Hey Kids,

Lucasta is mad at him. And he is actually sorry. Really. But Ferdinand is not about to say that out loud to her. She might forgive him and like him again and want to marry him if he does. So they ride back to the palace in silence. Lucasta is leaning her head on Yohance’s shoulder completely ignoring Fernán’s existence. Her brother looks angry at Fernán too but doesn’t say anything. He must get anxious around strangers.

What he really regrets is upsetting the Princess. The other one, Abeba. He is not sure why she is upset. She must be close friends with Lucasta. He would be upset too if someone messed with Luci or Maudie.

He’s trying not to think about Abeba sitting next to him and how their bodies are touching and holds onto Luci.

Fernán sighs when the car stops thinking about how his mom might strangle him when she finds out about what he did.

Lucasta is the first one to be out of the car jumping over Yohance and hurrying inside. Yohance turns to his sister with a questioning look and she shrugs at him.

“She’ll be fine, just leave her,” Theo tells him quietly and it’s the first time Fernán hears him speak.

The four of them start to walk inside but Luci gets free from Fernán’s arms and runs away.

“Luci!” And he’s gone. Ugh.

“I’ll get him, you go ahead,” he tells the others with a smile when they stop walking.

It’s dark already so it will take a while. He walks around the front gardens calling Luci’s name for about five minutes when he finally sees the cat running after something Fernán can’t see. He chases him and is about to grab him when he is startled by someone’s voice.

“She’s chasing after a rabbit.”

Fernán turns around and has to get close to see the Prince of Zhian, the asshole one, sprawled over a small bench smoking a joint. Fernán thought he had smelled it about five minutes ago but didn’t think it was very likely that someone would be smoking pot here.

“So you made it then. You took care of your unexpected matters alright?” Fernán asks in a neutral tone, his specialty.

“Well I am here aren’t I?” he says through a mouthful of smoke.

“You were the matter that needed taking care of?”

“Yup,” he laughs.

Fernán decides against asking more questions on the subject.

“Can I smoke with you?”

Mengyao looks shocked for moment but then sits up so Fernán can sit with him on the tiny bench.

“Okay,” and he hands him the joint. “Weren’t you looking for your cat though? She is going to devour that rabbit if someone doesn’t stop her.”

“No one can stop him.” Fernán says after a while and passes the joint back to Mengyao.
“Him?”

“Yeah, he’s a boy.” Mengyao passes the joint back to him.

“Lucy? Lucy is a boy?”

“Yeah,” Fernán passes the joint back to Mengyao. “It’s short for Lucifer, which is or was his original name until one day I called him Luci for short and now that’s the only thing he responds to.”

Mengyao chokes on the smoke and laughs. Fernán takes a hit out of the joint and laughs choking on the smoke too.

Mengyao throws himself face-up in the grass still laughing a little and Fernán does the same because, well who knows.

“Why would you even name your cat Lucifer?”

“I named him after the cat in Cinderella.”

Mengyao gives him a look.

“Whatever,” Fernán says.

“Okay, I didn’t say anything,” he answers but he’s holding back a laugh. “Okay, so how’s Her Royal Highness Princess Lucasta? All you’ve ever dreamed of and more?”

Fernán tries to snort but only chokes on smoke again.

“She is a fucking nightmare.”

Mengyao laughs. “Nice, I’m jealous.”

“Ferdinand!” His mother’s horrifying scream reaches his ears.

Fernán groans in annoyance. “Oh, come on! Fuck me!” He gets up as fast as he can but it is hard with how high he is.
“No way, I am not high enough for that shit yet,” Mengyao says still lying on the ground.

“What? No! Oh my God. Get up and hide that shit! Hide that shit!” Fernán yells while trying to pull him up.

“Nah, I’m fine. Let me go!”

“Ferdinand?!” His mom gets closer and Fernán panics and snatches the joint from Mengyao’s hand and throws it in a nearby fountain.

“Hey!” Mengyao berates.

“I am serious, get the fuck up!” He is pulling at him when he sees her mother approaching and let’s go. Mengyao falls on his face and lets out a cry of pain.

“Ferdinand, what are you doing?”

He smiles at her. “Mom, mommy, hi! I was just looking for Luci and found the Prince here and we just started talking and yeah, I am sorry.”

“What happened to him?”

“Um, I think he is just very tired,” he says innocently.

His mother gives him a cold look.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Help him up and take him inside! And you need to apologize to Lucasta for whatever it is that you did!” she yells at him. “Really Ferdinand, I don’t understand you at all. You were doing so well!”

“Well, you know girls get so-,”

“No! Don’t you dare blame it on her, Ferdinand. This is your fault and you will be responsible for it,” she points her finger at him.

He nods. “Yes, okay.”

“See you inside.” And with that she is gone

“Good job, Ferdinand,” he says to himself for dealing with his mother being as high as he is although it’s not the first time he’s had to do it.

