𝓟𝓪𝓲𝓷𝓽 𝓘𝓽, 𝓡𝓮𝓭 | 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐇𝐨𝐨𝐤

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 17: 𝓑𝓮𝓷𝓮𝓪𝓽𝓱 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓢𝓪𝓴𝓾𝓻𝓪

♡

"You left Ally?!" Macaria whipped her head around to face Amor. Along with the usual Wonderland crew, minus the Liddells, his mother, and Red, they sat at the table around the giant Sakura tree.

"Yes! I was worried about my father and the rest of Wonderland," Amor retorted immediately, looking at her with an incredulous expression. "Sue me!"

"And instead of, I don't know, asking Ally to accompany you ahead of time, you left her?" Amor hadn't even been back for two days yet, and he and Macaria were already arguing. About something as trivial as usual, at least it was to the prince. He couldn't see what the big deal was.

"You're acting as if I left her surrounded by a pack of wild bandersnatches." He balled up his fist for a moment, then forced his hand open again and placed them both together. "I came alone because I wasn't sure if the portal would work and I was frustrated that every time I turned, there was some obstacle in my way."

Mirana, sitting at the head of the table, observed the exchange with a serene yet stern expression. Next to her, Chess, ever enigmatic, watched with an amused grin.

"Do you ever think things through?" Macaria's eyes blazed with frustration, her voice echoing through the courtyard.

"Of course I do!" Amor shot back, his tone defensive. "But everything was falling apart, and I didn't have time to think about anything other than getting back here."

"Enough," Mirana said, raising a hand, her voice calm but authoritative. "We need to focus on the situation at hand, not on who left whom behind."

Anytime she witnessed her daughter and nephew squabbling, it was like witnessing herself and Racie fight during their youth.

"We should be focusing on the good things." She reached for both of their hands in an attempt to ease the tension. Amor allowed his hand to be held, unlike Macaria, who snatched hers off the table.

"Her Majesty is correct, our crown prince has returned!" Tarrant cheered, causing the others to follow suit. "Soon enough, Queen Iracebeth and Princess Scarlet will return too."

Amor politely smiled before continuing the previous discussion of what was next for them to do, but someone else beat him to the punch.

"As unwise as it may seem, to get them back we'll need to forge a treaty or alliance with Auradon." The prince was met with numerous objections and questions.

Mallymkun jumped from her place on a stack of books to the table, unsheathing her pin, which she views as a sword, from her waistband.

"Why should we grovel at the feet of the enemy?" Mallymkun demanded, pointing off into the distance. Amor started to reply, only to be cut off by Chester from his lounging place in the tree branches.

"You speak of being frustrated at obstacles standing in your way, yet Auradon is another." Chester floated off the tree, whisking his way above everyone's heads. "There's an easy answer to all of this—the jabberwocks."

All four royals protested, using their jabberwocks would be viewed as them threatening the other realm and forcing their hand.

"Absolutely not. Threatening them won't do either party any good. The War of Roses happened just from us raising an army in defense. Imagine what could happen if we arrived there on jabberwocks." Raiden argued, glaring at Chester, who simply grinned right back at him.

"To even allow us to reach them, we'll need to take down the spell that's keeping us here." Macaria rubbed her forehead as if she were gaining a migraine. "We can't just storm into Auradon, it's not that simple."