“I see your point.” Arthur chuckled. “The thought of someone like Atreus hunting me is not a pleasant one.”

“If one of the Kidemónes are attacked, their entire Hexaron will show up as well.” Circe said conversationally as they reached the air car. “And that is a level of force that not even the bravest of our enemies wants to rouse. The Kidemónes have their own Eidolon pilots, and they are not known for their mercy or a deficiency of skill.”

Arthur reached the air car first and reached out when he did to open the passenger door, which slid sideways into the car’s framework while he turned to offer Circe his hand. “Allow me, Lion Maiden.” He said with a sly smile. “As your potential attendant knight, this seems like the proper thing to do.”

Circe took his hand with a decidedly amused smile and let him help her into the red leather interior of the car. “My thanks, Ser Magellan.” She replied with sarcasm dripping from every syllable.

Arthur laughed and joined her within the car a moment later.

Perseus and Endymion joined them a moment later, exchanged introductions with the two Lion Guard seated in the driver and front passenger seats—separated by a deployable black screen of opaque glass—and the air car set off moments later.

On its wheels.

“We aren’t flying?” Arthur asked in surprise.

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“We avoid doing so on the island, because we like to keep the airspace restricted. It helps us track traffic coming and going, and it makes it harder for people to target our family.” Circe explained while the car’s engine pushed them along at a muted roar. “My extended family all have quarters within the palace, and with the emphasis on trying to end the main bloodline, it seemed prudent that everyone avoid air travel where possible. With the Island’s seaport and starport both heavily controlled by the local police and Lion Guard both, it makes it a lot safer for us to go everywhere by ground.”

“That makes sense.” Arthur said while examining the red leather interior. “What does it run on? That doesn’t sound electric.”

“Hydrogen.” Circe said with a grin. “Just in case we need to make a quick getaway. It can get up to supersonic speeds in the atmosphere, just in case.”

“Not fast enough to escape a fighter or Eidolon, but fast enough to get away from just about anything else.” Arthur noted with a nod. “I doubt that was cheap.”

“Father has one for every branch family in the palace.” Circe said with a shrug. “He believes safety doesn’t have a price.”

“That’s because you’re starship builder rich.” Arthur responded wryly.

“Well, you’re not wrong.” Circe grinned.

Their journey from the palace to Pallikári took the span of a short half hour, and Arthur was content to spend it in comfortable silence with his companions while perusing the HoloNet on his omni-comp.

He hadn’t really had time to mindlessly scroll through Graecia’s version of the ‘Net since coming to the System, and once he found the memes, he settled in to ‘absorb the culture’ with a grin while they made their way to the town.

If one thing had remained constant through the thousand odd years of human expansion, it was that every human culture—with only a few exceptions—found a way to create and share amusing images and comedic anecdotes.

Arthur suspected the practice would outlive all of them for centuries to come.