"Wow," Was the first word Neon muttered as soon as Akim brought them to their room. It was large, larger than their rooms at home. What could they do with all this space? Oh he knew, they could play ball in here! 

"Don't even think about that," Allen told him as if he knew what Neon had been thinking about. 

"Could you give Neon a break?" Ailee scolded her brother who's always picking on Neon. 

There were about three canopy beds diagonal to each other and from their colors, the kids respectively claimed theirs. 

"Wow, yellow is my favorite color," Neon was enthusiastic and hopped on the bed. 

"How did you guys know I love purple?!" Ailee was delirious with Joy, jumping onto the bed as well.

"Yeah! Blue!" Allen didn't sound as enthusiastic as the others. Blue wasn't really his thing? Well, until now. Neon's yellow suddenly seemed much appealing - Allen was fickle. 

Akim said, "My mother asked your mother about your favorite colors and aunt Reina told her. It was a battle keeping the secret from you guys, that's why I couldn't wait to show you your room," the boy added instantly, "And could you stop jumping on the bed, you're not wild animals but humans!" 

"What happened to you, Akim?" Ailee clicked her tongues, "You can't even have fun anymore? What's the fun of having a really bouncy bed if you can't jump on it? " 

"Proprietary happened," Allen taunted him.

"More like he forgot how to have fun," Neon said instead, "He must have been quite lonely here with no one to have fun he buried himself into his responsibilities," Neon stared at Akim and smiled wryly, "I know what it's like to be lonely,"

For a moment, there was silence as a mutual understanding passed between Akim and Neon. It was at that time that the both of them finally clicked, they were going to be best of friends.

"Is someone thinking what I'm thinking?" Ailee broke the silence, her eyes lit with mischief. A mischief Akim recognized and retreated but Ailee grabbed his arm at once and dragged him onto the bed.

"I can't do this!" Akim told Ailee who had already begun to jump.

"Yes, you can! Just jump!" She encouraged him.

With a deep breath, Akim closed his eyes and jumped, expecting an imaginary to claw at him but instead, all he felt was a liberating experience. It felt good?

Then he began to jump more constantly and higher. It was fun. Was this what he had been missing out on?

"How do you feel?!" Ailee shouted above her voice amid her jumping. 

"I feel free! Better than earlier even though I'm beginning to feel dizzy," At once, Akim fell to the bed with a laugh. His world was swirling and his heart was pounding really hard yet it was a good sensation. He was alive. 

He closed his eyes and wanted to relish the feeling as long as it lasted when he heard gasps from behind.

"What is it this time?" Allen asked, surprised when Neon began to search his body.

"My locket, it's gone," Neon jumped down from the bed, searching frantically.

"Your locket," Ailee glanced up, alert. It was a locket containing a picture of Neon and his mother - his real mother, Jennifer. Neon always wore it around, until now. His neck was bare.

"Do you remember when last you had it?" Ailee went over to his bed to help him.

Neon thought over it, "I had it till we arrived at the palace,"

"How can you be so sure?" Allen hinted that he was dumb.

Ailee hissed at her brother as a warning.

Neon searched his bed, "It's not here," then it hit him, "I must have lost it in the hallways,"

"Neon, wait up!"

Before anyone could stop him, the boy had zoomed out of the room and hightailed it to the hallway.

The passage was long and never seem to end but Neon was not ready to give up. That locket was the only connection left between him and his mother, and he was not ready to lose it.

Hence, the boy was so immersed in his search that he didn't notice he bumped into someone the phone slipped from the man's hands and fell to the ground. Thankfully, it didn't break, Neon was relieved. Else mom Reina would think he had begun to break things few hours to his arrival - he hated to disappoint her. 

"You kid, watch it!" the man barked at Neon before he even had the chance to apologize. 

Neon was startled so he hurriedly apologized, "I'm sorry, sir," He didn't want to cause any trouble. 

So to make up for his mistakes, Neon bent and helped him pick the phone. He was chatting with someone, it seems, but he didn't put it much thought and stood, only for the phone to be snatched out of his grip immediately. 

Huh? This man didn't seem as nice as the others he had met so far in Lincolnshire. He had to leave such a bad-tempered man, Neon decided. However, the boy never expected that the man would ask him, "Did you see it?" in a not-so-friendly tone. 

"See what?" Neon was confused and suddenly terrified of the man. Why was he staring at her that way? Was he supposed to see something? God, his eyes were even more terrifying, he felt like peeing in his pant. What did he do wrong, boohoo. 

"Neon!" he heard Ailee call his name and the boy had never been so relieved. 

Sensing that he had friends, that scary man who had tried to corner him backed away at once. 

"Prince Akim," Lord Albert said, as soon as his eyes rested on the young boy alongside other kids he couldn't identify. But he sensed they must be important kids for the prince to be associated with them. Above all, they were close with that strange boy he has come to know as Neon. 

"Lord Albert, what brings you here?" Akim asked, his eyes flickering over to Neon who almost seemed frightened. Did Lord Albert bully him? It was likely since Neon was new and was not to wonder about the palace's hallway. 

"Just went to see your grandma the queen as usual when I bumped into your little friend," He said, adding more emphasis on "little friend" 

Neon stiffened when his eyes met with that old woman but Ailee shouted at that moment, "Found it!" 

She picked up his locket and Neon forgot all about the scary Lord, focused on the necklace. 

Hmmm, seems he knows nothing, Lord Albert noticed the boy was quite dumb. He had been worried over nothing. Thankfully, it wasn't Akim who saw that message else he would be beheaded by now. 

But then, Fiona was right, they would always remain under the queen to survive. Unless they changed that. 

"I'll be taking my leave now, your highness," Lord Albert waved his sleeve and walked away, Akim and Allen watching till he was gone. 

"I don't like that man," Allen pointed out 

"Why?" Akim asked him, intrigued. 

"My nose keeps twitching. He smells like trouble." 

---------

Bless this shameless author with your golden ticket 🎫