I told Georgia I had to take care of some business and left her in the room. She appeared sad with a dejected look spread across her face, but I did my best to achieve trust with her. I tried to reassure her that I wouldn’t be long.

“I’ll be back as quickly as I can,” I told her with a reassuring smile.

“What am I supposed to do here?’ She gave me an apprehensive look and warily glanced around the room.

I shrugged. “You can walk around the palace grounds,” I suggested, hoping that would appease her, at least for now.

“Okay,” she said as if she didn’t really want to participate in those activities but that she might run with it if sheer boredom took over.

I gave her a hug after asking permission first, then raced from the room.

I was on a mission.

I had to find out where Chad was hiding out. I couldn’t wait around for my royal guards to find him. It was taking far too long, and everyone was looking to me for answers that I couldn’t provide.

Firstly, I was embarrassed that it had gone this far. He should have already been captured days ago. I didn’t like the fact that Chad was making me look like a fool . . . yet again.

Chad should already be in the custody of my royal guards, and if I didn’t find him soon, natives to Mixis would undoubtedly begin to hold misgivings regarding my ability to rule them appropriately.

I was livid, yes, but more baffled and perplexed than anything. Where the fuck was this human rat? He had really crawled under a rock, but I was determined to hunt him out.

I vowed to myself that my quest would not end until my efforts had been upheld. I would not allow Chad to win this battle. Soon enough, the tables would turn on him.

Victory was mine to seize. He had to be somewhere. I knew he couldn’t have fled the planet. I had all the best in the world searching for him in droves of teams. I wanted to be Georgia’s hero. I wanted her to kiss me with enough passion to rock me to the core and make me tremble.

After a while, they would smoke him out, I was certain. It didn’t do me any favors to lack confidence in the men out there searching for Chad, and I certainly didn’t want to start that negative thinking now. They needed to know I believed in them for morale purposes.

One thought crossed my mind, though, and it was pressing. What if the idiot had escaped into the Mixian jungles, thinking it was a clever idea to flee into them and discover a place to tuck away and hide?

His fate would surely be met with peril if he was foolish enough to even attempt a strategy such as that. It was dangerous out there, even for someone who was familiar with the forest that was full of treacherous paths and aggressive beasts.

There were many passive predators that existed in the jungle, lurking behind the shadows and ready to pounce on anything that moved and breathed within their reach.

He might be sitting in the belly of one of those animals as I thought about it, swallowed whole or eaten alive. Georgia wouldn’t exactly get her justice in the way she wanted, but the problem would be naturally eliminated.

That would explain his disappearance and the guards’ lack of ability to find him to date. My heart pounded as I thought about Chad being ripped to shreds out there in our threatening Mixian jungles.

I couldn’t imagine having to go back to Georgia and explain to her that her brother had been mauled to death and shredded to bits by a strange creature, a beast in the night. I’m sure that even as angry as she was, she would be appalled by that kind of brutal death, even if it was to her jerk of a brother.

Although we both wanted justice to be served on a silver platter to Chad, I didn’t want his demise to fall under the category of fatal destruction. I wanted to be able to look him in the eye as I enforced my punishment on him.

I walked to my office on the bottom floor of the palace. I took a deep breath and heaved a sigh as I closed and locked the set of double doors behind me.

I had to get to the bottom of this problem. I didn’t know where to lead my guards in order to sniff Chad’s location out, but I knew where I could at least begin the search.

I walked over to my desk and plopped down in front of my computer with the large screen that I used to discuss international and interstellar business with other leaders around the galaxy. It was my link to the outside world.

I hit the call button for Ambassador Jordan, who was in charge of leading the Earth’s portion. The screen illuminated in blue, lighting up the room while I waited to see if the call would be put through.

After a few seconds, I saw the mousy-looking Earth girl with the black glasses and dark hair answer the call.

“Good afternoon, Ambassador Jordan’s office.” She droned in a bored voice and didn’t make eye contact with me.

I cleared my throat. “Hello, this is Crown Prince Kylin of the planet Mixis.” I spoke in an assertive tone. I was all business.

