I think we should go, Goldie sent. We have seen enough to give a report, yes? She sounded nervous at the sight of so many gold-colored insects.

  Adon was inclined to agree with her, both in how much they had observed and in her slight nerves. Knowing the behavior of ants, and seeing so many of them—and more importantly, imagining how many more there were likely to be—he no longer believed this floor was intended purely to delay entrants. Rather, there were likely many mechanisms in place for killing those who entered. The presence of a colony of giant ants would have been enough to pose most parties a challenge, and he suspected it would still be a problem for them even with his and Goldie’s scouting.

  But there probably wasn’t much that they would learn in the next few minutes, or even the next hour, that would be more valuable than simply getting back to the group and informing them of what he and Goldie had seen as soon as possible.

  Oh, just one more thing, Adon sent. Let me just try something on the ants’ minds…

  He had not targeted any of the ants with Telepathy yet. He knew that the ants back in the garden, like the wasps, had been simple-minded creatures, easily attacked with mental magic or Telepathy—or even potentially amenable to mind control, or at least influence.

  Adon set himself the modest goals of simply understanding the command structure and communication methods of these ants, learning how many there were, and determining how mentally strong these worker ants were.

  He chose a random ant below them and reached out to the individual ant, and—Ow!

  Adon, are you all right? Goldie asked.

  Oh, you heard that? he replied, slightly embarrassed. I’m fine. It just looks like the ants had a resistance to Telepathy. I wanted to understand how they think—what their system of organization is like.

  So, it will not be possible, then? she asked.

  Well, we’ll see about that, Adon sent.

  He gathered himself for another mental jab at the ant below, which seemed fully unsuspecting. This time, he threw some more mental energy and mana behind his strike. Surely, this one would—Owwwwww!!!

  This time, he managed to contain his pain and not transmit it telepathically. It was a lot worse, though—as if he had slammed his head into a brick wall, flying at top speed.

  I guess I can’t do it, he managed, his brain throbbing.

  So, we will return to the tunnel between levels? Goldie asked.

  Goldie, if you were so reluctant to be out here… Adon thought the words but did not send them, or even finish the thought. He knew exactly why she had come with him. It was the same reason she had gone into the dungeon with him and the others in the first place, despite her fear of the danger—and of the outside world in general.

  You’re a good friend, Goldie, he transmitted instead.

  Um, thank you, the spider replied awkwardly. So are you.

  Yeah, we’re going back, he added.

  Adon rotated and began flying back the way they had come. He heard a sound coming from somewhere within the wall tunnels parallel to his flight path, like some large creature smashing through walls between tunnels. He recognized that whatever was making that sound was certainly larger than any of the ants he’d seen, but he resisted the urge to investigate. He had already decided he wanted to take Goldie out of harm’s way, and he could feel the mind of the creature faintly with Telepathy.

  It did not feel like a Gold-Digging Ant. The mind gave off a presence like that of a more complex organism, as well as one that was not necessarily actively repelling his psychic touch—though Adon was too far away to probe deeper and find out for sure.

  There was a good chance whatever creature was tearing through the structures the ants and possibly the jackalopes had dug, it would be more dangerous than the ants and jackalopes themselves. There was no way he would go into a cramped tunnel with one of those things if Goldie was sitting, vulnerable, on his back.

  With that rationale in mind, the butterfly and the spider made their return to the level transition tunnel.

  So, the ants had some ability to resist your efforts to probe them mentally? Rosslyn asked inside her own mind.

  It was more like they were completely impervious to my advances, Adon replied. Think less like defeating me in a battle of wills, more like I hit a brick wall and just sort of slid off. Maybe it’s closer to invulnerability to that ability—or certain kinds of abilities in general.

  Rosslyn swallowed and shook her head nervously.

  I do not like this, she thought. It feels like we are going into a situation where we may have any number of disadvantages…

  Adon agreed, but he kept his peace. Rosslyn was clearly thinking about ways to mitigate their risks, and it would be counterproductive to interrupt her.

  The butterfly and the spider had just finished debriefing the group about the scouting mission, with the careful omission of Adon’s effort to probe the ants’ brains. William and Frederick already knew that Adon could locate enemies with Telepathy, but there was simply no desire on his part to tell the young lords more than they needed to know about the degree of his prowess. Like the excellent wing-spider she was, Goldie had agreed with him.

  So, when the two mystic beasts finished their report, Adon had sent a quick extra message to Rosslyn.

  One additional piece of information, for your ears only.

  William had already begun speaking. “Let us quickly plan our advance, so that we can enter the level before more of these subsidences can take place,” he said.

  “I have a minor personal matter to discuss with Adon first,” Rosslyn interjected.

  The young lord just blinked mutely at her for a couple of seconds, before giving the smallest of nods and turning away, his eyes growing cold before his back was to them.

  Adon would have felt bad about the deception, but a small, petty part of him enjoyed the fact that William was quietly seething over the Princess’s choice of words.

  What personal matters do you have to discuss with a bug? the young lord wanted to know—but could not bring himself to ask, in part because he did not trust himself to be civil in the ensuing conversation.

