By the time all the teenagers were cleaned up and no longer had tear stain marks on their cheeks, the Cotillion boat was docked at the harbour and the other teenagers were already off the boat so the only people on the boat were Fairy Godmother, the former rulers of Auradon, the VK's and their significant others. Fairy Godmother promised Queen Belle and King Adam to bring Evie to the Castle for a small funeral with just the blue-haired girls family and friends in two days and take Flynn to the dungeons of the castle until his true punishment is decided by the council. The teenagers walked down the small walkway that connected the boat to the mainland and they tried to quickly walk past the loud paparazzi gathered at the exit who wanted to know why Cotillion was cut short and where Evie was. Tears pricked in Uma and Mal's eyes as she and the daughter of Ursula walked next to each other, their boyfriends shielding them from the paparazzi bombarding them with even more questions about the blue-haired princesses whereabouts.

The teenagers quickly climbed into the limo's that were gathered at the end of the long blue carpet at the base of the walkway. Melody and Doug were in a separate limo as the two were going to go to Auradon Prep instead of Castle Beast so Doug could pack and would be ready to leave after Evie's funeral- until the larger funeral for the whole kingdom. The teenagers sat quietly in the back of the limo, the sound of the engines humming being the only sound as they all looked down at the ground. Queen Belle and King Adam were in the same limo as Princess Melody and Doug so they could make sure the teenagers got back to Auradon Prep safely as Fairy Godmother stayed behind to talk with some of the medics that were called to see about Evie.

Mal rested her head against Uma's shoulder as the daughter of Ursula wrapped her arm around Mal's shoulder, leaning her own head against Mal's as the two smiled sadly down at Dizzy who was cuddled up in Uma's lap. Ben and Harry were sat next to their respective girlfriends, their faces emotionless, as they looked at the black carpet in the limo, every once in a while looking at their girlfriends to make sure they were okay. Gil was sat next to his best friend, with Audrey holding his hand as the princess leaned against his side and kissed his cheek every once in a while, her smile fake but enough to make Gil give a small smile back. Jane had small tears in her eyes as she sat in between Carlos and Lonnie, the daughter of Mulan holding her hand as she leant her head against Carlos's shoulder, while Jay wrapped his arm around Lonnie's waist protectively.

"M-M-Mal" Dizzy stuttered as Mal sniffled and removed her head from Uma's shoulder, a fake smile on her lips while she looked down at Dizzy as the little girl clung onto Harry's jacket- that the pirate had given her for warmth. "Will mom becoming back soon?" Dizzy asked quietly which caused Mal's heart to break.

Of course Dizzy was old enough to realise when people were truly not coming back, but in the little girl's fragile mind, Evie was one of the princesses in her bedtime stories- the ones that were given true loves kiss and woke up from their long slumber. It was hard for Dizzy to comprehend the fact that Evie wasn't coming back, wasn't going to hug her again, sing to her when her nightmares got too much, look after her or kiss her goodnight again. The little girl had just watched someone she counted as a mother die trying to protect the kingdom and her family, so in Dizzy's mind, Evie was a hero's and hero's never died or lost against the evil villain- after all, wasn't that why her biological family was on the Isle? Because they lost against the heroes?

"Diz, Evie is..." Mal started looking at Uma for help who shrugged, having never experienced anything so delicate in her life. Uma wasn't stupid, she knew that if she or anyone else said the wrong thing then Dizzy would panic and start to cry again and that may lead to her becoming sick- which Uma didn't want to happen, especially at a time like this.

"Mal, can I help?" Audrey offered as she watched Mal struggle to find her words. Mal nodded and watched as Dizzy turned her head to look at the princess, sadness filling her eyes as she waited to hear what Audrey would say. "Dizzy, you mamma was the best person in the whole wide world" Audrey started which made Dizzy smile as Uma and Mal shared a small smile of their own. "And sometimes, something in this world goes wrong but my mamma and pappa always used to tell me that whenever someone I loved passed, they would move to the stars. My mamma told me that the first star to appear in the sky every night represents the person you love and as long as you and everyone else love that person, that star will shine as bright as the moon" Audrey explained kindly.

