"I have sort of mixed feelings about maybe being prime one day. Like on the one hand, it might be cool? On the other hand there might be a lot of things involved I don't want to do? On the third hand also my grandfather would have to die?"

"Grandparents do that anyway," the prince observes.

"They do, that's true."

"I never met any of mine. Is it nice having a grandpa?"

"I like him! And my other grandpa too for that matter."

"That's nice," he says, smiling. "Except for the part where he's gonna die, I guess."

"Yeah, except that. He doesn't seem to mind that much talking about how I'll probably be prime next, considering."

He shrugs. "Probably he's had time to get used to it."

"Yeah. But I haven't! I'm only almost ten! I guess I'll probably get used to it sooner or later."

"Probably," he agrees. "I got used to the idea of being king already."

"King Hector the Second. Do you suppose you have to bother adding the 'the Second' all the time outside formal situations?"

He makes a face. "Ugh. I dunno."

"It'd be pretty cumbersome."

"And I don't like my name anyway," he admits. "Being a 'the Second' of it wouldn't be any better."

"How come you don't like it?"

He shrugs. "I just don't."

"Do you have a nickname or something or do you just sort of - go around not liking your name that everybody calls you?"

"The second one," he says, smiling wryly.

"That sounds super annoying!"

"It kinda is!" he says. "Kiri knows, and she just calls me 'your highness' or doesn't call me anything, but I don't tell most people because I bet my father wouldn't like it if I went around telling the whole kingdom I hate his name."

"Yeah, I bet that wouldn't go over so well. Well, I can call you 'your highness' too if you want if there isn't anything you like more."

"There isn't really," he says, shrugging. "I don't care about names much except for not liking the one. That'd be nice of you."

"Okay, then I will."

Spontaneously, he hugs her again.

Hugs!