The moment Ace jumped down from the tree did I notice something. "Did you just call me that woman?

"Ren!" I said and started towards Ren, who was now back on his feet and looking at Ace. "That snake is a Boa. They don't have poison but they can kill you through constriction. They are very hard to find and detect because part of their ability is to conceal their presence. They are strong and would most likely require 5 men to take it down. But your strength and my skills are more than enough. Help me kill this monster." He said to Ren.

Ren gave him a curt nod and a snort.

Ace nodded back in return. "The weakness of a Boa is by cutting its head. You distract it while I find a way to it's back and cut off it's head. Make sure to stay clear from it's good eye. It will give you an advantage."

Ren frowned and made eye contact with Ace. He shifted on his feet and bounced on his heels.

"No, I am not doubting your skills in battle. It's just that you are too injured and have bruised and cracked ribs. Your wolf is not healing that fast." Ace said and I think that Ren must have said something to him using his Alpha link.

Ren made a noise again. "I am not insulting your wolf, mutt!" Now Ace was losing his temper. "Now get out there and distract the damn thing so we can kill it already!"

Ren's wolf flinched and made some grunting sounds before charging at the snake. He stood in front of it's bad eye and poked the branch that I embedded into its eye. The snake roared when Ren pushed it farther back and jumped out of the way when the snake snapped at him. Ren growled.

"Keep my sister safe, Rose. And you too." I took my eyes off of Ren to look at Ace. His back was to us so I couldn't really see his face as he said it. He sounded sincere, but I couldn't help but wonder if that tone of voice only applies to Nora or the both of us.

When the snake now has it's back fully exposed to Ace did he start to move. He started to run and, as swift and light as a cat, he jumped, broke his bow into two twin blades, and sliced the snake's head. The cut was not that deep so Ren jumped up and finished the job.

Somehow I managed to cover Nora's eyes throughout the whole cutting process so that she was safe from the gruesome image that we had to witness. The snake's blood started to spill and pool on the ground as it's head landed and rolled a few feet back.

Ace and Ren were covered in blood as they walked towards us.

"Aish!!" Nora screamed and pulled herself away from me to run to Ace. Ace dropped his bloody weapon to the ground and wiped the blood on his pants before he went to carry Nora. "You're cuwed!"

"I'm so glad you are safe, Nora." Ace whispered as he hugged her.

I smiled and watched with envy as the siblings hugged. It made me want to hug my own sister right now, but we all know that it is impossible at the moment.

‘I'm glad you're safe, Rose.’ I felt a nudge at my side and saw Ren in wolf form looking down at me.

"I should be saying it to you." I said and gave him a light pat on his shoulder.

‘Ow! Careful. My skin is sensitive!’ He said, making me laugh.

"I think it is time for us to head back right now." Ace suddenly said. Nodding at both Ren and I as he placed Nora back on the ground. He picked up his weapon and strapped it to his back. "Let's go."

Nora ran back to me and held my hand. "Come on, Wose. Wen, let's go!" She said and beamed brightly. Ace's eyes suddenly narrowed at this.

"Ren, a word." Ace said in a hard tone making Ren tensed up a bit. He then looked at me and I shrugged, not knowing why Ace wanted to talk to him.

We started to head back with Ren and Ace waking ahead of Nora and I. I held Nora's hand as we walked. She had a bright smile on her face and she kept humming. I smiled. "You look happy. Happy that you're brother is well?"

Nora's smile grew wide and she looked up at me. "Yep!" She giggled. She looked at Ren and Ace before looking back at me. "Pwincess Wose? Are you in a relationchip with my bwother?"

That made me stop and I had to look at her like she was crazy or something. "Did you bump your head or something?" Like seriously, why would she ask me that? She saw how Ace addressed me earlier with clear disdain.

"Are you in a relationchip with Pwince Wen then?" She asked.

"No, Nora. I'm not." First Ace now Ren? Is she the Queen or something. Why is she interested in relationships?

Nora tilted her head to the side as she looked at me. We started walking again. "Prince Ren is really nice. He plays with me and even risks his life to save us, right, princess Rose?"

"Uh hu." I agreed as I focused on walking.

"Is Prince Ren in a relationchip with someone?"

"I don't think so." I said.

"Why?"

"Um....I don't know? I guess his mind is too childish to even think of having a relationship? Well that or he's not attractive at all." I chucked. Of course I was joking about the unattractive part. Ren is handsome and hot just like the rest of them.
You all did not hear it from me.

"No he's not. He's good looking!" She said and pouted in my direction.

"Woah! What's with that face?" I laughed and poked her cheeks. "Don't tell me you have a crush on Ren." I laughed even harder, but when I saw her blush I stopped right away. "Wait. You have a crush on him don't you?"

Nora pursed her lips as looked away. It took everything in me not to laugh and pinch her cheeks even harder because she looks so cute then.

Oh my gosh! Nora has a crush on Ren! This is priceless!! I looked back at Ren, still in his wolf form, walking beside Ace, who was frowning as he talked to him.

‘No wonder Ace looks annoyed when he looks at me right now.’ Ren chuckled as he spoke in my mind. It doesn't take a genius to know that he was eavesdropping on us. ‘Well I can't say I blame her. Who wouldn't be attracted to a fine werewolf as I?’

I coughed, "Someone is starting to sound like Nate." I coughed again.

Nora only raised her eyebrows at me wondering who I was talking to while Ren basically shivered in disgust in his wolf form. Ace looked at him and raised his eyebrow, probably wondering about his peculiar behavior.

Gross! Rose, do not compare me to him.

