And it was for good reason I was wary about Leo's suggestion.

Without speaking, he gave us a cheeky grin and snapped, and I instantly found myself on top of a perfect rectangular hedge beside Koharu.

"Ugh, he's annoying. I shouldn't have said anything with him around."

Koharu shrugged. "Sometimes, yes. No need to worry."

She sat up, butt sinking further into the leaves. They were thin and structurally useless, leaving her at the mercy of the sticks.

"Ah, this isn't any good for my outfit," she mumbled, pouting.

"Clearly, it—"

Suddenly, a few twigs broke under me as the area on which I sat caved in, causing me to fall into a painful array of sharp splinters. At least, I expected to crash but instead found myself suspended in midair unexplainably. I heard a snapping noise and peered at Koharu with bulging eyes while she held her right hand an inch above her head.

"Suppose we're in a bit of a thorny situation." Koharu chuckled, pleased with a dose of ego.

I glared at her for the corny joke before returning a small grin.

Somehow, she's charming.

"Are you okay?" she then asked.

"Fine, actually," I replied when I calmed down, examining my clothes for nonexistent tears. "Don't know how I feel about your humor, but I'm thankful you helped me before I got impaled by that thing."

She giggled, almost as if she heard the statement as an innuendo. (Irritated hedges weren't sexy—unless maybe they were cut strangely.) "Of course, of course."

She arced her arm in the air, gently placing me on the ground. Seconds later, Koharu floated. She was surrounded by a faint yellow aura while, too, making contact with the soft grass of the garden. Dainty steps left indentions in the ground, squishing small pink flowers.

"I'm shocked you didn't levitate through the castle seeing you do that now."

Stopping in front of me, Koharu smirked. "What's the point in an escort if the guide becomes the guided?"

That was perhaps the most logical statement I heard since I woke up in the Galaxy Meadow.

"Ah, Haru!" called a voice from the other side of the bush.

The leaves rustled, crackling and crunching as feet plowed over them. Soon enough—in the most shocking manner—a smiling Akiyoshi greeted us with a prominent sparkle in his eyes. He was excited to see his sister, almost too gleeful in a peculiar sort of way. The encounter seemed so sentimental for the two, though, so I disregarded it for the time being.

Akiyoshi ran up to Koharu and embraced her tightly. Wearing a toothy grin, she patted him on the back gently.

"Aki! It's delightful to see you again!"

Akiyoshi nodded, and I started to feel out of place in such a personal moment.

"I'm glad you're here, but I'm sad about the lack of mail from you." His quick smile evaporated. "Has Sinclair been fooling around again?"

"Sinclair?" I asked.

"Quite the contrary. They've been trying their best, but the scuffle was too much for even them to handle. They dropped a bag of letters in the middle of a forest once," Koharu responded before remembering I was there. "Ah, Ophelia. Sorry. Sinclair is the royal messenger. Another fairy. They don't stay anywhere for more than a few seconds besides maybe the castle for something to drink on the rare occasion. Always on the move, you know."

"Oh, okay." Memories of tales from my father came to the forefront of my mind. "I've certainly heard of them, though I thought they were a myth as well."

Koharu laughed. "Would you suppose we use horses then?"

"Actually… yes?" My voice lifted, face contorting until the tension released for a chuckle. "That's what everyone else uses."

Withholding the knowledge of secrets I would soon learn, she grinned. "Your naivety of castle matters cracks me up. I'm sure you'll learn these things soon, though. Horses are far outdated."

With my arms crossed, I stomped in annoyance, leaving a distinct footprint in the dirt. "Pardon me," I quipped with some sass, "but I was just thrown into this job today."

Koharu giggled, eyes folding into gentle curves. "Relax, Ophelia," she said with a reassuring tone before turning back to her brother.

"How's Dad been doing?"

"Stubborn as always," Akiyoshi joked in his dry voice. "Why, if the fact you're here now for this ceremony isn't any indication of how steadfast he is when he decides to do something, I don't know what is. Regardless, how has Father been?"

"Sunny as usual!" She brightened before fizzling out. "Well… I wish I could say that, but he seems to be under a cloud lately. I mean that both literally and figuratively—as you may suspect."

What is he—Father Nature?

"Tragic, really. They both turn into the worst versions of themselves like this—Dad with his stubborn attitude and Father with his moping." Akiyoshi sighed. "I hope Father hasn't flooded the castle, though. The advisors would throw a fit."

That line would have confused me more had I not remembered both kings were more magical than their children. They seemed like such an oddball family with each having the power to do things far exceeding the typical capabilities of humans.

"I'm afraid his bedroom looks like a typhoon wrecked it, Aki. Unfortunately, I'm disaster relief."

Akiyoshi chuckled under his breath, light and airy. He had a shy, restrained laugh, fitting what bits of his personality I saw.

"And people call him the Sun King. It's ironic, but Dad's been throwing vases at the wall. Poor Seiji's scared out of his wits."

"I can imagine. He's always been reserved. Zhi would be as stressed as you get with Dad's orders if he saw that."

"Who?" The names they threw around jumbled in my head without faces as references.

Is this even in the job requirements?

"Our Sun Advisor. Well, one of them. He's as painstaking as Aki is, so I have pretty mixed feelings. Father likes him, though."

Akiyoshi replied sarcastically, "Oh, joy."

"Pardon,"—I steered the conversation towards more familiar territory—"but what did the kings even fight about? Unless that's classified. I know nothing about castles as you said, Princess Koharu." They added more questions to my plate without answering that fundamental one.

Koharu turned to me with alert eyes. She then thought. "I'm not even sure myself. It could have been about something as petty as condiments for all I know. I wish I could tell you more."

Akiyoshi added, "As much as Haru seems to know, I know even less. Father would cry if you stepped on a dog's tail."

I laughed. "Fun. Any idea how long it'll take them to get everything sorted out?" More than anything, I hoped the natural order of things would settle the conflict so that I didn't have to.

The siblings shook their heads.

Guess that idea's out the window.

"Nope," Koharu said, popping the "p".

"It's business as usual until then, though," Akiyoshi continued. He seemed resigned to working with what remained of the frail Galaxy Kingdom administration.

Internally groaning, I shrugged. "I guess there's a rocky road ahead."

Koharu snapped a finger and pointed it at me like a gun. She replied, "Add a moat full of sharks and a burning field, and you're still understating it."