From behind him, he could practically feel Laxus vibrating with excitement, mumbling, "Ehehe, Rocco is my bride, hehehe…"
That was ignored just as expertly.
And just to be clear—Rocco had not actually acknowledged Laxus's claim, okay?!
"Alright then, prince, you come too. Let's play together—sandcastles!"
"S-Sandcastles?"
"Yep. We're gonna build a castle. Together. And while we build, you can talk all you want."
Rocco took the Crown Prince's hand and helped him to his feet.
With the still somewhat bewildered prince in tow, he and Laxus ran off toward the garden as a trio.
...
"Alright, Prince, I'll teach you the trick. The trick is to add just a little bit of water to the soil."
"When you do that, the dirt gets firmer and easier to shape, right? Rocco."
"Mm-hmm, exactly, Laxus. As expected of someone who's always building castles with me. Fwo fwo fwo."