"I'm... coming with her?"
Prince Lance merely chuckled, patting Rhys on the shoulder. "Of course, lad. You're to be a part of the family soon, aren't you? It's high time you meet your future in-laws."
"But..." Rhys's voice trailed off, his eyes darting over to Lina who was staring at Prince Lance with her arms crossed over her chest.
"I don't think that's going to happen, Prince Lance," Secretary Karen finally intervened, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Rhys Wilder is a-"
"With all due respect," Karen was silenced by Prince Lance as he raised his hand. He then turned to her, and even though his lips were covered by a thick layer of mustache, the smile that was crawling on his face could still be seen, "Your conditions are not required, dear Karen. The jurisdiction of my country outweighs the interests of your office."
"And why should we comply with your country, Prince Lance!?" Karen's voice was cold and firm. But under her stern facade, everyone could see the slight twitching of her lips and the narrowing of her eyes. She was not amused, and she was not backing down.
Twice now in just a few months someone had questioned her authority - General Banner, who also happens to be related to one of Rhys's girlfriends, and now Prince Lance, who also happens to be related to another one of Rhys's girlfriends.
Just what sort of luck does Rhys Wilder actually have?
"Because you don't have a choice," Prince Lance's voice was softly eloquent yet commanding, the subtle authority ringing clear in his words. His calm demeanor seemed to only fuel the fire in Karen's eyes, however.
"Choice?" She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Rhys is a person of interest. He isn't going anywhere until he answers our questions."
"You're forgetting one thing." Prince Lance let out a chuckle that seemed to echo throughout the room. The tension hung heavy in the air, yet he seemed untouched by it. His eyes straying away from Karen as he looked Rhys in the eyes.
"I've only been to Enkland once, weather up there is bad," Ayesha groaned, "But I can always just sleep down in the Underworld."
"What about the guild...?" Katarina sighed, "I don't really want to leave it to No. 1, she's... perverse."
"Oh..." And as Katarina and the others were discussing what they were going to do, Prince Lance let out a loud gasp as he looked at them, "...It would seem there was a slight misunderstanding, only Linette and Rhys Wilder will come. It will not really look good if Rhys's mistresses are to be seen with us, I hope you will understand."
"...Mistresses?" Katarina's eye started to twitch, "Maybe you should just get arrested, Rhys. We can just think of a plan to break you out."
"...It would seem all of you need to discuss this first," Prince Lance cleared his throat as he gestured to the group to leave the room, "I actually have a helicopter ready just in case, it will take you back to the headquarters of Wilder's Harem so that Rhys Wilder and Linette could say goodbye to your soldiers-sorry, to your members first. After all... what is worse than an absent monarch...
...is an absent monarch who did not advise his vassals that he would be gone. Now, shall we go?"
"Wait... I have not permitted any of this! We-"
And before Secretary Karen could say anything more, Katarina left the room obviously mad about the turn of events. She was followed by the rest of the group, with Ayesha just raising her middle finger at Karen as she stepped out.
"You think..." Karen gritted her teeth; blood, trailing down her lips from how hard she was doing so,
"...you think you can just get away with this!?"
"Dear..." Prince Lance glanced back and sighed,
"...They already have."