Don't tell me . . .

Elena grinned, and Ren knew that he was had.

"Ahahaha. Relax. I got it." Elena tapped Ren on the back, laughing. "You should have seen your face."

Ren's expression couldn't be painted. "You better if you still want to remain with me on this quest."

Elena let out a laugh, the sound tinkling in the quiet of the garden. "Oh, so you do want me to stay with you on this quest, do you?"

Ren rolled his eyes, but a small smile played at the corners of his mouth. "I didn't say that. But it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to have someone as skilled as you by my side."

Elena raised an eyebrow, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Skilled, huh? Is that your way of saying you want me to protect you?"

Ren scoffed, but there was a hint of amusement in his voice. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much. But it wouldn't hurt to have some backup, just in case."

Elena laughed again, her platinum blond hair shining in the moonlight. "Well, don't worry. I'll be right there with you every step of the way. As long as you promise to keep me entertained with your witty banter and constipated face, of course."

Ren didn't comment, though the tension in his shoulders was easing.

He thought that all was well, but when morning came, Queen Floraia's news stunned him in place.

"The party went well last night. But I can't say the same about you two." She sighed, sitting on her throne with a hand on her head like she was having a headache. "Majority of my guests were either unhappy or bored. Did you two really entertained them?"

". . ." Ren was stunned, and his head whipped in Elena's way. His face said it all, 'I thought you said that it went well last night!'

There were seven important nobles that night. He got two, and the Princess should have gotten two if what she told him was true. Four out of seven would have been a passing score.

"Don't tell me . . ."

Elena stuck out her tongue and smiled awkwardly. "I might have offended them."

Ren slowly closed his eyes. I thought so . . .

"Your Highness. . ." Ren was thinking of a plan when Queen Floraia raised her hand.

"It's fine."

"Egh?" Ren was surprised at the Queen's words. Is it fine? Really?

"You have successfully done two out of my three quests, and what happened last night already happened. No use in brooding over it. Telling you to entertain those annoying bunch wouldn't change my reputation anyways."

Hope rose in Ren's heart. "Then . . ."

"However, you have to successfully make my last request happen, or the Princess goes back."

"Fine by me," Elena eagerly replied. "What's the last request?"

"There's a satyr nobleman," Queen Floraia started. "The scion of a Summer Court house that I think is a hopeless cause. His name is Beau, and he suffers from an inability to be charming or appealing to women."

". . ." That's an inability? Ren thought. Why did the Queen sounded like it was a disease?

"He's a sad, lonely, isolated, and overly nervous nerd," the Queen continued. "I want you to set him up on a date and hopefully find his true love."

Augh . . . another romance quest? Ren was never the type to do this kind of thing, but . . . he was left with no choice here.

Are all the fairies concerned about romance? Ren mused.

Never mind, this was the last quest anyway. The last quest and they were free to pursue their original goal. He kept saying to himself to keep him motivated.

"I don't really think that such a feat is possible, but it would amuse me greatly to see it attempted. He's waiting downstairs for you to take him out on the town and help him find love by whatever means you see fit."

Ren then read the description available for the quest.

[Beau is usually short for a satyr. He's round, balding, and has poor table manners and poor social graces. He is creative and has a flair for poetry and song but has difficulty speaking to women or attractive men. He presents himself as straight but is bisexual and has a particular weakness for True Elf men.

[He is quick to become infatuated and fall in love but won't feel successful until he is loved back in return by someone, even if just for a night. This quest relies on the players being proactive rather than reactive. They should come up with a plan to help Beau find love. He's happy to make suggestions and will share the names of assorted shopkeepers he thinks are cute and whom he wishes he could talk to.]

This looks like a lost cause. Ren mused to himself. And then he remembered what the Queen told them.

Whatever means necessary . . .

Ren had THAT, if ever push came to shove. The Queen had already said her consent, so there was no holding back for whatever may happened.

Ren and Elena quickly got to work and met with the Satyr at the entrance hall.

Beau greeted them enthusiastically, his round face lighting up as he saw them. "Oh, it's you guys! I'm so glad you're here. I've been thinking about this all day."

Ren was feeling unmotivated already, but Elena found the whole situation amusing. She introduced themselves, and Beau got right to business.

"I need your help," he said, looking a little sheepish. "You see, I've been feeling a little lonely lately. And, well, I was wondering if you could help me find love."

That was straightforward. Ren thought. At least he wasn't embarrassed to admit it. That's a whole level of confidence.

Elena chuckled. "Of course, we'll help you. Do you have anyone in mind?"

Beau blushed a little. "Well, there's this shopkeeper down the road. He's a True Elf, and he's just . . . so cute. I've been trying to work up the courage to talk to him, but I just can't seem to do it."

Him? So he chose a male. Ren nodded. "Okay, we can definitely help you with that. But first, we need to come up with a plan. Elena, any ideas?"

She was the woman in the group, and if anything related to romance, she was the one who should know best.

Ren hope.