Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

We walk across the frozen landscape. The Beavers are walking on all fours. Peter is giving Lucy a piggyback ride, because she’s cold and tired. I don’t blame her. We have been walking for hours.

Bells jingle and hooves clap in the distance. Shit! The White Witch is coming!

Peter sets Lucy down. We all make a break for it, dashing across the snow as fast as we could towards a burrow in the distance.

I force myself a head, despite my feet sinking into the snow with each step. Come on! I can’t stop now. My life depends on it.

When we get closer, Peter barks, “Come on, hurry!”

Normally, I would bark back, but I know now really isn’t the time for that.

My siblings and I all pile into the burrow, crouching down. Mrs Beaver sits next to me while Mr Beaver sits next to my brother.

The sleigh stops. Snow rains down on us from above. My heart races. Please just go. I don’t want to die. I have so much to live for. Besides, we can’t save this world if we are all dead.

“I’ll go out and take a peak,” Mr Beaver whispers to his wife.

“No, don’t—”

He ignores her, climbing out to see who is. Oh, God. No. Please be alright. I know that we just met not that long ago, but I don’t want some like him to die just to keep us safe.

Mr Beaver peaks his head back into our little hideout. He smiles. “Come here, come here. You all would want to see this.”

Huh, what makes him say that? Who could this be?

We climb out of our little hideout. An ethereal man, who looks like he’s around nineteen, is standing there next to a sleigh pulled by reindeer. He has long white hair, which falls gracefully down his back. A set of elf ears poke out his hair. A pair of small, white deer-like antlers protrude out from the top of his head. He’s wearing a red fur lined shirt, black lined with fur at the bottom, tall brown boots, A thick looking back overcoat with silver scrollwork designs all over the shoulders. Silver vambraces cover his forearms and black fingerless gloves.

Wow, he’s actually really fit. Who knew that the real Santa would look like this instead of some old man.

Lucy smiles. “Happy Christmas, sir.”

“We call it Yule, but it’s indeed a very happy one, my dear Lucy.”

I step forward. “I thought that Yule didn’t come to Narnia.”

He turns his silvery-blue gaze to me. “It hasn’t. Not for a hundred years. But, Jadis’ power is weakening, so I’m finally able to return.” He bows to us. “It’s thanks to you, your majesties. I’m forever in your debt.”

My cheeks heat up at that. “That’s a very kind thing for you to say, sir. But we truly didn’t even mean to be pulled into all of this. We came here by accident and then got separated from our brother and well here we are.”

“Perhaps you were fated to come here. No matter how you all came here, I’m glad that you have. Now, onto why I have come.” He smiles slightly, turning to his sleigh and easily lifting a bag that looks like it should weigh a ton.

Lucy beams, coming forward. “Presents!”

Hold on. “Wait. Who are you?”

“My sincere apologies, my dear Susan. How very impolite of me.” The man gives us a small close mouthed smile, bowing to all of us. “I am Lord Nicholas, High Winter Fae of the Unseelie Court and Bringer of Yuletide.”

“Come on, Susan,” Lucy says impatiently. “Presents!”

Lord Nicholas gives a hearty chuckle. “Of course, sorry to keep you waiting, dear Lucy. I’ll give you your presents first.” Lord Nicholas reaches into his heavy sack on the back of the sleigh, pulling out a little bottle in a red pouch and a dagger. He holds up the bottle. “This is the juice of the Red Fire Flower. One drop of this will cure any injury.” He passes it to her before holding out the dagger. “I hope you don’t have to use this. Battles are an awful affair.”

“I think I will be brave enough,” Lucy says.

He gives her a smile. “I’m sure you will be, if the need arises.” He reaches into his bag again, pulling out a beautiful bow with a set of arrows in a white quiver and holding them out to me. “Trust in this bow and it will not miss easily.”

“What happened to ‘battles are awful affairs?”

He smirks slightly. “You are older, my dear Susan. I don’t think you need the warning.”

I hum. “That makes sense.”

His smirk broadens. “Good.”

Is he flirting with me? No, no. That cannot be right. I’m sure that he’s just teasing me. I’m probably looking into this way too much.

Lord Nicholas reaches into his bag again, revealing a belt with two sheathed short swords. He hands them to Peter. “Give these to Edmund once you meet him again. He will need these for the times ahead.”

Peter nods. “I will.”

“Good.” Lord Nicholas smiles at Peter, revealing slightly pointed canines. “And for you, my dear Peter.” He pulls out a sheathed long sword and shield with a red lion’s head on it. “The time to use these may be nearly at hand.” He gives them to him, his fingers lingering on Peter’s far longer than what seems appropriate. When he finally pulls away, but his eyes hold Peter’s, a smile on his face. “I hope nothing happens to that pretty face of yours.”

Peter flushes at that. “That’s very kind of you. I’ll do my best.”

He flashes him a smile again. “I’m sure you will. Perhaps we’ll meet again.” He’s quiet for a moment before turning back to his bag, pulling out a white horn with silver scrollwork all over it. “I’ve been keeping this for many years, and I think it belongs to you.” He hands it to Peter. “If you ever have need of me, blow this and I will always come.”

His flush deepens. “Th—I appreciate the gifts, sir. I will keep that in mind.”

“I hope you will.” He looks at all of us again, though his eyes continue to flick to Peter. “As much as I want to stay, I have places to be. Things pile up after you have been gone for a hundred years.” He picks up the large sack, and tosses it back into his sleigh with ease. He hops up, climbing back on. “Long live Aslan!”

Lord Nicholas sits down. He picks up the reins, flicks them. The reindeer dash ahead, and we watch till the sleigh is out of sight.

Peter continues to stare after him. “Wow, he must be quite strong to pick up a heavy bag like that. I certainly couldn’t.”

“Oh, impressed, are you?” I smirk.

Peter blinks, flinching. “Not—What are you implying?”

“Oh, nothing. He just seemed awfully interested in you.”

“Are you into men, Peter?” Mrs Beaver chimes in. “Perhaps you should be if someone like that seems to want to court you.”

“Uh…I…” Peter stammers. “I never thought about it. But, I suppose he was rather good looking.”

“Are you saying that Lord Nicholas wants to marry Peter?” Lucy pipes up.

Peter cheeks redden. “W-What? No!”

“Not yet,” I say, my smirk broadening. “But, we are saying that he may want to date Peter, though.”

“Oh, that would be good. He’s really pretty and seems super nice,” Lucy says.

His cheeks are bright red, and I doubt it’s just due to the cold. “Uh…Let’s keep moving. We don’t want to be caught.”

“Right.” As much as I want to keep on teasing him, he has a very good point.

Chapter Text

I sit in the large tub, my head tilted back. A male dryad washes my hair.

While I’m normally not the type to enjoy being pampered, I admit this rather nice. Especially after that long battle and trekking through the snow for ages.

Once the dryad is done, he pulls his hands back. “It’s time to get out, your majesty.”

I nod, climbing out of the tub. The servant holds out a towel, which I promptly wrap around my waist for modesty.

“Now then, for your hair and outfit, your majesty…” the servant says.

The dryad waves his hand, and silver blue smoke surrounds me. When it clears I’m wearing a long sleeved white high collared shirt topped with an ice blue open sort of robe. A black belt is wrapped around my waist. Silver clasps close the robe. Black fitted pants paired with black boots complete the look.

I take a look at myself in the mirror, and smile. Wow, I actually look like I could be royalty.

I glance over at Edmund. He’s similar outfit to me, except a darker blue with silver belt and design and black boots.

I stare at my own reflection again. You know, this outfit is a similar colour to Lord Nicholas’ eyes.

Fuck! Why am I even thinking about him?

Should I invite him to the coronation? Would that be too weird? He said to call him if I needed him. Not that I need him. But, it's only polite. He helped out a lot, so I owe him a thank you. Besides we wouldn’t have succeeded without his gifts and Edmund would have been dead if Lucy didn’t have that cordial. So, I owe him a lot. I definitely should invite him.

I nod to myself before turning to the dryad. “Um, where did you put my other clothes? Would I possibly be able to have the horn that was with them?”

The dryad blinks. “On the table beside the hamper, your majesty.”

Edmund smirks. “Oh? Are you gonna summon Lord Nicholas?”

I flinch. “Well, he helped us out a lot.”

“Ah-huh,” Edmund says, looking like he doesn’t believe me. “Is that the only reason?”

“Yes, obviously. What other reason would there be?”

“Sure, sure. Whatever you wanna tell yourself.”

I groan. God, everyone is gonna keep on teasing me about this, aren’t they? They are never gonna let this go.

I walk over to the table, picking up the horn. I head over to a side room. After I close the door, I blow the horn.

There is a swirl of silver blue smoke in front of me. Once it clears, Lord Nicholas stands in front of me. He’s dressed differently than before. Now he wears a v- necked silver almost three quarter sleeve white shirt topped with a black vest with gold buttons. Those are paired with black pants and boots and a silver snowflake necklace. However he still wears the same silver vambraces on his forearms, and fancy black gloves cover his hands.

“Peter, what a surprise,” Lord Nicholas smirks. “I never expected you would need me so soon. What can I do for you?”

God, now he's even teasing me about this! I clear my throat. “I thought you should come to the coronation. We would not have succeeded if it were not for your gifts. If you hadn't given Lucy that potion, Edmund would’ve died. I truly appreciate your assistance, my lord.”

I try to bow, but he catches my elbows. “Please, you are going to be a king. I’m simply the Lord of Winter. I was only doing my job, but I’m glad that my gifts were of help.”

“Still, you have our appreciation. Please come to the coronation.” Ugh! I want to thank him, because he deserves it. But, I can’t, because he’s a fae.

Lord Nicholas smiles. “It would be my honour.”

—0—

The four of us walk down the middle of the isle, Aslan, a lion beastman with tanned skin and shoulder length blonde hair, walking in between. Nymphs, dryads, and a myriad of other fae fill up the room. We slowly walk up the stairs, and stand in front of four thrones on a dais. We turn around to face the room. I stand in the middle with Susan and Lucy on either side of me and Edmund is at the end.

Aslan faces the crowd, as Mr. Tumnus and the Beavers walk up. The Beavers carry a blue velvet pillow with four crowns resting on it.

“To the Glistening Eastern Sea, I give you Queen Lucy: The Valiant.”

He sweeps a hand towards her as Mr. Tumnus picks up a small silver starry one and gently puts it on her head. They smile at each other as he bows and steps back.

“To the Great Western Wood, I give you King Edmund: The Just.”

Mr. Tumnus approaches with a larger silver crown, placing it on Edmund’s head.

“To the Radiant Southern Sun, I give you Queen Susan: The Gentle.”

Mr. Tumnus places a thicker but still smallish gold crown on her head.

“And to the Clear Northern Sky, I give you High King Peter: The Magnificent.”

Mr. Tumnus picks the last crown, a larger gold one and places it on my head.

“Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia,” Aslan says to the crowd. “May your wisdom embrace like stars raining down from the heavens.”

“Long live High King Peter!” the crowd shouts. “Long live Queen Susan! Long live King Edmund! And long live Queen Lucy!”

“Now,” Aslan says. “May the celebrations begin.”

I step down from the dais, and I see my siblings doing the same. Soft music begins to play. A number of people begin to pair off, starting to dance.

When I’m about to go down into the crowd, Edmund nudges me. “So, your new title is rather fitting, don’t you think?”

I groan. “Not this again. I’m pretty sure that it wasn’t intended at all in that way.”

“Still, he’s the Lord of Winter, and you are the King of the Northern Sky. Cold comes from the north. So…”

“Yes, yes. I get what you’re implying, but just shut up.”

Edmund smirks. “Sure, whatever you want to believe.” He walks off, probably about to mingle with others.

I groan, covering my face with my hands. God, they really are never gonna let this go, are they?

Someone tips me on the shoulder. I turn around. Lord Nicholas is standing there.

“So, High King Peter,” he says, “May I have the honour of a dance?” He holds out his hand to me.

My cheeks heat up. “Of course. It would be a pleasure, My Lord.”

I take his hand, surprised to find that it's noticeably cool. There’s living warmth there still, but it's much lower temperature than mine. He leads me over to where the other people are dancing. He wraps his arm around my waist, and I awkwardly set one of my hands on his shoulder.

As we dance, my eyes keep on darting down to my feet. I need to make sure that I’m doing this alright. I don’t want to step on his toes. That would be too embarrassing.

“Eyes on me,” Lord Nicholas says.

I nod, keeping my gaze locked with his. Other couples around us whisper and stare at us. Why are they doing that? It can’t be because we’re both men. There are plenty of other male couples around, so that can’t be it. So, why?

“Any idea why they are staring at us?” I ask.

“Ah, that would be because of me. I’m not known to come to events such as this. Plus, I’m dancing with you, who was just crowned high king. I imagine both of those would do it.”

“Oh, I see. That makes sense.”

“Indeed,” Lord Nicholas says before his lips curl into a smirk. “I couldn’t help but notice that your outfit matches my eyes.”

God, him too!? Why is everyone on about this? It’s not like I picked my outfit or my title. “I did notice that earlier. But I didn’t pick out this outfit, it was chosen for me.”

He grins mischievously. “You were thinking of me earlier?”

God, I walked right into that one, didn’t I? “Ah…Your eyes are very noticeable, so I did notice this happens to be the same colour. I never saw someone with your eye colour where I’m from. It’s very nice…” God, I need to stop talking. Why didn’t I shut up earlier?

Lord Nicholas laughs a little. “Thank you for the compliment, Your Majesty. That was very kind. May I ask where you are from?”

“A place called England, not of this world.”

“Really, now?” Lord Nicholas muses as we continue to dance. “How very intriguing. What kind of place was this England?”

“It was okay, I suppose. When we left there was a war going on though, so not so great.”

“Well, it seems like you are much better off here.”

“I agree.”

The song ends, and he leads me off the dance floor. “Well, thank you very much for inviting me, Your Majesty. It was an honour. Thank you also for the lovely dance and conversation. But, I’m afraid that I must leave. I don’t enjoy events such as these, far too many people for my taste. However, please call me anytime you wish. I would enjoy talking with you again.”

“I appreciate you coming,” I say. “It has been a pleasure, and perhaps we’ll see each other again.”

He smiles and bows before picking up my hand and kissing it. He disappears in a cloud of silver-blue smoke.

Chapter Text

I sit at a tea table with Mr. Tumnus in Cair Paravel, sipping a cup of tea from fancy china.

“So, how does it feel to be officially a queen of Narnia now?” he asks.

“Oh, it’s so magical. I love Narnia so much. I really hope that I make a good queen.”

He smiles. “I’m sure you will.”

Just as I'm about to reply, a nymph hurries into the room. “Aslan wishes to speak with you and your siblings before he departs. Meet him in the Great Chamber.”

“Yes,” I turn to Mr. Tumnus. “Care to walk with us? I hate to cut our chat short.”

“Certainly, your highness.”

“It feels weird to be called that,” I wince. Especially since back in England I was just an ordinary girl without a fortune or title to speak of.

He laughs a little. “I’m sure that you will get used to it soon enough.”

“I’m sure you’re right.”

The nymph leads to the Great Chamber, bowing to me before departing. Peter and Susan are already waiting at the table inside while Edmund is not.

Mr. Tumnus peaks his head inside. “Where’s Edmund? Isn’t he supposed to arrive, too?”

“Oh, he’s probably in the library. He has been really enjoying reading all of the books there over the last couple days.”

