Miss Peregrine Fern was as beautiful and deadly in person as she was in her portrait. Her long pink hair and delicate features were delightfully deceptive compared to her lean build and callused fingers.

  He wanted to see her in her element, bow in hand and bearing down on dungeon monsters. The startled look in her eyes when she'd recognized him played across his mind, and he grinned remembering her tinged cheeks.

  He wondered if she liked what she saw. She’d certainly looked her fill when her gaze had swept over his entire frame and lingered on his chest.

  Their first meeting could have gone smoother… but they would have another chance to speak soon. He was looking forward to it.

  Bastian was so enrapt staring at Miss Peregrine’s room that he didn’t notice the door opening behind him until Their Royal Highness poked him in the side. The fox laughed as Bastian flinched forward from the sharp jab.

  To be fare, Rowen was unnaturally quiet.

  “What’s this, Bastian, have you been [Stunned]?” Rowen was still in the guise of a small page boy, their eyes twinkling with mirth. “[Paralysed]?”

  Bastian straightened, resting one hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword and mumbling, “More like [Charmed]…”

  “You?” The fox’s eyes momentarily opened wide in shock before their eyebrows creased into a questioning frown. “By what?”

  “Maybe you’ll see them at dinner.” Bastian deflected, glancing across the hall. The others had all gone off to freshen up while Bastian stood watch, and now was the agreed upon time to reconvene and head downstairs. Jasper emerged from the door opposite them, Nelson following close behind. Carsen and Rebecca each exited a room flanking Their Royal Highness’s. Bastian nodded at the group, “Everyone ready?”

  Rowen was merciful and let Bastian off the hook for not answering their question, though they made it obvious with a pointed side eye that they hadn’t completely dropped the matter.

  Bastian led the group into the dining hall area, and immediately saw Princess Henri waving enthusiastically from her table. “Bastian! Over here! We saved you a table.”

  The drakin smiled at the exuberant girl. It was doubly amusing when the Dark Lord’s eyebrow twitched and he reached out to cover Henri’s hand, showing a moment of jealousy even as he said, “Well met, Bastian.”

  Rowen often stayed in the Black Fortress while travelling through the Dark Enchanted Forest, so they were quite familiar with each other. Which was why Bastian wasn’t surprised when King Keith added, “And of course it’s a pleasure to see you again, Your Majesty.”

  No matter what Rowen tried, Keith always recognise the fox. Their Royal Highness sighed and released their disguise with a poof of red and gold.

  “Oh, Monfort,” Rowen took on a lady fox beastkin form, with ears and a bushy tail, and claimed the seat beside Keith with elegant flair, “You always see right through me. Care to tell this one how you do it?”

  The Dark Lord shrugged, “I have Intelligence 85 and a head on my shoulders. Bastian brought along three members of the royal guard and a child to the Spring Ball?”

  Bastian made motion and his party members all found a seat. He took the spot beside Henrietta.

  Keith waved a hand at Bastian, “He’s not a babysitter… and I can’t see you missing the most interesting event of the year, what with all the hints from Madame Potts.”

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  Bastian was used to being the subject of conversation, and turned his attention to scanning the room for threats before taking the menu Henri passed him. “Thanks.”

  She also poured each of them a glass for cold water with lemon, cucumber and mint. It was refreshing. Movement by the stairs caught Bastian’s eye, and he saw Miss Peregrine’s maid standing there ordering food with the waitstaff.

  It looked like the pair were going to have dinner in their rooms. A small sigh escaped him, why, he couldn’t be sure. He wanted to say it was because Their Royal Highness would start in on him as soon as the beautiful elf countess arrived… but on the other hand, he didn’t feel ready to speak to her again so soon.

  Rowen had been speaking with the other royals at the table while Bastian scanned the hall, but conversation came to a pause when the waitress arrived to take their order.

  “Ladies first,” Rowen said, waving a hand between themselves and Henrietta and then immediately launching into their order, “I’ll have the lamb shank with mushroom gravy. It sounds divine.”

  Rowen had no attachment to gender, but when they played a part they thoroughly enjoyed playing the part. Even Bastian, a known expert at tracking Their Highness, had been fooled once or twice.

  Henri looked up from her menu with bright eyes. “I’ll have the lamb quay-sa…”

  “The quesadilla, miss?” The waitress cut in helpfully.

  “Yes, that one, please!”

  Bastain ordered the boar cutlet on spuds, a thick pan seared cut of meat with roasted tubers and spring vegetables, coated in a melted herbed butter reduction. When he handed over his menu, Bastian saw Henri was staring at him intently.

  Bastian had joined Henri's adventuring party two years ago, and they'd gone dungeon delving once a week for about six months. Peldeep and Drendil weren’t the most compatible, but ocean trade was popular between the countries, and Peldeep had a lot of dungeons. Adventurer’s from around the continent visited to test their skills and level up there.

  Bastian gave a pointed look between the Heroine of Justice and the Dark Lord, raising one eyebrow in question. Henri was… naive might be the right word for it. She had so little self worth that she might jump off a building if told to do so. He could imagine her falling into old habits and just marrying the Dark Lord because someone told her it was the best thing to do.

  The blush that crept across her cheeks was reassuring, reinforced when she gave him a slight nod to let him know that she was happy.

  Rowen’s voice, dripping with seduction, cut into their silent conversation. “Of course, if you’re interested in joining our court for a moon viewing next month, there would be ample room for you.”

  Everyone knew that Rowen was happily married with children of their own, but that never stopped the fox from being a flirt. Henrietta frowned, her big brown eyes narrowing slightly as she contemplated how to beat off Bastian’s ruler from her Dark Lord.

  She didn’t have to, as King Keith replied, “My apologies, Your Majesty, but I’ll be in the middle of wedding plans, and it will be hard to get away.”

  Carter coughed on his lemon cucumber water, drawing everyone’s attention. When he’d gotten his breathing back under control, the foxkin said, “I didn’t realize Your Viciousness was engaged?”

  Bastian directed another raised eyebrow at Henri, he was surprised there hadn’t been any official announcements. Other than she was the Dark Lord’s prisoner that was.

  The princess merely shook her head while King Keith explained, “I’m not. My necromancer, Chloe Watercress, is marrying Julia von Slyke.”

  The table continued to discuss the wedding, while Bastian turned his attention to the dining hall and making sure that all was well. His eyes lingered on the stairwell upstairs, wondering if Miss Peregrine was enjoying her dinner. The fare at the Waddling Wombat was highly acclaimed.

  He thought about what his own wedding would look like. It was a political union, so Bastian just knew Rowen would want to take over the entire affair. He could only imagine all of the pomp and circumstance the royal would add.

  The pink silk he was using to make tiny bunny toys was barely touched. The fabric would look stunning on the elf countess, complimenting her pink hair. Maybe he could craft little pink and white silk flowers for a crown. Green lace accents on the dress the colour of her skin, with a few white fabric flowers along the bodice or at the hip... no, maybe just the lace, and a matching white and pink flower bracelet.

  As his mind played over the hypothetical wedding dress, it seemed like Bastian had forgotten that the marriage of convenience wasn't signed or certain yet.

  “Bastian?” Henri's voice cut into his thoughts.

  Patreon and maybe edit another one of my kid litrpg chapters. Once I'm 30 Chapters into editing Abigail Tally, I'm thinking I'll drop it on RR.