For the first time in many months, the second prince of Remno woke up in his own bed, in his own room. He lay awake on his back with his sheets pulled over his head, sunlight bleeding through the weaves of fabric— he knew that it was well past mid-morning in his home.

His home was not a place of warmth, not a place of safety. The young prince's heart was filled with an aching feeling of dread. Home was the place where he watched helplessly as the women around him were treated as something less than human. Home was the place where he was never good enough.

Home was a place of shame.

I have tried to better myself to become worthy of her. I have tried. I really have tried. But, the distance is too great. She is The Great Sage, The Great Saint —a goddess—and I am the second prince of an evil king in this unholy kingdom. I have to protect her, but I don't even understand what is even going on.

He could hear light footsteps approaching his bed and then a change in light around him. The owner of the footsteps had decided to take a seat on his bed.

"Wake up sleepyhead!"

Abel pulled the covers off of his face but did not sit up.

"Oh, it's you, Clarissa."

She stared down at her little brother, "You sound disappointed. Who did you think it would be? Miiiiiiii-a?" Clarissa ended her teasing with a gentle giggle.

"No, I am happy to see you. It's just that yesterday caught me a bit by surprise."

"Yes, it is a bit different, but that's good isn't it ?"

"But, it's not real is it?"

"Well, it's real right now! And. I am going to enjoy it—and speaking of enjoyment—why didn't you tell me about you and Princess Mia?"

"I did, didn't I? I mean, I kept telling you how wonderful she is, and I was spending all of my time with her..."

"But, Princess Mia is that wonderful. I could have said everything that you did about her—heck, I do say even more—and I'm not dating her!"

"Well, I had thought I needed to keep Prince Sion away from Mia, but I guess I should worry about you too!" Abel chuckled.

"You laugh, but if I thought I had a chance... Does Mother and His Majesty know?"

"Well, I thought they knew, but I tell them less than I tell you."

"They don't know! That's wonderful! You can't tell them! Especially His Majesty!"

"Okay, but..."

"I am begging you..."

"Okay... Anyway, why are you here so early in the morning?"

"Breakfast! I forgot—Family Breakfast! Hurry up! We are already late!"

"Family breakfast? We don't eat breakfast as a family."

"Just hurry up! Do you think that Princess Mia would just ever sit around lazing in bed all day?"

"No," Abel answered in an embarrassed voice.

"Well then? Get moving!"

Yes, Abel, get moving! And, with that thought, the young prince got himself out of bed and made his way to 'Family Breakfast'—whatever that was...

*****

Abel and Clarissa entered the dining room to find the King and queen, Mia, Anne, and Gain already seated. Pancakes, fruits, and pastries were stacked high on the table.

Before Abel even took his seat he asked, "Why is everyone here? And, why isn't anyone eating?"

"We can't start until everyone is seated. That is basic manners, dear!"

queen Claudia was proud of herself for getting Gain and the King to practice 'basic manners,' mostly because the King had never had to wait for anyone in his life, and she actually did want Gain to be more polite—(after ten years of being the King's protege, Gain had acquired the manners of a spoiled toddler)—but, more than anything, it was fun torturing the older Remno men a little. Of course, the queen had no idea that the guest of honor was collateral damage in her war with the men...

Mia had spent three years in prison, experiencing all types of torture; she had also experienced severe hunger. But this was different—to be hungry, and to have beautiful mountains of food sitting in front of her —begging to be eaten, but to be prohibited due to some arbitrary social convention... it was just unbearable! And, to make matters worse, it was because her beloved Abel had decided to sleep in! She noticed Gain looking at Abel with a Death Glare—and Mia completely understood where Gain was coming from! If I showed up on time for family breakfast every morning, only to have to wait on my sleepyhead of a little brother to get out of bed—I would have probably grown up hating Abel, too! —well, maybe not 'hate'—Abel is much too wonderful and beautiful to hate... All of this waiting for Abel to get up for breakfast had given Mia new insight into the rivalry between the brothers, and she was quickly coming to the conclusion that all of the ill will may not have been Gain's fault.

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It is time to note here what should be obvious, that until this fateful morning, 'Family Breakfast' at the Remno's was not a 'thing.' The King was served food by princess Clarissa and queen Claudia when the King was hungry. By the King's order, the queen and princess would eat whatever was leftover when the men were finished (although Abel pretty much always found a way to dodge this rule, and even Gain would secretly sneak a meal in with his sister, whenever he had a chance). At any rate, 'family breakfast' was a fabrication, created for the benefit of the person who it wounded the most, Princess Mia.