“I see. I’m afraid I must leave you here, your highness. Feel free to come and find me later.”

“I will. Thank you.”

Mr. Tumnus gives me another smile and hurries down the corridor. I wish our tea wasn’t cut so short. I’ve been so busy over the past few days. While I understand it on some level, I’m a queen now after all and have loads of new responsibilities, it’s still annoying nevertheless.

I sigh before entering the chamber. I take a seat beside my sister. Peter raises an eyebrow. “Where’s Edmund?”

“I’m here, Peter!” Edmund calls out. I turn, and he’s standing in the doorway, arms crossed. “Didn’t think I would arrive?”

Peter smirks. “I did wonder for a moment.”

“Where’s Aslan?” Susan asks. “Isn’t he the one who called us all here?”

“Not sure,” Edmund says. “I never saw him on the way here.”

“Same here,” I add.

I’m starting to wonder the same thing. Aslan isn’t the sort of person to ask us here and never arrive.

A plume of amber smoke bellows in front of us, making Edmund jump out of his skin. Peter laughs a little. I hide a laugh, too. Seeing him practically leap out of his skin is rather amusing, especially after he has seen Aslan and the White Witch do the same plenty of times.

Once the smoke clears, Aslan, a lion beastman with tanned skin and shoulder length blonde hair, stands in front of us.

“Thank you all for coming here,” Aslan says. “There’s something that I must discuss with the four of you.”

“What exactly do you want to discuss with us?” Susan questions.

“There is an ancient magic in this world. It’s in the very air and essence. I wish to ask the four of you if you want to be blessed with it. It comes with a price. If I do this, you will never be able to return from whence you came.”

Concern washes over Susan’s face. “What do you mean exactly? That sounds super ominous.”

“Natives in this world do not age like people from yours. Once they hit the age of twenty-one, they age slowly and live for about three hundred to three hundred-fifty years for humans. If I do this, you four will age like natives of Narnia.”

I will age like a person from here? That sounds wonderful! My Narnia friends don’t have to watch me grow old and die. I will live for as long as they do.

“How do we achieve this?” Susan asks. “Do we have to take a potion? Have you cast a spell on us? Or what?”

“It’s a potion. Once you drink it, your essence and makeup will change and you will become, for all intents and purposes, a native of Narnia.”

“Can we have a moment to talk about it?” Peter asks.

“Of course,” Aslan says. “I’ll step out.”

He walks out the room, and the door closes behind him.

Edmund turns to us. “What do you guys think? I can’t say I’m opposed to it. It would give us more time to grow into rulers. There’s a war going on in England, and I’m not very eager to go back.”

“I’m not opposed to it either,” Peter says. “Besides, I think going back to England would be far too jarring, and I don't think we would be able to fit in there anymore.”

“I would like to as well,” I add. “I don’t have to worry about aging differently than everyone here. I don’t want to go back to England.”

“I’m not sure,” Susan frowns.

I blink. “Why do you think that?”

“What about our friends and parents back home? If what Aslan says is true, then we are stuck in this world forever without any way to contact them.” She twists her hands. “Everyone back home would…”

I frown. While Susan never completed the thought, I know what she’s implying—our loved ones would think we’re all dead.

Wait a minute. “What about the professor? He seemed to know about this world. Maybe someone can send a message to him and he can inform our family and friends?”

Susan brightens up. “That’s actually not a bad idea.”

“If Aslan says that he would do that, would you agree?”

She pauses, seeming to contemplate her options. She looks up at us, determination flashing in her eyes. “Yes, I would. That was truly my main concern.”

I beam, locking her into a hug. She returns my embrace.

Edmund goes over, opening the door. “We have come to a decision.”

Aslan comes back inside. “What have you decided?”

Susan steps forward. “We have decided to accept.”

“Wonderful,” Aslan says. “I will retrieve those potions and be right back.” He leaves the room.

Susan arches an eyebrow. “Did he have those already prepared?”

Edmund shrugs. “Most likely. He probably made those in advance, hoping that we would agree.”

She hums. “Makes sense.”

Aslan enters the room, carrying a box with four bottles inside. Each bottle is filled with a shimmering blue liquid. Hope that doesn’t taste like medicine. Potions in storybooks always seemed to taste awful.

He sets them down on the table. Susan eyes them. “Do we have to pick a certain one?”

Aslan shakes his head. “Any one of them will do.”

I grin, reaching out to grab one of the bottles. Just as I’m about to grab one, Peter places his hand on my arm and winces. “Maybe I should drink this first. Just in case.”

I roll my eyes. “Alright, fine.” Even if I think he’s being a little ridiculous and overly cautious. I highly doubt Aslan would ever poison us.

Peter takes the cork off, drinking the contents. His skin immediately gains a slight shimmer and his ears lengthen to a point. Wow, he looks ethereal like an elf from storybooks.

Peter grins. “Tastes really good.”

“Not commenting on your new look?” Edmund says with a smirk.

He blinks. “What?”

Edmund points at a polished vase with a shiny surface. Peter shifts his eyes towards it, staring at his reflection.

“Huh,” Peter says, “Not what I was expecting.”

Susan turns to Aslan. “Why did his ears and skin change?”

“Most humanoid creatures in this world have fae ancestry of some sort or are full blooded fae themselves. Taking this potion turns you into a true native of this world, in not only essence but looks as well.”

“That makes sense, I suppose,” Susan says.

“Can I take one now?” I ask, bouncing on my toes.

Peter groans. “Yes, Lucy, you can.”

I grin, snatching one of the bottles. I uncork it and drink the contents of it.

Oh my gosh! This tastes like a chocolate orange. I nearly forgot what those tasted like!

I look at my reflection. I have the same pointed ears as my brother and the slightest shimmer to my skin. Wow, I look like a fairy!

I watch as Edmund and Susan drink the potions, and change as well.

—0—

I sit on my horse, Aster, as she gallops ahead, chasing the white stag. I feel my hair whipping behind me and the golden leaves of the forest rushing past. Peter is riding in the front while Edmund and Susan are beside me.

While I’m not a fan of hunting per se, riding with my siblings is always fun. We don’t do it often enough.

We gallop on. I look around, but Edmund is not with us. I look over my shoulder. Edmund and his horse, Phillip, are stopped in a clearing a little behind.

“Come on, Ed,” Susan says.

“Just we’re catching our breath,” Edmund says, pointing down at his horse.

Susan rolls her eyes. “That’s all we’ll catch at this rate.”

I smirk a little, tapping my chin. “What did Edmund say before again?”

“He said that we girls should wait in the castle while he catches the stag himself,” Susan says, smirking a bit as she imitates him.

The three of us laugh while Edmund pouts. Wow, he looks like a kid again when he does that.

We all have changed so much since we first arrived and become better people because of our experiences here. Edmund has grown into his title as the just, trying to find a peaceful solution when he can. Susan is kind to everyone and always trying to mediate. But is as fierce and quick on the battlefield as ever. Peter is a strong and just ruler. I don’t think I’ve grown into my title yet, but I’d like to think I’ve grown up a lot since I was first crowned.

The sound of boots hitting the ground jerks me out of my thoughts. Peter walks up to a strange lamppost. It seems like something I remember from a dream. A feeling of dread wells up in my chest. And I feel as if we don’t leave right now, something terrible will happen.

My eyes widen. “We have to go. Now. That lamppost is giving me a really bad feeling.”

Peter nods. “Alright, I trust you. Let’s go catch that stag, shall we?” He gets back onto his horse and we race after our quarry.

Chapter Text

I circle around Holly, one of my reindeer, checking her. She appears healthy and fit. I head over to her trough, and look inside. I hum. There’s enough food in it.

I turn to Yuki, one of my halfling helpers. “All of the reindeer are in tip top shape.”

“Thank you, my lord. Is there anything else that I can do for you?”

“Nothing at the moment,” I say. “You’ve done wonderfully.”

“Thank you again, my lord.”

I give her a nod, before leaving. I step out of the barn, heading back to my estate to check over my Naughty List again. The sound of children’s laughter hits my ears. That’s odd. Why are there children here? While some of the halflings here have kids, most of them are much older at this point.

I step into the alleyway to investigate. Three odd looking goblin children dressed in All Hallows Eve costumes are standing there.

One has the typical light green skin with yellow eyes and long ears. Most likely a female with black hair pulled into a bun wearing a long black dress, a small red pointed hat clipped into her hair and black boots.

Another does have the long ears but that’s where the goblin-like looks end. While the ears are longish and pointed, the eyes are white with a tiny orange pupil and the fingers are long and spindly. Fluffy white hair frames the face and they are wearing red robes.

The third has pale skin and no hair with large blue eyes and long pointed ears. Their dressed in black pants and a long sleeved shirt with a painted on ribcage.

I give them a polite smile. “May I help you? Are you here to fetch something?”

The one dressed in black grins, showing a mouth full of pointed teeth. “We are.” She steps forward, moving more quickly than I would expect someone her likely age would.

“Oh? What might that be?”

The child in red robes and child in black and white move up then look up at me, speaking in unison. “You.”

“I’m sorry?”

The likely female one makes a movement with her wrist and then something covers my eyes. “What the—?”

In a flash my wrists are tied and I feel my feet lift off the ground. How strong are these children? I hear the sound of teleportation and then I’m dropped unceremoniously to the ground with a hard thud.

Someone snaps their fingers, and suddenly I can see again. I’m laying down on a strange circular gurney, and I can see spikes jutting from the sides of it from the corner of my eye. My wrists are bound with glowing black light, and my vambraces and gloves are gone.

Bone chilling cackling hits my ears. “Well, well, well. What do we have here? Old Sandy Claus is all tied up.”

Huh? “Where did you get that name? That’s not even remotely close.”

“Really? A little birdie told me that was it. What is it, then?”

“As if I would tell you,” I scoff.

“That’s awfully rude of you.”

I smirk. “Kidnapping someone is quite rude, too.”

I have to get out of here. Now. This guy is definitely up to no good, and I have to get back in order to deliver the presents and curses.

He cackles again. “Now, now. None of that. I’m Nox Devlin, but many call me Oogie Boogie.”

“That’s wonderful. Lovely to meet you. If you would untie me, we could have a civil conversation.”

“Why would I do that? You’re right where I want you.”

I jerk my wrists apart, finally breaking the spell that binds them.

“Rude,” Nox Devlin says.

He snaps his fingers. My wrists are bound again. This time, though, the bonds immediately burn. Iron. I suppress a wince, not wanting this bastard to have the satisfaction of seeing that he hurt me.

His footsteps move further away, and there is a clicking sound. I begin to be lifted up to the ceiling by my wrists. I look around, trying to see what my captor looks like. But, I can't see a damn thing thanks to the smoke and fog.

“Let’s have some fun. Shall we?” Nox Devlin muses.

Chapter Text

I sit in the library on one of the chairs, reading Narnia Customs and Laws. We all have only been here for a year. While I learnt quite a bit, I still have a lot to learn as well.

A plume of yellow smoke bursts in front of me. A nymph with long green hair is standing there. “High King Peter, there is someone here to see you. It’s urgent.”

Huh, I wonder what’s going on, and why they only need me. I set my book down on the table beside me, standing up. “I’ll come at once.”

The nymph places a hand on my shoulder. We teleport into the Throne Room in a plume of yellow smoke. A pale fae lady with long red-brown hair and dressed in a floor length patchwork skirt and a black corset top stands there.

“Lovely to meet you. I am High King Peter of Narnia, and you are?” I know that probably sounds a little curt, but I’ve never seen her before, and I would like to know what’s going on.

“I’m Queen Sally of the Autumn Kingdom in the Unseelie Court.”

“A pleasure,” I say. “What can I do for you, Queen Sally?”

“I’m here on behalf of a friend of yours. I believe you know Lord Nicholas, sovereign of Vinwen, the Winter Kingdom?”

Where is she going with this? “Yes, he’s indeed a friend of mine. What about him?”

“He’s been captured by the dark fae known as Nox Devlin or Oogie Boogie.”

My heart leaps into my throat. Who is this person? How were they able to kidnap him? I thought that Lord Nicholas was quite powerful. “We must rescue him! Where is he? How do we get there?”

“He’s in his hideout,” she says. “Get whatever you need and meet me back here. I can teleport us there.”

—0—

I run back into the throne room dressed in light armour, sword in tow. Sally is standing in the same spot as before.

“Ready to go?” Queen Sally asks.

“Yes, I am.”

“My husband will meet us there. He wants to help.”

“Very well,” I say.

Queen Sally nods. She places a hand on my shoulder, and we teleport in a burst of burgundy smoke behind the person. He appears to be a strange mix between a High Fae and a fawn. He has mid-back length, black hair pulled back into a ponytail and very long milk white pointed ears poke out on either side. He’s wearing a long sleeved high necked shirt with silver vambraces encircling his wrists and forearms. It's paired with black pants and cloven hooves emerge from them.

I turn to Sally, nodding towards him. She nods back at me in reply. We creep forward, trying to sneak up on him.

Without even turning around, he waves his hand. Beetles manifest out of thin air, crawling right towards us. I can’t help but grimace. Ew, gross.

A small burst of burgundy smoke erupts around us. Beetles are flying and crawling towards us, but are stopped by an invisible force. I turn towards Sally, wondering if she knows what is happening. She is holding her hand out. Huh, she must be keeping them away with her magic.

The fiend waves his hand again, and the bugs disintegrate into dust. He turns his attention towards us and cackles. “It’s rather rude of you to come here unannounced.”

My grip on my sword tightens. “And it’s rather rude of you to kidnap my friend, so I think we’re even.”

“Peter?” Lord Nicholas says.

The bastard tightens the iron scales, and Lord Nicholas winces in pain. My blood begins to boil. How dare he torture one of my friends like that! “LET. HIM. GO.”

“Where would the fun be in that?” the bastard grins. “We’re just getting started.”

The bastard tosses some dice into the air, and they land on a four.

“Four,” he says, reading them. “Sally knows what that means…”

Huh. What is he talking about?

Sally’s eyes wide. “Oh, no.” She jumps in front of me, defending me.

A bunch of bright green beams of magic fly towards us. I brace myself for a world of pain.

The beams of magic curve around her, slamming into me. I dig my fingernails into my palm so I don’t say anything. He does not get to have the satisfaction of knowing that hurt. I can feel the bruises forming under my armour.

The dice appear back in the bastard’s hand. He rolls them again. They land on four again.

More of those painful magical beams. Great…

More magical beams of light curve around Sally, striking all over once again. I bite down on my bottom lip, trying not to make a sound.

I look down. Unlike the last time, my armour is cut. Through it I can see a bruise with a little slice.

How should we get rid of this guy? While I’m like a mortal from this world now, I still don’t have any magic. I don’t know how much more of this I can take!

The dice reappear back in the bastard’s hand. He rolls them again. They land on two.

“Well, it’s showtime!” he grins like a corny carnival barker.

My eyes widen, and I tense up. Oh, fuck. No.

He presses his hands together at the wrist. A swirling ball of blue fire builds in his hands, growing more and more by the second. Oh, God. This is gonna be bad.

Once it’s the size of a basketball, the fiend thrusts his hands forward. The fireball hurls right towards me. Before it can hit me, a shield made of shimmering black light appears around me and Sally. The fireball erupts on it but does no damage.

“Sorry for being late to the party,” an unfamiliar voice comes from behind us. I turn. A tall, very pale fae with longish pointed ears and bald with dark grey eyes and long spindly fingers is standing there. He’s wearing a striped suit and his grin shows many pointed teeth.