He then goes back to pulling Mengyao up.

“What did you do to Lucasta?” Mengyao asks complying and standing up.

“I ditched her in the park and she was furious about it. No biggie, really,” Fernán says as he begins to walk back. Luci is going to hate him for leaving him behind but he can’t deal with that right now.

Mengyao laughs. “You’re an asshole.”

“Whatever,” Fernán says but laughs too.

*

Fernán and Mengyao aren’t able to get away and are forced to sit and have dinner with everyone else. But not before Fernán is forced by his mother to apologize to Lucasta.

“Sorry,” he says simply in the coldest tone he can manage, only honest enough to get his mom off his back. Lucasta doesn’t seem to buy it but accepts it and Queen Virginia is satisfied so all is well.

They have dinner at an enormous table that fits all of them. The King and Queen of Zhian are there along with their eldest son and daughter. Fernán hurries and sits beside Abeba trying to look casual about it but he probably fails at it considering how high he is. She gives him a weird look and Fernán just smiles at her. Mengyao takes the seat at his other side and smirks at him. Fernán tries to ignore him because the last thing he wants is everyone to find out what they were doing in the gardens just a few moments ago. Keeping his mouth shut is what works best in these situations, if he starts speaking he’ll end up blabbering unstoppably.

They start bringing in the food and conversations arise all over the table. No one tries to talk to Fernán and he is relieved because opening his mouth would most definitely lead to disaster. He is thankful that Mengyao is remaining silent too, except for the occasional quiet giggling. Fernán thinks he might actually make it through the dinner but then Abeba speaks to him.

“What, were you crying?” she asks mockingly from his side.

Fernán gives her a questioning look to avoid speaking.

And everyone chooses exactly that moment to stop talking so Abeba’s next word resonate through the table. “Your eyes are red.”

Everyone turns to them. Fuck.

Mengyao starts giggling a little louder this time so he covers it up by drinking from his cup.

“I- well I was hoping no one would notice, but yeah. I felt very bad about what happened before on the park, you see. I’m very sensitive; some would say that’s a plus,”

And at that Mengyao is spitting out his drink, laughing relentlessly.

“Mengyao!” yell his mother, his father, his brother and sister at the same time.

“Fuck! Is that alcohol? Haven’t you had enough, asshole?!” Fernán shrieks at Zhian sniffing at the splattered drink and biting his tongue so he doesn’t start laughing too.

“Ferdinand!”

“Mom, you’re a fucking parasite let me be,” he says rolling his eyes and then he’s laughing with Zhian, leaning into each other, unable to stop.

“Ferdinand, how dare you talk to your mother like that,” his father tries but Fernán is not listening. His parents and Zhian’s parents start talking over each other and Fernán can’t understand a thing they’re saying and he doesn’t care.

Bolin, the Crown Prince of Zhian, then stands abruptly and walks to his brother.

“Look at what you’ve done!” he grabs Mengyao by the shirt and no one is laughing or talking anymore. “Can’t you just wait until the week is over before you go back to being your useless worthless fucktard self?! What did you give him?”

“Get your hands off me!” Mengyao yells pushing at his brother.

Their father stands up. “Stop! Both of you, now!”

Bolin let’s go and turns to his father defiant. “Why did we even bring him here? What good is he making? Literally no one wanted him to come!”

“Fuck you,” Mengyao says from his seat still leaning into Fernán.

“Enough of this absurdity,” King Cedric stands up, his expression serene. “This dinner is over. I advise all of you to go rest, the activities start tomorrow. Let it be the last time anything like this happens, I don’t want to hear about anyone using drugs or fighting anymore. Remember the reason for this reunion and think about the repercussions this foolish behavior may have on it,” he looks at everyone and then turns to Bolin. And for any future reference, everyone here is wanted and appreciated,” he nods at the table in general and then he is gone, his wife following close.

Fernán looks over and notices his father is gone, his mother is glaring at him. Fernán looks away. The King and Queen of Gwandoya, Yohance, Theo, Abeba, Lucasta and Lin are sitting very still. Bolin and Mengyao’s parents chase after him out of the room.

When Fernán sees his mother stand up and start walking towards him he does too with every intention of apologizing.

“Mom--,” he is cut off by a firm slap on his cheek, his mother’s eyes cold on him. Fernán puts his hand on his cheek instinctively.

“Ferdinand, there is nothing that I have ever regretted in my entire life, don’t make me change my mind.” She spins around and leaves the room just like that.

He feels a familiar tightness in his chest and avoids looking at anyone as he leaves too, in the opposite direction; through front gardens, out of the palace, into the night.

He has no idea where anything is here; he’s never been in Longstride before and couldn’t bother to look out the window in the car ride to the park. He doesn’t know where would he want to go anyways so it’s fine. He hears a soft meow and looks back to see Luci following him loyally, Fernán smiles at him. They just walk aimlessly and when he is far away enough, Fernán allows tears to well up his eyes. He wishes Maudie was here to hug him and prepare him his chocolate milk just the way he likes it.

