand for the control, “Just show me what to do, Captain.”

Serix felt the same jolt of energy when Cassie playfully batted him on the cheek as he had when she took his hands just a few minutes ago. He felt an absurd urge to catch her hand in his before she pulled away. He wanted to draw her closer, but at the same time he felt another urge to get away from her. He needed to take some time alone to sort out his thoughts. Her presence was causing him too much internal chaos. Fortunately, Cassie gave him that very opportunity. She told him to go find something else to do while she continued to work on the robot. He nodded gratefully and headed out of the Robot Hangar, walking down the hallway back to the bedroom. He opened the door to see that the room was still dark. Oh right. They hadn’t turned the lights back on yet. Serix didn’t bother to go all the way to the generator room to light up the room. He didn’t mind the darkness, so he just went inside and collapsed on his bed. He closed his eyes and crossed his arms over his face. There were so many things to think about. Compared to the looming threat of the coming Lunairans, his conflicted emotions about Cassie were dwarfed. But at least they were something he had control over. He couldn’t do anything about the invasion, but at least he could keep himself in check. Their entire relationship was an anomaly. Everything Serix was raised to believe about interactions with females went out the window when he looked at Cassie. He didn’t speak to her formally, he didn’t keep a distance of two arms-lengths from her at all times… he just didn’t treat her like he had been taught. If anything, he had been interacting with her like she was his mate. The friendly words, the casual touches, and even his growing desire to protect her from harm all pointed to behavior of a mated male. They had even shared a bed. The weight of the previous night finally struck him. It was no wonder Cassie had gotten so angry. He had only intended to do her a courtesy by letting her go on sleeping, but now he realized just how uncomfortable it must have been for her to wake up beside him. They hardly knew each other. He let out an exasperated sigh. “Stupid,” he muttered to himself. He really needed to think things through sometimes. **“Yo, Serix, mind bringing me a bottle of water to sip on while I fix this thing?”** Cassie’s voice rang out from down the hallway. Serix climbed out of bed. He had spent enough time questioning his relationship with Cassie, and he had only managed to come around in a full circle, no less confused than he was when he started. He wandered down the hall to the food storage room and grabbed two bottles of water, one for her and one for himself, and then headed back to the Robot Hangar. “Here,” he tossed her one and sat down beside her, stretching out his legs and leaning back on one arm. With his other hand, he opened his own water bottle and took a swig. “How is it coming along?”

Destrian chuckled as the cat reached out to nuzzle his hand. The little feline was very friendly. He wondered again how it had ended up so lost in the woods. Its owner must have been worried sick. He was about to scoop the cat up to bring it back with him –perhaps he could find its owner somewhere in the kingdom– when he heard a voice. He looked up to see a nervous looking girl standing by the trees. She was keeping her distance, an action he didn’t find very unusual. She looked like a young peasant woman, and the lower class always seemed uncomfortable in his presence. He offered her a reassuring smile in an attempt to ease her worries. He hoped to lessen the peasants’ sense of unease over time. **“I-I’m sorry,”** the girl stammered. Apparently Destrian’s friendly gesture did nothing to lessen her worries. **“That's my cat. He's a little bit of a trouble maker and always runs off. Thank you for stopping him for me.”** Odd. She didn’t shower him with praises or titles like most peasants did when they spoke to him. Her casual manners were amusing. It was a nice break from the constant stream of ‘Your Majesty,’ or ‘My liege,’ or ‘Great Prince,’ or whatever other exaggerated honors the commoners were using these days. The strange girl knelt down, still keeping her distance from him, and began to call gently to her cat. The animal responded immediately, scampering over to nuzzle her hand. Then it turned right back around and hopped onto Destrian’s lap. He laughed and stroked the cat –apparently named Grounii– along its back. The girl seemed to turn a little paler when her pet did this. She inched closer, then seemed to think better of it and stopped a fair distance away, **“Ummm... maybe… if you stand up he might come back to me?”** “Here,” Destrian picked up Grounii and cradled him in his arms. He then stood up and carried the cat back to the girl, holding him out for her to take. At a closer glance, she looked a bit tattered. Somehow, he was reminded of the little girl who stole a loaf of bread from the royal kitchens all those years ago. “How did you end up so far from the kingdom?” Destrian asked concernedly. “I can’t imagine you strayed this far just to search for your missing cat. Is everything alright?”

When Cassie took the gun from his hands and set it aside, Serix instantly knew she was going to give him a step-by-step on the basics of shooting. He was about to give her an indignant response, saying that he didn’t need her help, but he held his tongue. His performance just now had been pretty bad. Even if he tried to explain that he wasn’t expecting the noise or the kickback, that he would do fine now that he could account for those factors, he knew she would just shrug him off as being haughty. No point in starting up an argument over it, so he let her run him through the techniques. Cassie nudged his feet into position and then reached for his hands. His heart leaped unexpectedly when their skin touched. The feeling was gone again in an instant, leaving him startled and mildly confused. He nodded absently as Cassie continued to give him instructions, but he was no longer focusing on her words. _What was that?_ Serix blinked. Cassie’s touch always seemed to have that effect on him. He had expected the foreign feeling to fade after a while, but instead it was happening more often. He stared at Cassie as she finished up her instructions to him. It was true that he found her visually appealing, but his attraction didn’t run deeper than that. It couldn’t. They were only fellow survivors in this apocalyptic planet… survivors who just so happened to be of the opposite sex. He swallowed uneasily. Serix realized Cassie had finished speaking and was waiting for his answer. He shook off his daze and gave her a small nod, “Yes.” He picked up his gun again and took aim at the target, aligning his body the way Cassie had just demonstrated. He tuned out the distracting thoughts about their relationship and reined in his focus to the matter at hand. He might have messed up royally on his first shot, but he was a fast learner. His second bullet went right through the center of the box. He lowered the weapon and threw Cassie a smug, lopsided grin, “Huh. Not so bad, am I?”

