Reeling back from the fork, Solace hastily grabbed one from his setting to fend her off, only to find that she’d stabbed several pieces of greens from her bowl and aimed it at him.

He caught Gwain’s worried look from across the table. He almost started to get up, but Solace realized Charlotte wasn’t attacking him and leaned away instead. “I can feed myself,” he said sternly.

“What?” Charlotte withdrew the fork.

Stabbing a few pieces of greens, Solace stuck it into his mouth and started chewing. A burst of fresh, slightly bitter juice with a tangy bite knocked all other thoughts from his head. He completely forgot why he was on edge and slightly irritated. Instead, he looked at his bowl in awe. He’d had no idea greens tasted like this!

“Gwain! He can feed himself!” Charlotte enthused, grabbing Solace’s shoulder and shaking him in her excitement. Too preoccupied with food, he let her.

Gwain snorted and tried to hide that he'd laughed.

Do they eat like this all the time? If so, I'll put up with this crazy woman.

“You laughed,” Charlotte called him out anyway, but her tone was playful. She had her hand on Solace’s back, gently rubbing. “You should eat too. It seems you both get grouchy when you’re hungry. Oh! I just noticed! Look, dear! He's left-handed!"

Solace looked up from his greens to find Gwain holding his fork in the same hand.

Gwain looked thoughtful. "That's... fifty-fifty chance."

"Not really. Only ten percent of the population is left-hand dominant," Solace said.

"How do you know that?" Charlotte asked, sounding genuinely curious.

Opening his mouth, Solace stopped. "I... can't remember." He deflated.

"What would you like to do after lunch, Solace?" the queen asked.

Solace thought about it. Had he ever had free time in the past? There was probably work he should have been doing. Endless lines of sick and wounded needing to be tended. And so many dead to dispose of. "What do I normally do?"

The queen looked guilty. "Return to your room..."

"Could I stay out here?"

"If you're so inclined. Is there anything else?"

"I don’t know anything about this place," he admitted. "I want to be able to walk on my own."

The queen nodded, smiling the whole time. "A wonderful idea. I'll hire a governess for you immediately."

The king cleared his throat, "Perhaps... sword lessons with the knights?"

"Ah, yes. That too."

Solace wasn't sure about the sword lessons but didn't object since he didn't know why he wasn't too keen on the idea.

Something occurred to him. Charlotte had been addressed as Your Majesty. "You're the queen." He turned to Charlotte. "And you say I am your son? That would... make me a prince?" At least now that people had stopped screaming, he had room to think. "Then who are you?" he asked Gwain. If Charlotte’s son was Solace, then who was Dunn? Maybe it was a dream? Maybe I am Solace? It feels like I’ve been called that for a long time… Maybe Dunn was a dream? A very bad dream. Dunn died. That realization pained his heart. Dunn had died with a lot of unfinished things.

"That's your father, dear," Charlotte said.

Gwain cleared his throat. "I'm the king." He was clearly a man willing to put up with anything so long as his wife was happy.

"Do you remember anything from before today?" Charlotte asked.

"Not clearly." Though the question was odd. If she was so sure he was her son, where were his memories before the dream of Dunn?

"What parts do you remember?" she insisted.

Solace turned his gaze toward the trees on the hill. "Blackened skies and barren lands. Fighting demons…” He stopped himself. According to their horrified expressions, that wasn't a polite lunchtime topic. He took another fork full of greens, making sure to spear one of those red orbs. It exploded in his mouth unexpectedly, and he nearly choked before he got things under control. Charlotte fussed at him with a napkin until he caught her hands and gently pushed them down.

He finished his salad and felt full, but another plate was placed before him as the other was cleared away. Cut brightly colored shapes were arranged on the plate in a white sauce. He took the next fork in the arrangement, following Gwain’s lead. He picked a bright green circle. He couldn't identify it, though he suspected it was fruit. He looked forward to tasting it. Popping it into his mouth, his toes curled. The tartness overpowered his other senses. "What is this?" he asked, picking up another one.

"Kiwi," the queen said cheerfully.

"And this one?"

"Honeydew. Do you like it?"

"Yes," Solace said enthusiastically and caught Charlotte giving Gwain a smug look.

"See? He's like you," she said softly.

Solace set his fork on the plate and used the napkin to wipe his mouth. Realizing he'd ignored the king and queen in favor of scarfing his lunch, Solace cleared his throat and said, "That other man that was with you. Who was he?"

