“Hi…” Ian shyly waved to the man. 

“Hello, you must be the prince.” The man greeted, bowing to Ian. 

“Yea and who are you?” Adaline gutted in. 

“I’m Valentino and you must be Adaline. Alexzander’s childhood friend.” Valentino stuck out his hand for a shake. 

“I am.” Adaline shook his hand. 

“Whose this?” Valentino looked at Phillip. 

Phillip opened his mouth to answer but nothing came out so he shut it; not breaking eye contact with Valentino. 

“This is Phillip.” Ian excitedly introduced him. 

“A maid?” Valentino quirked an eyebrow, looking Phillip up and down. 

Phillip’s cheeks started to turn pink. He had completely forgotten that he was wearing a maids outfit. 

“I-uhhhh…” Phillip didn’t know what to say. 

“Just tell him that you’re in disguise. How hard is that?” Juliet sounded annoyed. 

“Oh would you shut up.” Phillip spoke hardly, looking up towards Juliet

“Nice one.”

Philip realized that he spoke out loud. 

“I didn’t mean that to you. That was just… for ummm.” Phillip stumbled with his words, when he looked back at Valentino. 

“Seriously?”

Don’t judge me, okay.

Juliet decided to come down from her perch on the tree, startling everyone. She walked up to everyone till she was standing right next to Phillip. Phillip looked down at her then back at Valentino.

“This is who I was talking to.”

“Uh huh, who is this then?” Valentino asked, not looking away from the ‘tiger’

“This is Juliet, my partner.” Phillip introduced. 

Valentino stared at Juliet while she stared back, a somewhat tension feeling growing around them. 

“Hey Adaline! Someone’s trying to out shoot you!” Alex shouted from behind Valentino, breaking off his and Juliet’s staring. 

“What?!” Adaline shouted back, marching over to the targets. 

“Heh, she’s a competitive one.” Valentino chuckled. 

“Yeah…” Phillip trailed off. 

He got distracted by Valentino’s laugh. It didn’t help when Valentino looked back to see Phillip staring at him. Valentino smiled, causing a small blush to come over Phillip’s face again. 

“Yo Phillip! Why are you in a maid's outfit?!” Alex shouted, walking over to them. 

“That’s Silas, he’s walking over here.” Ian whispered at Phillip, shaking his arm. 

“I’m in disguise. The King and Queen figured out who I was so Ian dressed me up.” Phillip turned his attention to Alex. 

“Prince Ian?” Silas asked. 

“Yes, this is him.” Phillip pointed over to Ian. 

“Your majesty.” Both Alex and Silas greeted, bowing. 

“Hello… ummm. You must be Alexzander.” Ian tried but failed to keep his eyes away from Silas. 

“Yes, has Phillip been talking about me?” Alex wrapped his arm over Phillip’s shoulders. 

“I didn’t tell them much.” Phillip admitted. 

“You didn’t brag to the prince about my amazing swordsmanship?” Alex scoffed. 

“You aren’t the best.” Valentino jumped in. 

“Well who decided that you are.” Silas chimed in. 

Phillip was still stuck under Alex’s arm, starting to feel uncomfortable with the guys bickering; seeing as they started to get in each other’s faces. 

“You’re not better than me.” Alex provoked. 

“I can take you down any day.” Valentino challenged.

“I wouldn’t need help to defeat both of you.” Silas bragged. 

“Phillip’s not helping me, he’s cheering me on.” Alex pointed out. 

“Why would he be cheering you on?” Valentino sneered. 

“Well for your information, I saved him.” Alex smiled. 

“That’s hard to believe.” Silas rolled his eyes. 

“Why would he cheer for you? He doesn’t even know you.” Alex leered. 

Phillip didn’t like how the conversation suddenly turned to him. Why was he even being talked about right now? He looked over to Ian for help but realized that Ian was too busy in a fantasy world about Silas. 

What is going on? 

“I think one of them is jealous, one is getting possessive and the other one is just trying to show off.” Juliet guessed. 

What?

“You aren’t that blind. You know what’s going on, just don’t want to admit that a guy you’re attracted to is getting jealous.”  

Please get me out of here. 

“Fine.”

Juliet let out a deep, threatening growl at the guys. Sneering her teeth at them. Which they seemed to understand and backed away from Phillip. Juliet stood in front of Phillip separating them, she didn’t take her eyes off them. 

“Wanna teach me how to shoot an arrow?” Ian asked Silas, breaking the awkwardness. 

“The prince is asking and not demanding?” Alex pointed out. 

“Sure I can show you. Let's go somewhere else, with fewer people.” Silas suggested. 

Ian followed Silas as he walked to go grab some arrows and a bow; Phillip sent Juliet to go with them. Leaving him alone with Alexzander and Valentino. 

“Guessing you’re gonna go with them?” Alex guessed correctly. 

“Ya, you going to go make sure Adaline won’t kill anyone?” 

“Yeah, I better do that. Alight holler if you need anything.” Alex waved to Phillip. 

Before he completely left Phillip with Valentino, Alex stopped and whispered something in Valentino’s ear. Just out of autobility for Phillip. When Alex was gone, Phillip wished he didn’t send Juliet with Ian. He knows that Silas wouldn’t bring him any harm. When Valentino turned back around, meeting Phillip’s eyes. Phillips' cheeks started to turn a pink shade. 

“What’s your relationship with him?” Valentino questioned, gesturing to Alex. 

“He’s a friend, why?”

“It seems like he’s more than just a friend.”

“Well he’s not, just being friendly is all.” Phillip nervously chuckled. 

Valentino just hummed a response. 

“Why do you care? Jealous.” Phillip teased. 

“Yes actually.” Val stepped closer. 

“What?”

“I’m jealous.” 

Phillip had backed up into a tree, making Valentino put his hands against the tree. Trapping Phillip against the tree. They stared at each other. Phillip’s shocked eyes staring back into Valentino lustful ones. 

“I’m jealous of your ‘friendship’ with Alex.” 

“W-why?” Phillip stuttered. 

“Why? He’s trying to steal you away from me before I can even make a move.”

“But you don’t even know me.”

“Not yet.” Val added, slowly closing the gap between them. 

Phillip couldn’t help but glance down at his lips. His mind and heart racing what seemed to be a million miles a second. 

He couldn’t believe his ears. He had just met the dude and he’s already jealous of Alexzander, thinking that Phillip was in a relationship with Alex. 

Phillip looked down, all the way down Valentino then landed back on his lips; which seemed to move closer to his. Valentino removed one of his hands from the tree and titled Phillips' head so he was looking at him in the eyes. 

“You have beautiful eyes... I don’t mind if they’re undressing me.” Val whispered. 

“I- wasn’t, I didn’t.” Phillip squeaked, the blush becoming darker on his cheeks. 

“We both know you were.” A pause. “I think you like me.”

Valentino stepped away from Phillip. 

“Cute maid outfit by the way.” 

Valentino looked up and down Phillip one last time before heading off back to the archery ground, with the rest of the contestants. Leaving Phillip dumbfounded against the tree. 

“Well that was entertaining.”