“Hello.” She glanced at me before looking back to her computer. She wore a headset that covered her mouth and attached at her ear. Clearly, I hadn’t made a remarkable impression on her.

“I need to speak with Ambassador Jordan, please,” I requested in a polite voice with a smile. You could catch more flies with honey.

The secretary coughed. “Do you have an appointment already? I have his schedule pulled up, but I don’t see you on here.” She narrowed her eyes in on her own screen as if she was diligently searching for a mistake on the calendar.

“I don’t have an appointment, but it’s urgent,” I pleaded with impatience. I was the prince of Mixis. She needed to adhere to my request.

“Hmm.” The girl pondered my demand as she drew a finger up to her chin. “I can see if he’s available.”

“I know his private line, and I can use it if he tries to dodge me,” I warned the girl. I was becoming a little snarly now.

She gave me a strange and apathetic look. “Okay, hold on.”

The screen snapped back to its usual blue color and I drummed my fingers against the edge of my desk while I waited for the call to be put through.

I fidgeted and sighed with exasperation, ready to give up and end the call. I was extremely close to clicking out of the line when the Ambassador’s face popped up on the screen.

“Prince Kylin, always a pleasure.” Jordan’s facial expression did not reflect that he was pleased to hear from me and that he swiftly wished to end the call. I could see right through his phony façade.

“Same to you,” I gave him a polite nod, gesturing in greeting. There was no use in droning on with mindless small talk. I was ready to cut to the chase.

“What can I help you with?” His voice was laced with annoyance.

“I need your help.” I humbly spoke the truth. I was willing and ready to admit it.

“With what?” He raised a wary eyebrow as if he did not, in turn, trust me.

It was not unusual for the ambassador and me to run into heated debates with one another, which naturally left tempers flaring and high most of the time. No matter how cordial and civilized we tried to remain toward each other, we were oil and water.

I inhaled a deep breath, ready for my explanation of the most recent events. “I need your assistance in locating a man named Chad Wallace. He’s a twenty-three-year-old male who normally resides on Earth. He is kind of sloppy looking. He has red hair and a lanky build.”

“I’m familiar with Chad Wallace and his holovideos.” Jordan spoke dryly.

“Oh, okay.” I trailed off. I was surprised by Jordan’s admission.

“Why do you need me to locate him?” Jordan asked. He grinned with amusement. He knew I needed him and would probably taunt me about it.

“Well, that’s the tricky part,” I told him with a little chuckle, although inside, I wished I could reach through the screen and strangle him. “He is here on Mixis.”

“How do you expect me to aid you on your planet?” Jordan scoffed as if my request was outlandish and preposterous. He wanted nothing to do with me, and I knew it.

“You can send officers here to support the ones I’ve already planted around the area,” I demanded in a slightly raised tone of voice.

I wasn’t in the mood to argue with this man who loved bickering to no end. He always wanted the last word.

“What, exactly, has this man done wrong?” Jordan asked with a sarcastic tone as he smirked at me.

“He has humiliated me as the crown prince,” I told him. I hated to admit that I had come under a prank, but there was no use in trying to restore my dignity at this point.

“How has he done that?” The ambassador’s questions were antagonizing and intricately used for the sole purpose of stalling. He wanted all the information because he wanted to make fun of me in a combative way.

“He has participated in a wild prank that has gone against the rules of society I have in place on my planet. Not to mention, his total disregard for the outcome must reap punishment. The prank was intended for the sole purpose of ratings on the holovid channels.”

I remained calm and poised, ready and bracing for impact from the inevitable shroud of excuses that Jordan was sure to spill forth. He was going to milk this for all it was worth.

Instead, he took me by surprise. “So, you need me to help find him or bring him to justice?” He held a poker face, so I couldn’t determine the meaning of his expression.

His question wasn’t exactly an agreement, but it wasn’t as argumentative as before. Maybe I had a loophole in after all.

“I will determine the punishment that fits the crime,” I said in an assertive voice.