"Chancellor Floritan," Charlotte supplied.

"I interrupted state business," Solace reasoned.

"My dear, sweet boy," Charlotte said, getting out of her chair to kiss his cheek, forehead, and hair. "To me, you are the most important thing in my life."

Solace caught Gwain's gaze. Apparently, they were both uncomfortable, although likely for entirely different reasons. "Regardless, I'll endeavor not to interrupt state affairs in the future."

Charlotte pressed his face against her breast. "You are so kind and considerate, Solace, but you may call upon me anytime." She kissed his hair once more. "I love you, and I want to hear everything you have to say."

Looking up at her, he couldn't help but ask, "You love me? Why?" He couldn’t remember much of his past at the moment, but he knew that word wasn’t one that was used casually, especially in front of others.

"Because you are my son." She cupped his face once again. "You are my only baby. I have loved you since you were in my womb, and I will love you until the world is no more." Her steadfast gaze and the heat of her hands felt like a burden he wasn’t ready to bear.

"The boy has a point. We should return," Gwain interrupted.

Boy? You're the same age as me? Solace squinted in confusion. Charlotte and Gwain looked to be in their mid-thirties.

She lifted her cheek from Solace's hair and addressed her husband, "He should be included."

"We need to think about this logically."

Charlotte huffed. "He has a right. Besides, look at him!" She squeezed his shoulders.

Whatever they were talking about, Solace knew that he'd somehow complicated things. He wanted to remove himself from their equation, but he didn't know enough about the world around him to make a solid judgment about how to do it safely.

Charlotte didn't want to give up whatever decision she'd already made, evidenced by her tight hold on his shoulder. Solace suspected that Gwain had not gotten his emotions involved and was acting with a clearer mind.

Deciding to defuse the stalemate, Solace took her hand from his shoulder when her grip loosened and patted it. "Please attend to your duties for the day. I'll be here when you're finished." He looked up at her as she teared up.

"Yes," she choked. "I suppose you will." She kissed his forehead. Gwain stood and offered his arm to Charlotte, which she took. Gwain seemed to be in a hurry. Charlotte clutched her husband’s arm, whispering to him excitedly. They disappeared around the bend in the path, leaving Solace alone with Lorrie and the other terrified servants.

"I'd like to sit beneath those trees. Would that be permitted?" Solace pointed up the hill. He looked back at Lorrie, keenly aware of the other staff staring.

"Yes, Your Highness," Lorrie said stiffly, taking his chair around the gazebo and up the hill. The path ended a short distance from the tree, but Lorrie pushed his chair into the grass and set the brake. "Is this to your liking, Your Highness?"

"Yes." Solace got up to turn to face her, dropping the blanket into the seat. "May I ask you some things?"

Lorrie looked unnerved but said, "As you wish, Your Highness."

Dissatisfied with her fear, Solace asked, "Why is everyone terrified of me?"

"It isn't my place to say, Your Highness."

He sighed. "Why are you frightened of me?"

"I wouldn't wish to offend, Your Highness."

Realizing he wasn't going to get anywhere with this, he decided to take a different line of questioning, "What were you doing before I fell in the pond?"

"I was washing the bedding, Your Highness," Lorrie said.

Solace frowned. Lorrie wasn't going to answer him willingly. "Sorry for being an inconvenience, Miss Lorrie. You may return to the duties I interrupted. I'll be here when you're done."

Lorrie looked uncertain. Solace folded down to sit in the grass.

"You’re welcome to sit with me.” He brushed his hand across the blades.

Lorrie remained standing, silent. He wanted to reassure Lorrie that he meant her no harm, but that wouldn't be done in a day. Perhaps she would never trust him. That was something he would have to live with, Solace supposed.

You have to be honest with people if you want them to like you, Dunn, he recalled someone telling him once. "I think I died. Now I'm here. The transition was a bit... jarring, so forgive me for being rude." But who had been in this body before he had suddenly taken over? Prince Solace seemed to have not been a very active participant in his life prior. He looked down at his thin legs, visible in the damp pants that clung to him like a second skin. His spindly fingers and arms further testified that he'd not been active or eaten much.

Looking down the hill toward the pond he’d fallen into, he found the two knights from before speaking with a third man wearing a blue and gold uniform. Reed and his associate saluted the third man, then hurried away. The third man turned a menacing gaze up the hill and started toward them, tromping straight through the brightly blooming flowers.

Solace immediately decided he didn’t like the man.