Sally grins, giving him a hug. “Jack!”

Is this her husband? He must be. Why else is she this enthusiastic about his arrival? She said that her husband’s name was Jack earlier.

The fiend glares at Jack. “Why are you here, you boney toothpick!?”

“I’m here to correct my mistake.”

A club manifests behind the bastard’s head. It pulls back, bashing him in the head and knocking him the fuck out. He collapses right onto the ground.

Sally rushes over to Lord Nicholas. She breaks his binds. Lord Nicholas starts to fall, but Jack catches him in his arms, setting him down on the ground.

“Come on,” Sally says.

I grab his vambraces and gloves from a nearby table. She places a hand on my shoulder, and we disappear in a burst of burgundy smoke. Once it disappears, we’re standing in the throne room in Cair Paravel.

Jack and Lord Nicholas appear in the room in a burst of navy blue smoke, Lord Nicholas having one arm wrapped around his shoulder for support. Lord Nicholas sits down on the edge of the dais , seeming rather out of it.

I look down at Lord Nicholas’ wrists. Red and dark burns wrap around his wrists where the shackles were, the skin darkened and raw. Several blisters are beginning to swell. Charred skin surrounds it, and a tiny bit of bone is showing in the middle of one of them.

Shit. That’s really bad.

I touch his shoulder. “I’ll be right back. Ok?”

He looks up at me, a little dazed. He hums.

I take off out of the throne room, beginning to search for Lucy. Where would she be?

From the corner of my eye, I spot Lucy sitting in the garden out through one of the windows. Ok, perfect.

I rush to the door to the garden, throwing it open. Lucy jumps. She looks up at me. Her brows furrow, and her eyes widen. “Peter, what’s wrong? You seem panicked.”

“Would I be able to borrow your cordial? I need it now. I promise I’ll give it right back.”

“Yes, of course.”

—0—

I come back to the throne room. Lord Nicholas is sitting in the same spot as before with Sally and Jack standing nearby.

“I have a healing potion,” I say, holding up the bottle.

“Wonderful,” Sally smiles. “Jack and I will take our leave soon. But, my husband wants to speak to the both of you once Lord Nicholas has recovered.” Sally shoots Jack a look, and Jack just sighs and nods in response.

I wonder what Jack wants to speak with us about. Does it have to do with what he said in Nox’s place?

I go up to Lord Nicholas, kneeling down in front of him. “Is it alright if I touch you? I need to drop the healing potion on your burns.”

He hums. “It’s alright.”

I uncork the bottle, dropping the cork on the ground next to me. I gently pick up one of his hands. I tip the bottle, letting a few drops fall onto his burns. I pick up his other hand, doing the same. The potion seeps into the burns, spreading over the wounds. The blisters slowly deflate, and the charred skin knits back together, slowly becoming a pinkish hue like a mild sunburn.

Lord Nicholas smirks a little. “Are you going to keep on holding my hand?”

Right. I drop it. “Sorry.”

Sally turns to me, and winces. “Though, you might want to use that potion on yourself as well, my friend.” She points to the slice in my armour.

Right, good point. I pour a drop of the potion onto my cut. The potion seeps in, knitting up the wound, and it slowly disappears. I pick up the cork, putting it back on.

Jack claps his hands together. “All's well that ends well.”

Lord Nicholas’ face darkens. “So, it was your fault that I was kidnapped. Tell me why I shouldn’t punish you cruelly.”

Wow, he’s super pissed off right now. But, I kind of like it. That low, sharp voice he’s speaking in is…kinda well nice.

…Wait. Where did that last thought come from?

Jack flinches. “Well, I was getting to that part. You see I wanted to try out your duties, and I didn’t know he was going to hurt you like that. I simply wanted you out of the way for a bit. For my careless actions, I sincerely apologize.”

Lord Nicholas sighs. “I understand your actions, but you should’ve never gotten him involved. He’s clearly an unsavoury person.”

“I know. Again, I apologize.”

“Very well. I will not curse you, since you didn’t have bad intentions.” Lord Nicholas turns to me. “King Peter, tell me if you agree with this, but I think he should sign a treaty with your kingdom to make sure he will never threaten either of our kingdoms in that way again.”

I nod. “I agree.”

“I’m not opposed to it either.”

“Great,” Jack says, the nerves still in his voice. “We’ll all sign the treaty once you draw it up.”

They disappear in bursts of smoke. I sit down beside him. “Are you ok?”

Lord Nicholas nods. “I’ll be fine. Though I haven’t gotten iron burns like that in quite some time.” He picks up his wrist with one hand, rubbing with his fingers and sliding it between his fingers.

“Sorry he did that.”

He sighs. “It’s fine. They’ll heal in a day or so.”

While I can understand his point, that doesn’t make what he did ok. If it were me, I would still be quite pissed. But if he forgave him, I can’t condemn him for that.

Lord Nicholas stands up, offering me his hand. I blink. “Are you sure?”

“Yes,” he says. “It’s alright.”

I help him back to his feet and hand him his gloves and vambraces. He quickly puts them on.

“I best be on my way,” Lord Nicholas says.

Really? “Are you sure? You were just injured. You’re welcome to stay here and recover.”

“While normally I would take you up on your offer, I have to get back to attend to my duties. Presents don’t deliver themselves, you know.”

I smile slightly. “I suppose that’s true. Will I see you again in a few days then?”

“Perhaps. Normally, people aren’t supposed to see me on Yuletide Eve.”

“If I look for you, can I find you?”

Lord Nicholas cracks a smile. “If you’re lucky.” He teleports away in a burst of silver-blue smoke.

Chapter Text

The latest bastard glares at me. “How dare you insult my pride!”

Insult his pride? All I did was prove that he’s unworthy to be my equal, if he can’t even hold an apple to be my target. “I’m terribly sorry,” I say sarcastically, performing a mocking curtsy. “Run along now. I have other important matters to attend to.”

The bastard scowls, storming out in a huff. The heavy doors slam shut behind him. I can’t say that I’m terribly upset about this. I want to marry my equal and not be offended about me being an archer in battle.

Edmund walks in. He scans the room before he shakes his head as he catches my eye. “Susan, did you do that apple trick again?”

“What? I was just testing his resolve. If he wants to marry me, he has to be ok with me being an archer, and he was clearly not.”

“At this rate, you are never going to get married unless you choose someone.”

“I don’t want to marry some random man, who expects me to change myself to suit him. I want to marry someone who respects me and sees me as their equal.”

“Alright, fine. Maybe don’t chase away every potential suitor. Try to get to know them first.”

I understand his point. But at the same time, I don’t really see how what I’m doing is wrong. If a man already thinks of me as lesser when we first meet, no amount of chit-chat beforehand is going to change that.

“I’ll try.” Enough though I rather doubt it.

A fox rushes in, his fur glinting like polished copper in the sunlight. “Queen Susan, King Edmund, come quick. A visitor has arrived, and he has requested the presence of all four of you.”

Edmund bows his head. “Thank you, we’ll be there right away.”

Oh, goody. Another suitor asking for my hand.

…But, then again, if all four of us are required to meet with them, this could actually be something rather important.

The two of us rush to the throne room. Peter and Lucy are already seated on their thrones, their expressions a mix of curiosity and concern. Edmund and I take our places beside them.

The doors are thrown open, and a man about my age walks in. He has shoulder-length dark brown hair that catches the light, revealing the ever-so slightest pointed tips to his ears, and hazel eyes. He’s dressed in a white shirt with a brown leather riding vest over top and dark trousers. A sword is sheathed at his side.

Wow, he’s rather handsome.

Come on, Susan. Just because he’s pretty doesn’t mean that he won’t end up being a prick like all of the others.

“I am High King Peter,” my older brother says. “These are my siblings King Edmund, Queen Susan and Queen Lucy. Please state your name and business.”

“I’m Prince Caspian of Telemarine from across the sea. I have come here with a request for aid.”

“Very well, what can we do for you?”

“My uncle, King Miraz, has plans to invade Narnia. He wants to kill all of the talking animals for he believes they are lesser, and he wants to suppress all the fae.”

I gasp, my hand instinctively covering my mouth as a chill runs down my spine. That’s awful. What kind of person must his uncle be to want to do something like that?

“Please,” Prince Caspian pleads, “help me. I’ve grown up with stories about what it’s like here, and I don’t want my uncle to get rid of all of the things that make this place unique.”

Peter nods. “Thank you for informing us. If you would give us a few minutes to discuss, that would be appreciated. We will call you back when we have reached a decision.”

“Of course,” Prince Caspian says before he teleports out of the room in a burst of blue smoke.

Edmund turns to us, his expression serious. “What are our thoughts? Should we believe him?”

“I don’t know,” Peter says, crossing his arms. “He seems genuine, but how do we know that this isn’t a trap?”

“I believe him,” Lucy says. “Why would he come all the way here just to lie about something as awful as he described?”

My sister has a point. He didn’t seem like he was making something up. Why would he bother coming just to set a trap? If that was the case, couldn’t he have just sent a letter instead? That would be a lot simpler.

“I didn’t see any deceit,” I add, “so perhaps he is telling the truth.”

Peter sighs. “Alright, I see your points. We can tell him that he can come back in and that we can help him.”

Edmund nods. He turns to the door and calls out. “You may come back in!”

There is another burst of smoke, making Edmund tense. I hold back a chuckle. Wow, even after all of these years, he’s still jumpy about people teleporting in bursts of colourful smoke?

Once the smoke clears, Prince Caspian stands there. “Thank you for your consideration. Have you reached a decision?”

“Yes,” Peter says. “We have decided that we will help you.”

Prince Caspian smiles, a flicker of relief washing over his features. “Thank you. I appreciate that. I will stay here and fight by your side to make sure my uncle’s plans don’t come to pass.”

Chapter Text

I sit down at a table with Mal, drinking a spot of tea. However, she seems more…off than usual. She’s a lot more tense and has barely talked to me at all, staring off into space.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, making her jump a little. “You seem…off.”

She turns to me. “I’m fine. It's just…War is coming. I need you to promise me something.”

I set my saucer down, arching an eyebrow. “And what is that?”

Mal hesitates. She goes to pick up her cup as her hand shakes. She places it down in her lap. “Promise me that if Ben and I don’t make it…if this war takes both of us, you and Doug will rule as regents till my son comes of age and take care of Malleus, too.”

I stare at Mal, eyes wide. Wow…that’s a surprise. I would’ve never expected her to suggest…that. That’s dark.

But, I can see where Mal is coming from. I hate the idea of my best friend and her husband that I’ve grown close to dying in this war, especially since they have a young son. Though, I understand where she’s coming from. It’s always good to have a backup plan in case things go wrong. Death is a sad reality of war.

“Of course,” I say. “Doug and I will gladly do it.”

Mal gives me a sad smile. She reaches her hand across the table, placing it on mine. “Thank you. That means a lot to me. I want my son to grow up with people who love him in case the worst happens.”

“It will be my honour. I swear that I will raise him the way that you want and prepare him to become a good king if that shall come to pass.”

“Good. I appreciate your kindness,” Mal says. “One more thing, don’t put Malleus in any arranged marriage. Let him marry for love like I did.”

“Of course, I swear it.”

“Thank you, Evie. I hope it doesn’t come to this, but I want plans in place in case it does.”

“Yes, I understand.”

Chapter Text

I stand near the throne beside Degenhardt and the other advisors. Noble fae of all kinds are standing beside the isle, watching the spectacle take place. Evie and Doug sit on their thrones. Malleus is sitting on a much smaller one, kicking his legs and looking rather bored.

The doors fly open. A noble human male with silver hair and a human woman with long chestnut brown hair walk in the centre aisle, leading a small boy along, who has the same hair colour as his father.

“Welcome Lord Viorel,” Evie says. “Your gesture of kindness is very much appreciated. This marks an auspicious occasion since the signing of the treaty.”

“Thank you for your trust, your highness,” Lord Viorel says. “We hope that our youngest son can be both a playmate and future guard for Prince Malleus.”

The boy’s mother leads him forward. She whispers something to him, and the boy kneels.

Evie stands, coming down the steps of the dais. I step down after her. I hand her my sheathed sword.

She kneels down in front of the boy. “Hello there. What is your name?”

“Ren Viorel,” he tells her softly.

“That’s a lovely name. Can I give you a new one so you can become part of the court?”

The boy nods. “Yes, I want to play with Prince Malleus.”

Evie chuckles a little. “Very well. You will now and forever be Silver Draconia. Friend and guard to Prince Malleus, heir to the throne of the Unseelie Court.” She gently touches my sheathed sword to each of his shoulders.

He scrambles to his feet. “Can I play with him now?”

“Not yet,” Evie says. “We need to finish the ceremony first.”

“Oh, ok.”

Degenhardt picks up a tray with a goblet full of the fae aging potion. He steps off of the dais, joining us in front of the boy.

Evie takes it. “Drink this, and you’ll age just like Prince Malleus. You will be with him for longer.”

The boy nods. He takes the goblet from her. He drinks it. After a few moments, he makes a face. “That tasted kind of weird.”

I help him up. I gesture for Malleus to come down and meet the boy. He nods, follow us down here.

“My name is Prince Malleus,” the young prince introduces himself, smiling a little. “We’re gonna be friends now.”

“I’m Silver, it’s nice to meet you.”

Chapter Text

I race through the rose maze, trying to avoid that pompous queen’s lap dogs. God, if only our plans to put Anastasia on the throne would move faster. It would make things so much easier.

I hear footsteps behind me. Shit!

I pull a bottle of “Pishsalver” from my bag, immediately downing it. I shrink down to the size of a caterpillar, and hide in the nearby rosebush, crouching down.

Something pricks me, and I wince. Ouch! That hurt.

I look up and see a long necked bottle not that far ahead. Oh, that would be a great hiding spot.

I make a break for it. With a bit of effort, I pull the cork out and jump inside of the bottle. I slide down the neck and land on what feels like cushions. I’m glad that was a soft landing. That could’ve really hurt. But, why are their cushions inside of this bottle?

Someone snaps their fingers. Light floods the inside. Cushions of various different sizes and shapes are littered about. The only other source of light, outside of the hole that I just went through, is a window with decorated bars on it.

A young man around my age with tanned-skin, deep brown eyes and dark hair curling around his ears is standing there, looking at me in surprise. He’s dressed in old fashioned clothes that look like they’re from the middle east. They look like something I’ve seen in one of my father’s books.

“May I ask what you are doing in my bottle?” he asks, eyeing me a little.

“Sorry for barging in,” I say. “I just need a place to hide for a moment. I…may not be welcomed here.”

He arches an eyebrow. “What makes you say that?”

“Let’s just say that the current queen doesn’t like me very much.”

“Oh? Why is that? You don’t seem like someone that a queen would dislike.”

Is he flirting with me? It seems like he’s genuinely asking…but am I reading into things too much? “Oh, well, I may be part of a rebel group trying to usurp her.”

He smiles a little. “Oh, that would probably do it. What has she done to warrant this?”

“I’m assuming that you aren’t well informed about what has been happening in the kingdom?”

“Not particularly,” he says. “I’m from another land, and I haven’t been out of my bottle for quite some time.”

Oh, that explains a lot. “Well, Queen Cora, the current ruler, is rather like a tyrant. She takes people’s hearts, and is rather cruel, not caring at all for her subjects.”

“I see. Who are you trying to replace her with?”

