Riddle was the first one to step out of the dressing room in the rented suit, his fingers fiddling with the cuff of his sleeve. Slowly it became not much of a surprise that Mister Sam does have many things, albeit limited options, for any occasion. He picked the suit that might fit him best; a red wine coat over a white formal shirt and black vest with gold detailing and small chains connected with some buttons, a red rose tucked in his jacket's pocket, a golden cravat around his neck, white gloves, black pants, and reddish shoes. The suit was less fancy than any of what his mother had bought him for his wardrobe. To be the eye candy for the public, so every eye is on the golden child. But what Mister Sam provided shall do. Plus, it matches his red hair as well.

"Roi du rose, you look wonderfully dignified. Truly beautiful!"

Riddle turned to the upperclassman who looked more mature than he used to. Striped vest over his white formal shirt and red bowtie, a royal purple jacket with the same color as his pants, a broach of a skull-apple connected to a bow and arrow pinned on his jacket along with a red kerchief tucked in its pocket, a pair of white gloves, and white shoes.

"Thank you very much," Riddle smiled. "I can say the same to you Senior Rook. You look very mature."

Rook clapped his hands. "Merci!"

"Hey, guys. Can you help us out?"

Riddle and Rook turned toward Ace and Epel, causing him to blink in surprise. To see the rowdy troublemaker first years looking like gentlemen for once. Ace's ginger hair was the only one between them that had styled differently; gelled back almost reminiscence to Cater's, showing his forehead. He was dressed in a red checkered suit with a white formal shirt, black vest, and black bowtie underneath. A blue and gold ribbon with the words 'THE GROOM Ace' pinned on his jacket's chest and black shoes on his feet. His hair was gelled back.

Epel meanwhile wore a black formal shirt underneath a violet checkered vest, along with a pale yellow bowtie. His suit jacket was white, his pants were black, and his shoes were white. A pin of white roses and grapes was pinned on his jacket. "I don't look weird either, do I?"

"You have no need to worry," Rook said, clapping his hands and cooing at them. "Both of you are serving sweetness and style."

"Are we wearing this right?" Ace asked, fingers still fiddling with the chain on his suit.

"You've got the Albert chain and the rosette exactly where they should be," Rook said as he stepped forward to pin the chain onto one of his vest's buttons. "There. Perfect."

"And this broach?" Epel showed a pair of poisoned apple pins in his hand.

"It goes on the lapel." Riddle said. He offered a hand. "Here. Let me help." Epel passed them without a word. Riddle delicately pinned the poisoned apples right on his bowtie. "There you go."

Epel smiled. "Thank you, Senior Riddle."

"All of you look wonderful." All of them turned toward the headmaster, looking each and one of them like a proud father who was about to lead his daughter down the aisle; nervous yet proud and rather nostalgic about the tales nobody will ever know. If the situation was different, Riddle might have blushed (not that he knows what a father love feels like for Holland Rosehearts was too afraid to interfere with his wife's way in the household).

"Geez, even the headmaster is praising us." Ace scratched behind his unitchy head. "It feels so weird."

"Now, those tuxedos are enchanted." Sam approached them with the box of the Ring of Severance that Ortho brought in once Azul said it was okay to stop the recording. "Not only it'll give you more charisma, but it'll also protect you from the ghost's attack so it won't freeze you like the others."

"Azul Ashengrotto also asked me to pass this a message," Ortho said. "The princess closest retrainer who had been assigned to become his co-coordinator said that there will be a test for the Surprise Team to see whether they are worthy to continue the plan."

"That's not part of the plan!" Riddle frowned. "Did Azul mess up?"

"Perhaps this is something outside of Roi d'Effort's control," Rook said. "It seemed that the princess' closest retrainer doesn't trust any of us."

"Well, we are ruining her wedding technically," Ace muttered.

"What are we supposed to do now?" Epel asked. "Do you know what kind of test it will be?"

