𝓐bout three days after the ball - and one day after the picnic brunch - Lea was standing in front of the palace, watching everyone get into cars for the amusement park. There were quite a few late arrivals who hadn't gone to the ball, and she was definitely excited to meet them all. Her outfit for the day was a pretty pink romper, and she'd picked out a sparkly blush-pink eyeshadow to match. She wore pretty gold bangles around her wrists, delicate gold hoop earrings dangled from her ears, and a pair of strappy gold sandals to complete the ensemble.

...𝓟erhaps it was more dressy than strictly necessary, given that the event was supposed to be super casual, but Lea was nothing if not extra.

𝓐s she waited for everyone to get settled, Lea herself scanned the area for Rhia or Ivy - her two besties - and decided that she would ride with them, if she could manage it.

Waking up next to Phillip would never, ever get old - and even though they hadn’t been missing breakfast in favor of other activities for the entire week (honestly, Alejandro thought that it was probably a record for them; an entire week of being present and no more than five minutes late!) thanks to both of them wanting to keep Gen and Imani company during the meal, Alejandro thought that constantly being able to be with Phillip more than made up for it. The two of them were used to keeping a secret, especially after three years of fooling around behind closed doors, and so far, Ameria had been no exception; both of them had been careful not to let anything out of the ordinary slip out.

To be fair, it wasn’t like the two of them were constantly glued to each others’ sides. Alejandro kept Gen company, of course, and he went to Leo for hair advice. And although Alejandro wasn’t avoiding Chris - whatever they had been had ended years ago - he was careful not to come off as overly friendly, the way he might have been with, say, Lea (who he did end up getting to talk to, in the days following the ball).

Alejandro sighed happily, glancing fondly over at the other prince and taking a moment to lean over and kiss his nose, a habit that had started when they first got together. I could get used to this, he mused to himself, waiting for Phillip to wake up.

Phillip stirred.

After nearly a week, he no longer had to orient himself when he woke up. He knew where he was and who he would find curled up next to or even against him. Some mornings, especially if it was early, he would burrow closer to Alejandro and just go back to sleep.

This time he shifted, opening his eyes, and glanced up with a small smile upon finding the other prince already up. “Hello.” He smothered a yawn, reaching out to squeeze one of Alejandro’s hands. “What time is it?”

Alejandro smiled back at him, giving Phillip’s hand a small squeeze in response. “It’s not too late, I think,” he said, twisting around to check his phone. “We don’t have anything until the theme park, at two. It’s only ten right now.”

He turned back to face Phillip again. “We could get food,” he said, his expression a bit wry. “After we get out of bed.”

Phillip looked thoughtful. “What do you say to breakfast in bed?” He pushed up on one arm so that he was at least sitting up a bit. “We’ll see everyone at the park. I could text Gen and ask her to just join us in here.”

“I like that idea,” Alejandro replied, snuggling closer and leaning up so that he could kiss Phillip’s cheek. “Do you think she’s up yet?”

“Probably.” Phillip tilted his head down so that he could give Alejandro a proper kiss, lingering for a moment just because he could. With another small smile, he added, “I’ll see.”

Alejandro made a small, pleased sound when Phillip kissed him, shifting so that they were pressed closer still. It would have been nice to just lie there and kiss some more, but Alejandro didn’t want to keep Gen waiting, so when Phillip drew away, he didn’t initiate anything else. “Sounds good,” he agreed, smiling again.

Phillip shifted to accommodate Alejandro, so that he could use his phone without disturbing the other prince. A quick text to Genevieve later—and then one to Imani, to let her know they would meet her downstairs—and it was settled. Phillip glanced around the room, making sure it was fit for callers, but thanks to Alejandro’s fastidious care, there weren’t any clothes that needed to be picked up or put away.

Gen appeared a few minutes later in leggings and an oversized sweater, making Phillip smile. The weather in Ameria really was not suited to her preferences.

After they’d ordered breakfast from the staff, they sat companionably, talking about the past week and their plans for the park.

“I think I’m going to meet up with Henri, actually,” Gen said, looking only mildly apologetic. “So that he doesn’t have to ride over by himself or with strangers.”