Also, in case anyone is as confused —Mia wasn't imagining the Death Glare on the First Prince's face—she was just off on the its target by a little bit.

Still, with a 'clearer view' of the source of the hostility between the brothers formed in her mind—she strengthened her resolve—I will get these brothers to be friends.

While Mia was predictably completely misreading the situation, Abel took one look at his brother and a chill ran up his spine. That look on Gain's face—I've never seen anything like it before—such raw hatred. I have to keep her away from him—he's going to kill her!

"Abel. Abel! Snap out of it! Please pass the Trypel syrup, the pancakes are getting cold!", what little patience Mia had left completely evaporated. Abel is just not understanding the seriousness of the situation!—this may be harder than I thought.

After Mia had gotten her pancakes properly syruped and had a few bites, she was in the proper mood for conversation.

"King and queen Remno, thank you for allowing me to visit, and thank you for inviting me to your family breakfast—this is delicious!"

"You are welcome," queen Claudia flashed a motherly smile while trying to conceal her giddiness. She still despised the King, but, whatever her motives for calling her little charade, there was an undeniable warmth to eating together as a family. Her children were having a meal together—and her youngest had even brought his girlfriend home.

Yes, Claudia had noticed that Abel had a girlfriend. Unlike her cloistered daughter, she had actually grown up in a house with a mother and father that loved each other—remembering how her father's face would light up whenever her mother would enter a room, made it impossible to not notice the same affection radiating from her own son. It had been well over twenty years, but the moment that Mia took Abel's hand when exiting the carriage, she had known that the youngest child of Remno had found love. "We are honored to have you visit us."

"Princess Mia, is there anything you would like to do today?" Clarissa asked, fishing for a reason to spend time with her idol.

"Well, I would normally just ask the hosts what they want to do. But, after such a lovely breakfast, I would really like to get some exercise in."

"Exercise? What do you usually do for exercise?"

"Well, I enjoy dancing and riding horses?"

"That's right, Abel told me you are a marvelous rider!"

"Well, I do enjoy it. Anne and I ride almost every morning."

"Anne, you ride too?"

"Yes, I have to! I have sworn to do everything I can to keep the Princess safe. So that means being able to keep up with Her Majesty in every situation."

"I am so jealous! I wish I could ride!"

"Well, why don't you?"

"I'm a wo—I never learned"

"So, why don't the five of us go out today." Mia looked towards the King. "Your Majesty, would you have horses available?"

"You are in Remno, Princess, we always have horses ready—Clarissa can ride Shadowspear—she's young, but should be easy to ride. Abel can take you to the Royal Stables, you can pick out any horse you like there.

Clarissa's face lit up, "Really! Oh, but I need to be back in the afternoon—I have council business."

Abel patted his sister's hand, "Don't worry, we won't let you miss your time with the council. Mia, why don't you explain some riding basics to Clarissa in the parlor before we get started, Anne and I can get the horses ready. We will meet the three of you at the gates."

"Oh! I am so excited! Thanks, Abel!"

Abel met Anne outside the dining hall, both sharing a somber expression.

"Anne, you saw that, didn't you?"

"The Death Glare? How could anyone miss it?"

"Well, Mia believes she can save Gain. We have to keep Mia away from him!"

Of course, Mia was already convinced that Gain was a pretty good guy. Her current plan was to get the brothers close together, so they could reconcile. Abel continued to misread Mia's intentions,

"I am sure that she had this riding outing is part of a scheme to get close to him."

"He will kill her! We need a plan... you stay with Mia, and I will keep Gain at a distance."

"Will you be safe? I don't want you to get hurt, either!"

"I will be fine, riding is not the only skill I've acquired to protect Mia. But do you know anything about your brother that I can use? He doesn't seem that sharp—if I know his buttons, maybe I can push him where I want him to go."

"Anne, I am surprised—I didn't think you..."

"Mia is the most important person in my life. I have sworn to protect her—do you have anything that I can use?"

"Well, Gain hates women, he hates to lose, and he's a terrible person."

"Okay, it's not much, but can work with that. Now you just do your part and push Mia away from Gain. I will be back in a minute, I just need to change into riding clothes.

During the entirety of their conversation, Abel kept finding himself drawn to Anne's eyes. This was not polite eye contact—there was a fierceness of purpose in her eyes that he had never noticed before. He had known Anne for years—he knew that she loved Mia, but it never occurred to him just how much she loved her—the most important person in her life, she has sworn to protect her—those did not sound like words of a maid— and it was not just what she had said—it was how she had said the words—a determination, a fierceness. Even when Sion had tried to challenge himself for Mia's affections, he had never come close to that level of passion—if he had...