"He didn't say anything in detail," Ortho said. "But only to 'see if any of them are an ideal prince'."

"But didn't the princess say that her standard of an ideal prince is just a bluff?" Ace commented again.

"Perhaps what they mean is that you need to be better than the princess' old love," Crowley said. "All of you need to be better than Mister Argentum."

"Better than..." Riddle gasped. "There's no way we can do that." How does one become as kind and as pure as Jonah? Riddle learned a lot from him, of kindness and forgiveness. But to be like Jonah? There was no way Riddle can do that. Jonah was one of a kind.

"It is true," Crowley said. His voice almost sounded so soft. "But each of you has your own strength: determination, loyalty, honesty, and a heart filled with romance. If you can show your best trait in your proposal, surely you'll pass their test."

"Proposal? What do you mean by that?" Epel asked.

"What other test can you think about related to a wedding?" Crowley said, now sounding cheeky. "Putting aside all of your height-" Ace quickly held back Riddle's shoulder, "-all of you already look like a dashing prince. All you need now is to try to match Mister Argentum's charming words in your proposal!"

"Sound like a splendid idea!" Rook nodded. "Perhaps we can also have something to add with the 'Prince Charming' aura, like an offering gift."

"Gift?" Riddle thought for a while. The first thing that came up was a bouquet of white roses in the hand of a bride that will be thrown to the crowd. But also he had seen people on dates with red roses as a gift for their beloved. "Perhaps like flowers?"

"Precisely, Roi du Rose!" Rook cheered. "Imagine this: A prince kneeling in front of you, one hand with a bouquet of colorful flowers and the other on his chest, and he speaks this poem..." As if the world suddenly turned off and a spotlight shone upon Rook, he spoke in the most dramatic voice he could.

June's flowers teach you of love

June's rain hides your tears

Yet come July you disappeared

And so in July I stood there in wait

You, a free little bird

Your gentle wings relentlessly flapping away

I, but a foolish tree

My branches swaying with the warmth you left behind

Oh heaven above, I beg you not to release the sun!

And for this precious bird to remain by my side, using me as shelter from the rain

To say Riddle was speechless was an understatement. The fact Senior Hunt was able to make a cheesy poem on the spot was something he never thought someone could do. The only sound only came from Ortho who clapped his hands as a complementary applause.

"What the fuck?" Ace whispered in disbelief. "There's no way I can use any of those."

"Oya, is that so? Perhaps it still needs some work," Rook hummed, but then he brightened up, "I know. I'll just have to come up with something more beautiful before the main event!"

"That's not it!" Ace yelled. "I don't think I can pull up something as cheesy as comparing the princess to a little bird!"

"Perhaps," Crowley stepped forward, a hand on one of Ace and Epel's shoulders, "all of you can think of the proposal, or poem if you want while preparing for the presentation. Just imagine what an ideal prince would look and say to a princess."

Everyone let out a sound of agreement and went on their separate ways.

-----

*snip snip*

Truth be told, Riddle doesn't know how to purpose. The custom in the Kingdom of Rose is that the woman has to be the one courting the man, thus Riddle never needs to make an engagement proposal nor he was taught by his mother. Madison was the one bowing toward him back when she courted him while offering a small golden crown pin that he always wears on his bow. He couldn't think about a grand courting gift, but he knew how to make a bouquet of magic-changing flowers. Maybe he could make it like a rainbow...

"Do roses have different colors other than red and white?"

"They have pink, and yellow too. Also, green and orange. Sometimes lavender, novelty, salmon, peach, and cream. I heard that someone is trying to cultivate blue roses. They're considered to have magical power."

Jonah whistled. "Wow, that's a lot."

Riddle nodded as he looked up to the boy who he never imagined to be this kind. "I once saw the lined them up to make a rainbow rose arc."

"Must've been pretty."

Riddle smiled a little, feeling nostalgic. "It was."