“My friend, Anastasia. She’s not a noble, but we’re working with the current king and he’s agreed to marry her making her the legitimate queen before abdicating so that she can marry her fiance, Will.”

He hums. “That makes sense. Why does the king think she’s fit to rule?”

“Because she’s been poor, so she understands what it’s like to be on the other side. She’s quick witted. She understands court intrigue thanks to years of spying on nobles and gaining an understanding of their customs and politics.”

“Well, it certainly seems like she would do a much better job from what you said about her.”

“She definitely will be.”

He smiles. “I like that you believe in your friend so much. That’s an admirable quality.”

I flush. “Thank you. I don’t believe that I got your name.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry. Where are my manners? My name is Cyrus.”

“I’m Alice.”

“Pleasure to meet you. Please have a seat,” Cyrus says, sitting down and gesturing to one of the cushions in front of him.

I nod, sitting down in front of him. “If you aren’t from this kingdom, then where are you from?”

“Agrabah. I came here through happenstance thanks to the curse upon me.”

“Curse?” I blink.

“The curse of being a genie.” Cyrus holds up both of his arms. Two golden gauntlet-like cuffs circle his wrists, reaching down to his forearms.

I frown. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. It’s not your fault.”

“But, how did that happen to you?”

He grimaces a little. “That’s a story for another time.”

“Of course, my apologies for prying.”

“That’s alright. Where are you from? You don’t like you’re from around here either.”

“England.”

“England?” Cyrus parrots. “I’ve never heard of that land before.”

“You wouldn’t have. It’s not in this world. I fell down a rabbit hole, and came here.”

“Oh, really? How very interesting.”

“Indeed.”

“How did you come across this rabbit hole? Is that common where you are from?”

“It most certainly is not,” I say. “In fact, my world doesn’t have magic, fae or any other such thing.”

His eyes widen. “No magic? I can’t even imagine what that’s like.”

“Yes. This world is far more interesting…And I can be myself here. I don’t have to worry about being pressured into marriage and having children right away.”

He arches an eyebrow. “Oh? Is that a common thing where you are from?”

I sigh. “Yes, unfortunately.”

“Wow, I’m so sorry. Here that sort of thing is common for royalty and nobles, but not so much for everyone else.”

“That sounds nice. Much better than back home.” I pause. “Then again, maybe not because of the tyrannical queen ruling this land.”

Cyrus laughs. “Indeed. Hopefully that problem will be resolved soon, though.”

“If we’re lucky.”

He smiles. “I wish you all of the luck in the world.”

I return it. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Chapter Text

I place my Azura figurine into the box alongside my other things. I close it, placing it with my other belongings.

When I stand back up, my eyes land on my bulletin board which is covered with various pictures of me, my mom and my friends from the Boiling Isles along with pins and other mementos. I smile a little.

This is it. I’m finally heading back. I will finally be able to spend a lot more time with Willow, Gus, King, Eda and most of all my partner, Amity.

“¡Ahí estás tu!” my mamá calls out from behind me. “¿Puedes ayudarme a envolver a estos maduros?”

“I’ll be right there!” I say back to her.

“I can't believe you're already leaving for college. Remind me, what major did you pick again?”

I laugh a little. “Come on, mamá! You know me.” I turn around, holding up my list of courses so that she could see it. “I signed up for everything.”

She laughs. “Of course you did. That’s my girl.”

“What can I say? I wanna learn everything I can.”

“Do you want me to put everything onto the cart before we head through the door?”

“That would be awesome. Thanks.”

—0—

I walk through the door. I gasp. All of my friends are standing under a large sign hung labeled "King-ceanera". There is a table nearby with cake and other snacks.

“Surprise!” they yell.

“What is all this?” I ask.

Amity comes up to me. “Well, since spent your fifteenth birthday helping us rebuild the Isles—”

“—And sixteenth, and seventeenth,” King interrupts.

Amity rolls her eyes. “We wanted to make it up to you. Your mom told us all about your quinceañeras from the Human Realm. And they sounded a lot less haunted than our birthdays.”

“Wow, thank you. You guys are the best. I never thought I would get one.”

Eda laughs a little. “Well, after everything you did for us, you deserve it, kiddo.”

“So, Happy Quinceañera!” Raine adds.

“Here,” Eda says. There is a burst of gold smoke around her hands. Once it clears, she is carrying a fairly large brown box with a purple ribbon around it, and she hands it to me. “Happy Quinceañera!”

I rip off the ribbon around it before I open it. A purple gown made of spider webs rests inside of it. “Oh, my God. This is so beautiful.”

“I’m glad you like it. I asked the bat children to make it for you.”

Raine snaps their fingers. A plume of rose-gold smoke surrounds me. When it clears, I’m dressed in the same gown that was in the box and my regular clothes are folded on the table.

I spin. “Thanks, Raine.”

“No problem,” they smile back at me.

King smiles mischievously. “Come on, guys. What are we standing around for? Let’s party!”

He has a good point. “Let’s do that!”

We all cheer before starting the festivities.

—0—

The next day, I set the last box down in my dorm room, wiping the sweat from my brow. God, doing that is a lot of hard work. A lot more than I thought.

“Having trouble with that?” Amity muses. I turn. She’s standing next to Willow as two boxes teleport into the room in bursts of forest green and violet.

“A little bit,” I say.

“I’m sure,” Amity says.

Willow frowns. “Yeah, especially since you don’t have your sigils anymore or have any magic of your own like we do.”

They are right about that one. After King’s dad died, all of my sigils disappeared along with him. While King is trying to help by teaching me ones that he created, it still sucks, even though I know logically that no one could’ve ever predicted that Belos would’ve straight up murder King’s dad and he’s doing the best that he can to help me.

Magic in this world is like Harry Potter where it’s inherited. With humans like me, you either have a Soul Crystal that allows you to do that or you don’t. Hell, the only reason why I was able to use the sigils in the first place is because I apparently have some fae ancestor far back in my family tree that allows me to do that. If that wasn’t the case, then I would be a non mage by default like Alice or the Pevensies, who all apparently exist in this world.

I sigh. “It is what it is.”

“Yeah, I still feel bad,” Amity says. “Hopefully you can learn a bit more of King’s magic.”

“Hopefully.” Even though I know that will take a while.

The door opens again. My Eda walks in. “All done settling in, kiddo?” Eda muses.

“Well, we wouldn’t say that,” Willow says. “We still have to unpack all of these boxes.”

“Eh, true.” Eda shrugs.

Amity crosses her arms. “So, what did you come up here for? I doubt it was for simple chit-chat.”

“Well, I got word from High Queen Evie. She told me that she and the other world leaders on this side of The Veil want to start cracking down on travelling between worlds. Something about the whole shit show with Belos showing how dangerous that sort of thing can be.”

“So, you’re saying that she’s stuck here forever?” Willow asks.

“Pretty much.”

I’m not that unhappy about that. If my mamá is staying here too, then I have no reason to ever go back to my old world. Besides, that world sucked. And my friends and partner are in this world, not the other one.

While it will suck a bit that I won’t have as much access to modern technology, since this world is stuck in the 1800s, it’s leagues more progressive than that same time period back in mine. No one ever bats an eye at someone being queer…well, outside of Belos and his devout followers, but since he was a puritan from my world and it seems like nowhere else in this world carries those same views, I don’t really count that. It’s even more progressive than my old world in that regard. Which makes that change perfectly fine in my books.

“I’m okay with that,” I say.

Eda smiles, chuckling a little. “I figured that you would be. I helped your mom find an apartment in the city.”

“That’s so awesome!” I beam, locking her in an embrace. “You’re the best.”

“No problem, kiddo.”

“Is that all?” Amity asks.

“It is. Have fun unpacking.” She leaves, closing the door.

Willow sighs. “Might as well hop to it, then.”

“Yep,” I say. Even though I know it’s easier said than done.

Chapter Text

There’s a crash in the room, and I jolt awake. My nightstand is wobbling. That’s strange. I don’t see anything.

I look around on the floor, and nothing has fallen. So, what could it have been?

Then, I hear what sounds like someone sobbing. I look over at my brothers, but they’re both sleeping soundly in their beds. If they aren’t crying, then who is?

I peer over the edge of my bed. A boy with wavy red hair and bright green eyes is sitting down at the foot of my bed, crying to himself. He is dressed in trousers, a white shirt, a tan vest and a long green coat. His feet are bare. Is he alright? Where did he come from?

“Why are you crying?” I ask, frowning a little.

The boy startles. He leaps into the air, and he flies up, his back hitting the ceiling.

I gasp. “You can fly?”

The boy cautiously flies back down to the floor. He gives me a polite bow.

I flush a little. I never expected him to do that. It’s almost like he’s a lord or prince.

I get out of bed and curtsy back at him. He smiles.

“What is your name?” I ask.

“What’s yours?”

I tilt my chin up. “I asked first. And besides I’m a lady. You should answer my question first.”

He smirks. “Fine. I’m Peter. Peter Pan.”

“I’m Wendy Darling,” I say. “Where do you live?”

He points out the window. “Second star to the right, and straight on till morning.”

“And they really put that on the letters?” I tease him.

Peter frowns. “I don’t get any letters.”

Oh. “What about your mother?”

“Don’t have one.”

Was that why he was crying? “Oh, you poor thing.”

“That’s not why I was crying. I was crying because of my stupid shadow.” Peter pouts. “Besides, I wasn’t crying anyway.”

Don’t buy that for a second, but I won’t call him on it. “Do you need any help? I can sew your shadow back on for you.”

Peter shrugs. I retrieve the sewing kit from my desk. I sit down next to him.

“This may hurt a little,” I say. He nods, making a face.

I pick up the shadow. It's odd. The texture is slippery like silk, and my hands almost run right through it.

What should I do? Threading a needle through someone’s actual foot would be horrible. I would never do that.

Should I sew it above his foot? This is magic, right? That could work.

I thread the needle through his shadow and begin to sew. It actually seems to stick together. Huh, I wasn’t sure that would work, but I’m glad that it seems to be going well.

I continue to do the same to the whole foot before repeating the process with the other. I hum. I need something to cut off the excess string.

I spot the hilt of a dagger poking out from a belt under his coat. That could work.

“Peter, may I borrow your knife?” I ask.

He nods, handing it to me. I quickly cut off the excess thread.

“Thank you, Peter,” I say, handing it back to him. He slips it back into his belt.

Peter stands up, kicking his feet. His shadow follows him like a shadow should.

He turns to me with a big grin. “Wow, that was quite clever of you, and it didn’t hurt at all.”

“Thank you so much.” I scan him again. “That’s a wonderful outfit. Where did you get it?”

“Oh, this old thing?” He says, admiring his outfit. “I stole it from Captain Hook. It looks better on me, and he wasn’t wearing it.”

I wrinkle my nose a little. “That wasn’t nice of you. But I suppose it looks quite lovely on you, and this way it can actually be worn instead of being stuck in a wardrobe.”

“Oh, thank you. It does, doesn’t it?” He smiles, giving a spin.

As he spins around, I spot a set of pointed ears poking from his red hair. How did I miss that before?

“Are you a fae?” I ask.

Peter hesitates. “Erm…yes.”

“What kind are you?”

He squints a little as if he’s trying to recall something. “An elf, maybe? I’m not sure.”

“How do you not know?”

He frowns, crossing his arms. “I’ve been in Neverland for a long time, okay? I don’t remember much of my past.”

“How long have you lived there?”

“I don't know. A long time, though.”

I frown. “You have been all alone for that long?”

He smiles. “Of course not, I have the lost boys.”

I blink. “The lost boys? Who are they?”

“They’re the boys who fall out of their prams. And if they’re not claimed in seven days, Neverland takes them.”

I sit up straighter. “Are there lost girls too?”

Peter grins, shaking his head. “Girls are much too smart to do that.”

I can’t help but flush a little. That’s really sweet. Most men don’t talk like that. “I love how you talk about girls, Peter.”

His grin widens. “A girl is worth a thousand boys.” He holds out his hand. “Say you will come back with me, Wendy? We would have ever so many adventures with the Lost Boys and my fairy companion, Tink.”

Is he serious? He would really let me come with him? Is that allowed? I’m a mere mortal, not even a mage. “That’s…I wouldn’t get in trouble?”

“Of course not. I’m the king of Neverland, I say that you can come.”

I gasp. “You’re the king? What are you doing here, then?”

“I listen to your stories, of course, so I can tell them to The Lost Boys.”

I blush. Are my stories are that good? “Oh, I see…I’m glad you enjoy them.” Ugh! I sound like a fool!

“Of course, I wouldn’t keep coming if they weren’t. Now, would you come with me, Wendy?”

I smile. “I would love to.” I falter. “But, I can’t fly.”

He lifts his hand. “Think happy thoughts.”

He blows sparkling yellow dust at me. It settles on my skin, and I can feel it in my hair. Images of pirates, knights and dragons run through my head.

I gasp when I can’t feel my feet on the floor anymore. He lifts off the ground too, grinning at me. “Come on, Wendy. Let’s go to Neverland.” He holds out his hand again.

I grin back at him, and take it. We fly out the window.

Chapter Text

We fly for what seems like forever, before we finally touch down on a beach. The sand is warm beneath my feet as I stand next to Peter. The sun is high in the sky, and the water is crystal clear like how the books I read describe the water in parts of the Maevdora Sea. The air is rich with the scent of salt and blooming flowers.

“Welcome to my kingdom! This is Neverland!” Peter says with a flourish, his voice brimming with pride and mischief.

I turn. Palm trees dot the shoreline, swaying in the breeze. However, in the distance, I can see all sorts of towering trees and even the peaks of mountains.

“Wow,” I say with a smile, “this is beautiful, Peter.”

Peter grins. “Thank you, fair Wendy.” He holds out his hand. “Come with me. I’ll show you my kingdom.”

I take his hand. Peter leads me off the beach, my feet sinking into the sand with each step and grains of sand slipping in between my toes, before we head into the forest. We walk down the narrow trail, surrounded by trees that are so huge that their branches reach high above us like arms stretching toward the sky. Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled patterns on the ground. The rustling of leaves and chirps of birds hidden in the trees fills my ears.

After what seems like ten minutes of walking, we come across a giant tree that stretches high into the heavens. The tree’s branches twist and turn. I can imagine all sorts of little critters flitting among the leaves.

“This is where I live with the Lost Boys,” Peter says. “Are you ready to meet them?”

“I don’t have to be their mother or something weird like that, do I?”

Peter wrinkles his nose. “No, of course not.”

“Oh, okay. That’s good.”

“Why would you assume something like that?”

“Oh, just some stories I’ve read.” I don’t want to say it’s because my Aunt Millicent wants me to act all strict and proper, hoping that I will get married to some wealthy heir and have kids right away. I’m not even sure if I want kids, and if I do marry, I want it to be for love. We just met, so I don’t want to tell him all of the details of my life just yet.

Peter frowns a little. “Weird stories.”

I laugh awkwardly. “Yeah, they were.”

“Why did you read them, then?”

“Oh, you know, curiosity.”

Peter nods. “That makes sense.” Good, he bought it. “Alright, I’ll call the Lost Boys.”

Peter puts two fingers in his mouth. I wince, covering my ears. He whistles.

A hatch opens in front of the tree, and the Lost Boys come tumbling out. They’re a wide mixture of ages, ranging from our same age to a few years younger than Peter and I to as young as about four. They’re wearing outfits from time periods spanning hundreds of years, even long before the Spinning Wheel Wars. Wow, I didn’t expect so many and for them to have such a large age range.

