Because of the queen's strict order, no royal family dared to offer Princess Pien shelter. None wished to risk punishment by defying the Queen of Afron. Doors that once would have opened at her mere presence now remained firmly shut.
Worse still, Pien had no gems to secure luxury lodging. Without royal approval, even the finest hotels refused them—some politely, others with thinly veiled mockery. By nightfall, the three found themselves wandering unfamiliar streets with nowhere to go.
Exhaustion weighed heavily on them.
They had traveled continuously since leaving the palace, yet none of them possessed the skills needed to ease their journey. Creating gems, levitation, or spatial transport were all high-level techniques—skills they could have learned long ago.
But they never had.
Pien had forbidden such training in the past. She feared that if Ronen or Florate grew too capable, they might surpass her… or worse, grow disobedient.
Now, that decision returned to haunt her.
Her once-perfect appearance was ruined. Sweat clung to her hair, dust stained her clothes, and her steps lacked their usual grace. The princess who once glided through marble halls now trudged through stone streets like a common traveler.
Ronen glanced at her state and burst into laughter.
"You're truly pitiful," he said without restraint. "Watching all those hotels turn you away was the most satisfying thing I've seen in my life. Who would've thought someone as high and mighty as you would end up sleeping on the streets?"
Pien shot him a glare, humiliation burning in her eyes—but for once, she had no sharp retort.
Florate walked a few steps behind them, silent. Her fingers brushed against the cover of the Book of Wisdom, its weight steady against her side. Though she said nothing, her eyes quietly took in their surroundings, calculating, observing—already searching for a way forward.
The journey had only just begun.
Ronen turned to Florate, glancing at the miserable Pien. "I can't bear to torture myself along with her," he admitted. "I just wanted her to learn a lesson. I have a friend who runs a shady motel; he won't abide by the Queen's rules. I know him well, but I'm warning you, Pien—don't you dare bring your princess bragging there. He hates pampered girls. Just know we are heading into a den of thieves."
Pien was in such shock after hearing Ronen's decision to take her to such a place that her anger spiked. She opened her mouth to scold him, but the sheer exhaustion and rage caused her to pass out mid-sentence.
"How is someone like her going to survive if she keeps this up?" Ronen sighed. "If it were just her, I'd be laughing, but you two insisted on dragging me along. What did I do to suffer with you?"
He shook Pien, assuming she was pretending, knowing no palace rules remained to protect her. It wasn't until Florate pinched Pien's nose to check her breathing that they realized she had truly fainted. With a groan, Ronen hoisted Pien onto his back. He knew if he refused, Florate would try to carry her, and his pride as a gentleman wouldn't allow that.
They wound deeper into the dark street corners until they reached a punk-looking motel nestled in the shadows. The sight of it alone was terrifying.
"Are we in the right place?" Florate whispered.
"I know you have questions," Ronen replied, "but you're sensible. Just trust my connections."
"I do trust you," Florate said softly. "I don't think we have another choice."
They entered the building. On the surface, it looked like a typical, shabby motel. However, when they reached the counter, Ronen performed a series of rapid hand signs. A robot accountant scanned them, its eyes glowing as a space portal hummed to life in the door beside it.
"Welcome to the Unruly Zone," the robot droned. "It's good to get wild sometimes."
They stepped through the portal and emerged into a black market street. Slaves moved through the crowds, and vendors sold items rarely seen in the upper world. Everyone seemed to recognize Ronen.
"Who are these beautiful ladies with you, Rodent?" someone shouted.
Ronen ignored the nickname and walked silently toward a rented room. Once inside, he laid Pien on a small couch. Florate stared at him in disbelief.
"Stop staring," Ronen said. "Living with Pien, you have to have a Plan B. I learned that from her—once she discards us, we'd better be prepared. I've been saving gems to start a hospital and achieve your dream of traveling the world. We're orphans, Florate. We've always had each other's backs. We can't depend on this princess forever."