"So, mom's a star now?" Dizzy asked as she looked at Audrey confusingly. The princess moved closer to Dizzy and extended her arms out, which made Dizzy smile as she climbed off of Uma's lap and instead onto Audrey's and wrapped her legs around the princesses back. The teenagers in the limo watched with tear-filled eyes as Audrey held Dizzy's hands in her lap, gently smiling as she started to answer Dizzy's question.

"Your mamma doesn't have to be a star. I choose a star because I love the idea of my loved ones watching over me, hopefully smiling at the person I have become. It can be the sea or a flower, whatever you choose because no matter what- your mamma will watch over you and smile. I know that for certain" Audrey explained which caused Dizzy to smile as she let go of Audrey's hands and wrapped her arms around the girl's neck, snuggling closer to the princess as Uma replaced Harry's jacket around Dizzy'shouldersrs.

"Can you sing a song?" Dizzy muttered as she gently closed her eyes. "My mom used to sing whenever I was upset and I miss her. Please?" Dizzy begged which caused Audrey to sign and nod as she looked at Mal for a song choice but the purple-haired teen was to busy trying to stay awake against Uma's shoulder to answer the daughter of Sleeping Beauty.

"Some girls are fair"

Audrey began as she looked towards Mal, the purple-haired teen smiling sadly at the soft voice Audrey was using. Dizzy hummed in approval as Audrey continued to sing softly for the little girl in her lap who was fighting the urge to sleep.

"Some are jolly and fit"

Audrey turned her attention to Lonnie who smiled sleepily as she moved a piece of her hair behind her ear shyly, the soft grip around her waist tightening slightly while Lonnie smiled up at Jay lovingly.

"Some have a well-bred air"

Audrey turned towards Jane who smiled and nodded at Audrey, her hand running through Carlos's hair as the young boy yawned softly, causing Jane to follow in his action.

"Or a well-honed wit"

Uma smirked softly at the lyric as Audrey turned her head to look at the daughter of Ursula, a hint of sadness in her eyes as she listened to the lyrics that represented Evie's personality perfectly.

"Each one's a jewel"

Audrey looked down at Dizzy, a small smile playing at her lips as the daughter of Sleeping Beauty ran her fingers softly through Dizzy's long hair, her smiling softening when she felt Dizzy snuggle closer to her.

"With a singular shine.
A work of art,
with its own rare design.

Dear little girl,
you are terribly blessed
but it's your heart of gold,
I love the best.

And that will be your crowning whole life
it'll always be your crowning glory,
the most glorious part of you"

Audrey smiled as she looked down at Dizzy, her gaze filled with love for the little girl as she sang softly. The song was a lot slower then it was supposed to be, with the princess singing the words like it was a lullaby instead of the upbeat style the song originally was intended to be.

"Some boys can groove,
wear the really hip
seems to have no faults,
but we never like those,
no, we don't.
He'll praise your eyes,
your melodious laugh,
call you more lovely than others by far,
The one who's right,
my gorgeous prince,
will be honest and will believe in me too,
and prize your heart of gold the way I do.

He'll know that that will be your crowning glory,
your whole life love will see.
It's your crowning glory. Most glorious part of you, and you.

That will be your crowning glory,
darling, when they tell your story,
He'll call your heart of gold your crowning,
most glorious part of you"

Audrey quietly ended the song as she kissed the top of Dizzy's head, smiling softly when she saw the closed eyes of the little girl as she breathed in and out evenly, her arms wrapped around Audrey's neck while her head was snuggled into Audrey's shoulder. The rest of the limo ride was filled with a comfortable silence that only Dizzy's quiet snores seemed to be able to break as the teenagers waited for the limo to pull up at Castle Beast.