“That’s fine,” Phillip said, unbothered. He was glad Gen and Henri were getting to spend so much time together, even though he suspected it was largely due to some kind of distress on Henri’s part. All Genevieve had said earlier in the week was that he was having a tough time.

Alejandro was delighted to see Gen, of course; the two of them had become friends through Phillip. Spending time with her was always fun.

He nodded along in acknowledgement when Gen said that she was going to ride with Henri. “Oh! But before I forget, Gen, I need to ask your opinion on something.” He cast a glance over to Phillip, and rolled his eyes, smiling teasingly. “Mostly because your brother wears boring clothes so I don’t trust his opinion.”

Alejandro pushed the covers aside and got fully out of bed, heading towards the closet (it was much too small, in Alejandro’s opinion. Which was why he’d converted most of the adjoining living area into closet part two). The hat he was looking for was on one of the shelves lining the wall.

“Do you think I should wear this today? I got it before coming to Ameria. It seemed pretty fitting for the kingdom.” He grinned, and brought the red cowboy hat out with a dramatic flourish, holding it up so that Gen could see the delicate strands of diamonds that dangled from the brim. “I have the perfect earrings to go with this, too,” he added as an afterthought.

Genevieve visibly bit back a smile as she considered the hat while Phillip just shook his head at Ali’s disparaging comments about his appearance. “Just because they don’t have jewels dangling off them does not mean my clothes are boring,” he said.

“It’s very you,” Gen offered. “But do you think it might get uncomfortable, being at the theme park all day? You won’t have anywhere to put it, and if it gets windy or you’re on a ride, those crystals could blow into your face.”

"Yes it does,” Alejandro shot back to Phillip, grinning again before turning back to Gen and giving her a thoughtful look. “I guess that’s true. I’ll save it for something else, then,” he said, putting the hat back into the closet.

“I can’t wait,” Gen said, still with that small, amused smile.

The rest of the meal passed with chatter about the amusement park and guesses what entertainments it might bring—Phillip and Genevieve both were sure it would not be the same as the sort of parks they had in Maris—and, of course, talk about what everyone was wearing. After Phillip gave Gen some gentle teasing about how she was going to manage the Amerian heat—it was common knowledge that she did not bare her legs in public, ever, for any reason—the younger Anders excused herself to go and get ready.

Phillip followed suit, ducking across the hall to his room to change.

After Phillip and Gen left - Phillip promising that he would come right back, after getting dressed - Alejandro set about picking an outfit for the day. He found a nice pair of jeans and a short-sleeved shirt, made of pale turquoise silk and decorated with a white floral design. Then, before Phillip could get back and tell him no, Alejandro found one of his shorter scarves - more of a neckerchief, really - that both of them were familiar with, from the last time they got together. It was a pretty shade of blue that matched his overall outfit, in Alejandro’s opinion.

Phillip was back five minutes later, and Alejandro smiled as he came in wearing a gray v-neck and jeans. “Will you brush my hair, Prince Charming?” he asked playfully, stepping in close to kiss him lightly on the nose before holding out a hairbrush.

“I shouldn’t,” Phillip said, “after you made fun of my clothes.” But he was already smiling and taking the brush. “Go on, sit down.” The scarf, he did not comment on; Alejandro was going to do what he wanted, and complaining only gave him energy.

“I was only stating a fact,” Alejandro answered, shooting Phillip a smug smile as the other prince agreed to it, anyway. Alejandro sat down in front of the vanity, his smile turning fond as he met Phillip’s eyes in the mirror. Phillip started to brush out his hair, and Alejandro savored the feeling of his hands smoothing over his hair, sighing happily.

Phillip relaxed, too, always enjoying the simple intimacy that came from running his hands through Ali’s hair. He brushed it gently and thoroughly, making sure to get all of the little knots and tangles that had formed during sleep.

“Done. I hope it meets your standards,” he teased.

Alejandro ran a hand through his hair and took the brush back from Phillip, setting it back down on the table. “It always does, when it’s you,” he teased back, standing up so that he could give Phillip another quick kiss on the cheek before sitting back down. “I promise, I won’t be more than ten minutes,” he said as he started to put his hair into a French braid, figuring that it would be good to have it out of the way.

After he was done with the braid, Alejandro put on sunscreen (offering some to Phillip in the process) and picked out a pair of dangly earrings. “I’m ready,” he said, giving himself a final once-over in the mirror before hopping up. He took Phillip’s hand and squeezed it gently.