I started laughing and Nora now seemed scared as she watched me laugh. She probably thinks I am going nuts for laughing by myself for no apparent reason.

"Nora." Ace suddenly calls his little sister. Nora turned to Ace, who then motions for her to come. Nora then ran towards Ace and I watched as he carried his sister and placed her on Ren's back. Nora squealed when Ren playfully snapped at her leg, but Ace wasn't having any of it as he hit Ren on the head. "Take her to the castle safely .If you drop her, then there will be hell to pay." He warned.

Ren grunted and when Ace turned his back to Ren to face me Ren automatically made funny faces at him, which was really weird and awkward since he was in wolf form that I started to laugh. Ace saw my expression and immediately turned to Ren, who immediately plastered on a blank face.

He let out a snort as he headed off into the woods with Nora riding at his back.

Once they were gone, Ace suddenly turned to me and motioned for me to come. "Walk with me." He said and I suddenly felt nervous. What does he mean when he says that I walk with him? Does that mean I am in trouble? Did he hear my insults to him back at the greenhouse? Whatever it is, I know it is something serious because having a walk with this prince is not normal.

I swallowed and nervously quickened my pace until I was walking right beside him. We were silent and I was already dying to know why he let Ren and Nora go off first. As we were starting to emerge from the forest and into the castle Ace stopped.
I stopped as well to look at him. "Um....."

Ace turned to me. His face was emotionless and I could not tell if he was angry or not. "Listen, there is something that I want to say." He said in a serious voice, making me tense up. "You-"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry for insulting you when you were asleep! I'm sorry for calling you names. I just did all that in hopes that you would wake sooner and it works! I promise I won't do it again unless you still act like a jerk towards me." I blurted out.
Ace looked at me with confusion evident on his face. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm.....apologizing?" I said and stared at Ace, who doesn't seem angry at all as I pictured him to be. Now it was my turn to be confused.

This made him more confused. "What?"

"Isn't that why you called me here?" I asked and earned the same confused look from here. "Um....I'm guessing we are not on the same page."

"No we're not." He agreed.

"So what then? Why did you call me here?" I asked.

Ace averted his gaze and let out a sigh. "Well earlier you kept my sister safe. You almost got hurt in the process while protecting her."

I looked at him as I tried to process the meaning behind his words. "Are you...." I paused. "Are you trying to say thank you?"

At this, Ace turned to me and said, "Well now we are on the same page." He sighed in relief. "Glad you understood then." And with that he started walking away.

Wait. That's it? He just wanted to say thank you and he didn't even say the words to my face! I am not having any of this.

"Hey!" I called out to him. "Get back here and say thank you in a proper manner!!" I said and ran after him.

"You already understood what I said. Saying my thanks is not needed." He simply said.

"Say your gratitude properly!"

"I did."

"Say the words!"

"It's not even necessary!"

"Ugh! Fine!" I growled at him. Getting tired of this conversation that would obviously lead to nowhere but us bickering in circles and throwing insults at each other's faces. I forgot that he's the rude prince among them. In my anger I turned my back to him and stomped my way back to the castle. Let him walk on his own!

"Careful. That part is muddy." He said. I ignored his warning and continued to move forward. As I did, my foot stepped on something slippery making me slide back and forth like a crazed ice skater. I stumbled forward and grabbed a random vine from a tree. It broke, making me spin a couple of times like a failed ballet dancer. My hand touched a tree trunk, but I did not manage to grasp it when I started falling back again. This time, I did fall and landed on my butt.

Well that was an epic way to make an exit.

"Pffft!" Someone snickered behind me and I quickly turned around thinking that it was Ace but he has a stoic look on his face.

Maybe it was my imagination....

I turned back as I started to get up. "Pff!" Someone snickered again and I turned back. Ace still has that dead look on his face.

Okay...

Turning back again, I pulled myself up and noticed that my feet were stuck in the mud. I cursed and tried pulling them free and only managed to remove my foot from my shoe and I ended up falling again. This time, I did hear someone laughing and I quickly turned around to find Ace holding out his arm in front of him to lean on a tree trunk as he laughed.

Blushing with embarrassment I got up and glared at him. "Come on! It wasn't that funny." I yelled but he just laughed even more that he had to wipe tears from his eyes. I watched in annoyance and waited until the prince would calm and shut the feck up.

But in all honesty he looks like a normal prince now like Ren and Dan, who are always on the good side of things. It's a new look for him and you can't even picture him to be someone as rude as he is on most days – scratch that – every day.

When Ace finally shut up, I diverted my attention from him and stared at my shoes buried in mud. Great. Now how am I supposed to get them?

"Let me." Ace suddenly appeared to my side and used the tip of his bow to fish out my shoes. He shook the mud off of them for a bit before handing it to me.

"Thanks." I muttered as I put them on.

"Thank you." I must have gone deaf because I suddenly looked up at him. Surprised at what I hear and disbelieving that I actually heard the words from him.

"Did you just..."

He frowned. And the old prince was back again. "I am not repeating myself again." He said and walked back into the castle.

Wow. I forgot that this guy is bipolar. One minute he's laughing and the next he's ready to kill someone with a fork. But in any case, I felt myself smiling when I remember him saying thank you. I totally won this round because I managed to get Ace to actually say those words! Ha!

But even though he didn't really say those words properly with a long speech I think I'd still be happy because he's all better now and back to his usual self. No more worries about his condition again and we don't have to worry when he'll wake up or if we are going to leave him behind.

One thing is for sure though. We will be heading back to Thalia without another prince leaving the group.