The prince remained silent for a moment, his piercing gaze fixed on Sabrina as if weighing her every word. Jeanna elbowed Alice, a sly grin spreading across her face. "Think she’s winning him over yet?"

Alice groaned softly. "I’m just hoping we don’t get arrested."

Oblivious to the undercurrent of tension, Sabrina pressed on without missing a beat. "I know it sounds crazy, but it’s true! We were hiking, then—poof!—a flash of light, and next thing we know, we’re standing by this fountain with these tiny statues. It just has to be a sign that we’re the chosen ones! Maybe part of some prophecy?"

The prince’s expression remained unreadable, though his eyes flicked to the child standing quietly beside Alice. He lingered on the boy before speaking, his voice low. "A prophecy, you say?"

Alice, sensing the shift in tone, stepped forward, trying to dial back the fantasy. "Look, we’re just trying to figure out where we are. Maybe help if we can. But we don’t know anything about a prophecy."

Jeanna shrugged. "Though a prophecy would explain a lot, honestly."

The prince’s lips curved slightly, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. "You claim to have no knowledge of this world, yet you speak as if you’re already part of its fate. How... convenient."

Alice’s fingers tightened around her trekking pole. Something about his words sent a chill down her spine. "We’re not here to cause trouble. We just want to go home."

The prince studied her closely, his gaze unsettling. "Home..." His voice softened, as if the word carried weight. "Interesting. Few people speak of home with such certainty."

Sabrina, unfazed, jumped back in. "But maybe we were sent here to help! I’ve read enough stories to know how this works. We just need to figure out what we’re meant to do."

Alice sighed.

The prince’s gaze flicked back to the boy again, his expression growing more thoughtful. "Perhaps you are right," he murmured, almost to himself. "Perhaps there is a reason you were brought here."

Sabrina practically glowed with excitement. "I knew it!"

Alice, however, couldn’t shake the feeling that something was very wrong. The prince’s calm, calculating demeanor only deepened her suspicion that they were in way over their heads.

"Come," the prince said, his tone now carrying a note of finality. "If you are indeed part of this prophecy, there are things you must know. The palace is not far."

Alice hesitated, glancing at Jeanna, who simply shrugged. "What do we have to lose?" she said with a smirk. "Besides, you know Sabrina’s already planning the wedding."

Sabrina was already halfway to the grand carriage, practically bouncing with excitement. "Oh, this is going to be amazing! I just know it!"

"Let’s just hope this ‘prophecy’ doesn’t get us all killed," Alice muttered as she followed behind.

The kid glanced up at me with wide eyes. “Are we really going to the palace?”

I sighed. “Looks like it.”

The palace of Lunaris turned out to be even more ridiculous than the market or the rest of the kingdom, and that was saying something. From a distance, it looked grand—towering over the city with gleaming white stone walls and tall spires that caught the sunlight like a beacon of dignity. But as we got closer, I started to notice... quirks.

Particularly the palace gates, which were "guarded" by two giant stone golems. Well, they were supposed to be intimidating, but it was hard to take them seriously. Their heads were comically small compared to their massive, lumbering bodies, like someone had stuck a pebble on top of a boulder and called it a day. The golems were decked out in ceremonial armor, but the proportions were all wrong—oversized helmets that swallowed half their faces and tiny swords that looked more like toothpicks in their gigantic hands. Their glowing eyes flickered faintly as they grumbled what could only be described as unintelligible moans.

Sabrina gasped, nudging Jeanna and me. "Look at them! Aren't they magnificent?"

"They look like they're about to fall over," I said flatly, eyeing the wobbling golems as they sluggishly raised their arms to let us pass through the gates. 

Jeanna smirked. "Maybe we could ask them to be our personal bodyguards. They’d scare anyone off with just a sneeze."

We walked through the gates, and the palace grounds unfolded before us like the fever dream of a gardener who had clearly gone mad. Perfectly trimmed bushes dotted the courtyard, but they were shaped into peculiar animals—hedgehogs in top hats, eagles juggling balls, and, in the center of it all, a lion riding a unicycle. A massive fountain stood at the courtyard’s heart, not with the statues of royalty or warriors you’d expect, but with a mermaid locked in an intense chess match with a Dugong. Yes, chess. And the mermaid appeared to be winning.

Jeanna blinked, staring. "Is that...?"

"Yep," I sighed. "A mermaid playing chess with a sea pig."

Sabrina, however, was in full princess mode, twirling around as if she’d just walked into her own personal fairytale. "This place is perfect! I can’t wait to meet the prince—I mean, get started on whatever destiny we’re supposed to fulfill here."

The kid who is still clutching my hand looked like he wasn’t sure whether to be scared or excited. “Is it always like this?” he asked in a whisper.

"I sure hope not," I muttered under my breath. If it was, I might have to throw myself into that fountain to escape.

Inside the palace, things only got weirder. We were led down a long, echoing hallway lined with portraits of stern-looking nobles. But upon closer inspection, each noble was holding something bizarre—a monocled man on a pogo stick, a queen with a parrot on her shoulder, and one particularly stern fellow juggling flaming swords while riding a goat. It was like they were competing to see who could out-weird each other.

Sabrina was loving every second of it. "This is just like one of those stories where everything is a little bit... whimsical!" she said with a giggle. "Like we’ve stepped into an enchanted castle!"