Peter snaps his fingers. “Boys, hats off. You’re in the presence of a lady. Introduce yourselves.”

All of the Lost Boys quickly do as he says, straightening up. Wow, he really is a king. Not that I didn’t believe him, but he’s certainly not like any kings I’ve read about. Queen Anastasia is more serious than this. Though, I heard rumours that her husband, Will, can get her to act quite silly, but I’ve never seen that myself.

Each of them introduce themselves. Some of them have perfectly normal names like Edwin, Albert and George while others have peculiar names like Toodles and Curly. Huh, I wonder why some of them have such strange names. Maybe I’ll ask Peter later.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” I say once they’re done. “I’m Wendy.”

The oldest one, Felix, bows to me. “It’s lovely to meet you, Miss Wendy.”

“Thank you.”

Peter looks around. “I wonder where Tink is. You should meet her, too.”

Peter cups a hand beside his face. I cover my ears, bracing myself for another loud whistle. Instead a bell-like musical tones come out of his mouth. Wow, I didn’t expect that. I know the fae have their own language, especially the smaller kind, but I didn’t know what it was like. None of the books I’ve read described it. It’s beautiful. I wonder if I could learn it.

A yellow ball of light flies out of the tree, coming up so close to Peter that he has to cross his eyes to see her. I laugh a little.

The ball of light flairs brighter. I can hear the same bell-like sounds, but much higher pitch and much more quick and sharp. Peter laughs a bit. “Tink, please calm down. And you are way too close.”

The ball of light moves back an arm’s length, and he looks ahead normally. The light chimes.

“Well, we have a guest.” Peter gestures to me. “I wanted you to come out and introduce yourself.” The light chimes some more. Peter winces. “That’s a very good point. Hold on.”

Peter goes over to me, brushing my hair behind one of my ears. I can feel him drawing a line of pixie dust behind it. I flush. Wow, I didn’t expect this would be the way I would be able to hear Tinkerbell. He does the same to the other one. The pixie dust seeps into my sink, and I feel a warmth spread through my body. I look ahead. I see a small pixie with blonde hair in a green dress in place of the light.

Peter takes a step back. “There. You should be able to hear her now. Introduce yourself, Tink.”

Tinkerbell groans. “I’m Tinkerbell. I’m Peter’s best friend. And you are?”

Well, she’s certainly hostile. What did I do to tick her off? “I’m Wendy. Nice to meet you.”

“You too.” She flies down to Peter’s shoulder, crossing her arms.

“Tink, be nice,” Peter chides. “She’s our guest.”

“Fine,” she huffs. She puts on a sickly sweet smile. “Wow, it’s so nice to meet you,” she says in an over the top chirper voice.

Peter narrows his eyes at her. “Tink, be nice.”

Tink groans. “Ugh! I’m not in the mood for this right now.” She flies off.

Peter grimaces. “Sorry about her. Usually she’s a lot nicer than this, I swear.”

Is she jealous of me? Is she protective of him in a sibling way? Or is she in love with him? I could see either one. “I believe you. Maybe we can get to know each other better some other time.”

“Yeah, yeah. For sure,” Peter says. “She’ll definitely be around.” He holds out his hand. “Come on. I’ll show you around the island some more.”

I smile, taking it.

Chapter Text

“Haru,” the Baron asks, leaning forward on the couch. “Do you understand what you are asking?”

I pause. Doing this would be a big change, I know. But, I’ve been worked here for a few years now. My only other options are to become a governess or immediately get married, and I don’t want that. Besides, I love working with the Baron, Muta and Toto. As well as working sometimes with Lune and Yuki. I may also have a huge crush on the Baron.

“I understand this is a big change, but this is what I want.”

His green eyes hold mine. “Do you understand that if you do this, you won’t be human anymore? You would be forced to…change.”

I stare at him. “Change? What do you mean?”

“You would have to become a beastfolk. You would look like how you did in the Cat Kingdom minus your paws, whiskers and nose.”

I didn’t expect that. I assumed that I have to move close to the Bureau or get some official status. “Why would I need to do that? I don’t understand.”

“Because the Bureau technically exists on the other side of The Veil and is part of the Cat Kingdom, you must become a denizen of the other side of The Veil in order to join.”

“That makes sense, I suppose. Is there anything else?”

“Well, you would have to drink a potion so that your aging would match mine.”

“Is that different from a normal Fae Aging potion?”

“As you know, I’m a creation, so my lifespan is different from that of a fae. Unlike a fae, unless the statue I was created from is destroyed, I can live on indefinitely.”

Oh, I guess that makes sense. I’ve never thought of that. But, I think I would be okay with that. Hiromi and my mom wouldn’t be surprised. I’ve been working part time here for years. And nothing else has ever really interested me. If it weren’t for them I probably would have joined permanently after finishing school.

“I understand,” I say. “I still want to permanently join the Bureau.”

The Baron nods. “Alright, as long as you fully understand what this means, I can prepare both potions for you. However, I should warn you. I have been told that the transformation triggered by the Beastfolk potion is not pleasant.”

That sounds fantastic. Something to look forward to. “I chose the Bureau. I understand what it means.”

“Very well. If you come back in a few days, I should have them ready for you.”

“Okay.”

—0—

A few days later, I enter the arch, immediately shrinking down to the size of the Baron. I cross the courtyard and go up the Bureau, knocking on the front door.

He opens the door a few moments later. “Ah, Haru,” he greets me with a smile. “You’re just in time. The potions are nearly done.”

“Oh, okay,” I say, taking off my boots, “wonderful.”

He steps aside. I enter, setting my boots by the door.

I turn to the Baron. “So, where should I take these?”

“On the couch,” he says. “The beastfolk potion will most likely knock you out.”

Lovely. I nod, grimacing a little before sitting down on the couch.

The Baron heads off to his small kitchen, stirring around the contents of two small cauldrons. After a few minutes, he turns off the stove. He pours each potion into a vial. He walks up to me, carrying them. He hands me the light brown one with flecks of gold in it. “Here is the Beastfolk potion. This should be taken first.”

I nod, taking the potion from him. I suck in a deep breath before I down the potion.

I gasp. My throat is burning like I just ate something spicy, but far worse. I drop the vial, and I clutch my throat. The fire spreads, and I feel it burning through every cell in my body. There is a sharp jolt of pain, making me fall back. My world fades to darkness.

—0—

My eyes open. My eyes slowly adjust, and I blink. Wow, my vision seems a lot sharper than before. I can spot things that I never noticed before like some of the cracks in the wall, the individual threads in his carpet and the dust floating in the air.

The Baron comes to my side, kneeling down beside me. “How are you feeling?” he says, his voice sounding more musical than it did before. He places a hand on my forehead.

I look up at him. Are his eyes greener than before? Or is that just me? “Could be better,” I say.

“Completely understandable,” he says, frowning a little.

As I try to sit up, the door bursts open. Muta walks inside. “Baron, got any cakes?”

The Baron crosses his arms. “Muta, now isn’t the best time.”

“Why not?” His eyes land on me and widen. “Oh.”

I grin weakly, waving at him. “Hi, Muta.”

Muta blinks. “Wow, I didn’t realize you were doing this.”

“I decided that I was ready.”

“I see. Definitely will take me a bit to get used to it.”

“I understand.”

“I’ll come back later.” Muta smiles. “Welcome to the Bureau officially, kid.”

“Thanks,” I say before he heads out, closing the door behind him.

The Baron smiles at me. “Do you want to see what you look like?”

“Alright,” I say. I try to stand up, but either I’m not used to my new body or I’ve lied down for too long, I begin to fall. The Baron catches me.

“Be careful,” the Baron says. “This will take some getting used to.”

I nod. He takes me to a floor length mirror at the back of the room. I gasp. I look like my cat-self again, minus the nose, paws and whiskers. My eyes have turned to hazel. I can feel the retractable claws in my hands.

“What do you think?” he says. I shiver at him saying that right next to my ear.

I smile. “It’s different, but I like it.”

“Good,” the Baron says. “Let’s back down so you can drink the other one.”

“Okay,” I say.

He guides me back to the couch, and I sit down on it. He fetches the other vial, which is purple this time. He hands it to me. “Thankfully, this one should not be painful in the slightest.”

“That’s a relief,” I say, taking it from him. I down it. Other than a slight tingling, there are no effects.

“Congratulations,” the Baron grins. “You are a full member of the Bureau now.”

Chapter Text

I lay on my bed in my university dorm room, having the cordless phone shoved up to my ear.

“Sarah,” Karen, my stepmother, says. “Why aren’t you doing better in school? Your most recent grades aren’t as high as they should be. Your Father and I are paying for you to go here. You need to work harder.”

I can’t tell her that nothing is holding my interest. Even since I ran the Labyrinth when I was fifteen, something has always felt off. I always constantly had the feeling that I’m missing something and there’s something that I should be looking for. Nothing has ever felt right.

But, I can’t tell her that. She has never believed me or Toby about the labyrinth. By all rights Toby shouldn’t remember the Labyrinth. However, somehow, he has vague memories of it. He’s drawn multiple pictures of Jareth, his throne room, the goblins and that strange stair room.

I can’t say for sure. But, I always wondered if Jareth gifted Toby with an artist spirit after his return to this side of The Veil. That begs the question. If Toby got that, what was my gift? Surely Jareth isn’t arrogant and rude enough to give Toby something, but not me. Is that too selfish or childish of me to want something too? It's not fair. I want something besides this restlessness.

Jareth’s voice from long ago echoes in my head. “You say that so often. I wonder what your basis for comparison is.”

I have to hold back a laugh. Karen would not appreciate that.

“Sarah!” Karen snaps at me from the other line. “Answer me!”

“I’ll try harder at school,” I say. “I promise.”

“You say that all the time. That’s not very believable.”

Not like telling her the truth would bode over well. “I swear I will this time.”

She huffs. “I’ll believe it when I see it.” She hangs up without even saying goodbye.

Gods, she’s so irritating and rude. Who even does that to their own family? Seriously, what does dad see in her?

Still though, maybe I should contact Jareth. He might know what’s wrong with me. He’s the king of the Goblin Kingdom, which is a part of the Unseelie Court, making him a powerful fae in his own right. While he’s not as powerful as Malleus, he might have some idea, since it’s most likely connected to my time in the labyrinth.

I get up and sit in front of the floor length mirror in my dorm room. “Jareth, I need you.”

The surface of the mirror flashes. His image flashes onto it. He smirks. Gods, I know he’s a fae, but he looks the same as I remember. My heart skips a beat. Was he always this handsome? But, then again, I was fifteen back then, and was only starting to like guys, so maybe I didn’t notice?

“Sarah, what a wonderful surprise,” Jareth says. “You’ve become even more lovely than the last time we crossed paths.”

My cheeks heat up. “Uh…Th—I appreciate the kind words.”

He smirks a little. I know he caught what I almost said. His face turns serious after a moment. “What can I do for you?”

“I…Something is wrong with me.”

Jareth raises an eyebrow. “Oh? I’m sorry about that. Is it something magical in nature? Shouldn’t you be seeing a magical healer?”

I sigh. “It’s not an illness. It’s just…ever since I ran the labyrinth, I’ve felt listless, restless. Like there’s something missing or that I should be looking for. Nothing has ever felt right since.”

Jareth’s lips press into a thin line. “An intriguing problem indeed. You’re right that no mortal doctor would be able to help you with this. They would most likely subscribe you medicine for depression. While you have similar symptoms, I don’t think that’s the actual problem.”

“Yeah, I even tried that. No medicine for that has helped, so it can’t be depression. I haven’t really told anyone besides Toby.” Might as well ask him about this now. “Did you gift him with an artist’s spirit? He’s always drawn pictures of your kingdom and by all rights he should have been too young to remember.”

“I did not. Perhaps his time in my kingdom affected him. As for his artistic abilities, he probably always had them.”

“That makes sense, I guess. I always wondered.”

“That’s fair.” He smirks again. “Were you jealous, my dear Sarah?”

My cheeks heat up. “Of course not, I was just curious.”

Jareth hums. “Indeed. If you say so.”

He doesn’t buy it, but at least he’s too polite to call me out on it.

“Back to your intriguing issue,” Jareth says, changing the subject. “This is a theory. Although I wonder if it’s connected to me and my kingdom, if you say that this started after you finished the labyrinth.”

“That is possible. I never ate anything other than one bite of that peach, and I was able to break out of that illusion. Why is the magic from your kingdom still affecting me?”

“I can’t say for sure, but it might be due to you being the one and only true champion of my labyrinth. Perhaps in doing so, you became connected to the labyrinth and to myself.”

“Connected to you? Can you read my mind or something?”

“Nothing like that. I simply mean that we may be bound in some way due to your time there.”

“But there have been others who have beaten your labyrinth, right? I can’t be the only one.”

“Yes, but no one else has been able to befriend several of the denizens of my kingdom, defeat me or be able to break out of any and every illusions as quickly as you were.”

Wow. I didn’t think that I did anything special. That makes me sound a lot more impressive, and could prove his theory. “Is there any way we could know for sure?”

“There is,” Jareth muses. “Do you trust me?”

I blink. Maybe not for all things, but for this I do. “Yes.”

Jareth cocks his head to one side, staring at me. He smiles. Oh, I’ve never actually seen him actually smile before. He’s pretty.

He holds out his hand, and it emerges on my side of the mirror. “Come with me.”

I take his hand. There is a tug, and he pulls me through. Once I’m on the other side, I’m standing in his study, still grasping his hand.

He runs his thumb over my hand for a moment before letting go. He turns to me. “How do you feel now?”

“I feel more settled, and that restless feeling is much less now. I think being here definitely is helping.”

“Oh, I was correct.”

I groan. “Yes, yes. Now shut up.”

“So, what do you think?” Jareth asks. “Do you want to stay this time?”

On one hand, I don’t want to leave Toby behind. But on the other hand, he can come here when he’s older if he ever wanted to visit. I feel much more content here than if I just stayed behind to pursue some pointless degree that wouldn’t fulfil me in any meaningful way. “I think I will.”

His face lights up. “Will you say yes this time? Let me rule you, and you can have everything that you want. Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave.”

You know, I always wondered over the years if he was proposing to me when he said that. Although, back then, I doubt that he truly meant it since I was just a teenager. This time, though? Now that I’ve grown up and not just a kid anymore? I think he does mean every word.

I tip my head to one side, and smirk a little. “Are you proposing to me? Were you back then too?”

“Back then, no. You were a child. I simply wanted you to stay in the kingdom and not disappear. Now? Yes.”

“I accept.”

Chapter Text

Jareth and I stand in his study. I couldn’t help but look around the room, trying to process what just happened.

“Uh…” I trail off. “Are we engaged now?”

“Well, in a manner of speaking, I suppose. Is there a problem with that?”

“No. I was just wondering, especially since I wasn’t expecting to get engaged today.”

Jareth chuckles a little. “Well, you were touched by the fae a long time ago, my dear Sarah. You should always expect the unexpected.”

Wow, this is the first time I’ve heard him genuinely laugh. All of the other times was him playing the role of the villain that I expected him to be all of those years ago. Being here with him now, I’m seeing a whole different side to him than I saw back then.

“Fair point,” I say.