Phillip squeezed back with a smile. “You look good.” Not fit for a day spent entirely outside, maybe, but he’d make sure they both had plenty of time in the shade.

As was his habit, Phillip checked the hall and found it empty—safe for the pair of them to leave Alejandro’s room together without needing explanation, though they had plenty of potential explanations ready, should the need ever arise.

They made it downstairs without incident, stepping into the warm afternoon sun. The two of them got into a car together, only to be surprised last minute by Cass, who slipped into the car with them. The ride over to the park went smoothly, and it wasn't long before the three of them were stepping out into the parking lot of the theme park.

Valentine

Val looked out of the car at the mass of people near the park entrance. She wished desperately that Anton had come -- that would make her feel safer. But she could do this. She had to.

"Are you alright, Valentine?" Ianos asked her. He'd driven her from the Amerian palace but wouldn't be coming in the park with her.

"I'll manage," the young woman told him, praying that she would, in fact, manage. Reluctantly she got out of the car, adjusting the crossbody bag that held her cheaper camera, a water bottle, and other essentials. She'd applied sunscreen back at the palace and a ball cap kept the sun from her eyes as she looked around. She knew all of the royals by sight, having studied names and faces before her arrival, but she didn't really know any of them, with one or two exceptions.

She took a few steps away from the car, and then it hit her. Just how many people there were. How alone she was. The breath caught in her throat and a vague buzzing filled her ears. No, not an anxiety attack. Not now, not in front of all these people. Breathe, Val! she ordered herself. Focus on breathing. You can do that. If she just got past this, the rest of the day would be easy in comparison.

『 H e c t o r 』

“I can’t say how much I appreciate your loyalty.” Hector sighed, mock-wearingly, into the amalgam of metal and glass that rested on the palm of his hand. He would never get used to modern phones. “I might miss you, a little.” A brief, high-pitched sound confirmed his voice message had, indeed, reached its destination. It wasn’t much longer before he reached his own.

Sparing only a glance – and a barely concealed shudder – to the twisted structures that dotted the sky, Hector stepped out of the car as he shoved the cellphone inside his dark jean’s pocket. He considered the people around him for a moment, then decided to unbutton his white shirt – just one button, low enough draw attention to the thin, golden chain wrapped around his neck and the pendant resting in the dip between his clavicles. Its minimalist nature imitated his wristwatch, the sole other accessory in his otherwise monochromatic outfit. Pity the weather – and the occasion, he gently reminded himself – did not care for robes and fur. Images of them getting caught in an accidental twist at high speed were enough to dissuade him from even considering it.

Well, he figured the same could have happened on his way to the amusement park. It did not. Pressing Lea’s wedding gift to his side – an iridescent package of blue and white -, he leaned against the nearest stall, humming to himself. He didn’t know anyone – and that was alright. Perhaps, in time, he’d be able to connect names with faces and rumors. Some of them might even be real.

But for that moment, at least, he waited.

Cass stepped out of the car, she managed to nettle Phillip once or twice on the ride over. But now that she was here she was excited, nothing beat a good old fashion Amerian amusement park. Already her nose was assaulted by the delicious, not to healthy foods in the air. Her heart was already set on the mouth watering funnel cake though.

"You boys need to try this amazing little snack if you haven't before, if you are unsure you can always share just in case one likes it and the other doesn't. After that if you boys want we can hit some rides and have some fun! Maybe I will let one of you win me a stuffed animal or something." She said playfully as she ran a finger down Alejandro's chest. The man was cute, but was a touch to flamboyant for her, still that wouldn't stop her from making a joke or two. She turned and started walking to a stall she noticed sold deep fried goods and began ordering one as she waited for the boys to maybe catch up.

Someone was talking to her. A tall man, dressed in black and gold. Anastasiy of Glavnya, her brain supplied after a long moment. It was busy freaking out that someone had approached -- was bearing witness to her inadequacy. Valentine had to say something, some sort of reply. She gathered her nerve and took a deep breath -- and was promptly interrupted by a second person.

Arseniy, her brain supplied, this time much more quickly. Then it unhelpfully added, The man you have to marry. Val blanched. She wasn't ready to be married, wasn't ready to think about marriage. It's this or Anton, she reminded herself firmly, trying to find a thread of calm in what was rapidly approaching panic.

