The young prince would not be bothered that night and for the next night after. Some could hear him weep from behind the vast golden doors that led to his personal chambers. His parents, the King and Queen of fae, grew worried for their heartbroken son and the culprit avoided the young prince at all costs. 

Han knew that he was the cause of Gentry's pain. It was something that he loathed about himself with all of his being, yet there was nothing that could be done. They were not fated to be together and it was not within the Warrior's right to say otherwise. Gentry would find his consort and he would be happy. Han believed that with all of his heart, but the pain he knew his dear friend suffered would always remain heavily in mind.

Gentry didn't know what to do. He didn't want to continue to wallow in his sorrows behind the closed doors of his chamber but he knew that if he emerged, they would send more potential consorts and he simply couldn't stomach it. He didn't have the strength or even the will to face them as a man, let alone a prince. 

He wanted to escape.

A quiet knock on the door broke Gentry out of his trance. It had been a while since anyone bothered to talk to him seeing as he rejected everyone before. Curiosity had always been a flaw of his, it got the best of him every time. 

Getting up from his chaise, the young prince fluttered over to his door. As he cracked it open, a fierce clenching in his gut froze his movements. Only in certain situations did his instinct warn him so violently. And none of them were good ones. 

He knew though, before he opened the door completely, that there would be no one behind it. 

He knew that he'd find just a sliver of paper on the ground, which he did, that confirmed his suspicions of treachery amongst his kingdom. 

He was right.

Just beyond his door was a small piece of parchment, seemingly blank. Once his fingers touched the surface, as he raised the fragile sliver, words sprouted, bleeding into the paper like flames to a letter. 

They come in numbers. They come in 3. They wait for you to finish the deed. 

Gentry crumpled the paper in his hand, swearing quietly. 

He hated that freaking number. It haunted him.

Three.

Why couldn't they just leave him alone?

The parchment exploded into a pile of dust before blowing off in an unnatural breeze. 

Gentry knew that they would hold true to their threat. The proof hit him in the ass every time he stepped foot outside the kingdom.

That damned road led to nothing but misery, evident in each tombstone that lined it. He could sometimes hear the screams and moans of the dead witches that were foolish enough to step foot on those cursed lands. Why his ancestors decided to build a fortress so nearby would continue to escape him. It was dangerous and stupid. So stupid.

Gentry slammed his door shut, flying anxiously to his closet where hundreds of gaudy outfits awaited him. He shoved past them all to the back of his closet where his secret stash of plebian clothes waited. The young fae grabbed a pair of black leather pants, a cream silk button up, and tie up black boots. Shoving the clothes on, Gentry snapped his fingers creating a glamour to muddle his appearance to others. He was so good at personal glamour that he could fool even his parents. No one would know who he was. 

Gentry grabbed a black messenger bag, shoving a few essentials inside before sneaking out into the hall. Checking if the coast was clear, he fluttered off toward the exit. It almost seemed too easy until he saw Han. He was coming right down the hall and there was absolutely no way for him to avoid the Warrior. 

Han glanced at the fae as he walked down the hall. Normally he wouldn't spare them a second look but something about this one made him. When he did look at them, he couldn't get a clear look. It was as if something was clouding his mind.

"You there!" He called out.

Gentry froze, swearing internally. Of course Han would pick on his glamour. The Warrior knew him too well. 

"Yes, sir?" Gentry mumbled, keeping his head low and making sure to scramble his appearance much more than before. Even looking upon the Prince at such close proximity, he would not be able to uncover his true identity. 

"State your name."

"Dimble, sir."

"Dimble? I've never seen you around before."

"I was just hired on the kitchen staff, sir. I was heading there right now to help prepare for tonight's feast."

Han pondered the information for a bit before nodding his head and continuing on his way. Once the Warrior was a ways away, Gentry let out a breath of relief, hurrying outside the Kingdom's gates. It had been a while since he ventured outside the gates and the reason was very clear once he was there. All along the road were dead leaves and clouds of despair. It led all the way up the road.

Clutching the messenger bag close to his side, Gentry pushed his wings faster as he fled down the ominous road. The farther he flew, the darker the skies got. Trees towered over him on both sides. Shivers crept up his spine and his gut was literally twisting inside him. It was a crime to ignore such abhorrent warnings, but it had to be done. He had to be strong, not only for his Kingdom but for the love of his life.

Gentry veered left into the woods, darting around winding branches, dead set on tearing into his delicate wings. 

He saw the lake ahead, watching as the thick fog grazed the surface of the dark waters. Gentry slowed, lowering to ground, gently pressing his feet to the mangled grass. He edged closer to the water, keeping a wary eye on his surroundings. The hair on the back of his neck was raised so high, he thought it might tear out of his body.

"Boo," a deep voice whispered in Gentry's ear.

The young prince yelped, jumping four feet in the air, spinning around, ready to defend himself. Just behind him was a pair of glowing teal eyes on a beautiful man. He stood tall, almost seven feet with broad shoulders tapered into a narrow waist roped with muscles, but lean. A perfect swimmers body, which made sense considering...

The stranger's hair was long, waving to his waist in a blend of sea greens, cerulean blues, and pale lavenders. It was mesmerizing, almost as enticing as his beautiful face. 

"Cosmo," Gentry growled. The stranger smirked.

"I see you got my note, little Prince."

"I can't do what you want."

Cosmo tsked, before pushing off of the tree trunk he was leaning on, arms still across his chest. "That's not the answer I wanted, little prince."

"Well what do you expect? I'm not king! It can't be done!" Gentry seethed, glaring up at the man. The fae barely reached his elbow. 

"Ah but you will be once we get that little belly of yours swollen with child." Cosmo circled the younger man like a lion stalking its prey. Gentry knew not to let Cosmo at his back.

"You know that can't happen unless I find my consort."

"I don't really care if all of the fae are destroyed. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not fae." Cosmo widened his smile showing all of his razor sharp teeth, jagged like a like shark teeth. It just showed what a monster he was. 

"I can turn my hormones off and you know it," Gentry hissed.

"Ah, but then I'll just devour your lover."

Gentry's wings fluttered with anger.

"But I'm not that cruel, Gentry. You have three weeks."

Gentry let out a distressed cry. 

There was no way that he was going to be able to find his consort in three weeks. He was going to lose him. He was going to lose Han.

"Please. I need more time. Please!" Gentry begged the larger man, feeling the tears prick his eyes and the strength leave his knees. 

"Oh no no no, my little prince." Cosmo hurried and caught the smaller man before he collapsed to the ground. 

"I need more time," Gentry pled. 

"I don't have any more time to give you, little prince. I have plans, plans that need to be set in motion like...yesterday," Cosmo explained in a very gentle yet mocking tone. "But don't worry, I will fill the role of your missing consort."

Gentry choked in horror.

"I would love to see this belly full of my children, just waiting to gnaw their way out."

Cosmo brushed Gentry's cheek with his webbed fingers, softly gliding along the baby soft skin of his face. But just as his lips grazed the prince's, he backed away, diving into the dark depths of the lake. A few moments later, a bright blue fan tail flipped out of the water and dove back under, disappearing in the fog. 

Gentry cried, heart wrenching tears. 

When he was finally able to pull himself together, he gathered his bag and flew off into the sky. He was going to find his consort, even if it killed him.