The next morning, I woke up early because of the loud chirping of the birds outside of my room. Normally I would throw a fit because I am not a morning person. But as of now I could barely sleep because I am still worried about a certain prince.

I took a shower and got dressed for the day. One of the things that I love about this place is that the Elves respect your privacy - not sure if this is the right word. When I woke up, they simply had everything prepared for me. From the dresses to bath essentials, but I have not seen any Elf in my room. Then I thought about yesterday how a group of Elves simply appeared before the princes and I.

The dress that I got was a very silky peach that looks like an evening gown but more flowy and elegant. Somehow it reminds me of what the Romans back on Earth used to wear - according to books and movies anyway. I started pacing in the room as I brushed my hair in trying to distract myself.

The room that I am currently staying at is very different from the others that I visited. It was circular in shape with glowing orbs floating in the room serving as lights. Furniture was made of polished wood and the bed has curving branches as side posts. Glass windows and a door lead out to the open balcony and you can hear different birds singing outside.

I stopped pacing and placed the brush down on the table. How is Ace doing? Did he wake up? Maybe I should go and see for myself. The twins might still be there.

Having that thought in mind I headed out. I don't exactly remember the details of the place and I certainly don't have the time. I tried to remember the directions from last night on how to navigate myself to the exit.

Well that was supposed to be my goal but I think I took a wrong turn and ended up somewhere that is certainly not the exit.

"Um..." I wondered out loud as I stared at a large space room with a long table and chairs. Silver plates and spoons lined the table and in front of each chair. Without meaning to, I think I must have ended up at the dining hall.

Wow, Rose. Even without thinking about it I actually looked for food. AMAZING.

"Rose?" Someone called and I turned to see who it was. I found Dan standing outside of the kitchen door and carrying a basket. He was looking at me curiously and was probably wondering why I'm out so early. "This is new." He grinned and started to head towards me. "Morning, Rose. What are you doing up so early?"

I smiled. "Morning, Dan. And um...I can't really sleep. Not with all that had happened yesterday." I shrugged and shuffled on my feet.

Dan nodded. "Yeah. I know how you feel." He sounded solemn. Silence fell for a few seconds between us before Dan broke it off as he offered me the basket. "Hungry? I brought a lot of food for Ren." He reached into the basket and handed me an apple. "Here." He said.

I gladly took the apple from him because it looks delicious. "Thanks." I said and took a bite on the apple. "By the way, where is Ren?" I asked after I swallowed the bite.

"Back at the greenhouse. He's guarding Ace while I grab something to eat." He said and his face suddenly changed as though an evil thought entered his mind. He was grinning mischievously at himself that when he looked at me I couldn't help but take a step back. "Say, Rose. Would you like to come with me to the greenhouse?" He asked and inched his face closer to mine.

"S-Sure?" I stuttered. Feeling uncomfortable at the sudden closeness and, also, because of Dan's weird behavior. "Um....how about I go get Nate first to switch places with you and Ren?"

"Great!" Dan beamed and handed me the basket, which was a little heavy for me. "Here."

"Dan, wha-?"

"You go on ahead. I'll just catch up to you later, alright? And don't bother with Nate. I'll make sure he's busy – I mean – he'll come right after you. Be quick though. Ren's hungry and he might pass out. See ya!" And with that Dan turned around and started to run away from me.

"Wait!" I called out to him. "How do I find my way out of the castle?" I yelled at him but it was already too late. That bastard already left and was nowhere in sight.

Honestly, I don't even know how I managed to survive this kind of life with them.

It took me a while but one of the maids in the palace was kind enough to show me the door out of the castle. I remembered the way back to the greenhouse and it only took me a few minutes longer than the last to get there with the heavy basket and all.

As soon as I arrived, the first thing I did was to go near the pond to see how Ace was doing. As I got closer to the pond I noticed a figure sitting down on the stairs with his head buried in his arms. It was Ren and he was sleeping. He must have been tired staying all night to watch over Ace. If so then he really needs that sleep.

Very slowly I lowered the basket on the ground. I decided that I would leave the basket here and leave afterwards after I see how Ace is doing. I took off my shoes and carefully tiptoed my way up the step to reach Ace.

