Chapter 3

She was beautiful, the way she walked was delicate and even other staff gave her a wide berth when she walked by. She led Tyler to another landing port different from the one he came in on. He wondered who she was, it didn’t seem like she was staff because they were dressed differently. No one wore such a beautiful unusual dress like hers. She led him onto the new smaller ship, already a pilot was there waiting. He didn’t say a thing and they immediately took off. The ship weaved its way through buildings, just missing other flying ships.“Where to, my lord?” Miu asked, turning her dark eyes on him. That was when he thought maybe she was his escort then? Maybe the palace put her onto him as a tail? Someone beautiful enough to let his guard down.

“I was thinking of getting a drink at a bar or something?” he said and she nodded and said something in Japanese to the pilot. He nodded and Tyler had to grip his seat as he turned around a rather large building. He looked ahead and he could see a rather wide building ahead. It wasn't as tall as the other buildings. It seemed to have more balconies and as they got closer he noticed people were walking around on those balconies. Heading straight for the upper floors the ship slotted into a line of other ships heading toward a security gate. When they got in view of the window a metal robot was there. Its bright blue eyes scanned them through the window, a bright laser light zooming up and down their faces.

The gates opened and the pilot drove through. There he landed on a platform and the ship's door opened. Tyler jumped off and turned around to see Miu climbing out as well. "You're going to join me?" He asked her. She nodded and waved the pilot off. "It's my duty to make sure you do not come to harm," she said as she grabbed his arm and led him inside. Another robot stood inside the entrance, this one looked more realistic than the last. You could tell it was a robot due to its vacant expression, otherwise it was almost completely realistic like a human. It was wearing a blue uniform, its badge reading 'attendant' on its chest.

「Yokoso、keishoku o tanoshin dari, pūru de hito oyogi shite kudasai.'」It said in a flat voice without any feeling. Tyler looked at Miu confused as the door opened and a wall of noise hit them. She went to walk forward but he stopped her. "What did it just say?" he asked her, confused. She looked at him and sighed. She took something out of her ear and gave it to him. Then she unclipped a small black speaker from her dress collar. He realised this was the communication device the prince had told him about. He put the ear plug into his left ear and attached the microphone to his uniform.

It's probably better if you wear it rather than me," she said to him. This time he could hear her speak Japanese but at the same time it started to translate into his ear. The robot spoke again, this time he heard the English translation. "Welcome, please enjoy refreshments and take a dip in our pool," the same flat voice reached his ears. Robots always made Tyler feel a bit uneasy but he was glad he could actually understand it this time. The robot opened the door again and they walked through.

Hundreds of people were in the next room, talking, chatting and laughing. They were dressed brightly, some wearing colourful dresses similar to Miu's but not as elegant. Floor to ceiling glass walls made a great view of the amber light of the city outside. There was a pool outside on the large verandah, steam rising from the heat of the water. The music was loud and there were bubbles floating around, reflecting the multicolored lights that shone around the roomTyler followed Miu to the bar and they sat down on some stools.

"Have you been here before?" he asked her. She nodded."Many times Prince Tyler, it's one of the most popular bars in the city. Well known for its everlasting bubbles." She brushed a bubble out of her face. "I recommend the Slipper cocktail or the matcha highball." "You can call me Ty, I don't mind." Miu gave a small smile in his direction but it disappeared as the barman came along, he was definitely human since he had this bored look on his face, he had been watching a group of men, singing their hearts out to a song at the other side of the bar. His eyes lit with recognition as he looked towards Miu. "Slipper cocktail," she said."Matcha highball," Tyler said instantly. "Coming right up," he said disinterestedly and walked away.There were shouts coming from the pool and Tyler could see them encouraging some guy to jump into a pool from the top of one of the bubbles. Seems like you could ride on the bubbles too.

"Do you have friends here?" he asked, turning back to Miu."I don't have any friends really, just acquaintances. Living in the palace, it's difficult to meet people my age." "Same for me, that's why I spend most of my time outside the palace rather than inside it.""What's it like where you live?" she asked, she looked genuinely interested as she rested her elbows on the counter giving him her full attention. He thought for a moment. "Lots of rules, but once you're outside the palace you're free. The citizens don't seem to have many troubles. I usually go and hang out at bars like this at night. I sleep during the day." Miu raised an eyebrow.

"Don't you have any duties to perform since you're a prince?" she asked."Well, I'm a second prince. My older brother is the one with all the responsibilities." "Surely there's a lot that you can do though?" "I've asked but my father feels that I'm not ready, he doesn't trust me." "No one is ever ready." They shared a look and it seemed to Tyler that she understood him.

"Look who it is guys! It's the dunce!" someone shouted beside them. As though caught, the two of them jumped and turned toward the voice. Some British guy with bright blonde hair was pointing at Tyler with a massive grin on his face. "This guys got a girl!" Tyler went to stand up but Miu put a warning hand on his shoulder. "Did you know this guys famous girly?" the guy leered at Miu which made Tyler's blood boil even more. "He's known as the dunce cause he doesn't do anything. He gives all his work to his older brother, our teenie weenie prince thinks it's too much hard work for him!" Tyler stood up this time. Miu followed and placed herself in front of him.

"He's goading you to fight, you know that. Don't listen Ty," she warned him. She sounded calm as she rested her hands on his shoulders. She was a head smaller than him and her concerned eyes made him calm down a bit more. The guy stood there grinning as he watched them, he wore Japanese style clothing. His pants were wide and he had a black jacket similar to what the prince Junpei was wearing today. On his chest Tyler noticed a small badge with the image of a knot overlapping another knot. Even though Tyler never got to help out in the palace, he was still brought up with the same education as his older brother. The badge was in the shape of the old Irish Celtic knots. It symbolised the eternity of life. 

"You're going to listen to your girlfriend, are you dunce, that's all you can do isn't it? Isn't that why you're here in the Japanese empire? They couldn't handle looking at you at home could they?" The guy's friends were behind him now. Their eyes glazed over, either drunk or they had taken some kind of substance."I bet you that's why he's here guys, he's here cause his father has given up on him." Tyler pushed against Miu, she held him back. "He couldn't even handle a bit of security duty you know, I saw it happen that day." Tyler's breath caught, he felt a hole open in his heart. "Left his brother all alone while they beat him up." He started falling as he heard his brother's cries from that day. "He was crying, you know, sniveling like a little baby! What a prince you are!" He was only 6 at the time, he couldn't have done anything. "Wah, wah, you're going to cry again little prince! Argh!" Tyler punched the guy straight in his face. The guy's friends jumped him then pummeled him on all sides. He heard Miu cry out, he fought back as much as he could. Laying into the guy that had pushed him to the limit. In the distance he heard sirens blaring. Then all went silent as the guys around him disappeared.