"Your Majesty" The driver called out from the driving set, breaking the silence and making Ben look up from Mal and towards the driver, nodding for the man to continue. "Around five more minutes until we reach the Castle, your majesty"

"Thank you" Ben responded before the divider between the driver and the back of the limo went back up again, giving the group of teenagers some privacy. "Okay, do you wanna know where you will be sleeping or...?" Ben trailed off after he saw everyone slowly nod for Ben to continue, "Okay well, Uma, Dizzy and Mal, you three can stay in the room next to my office so Mal should know where it is" After Mal nodded in confirmation, Ben continued to explain where everyone would be staying. "Audrey, Jane and Lonnie, you three can have the room next to theirs with an inter-locking door so you can go to-and-from each room without trouble. Gil and Harry can be in the room next to mine. The girl's room is a corridor way so it's not that much but all the rooms on their corridor have an ensuite bathroom for the girls to use. Jay and Carlos can have the room on the other side of mine if you guys want" Ben offered which made all the boy's nod.

After finding their rooms and saying a quick goodnight to the boys -with Uma and Mal having to promise Harry that they would go to him if anything went wrong in the night- the girls finally got settled into their rooms. Audrey had already tucked Dizzy in, cuddled up safely in the middle of the three beds that lined the back wall of Mal, Uma and the little girl's room. Walking out of the bedroom, after giving Dizzy a kiss on the forehead as a goodnight and turning off the lights, Audrey signed to herself as she looked into the wall-mounted mirror that hung above the vanity table which sat opposite a large marble fireplace where three, currently full, armchairs rested in front of the marble structure. The floor was covered with a cream carpet and the walls were painted a royal blue, like the bed covers, that had a floral print painted onto it with gold paint. The back wall was made completely of glass which allowed the resistance to see onto the large balcony and the sea just beyond Queen Belle's large rose garden. There was a wooden door in the corner of the room which leads to a large bathroom which connected the girl's rooms and allowed them to travel easily from one room to the other, just like Ben had said.

Audrey began to wipe away her makeup as she listened to Jane and Lonnie's conversation with the two VK's as they sat in the large armchairs. Mal was cuddled up in one, her hair a lot frizzier then it was at Cotillion as she held Uma's hand, who was leaning against the chair so her two Auradon born friends could sit down after kicking off their heels, which landed in a heap in the middle of the room.

"Audrey" Mal called out as Audrey finished wiping off her makeup, her lips back to their regular light pink shade and her eyelids no longer sparkling from her eyeshadow. Audrey nodded for Mal to continue as the princess got up and walked towards her friends, taking a similar stance as Uma and leaning against the chair Jane was sat in so she could see everyone. "I want to thank you, for looking after Dizzy. I don't know what any of us would have said if you hadn't swooped in and saved the day"

"Do you know why my momma told me the story of the stars?" Audrey asked -ignoring Mal's previous question- causing everyone, even Jane and Lonnie, to shake their heads no and turn towards the princess for an explanation. "I had this friend, Maya Love was her name." Jane and Lonnie shared an incredulous look after hearing the name that was all over the news when they were no older than twelve years old.

"She was so incredible" Audrey continued as she smiled at Mal and Uma's confused features. "She wasn't royalty, no and I'm thankful, she was the daughter of a miner who mined all the diamonds for my crowds because our mines have some of the most beautiful pink diamonds. Anyway, after an experiment her father was working on to make the diamonds sparkle for longer without having to be cleaned, she developed magic. Not much but enough for it to be dangerous. She didn't tell me until we were around thirteen after an accident happened"

"What kind of accident?" Mal asked as she eyed Audrey suspiciously, still not fully convinced that the story Audrey was telling her was going to end with the words 'and they lived happily ever after' that many of Auradon's stories that filled the library did.

"We were in the village outside of my castle, after sneaking out without my guards, to pick flowers for some event that was coming up in our kingdom. This boy then pushed me over and stole my tiara, I didn't really mind but Maya did." Audrey signed as she looked down, shaking her head slightly at the memory, "She ran after him and grabbed my tiara back from him, breaking his nose from the way she pushed him down. I quickly grabbed her hand to rush away from the village and back towards the castle when some people started to appear but when we touched, my hand got burnt. Her power was controlled by her emotions and because she was really angry, I got first degree burns on my hands"

Audrey extended her hand out to Mal and Uma and showed them the faint lines that littered the palm of her hand and fingers. They were faint but in the glow of the fire, the two Isle born friends could see the pale lines that resembled that of a spider's web on the princesses tanned skin. "Took three weeks to fully heal" Audrey signed as she recoiled her hand and placed it back in Jane's, who was shocked at the faint lines that covered Audrey's hands.

