Author's Note: Hello! Welcome to Between Thorns, my first crack at a male SYOC. It's definitely fairytale-inspired and has a big mystical element and is completely, 100% out of my comfort zone, but I hope you enjoy. If you'd like to enter, the form is on my profile. Thank you so much for reading, and please review and let me know what you think :)

Lydia leaned against the wood of the window frame while her jade green eyes took in the soft blend of pinks, yellows, and oranges that decorated the morning sky. Spring had almost run its course, but in the early hours of the May morning, the air was still brisk, and dew droplets clung to the lawn that sat below the tower.

"It's a beautiful morning," she smiled.

She paused for a singular hopeful moment, her breath suspended in her throat as she waited. But as always, the only response from the tower's other occupant was silence.

She turned away from the quiet. "Mom's birthday is coming up soon," she remarked. Before she could stop herself, she added, "It'll be the third one since…"

A rush of guilt surged through her chest and buoyed her off the ledge of the window, back into the tower and towards the bed. She examined the still girl that had been posed on the soft mattress and luxurious bedding. While people usually remarked upon what a cheerful person Lydia was, the girl had to fight to keep her face from scrunching up as tears stabbed at the inner corners of her eyes. She took one of the cold, still white hands in both of hers and sank to her knees.

"Please wake up, Namie," she tried, ignoring the fruitlessness of the request. A pang of regret quivered through her voice. She squeezed the hand more tightly, searching for even the slightest return of pressure. "Please."

But as she had for the past three years, Princess Naomi Schreave remained soundless and immobile—not dead but also certainly not alive. To the average person, it might seem as though she was only asleep. Lydia, however, knew better. Since the age of twenty-one, Naomi, the once-crown princess, had been trapped, cursed to a world of limbo, under the effects of a spell that seemed impossible to break.

And it was all Lydia's fault.

The younger princess rested her head on her older sister's bed. "I miss the way you used to braid my hair," she smiled sadly, thinking of all the nights she had burst into Naomi's room as a child with sopping wet hair and a request for a Pippi Longstocking style. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to conquer the emotion that was pounding against the bones of her chest. If Naomi could hear her, she didn't deserve to hear Lydia's sadness.

After a single sniffle, Lydia sat up again, perching herself on the edge of the bed and placing both hands on Naomi's forearm. With a deep, determined breath, she squeezed her eyes shut and channeled all her energy.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, Lydia's hands began to glow, and a warmth spread from the younger sister to the elder. She eased her eyes open, and they quickly became enormous saucers of surprise when she saw the way Naomi's too-pale skin had taken on an almost lifelike glow under the light emanating from her hands. It infiltrated Naomi's veins, painting a glowing path up her arm.

Before Lydia's heart could even flutter with excitement though, the glow faded. Frustration filled the princess, and she pressed her eyes shut even more firmly and focused, feeling the energy drain from her hands and to her sister. If she just tried harder… if she could just be stronger…

"Lydia!"

When the stern voice broke her focus, Lydia found herself lightheaded from the exertion, and she would have slipped off the bed if Hazel hadn't steadied her. The woman's bright blue eyes were set in disapproval, a strange expression for her usually kind countenance.

"I'm sorry," Lydia sighed before Hazel could scold her.

That didn't stop her from trying. "Lydia," sighed Hazel, "how many times must I tell you?" Lydia shot Hazel a sheepish smile, but Hazel's glare persisted. "You're going to hurt yourself," she declared, "And then what good will you be to Naomi?"

Lydia frowned, her dark eyebrows knitting in frustration. "What good am I now?" she groaned. "What good are these stupid powers if—"

She promptly cut herself off. "I'm sorry," she grimaced.

Like all members of the royal family, Lydia had been blessed with powers when she was young. Years ago, one of Lydia's grandfathers had put an end to persecution of magical beings. As a show of their gratitude and to make sure that such individuals retained their protections, three of the four leaders of the elemental fairies had devoted themselves to the Schreaves ever since.

Lydia knew that she was lucky. While fairies had a full command of magic, they had the ability to grant humans a single power. As it was a draining action that subtracted from a fairy's lifespan, it was an incredible gift. Only those who had earned the gratitude of a fairy, such as Lydia's family, were freely granted them, as such. They could be bought, of course—at an exceptionally high cost—or illegally stolen through the murder of a fairy, but it was known fact that powers behaved best when willingly granted.

Hazel had given Lydia her healing power when she was only a child. Hazel was an earth fairy, the oldest of the three at the palace, and as a result, she hadn't imbued a member of the royal family with powers for two generations. She'd taken a liking to Lydia though, which made the princess presently feel even worse about how ungrateful she sounded.

