Xanthy's teeth dug against the flesh of her thumb, her thoughts roiling as much as the wind blew colder outside. The noisy chatter around the tavern didn't help calm her nerves. Six days have gone by and there's still no sign of him. Where in Umazure was he? Was there something going on?

Her eyebrows met in the middle of her forehead. He didn't act strange when Xanthy mentioned to him about her opening the ceremony. He didn't say anything about the festivities whenever it was brought up in conversations two weeks before the new year. It's not because he's reminded of something during the holidays, was it?

Some childhood trauma, perhaps? Xanthy could understand if it was so. Maybe he needed time to process things over and to heal. She might not get everything he felt and had been feeling, she might not carry the same weight he had been, but she could go with this kind of reasoning. Sure. She'd go with that.

Curiosity picked at the edge of her mind. Perhaps, it was something June wasn't ready to tell her. Yeah. That's...she could take that. Just...how she wished he could have told her something about it, even made up a half-meant lie. Not this...silence.

Or perhaps he found another woman and Xanthy couldn't fault that of him either. She hasn't exactly been the most present girl around. A curse flitted out of her lips as she shook her head. What was she doing? She shouldn't be thinking of things like that. June told her to trust him way, way back and he has proven his words to some degree. Perhaps—

"Umazure to Xanthy. Are you there?" a deep voice knocked the vase that was Xanthy's thoughts. She flinched, hearing the metaphorical vase shatter inside her skull. Well, there they go. "Seravel asked you something."

Xanthy blinked and forced her gaze to settle into the fire sprite heir's familiar form. When did he even get here? How long was she spaced out? "Oh," she smiled as she offered her hand towards him to shake. "How have you been?"

Instead of shaking her hand, Seravel ducked his head and took it with enough reverence to fit a Queen. Oh wait. She was one.

"I asked the same question, Your Highness," Seravel dropped back into his seat, his face matching Xanthy's smile. "It seems like your mind is somewhere...important."

Xanthy snorted. She waved a hand in front of her face. "No, no!" she rolled her eyes. "I was just thinking about what Cyrdel and Ariden told me about their ah..."

"Construction project," Ariden said from the seat beside Seravel. The earth sprite heir tapped his friend's chest with the back of his hand with a wink. "Top secret. We were just getting the High Queen's approval to get it started."

"It's to lessen the crime rate in Avalora," Cyrdel tipped his head back and downed the contents of his glass with one gulp. By the gods, when did this once-reserved prince get to be a drunkard? Cyrdel wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "You know, Akaron has been through some...questionable stuff as of late."

Ariden glanced at the Alkaran prince and nodded. "I figured since my connection to the Cutlasses was already discovered, I might use my influence in Avalora to work with the light this time," he jerked his chin at Xanthy. "So...top secret construction project it is."

"That's amazing, indeed," Seravel patted his friend in the back and turned back to Xanthy. "And you approve of this?"

Xanthy rolled her eyes. "What can I tell you? I'm not High Queen for long," she said. "These guys can sign their own edict when they take the Council seat with me."

The butt of a glass settled against the table. Cyrdel popped a piece of nut, skin and all, into his mouth. "You really are pushing through with that, huh?" he mussed his amber hair which has grown past its cropped style to a disheveled mop atop his head. "Tell me in advance so I can prepare for it. The shop might need new hires."

Xanthy turned to the heir. "A shop?"

"An inventing shop, Your Highness," Cyrdel's eyes twinkled. He chuckled. "It's something I've always wanted to do and well...now I get to."

"I told you to stop with the 'Your Highness' thing," Xanthy clicked her tongue and sipped from her own glass. Apart from the bitter ale her friends had ordered, she opted for a sweet liquor which hopefully has less alcohol in it. Who knew who would see the High Queen wasted, wandering the streets of Nanvera? It's something she'd never hear the end of from Airese, the Seelie Court, hell, maybe even Eldan or the rest of her conservative friends. Well, at least Reeca or Kymalin wouldn't care.