"After that day, she refused to use her magic and distanced herself from everyone. My once confident and amazing best friend -who was like my sister- had become a broken fragment of her former self and it killed me to see her like that. After a couple of months, I managed to convince her to go out on a girls day with me and we did. It was amazing until someone spotted me and tried to... I don't know what they did. One minute I'm talking to some nice person and the next, a dagger was being raised and I was almost stabbed. The person was from the moors who used to work for Maleficent. He is now on the Isle but Maya.. she" Audrey signed as she looked up at Mal and Uma, her eyes filled the to the brim with tears as she thought about the girl's, who she considered being her sister, fate.

Within the broken fragments of her heart, Mal felt a pang of anger -hidden under the layers of pain for Evie's fate, sorrow for her friends and what they were now going through and hatred for Ursula- for her mother. Even on the Isle Of The Lost, Maleficent still managed to hurt the Beauty family and someone they loved- even if the mistress of evil didn't command the action herself. It seemed to Mal, that no matter where or what her mother was, she always seemed to ruin Mal's and her families life with one simple command and she never seemed to care about the consequences.

"What I'm saying is that I know what its like to lose a sister. I didn't talk about Maya for so long after everything that happened and no one knew how to help me. I don't want that for you two too, so please, don't act like your fine when your not" Audrey begged as she looked at Mal and Uma, "I did and that caused me to miss out on a lot of things. I'm not saying that talking about it will make it better or make the pain go away instantly because it won't. But it will make you feel better" Audrey added.

"How did you do it?" Uma asked as she looked up at Audrey, her eyes having unshed tears in them as she spoke. "How did you get over the fact that you lost someone who was like a sister because E wasn't like a sister, she was my sister. As much as Oceana or Pearl is" Uma added causing Audrey to nod in agreement.

"I didn't 'get over it'. I cried and cried and cried until I was sure that I had no more tears to cry. But what I am saying is that you don't have to hide your emotions or ignore them around us. I won't give you the line 'Evie would want you to be strong' because I was told that every day when Maya died and it made me feel worse for the fact that I couldn't do the one thing she wanted me to do so instead I'll say this" Audrey said as she moved closer to Mal and Uma, kneeling in front of the two as she placed her hand on Mal's knee as the purple-haired teen closed her eyes to contain her tears.

"I lost my sister but Dizzy lost a mother and Carlos lost his sister and his first friend. So did Jay, Harry and Gil" Audrey signed softly, "That doesn't mean that you don't have a right to cry because you do, trust me. But what I am saying is that Dizzy looks up to you girls so if she sees you crying then she will know it is okay, the same with Carlos, Jay, Harry, Ben and everyone else. Show them that it's okay to be sad when stuff goes wrong" Audrey asked.

"I don't k-know how to do that without E-E-Evie" Mal cried as she opened her eyes, her once shining green eyes now full of pain and sorrow as she looked at Audrey, the sparkle in her eye disappearing at her words. Even though it had been a couple of hours since the incident, Evie's fate had only started to settle in for Mal as she spoke, her voice shaking when she realised that there was no way Evie was coming back and that fact broke Mal to say and Uma to hear. Mal was like Dizzy when Evie's fate had first claimed her, thinking that this was a large joke or that Evie was going to come back -like in all the 'happily ever after's' Mal and Uma heard about as children- and that Evie was going to jump out from around the corner and surprise everyone as she held Mal, Uma and Dizzy close to her until they fell asleep.

"And I understand that" Audrey began as she looked up at Mal, "I do, truly. But you are not alone because you have all of us. That may seem cliche but it's true, we aren't going anywhere" Audrey continued as she looked at Uma with sad eyes as she spoke about Evie, tears welling up behind Audrey's eyes as she talked about the person she counted as family. All the memories Audrey had with the blue-haired princess were filled with laughter and smiles as they talked about the newest designs of dresses or had days at Auradon's capital with bags hanging from their arms.