  William instead walked away, along with Frederick and the spiders riding their shoulders, leaving the Princess and the butterfly talking alone.

  “I have a terrible feeling, Adon,” Rosslyn whispered finally. “I think this floor may be where our luck runs out. We have had few casualties thus far, though this dungeon is clearly more dangerous and advanced than we had given it credit for. I fear that pattern ends here.”

  I can’t say I disagree, Rosslyn, Adon replied. But what can we do about it? I could go out and gather more information—

  No, she thought firmly. You are not placing yourself in harm’s way on this level at all. You will stick to my shoulder like your legs are glued there. She paused for a moment and seemed to recognize her slightly imperious tone. I mean, please? Will you please stay safe?

  I will, Adon agreed. But the Princess was not quite done.

  Reading between the lines of your report earlier, I gathered that the only reason you did not explore further and attempt to identify the large creature that was destroying some of the ants’ tunnels was because Goldie was with you, Rosslyn thought. Am I correct?

  The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Yes, Adon replied. Um, why do I feel like I’m about to get a lecture?

  “Not a lecture,” Rosslyn said in a low voice. The words seemed to come bursting out of her, though she managed to keep the volume carefully contained. “It is just that your life is more important to m—to the Kingdom—than any kind of scouting mission could ever be.”

  She reverted to thought for the rest of what she had to say.

  As long as you and I remain alive, the Kingdom is not dead, she sent. This country started with one of my ancestors and a butterfly and passion. A desire to build something great and lasting. As long as you and I survive this place, the dream of preserving or reviving our nation still lives. I know that I will survive whatever comes in here. The Goddess has a plan for me, and I have too much left to do to die in this place. But no one can make plans that will protect someone who willingly throws himself into harm’s way when there is no one else there looking out for him. Even the Goddess cannot help those who endanger themselves.

  A part of Adon wanted to ask Rosslyn how she could be so confident in the Goddess’s protection for herself, or point out the fact that he had not been alone, he had been with Goldie, and he had still not actually thrown his life away—or make some other faintly spurious argument.

  Instead, he tried to tell her the truth. Or the closest he had come to the truth, anyway. Even Adon did not fully understand his own behavior all the time.

  My life is made more valuable to me, because I can use it for something bigger than myself, he sent. If I have to risk my safety in that cause—

  Let me be the judge of that! Rosslyn thought loudly, cutting him off. Before you potentially throw your life away, at least say something to me! My country, my family, my people, my war—those are your bigger cause, are they not? They are my cause, more than anyone else’s. Until my father is well again, I am responsible for the war effort. Should I not have some say in what is necessary? And what is a worthwhile sacrifice?

  You’re the one who’s spent a lot of time arguing with me that I should be more selfish, Adon replied. Less submissive to others. I’m using my own judgment. Isn’t that what you wanted for me? What, is my life a tool that you will use or not as the circumstances dictate—but one I’m not supposed to touch?

  I—that is not fair. Rosslyn blushed as she thought this at him.

  Which part wasn’t true?

  I have been worried about you for some time, Rosslyn replied. I want you to take good care of yourself, yes. That is what I mean when I say to be selfish. Make your wants and needs known. Get them met. We all have desires that go unfulfilled in the absence of someone listening to them. But everything you say feeds into the creeping fear I have felt for your safety. You have visions of dying nobly and becoming a martyr. You are not simply willing to sacrifice yourself. Sometimes it seems you are almost eager to do it. Those of us who care about you would prefer that you do otherwise.

  Without directly refuting anything Adon had said, Rosslyn had completely turned the conversation on its head. He took a moment before he replied, gathering his thoughts. His head was spinning.

  Have I actually done anything irresponsible? Adon finally sent. The things you’re talking about. Has there been a moment where you thought I was about to off myself for no good reason? As opposed to just trusting my own strength and facing danger that I believed I could stand up to?

  I respect that you trust your own strength, Rosslyn replied. I treat myself the same, as an object—a tool, almost as much as a person—that I trust will not break easily. I admire you more for the way your reach exceeds your grasp. Sometimes I think it is too much. Never directly suicidal, no, but you do place yourself into harm’s way far too often. Your hunting is one thing. But that was at least mostly wild beasts without intelligence—until you fought a Mystic Iron Bear. By all rights, it should have killed you, Goldie, and Samson. Or when Samson almost killed himself trying to unlock a new magical affinity, you threw yourself into saving him even though you did not know for certain that you could survive the force you were dealing with any more than he could.

  She continued: More recently, this scouting that you have been doing has been valuable, and I told myself that it was fine, because you would remain imperceptible the entire time. But then you directly spoke to groups of griffins alone. That could have led to your death. I saw how well they fought against trained, mana-wielding knights. Then you scouted out the last floor and undoubtedly came near to burning yourself to death, though you were reserved in explaining that. I was worried you would take similar risks on this floor. That is why I nudged Goldie toward accompanying you…

  Wait, what? Adon asked, stunned.

  Honestly, it makes me uncomfortable that you go into dangerous situations alone, Rosslyn thought. So I suggested to Goldie that you would benefit from company. And as you pointed out, it clearly worked.