*snip snip*

He could go to the forest and pick the wildflowers. Color magic is easy to do if he can't find the natural ones. But, alas, he still had a job to do. Rule of the Queen of Hearts Number #107: The rose bushes must be pruned by the end of today. Unfortunately for them, the people in charge were Trey, who was frozen from the slap, and Cater, who had a job for the rescue music. So, here Riddle was, being the only one pruning the rose bush instead of thinking of a proposal he shouldn't have even needed to worry about because Azul can't make it easier for-

*SNIP*

"Ah!" As if he just snapped out of a trance, Riddle looked down at the victim of his pruners. There, right by his shoes, was a head of an unbloomed rose. "Oh no..." He crouched down and grabbed the flower, sighing in regret. Rule of the Queen of Hearts Number #16: One shall never pick a rose, even a single petal, from the garden. And he cut its head off. That would cause him 10 pages of written apology. Ah, what a mess.

"It seems that you have a lot on your mind, Mister Rosehearts."

Riddle turned around in surprise as a familiar man walked toward him. "Headmaster!" he greeted, hiding the rose behind his back. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Not at the moment." Crowley tipped his hat with a smile. "I just came here to say thank you for contributing to this rescue effort."

Riddle blinked for a few moments before shaking his head. "Headmaster, there's no need to thank me." With a hand on his chest, he continued, "In the case of an emergency at the academy, the Heartslabyul dorm leader should take initiative. We must do everything in our power to solve the issue. It's a matter of course."

"Ah. The Noblesse oblige," Crowley chuckled. "But, dear, Mister Rosehearts, it's okay if you want to be more honest."

"I-I am honest, Headmaster."

"Your outburst earlier would say otherwise."

His hand unconsciously curled, crushing the rose in his hand. The spark of annoyance came bubbling up again in his chest. It was true that it wasn't the best look for Riddle, but he couldn't stop his feeling from bursting out. The anger was still there. Taste fresh like it once was in December.

A gloved hand tapped his cheek, earning his attention again. Crowley was still smiling, not even slightly offended from Riddle zoning out. "Walk with me, Mister Rosehearts."

Riddle let out a confused sound but still follow the headmaster through the maze. He pocketed the rose into his breast pocket, not having the heart to throw it away. Their walk was silent under the night sky. Heartslabyul's sky, like the other dorms in their small pocket dimension, was slightly different from the rest of the main school. While it was entirely black, you can see the peculiar stars of many colors, forming rough lines and squiggles, though it reminisces more to something a toddler would draw with chalk.

"Tell me," Crowley suddenly spoke. "What is the policy of your dorm, Prefect Rosehearts?"

"Policy?"

"When someone breaks the rule, what should you do?"

Riddle brought his fingers to his lips, humming as he thought about it. The answer was simple. "When you break the rule, you have to take responsibility for your action. Face your punishment with dignity."

Crowley hummed. "And what happened after that punishment?"

Riddle turned to him with a slight frown. "Make sure you don't do that again. That's just common sense."

"So, is the rule breaker forgiven?"

Riddle thought about it again. "Before, I might say they're on thin ice and I'll keep an eye on them," he winced. Remember his past self, albeit it was just a semester ago, was certainly not pleasant. "But now, as long as they're willing to change, I might give them another chance." And he was grateful for that.

"A how far does that second chance you're willing to give?"

"I..." If it was possible, Riddle became more confused. "...Headmaster?"

Crowley glanced back at him. There was no judgment in his gaze, but Riddle couldn't help but feel nervous. The little voice in his head, the more logical part, told him that Dire Crowley is not Mira Rosehearts and that he won't get angry from a different opinion. But the scared kid inside of him still clung to his heart. "Penny for a thought, Mister Rosehearts. What does forgiveness mean to you?"

"F-For me?"