I stare at him again, taking in his outfit. He’s wearing a three quarter length white shirt, high collar and silver almost iridescent gem with open laces down to his chest. The shoulders have swirling designs on them. It's paired with dark blue pants and soft looking boots of the same colour with intricate gold designs. Silver fingerless gloves are on his hands.

“Not wearing those tight pants again?” I muse.

Jareth flinches, clearly caught off guard. “No, I wear those whenever I want to be intimidating, not everyday. They aren’t exactly comfortable.”

I laugh. “Geez, I wonder why.”

Jareth smirks. “Missing them, are we, Sarah?”

I flush. “No! It was just an observation.”

How are those remotely intimidating? They leave nothing to the imagination. I feel like everyone would just stare at the bulge in his pants instead of paying attention to anything to what he’s doing or saying.

Jareth hums. “If you say so.”

“In any case,” I bark back before he could tease me anymore and I speak to him normally, “while I feel much better compared to how I was on the other side of The Veil, I still don’t feel a hundred percent.”

“Do you think walking the Labyrinth would cure your predicament?” Jareth asks.

I’m not sure, but it’s certainly worth a shot. “Sure, we can try that.”

“Come with me.” He holds out his hand, and I take it.

—0—

We walk into the palace courtyard. I look over my shoulder at his palace. It's a light brown with twisting spires and forest green trim. Magical candles line the path and all the way to the tallest tower.

“Wow,” I gasp. “I don’t remember it being this beautiful.”

“You are not a runner anymore,” Jareth says. “You are here because you chose to be, and are fully accepted into my kingdom, so you can see it for what it truly is.”

“That makes sense. Was what I saw before not real?”

“It was not, not real per se. It was an facsimile, you could say. Not quite an illusion, but a view of what people expect it to be, not what it actually is. Fae magic, if you will.”

“Oh, I see. That’s kinda cool.”

“Indeed. You will find in general that this place is like that. More vibrant and beautiful compared to back then.”

I smile a little. “I look forward to seeing it for real, then.”

Jareth smiles, and we begin to walk through the courtyard, heading into the Goblin Village below. Several goblins brush by us. However, some of them have pale green almost yellow skin with black spots on their face and shoulders with long, pointed ears. That’s odd. I wonder why some of them look different than the last time. Is that because of the facsimile, too?

“I should warn you,” Jareth says. “We’ll come across your friend Hogwart in a few moments. However, he’ll look a little different to how you remember him for the reasons I explained earlier.”

Still calling him by the wrong name, I see? But I don’t feel like calling him out for it right now.

“Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.” I wonder how different Hoggle’s gonna look. Will I still be able to recognize him?

Footsteps pound on the ground behind me. “Sarah, is that you?” a familiar voice calls out to me.

I let go of Jareth’s hand, and turn to look behind me. Hoggle is standing behind me, dressed in a similar outfit as the last time. He looks a lot younger than before, but his hair is still white. If he looks this different, I wonder how my other friends will look.

I smile. “It’s me.”

Hoggle beams, rushing up to me and locking me in a tight embrace. “I’m so glad to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you too.”

He lets go of me. “Look at you. You’ve all grown up. Are you staying this time and becoming queen?”

Blunt as always. “Staying, yes. Becoming queen? Yes, I suppose?”

Hoggle smirks. “You say that as if you aren’t certain.”

My cheeks begin to warm. “Well…uh…”

“She is,” Jareth steps in. He wraps an arm around my waist, bringing me in. “We are engaged, so she will become one of us and rule by my side.”

Hearing him say that out loud makes this sound even crazier. Getting engaged and eventually becoming a different species was not how I expected my day was going to go.

“Congratulations on your engagement, Your Goblin King,” says Hoggle. Jareth gives him a nod.

“I appreciate the kind words,” I say.

Jareth gives him a stern look. “Can you come with us and open the gate, Higgle?” I laugh slightly, shaking my head.

Hoggle grunts, stomping his foot. “It’s Hoggle!” He sighs. “But, I suppose I shall.”

Hoggle leads us down a red brick path up to a brown wall that towers high above us. Ivy twists along the top and along the walls. This is also way prettier than it was before. Seeing the ivy twisting on it makes it seem more alive.

Hoggle snaps his fingers, and the gate creaks open. Jareth holds out his hand to me again.

I smirk. “Enjoy holding my hand that much, do you?”

“You are going to be my queen, after all. We need to present a united front, don’t we?”

“That’s true.” He didn’t answer my question, though.

I take his hand. Jareth’s lips quirk up a little bit, and he leads me into the labyrinth. He definitely enjoys holding my hand, but I don’t want to call him out on it. Besides, I don’t mind this either.

Come to think of it, why is he wearing gloves? He wore gloves before. I thought it was a part of the persona he was putting on, but maybe it isn’t? “Why are you wearing gloves?” I ask Jareth.

He sighs. “It’s a High Fae thing. I’ll tell you later.”

I nod. “Okay.”

“Sarah!” a familiar Rosa accent calls out to me.

Sir Didymus leaps up, grabbing my hand. Ludo is standing nearby as well. Sir Didymus looks almost completely different than last time. He’s looks like a ten year old kid with a human face and hands with doglike feet. His long red hair is pulled back with a yellow ribbon and pointed ears poke out of it. A fluffy red tail wags behind him. Ludo doesn’t look as different. He’s just less stocky with a human-like build.

I know Jareth said what I saw before was an illusion of sorts. But, wow, Sir Didymus looks so different. I wonder why I saw him as so dog-like before.

“It is,” I say, beaming. “I’m so glad to see you guys again.” I turn to Sir Didymus. “Though, you look completely different than before.”

Sir Didymus rubs the back of his neck. “From what King Jareth has told me, since I’m a kitsune, I look like a dog-thing to runners.”

A kitsune? I never heard of that before. I assume that’s a type of dog or fox High Fae. It’s still a little weird that he looked like a tiny dog creature instead of something closer to this. “I see. Still, it’s really good to see you again. Do you still have Ambrosius?”

“Yep,” Sir Didymus nods. “Still a big, fat coward, the bugger. He’s probably still hiding behind the corner.”

Sir Didymus puts two fingers into his mouth, and I cover my ears. He whistles. A sheep dog the size of a horse comes creeping out of the bushes. How the hades was he able to hide here? He’s so big.

I come up to Ambrosius. I pet him. He hesitates for a moment before he leans into my touch.

“Sarah!” Ludo smiles. He wraps his arms around me, picking me up off of the ground and squeezing me really hard.

“Glad to see you, too,” I wheeze. “Can you put me down, please? I can hardly breathe.”

“Sorry,” he says slowly, setting me on my feet.

Jareth leans in close, speaking into my ear, “So, how do you feel?”

“I feel a lot better. That feeling is gone now.”

Jareth laughs a little. “I’m glad.”

Chapter Text

I stand in front of the altar in the throne room of Jareth’s palace, standing in front of him. Jareth wears a dark blue almost black suit that seems to shimmer under the light with silver swirling patterns at the waist and on the matching tailcoat. His pants are the same shimmering dark blue and he wears tall black boots with black gloves to match. His hair is pulled back into a ponytail.

Many faces fill the crowd. Sir Didymus, dressed in his guardsman uniform, is standing on top of Ludo’s shoulder, who has a dark blue bow tie around his neck and flowers tied around his horns. Hoggle is next to him, dressed in a dark blue wrap-around tunic with silver trim, dark blue pants, black boots and a light blue cloak. His usual hat is resting on his head. Toby is standing in the crowd, wearing a simple black suit.

Karen and my father aren’t here. Neither have ever supported or believed me. Toby is the only one who has. Therefore, he’s the only one of my human family to be here.

Crown Prince Malleus and Prince Consort Doug are in the crowd. I’m not surprised that they are here. Jareth's kingdom is part of the Unseelie Court, so it makes sense that they’re in attendance.

Queen Regent Evie is standing in front of us, presiding over the ceremony.

“Would you each remove each other’s right gloves and clasp each other’s wrists,” Queen Evie orders.

I take off my dark blue opera glove on my right hand, and Jareth does the same. A servant takes them from us. I wrap my fingers around his wrist, and he does the same. He draws a breath as his fingers touch my skin.

“I will now begin wrapping the ribbon around your hands,” Queen Regent Evie says.

Queen Regent Evie wraps a dark blue and silver ribbon around our wrists in an x and then ties it in an elaborate swirl pattern.

“These next three knots represent the people here, the residents of the Unseelie Court and the love they have for each other.” She ties three interlocking knots that hang below our joined hands. “You may recite your vows now.”

He tucks a lock of my hair behind my ear with his free hand. “Sarah Williams, I have been captivated by you since you were a young woman. You outsmarted me at every turn and never failed to surprise me. And since you’ve returned to my side, I find myself even more intrigued and forever caught in your eyes. I swear by my life and my kingdom to never forsake you and to love you for as long as I live.”

I knew he cared for me, but it’s something else hearing him say it like that, especially in front of everyone.

I take a deep breath. “Jareth Alathan, I’ve known you since I was fifteen years old. And when I first met you, you both drew me in and terrified me in equal measure. But, during my time in the Labyrinth, I began to enjoy matching wits with you and the brief moment we spent dancing in that ballroom was a moment I’ve never forgotten. It's been in my mind and stayed in my dreams ever since. And coming back, I’ve gotten to know you not as the one stopping me from bringing home my brother but as a person. You’ve been nothing like I thought yet everything I never knew I needed. I swear by my life that I will never forsake you and love you for as long as I live.”

A servant hands her a ceremonial dagger. Queen Regent Evie cuts a small lock of each of our hair with it, braiding them together and placing them in a small bag. She passes the knife back to the servant.

Another servant hands each of us a ring. Jareth gently slides a ring onto my finger. It’s silver with a large sapphire in the middle and twining leaves with smaller sapphires along the band. I pick up Jareth’s ring, a thicker silver band with the same leaf designs as mine and a teardrop shaped sapphire in the middle, sliding it on to his finger.

Queen Regent Evie turns to Jareth. “You may kiss the bride.”

My hand shakes a little. Oh, gods, even though I kissed people before, this feels different and monumental.

I take a deep breath. This is Jareth. I trust him. He’s never hurt me, and I know he would never do anything that would hurt the court’s opinion of me.

Jareth gives me a soft smile before he leans in. His lips gently touch mine, and my eyes drift shut. I kiss him back a little before he pulls away, the same soft smile lighting up his face. He leans close again and whispers in my ear, his breath tickling my cheek, “My Queen, my consort, how radiant you are.”

Wow, that’s sweet, but still really forward. Then again, he’s a fae, so I shouldn’t judge him by my side of The Veil’s standards.

We slide our hands out, and the knot becomes an intricate version of an infinity knot.

Queen Regent Evie nods. “I pronounce you Queen Sarah of the Goblin Kingdom.”

A servant hands her a crown. It's a silver circlet made up of swirling and interlocking pieces with sapphires set throughout with a larger one in the middle. Silver chains hang off on each side in loops. Queen Evie places the crown on my head.

We hold each other’s hand, bowing to the crowd. They all clap and cheer.

He leans in close, whispering in my ear, “Come with me. There’s still one thing left.”

I nod, following him down the aisle and out of the throne room. He leads me to his bedchamber in one of the towers. His room is light and airy, covered with lighter woods. One of those fancy four poster beds with hanging curtains sits against one of the back walls, and a nightstand with two goblets on it sits next to it. Shelves with hundreds of books line another wall with a desk beside it. A small couch is next to it with a rug in front of it.

Jareth closes the door. He leads me over to the bed, and I sit next to him.

He picks up one of the glasses, which is filled with a golden, shimmering liquid. “This is the Transformation Potion. This will be painful, and there’s a possibility that you could die. Are you absolutely certain that you want this?”

“Yes, I’m sure,” I say. “I know the consequences, but I choose you.”

Jareth gives me a full smile at that. While I’ve seen him give full smiles before, it seems brighter, and I don’t think I’ve seen his eyes this lit up before.

“Thank you.” He picks up my hand, kissing it.

My cheeks warm. Wow…No one has ever done that to me before.

I pick up the goblet with the Transformation Potion while Jareth does the same with the other one. We cross our elbows, drinking out the goblets we are holding. I drink the potion in a few big gulps.

Everything is still for a moment. Then, I almost double over from an intense pain, spreading everywhere. I feel every cell in my body twisting and changing. The blood in my veins pumps faster, and it feels like fire. My head is pounding—a hundred times worse than the worst headache I’ve ever had.

The world blurs and flickers. Just as the pain reaches an unbearable peak, everything goes black.

Chapter Text

I kneel down at Sarah’s side, who is lying down on the bed under the cover. I can tell that the Transformation Potion is flowing through her veins. Her ears have curled into elegant points. Her hair is longer, sleeker, a lot healthier than before. Her skin has taken on a slight shimmer, and her features are sharper and more symmetrical. However, she’s quite pale, looking quite sickly and unhealthy.

Gods, did I make a mistake? Usually the Transformation Potion takes full effect in a couple days, but it has already been four. That’s a terrible sign. I don’t want to lose her. She’s the only one that I ever wanted to be my queen. If I lose her, I don’t know what else I would do.

“King Jareth,” a servant says. I turn around, and Lanrick—the head of the male servants, who has green skin with brown freckles around his eyes and large, pointed ears—is standing there. “You have not slept or eaten in days. Sarah wouldn’t want to see you in such a state when she wakes up.”

He’s absolutely right. But I can’t help myself, because I can’t bear to lose her.

I sigh. “Very well,” I say. “Alert me as soon as she wakes up or moves at all.”

He nods. “Of course, your majesty.”

I get up, and I glance behind me, looking back at Sarah. She’s still not showing much signs of life. Hopefully that will change soon.

I head over behind a screen into my privy chamber. I take off my clothes, which I’ve worn for several days now. I quickly shower, dry my hair and change into a different outfit, trying to get everything done as fast as I can. I don’t want to waste a moment, because I want to be right back to her side.

I come back into the privy chamber, and Sarah is still in the exact same position that I left her in. I frown a little. I was hoping that would’ve changed or her colour might’ve improved, but I guess not.

I come up to her beside, kneeling down again. I pick up her hand, and feel one of her fingers twitch. I suck in a breath. Am I imagining things? Or is this real?

“Lanrick!” I call out.

A green plume of smoke bursts in front of me. When it clears, Lanrick is standing there. “What is it, your majesty?”

“Do you think her colour has improved? Or showing any signs of improvement?”

“Her colouring has improved slightly. However, I wouldn’t get your hopes up quite yet, since there is still the possibility that she won’t make it.”

That’s a good sign. But her waking up now would be too good to be true. Like Lanrick said, there is still the possibility that she might not pull through.

“Thank you,” I say.

He nods. “But of course, your majesty.”

Lanrick leaves. I press my forehead against her hand. Please, please, please. Be alright, and pull through. You’re a strong and courageous woman. I don’t want to lose you.

My thoughts slowly drift, my eyelids growing heavy. I try to force them open, but it’s no use. I fall onto the bed, falling asleep.

—0—

I wake up, feeling someone petting my hair. Huh? Who is doing that? Is one of the servants attending me?

No, that wouldn’t make sense. They wouldn’t do that.

Could it be? Is she finally awake?

My eyes flutter open, and I look up. Sarah is sitting up, fully awake. She smiles. “Sorry, were you waiting on me for long?”

I return it, cupping her cheek and tucking her hair behind her beautifully pointed ear. “Just a little,” I muse. “But, It’s alright. You came back to me.”