  Well, wait a minute, Adon sent, a little hotly. You and Goldie are just about the only two people I trust not to try to manipulate me. His lack of strong social skills, especially when one did not count his Telepathy, meant that he knew he was quite vulnerable to that. But you asked her to come with me as—as some kind of a babysitter? And you tricked me into thinking it was her idea. What, am I some screw-up who can’t be trusted to go anywhere alone? I do the scouting to try and keep you and the others safe, because I can go anywhere without being seen, not out of some death wish… and because I care about you.

  There. The words were out there. As he sent them, he realized he was losing control emotionally. Saying things he hadn’t meant to say. He had started out a bit angry, accusatory, and somehow ended by confessing something that felt intimate. Nerves began to seize hold of Adon. Something inside him was shaking. A part of his mind comforted him that he hadn’t said anything he could not take back or excuse as a misunderstanding, if she responded poorly. But he didn’t really believe it. This moment of embarrassment would define the rest of this incarnation. He might as well just go out and get eaten by one of the monsters in the next level.

  I care about you, too, Rosslyn thought. The words seemed formulated in a rush, and her face grew redder and redder as her train of thought continued. Perhaps more than you realize. There has been a great deal for me to handle of late, and I recognize I may have sent mixed signals regarding my… interest. That was perhaps why you interfered in my duel with William before we descended into this place. Even though you should have trusted me, you felt the need for certainty. That is fair. And I want to tell you how I feel. You… hold a special place in my heart. Even though I have never truly seen your human face, I know who you are. I…

  The words trailed off, as if she did not know what else to say—or had suddenly realized she had said everything there was to say.

  A jumble of confused thoughts ran through Adon’s head as he processed this information. With his own outburst and now Rosslyn’s, his brain did not seem to be working as usual. Something was melting down behind his eyes. Was Rosslyn confessing feelings for him? Could that be real? Was he just reading into things too much? Surely he was confused. The language was ambiguous. No way. Could it be… The only part that he was sure he understood was the gentle rebuke about the duel with William.

  He began considering his reply. What could he say to her? Was this a real confession? Was he just misreading her signals, because he was socially inept?

  For better or worse, he held still for a long, awkward period, trying to come up with something to say in response.

  I like you a lot, Rosslyn. Maybe even more than you think you like me…

  I should have trusted you, Rosslyn. I don’t know what came over me…

  William doesn’t deserve you, Rosslyn. Not that deserve comes into it, you’re not a trophy…

  I’m sorry to be such a mess, Rosslyn.

  A number of different ideas ran through his head, but ultimately, as she stood there staring at him, waiting for an answer, it was that last thought that more or less stuck.

  I’m such a mess.

  He didn’t send the words telepathically, but as if in a self-fulfilling prophecy, his brain completely froze with that unpleasant thought. It was an all too familiar feeling. His mind flashed through fractions of a hundred different rejections and quasi-rejections—to get true rejections, you had to actually make yourself vulnerable, which was difficult for him in itself.

  He had never been good at dealing with the opposite sex in any kind of a semi-romantic context. He was more pressingly reminded of his very unfortunate performance back at the palace, when he tried to show Rosslyn his full human Transformation—and it released prematurely. The two were just talking now, but he felt a similar sensation running through him. This conversation seemed so sudden, and yet it had been so built up, the pressure was immense.

  If Rosslyn had possessed Adon’s gift of Telepathy, she would have sensed her favorite mystic beast shrinking down into a tiny corner of his own mind, dropping into a sunken place—failing in his efforts to assert himself against his natural, near terminal awkwardness.

  Slowly, as the silence dragged on, Rosslyn’s own red-faced expression—she had been making a shy, embarrassed smile as she expressed her thoughts—shifted. The corners of her lips fell. Doubt crept over her face. Her expression paled slightly.

  Does he not…?

  The thought leaked partially out of her head before the Princess got control of it and quashed it, crushed it down somewhere inside herself where Adon could not hear it.

  Rosslyn put a hand over her mouth, let out a breath, then removed her hand and began speaking in a quick, hushed whisper.

  “You know, this is not the place for this conversation,” she said. Her lips twisted into a forced, apologetic smile. “We are both under a great deal of pressure, and in the middle of a life and death situation, for that matter. I apologize for bringing this up here, when we are in this place.” She gestured at the tunnel around them. “Anyway, we had best get back to the others and make a plan for the level. Good work gathering the intelligence.”

  Rosslyn nodded, then quickly turned on her heel and walked—almost ran—away.

  The butterfly fluttered there paralyzed for another minute.

  Wait, he managed. The thought released telepathically, but it only got Adon a couple of strange looks from the closest knights. Rosslyn was already gathered with the others, beginning to discuss the plan of attack. Even from his distant position, he could see she looked deflated, though she was trying to hide it from the others.

  Adon gathered himself and flew over toward the group, his body moving on autopilot. He knew he had missed his golden chance to simply say, I like you in just the same way that you like me.

  Or something like that. The exact language still needed some work.