"I-I--" The sentence got stuck in her throat. Valentine took a deep, deliberate breath and tried again. "I n-need to sit down." It came out squeaky with tension, but at least she'd said it. The three of them made their way over to a clear park bench. It was reassuring, in a way, being flanked by two concerned individuals. They served as a barrier between her and the tides of humanity attending the park.

Once seated, Val pushed out another sentence. "Give me a minute, p-please?" Taking another deep breath, Val focused on a grounding exercise. Four things she could see -- well there was a ferris wheel, and the flags at the gate, and the two men next to her, and the cars in the lot. Three things she could hear? People talking, the music from hidden speakers, and screams from people on a roller coaster nearby. Two things she could feel was easy. The bench was firm beneath her, and the texture of her bag's strap was familiar. One thing she could smell was a little harder, but she thought she could catch a whiff of popcorn and fried foods from inside the park.

Having gone through all that, Val felt a lot calmer, calm enough to make conversation. It would still be an effort, but she owed the two Glavnyans an explanation. "I'm sorry," she started, looking down at her lap. Crowds are hard, sometimes." With a bit more effort she looked at their faces, first Anastasiy, and then Arseniy. "Thank you for keeping me company. I'm Valentine." She didn't need introductions from them, but the routine of it would be reassuring.

After that first evening, the young Hellenican prince had thrown himself into his work. He was going to impress both his family and his hosts with his new political responsibilities and impress he did. He made daily media coverage with his visits and had revelled in his chance to experience the natural beauty available in Ameria. From riding bareback with cowboys to promote prairie re-wilding to working with schools on urban greening projects in the capital, he was suitably distracted during the daytime. It was in the evening that he was distracted.

Staying at the palace, rather than in the city, meant that he was frequently with his fellow royals, especially for dinner and any other evening entertainments. Thankfully, the newly formed Coven (as he had started to fondly refer himself, Cass and Cat as) had kept him suitably distracted, and plied with spirits for a few of the evenings. He’d obviously spent time with Leo and had even spent an evening exploring the library in the company of Erik, whom he found far warmer than Belle’s words suggested. He’d successfully avoided Henri, but upsettingly by proxy also Gen - seemingly his shadow after that initial evening. He’d had friendly conversations with everyone else including Ali and Phillip. There was definitely something going on there with the way they looked at one another. Ali treated Chris as though they were mere acquaintances - apparently, childhood best friends and then years of learning every inch of one another’s bodies meant nothing. Of course, Chris wasn’t expecting their ‘thing’ to continue forever, neither of them felt anything romantic about the other. But to be introduced to others as yet another political figure and with little more warmth than being a distant cousin really stung. As for Phillip, well… If Phillip were, in fact, that way inclined, he’d definitely have to catch him for a chat soon - one without the eyes and ears of half the ruling elite.

Fresh from his morning swim, Chris had spent far too long deciding on an outfit. Being from the Mediterranean, he was more than comfortable with the heat but had never been to any Amerian theme parks before. He’d been to many festivals, many times - even Fyre, but he doesn’t mention that and was so glad to have not promoted it on his social media. He’d been to many theme parks and loved rides - the bigger the better. And his country hosted many regattas, traditional festivals and sporting events. But he’d never been to a theme park as an official royal event! He settled on a simple black and neutral outfit in the end and hurried downstairs. He asked an aide to take his photo in the palace garden and noticing a twitching curtain or two as headed toward the SUVs. He was not about to suggest political preference in front of those spying old fogeys, so on seeing the line of SUVs he decided on diplomacy and slide into the back of an empty car. So he settled in the comfort of the AC chilled car and set on deciding a filter and comment for that photo …

As his phone vibrated with Leo’s Whatsapp, Chrisleant of the car and wolf-whistled her with a huge grin on his face. “Kalá geia ómorfi!” he called as he opened the door for her, “Get in loser, we’re going shopping” he quoted with a smile. Their journey passed with selfies and them both quizzing the other about the previous couple of days when they hadn’t actually seen one another. Chris grilled Leo on the media, the Prince of Estil and Imani, her only response being that: the tabloids were stupid, that her mother was calling her non-stop about said tabloids. Whilst unconvinced, he was unable to press further as he faced his own barrage of questions about avoiding Henri (Leo had stopped dragging the conversation as soon as she saw discomfort in Chris), the lingering distance of Alejandro and his suspicions about Phillip. He had nothing to add about the former, but couldn’t help but think about the possibility of awkwardness at this second arranged activity. The latter, however, was still playing on his mind…

