"My god, I thought we were going to watch this bitch destroy this bloke's face for the entirety of the flight."
"Is this blackie really her fiance? This is sort of a mismatch, innit?"
"Shh, stop talking. You might wake them up."
They aren't going to wake up anytime soon, mate. We chucked them with enough tranquilisers to drop an entire rhorni, didn't we?"
Wrong. Rhys was fully awake and listening to everything they were saying, and with his hair covering his eyes, he could also somewhat see what they were doing — and they were not really doing anything but just watching him and Luna.
"What's the big deal with the Blackie anyway?"
"...You don't know, you cunt? He's the blackie that's been on the tele for the past few months. He even has a commercial with the Mickie Ds."
"That's 'im!?"
Rhys immediately closed his eyes, trying his best not to flinch as one of the female flight attendants suddenly moved closer to their seat. And without even any hesitation or restraint, she lifted up Rhys's hair.
"What the..." The woman's hand trembled as she almost instinctively let go of Rhys's hair. But instead of just letting it go, she could not help but just stare at his face instead. And if it wasn't for one of her colleagues pulling her hand away, she might have even taken a photo of Rhys's face.
"What are you doing? What if you wake him up!?"
"...Bloody hell, you're the one who said we fed them nappies enough to drop a rhorni!"
"Yes, but who knows what the guy is capable of."
"He's a blackie, mate. He's not going to do anything."
"...You really have no idea who he is, do you? He is—"
"That's enough." And before the attendants could bicker against each other again, Rhys heard Prince Lance's voice approaching from behind.
Rhys had actually almost forgotten that Prince Lance was in the same plane, as he had really only seen him when he welcomed him and Lina as they boarded the plane. He initially even thought that Prince Lance may have also been drugged, but that wasn't the case at all as the attendants all just bowed respectfully at him before making way.
"How many more hours do we have before we land?" Prince Lance asked; glancing at Rhys and Lina before turning his attention to the attendants.
"Figures. The only one in her generation that was not born a Noble."
All of Lina's cousins... are Nobles? Rhys was trying his best not to move as he continued to listen to the group's conversation.
And from all the information he was getting...
...they only drugged him and Lina so that no commotion would happen as soon as they landed.
He knew Lina had the tendency to be crass and aggressive most of the time, and she actually even admitted to Rhys that she was a troublemaker when she was younger. But...
...just how much of a troublemaker was she for her cousins to just want to outright kill her in an argument?
And was Prince Lance actually doing all of this to protect Lina?
Rhys quietly remained still for a few more minutes to think. Unfortunately for him, he didn't really have much time as the plane started to descend, and after a few more minutes, he and Lina quaked in their seat as the plane landed.
"Handle them gently." And as soon as they landed, Prince Lance once again made himself available as he seemed to have brought people with him, "Make sure no one spots them and just place them in the car."
"Of course, Your Highness."
The Prince's entourage started to lift them up. And with how gentle they truly were handling him and Lina, it would seem Prince Lance truly doesn't mean them any harm... he just has a fucked up way of showing he cares.
And as soon as they stepped off the plane, the difference in the weather became completely clear to him. It wasn't colder... but the air felt somewhat... wet.
"Quick, bring them to the car."
"...Where's the car?"
Rhys could feel himself being waved left and right as the guards seemed to be looking for the car. But even after several seconds had passed, their confusion seemed to just grow.
"Well, well, well..." And soon, a voice whispered in the air which caused the guards to completely halt their steps,
"...Trash all the way from Amerka, are we disposing of it here?"
"P... Princess Annabeth!"