Almost there~

"Rose, is that you?" I froze with one foot in the air and slowly turned to my side to Ren, who still had his head buried in his arms. When I didn't answer he lifted his head up slowly to look at me. His eyes still drowsy from sleep and he looks adorable as he rubbed his eyes. "What are you doing here? And.." He looked up to the glass ceiling of the greenhouse and frowned. He looked back at me. "...why this early?" He finished.

He placed his half raised foot down and stood up properly. "You know Dan actually said the same thing earlier. I came here bearing gifts hidden in that basket-"

Ren sniffed the air. "Roasted beef, bread, apples, and mangoes."

"-and also came here to check up on HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS Ace Feradin."

At the mention of Ace, Ren and I turned our heads towards the pond where Ace lays. I went a little closer as I stood just at the edge of the pond and looked down on him. There has been no change in him at all since Nate and I watched over him last night. Still the same lightly tanned skin, even breathing, and shaky hair. Without even noticing it, Ren was beside me and watching Ace.

"Still no sign of him waking up. I'm afraid-"

"Don't." I cut him off and gave him a firm look. "Don't even think about it. If you actually believe that he won't wake up soon then he really won't. Believe that he can and he will."

Ren looked at me and studied me. He smiled. "Yeah you're right. I'm sorry for doubting." He said and looked back at Ace.

"You better wake up soon, Ace, because I will keep on calling you Ace and there's no one stopping me from calling you that."

I chuckled. "Yeah, you stupid menopausal jerk, wake up or I'll put chopstick up your nose."

Ren laughed and looked at me. "What are chopsticks?"

It was my turn to laugh then. "You laughed and yet you do not know what chopstick is?"

He shrugged. "It sounds funny." He said and when I still continued to laugh, he blushed in embarrassment and looked back at Ace. "Maybe these vines are too tight. Let's loosen them up." He said and started reaching for the vines.

That alarmed me and I stepped forward to stop him. "Ren, don't-" Too late. Ren got too close and the vines started to come alive. They wrapped around Ren's wrist and started pulling him to the water.

"What the-!?" Before the vines could fully drag him down I grabbed him by the waist and pulled from behind. Although I think the reason why Ren isn't drowning in the pond yet was because of his werewolf strength. I'm just here for backup.

Other vines came alive too as if sensing that the opponent is stronger. Vines started twisting and wrapping around both of Ren's legs. He was starting to slip. "Ren you idiot! Why would you do something as stupid as that!?"

"I didn't know!"

"Well I warned you!"

"Too late for that." He said as he tried to pull his body away from the pond.

"Idiot." I muttered completely forgetting that Ren is a werewolf with sensitive hearing.

"Hey, care to enlighten me how you knew that this would happen if I reach out for Ace?"

"Uhh..."I stopped pulling as I thought of an excuse. "Oh wow! What a pretty butterfly." I was suddenly distracted at the sigh of the emerald winged butterfly flying above us.

"Hey! Don't stop pulling," He yelled as he started to slip again.

"As if my strength is helping!" I went back and dug my heels on the ground to pull him back. "And um.....Nate told me about it?"

"Lie! You actually pulled the same stunt, haven't you? You're the one who's stupid."

"You're calling me stupid, stupid?"

"I'm not stupid. You're stupid."

"Well you're not only stupid, but your stoopid."

"Ha. Who's stupid now? There is no such thing as stooooopid. Just stupid. Like you."

"You're not from my world so you don't know our slangs, stooooopid."

"That word doesn't even make sense, stupid."

"Ren is stoooopid. Look at me. Vines wrap around my arms and legs because I am so stoooopid to ignore Rose's warnings about Mr. Creeper vines. Now I am hanging on for dear life and having Rose to help me not to pummel to my death." I said mockingly.

In that moment Ren let out an animalistic growl and started lashing at the vines. His arms and legs now free from it. Once the vines retreated, he looked back at me with a smirk. "You shouldn't anger a werewolf." He said.

"You shouldn't anger Mr. Creeper Vines." I pointed out. It doesn't matter what he says. I will win this argument.

"Forget it." He sighed. He went to pick up the basket below the steps and motioned for me to come. "What do you say we put this argument to rest and eat?" He offered. Looked into the basket, grabbed a cloth and looked at me with a grin.

"You don't need to ask." I grinned.