Crowley stopped for a second before bending down to pick up something. There was a single rose petal that had fallen to the ground. It was nearly dry, possibly had been there for a long time and no one noticed it. Such a contrast to the healthy roses that were still on the bush. "Forgiveness can mean many things for different peoples," he said, focusing on twirling the petal between his fingers. "Maybe you won't forget the wrongdoings. Maybe you want to cut ties with those who hurt you." Slowly, it turned into ashes without any flame touching it. "That's why I ask you what forgiveness means for you. If you're willing to forgive someone, what does it mean?"

Riddle looked down at his feet. Wouldn't it be common sense to give those who had made mistakes another chance to redeem themselves? But then he thought about his mother who wouldn't let him out of her sight ever since she found out about his secret play dates. He thought about his fiance who hung all of his minor inconveniences like fish bait for blackmail material. Nobody in his hometown would give him a chance to make a mistake. He had to be perfect, as a man and as the son of the Rosehearts family. A tiny mistake will be brought up to counterattack his wishes, rendering him helpless.

But then, Trey came. Jonah came. Heartslabyul came.

Even in a tag croquet game where they lost against Che'nya or anything after their teenage years, Trey never blames him. Jonah gave him shelter and warm words after his lowest point. Heartslabyul didn't take his crown when he returned. They gave him another chance. A hope that he could still change.

There's no way he could let it go. He became very careful with his words, to never be too harsh, to control his magic better. He won't waste the chance. "Maybe... For me. It's a second chance to fix something that I've done. My attitude, my view of life. I cannot make the same mistake."

"Why do you even care?!" Riddle screamed, stepping forward with anger bubbling in his chest. How dare he? How dare he speak after what he did toward Jonah? "I don't even get why are you even here!"

Azul gritted his teeth. "Well, you think I will just going to left him there to marry a ghost!"

"You... You nearly killed him..." He pressed his index fingers at Azul's chest, hard like he wanted to stab him. "You nearly killed him, right in front of my eyes. You wouldn't think that I going to forgive you like that? Why should I even trust his life in your hand?"

Riddle clutched his chest, trying to ground himself from getting angry at the innocent person in front of him. "But, headmaster. He had hurt him. I can't..." he shook his head. "What if he hurt him again? It's hard to let go."

Crowley smiled in understanding. "You are noble for worrying about them." He reached for Riddle's pocket and took out the unbloomed rose. "But the funny thing about forgiveness is truly letting go of your hatred and resentment toward them." When he opened his palm, the rose had bloomed and grown a thornless stem. "There's a common saying: 'Treat others in the same way that you would want them to treat you.' If others are willing to forgive you, why can't you do that to others to pay it forward?"

The headmaster didn't slap him, but he felt like he was being slapped.

"Because he's precious to me." His voice was firm and at peace when Azul declared it. "I know there will be people who won't forget my evil deed, but I swear upon my own name, I will do anything to keep Jonah out of harm. So, please..."

And then, he did something Riddle thought a cocky person like him wouldn't do: he lowered his bowing slightly with trembling fists on his side. "...give me this one chance. I promise I'll save him no matter what."

Azul was begging for him, for everyone to get this second chance to save Jonah. Something clicked in his mind. He had been in that situation before...

"Everyone," he started. "I just want to say... I'm sorry."

There were muttering in the crowds and Riddle instantly forgot what he was supposed to be saying. Come on, Riddle. You can do speeches. This is supposed to be easy. He was stumbling through his words, "I know that I've been... to put it simply, a tyrant, but... I..." Riddle bit his lip as he looked down. Dammit. Why is this so hard?

"Oi, Prefect." Riddle looked up to Ace again. "Don't think that only because you say sorry I will forgive you. We've been put through the wringer!" Ace shouted. "And that mont blanc we've worked so hard to make was thrown like garbage!"

"I know. And I'm sorry," Riddle said, forcing himself to look forward. "I'm not really expecting you to forgive me that fast." He clenched his fist. "But... Is there anything I can to make it up for all of you?"