Destrian followed the procession of noblewomen with his eyes as they exited the hall. As soon as the last girl had gone and the doors were shut, he let out a deep sigh, exhaling the breath he had been holding in. His father, who stood beside him, gave him a disapproving look. Always perfectly poised, King Merek expected the same behavior from his son— even if nobody else was watching. “What was wrong with them this time?” the king asked, his voice tight with thinly veiled exasperation. “They’re all… _lacking_,” Destrian said vaguely. “They’re like puppets, father. All of them. They just say what they think I’ll want to hear.” “That’s because they’re vying for your approval,” the king replied curtly. “But I don’t want to marry someone with no spirit of her own,” Destrian protested. “I can’t love a puppet.” “Love has nothing to do with it,” his father’s voice was icy. He was losing patience. “I’ve told you time and time again. Each of these women comes from an important kingdom, whose alliance would greatly aid our own. Your marriage will seal the bond between the two kingdoms.” The king pinched the bridge of his nose. “It has been almost a year, Destrian. If you do not choose one of the women, I will choose for you.” “Father, please, I—” “Enough,” the king held up his hand. “I will give you until the end of this summer. If you have not made a decision by then, I will do it for you. That is final.” He turned and walked back down the hallway before Destrian could respond. It wasn’t like he could do anything even if he tried. His father’s word was the law. It always had been, and it always would be. He returned to his room in silence. -- That was three days ago. Now, Destrian was out on a hunt with a small party of knights and two servants to carry their equipment. He rode on horseback with a bow and a quiver slung over opposite shoulders. His blue eyes swept over the trees around him as he searched for signs of movement. The sport of a good hunt always managed to brighten his mood, and right now, he definitely needed the uplifting. “Sire,” one of the knights hissed, pointing off to the left. A herd of elk was grazing among the distant trees. Everyone slowed their horses to a stop and drew their bows, but none of them let their arrows fly. In accordance with tradition, they were waiting for Destrian to take the first shot. He pulled an arrow from his quiver and loaded his bow, lifting it to take aim at one of the unsuspecting beasts. There was a soft _twang_ as he released the arrow, followed by a hoarse cry from the elk. The other animals started to scatter and the rest of Destrian’s knights let their own arrows go. There was another faint cry as one of the other knights hit his mark. “Fine work, men,” Destrian said as he climbed down from his horse. “We’ll be eating fresh venison for days.” He and the knights led their horses to the small clearing where they had made their kills. Three elk lay dead in the grass— the last one had an arrow through its head, so it must have died before it had a chance to utter a sound. The men hoisted the bodies onto the backs of three of their horses to carry them back to the castle. As they were about to turn back, Destrian gave the forest one last, long look. The hunt had gone by far too quickly, and he found himself wishing that he had missed his mark so he could stay outside the kingdom walls just a little longer. Unfortunately, the title of ‘prince’ came with many responsibilities. He couldn’t neglect his duties for his own selfish reasons. Then, something caught his eye: a brief flash of movement at the base of a tree. He frowned. Normally all of the animals in the forest would flee at the cry of a dying elk. Any that happened to be nearby should have been long gone by now. Why would one stay behind? But perhaps it wasn’t an animal at all. He had heard the rumors of wild wizards living in the woods. Maybe there was some truth to those stories after all. “Sire?” a knight called to him hesitantly. “We’re ready to leave when you are.” “Hold on a moment,” Destrian said without looking back. “I’m going to check something for a moment.” “Do you want us to come with you?” the knight’s voice was filled with wariness. Of course, he wouldn’t want to leave the prince unguarded. King Merek would have them all beheaded if anything happened to his beloved son. “I’ll be fine on my own,” Destrian said, giving the knight a challenging stare. “I can defend myself if I need to.” “But—” the knight started. “Enough,” Destrian cut him off. He felt a strange sense of déjà vu when he uttered the command. “Wait here. I will be back soon.” When the knight took an uneasy step forward, he continued: “I will call for you if I need assistance. Stay here.” The knight hesitated, and then gave a reluctant bow. The rest followed suit. Destrian nodded at them and ventured deeper into the forest, one hand hovering over the hilt of his sword. He heard a noise off to his left. He swiftly drew his weapon and spun around to see… a small black cat. Destrian blinked in confusion, his face warm with embarrassment at his overreaction. He sheathed his sword and crouched down to look at the animal. It appeared to be somebody’s pet. He could tell that much from the way it didn’t flee from him. The question was: How did it end up so far away from the kingdom? He was surprised it hadn’t gotten itself eaten by a bear or other large predator. “Just where did you come from?” Destrian murmured, holding out a tentative hand to the black cat.