Chapter Text

I head towards my bedchamber. As I pass the entrance to the throne room, voices spill out—sharp, heated, and unmistakably angry. My steps falter. Huh, that sounds like my baba. What’s going on?

Curiosity tugs at me. I duck behind a nearby pillar, pressing my back against the stone to stay hidden, yet still close enough to hear.

“How dare you betray me!” baba yells, voice trembling with fury.

“We were just having a bit of fun!” mama snaps back. “It meant nothing!”

“Don’t you dare lie to me! I know that was the man who you truly wanted to marry instead of me!”

“Yes, I loved him,” Mama’s voice softens, but there’s a firmness in her words, “but I chose to marry you. I’m not going to go back on my word.”

I freeze. Mama’s in love with another man? Who is he? I thought she loved baba.

“Either way, that thing cannot be allowed to exist,” baba says, his voice cold and final.

Wait. That thing? He can’t be talking about my sibling. He can’t. No, Baba can’t do that!

I can't let this happen. I just can’t—

Before I know it, my legs move on their own. I burst out from behind the pillar, my voice shaky but urgent. “You can’t! I always wanted a little sibling. Please, let them live.”

Baba startles, blinking a few times. He quickly collects himself and his expression hardens. “What are you doing here?” baba demands, crossing his arms. “Shouldn’t you be in your room this late at night.”

“I—I wanted to take a stroll to clear my head,” I stammer. “But I heard you and mama arguing about my sibling.”

Mama places a hand on my shoulder, and she looks at me with concern. “Fareena, please go back to bed. Your baba and I will sort this out.”

“But, I don’t want my sibling to die!”

Baba’s face tightens, his jaw clenched. “Fareena, we will not ask you again. Go to bed.”

“No,” I say. “I won’t let you kill my sibling. I don’t care if it’s a boy or a girl. I don’t want them to die, just because they exist.”

For a moment, the room is still, heavy with silence. Baba exhales sharply, his eyes hard as stone. “Very well,” baba says. “You are the crown prince. You’re going to have to make hard decisions. Come with me.”

“No!” mama says, sounding frantic. Just as she is about to rush out of the room, baba moves his hand and she stops in place, as if held by invisible chains.

He grabs my arm roughly, his grip firm. He drags me down the hall, away from the throne room.

I feel a cold shiver crawl up my spine. This is wrong. Something is wrong.

We enter one of the guest bedchambers with a cradle inside. Nestled inside is a baby boy with lion ears and tail. He has brown skin, but a few shades lighter than mine or my parents. He must be my brother.

As we approach, the baby opens his eyes. Brilliant green orbs stare back at me. Wow, his eyes are pretty. I’ve never seen green eyes that bright before.

There is a burst of green smoke, and a dagger in a brown sheath appears in his hand. He pulls it out. He approaches my brother, ready to slit his throat.

I want to scream. I want to stop him. But I’m frozen in place, unable to move.

Baba steps closer to the cradle, his face set in grim resolve. He raises the dagger. He’s going to—

A flash of golden light erupts around my brother. It’s so bright that I have to cover my eyes to shield them. Baba must’ve done the same thing, because I hear the dagger clatter against the floor.

When I open my eyes, a black roaring lion’s head is on his forearm. Huh, why is that there? Where did that come from?

Baba stares down at my brother. He scowls, picking up his dagger off of the ground. He turns around as if he’s ready to walk off.

“Baba, what happened? Did you have a change of heart?”

“See that birthmark on his arm,” baba says, pointing at it. “That’s the Mark of the Guard. Every second born sibling in the Sunset Savannah has that birthmark. Even the great King Askari II himself.”

“Meaning…?”

“It means that both our ancestors and the gods themselves have accepted him as one of the family. Since I don’t want to upset the Circle of Life or especially the gods, I can’t dispose of him.”

My face lights up. “I get to have a little brother?”

“Half brother, but yes it seems you do.” He stalks out of the room in a huff.

Yay! I get to have a little sibling after all. Hopefully we get to play a lot and have a lot of fun together.

I go over to the cradle. My baby brother stares up at me with wide eyes. I’m a little surprised that he isn’t upset about what just happened. I thought he would be in hysterics by now. Guess he can't even be bothered to do that. 

I stick out my finger, and he grabs it. “Hey, little guy. I’m Fareena, your big brother.”

Chapter Text

I sit at a table in the Lucky Cat Cafe, waiting for my childhood best friend, James. But, my eyes can’t help but keep falling on one of the workers. A boy with pale skin and long auburn hair pulled into a half bun with pieces framing his face sits behind the counter, reading a book I can’t make out the title of. A black cat lying in front of him, and he is idly stroking it with one hand.

Wow, he has actual brown eyes, too. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone in my day-to-day life with that eye colour before.

He meets my gaze, and smirks, raising an eyebrow. I flush a little, hiding my face in my book.

“You ok?” James asks from behind.

I jump a little, turning to look at him. “Oh…yeah, I may’ve been caught staring at someone.”

James sits down next to me. “Oh, who?” he asks. I nod over toward the guy from before. He baulks at me. “Seriously? You know who that is, right?”

I frown. While I know a lot of the history of the Rose Queendom, I did grow up in New Fae City in Westernland, so I’m not exactly an expert. “No, should I?”

He leans in close. “That’s Lucian Santiago. His father was Nathaniel Allencourt. He tried to assassinate the Queen of Hearts fifteen years ago. He’s locked up for quadruple life sentences.”

“That’s really shitty, but should we judge him for that? He’s not his father.”

“They also say that he has a similar temperament to his father, has a near identical Unique Magic and is an ace at fire spells.”

“So? That doesn’t mean that he’s gonna turn out like him.”

“Why are you defending him? You don’t know him?”

“I just believe that we shouldn’t judge people over something they have no control over.”

“I suppose that’s true. But this guy’s bad news, Aislynn, you should stay away from him.”

“So you say,” I scowl at him. “I still refuse to judge someone because of something one of their parents did.”

James stands, his chair scraping against the floor. “Fine. Come talk to me again when you see reason.”

“James!” I call after him. “Wait!”

He doesn’t answer, the door swinging shut behind him. I sigh. Well, I’ll just finish my drink and head out. Guess he was just in a really bad mood today.

I’ve only been sitting there a few minutes when I hear footsteps approach my table. I look up to see Lucian standing awkwardly next to my table. “Oh…uh…hello.”

“Hi…” Lucian tucks a lock of hair behind his ear. “I wanted to thank you for what you said. Most people are like your boyfriend.”

“No problem, sorry that’s the case. But yeah, he’s not my boyfriend. We dated for a little while in high school, but we realized that we’re better off as friends.” Especially since he’s petty, possessive and never made time for me. While we’re ok as friends, being in a romantic relationship with someone like that was not good.

“Yeah. Thanks.” Lucian frowns a little. “Huh. Kinda thought he was.”

I laugh awkwardly. “Uh…do we still give off that vibe?”

“Kinda.”

Oh. “Well…we’re not dating. Not anymore.” I take another sip of my drink. “Do you wanna sit down?”

Lucian blinks, looking around. There’s only a few patrons besides myself at the moment and they all seem occupied. He nods. “Sure. I can spare a few minutes.” He sits down. “Can I ask why you were staring at me earlier?”

My cheeks warm up, and I resist the urge to cover my face. Ugh! I can’t say that it's just because I thought he was hot. “Oh, I come in here a lot, and I’ve never seen you in here before.”

“Ah…I’ve only started working here recently. The cats have all seemed to take a liking to me, especially that little black one.” He points at the cat that he was petting before.

I hum. James said that he’s good at Fire spells. I wonder if that raises his body temperature.

He grins a little, leaning forward. “Oh? Being so forward already when we’ve only just met?”

I flush. “What I—” Damn, I did not mean to say that out loud.

“Relax, Ivy. I’m just messing with you.”

“Ivy?”

“You’re wearing a lot of green, and I don’t know your name. Besides, it suits you.”

Shit! I forgot to introduce myself. “I’m Aislynn Diarmuid, but you can call me Ivy if you want.”

“Alright, Ivy. Nice to meet you. I would introduce myself, but I assume that your friend already told you who I was.”

“He did, but tell me anyway.”

Lucian stares at me for a moment, looking as if he’s trying to figure me out. A small smile pulls on his lips. Wow, he’s really pretty when he smiles. I wonder what he would look like if he smiled fully. I bet it would be breathtaking. “Lucian Santiago. Again, nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too.” I hold out my hand, and he shakes it. Wow, he really does have a higher body temperature. I was actually right? Still, his hand is really calloused. What does he do? Play an instrument? Fence? Archery?

“Uh…” Lucian trails off. “You can let go of my hand now.”

I quickly let go. “Shit! Sorry, I was just lost in thought.”

“Oh?” he muses, arching an eyebrow. “What about?”

I don’t want to say that I was wondering about why his hands were calloused. “Oh ah…I was just wondering if I actually was right about your affinity for fire spells raising your body temperature, because your hand was quite warm.”

“Guess you figured it out. Huh, Ivy?”

“Oh, that is the case? I didn’t mean to—”

He gives that small smile again, holding up a hand. “Relax. It’s fine. It is true that because my Unique Magic pertains to fire, I tend to run hotter than most people.”

“Oh, that explains everything,” I mumble to myself.

“What?”

“Uh…It-nothing,” I stammer. Gods, I sound like an idiot.

His brows bunch together. “Uh-huh, whatever you say…” He doesn’t buy it. Fuck.

“…So what’s your favourite drink here?” I mentally facepalm. Wow, good going Aislynn. Way to subtly divert his attention.

He laughs a little. “Trying to change the subject, are we?”

“Maybe. Just answer the question.”

“Sure. I like Vanilla Frappuccinos.”

“Wow, I never expected that.”

“Thought I just drank plain black coffee?” Lucian muses.

“Well, you do have the vibes for it.”

He hums. “I suppose I do. I don’t particularly like it, actually.” He smirks a little. “Let me guess. You are a matcha fan.”

I wrinkle my nose. “Not really. My favourite is a strawberry rose milk latte.”

He hums. “Guess neither of us drink what our looks would suggest.”

“Suppose that’s so,” I say.

There’s a tone from his bag and Lucian pulls out his phone, staring at the screen. “I should get going,” he says, standing up. “I need to tidy up here and then I have class. You go to Enchanted Rose?”

“Yeah. I like this cafe, so I come here a lot, actually.”

Lucian hums. “See you around, Ivy.” He smiles at me.

“That’d be nice,” I say, returning it.

I watch him go, hoping I would see him again. No matter what his father had been like, Lucian is kind and funny. And I’d enjoy talking with him again.

Chapter Text

I float in front of my father, who is sitting on his throne berating me and Aria again. His arms are crossed, his gaze sharp as ever, and the weight of his words presses down like the water around us.

“I don’t know what we’re going to do with you two,” he says, his voice cold.

I can already feel my patience wearing thin. “Father, we got back safe and we didn’t hurt anyone, so I don’t see what the problem is.”

“Yeah,” Aria adds. “We also didn’t get chased back by any sharks this time. I don’t get that either.”

Of course, my father doesn’t care about that. “The problem is that you two acted in a manner unbefitting of a prince and princess again. You could’ve been hurt.”

“The key word is ‘could’ve’,” I point out, “and we were fine. It seems like you’re overreacting about us simply exploring.”

My father sighs. “I can’t win with you two, but try to be more careful and no one would want to marry you two when act like this.”

The mention of marriage twists something in my gut. The thought of being forced to marry some princess just to secure a political alliance makes my stomach turn. And that’s not even mentioning the fact that I’m not interested in women at all.

“Well, good,” I say. “I don’t want to get married anytime soon.”

“Neither do I,” my sister adds.

“As it happens, I found a match for Aria,” my father says a little too smugly.

What? How did he find a match already? He brought the arranged marriage stuff up last month. 

Aria recoils, her eyes wide. “What? Again, I don’t want to get married.”

It’s like he didn’t even hear her. “Well, it’s for the good of the kingdom,” my father says. “All of your older siblings have been quite happy with their arranged marriages.”

“I have no interest in getting married. They wanted to.”

My father pounds his sceptre onto the floor of the throne room. “I don’t care! You must get married, Aria. I’m making this choice for you. You’ve been rebellious for far too long.”

Her lip quivers before swims off in the other direction. Oh, shit. I should go after her.

I take off, and follow her back to her bedchamber. I close the door behind me. “Are you ok?” I ask. “That announcement came out of nowhere.”

“What do you think?” Aria snaps. She pauses for a moment. “Sorry for snapping at you.”

“It’s fine. It was a stupid question, I know.”

Aria flops down on her bed. “What are we gonna do? You know that I have no interest in romance, love or any of that.”

I know. I’ve known for years. Aria’s aro-ace, and no amount of arranged marriages is going to change that.

“Let me think for a second,” I say.

Changing father’s mind is out. We’ve told him for years that we’re not interested in marriage, and yet here we are. He’s not going to back down, especially not now.

Scaring off her suitor is also out, since neither of us know who he is. Even if I did, he could possibly kick my ass.

Wait. What if I dated someone so bad that it would sour our family’s reputation? Maybe if I did that, that other family would call off the engagement.

“I have an idea,” I say.

She arches an eyebrow. “Oh? What’ve you got?”

“Well, do you remember the Leech family, right? The head of the mob in the northern part of Maevdora, right?”

“Yes, what about them?”

“Well they have twin sons, right? What if I dated one of the twins in order to destroy our family’s reputation?”

Her eyes light up before she smirks. “Oh, that’s a really good idea.” She pauses. “How do you know that you won’t actually fall in love with him?”

I laugh, rolling my eyes. “Oh, please. That would be so cliche. Of course I won’t.”

“Sure, if you say so. I bet you will.”

“Yeah, sure. If you say so.”

“How will you contact them?”

“Easy. The twins go to Night Raven with me, so I can talk with them whenever the winter break is over.”

Aria eyes me, a little skeptical. “Can you even tell them apart?”

“Of course I can.”

How the fuck should I go about this though? I can’t just waltz up to one of them and ask him to fake date me.

And which one should I pick? While I can tell them apart, I don’t know either of them particularly well.

—0—

I sit in Alchemy class with my laptop out, writing notes on it. As Professor Crewel continues to talk about potion compounds…or something like that, I look up. Floyd is a few rows up, taking notes besides a dog beastman with blue hair.

Looks like destiny decided who I’m gonna fake date. Floyd it is.

“That’s the end of the class,” Professor Crewel says. “We’ll be making the Golden Flower Healing Potion in lab tomorrow. Make sure you are all prepared.”

People begin to gather their things. Shit. I have to catch him.

I stuff my laptop into my messenger bag, and stand up. “Floyd, wait!” I say, rushing up the steps.

I trip up the last few steps only for Floyd to catch me. “Woah there, Starfish. Calm down.”

I clear my throat. “Right, thanks.” I straighten back up. “Anyway, can we talk somewhere private? I have a proposition for you.”

He arches an eyebrow. “Oh? How very interesting. Very well, come with me.”

Floyd grabs my wrist. We disappear in a burst of lavender smoke. When we reappear, we’re in one of the library’s private study rooms.

“Tell me, Starfish. What can I do for you?”

Gods, how should I go about this? “Uh…well…you know that I’m a prince, right?”

Floyd nods. “Yes, I am indeed familiar with the prince of my own country.”

I flush. “Right…anyway…so, my father wants my sister to get married and she is very much uninterested in that or in romance at all. I want to fake date you so we can ruin my family’s reputation and my sister doesn’t have to get married.”