The ambassador propped his elbows up on his desk and leaned in closer to the screen. “You are aware of the fact that you cannot punish a man who is neither a civilian of your planet nor a native?” His tone was condescending, and I didn’t appreciate it, but if I wanted his help, I had to play along and try not to lose my temper.

“Yes,” I sighed. “I am fully aware. That’s the purpose of this call,” I told him with sarcasm, as if he should catch up and understand why we were having this difficult conversation.

The ambassador stared at me with a complex gaze for a few moments while neither one of us wanted to be the one to break the silence first.

“It might take me a few days to organize a fleet of troops to send to Mixis,” he told me as if he was trying to lecture me on how business affairs worked.

I took this as a good sign and pressed forward even though his tone was still snide.

“Thank you. I understand these things take some time. If you are willing to assist me in this quest, then I can send my ships to Earth to retrieve your troops. That way, the process will take less time.” I was trying to take the alternate path of patience and kindness.

I didn’t want to rub salt in the wound by telling him the reason for my offer was because my ships were stronger, faster, and more durable, so I omitted that part, hoping he would just agree to help me.

“I will see what I can do.” The Ambassador scratched his mustache and glanced at me with a serious expression.

This admittance wasn’t substantial enough for me to trust that I could turn to him and lean on him for help. I had to remain cautious with him and keep my guard up.

“Will you call me back once you have your troops together? I can give you forty-eight hours to assemble a proper team.”

“Forty-eight hours!” Jordan shrieked as if my demands were set too high for the bar he was willing to climb. He was flustered as he sighed dramatically.

“Yes.” I remained adamant and firm. “I’m sorry, Ambassador, but this is a deeply pressing matter that must capture your immediate attention.”

Jordan gruffly sighed. “Okay, fine.” He was going to do his best. I knew I’d owe him big, but I couldn’t worry about that right now.

“Thank you.” I gave him a courteous nod in gratitude.

“I guess it’s only fair that I admit something to you as well,” he said and rolled his eyes. He took a deep breath.

It was like pulling teeth with this guy, but I didn’t have any choice. I was backed into a corner and it was taking longer than expected to locate Chad. I needed to pull in some outside sources.

“What is it?” I held my breath as my heart pounded. I had no idea what bombshell the Ambassador might drop on me. It could potentially be anything.

“I am aware of this little problem you are having.” He gave me a poker face, unrevealing of any emotions.

I cleared my throat and adjusted in my seat. “Do you mean with Chad Wallace?”

“Yes.” He nodded and folded his hands together. He gave me a little smirk for effect.

“How much do you know?” I treaded the waters carefully.

Jordan sighed and spoke with vagueness. “Let’s just say I am willing to help you because it has come to my attention over the last couple of days that this is rapidly becoming a diplomatic incident.”

“I must say I’m relieved to hear that,” I told him with a little chuckle.

“You might also be pleased to know that as soon as we hang up from this call, I will be urging and instructing the operators of the holovids to take them down from their live or regular streaming.”

“Thank you so much.” I smiled, marveling at Jordan’s willingness to comply with a cause that assists the greater good.

“You’re welcome,” Jordan responded. This time, his voice was softer, more empathetic. “Shortly, the videos will be removed from circulation. I have no doubt that I will receive some backlash from the fans, but they will just have to get over it.”

Jordan’s voice chimed with laughter at the irony of the situation and his ability to control his people with an iron fist of dictated rules.

“Well, things are looking better already.” I tossed him a polite smile, now eager to end the call.

“I will touch base with you in the next day or so when I’m ready for my army to be shipped off.”

“Is it okay with you if I go ahead and send some ships to wait for them?” I requested.

“Sure.” The Ambassador shrugged. “Do what you want. I’ll be willing to help you along the way.” He seemed to have lightened his aggressive manner.

“Your kindness will not go unnoticed,” I reassured him as we said our goodbyes. I’m sure he was just as eager to hang up as I was.

I was one step closer to finding Chad, and that’s all I cared about. Everything else was just water under the bridge.