"We're truly grateful for your help," Aylin said, her face lighting up with a warm smile.

Eren gave a flirtatious chuckle. "It's our duty to assist beautiful maidens like yourself. No need to thank us."

Aylin's smile never wavered. "You're quite the charming prince, aren't you, Eren?"

Elina watched the exchange, her brow furrowing in suspicion. He's definitely up to something.

Their conversation continued, but Elina's attention turned to a dusty cabinet in the corner of the room. She wandered over, pulling open the doors to reveal a few scattered items and a thick layer of dust. But one thing caught her eye - an old diary. She pulled it out, blowing off the dust. Iris appeared at her side, peering at the diary.

"Find something interesting?" Iris asked.

Elina nodded. "This diary was in the cabinet."

The three princes had wandered off, leaving the girls alone. Elina opened the diary, and the others crowded around her. The pages were filled with writing, but it was in a language they couldn't understand.

"This is gibberish," Aylin said, frustration creeping into her voice. "I don't recognize the language at all."

"We should take it back to my kingdom," Elina suggested. "Maybe we can find someone to translate it."

But Iris had a better idea. "Let's take it to my kingdom instead. I know a scholar who's an expert in ancient languages. He might be able to help us."

"Sounds like a plan," Aylin agreed. "I wasn't planning to head back to my kingdom yet anyway."

"Me neither," Harlin chimed in. "This is getting interesting."

The girls made their way to the balcony, each pulling a small whistle from a bracelet. They blew the whistles, and moments later, their cockatoos swooped in, landing on their arms.

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Iris spoke to her bird first. "Spears, listen. Tell Mom and Dad that Elina, Harlin, and Aylin are coming back with me. Have everything ready."

Spears squawked in response, "Got it, got it."

"Great, off you go then," Iris said, watching as Spears took to the skies. The other birds followed, flying back to their respective kingdoms.

"Well, shall we get going?" Aylin asked, turning back to the others.

"Yes, let's do this!" Harlin exclaimed, always up for an adventure.

They made their way downstairs, finding Zen lounging on a couch. "We're heading out," Elina told him, bowing her head. "Thank you for your hospitality, and again, we apologize for intruding."

Iris added, "Yes, thank you so much for your help."

But before Zen could respond, Eren came bounding down the stairs. "What's this I hear? You're leaving?"

Aylin rolled her eyes. Drama king. "Yes, we are."

Eren looked crestfallen. "But I thought we'd have a night of revelry. Getting to know each other better."

Aylin's eyes went wide. "Uh, I don't think so."

Eren kept pressing. "You should stay the night. We'll prepare the royal palace for you."

Elina was taken aback. "We couldn't impose."

Eren huffed, throwing himself onto the couch. "Fine, be that way. I'll just spend the night alone then. Feel free to come back another time."

Erwin smirked at his brother's antics. "Would you like an escort?"

Eren waved a hand. "No, no. Go, go. Abandon me."

Elina just laughed. "We'll see you again, Eren. Take care."

With that, the girls made their way out of the castle, mounting their horses. They set off through the jungle, the dense foliage closing in around them.

After a while, Aylin suggested, "Let's take a break. We've got plenty of daylight left."

They dismounted, letting their horses graze as they walked to the river to splash some water on their faces. Suddenly, the sound of hooves echoed through the air. Iris gasped, "Dorothy!" Her horse was taking off, and Iris was hot on her heels, her skirt flying behind her. She finally caught up to the horse, but before she could grab the reins, Dorothy took off again. Just as Iris was about to chase after her, a figure leapt from a tree, landing gracefully on Dorothy's back. He reached forward, grabbing the reins and bringing the horse to a stop. Iris watched, stunned, as the boy slid off the horse. He turned to her, pushing back his hood...

"I...thank you for stopping her," Iris managed to stammer.

The boy gave a short nod. "You're welcome."

But as he turned to leave, Iris's eyes landed on the hilt of his sword. Engraved on it was the word "Wistaria". Her heart skipped a beat as she drew her own sword, pressing the tip to his throat.

"Who are you? Why do you carry the royal sword of Wistaria?"

The boy spun to face her, a surprised look on his face. But in a swift move, he'd flipped the sword, pressing it against her neck. Iris gasped, realizing too late how quick he was. He released her, stepping back as he pushed back his hood.

"I carry the royal sword for the same reason you do," he told her, a smirk playing on his lips. "I'm Austin Wistaria, the fourth prince of Wistaria."

Iris felt like she'd been punched in the gut. Another prince?!

But before she could react, she heard the sound of her friends approaching. "Iris, where are you?" Elina called.

Iris found her voice, shouting back, "Over here!"

Moments later, Elina, Harlin, and Aylin came running into the clearing. They skidded to a stop at the sight before them. "Who's this?" Elina asked, eyes fixed on the boy.

Iris still felt stunned. "This is...Austin Wistaria. The fourth prince of Wistaria."

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