"I know it's hard," Hazel admitted, a sad smile turning her mouth.

"It's been three years, Hazel," Lydia sighed with a glance at Naomi. "Other than us, no one even knows she existed."

"I never said it would be easy," acknowledged Hazel, "but we'll find a way to break Agnimitra's spell. I promise."

Lydia's frown persisted. "Maybe the Schreaves are cursed," she mused.

Hazel rolled her eyes. "Nonsense," she declared, "Absolute nonsense. Now, are you going to wallow in here all day? Your parents have been looking for you, you know."

"Duty calls," Lydia groaned to Naomi. "See ya tomorrow, Namie." She followed Hazel from the tower, and the two parted at the base of the stairs: Hazel to join Iris and Tallulah in their continued search to free the elder Schreave sister and Lydia to find her parents.

Since breakfast hadn't been served yet, a maid that she encountered informed her that they were in their rooms. She was let into her parents' room by their longtime maids, and she found her father in his favorite armchair, his morning crossword in hand, and her mother sitting in front of an easel that faced out towards the grounds. Although she didn't hold a paintbrush in her hand, the colors on the paper before her gently shimmered between shades as she considered them. Queen Collette had received her chromakinetic powers much later in life as a wedding gift. While they weren't as potent as her husband's psychometry or her children's powers, since they'd received all of theirs at birth, she enjoyed using them to enhance the art skills she'd always possessed.

"Looks great," Lydia smiled as she gave her mom a quick squeeze around the shoulders.

Collette returned the smile, pleased. "Thanks, Lydie," she replied before she swiveled around on her stool. "Where were you off to so early this morning?" she added, "Cohen said you weren't in your room."

Lydia rolled her eyes. Her younger brother, Cohen, took it upon himself to make it his business to know what was happening in the palace at all times. It was ironic, really, given that he, like everyone else, was oblivious to the secret that Lydia and the fairies kept every day.

The night that Naomi had fallen under the spell, Lydia had returned to the palace in a panic. She'd known it was serious when she hadn't been able to heal her sister, so she had gone straight to her parents and the fairies. Lydia would never forget the looks of disappointment that her parents had given her when they heard what she and Naomi had done. When Hazel realized how serious the situation was, she suggested that they take magical procedures to ensure that the country stayed calm and didn't find out.

Together, the three fairies had cast a spell to make the world forget that Naomi Schreave had ever existed. The effect had extended to the royal family, except for Lydia. Since the spell mimicked the effects of amnesia, Lydia's powers had instantly "healed" her. While the rest of her family lived in blissful ignorance, Lydia remembered what she'd done every day.

"I went for a walk," she lied, "It's a beautiful morning."

Her parents exchanged a look that made her uncomfortable. "Something tells me you didn't want to see me to talk about the weather though," she noted.

"No," admitted her father. King Ezra put his crossword down and turned to his daughter. "Do you ever miss Hutton?"

Lydia laughed as she thought of the British ambassador's son that she'd dated last year. "No," she declared, "So if you were planning on doing some matchmaking, please don't."

Her father chuckled. "Actually…"

Collette cut in excitedly. "What do you think of holding your Selection this year?"

Lydia's eyes widened. "What?"

"Well, you're going to be twenty-one soon," Ezra explained, "That's when I had my Selection."

"People would be so excited," acknowledged Collette, "but if you don't want to, just say the word, and it's forgotten."

Lydia chewed her lip as she digested the news. Naomi had never been asked to do a Selection because she'd been in a long-term relationship, and Lydia knew if she declined, her parents would protect her from any pressure that Ezra's council might try to exert.

But on the other hand… what if it kept people off her back? She wasn't able to devote as much time as she would've liked to breaking Naomi's curse because of princess duties. But during a Selection, she'd surely have more time. And there was a chance that someone might even be useful to the fairies…

"Okay," Lydia nodded determinedly, "I'll do it."

Her parents exchanged shocked expressions before their faces slowly melted into excitement. "Really?" Collette asked. Lydia nodded again.

"I'm proud of you, Lyd," Ezra declared, "What do you think of announcing it at your mother's birthday party?"

"Sounds good to me," Lydia agreed, although the realization of what she had agreed to had just began to settle on her. Thirty-five men to date? Breaking Agnimitra's spell sounded a whole less daunting all the sudden.

There was also the fact that getting married generally signified that the heir was ready to begin the transition of taking over from the current monarch. But Lydia didn't have any intention to rule, no matter how this Selection turned out. She was going to save her sister, and if a Selected could help her do it, that worked for her.