Ace watched him with his judging look. Riddle won't complain. He deserved it. Ace then sighed. "My birthday isn't for a while. So, I demand we have a 'revenge' unbirthday party." Ace crossed his arm in front of his chest. "We didn't even get to stay until the end of the party last time. Also, you have to make the tart. No getting help from Senior Trey either! Make it yourself from scratch!" He glanced away, speaking in a softer voice and pink tint on his cheeks. "If you do that, then there's nothing I won't forgive..."

He heard Jonah giggled behind him. "Mister Trappola, can you be more honest, please?"

Ace glared at him. "Shut up, Captain!" He then turned back to Riddle. "So, you got all that?"

That was it? He was expecting Ace to take his position right here right now, but... Does he just want a party? Riddle glanced behind him. Jonah was smiling, nodding at him. Riddle turned back to Ace. Can this be the second chance Jonah was talking about?

If yes, then he can't mess this up.

Riddle nodded. "Yeah, I got it..."

Didn't he also make a big mistake? Didn't he also cause so much harm to so many people? He was forgiven back then and tried his best. And here he was, demanding that Azul couldn't change, that he doesn't serve his forgiveness. Ace trusts Riddle to fix everything, yet Riddle doesn't even give Azul the benefit of the doubt.

Ah, maybe he hadn't changed fully.

Crowley pressed the thornless rose into his hand gently. His voice was equally gentle and reassuring. "You are still young, Mister Rosehearts. Still a growing seed. Don't let the thorns stop you from blooming." With that, he walked back and tipped his hat. "I wish you the best, Mister Rosehearts."

With a flutter of his coat, Crowley walked away. It was then Riddle realized they were back at the rose bush he pruned before. Looking down at the rose, he felt disappointment in his chest. Not toward anyone, but toward himself.

He was still holding the wrong judgment toward people, toward Azul. Falsely accusing him of his wrongdoings, despite Riddle doing the same thing, if not worse. Yet, despite everyone having forgiven him, he couldn't do the same toward Azul. Both of them are villains, but Riddle held himself high for having redemption yet sneers at Azul's act of redemption. He should've understood Azul. He had been through what Azul had experienced, yet he couldn't see the same shoes. His mind was too clouded by his own ego, making him sound like a hypocrite.

He had to talk to Azul after this. He had to say sorry.

"Prefect!" Riddle turned around toward the sound. Ace and Epel ran toward him, stopping just a few feet. Ace frowned, probably noticing his troubled looks first. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Just lost in thoughts." Riddle nodded, brushing the imaginary strand of hair from his face. "What is it?"

Ace and Epel glanced at each other, seemingly not convinced but they let it slide. Epel then continued, "So, we figured that if I want to be an ideal prince, I should have a horse!"

Riddle raised an eyebrow. "A horse?"

"Duh!" Ace nodded. "The prince in those legends always appears on a white horse. You know, a symbol of light and strength in goodness or something."

"Senior Riddle is in the equestrian club right?" Epel added. "Do you have any white horse?"

"White horse..." Riddle thought for a second before remembering something. "Oh, Leia is a white horse. She is new to our school and has a violent temperament. No one has managed to ride her except for Silver. Her forelegs pack quite a powerful kick too. Even the advisor struggles to approach her, let alone the other equestrian club members.

Epel smiled. "Can I see her?"

"Of course. But if she's too dangerous, it's okay to give up."

"I grew up on a farm. We have moose and horses." Epel puffed up his chest with his hands on his hips. "As long as we can build our trust, she'll give us a chance."

"Ah..." Riddle looked down at the rose in his hand. That's right. You'll never know if something will act differently if you don't give it a chance. And you'll never know if people would change if you don't even give it a chance. His lips pulled a small smile. As the headmaster said, he's still growing. There's so much to learn, including how to give others the same second chance others had given him.

Riddle put the rose by the bush and nodded at his two juniors. "Okay. Let's see her."

When Riddle returned to the rose, it had multiplied into a great amount, perfect for a bride's bouquet.