“He sounds like a decent guy,” I said, licking another stripe through the cream and jam. “I knew you had… people working for you, but I didn’t quite realize they’d be outside the capital too.”

“A prince needs eyes, ears, and swords in every corner of the land, especially when he’s absent from his place at court for one hundred years. My field agents are an invaluable resource. They worked alongside my soldiers and councillors, keeping the peace while I was gone. They live as normal civilians, but would report any whispers of unrest or revolt so I could devise the best course of action and suppress it quickly.”

My eyes widened. “You organized all of them while you were in the human realm?”

“Of course,” he said, matter-of-factly. “Being in the human realm did not release me from my duties. Not entirely. Rathe handled anything I could not oversee personally, but I corresponded with my forces often, kept everything in motion. I wanted my absence to be purely superficial, no real changes except for the fact that I was not here physically. I’d never abandon my people, or those who pledged their loyalty to me, but I had to leave. For my sanity, if nothing else.”

A weary look passed over his face, his gaze growing distant, and through our bond, I felt the creeping tingle of sadness and longing.

“You’re not really happy here, are you?” I said.

He seemed to blink out of a deep thought, the smile that slipped into place not quite reaching his eyes. His hand rose to cup my cheek. “I am happy wherever you are, sweetheart.”

“I know, but I mean…” I leaned into his touch, covering his hand with the one not holding a half-eaten confectionery. “You’d be happier in the human realm, wouldn’t you? Without the responsibility of the crown looming over you?”

It was obvious from his pause and clenching jaw that he wanted to deny it—to spare my feelings and lessen my worry, most likely. That was just the type of guy he was. After a moment of hesitating and studying my resolute expression, he sighed, letting his hand slip from my cheek as he leaned back against the shop wall.

“It is… more complex than that, but yes.” The answer I’d been expecting. “The club is a home I made for myself, and for Tee. It was somewhere I could be selfish. I could travel whenever and wherever I wanted, see new sights, learn new things, watch the humans advance throughout the decades, and pretend to live as if I were never a prince. I wasn’t free by any means—I still had responsibilities—but not being in the Otherworld, directly answering to my father, was surreal. They were the best years of my life, especially those last few months when a little human came sauntering into my den asking for a job.”