I almost didn't want to leave Mykie. We'd been sitting on the red loveseat for who knows how long and the time only ticked.

Mykie had his head on the armrest while I tied and untied his shoes. I wanted to waste time, but I knew that I had to go soon.

"Mykie," I sighed after a while. "I have to go," I told him. Mykie just looked up at me with a pout and nodded. I followed him out of the apartment and down to the main entrance where his landlord stood.

"Hello, Mykie." She greeted him and then gave me a small tip of her head.

"Hi, Sofia." Mykie waved to the older lady while I stood next to him. "Goodbye, Prince Victor." I almost narrowed my eyes at the boy, but let it slide since his landlord was right in front of us.

He kept his side of the deal and only ever called me my name when we were alone, or if no one was around to hear. I still didn't like it. A friend shouldn't call you by your title. Even Charles didn't address my father as the King.

"How was your trip?" Charles asked me when I walked inside the estate.

"Fine."

"You said that quite solemnly, did something happen with your friend?" Charles followed me to the lounge room where we sat on the leather couches.

"No, everything is fine," I murmured. "It's just... I don't know. It's something about him. I really like him, we are good friends, but he gives me such an odd feeling. It's like I just want to protect him, and when he smiles, it's so comforting. Isn't that strange?" I asked Charles wanting him to console me.

"He is in a lower power than you, it makes sense that you would want to protect him. With your royal power, you have the chance to." But that's not it. I, of course, want to protect him for reasons I couldn't tell Charles, but I knew these feelings were different, but I just couldn't tell.

"I guess you are right," I told him while he simply smiled. "Oh, but Charles," I called to my guard as he started to walk away. "For one day, can I stay until late?" It was a question I was expecting to be shot down right away, but I still asked.

"Victor, your father might not agree with that." He told me, but I already knew that. "Though, I can ask him. I will try to let him agree, but no promises." My smile suddenly grew as Charles whispered out the final words. If my father were to listen to anyone, it would be his best friend.

"Thank you," I exclaimed.

"But don't get your hopes up, boy. You know how your father is." I nodded agreeing to the fact that my dad was very overprotective.

I left for my room with a big smile, there was a chance that my dad would say yes, and that's what I was hoping for. Charles had a way of persuading my father, so I knew he could give me a little something to work with. I was just waiting for the news Charles would give me.

I was laying on my bed reading a very weird novel when Charles walked in. I automatically shut the book and looked up at the orange-haired man.

"I talked to your father." He told me while fixing the "Official Royal Guard" pin that he wore on his clothes. "It took some time, but I was able to convince your father. Though, you have some strict conditions you have to follow." I didn't even care, my dad was convinced, and that's all that mattered. "The latest you can stay out is eleven in the afternoon. You must give your father a 15 minute advance of when you are coming home so we can have someone meet you halfway. You cannot travel farther than from our estate to the boys living place--"

"Okay, okay, I understand." I rolled my eyes knowing Charles still had a million other things to list. "I think my father forgets that I will be turning 18 soon. I am basically an adult."

"Prince Victor, in your father's eyes, you are still a little child." I rolled my eyes.

"I'm forever going to be a child in his eyes."

"Because you're his only child. He has no other kid to baby," Charles admitted. "Though, he can go a little too far." Charles knew that better than anyone else. He probably understood that more than my mother would have. "Make sure you thank him." My guard left the room with a shake of his head and a laugh.

I met with my dad at the dinner table as we usually do. He watched as I sat down and tucked my napkin under the table and on my lap. "Hello, Victor," my dad greeted me.

"Hello, father," I smiled brightly at my dad. "I do want to thank you. I never have enough time to spend out, I really appreciate that you are letting me stay later."

"Of course, you are growing up to be a young man. You do need to explore your own kingdom." He said with a smile. "Of course, I still want you to be safe." I rolled my eyes before my father could continue to ramble on about my safety.

"Yes, Dad, don't worry. I am a very able man." My father let out a loud belly laugh like I told a joke. I simply ignored his outburst and ate my meal with a sigh.

"Of course you are." My dad smiled. "You must really like this boy." My dad looked at me with a yearning smile. "I remember when I met Charles, I desperately wanted to protect him. I felt like it was my duty to make sure he was safe. Of course, that was when Charles was a small scrawny boy. He couldn't protect himself to save his life. He needed me to care for him. My father didn't enjoy it as much as I did, but my mother persuaded him to let me enjoy this moment. Now Charles and I have been friends for hundreds of years." My dad laughed while he remembered all of the previous events.

My dad never told me stories of when he was younger, there were so many things that I always wondered, but never got the chance to ask him about.

"How did you meet Mom?" She was a topic we never talked about. Her death still pained him, but I knew he wanted to talk about it.

"I was 18, my dad was prepping me to find my bride, though I wasn't that interested. I thought I was too cool, plus I had Charles, and we constantly made jokes about how he was going to be my bride. That was until I saw Evelyn, your mom. Suddenly, all of the silly jokes I had made disappeared. It was love at first sight, I guess you could say. From there, everything fell into place."

"That's so interesting." I smiled as my dad folded his napkin. "Didn't have any interest in marrying until you saw Mom." My dad wiped his hands clean with a nod.

I had no interest in marrying either. I still thought I could rule the kingdom on my own. But in the back of my mind, I already had a person that I wanted to help run the kingdom with me.