I stood in front of Prince Lear's palace and sighed, looking up at all the complex roofs and towers.

Oh well, I thought, clutching the bag.  I might as well just do what I came for.

I rung the bell, and the palace gates swung open.

Sawyer greeted me. " Good evening, young miss. What brings you here today?"

I held the bag up. " Here."

He took them and peered inside. " Sync stones?"

I nodded. " Yes. I felt bad for Lear, and you, since I noticed you didn't have one either, and decided to bring you some. I noticed Rachel had one, so I didn't bother to bring her one."

" Thank you, young miss."

I bowed slightly. " I must go. Good night."

" Good night." He said as I turned and walked away.

A few moments later, though, he spoke up. " Would you care for some tea?"

I turned, suprised. I didn't expect this.

" But wouldn't Prince Lear be angered?"

Sawyer shook his head. " No. He's not here right now. He's investigating something."

I hesitated. " Will it cause much trouble?"

" None." He reassured me.

I sighed and nodded. " Very well. Thank you."

" Thank you for having me over." I said politely as I choked down a sip of coffee. " This is delightful."

Rachel gave me a concerned look. " Girl are you sure you don't want anything else?"

I shook my head and gave her a tight smile, blinking innocently. " Huh? Oh, no thank you. This is delightful." I choked down another sip.

Rachel saw my discomfort but decided not to press. " You're, like, soooo much better than the prince. I can tell your brother raised you well."

I blinked, setting my cup down with a soft clink. " How did you know my brother raised me?"

Rachel smirked, leaning back in her chair with a casual grace. “Oh, come on. It’s not hard to tell. The way you carry yourself, the way you’re so polite—it’s screaming big brother influence. Prince Lear would never have picked up on it, but I did.”

I tilted my head, intrigued but cautious. “Is that so?” I asked, keeping my voice steady. “And what makes you so sure?”

Rachel took a dainty sip of her tea, her sharp gaze never leaving mine. “Because I had an older sibling who tried to do the same for me. Polishing me up, teaching me manners, making me look like I had everything together. But it doesn’t hide everything.”

I swallowed hard, unsure of where this conversation was heading. “What do you mean?” I asked, my voice quieter now.

Rachel leaned forward, her expression softening just a touch. “I mean, you’ve got that same look in your eyes I had when I was younger. That look of trying to do everything right, trying to make sure no one has a reason to point fingers at you. But deep down, you’re holding something back. Something you don’t want anyone to see.”

I stared at her, stunned. How did she know? I quickly masked my surprise and forced a laugh. “I think you might be reading too much into things, Rachel. I’m just here to deliver sync stones.”

She smiled knowingly, setting her cup down with a soft clink. “Sure, if that’s the story you want to stick with. But if you ever want to talk about what’s really on your mind, I’m here.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, Sawyer returned, carrying a small tray of biscuits. “I thought these might pair well with your coffee,” he said, setting the tray down gracefully. His calm demeanor brought some relief to the tension I felt building inside me.

“Thank you,” I murmured, grateful for the distraction. I picked up a biscuit and took a small bite, using the moment to collect my thoughts.

Sawyer glanced between Rachel and me, his eyes full of quiet curiosity. “Are you enjoying your visit?” he asked me, his tone as polite as ever.

“Yes, thank you,” I replied quickly, forcing another smile. “It’s been… enlightening.”

Rachel chuckled softly. “Oh, I bet it has. Don’t worry, though. I’m not here to dig too deep. I’ll let you keep your secrets—for now.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I simply nodded, keeping my gaze fixed on the biscuit in my hand.

" If I may ask," Sawyer said, and I turned to him. " How old was your brother when you were born?"

I sipped my coffee. " Well, he was four. Wait, for right? One two three..... Carry the one.... Yeah, four."

Rachel looked amazed. " And he wasn't jealous?!"

I shook my head. " Surprisingly. He actually likes it better when I was born. Said it was because I was.... What was the word...." I thought back. " Uh.... Something about how good I was."

Rachel raised an eyebrow, leaning forward with interest. “Wait, wait, wait. You’re telling me your brother actually liked that you were born? No jealousy, no sibling rivalry?”

I smiled softly, setting my cup down. “Not at all. In fact, he told me once that when he first saw me, he decided he was going to protect me no matter what. He said I was the best thing that had ever happened to him.”

Rachel blinked, clearly surprised. “That’s... honestly kind of sweet. I can’t imagine Lear saying something like that about anyone.”

Sawyer chuckled quietly, adjusting his gloves. “It’s rare, but some siblings truly embrace their roles. It sounds like your brother is one of those exceptions.”

I nodded, a hint of pride in my expression. “He really is. He’s always been there for me, even when things got tough. I remember one time when I was little, I got lost in the forest near our house. I was scared out of my mind, but he found me and carried me all the way home. He didn’t even get mad—he just said, ‘As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters.’”

