Evander had a plan. He would manipulate the situation and do all that he could to weave their paths into each other and ensure that Jarek and Patrice spent a lot of time together. The first was dinner.

Jarek was expecting an ordinary night where he'd eat his dinner then rest by the fire in his chambers. Instead, he had a state dinner inflicted upon him. To make it worse, Jarek knew that his brother was up to no good. He knew that because the other kings were in his formal parlour enjoying canapes. Half an hour ago, they were in their own worlds and this dinner was not in his diary.

Currently, they were discussing the reports of the aftermath of the human war and what was going on. Jarek hadn't visited the watchers building to receive his daily briefing. It seemed almost pointless considering that he'd been on Earth a few hours ago. He remembered that a few hours for him was quite a lot of time for the humans. Jarek's lips pressed tight as he looked out the window to the watchers building.

"I really should receive the briefing."

"Nonsense," Sander exclaimed. "All is going as we would expect it to. This is why we all have watchers, old friend. You do not need to worry about the Earth for a while. Concentrate on your guest and finding a path to her arms."

"I have other matters to attend to."

The four kings exchanged glances, then turned to the young prince. Evander rolled his eyes and ignored the statement.

Things would change, whether Jarek liked it or not.

"Don't be ridiculous." Brogan chided. "All political matters are placed on hiatus in such times."

"No," Jarek replied firmly. "I will not delay any advancement of my world."

"Then you'd better get on with your romantic pursuit of Patrice."

Brogan squared off against the mighty elf king, waiting for him to say something more. The tension ended abruptly when Zakiel chuckled.

"Awoo," he crooned, pushing the elf king out of his way. "What a fine creature you are."

Patrice was swept around as Zakiel drew her into the room. Her head spun for a moment, then she blushed with an embarrassed smile.

"You mock me," she whispered.

"I do not. I know a pretty lady when I see one. Now, be careful, won't you? I'd hate to see you slip on the drool that Jarek has flooded the floor with."

Lacing her arm into his, Zakiel guided Patrice into the parlour to join their conversation. Zakiel kept a firm grip on her, staring with defiance at Jarek. The mocking smile he gave told the king that he was a fool, and Zakiel would gladly steal the lovely Patrice from him.

Jarek didn't want to look in her direction. He didn't want to see any part of her. Not the new dress or how the blush pink complimented her fair skin. Not the expensive lace that sat against her delicate decolletage.

Patrice adored the sweet pink dress. She'd never seen such a fine garment and knew that it had to be incredibly expensive. The lace alone was surely worth a fortune. It was a long dress, the embroidered skirt swept over the floor and made of the softest material she'd ever felt. Even the low neckline was admired by Patrice, which she thought was a bit odd considering she usually found them to be scandalous. The lace offered a little more coverage. For that, she was grateful.

Jarek knew the games his brother played. He showed off how stunning she could be but failed to realise that there was more to this than how she looked. The fact that they grated against each other was enough to tell him that this would not be an easy path. As much as it pained him to think it, Jarek knew that there was only one way that he could move.

The conversation flowed between his brother, the kings and Patrice.

Jarek watched, remaining quiet. The observations were focused but discreet. At least, he hoped they were.

Drinking her in, taking note of every little feature. When she spoke, Jarek listened. It was going well until her gaze met his. Jarek watched a soft tinge of pink flush her cheeks as she looked away.

Sander asked her something, and Patrice smiled. Jarek never felt so obsessed in his entire life.

Putting the glass down on the table, he muttered about dinner and stormed off. Evander watched with narrowed eyes.

"This is getting beyond a joke."

"Agreed," Sander responded. "Time to raise the stakes, my friend."

The pair turned, sensing the need to discuss tactics in private.

"What do you propose?"

"There are only so many dinners that he will accept before we are thrown out with the statement that we are trying to shine a bad light on him or something that ridiculous. I'd be more inclined to go with a ball or something that lavish. Turn up the heat on them and let the mood carry them away."

Evander considered it an interesting move. Jarek wasn't a fan of balls but had them because Adella liked them. Now that she was gone, he'd have to find an excuse. Otherwise, Jarek would refuse his suggestion.

"It's a risk inviting the female population, though. Once they learn that Jarek is no longer with Adella, he will be a prime target for all of them."

"There is an easy solution to this. Announce that the ball is to celebrate their engagement. Neither of them will like it, but it will ensure that they are bound to a certain view. If they are forced into each other's arms for an entire night of dancing and festivities, then it will only be a matter of time before other things happen."

Evander loved the idea, smiling supremely.

"It is done. The summer solstice is almost here. I'm sure the short notice will be daunting for many, but they will make an effort to be here."

"Everyone likes to find favour with their king."

One of the servants appeared at the door. Dinner was ready. Jarek loomed behind the servant, startling him when he turned. Ignoring the servant, Jarek began to turn. His eyes caught sight of Patrice. She was talking to Evander and Jarek felt something that he'd never encountered before. Jealousy.

His eyes narrowed as he watched them talk. Something funny was said and Patrice laughed.

Jarek's fists tightened at his side as he watched the interaction. Brogan caught sight of the growing anger, giving Zakiel a gentle flick of his head. The werewolf king turned, taking the view in for a few seconds.

Deciding that a bit of push was needed, Zakiel walked to the door. Jarek's hands loosened as his friend approached.

"Better get on with it. You might miss out completely if Patrice falls for Evander and not you."

The remaining three kings followed Zakiel into the dining hall, leaving Patrice with the brothers. When they reached the door, Evander read the mood and stepped aside. With a nod, he left them alone with the hope that Jarek would do the right thing.

Evander hoped that they would return to the conversation they'd shared earlier.

Rivlea decided to retire for an early rest. She claimed that travelling to the capital always took the energy out of her. When they were left in peace, Jarek and Patrice had a moment to themselves. Jarek apologised and while not wanting to blame the stakalis, he said that it was likely to be the culprit for his constantly swinging moods. Patrice shrugged, no longer caring.

She'd given up at that point, accepting whatever happened. It was his life on the line, not hers. If Jarek was a fool with what little time he had left, then it was his choice.

Patrice was surprised that Jarek remained on the balcony with her. He'd taken his grandmother's seat and discussed a few things. It was a pleasant conversation that turned everything on its head.

For the first time since entering this world, she actually enjoyed his company. Patrice found it odd, considering that they'd struggled to find common ground up until that point. His mood was settled, he was calm and it was relaxing. Talking to him was not an issue and at the end of it, when Jarek left to let her get ready for dinner, Patrice felt something odd twinge inside of her.

Admitting that for a moment that she missed him was difficult.

Patrice didn't want to be alone with Jarek. It wasn't that she felt threatened or believed that he would harm her. This was far worse than that. This was the beginning. It would only be a matter of time before things changed. It had to. Otherwise, he'd be dead.

To Patrice, it felt like she was dishonouring Eddie's memory, and in a way, it felt like she was cheating on him for even thinking about a relationship with another man. This was beyond her control but that didn't stop the treacherous thoughts in her mind.

It didn't help that Jarek had cleaned himself up for dinner. Now he was dressed in what she was assumed was his usual attire. The mid-length hair was no longer a dirty, ratty mess of black. Now it was sleek, draped over his shoulders and onto the jade coloured tunic.

Patrice detected the scent of the flower, solyen. The soft tones floated around her as if the plant was close by. She wanted to inhale it, taking all of it while it was at its strongest, but Patrice refrained. A thought filled her mind that she would look a fool if she did that.

Patrice stood in front of Jarek. Now that they were in a better place, he was ready to take a step forward.