"More like we’ve stepped into a madhouse," I muttered, resisting the urge to bang my head against one of the overly decorated walls.

Jeanna snickered. "You’re just mad because you haven’t found any badass knights to swing your trekking pole at."

Before I could respond with a sarcastic retort, we reached the grand throne room doors. They were massive, ornately carved doors at the end of the hall. The guards opened them with a flourish, and we were ushered into the grand throne room....and that’s when I realized why everything seemed so off.

The throne room was utter chaos. Courtiers in what could only be described as circus attire wandered about. One man sported a jacket covered entirely in feathers, while a woman had a miniature dragon perched on her head like it was a normal accessory. A jester in the corner tossed enchanted rubber chickens into the air, which exploded into bursts of confetti upon hitting the floor.

And then there was the throne itself—a monstrosity covered in jewels, shaped like a massive dragon’s head. And lounging on it, as if this was all perfectly normal, was the prince. He was reclining with one leg draped over the armrest, looking every bit like he owned the place—because, well, he did.

"Welcome," the prince said, his voice dripping with amusement. His eyes flicked over us, assessing. "I trust the journey was... enlightening?"

"You could say that," I muttered, still taking in the absurd circus around us. This wasn’t a throne room—it was a fan fair that had lost its mind.

Sabrina, unbothered by the insanity, sstepped forward and dropped into an exaggerated curtsy. “Your Grace, we are honored to be here! It’s such a beautiful palace, and I’m sure we can be of great assistance in whatever you need.”

Beautiful? Where?

Jeanna leaned over to me, whispering, “If she calls him ‘Your Grace’ one more time, I’m going to throw up.”

The prince raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “You’re from another world, are you? And you believe you’re here for some grand purpose?”

“Oh, absolutely!” Sabrina said, her eyes gleaming. “I’ve read so many stories where characters get transported to a new world and end up saving it from some terrible fate—usually by falling in love with a handsome duke, of course.”

The prince chuckled, casting a glance at me. "And what about you? Do you share her enthusiasm?"

I crossed my arms. "I’m just trying to figure out how to survive in this circus."

“A fair approach,” he said with a nod. “And what about your other friend? The one with the... wandering eyes.”

Jeanna, who had been staring rather openly at one of the palace guards (a very muscular one, I might add), blinked and grinned. “Oh, I’m just here for the scenery. If I’m going to be stuck in a new world, I might as well enjoy the view, right?”

The prince’s expression was unreadable, but I could tell he was holding back laughter. “I see. Well, I’m afraid the reality of this world is not as... whimsical as you might think.” His tone shifted slightly, growing more serious. “There are forces at work in Lunaris that even I don’t fully understand—curses, magic beyond control, and dangers that lurk in every shadow.”

“Sounds like every fantasy novel I’ve ever read,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “Except with less sense and more flying pigs.”

“I assure you,” the prince said, leaning forward, “there are very real threats here. And you may find that your... otherworldly presence complicates matters.”

Before I could ask what he meant by that, a sudden commotion erupted from the far side of the room. A man burst in through the doors, panting and out of breath. His armor was dented, and he looked like he’d just come from a battle.

“Your Grace!” he shouted, his voice echoing through the throne room. “The creatures have breached the southern gate!”

The room fell silent. Sabrina, Jeanna, and I exchanged glances, and I immediately tightened my grip on my trekking pole.

“What creatures?” I asked with a low voice.

The prince stood, his expression grim. “The kind that will test your survival skills, I’m afraid.”

Sabrina, ever the optimist, looked ready to leap into action. “Creatures, huh? Does this mean we’re about to go on our first grand adventure?”

Jeanna, on the other hand, seemed far too excited by the prospect. “Oh, please tell me they’re big, scary, and ridiculously hot.”

I stared at her. “What is wrong with you?”

The prince gestured to the guards. “Prepare the defenses. I want all available soldiers on the front lines.”

“Shouldn’t we be, I don’t know, running?” I asked, already calculating escape routes in my head.

The prince gave me a hard look. “You said you wanted to survive, didn’t you?”

I groaned. Of course, he’d throw that back in my face. “Fine. But don’t blame me when this all goes horribly wrong.”

With that, the palace was thrown into chaos, and we were dragged right along with it. Sabrina was bouncing on her toes, ready for adventure. Jeanna was eyeing every sword-wielding guard that passed by like she was planning her next date. And I... well, I was mentally preparing myself for whatever ridiculous nightmare we were about to face. No one's normal here.

I sighed, feeling the weight of whatever disaster was about to unfold. "Anyway... where’s the kid gone?"

I glanced down at my side, where he had been clutching my hand a moment ago. Now, he was nowhere to be seen. Panic set in as I frantically scanned the room.

"Oh no, did he get swallowed by one of those stupid fountains?" I muttered, eyeing the mermaid statue suspiciously.

Jeanna snorted, nudging me. "Knowing this place, he’s probably off negotiating a peace treaty with the hedgehog in the top hat."

Sabrina gasped, her eyes wide with sudden realization. "Or maybe he's been chosen as the next royal jester! The rubber chickens need a new handler, after all."

"Great," I muttered, rubbing my temples. "I’m babysitting a kid who’s either a diplomatic prodigy or a future chicken-slinger."

 Welcome to Lunaris, where nothing makes sense.