Rachel’s eyes softened, and for once, she didn’t have a snarky comment. “Wow. That’s... actually really nice. I guess you lucked out in the sibling department.”

I laughed lightly. “I guess I did. But it’s not just that he’s nice. He’s also taught me so much—how to stand up for myself, how to take responsibility, and even how to deal with people who underestimate me.”

Sawyer tilted his head slightly. “And yet, despite all that, you seem to carry a certain weight with you. Is there something he couldn’t teach you?”

I hesitated, my gaze dropping to the table. “Well... I guess he couldn’t teach me how to stop worrying about him. He’s always been so strong, so confident, but I know he carries his own burdens. And sometimes, I wonder if I can ever really repay him for everything he’s done for me.”

Rachel reached out and gently tapped my arm, her expression uncharacteristically kind. “Hey, just being there for him is probably enough. Trust me, sometimes all you need is someone who’s got your back.”

I smiled faintly, feeling a warmth in my chest. “Thanks, Rachel. That means a lot.”

Sawyer stood, bowing slightly. “It seems you’ve inherited more from your brother than you realize. Strength, kindness, and loyalty. He should be proud.”

I nodded, my resolve strengthening. “I hope he is. Because no matter what, I’ll always have his back, too.”

As I finished my coffee and gathered my thoughts, I heard the unmistakable sound of boots echoing down the hallway. My eyes widened in panic as the voice of Prince Lear drifted closer.

“Rachel! Sawyer! I hope you’ve been keeping yourselves busy in my absence.”

I froze, my heart pounding. Oh no. No, no, no. If he sees me here...

I shot a frantic look at Rachel and Sawyer. “I should go! Thank you so much for having me over!” I stammered, already backing toward the window.

Rachel blinked in confusion. “Wait, girl, what are you—”

Before she could finish, I spun around, unlatched the window, and flung it open. “Goodbye!” I called out, my voice a mix of politeness and absolute panic. Without another thought, I hoisted myself up and jumped out the window.

I landed with a thud on the soft grass below, quickly brushing myself off. Above me, I could hear Rachel’s voice.

“Did she just—”

“Yes,” Sawyer replied, his tone as calm as ever. “She jumped out the window.”

“I can’t believe—”

“Shall I inform the prince?” Sawyer asked.

“No! Just act like nothing happened,” Rachel hissed.

I didn’t stick around to hear the rest of their conversation. Instead, I took off running, clutching my bag as I darted away from the palace grounds. My heart raced, but I couldn’t help laughing to myself.

Note to self: next time, use the front door like a normal person.

I stumbled through the door, panting and out of breath, clutching my bag tightly. I barely had a moment to catch my breath before I froze.

Everyone—and I mean everyone—was standing there, staring at me. Professor Bellis, Red, Blue, Leaf, Paulo, and even Misty were all gathered in the room, their expressions a mixture of confusion and curiosity.

“Where were you?” Blue asked, crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow.

I blinked, trying to keep my face as neutral as possible. “Uh… nowhere important! Just… taking a walk!” I lied, waving my hand dismissively.

Red tilted his head, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly as he studied me.

I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. Oh no. He knows something’s up.

“You’ve been drinking coffee,” Red finally said, his voice calm but pointed.

I stiffened. “Wha—no, I haven’t!” I stammered, a little too quickly.

Red crossed his arms and gave me a look, one that screamed You’re not fooling me. Of course, he would know. He was four years older than me, and if anyone could sniff out a secret, it was him.

“You reek of coffee,” he said plainly, his tone almost amused.

I felt my face heat up as everyone else in the room turned to stare at me.

“Okay, fine!” I admitted, throwing my hands in the air. “I had a cup of coffee, but it’s not what you think!”

Professor Bellis cleared her throat, her curiosity clearly piqued. “And what is it that we’re not thinking, my dear?”

I hesitated, clutching my bag tighter. “I can’t say! It’s… it’s a secret!”

Blue groaned. “Oh, come on, Mia. We’re your friends. You can’t just sneak off, come back panting like you ran a marathon, and not tell us where you’ve been!”

Paulo chimed in, smirking. “Yeah, especially if it involves coffee. You’re way too young to be drinking that stuff.”

“Am not!” I shot back, glaring at him.

“You so are,” Leaf teased, giggling.

Red didn’t say anything else, but I could feel his eyes on me, studying me like he always did when he knew I was hiding something. I avoided his gaze, pretending to be fascinated by the floor.

“Fine,” I said after a long pause. “But I’m not telling you what I was doing. Just know that it wasn’t anything bad, okay?”

Misty rolled her eyes. “Mia, you’re so dramatic.”

“Am not!”

“Are too,” Blue and Leaf said in unison, laughing.

I sighed, finally managing to calm my racing heart. At least they don’t know about the palace visit. But as I glanced at Red, I could tell he wasn’t convinced. He didn’t press me, though, which I appreciated. For now, my secret was safe.