Tears welled in Florate's eyes as she hugged him. "I never knew you thought of me like that. You really are my brother. But... Pien would never leave us."
"You're always so blindly loyal to her," Ronen muttered, though he smiled slightly. He checked Pien's pulse. "She's alright. She'll be conscious by tomorrow."
The Morning After
The next morning, Florate was still fretting over the unconscious Pien until Ronen began shaking her awake. Pien's eyes fluttered open; as it turned out, she had simply been oversleeping.
"You got us into this mess," Ronen snapped. "You can't slack off. Bear some responsibility."
Pien summoned a mirror into her hands. "Look how messy I am! Ronen, I'm going to kill you for laying your hands on me—" She stopped abruptly, realizing the size of the room in the reflection. "Where am I?!"
"Your Royal Chamber, Your Highness," Ronen mocked. "Be grateful, or I'll leave you on the streets."
"Is this space even habitable?" Pien shrieked. "It's barely the size of my wardrobe!"
Florate reached out a calming hand. "Don't worry. You passed out and I was worried. This is the only place we can stay for now. But Pien... what really made your mother so angry?"
Pien lowered her head. "She wants me to find that proud prince, or I'll never be a princess again."
"How can we find someone without clues?" Florate asked.
"That's where I come in," Ronen said confidently.
Pien rolled her eyes. "How? You're more hopeless than me."
"Oh, I'm far ahead of you." Ronen pulled Pien off the sofa and sat down, smiling. Suddenly, an AI version of himself, dressed in royal finery, appeared in the center of the room.
"How can I help you, Master?" the AI asked.
"I spent many gems customizing 'Rodent,'" Ronen explained. "He's an advanced AI model for research and advice. Since Pien forbade us from acquiring skills, I went for this instead."
"You did this behind my back?" Pien asked, stunned.
"You think you can always control me? Here, I'm the boss," Ronen said.
Florate leaned in, impressed. "Ronen, this is actually great! It could help us find Yaren."
She asked the AI a few complex questions, but it simply blinked. Ronen's bossy attitude vanished. He sheepishly confessed that he hadn't actually upgraded the AI's intelligence; he had spent all the gems on the visuals—customizing the outfit and adjusting the facial structure to make the AI look even more handsome than Prince Yaren.
"You are unbelievable," Pien sighed.
However, the AI did contain high-resolution photos of Yaren. As the images appeared, the room went silent. Yaren had high, blade-like cheekbones, a V-shaped jawline, and a straight, aristocratic nose. His skin had a warm golden undertone. Pien was immediately drawn to his beauty, her desire to find him suddenly skyrocketing. Even the calm Florate felt her heart flutter.
"This boy is every man's vision of perfection," Ronen admitted. "I know you've both fallen for him already."
"It's just beauty," Florate said, trying to stay composed while Pien hovered over the photos. "We have a starting point, but no plan."
Florate pulled out a wireless digital keyboard and began typing rapidly.
"What are you doing?" Ronen asked.
"Upgrading him." In seconds, the AI's eyes glowed with new intelligence. "Those were just the basics," she said coolly.
The AI scanned the trio. "Your mission has a 95% estimated failure rate," it announced. "You are all at Level 5 of special skills."
"How?" Ronen asked. "I thought we knew nothing."
"Ronen," the AI stated, "you possess acupuncture skills to control wind, though your level is low. Pien can summon magical makeup. Florate can open small time-spaces."
Ronen looked at Pien. "Of all things, makeup? You are the most useless one here."
"A woman's greatest weapon is beauty!" Pien retorted. "I will tame those monsters with my looks."
"You're just preparing to be a monster's dinner," Ronen groaned.
"Enough!" Florate interrupted. "AI, how do we find Yaren?"
"Find Kon," the AI replied. "As Yaren's guardian, he can sense the Prince's presence anywhere. To find him, you must travel to Amelia—a long journey that requires passing through Uoron. If you had the funds, you could use a space teleport."