Yeah, they’d slept together. But they’d both agreed that feelings were not involved and Chris had accepted that one day their physical relationship would end. He had not thought that it would come at the cost of severing their friendship at the same time. A childhood of memories built together and all seemingly for nothing. Maybe Ali just couldn’t separate the two like him and that was the reason he was so distant? Or was Chris himself not hiding his hurt as well as he thought and Ali thought he was upset at their fooling around coming to an end…? Eurgh… why was it all so fucked up? And what was going on with Ali and Phillip? If they were a thing, was it Phillip who didn’t like how close they had been and so was causing the rift? He blurted this all out to his best friend, but they had arrived at the theme park and his door was opened for him.

”Don’t forget,” Leo had gently squeezed his hand and looked at him with a smile, ”You always got me. No matter what.”

“Forever and always.” he replied with a smile.

He offered Leo his arm and they walked into the park to find the others, eyeing up the tallest coaster with a grin. Emotional drama from the last week set aside, he was determined to have a good time today.

Ivelynne smiled as she checked herself in the mirror. She had decided on a simple, yet elegant dark blue, floral dress combined with a rose themed blue necklace, earrings, and some simple matching dark blue heels. She knew she didn't need to dress too impress here, but Ivy knew Lea wasn't about to dress boring and she was happy to compete in fashion a little, although the other girl tended to be...braver than Ivy could be. Regardless, it let her try things she wouldn't otherwise be able to and let her use some of her favorites too, and that was fun!

She left her room and headed to the Palace entrance, spotting Lea waiting outside before she was caught herself. She decided to take another route to sneak up on her. She quietly exited the crowd and took a detour to reach Lea from behind, somhow managing to be quiet in heels as she snuck around. She supposed she had the roar of people to thank for that.

As Ivy got closer to her she got a little quicker before pouncing on her, wrapping her arms around Lea to give her a hug and smooch her on the cheek, "uwu What's dwis? Is it my bweautiful bwest fwiend? Hewwo~ <3" she giggled, and hugged the woman tighter. "Kept you waiting, huh?" she said in her deepest voice, which was not deep at all, "Sorry I couldn't get here yesterday! I had a charity stream and just couldn't forgive myself if I missed it!"

Rhia checked her makeup one last time in the mirror, and ran a hand over her blue-jean clad hips. She'd gone with minimial jewelry, and her plastic studs matched the floral accents on her yellow tunic top. A similarly colored floral scarf served as a headband, and sneakers rounded out her wardrobe for the day. A casual outfit, but still stylish.

Rhia rode with Lea and Ivy to the park, happy to spend some time with her cousins, but as soon as she was out of the car she bid the girls farewell for the moment and headed for Chris and Leo. "Hey you two~" she called, catching up easily. "Ready to hit the rides?" Rhia grinned wide at her friends, hoping they both were game. "Sorry I missed the first event, but I had this negotiation I had to be a part of -- you know how it goes. I'm here now, though, and ready to have fun. I know my way around the park, but I've got a map too, in case there's anything specific you guys wanna hit." She held up a worn brochure, probably from her last visit to the amusement park.

Anastasiy had similar problems? Valentine found that hard to believe, and yet something about his manner, his lack of confidence in sharing, told her that maybe she was wrong. Other people had problems too, even royalty. She had to remember that.

"It's a pleasure to meet both of you," she said, finding enough courage to give them a small smile. Her own accent was light, just a gentle shaping of vowels and the occasional consonant, a result of learning English as a young girl and using it often online. "Ah...I'm here on my own...so would it be alright if I joined you two for the day, or at least part of it?" Valentine wanted to get to know the pair better, especially Arseniy. If she was to marry the man, she wanted to know more about him and what he was like. And perhaps, if his brother had issues with crowds as well, her first impression wasn't as disastrous as she felt it to be. "I've never been to a big park like this before...."