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(( I'm out, timeskip ))

It was close to evening, Elliot once again impressed with the horses and Henry's driving. However they were parked in the stables, Elliot having said he refused board at the manor and would prefer a hotel, but he had business to attend to, civilian clothes being worn and a guard with him. "Lily, you are to remain with Ipo unless you wished to come with me. All you will be doing with them is checking and memorizing the rooms. With me you will be doing nothing but listening. You have a sharp sense of memory. The library will be closed so we will have to go tomorrow afternoon. However this meeting with the Noble shall not take long, I assure you. Merely confirmation I am here, what I will do and how it will help." he fixed his shirt. "Judging by the dry weather they did not get rain."

"Then I trust you in Ipo's care. Retian guard, you will be coming with me. Lily, do stay safe." And the prince switched to a cart, sitting in the front with Henry, hay filling the back and the guard following behind as they began their direction toward the manor.

Black ears perked. "Well Mistress Lily, let us go memorize and analyze your room, hm?" And took her hand again, happily humming some tune.

"Why does the prince choose to live in inns rather than the Noble's home?" The tanned guard asked. "Would it not be cheaper?"

Ipo shrugged. "To each their own, I wouldn't mind the manor with a hot and rich meal, but maybe he liked the commonor feel of inns?"

The Nalenyr guard thought a moment, opening the prince's and bentien's bedroom. "Is this not his second trip? How would he know which to prefer?" The room revealed one large bed off to the side, a small tub on the other and a desk between them. "Why would a prince prefer such, scarce luxuries?"

That had the rabbit and the other guard stumped, both guards moving in to analyze for any traps and poisons and powders while Ipo stood in the doorway, still thinking. "Mistress? Your thoughts?"

"Wow, you really know the Master, Lily." Ipo said in awe.

"The room is fine, you can make yourself comfortable, Lily." and the guards moved to the next room.

"I shall keep you company! I'm actually rooming with Henry, so let me go get the Master's things." And grabbed Lily's hand, walking her out and looking inside the carriage. "Here, can you carry this?' And placed the forgotten lantern in Lily's arms. Ipo was new, he didn't know Elliot carried that everywhere with him. But the rabbit folded the blankets, placing them back in the bench and checking everything else, bringing out the fruit and giving them to Lily and closing the door before climbing to the top and unlatching the luggage. Some boxes were tossed down before the rabbit hopped down as well and picked them up. "All right, back to the room!"

"Well you've only been here for a week and know more about him than probably moreso than his own father. That's certainly amazing." Ipo explained, the guards going to the carriage to retrieve the rest of the luggage by the sound of their footsteps. "I know only my brother because we are forced to. If history played out like I wanted him and I would know little of each other, but still be happy. Perhaps it is because we are twins?" And thought on this, allowing Lily to begin hanging the clothes as the hare hung portraits on the walls. "I heard from Henry that the prince's mother used to sing so beautifully, and that somewhere there was still a recording of her many songs."

Ipo dusted off a few trinkets that were in the Master's bedroom, placing them where he could in the room. "But I know of nothing that records sounds let alone music. And a music box has a mechanism in it to 'sing'. You don't hear many stories of the first queen, the second queen banished it in a sense. Does the prince talk often of her? What does she sound like?" Ipo only asked Lily because he came to the kingdom two years after her death, and second because Lily seemed to memorize every detail about Elliot.

"I hear the triplets talk about her, and Kashi, saying she looked beautiful. Apparently he saw her picture." The hare bounced back, making sure the pictures were even before pulling out a map and looking at the opposite wall, finding some nails and started to hang it up. "He does enjoy singing? There are songs from Kasp I am sure he'd enjoy. If I could find his lute I could sing some for you. Is it this silver box?" And lifted the said box, quickly opening it. "Here we are!" And held out his prize, sitting on the bed, map dangling by a corner. "Now it can't be much different that a harp or a flute. Let's see." and began to gently pluck at the strings.

The footman flinched away when the lute was taking, ears lowering halfway as he stared. "I was not aware. I am sorry for touching his precious gift." He looked at the box again, frowning slightly. "From his mother, you said? But I've never seen the prince play it. I only knew he had one. That and he carries the lantern with him everywhere." He stared at the dim lantern, thinking. "Yea he carries that thing everywhere, why doesn't he have it now? And why's it so dim? Does it still sense him?" And was about to move and pick it up, but quickly sat back down. He chuckled. "That given to him by his mother's too?" it was meant as a joke.

"His control in making the lights change colors? I've never seen them change, I think it's hogwash. I've never met a single person with that ability. But I was in Kasp most of my life, and the abilities there are phenomenal and beautiful to watch. Just watching them fly was beautiful." And here he was, forever stuck on the ground. But to keep things in memory of his mother, Elliot must have been incredibly close to the woman, not that Ipo found it odd, but the prince had recently turned twenty or twenty-one. Even Ipo himself was starting to hide things his mother gave him. "I wonder why... she means so much to him. Do not think me cruel or heartless, Lily, but I have never met a man so obsessed with their mother. Children perhaps, but even I carry nothing that my mother has given me. I think about it but I never do." And leaned toward Lily, ear flopping onto her head. "You should find out. I'm ever so curious. And it would be terrible of me to ask." And stood up, fixing the map and making it proper.