“What an intriguing proposition.” He thinks for a moment before smirking. “I’m in.” He holds out his hand to me.

I take his hand in mine and we shake on it. This is going to be fun.

—0—

Later that evening, I lay on my bed in my room in Ingihyde, texting Floyd on my phone.

Riel: So…
Riel: We need to be seen together
Riel: Any thoughts on where we should go? Or what to do?

Three dots dance along the bottom for several moments.

Floyd: We could go to the Hidden Echo Bar.
Riel: Where’s that?
Riel: I never heard of it.
Riel: What type of food does it have?
Floyd: It’s in Port Lillian.
Floyd: It has typical bar food, I suppose.
Floyd: It’s also an arcade, so it has a bunch of games and slots.

Huh. That sounds like a lot of fun.

Riel: Sure, we can do that.
Riel: When should we go?
Floyd: Tonight. In an hour.

An hour?

Riel: Don’t you think that’s a little soon?
Floyd: Nah, not really.
Floyd: Or are you too shy to do the fake dating scheme you suggested?

Got me there.

Riel: Fine, though one of us should pick up the other. It would make it seem more authentic
Floyd: Good point.
Floyd: Where should I pick you up? Picking me up wouldn’t befitting for a prince.

Good point.

Riel: Just meet me in the Hall of Mirrors. I’ll meet you there in an hour.
Floyd: Sounds cool.
Floyd: See you then.

Should I dress up? This is a fake date, but it’s supposed to look real. Hades, is he dressing up?

Maybe I should ask him. I don’t want to look unmatching or weird.

Riel: How are you planning to dress?
Riel: Just so I can match you better.
Floyd: Well, it’s supposed to look like a realistic date, right? Wear whatever you would wear to go to a pub.
Riel: Alright, sounds good.
Riel: I’ll see you in an hour.

—0—

I stand in the Hall of Mirrors, dressed in a navy blue trench coat with a grey shirt underneath, a light blue scarf and dark jeans. Oh, gods. I’ve never been on a date before. What if this goes wrong? I can’t afford that. If I fuck this up, my sister will be trapped in a loveless marriage, which is the last thing that I want. What if I act all stupid and weird?

I look down, and my hands are shaking. Shit. I can’t let him know how nervous I am about this. This was my idea, after all.

I stuff my hands in my pocket. Not the best solution, but good enough for now.

The Octanivelle Mirror ripples. Floyd casually strolls out of it, dressed in a dark grey coat with a white dress shirt, mauve waistcoat and tie underneath. He’s also wearing dark pants and dress shoes.

Floyd looks me up and down. “Nice. Well done, Starfish. Ready to go?” He holds out his hand.

“Uh, yeah…” I stammer. “Of course.” I take it.

Floyd teleports me away in a burst of aquamarine smoke. Once it clears, we’re standing in the middle of town.

As we walk down the street, people begin to gawk at us. Like this is the most scandalous thing they’ve seen. I suppose they would have a point. I’m the prince of Maevdora, and the Leech Twins are the sons of a Mafioso Family, so us being seen together like this is quite scandalous.

I flinch a little. Maybe I shouldn't be doing this. I can always think of another way to protect my sister. Right?

Floyd’s grip tightens. He leans in close to my ear, lips nearly brushing it. “Don’t. We have to make this look believable, right?”

The tops of my ears get a bit red. “Right.”

We continue walking down the streets, hand in hand, gaining several more odd looks. While part of myself is nervous, I square my shoulders and hold my head high. I’m a prince, and I’m doing this to protect my sister.

We come up to a building with a sign saying ‘HIDDEN ECHO BAR’ bar on it. Must be the right place.

Floyd leads me inside, holding the door open for me. The place has a modern, industrial feel with its brown brick walls. The main area, where we are, is a typical bar. However, off to the side, I can see the entrance to the arcade part thanks to the neon lights flashing in the distance. The sound of music and chatter fills the air.

Wow, this place is so cool! I can see why Floyd wanted to take me here. And there’s lots of people who will see us together, so that’s good.

Floyd takes me to the bar counter, gaining us more stares. The bartender turns to us. “Hi there. What can I get you?”

“A blue lagoon,” Floyd says. He turns to me. “What about you, Starfish?”

“Aw, you have a nickname for your partner. How cute,” the bartender gushes.

I flush a little. Gods, did she really need to put it like that? And plus, he does that with everyone with the exception of his brother and Azul. “Uh, the same for me, please.”

“Coming right up,” the bartender says, beginning to mix our drinks.

Floyd leans in, and whispers, “Oh? Did that make you nervous, my dear prince? Do I make you nervous?”

My cheeks heat up even more. Gods, this guy is gonna be the end of me! “Uh…I wouldn’t say that, per se. I’m just nervous about our date in general. I-I’ve never been on a date before.”

“Really? I’m surprised that a pretty man such as yourself has never been out with anyone before.”

“Well, I’ve never been interested in anyone before, so why would I? All my father does is throw girls at me during balls, and, ugh, no thank you.”

That perks his interest. “You’re not interested in women at all?”

“No. Why do you think I asked you to help instead of someone at Enchanted Rose? And besides, we already knew each other.”

Floyd nods. “That makes sense. This will be an interesting partnership.”

“Yeah…I think so, too.” Gods, why did I come up with this? Surely there could’ve been other things that I could’ve done. All this teasing is gonna be the death of me.

“Alright,” the bartender says. She holds out a couple of blue drinks. “Two lagoons.”

“Thank you,” Floyd says. He pulls out his phone. “I can pay for our drinks.”

“Thanks for the offer, but that’s okay,” I protest. “I can pay for my own.”

Floyd turns to me, raising an eyebrow. “We’re on a date, aren’t we? Shouldn’t I be the one paying for this?”

I sigh. “I suppose you have a point, but I want to pay next time.”

Floyd smirks, showing a bit of his pointed teeth. “Oh? Was one date not enough for you?”

I smack his shoulder. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

“Keep on telling yourself that, Starfish.” That same smirk is on his face.

I groan. “Gods, you are gonna be the death of me.”

“At this rate, that seems to be the case.”

The bartender groans. “You two are adorable, but can one of you two please pay for the drinks please?”

Floyd shoots her a smile. “Why, yes of course.” He pays for the drinks.

We grab our drinks. I grab his hand with my free one, pulling him towards the game room. “Come on. Let’s play games. Stop talking. You are so irritating.”

“Really? I think you like it.”

“Would you shut up, please?”

“Very well,” Floyd says with that same stupid grin. “I still think you like it, though.”

I groan. Gods, this guy is annoying. This is my own fault. I just have to suck it up and get through this for Aria’s sake.

We head into the arcade. Various different games line up the walls. Many people are either playing the games or watching others do so.

“What do you want to play?” I ask, trying to be polite.

“We could play that,” Floyd says, nodding to the love compatibility game in the corner.

I grimace. “No way. We don’t know each other that well yet.”

“Doing that would let us know if we’re meant to be.”

“This is not even real. We’re not playing that. Come on.”

“If you say so,” Floyd smirks.

I roll my eyes. More of this? Why am I not even surprised at this point?

Still, he has a good point. What should we play first?

My eyes scan the arcade some more. There is a basketball shooting game in the corner. I point to it. “We could play that.”

“You really want me to show off that badly for you, huh? I’m on the team, you know.”

I wince. “Honestly, I kinda forgot about that, but I just thought that it was a lot better than the game you suggested.”

His smirk broadens. “You forgot your boyfriend was on the team?”

“I’m not into sports, so I never went to any of the games. How would I know that you were on the team?”

“Forgetting about your boyfriend’s favourite sport is pretty bad, you know.”

Favourite sport? He only started living on land long term several months ago. We don’t have basketball underwater. How did that grow on him so fast? Though, knowing him he could easily be saying that to mess with me. “Gods, just drop this. I just want to play the game.”

Floyd hums. “Sure.”

Finally! He shut up. Guess the gods are starting to be a little merciful.

I rush up to the game, putting some coins into the slot. I pick up one of the basketballs. I throw the basketball with two hands, and it hits the backboard, rolling down the shoot.

“Dammit!” I swear.

Floyd rolls his eyes. “Let me show you how it’s done.”

“Sure, be my guest.”

I step aside. Floyd stands at the front of the hoop. He picks up one of the balls, holding one hand at the bottom and cupping the other at the back side. He slides it up. It flies right into the basket, getting a perfect score.

I blink, astonished. “Wow, good job.”

He smirks back at me. “Thanks, Starfish. Would you like some help now?”

I sigh. “Sure.” I pick up another basketball.

Floyd comes up behind me, putting his hands on top of mine.

“What are you doing?” I hiss, my cheeks heating up.

“Helping you,” Floyd says, not even fazed. “Besides, you want this to look real, right?”

I groan. “Right, that’s true. Sure.”

“Ok, so,” Floyd begins. He moves one of my hands to the bottom and the other to the side. He moves the cupped hand up. I throw it, and it lands right in the hoop, making us get a perfect score.

I smile. “Holy shit! I did it.”

“Indeed. Do you want to play another game?”

“Sure.”

You know he’s rather irritating, and gets on my nerves. But, he isn’t that bad. Which is a good thing since this will have to last a while in order to be believable.

Chapter Text

I sit at a desk in the library, going over my notes for my Ancient Magic and Curses class. I enjoy it fine enough as a class, but it’s not my favourite. I enjoy History of Magic more, since it leans more into the actual history of how certain spells came to be instead of talking about how random historical figures got cursed.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I wake it up. A Hi-Ya message from my father lights up the screen.

Father: Your sister’s engagement party is this weekend. You must attend. Don’t make trouble.

I tense up. Shit. It’s gonna be really that soon? Floyd and I don’t know each other that well yet, but we must really act the part. I can’t let Aria be stuck in a loveless marriage for the rest of her life.

Me: Hey, I don’t know if you are doing anything this weekend. But, I just got a text from my father, and he said that my sister’s engagement party is this weekend. Please come with me. I can’t let this happen to her. She will be miserable for the rest of her life.

The dots dance along the bottom of my phone.

Floyd: I’ll come.
Floyd: Not like I’m doing anything better this weekend.
Floyd: And it’d be an excuse to act out around stuffy royals.

I smile a little at that. Good. He’s in. I don’t know what I would’ve done if he turned me down.

Still hopefully he’s up to a lot of acting. We’ve only been on a few dates.

Me: Cool. Meet me at the Mirror Chamber at 5 in the evening on Alyrineus.
Floyd: Sure.

—0—

I stand in the Mirror Chamber in my swim shorts, holding my Merman Transformation Potion. While I’m getting the odd strange look, it’s not like no one knows what I’m doing. Clothing weighs you down like a rock underwater. It’s common for merfolk to wear a swimming costume in here before teleporting anywhere under the sea in order to not flash everyone.

Floyd walks in, dressed in white swim shorts with a teal waistband. I can’t help but stare, eyes wide. Wow, he’s actually really fit. I knew he was quite in shape, but it’s one thing knowing it, it’s another to actually see it. He has six pack abs and everything!

Floyd smirks at me. “Like what you see, Starfish?”

My cheeks heat up. “Uh…You’re quite fit. We should go. We don’t want to be late.” I turn to the Dark Mirror. “Magic Mirror on the wall, take us to the Maevdora Sea.”

The surface of the mirror shimmers, rippling around. I quickly down my potion. I grab his hand, tugging him towards the Dark Mirror. We hop through it.

Once we get through, we are in our merforms again. I turn to Floyd. He has an eel tail with fins on his arms and where his ears would be. He has teal skin. Dark green markings zigzag on his cheeks and down his eyes. Similar markings dot along his arms.

Okay, wow. I’ve seen him in his merform before, but I forgot how fit and kinda awesome he looks. You can grate cheese on his abs in this form, too. Hades, he manages to look fitter like this!

Floyd smirks again, raising an eyebrow. Great. He probably thinks I’m being weird again.

“Come on,” I groan before he can get a word in, “let’s go to the palace.”

I swim ahead, and Floyd follows me.

—0—

We arrive, and I grab his hand. “Come on, time to make everyone believe this.”

He smirks. “Very well.” He pulls me closer, so our whole sides are touching.

We swim into the main hall where the engagement party is being held. Merfolk of every kind dot the room, chatting amongst themselves. Food and drink are placed on the long table beside one of the walls. Orchestral music fills the space.

Aria is next to a burly shark merman, a frown plastered on her features. Fuck. Is that her fiance? He doesn’t suit her at all, even if she wasn’t aroace. Now I want to get her out of this even more.

Floyd drags me into the middle of the dance floor, beginning to sway along to the music. I lean in and speak in his ear, “What are you doing?”

“Dancing?” Despite not seeing his face like this, I know he’s smirking. “You want to make a scene, don’t you Star Fish?”

Ok, yeah…he has a point. I sigh. “Come on. Let’s do what we have to do.”

We continue to slow dance. Several sets of eyes land on us, including my father’s, who is glowering at us. People across the ballroom whisper amongst themselves, no doubt talking about us. Mission accomplished, I guess.

The music stops. My father along with my sister’s fiance aggressively swim towards us. Aria pauses for a moment before she sighs, swimming towards me as well.

“Just what do you think you are doing, dancing with that young man?” my father snaps at me, eyes narrowed and hand on his hip. “You know what his family does, right?”

I hope Floyd is ready, because now it’s time to put our act to the test. “Oh, nothing much. Just dancing with my boyfriend.”

Floyd wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me in. I flush a bit. Ok, wow. Wasn’t expecting that so soon. But I can’t back down, I have to play along with this.

I lean into his touch, putting an arm around his shoulder. My father’s eyes harden even more.

I give him an innocent smile. “Yes, is there something wrong?”

“Yes, actually,” my father says. “His family is involved in shady dealings. The royal family cannot afford to be pulled into that.”

“I don’t care about that. Why would his family reputation matter? You should be able to marry anyone regardless of their family’s status or reputation.”

Floyd looks at me in surprise. Is he shocked about what I said? I just told the truth.

Aria’s fiance looks around before his eyes land on her as she frowns a little, wringing her hands. He turns to my father. “Your majesty, would it be alright if I speak to Aria in private for a moment?”

My father blinks. “Certainly.”

Aria’s fiance nods before they teleport out of the ballroom in plumes of teal smoke. My father whirls around, glaring at me. “You better not have messed this up, boy. Their alliance will do wonders for this family.”

And literally nothing else? He’s willing to make my sister miserable for the rest of her life just for that? What an arse.

They teleport back into the ballroom. Aria’s fiance turns to my father, pursing his lips and eyes downcast. He bows deeply, before meeting my father’s eyes again. “Aria and I have spoken, and I do not think we are right for each other, nor would we make each other happy. And so, I ask respectfully to break off this engagement.”

“Ask why,” my father says.

“I want things that she cannot give me, and I will not force her to give me them.” I know exactly what he’s implying.

I give the guy this. He’s at least smart and isn’t an arsehole, especially since he respects my sister’s wishes. He seems like a good guy. If my sister’s sexuality wasn’t what it was, he would make her very happy. But hey, maybe there is another fish in the sea for him.

There is a flash of anger in my father’s eyes for a moment before he sighs in defeat. “Very well, you may break off the engagement.”

My sister’s eyes widen before her shoulders drop in relief. I can’t help, but smile at that. We did it.

My father’s eyes land on me before he glares daggers at me. I know I’m in deep shit later. That’s for future me to worry about.