'I can't believe that brat would just leave his mother to worry like this.' Azure thought that Red was surely a spoiled brat that wasn't worthy of being one of the Four Kings. Despite the fact that his mother had just asked him to be friendly with Red, Azure had already forgotten about her request. Oddly enough, Azure wanted to have a word with Red for worrying and disobeying his mother, while he would be doing the same if he got into an altercation with Red. He failed to see the irony.
Meanwhile Red and Christopher were at the park checking out the dozens of girls that came to work out each morning. "There sure are a bunch of beauties today, do you think that it's because of my birthday?" Red asked, excited at the prospect of a bunch of girls wanting to show off for him. "There might be some, but how would they know where you're going to be?" Christopher asked trying to be rational. "Just let a guy dream for once would you?" Red laughed as he said this, but he wanted a girlfriend soon, even if he pretended to be unaffected.
Kitty Calico had been a friend of Red's since childhood; she had honestly looked up to Red since the very moment she met him. This was partially due to the fact that Red was the Crown Prince of the city, but what had left her absolutely stunned was his immense strength. She still remembered how Red had managed to deal Christopher his first defeat ever, as well as how Christopher had sworn Red his allegiance soon after. 'Red used to be the kind of boy that showed off his strength and mana control.' Kitty hadn't seen Red use mana at all since the incident that had claimed his sister's life four years ago. 'Red's adamant that they somehow survived, I hope that's true.' Kitty understood very well why Red had stopped showing off.
Kitty leaned against a railing, she had come to the castle square after leaving Red and Christopher behind. Her departure had left her with nothing to do that morning. "He's still annoying as hell, though." Red would tease Kitty incessantly at times. Much like at the cafe, Red always found the right buttons to push to annoy her. "I kind of like it for some reason though." Kitty said this with a blush forming on her face.
"What did my son do to you this time Kitty?" Kitty nearly fell over the railing after hearing her name unexpectedly. After finally managing to turn around, she proceeded to bow. "It's nothing much my Queen, just the usual." Kitty hadn't expected to meet Alice out here in the square. This had made her act more formal than she usually did.
"Well, don't humor my son too much, I know how much of a handful he can be." Alice said this with a smile. Red and her husband James both loved to annoy people, so she knew Red had been at fault for Kitty's temperament. "It's fine my Queen, I'm used to it by now." Kitty said this wondering if Alice had heard her when she admitted to kind of enjoying it. Alice had heard it loud and clear, which is why she hadn't gotten mad at her son.
"Well Kitty, I'd like to introduce you to my friend Sybil and her two kids." Alice had nearly forgotten about her guests, but she had managed to keep this fact hidden. "It's nice to meet you, my name is Kitty Calico." A bow followed her introduction. "Sybil Kailen Alhambra, it's nice to meet you." "My name is Rosalina Rosales Kailen, it's great to meet you." Rosalina was happy to see another girl her age after the journey to Uruz. "My name is Azure Rosales Kailen, one of the Four Kings." Azure said his greeting with the hopes of impressing Kitty, but her blank stare rattled him instead.
"You're one of the FourKings, are you sure?" Kitty blurted this out before realizing just how rude this would sound. Rosalina proceeded to cover her mouth and giggle. "Kitty, please remember these are my guests!" Alice sensed that Azure had felt quite a lot of pride during his introduction.
"Okay that's enough!!" Azure let out a scream surprising the women around him. "First that jerk has the ingratitude to cause lady Alice to worry, and now he's even telling his servants to mock me as soon as we meet... I've had enough of that DAMN RED!!!!" Azure than let out a strong current of wind mana and ran towards the cathedral at an astonishing pace. "Azure wait!" Sybil had tried to stop him to no avail.
"Let's just ignore him." Rosalina said having had enough of her brother. "I'm sure that your prince can handle my brother if you were that unimpressed with him." Rosalina held in a chuckle once more. "I'm sorry, I spoke without thinking..." Kitty tried to apologize but Rosalina had taken a hold of her hands abruptly. "Instead of worrying about my brother, why don't you escort me around the square? I've heard Uruz has quite a number of shops." Rosalina simply wanted to separate from her suffocating brother and servants for at least a few hours.
"Rosalina, you can't just go around without any protection." Sybil said this with a worried tone in her voice. "Don't worry, Kitty here is one of our most promising young knights." Kitty blushed when Alice said this. "Very well then, but you still have to take three other guards with you." "Okay, Mom." Rosalina acquiesced knowing full well that this was the best she would get. "Well let's go then Kitty." Rosalina said this while pulling one of Kitty's arms.
Having looked at the dozens of women at the park for over an hour, Red let out a sigh. "What's wrong, still thinking about your birthday woes?" Christopher could read Red like a book at this point in their friendship. "How can you tell?" Red was honestly curious. "Well, there are lots of beautiful women working out around you and here you are sighing, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that you're thinking about pointless things again."
"You're right, they're quite pointless." Red honestly agreed with this sentiment, but he couldn't take the past off of his mind. About how it had been four years since he lost a great deal of friends, family even. Red had stopped showing off because he believed that doing so when he failed to save people he cared about would be disrespectful to them. 'I'm sure there's still a way to save them though.' Red had always believed that his friends had been sealed, he just couldn't stomach them dying without any resistance or evidence after the fact.
"Are you going to pray today?" Red knew Christopher was quite a pious individual. Christopher usually went to the cathedral to pray to the goddess of light at least once a day. "Well I already did today, but it's not a bad idea, I should ask her to please grant our prince at least one partner in this life." Christopher said this teasingly. "You know, I've never seen you with a girlfriend either." Red knew that Christopher had fans, but from what he had seen the only girl that talked to him was his younger sister. Christopher winced at this comment.
"Oh I see how it is, sorry." Red said this in an overtly apologetic tone. "What do you mean?" Christopher was honestly curious. "I just mean that I accept you for who you are, surely someone that has never had a girlfriend wouldn't tease his friend about the same thing. This means the following: you've had a boyfriend before haven't you?."
"Dude you know that's not the case." Christopher could see that Red was going to start another rant. "Do I?" He asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "Then would you enlighten me Chris? Why would a guy that I've never seen talking to a girl apart from his sister, tease me for never having a girlfriend, unless the guy was a complete hypocrite, it could only mean he enjoyed partaking in men!"
"Dude people are starting to look at us." Christopher was visibly embarrassed. "Unless that very man admitted that he was a loser that had never had a girlfriend, and was just teasing his friend to seem cool, one would again assume..." Christopher interrupted Red. "Fine I've never had a Girlfriend!!!! Happy now!!" Christopher said this very loud.
"I'm truly sorry to hear that my friend." Red put on a holier than thou tone. "I'll pray to the god Usval for you." "Red..." Christopher could see Red wanted to cause a scene. "Oh mighty Usval, please hear my plead!! May my friend and Knight Christopher Arknight find love in this life, for I fear many summers and winters have passed without him knowing the touch of a female that's not his sister's..." "Red!!!" "I myself have begun doubting whether he truly enjoys the female form, may a woman worthy of his love of crooked teeth and long toes appear!!!"
Red finished this tirade of words feeling quite amused with himself. Christopher on the other hand had a deep blush on his face. "You jerk, I'm going to go pray by myself don't follow me!!" Christopher yelled this while running in the direction of the cathedral. "That DAMN RED!!!" Was the last thing Red heard before his friend disappeared in the distance. 'Alone at last, huh?' Red pretended to not be worried he might have gone too far.