Ren and I then had a small picnic farther away from the pond and yet just close enough so we can keep an eye on Ace. Even though the food was all for Ren, he split them evenly and gave me a plate of my share. At first, I told him that I could get half of the half because I felt bad eating the food that Dan prepared for him. But Ren wasn't having any of it and insisted that I eat. He said that he doesn't like girls with small appetites and that it is rude if I don't eat when I am offered food. In the end we started eating.

"So my brother sent you here huh?" Ren asked as he bit into his slice of bread. "Well where is he?"

"I don't know. He said that he'll go and get Nate so we can switch places and have you guys rest." I said. It has been two hours now and Dan still hasn't returned. "Maybe he fell asleep or something."

"Nonsense. With you here my brother would surely come." Ren said and frowned at his bread.

I sighed. "Is your brother always this weird?"

"He wasn't." Ren insisted.

"What did you do to him?" I asked when he looked at the bread with dislike and I could not get why. Does the bread taste bad for him?

"Oh, sorry." He said with a shake of his head and started munching on it. "I don't even know why I did that." He mumbled, swallowed his food before looking at me again. "Rose? Have you seen that little spirit wolf lately since we were in Sanver?"

"Um...yeah. I saw him by the stalls in Hazel and the other day in the cave where the mermaid took me. He actually helped me escape the cave when he dug a hole for me." I said and remembered the little wolf back in the mermaid cave. Come to think of it. I haven't seen the little guy since the mermaid incident.

"The wolf helped you out?" Ren looked surprised.

"Yeah. Why?" I asked.

Ren shook his head. "Nothing. It just seems unusual that a spirit would help someone out. Or even follow you all the way to Hazel. Strange." He said and we fell silent afterwards and continued to eat.

Once we were finished, we placed the plates back in the basket. We didn't place the cloth back yet for we were still using it as we sat and waited for Dan and Nate to get here. It's already been four hours and still the two did not arrive.

"What is taking them so long?" I asked impatiently.

"I don't know." Ren yawned. "Maybe Prince Eltur and Prince Darem have them."

I looked at Ren. His eyelids were starting to fall and he had bags under his eyes. He still needs sleep and I bet that since yesterday he didn't even get a full 8 hours of sleep. "You're tired." I said and started to get up. "You wait here and I'll call for Nate so you can get back and have a rest."

"No." Ren grabbed my hand before I could leave. "If you think I'm going to let you walk out there alone then you are wrong. Who knows what kind of trouble you're going to get into." He said.

Something about the way that he said it was offensive and insulting that I pulled my hand away from him and glared. "Are you telling me that I can't take care of myself and that I am a walking disaster?"

Technically I am. But I don't want others to point out the obvious for me. I have pride!

"T-That's not what I meant!" He looked surprised at my reaction that he seemed to panic a bit.

"Then what?" I glared.

"It's just that.....I don't want you to get hurt and it worries me when I can't find you right away." His voice was getting softer and softer as he said it and he looked at the ground. "It already happened twice. First was during the time that you ran away. The second was with the mermaid. I can't explain how useless it always makes me feel when that happens. And during those times, Prince Ace is the one who always finds you. It sucks you know? Dan and I are the werewolves in the group who are supposed to be good at these things but it was always Prince Ace that finds you. I mean, not that it matters any more than your safety. I don't care about it. I just want to....I don't know. Be there to protect you I guess."

Somehow Ren's words were touching and beautiful. It doesn't seem like an insult anymore. Instead I hear in his words that he actually cares for my safety. I couldn't help but smile. Now this is the Ren I know. Caring and kind. A little crazy and weird, but whatever.

I bent down and started patting his head making him look up at me. I grinned. "Now that's a good boy. Who's the good boy? Ren is!" I cooed.

At that Ren immediately frowned and tried to reach for my hand but I already drew it back as I laughed. "Bad dog." That infuriated him more as he got up and that was my cue to run.

"Damn it, Rose! I said stop calling me a dog!"

"Bad dog, bad dog. Show some manners, pup!" I looked back and laughed at Ren's expression. He was getting close and I sped up, but I didn't reach far because Ren already grabbed my wrist, pulled me to him and gave me a noogie. "Sit boy! Play dead! Hey! What does a dog say when he's hurt? Ow ow ow! Ren that hurts stop it. Bad dog!"

"Keep making those jokes, Rose."

I laughed anyway because it was so fun teasing Ren about being a werewolf. He gets worked up so easily. "Did I offend the wittle doggy?"

"Seriously, Rose, I'll-"

"Aish?"