Ariden shook his head. "It's not everyday we get to drink with the High Queen during broad daylight, you know?" he tapped Xanthy's arm lightly. "Best make the most out of it."

Xanthy sighed. Well, whatever.

"So," Cyrdel rubbed his hands together. "Who wants to play a game?"

Then, Xanthy lost. Big time.

The game was simple. They just have to take turns saying silly phrases like "chubby buzz" or "stocky cup" until a person decides to say "Should they?" and if she was the next one to say the phrase, she had to reverse the words. And it would go that way until another person decides to say "Should they?" again. The phrase changed every time someone said the wrong thing and well, with Xanthy around, that happened pretty often. Soon, she had drained her cup and was goaded to ask for another. Damn. Really a good thing she forced the bartender to lessen the alcohol.

It's not that she hated games. It's just that she's so bad at anything related to it that she stopped trying to be good at it. She kept saying "buzz cup" or mixing the words badly enough to make her friends howl with drunken laughter. Xanthy didn't mind though. They've all been through so much. It's high time they get to do this. Just laughing with one another and having a good time.

"Xanthy's like 'chuck blues' when the word 'blue' was two rounds ago!" Cyrdel was saying, banging the table with his fingers as he wheezed. Damn, how many did he have already? Do they have to drag the heir out of here?

They played another round to which Seravel was forced to sip from his glass when he said "Should coo?" instead of "Should they?" and the table erupted into laughter once more. Xanthy wiped at the side of her eyes and her finger came out wet.

Queen's britches. This was too much fun. Even though she was losing, it's just like all the times she spent with June whenever he attempted to teach her the strategies at karavag. Just like this, they'd always end up trying to tickle each other or something as bland but fun, with the karavag board forgotten.

Suddenly, all the amusement evaporated from Xanthy's system. The whole table seemed to sense it and they quietened along with her. "Is something wrong, Xanthy?" Ariden asked.

Xanthy blew a breath. "Perhaps you've got an idea where June could be?" she said. "I haven't seen him since the beginning of the holidays. I'm worried. Did he confide in you over the past week?"

Cyrdel coughed into his fist and scratched the back of his neck. "No," he stared into the ale sparkling inside his newly-refilled glass. "I haven't even seen him nor had I any reason to."

Ariden tucked his hands under his arms. "Same as me," he began rocking back and forth against his seat. He wasn't looking at Xanthy. "Why would June come to me? It's an absurd idea."

"Sera?" Xanthy turned to the fire sprite heir.

His cheeks colored red. "Oh, uh..." he fidgeted with his fingers. "No. Haven't heard of him. Is there anything you think he might be up to?"

Xanthy narrowed her eyes, her senses picking up the subtle change in the atmosphere. What was going on? Why were they acting strange? Had they told a lie? Maybe. But...why would they do that? They really have nothing to lie to her about. They weren't the type to tell lies, either.

Instead, she sighed and drew lazy circles atop the table with her finger. "I have no idea, honestly," she said, answering Seravel's question. "I figured you guys might know something so I have to ask."

Ariden shook his head, his eyes softening. He laid a hand on Xanthy's arm. "I'm sure he'll come around."

Xanthy met Ariden's eyes. They seemed sincere enough. She nodded. "Yeah."

She didn't even know what she'd do should she miss the whole Jered Hyngtis without even seeing June. "Yeah."

That night, when she returned to the Imperial Palace, all the alcohol she had consumed with her friends and the haze beginning to cloud her mind during her walk to the streets had disappeared in a flash. Something was going on with June. Xanthy wrung her fingers against her trousers. Why wouldn't he want to tell her?

Xanthy cursed, her words echoing in the vast corridors before bouncing off to the darkness surrounding her. It's a big place for a small person like her. It's lonely. It's...sad. She ran her hands down her arms as she walked.

June, where were you?