He is unable to pretend he is not hurt, anymore. It’s not the first time his mother, or father, have implied that they regret having him, or wishing they had more children to take over the kingdom. They lost faith in him when he was around fifteen and all he wanted was extravagant clothes and curtains and patterns, as if any fifteen year-old doesn’t. Right? It all started going downhill from there and to this day it hasn’t stopped, everything he does or say is a source of disappointed to his parents. He is known by everyone as a dumb useless pretty boy completely unable to run his kingdom and whose only hope is to marry someone smart, capable and determined enough for the both of them. Fernán doesn’t think he could believe anything else about himself if he tried.

After a while of walking with no direction at all, Fernán notices he has no idea of where is he or how to get back.

“Do you know how to get back?” he asks Luci. He just looks up at him with big yellow eyes. No, then.
He wipes away the tears and pulls out his cellphone. Who can he even call? There’s no way he’s calling his parents and every other single one of his contacts are in Delmar.

He presses the call button. “Maudie?”

“Hi, yeah, no actually, everything sucks…It’s a long story and I don’t want to talk about it…I’m calling because we got lost…Me and Luci, we went out for a walk and I got thinking and stopped paying attention…I’m sorry…What? No I don’t--, oh wait there is. It’s a green sign, it says Whatever…Yes! Maudie, thank you, you’re the best… Yeah, don’t worry. Bye.”

Fernán puts the phone back in his pocket.

“She will call the palace service and send a car for us,” he tells Luci.

The cat just stares at him.

Fernán sighs. “I am sorry for leaving you behind earlier, it was an emergency. Sort of,” he says. “Did you catch that rabbit?”

Luci hisses at him.

“Sorry, of course you did. Stupid question.”

Luci meows in agreement.

Fernán leans on the wall wishing for a cigarette and hoping the car doesn’t take long because it’s starting to get really cold and he left his jacket in the palace.

The thought of going back to the palace makes his stomach turn. Everyone must be hating him and he has to go back and deal with it for a whole week.

The car took another fifteen minutes; Fernán must have walked longer than he noticed. He and Luci get into the car and ride back to the house.

*

Once they get to the house Fernán hurries upstairs to his room hoping to not run into anyone. Except, he doesn’t remember at all where his room is.

Fernán silently wanders around the halls looking for a servant who can show him where his room is. Abruptly a door opens almost smacking him in the face and letting a servant with a tray out.

“Oh! I am very sorry, sir. Are you alright?” he says before Fernán can gesture him to shut up.

“It’s okay. I’m fine, I mean,” he whispers so the servant takes the hint but it’s useless.

“Very good, sir. Will you be joining in?” he says motioning to the room from where he just came.

“No! I just want to go to bed. Could you tell me where my--,” Fernán is cut off by the door opening again, this time it’s Lucasta.

As if he hadn’t had fucking enough for today.

“Thomas, what is going on? Where are our drinks?” she addresses the servant and then notices Fernán.

“I apologize, your highness. I’ll be right back with them.”

She waves him off and turns to Fernán. “Where were you? No, I don’t care, come in. Thomas is bringing whisky.”

She drags him inside a big and very pink tea room before he can refuse.

Mengyao is there slouched on a chair, a cigarette in hand, Lin is sitting on a sofa talking to Abeba and Theo and Yohance are sitting together looking uncomfortable. Lucasta sits on the chair next to Mengyao.

“Where the fuck did you go?” Mengyao asks Fernán as he takes a chair.

“Went for a walk. What happened with your parents?”

Mengyao shrugs. “They just took my weed away. Wouldn’t you know where to get some around here, my dearest Lucasta?”

She takes offense and raises an eyebrow. “Weed is for peasants.”

At that there’s a loud snorting sound coming from Theo and everyone turns to him.

“Excuse me? Am I being funny, Theo?” she asks defiantly.

Theo blushes and shakes his head.

Thomas comes in and serves them drinks.

“Are you sure this is a good idea? For them, I mean.” Yohance asks Lucasta and nodding in Fernán and Mengyao’s direction.

Mengyao laughs. “Please, I’m not a girl, I can handle it. Fabio, in the other hand, I’m not so sure now.”

“Yes I can. And don’t call me that.”

“What do you mean ‘I’m not a girl’?” Abeba pipes in.

“Girls can’t handle alcohol like men can, you see,”

“Is that a challenge?” Lucasta says.

“I think it is,” Abeba says standing up and smiling at Lucasta.

“Abeba, don’t--,” Yohance tries but Abeba and Lucasta death glare him and shut him up.

Mengyao is smirking at them. “Okay, but two against one isn’t fair.”

“Pick someone.”

“Fabio.”

“No,” Fernán says.

“Yes!” Abeba and Lucasta yell at him and he is convinced by Abeba’s intense glare on him.

“Fine,” he says.