Harper POV

I sat on the couch, a thick book propped open in my lap, and Lisa nestled comfortably in my arm. She leaned against me, her small hands tracing the pictures as I read aloud. Her wide eyes flicked between the pages, absorbing every detail like a sponge. Moments like this made the chaos of the world seem so distant, and I cherished them.

Ramona was nearby, sitting in the armchair with a cup of tea in her hands.

"Are you two worried about Mr. Lucas?" Lisa asked.

"Of course, I worry. But this is his job. It's what he's good at, and he's needed out there. He wouldn't be Lucas if he just stayed behind. It's not always easy, but I've learned to trust him. He's strong, and he knows what he's doing."

"Do you two miss him already?"

"Of course we do, with a husband like Lucas, not seeing him for even a day would make you worry for him."

The urgent summon from Queen Bramblewood had to be terrifying. Urgent calls like that never came with good news. It was probably dangerous, maybe even life-threatening, but I was surprised at how calm I felt about it. The thought of him heading straight into potential danger made my chest tighten a little, but I didn't worry too much. I hoped this wasn't as bad as it sounded.

Let's hope he doesn't get along too well with his exes. I trust him, but that doesn't extend to those girls.

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Lucas POV

"So, talk." Riley said as we got to our room.

"What do you want to know?" I asked as I dropped off my bag and sorted through the clothes that were included in the room.

Our room was a two-bedroom suite, fully equipped with everything we needed. Security and servants were stationed outside at all times, ready to provide any service we desired, whether it was food, drinks, massages, or anything else we could think of.

"You and the queen? I thought you were all buddy-buddy with the princess." She said, "Do your wives know?"

"Yeah, of course, they know. I was close with both her eldest daughter and her...and may have slept with both."

"Does the queen know?"

"Why wouldn't she? It might...have been at the same time."

"I knew that you were bold, but this is something else."

"It's not something to be proud of."

"So why didn't it work out?"

"Our lives are just way too different from each other, that's it."

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"You still like her?"

"Nah, anything romance outside of my wives just doesn't exist in my head anymore. It's a good thing really, my wives wouldn't marry the old me."

"Yeah, your old self is the type of guy who'd be a good friend, but a terrible romantic partner. It's why I never introduced anyone to you."

"Thank you. Mona taught me a lot of things."

"Like what? Telling women that you want to date them both at the same time and it working out somehow?"

"Hey, your mother has 6 husbands."

"Don't bring her into this, besides, she's still a good mother."

"Should I bring up your love life? Timmy? Really?"

"Hey, he's kind and smart."

"He was also into-"

"Let's not bring that up."

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The next day, the city bustled with its usual energy, but my focus was elsewhere. Walking through the streets of the elf kingdom, I couldn't help but appreciate the anonymity as I could walk around maskless and not get recognized. The mask I wore, initially a necessity after surviving a gas attack, had become a part of my identity. No one recognized me without it, and that suited me just fine. Didn't help that I usually went around using only nicknames.

I asked around, stopping by shops and speaking with locals who seemed willing to chat. I tried using Bell's name directly, even in the case of missing children, but the lead turned up empty. No one knew anything about Bell's whereabouts or his recent actions. Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Riley, however, wasn't as patient. She sighed heavily, brushing her hair back as we walked toward the royal palace once we got back.

"I don't get it. You'd think there'd be something. How does someone like Bell go unnoticed?" she exclaimed.

"Well, at least they got every other people out there investigating too, something will come up."

We passed through the palace gates, the guards recognizing us and waving us through without question. We then decided to skip dinner and just go around and explore the place. Talking with the guards and staff seemed like the next logical step. Most were polite but offered nothing new. A few were more chatty, but their words didn't amount to much. Bell's name brought uneasy glances, but no concrete answers.

As we rounded a corner near the royal gardens, I was so lost in thought that I didn't notice someone stepping into my path until it was too late. We collided, and I stumbled back slightly, my hand instinctively reaching for balance.

"Apologies." I said quickly, looking up to see Fiona.

Friona Bramblewood is the eldest princess, she has bright orange hair and her mother's green eyes.

"Lucas, you're here." she said, "How's the investigation going?"

"Not well...what are the chances that he's working with someone higher-up? The politicians, advisors, or whatever position the nobles chose."

"It could be, I can reach out to some and let you in."

"As much as I appreciate that, it won't work, they'll know to hide evidence...besides, didn't my mother grant you full authority, you wouldn't need me for this stuff."

"What about creating a trap? There is a pattern." Fiona commented, "Bell prefers teenagers. We can lure him to a spot of your choosing, but

"Yeah, we thought about that, but we'd rather not endanger any lives right now."

"Then what about examining the bodies of his dead wife and child?"

"We are planning to do that tomorrow."

There was an awkward silence before Fiona broke the ice.

"...How's your new married life?" she asked.

"Well. They're very lovely."

"I should have pursued you harder...but it is what it is, and I've moved on. So, um, bye for now."

Fiona's sudden change in topic left me blinking in surprise. She was clearly uncomfortable lingering on anything grim, but something about her abruptness felt...off. Her lips curled into a polite smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. I could tell she wanted to flee the conversation as quickly as possible. However, she's also not the type to even talk about such a topic in the first place.

And just like that, she left. It was so abrupt, so rushed, that it left a strange taste in my mouth. I watched her retreating figure, my mind turning over the odd exchange. Fiona wasn't one to leave a confession hanging like that, nor was she the type to end a conversation without offering something more.

The talk felt too short, too incomplete, as though she'd deliberately cut herself off. Either she's real uncomfortable around me or she knows something.