Audrey and Evie smiled widely as they walked down the cobblestone paths of Auradon's capital, the sun shining above them as they laughed about each other's childhood stories. Evie's heels clicked against the stone path, strutting as she placed one foot in front of the other because of the knee length pencil skirt she had one restricting her movement slightly. Evie's blue blouse was tucked into her skirt with the top two buttons undone, displaying her necklace proudly as she pulled her shoulders back, her mothers voice still in her head even though she hadn't seen the former queen for almost five months. Evie's olive coloured arms were covered with bag handles as she carried five bags on each arm, her skin turning red from the friction but Evie didn't seem to mind as she smiled widely with the daughter of Sleeping Beauty.

Audrey was dressed in a similar style then she usually does, with her light pink dress hugging her curves as she strutted next to Evie, her smile wide as Evie talked about the times she and her friends would play games on the Isle Of The Lost. Audrey's dress was tight and a light pink, the heart neckline being low but still sophisticated as her lace sleeves stopped at her elbows. Audrey's shoes were the same as Evie's but slightly higher as Evie was naturally taller then most people she came in contact with around her age. Audrey's hair was the same as Evie's, her brown hair curled loosely at her shoulders as it falls down her back in slight curls.

The girls were just finishing their shopping day before they both went to Castle Beast to have an anniversary dinner for Queen Belle and King Adam's anniversary of twenty-one years of marriage. The former royals were only having a quiet dinner to mark the occasion with close family which consisted of the VK's and their friends and Mal had asked the couple if Audrey could come because of her ever-growing relationship with the daughter of Sleeping Beauty. The former rulers agreed happily, having heard many stories about how Audrey had changed from the once vain princess she used to be to the giving and pure-hearted princess she was now, with the generous help from Mal and her friends.

"So this boy starts bullying Carlos and then I walk up to him and just smile. And I swear Audrey, he almost fall and instantly he started flirting with me!" Evie laughed which caused Audrey to laugh along with her. The two were currently walking towards their last store on the list -a formal dress shop at the corner of the street- as they talked about all the past relationships the two girls had had in their lives. Evie, of course, had more stories to tell then Audrey did but Audrey held her own, with embarrassing stories of Chad Charming as he tried to get Audrey to date him without breaking up with him. "A week later, he still hadn't stopped staring at me so I did the one thing I knew how- I pretended to date someone else"

"Who?" Audrey laughed as the two walked into the store, the employees watching the two teens curiously as they laughed together like newly reunited, best friends.

"Jay" Evie exclaimed with laughter, the two girls giggling at the image of the son of Jafar dating the daughter of the Evil Queen as they moved towards the blue and pink dresses at the back of the store. "You should of seem his face when I asked Jay to date me. I had to step on his foot just for him to understand what I was saying. I was his first real relationship and it lasted two hours" Evie states proudly which caused Audrey to laugh more as they looked through the ranks of clothes, all ranges of pinks and blues.

"You know I have loved doing this. You are so much better to talk to than my other friends" Audrey complemented which made Evie smile happily at the daughter of Sleeping Beauty. Audrey reached over and pulled Evie into a one-handed hug, the blue-haired teen wrapping her arm around Audrey's waist to pull the girl closer.

"Me too. I swear Mal doesn't know the difference between a dress and a jump-suit" Evie laughed as she pulled away from Audrey who giggled in agreement.

"yea, but you have to love her"

"Yea"

"MOM" A voice shouted from the other room, breaking Audrey out of her memories involving the blue-haired princess they had lost hours ago, and instead thrusting her back into the real world- allowing her enough time to watch Uma wipe her eyes quickly and stand up before anyone else, moving towards the ajar bathroom door. Uma turned around quickly after hearing footsteps behind her, which belonged to Mal as the purple-haired teen rushed towards Uma, being followed closely behind by Jane, Lonnie and Audrey.

"Please, let me" Uma begged as she looked pointedly at Mal who opened her mouth to protest but quickly stopped when she saw the small tears forming in the corners of Uma's eyes as loud sobs echoed from the other room. "I want to do this, for Dizzy and E. Please Mal" Mal nodded slowly as she turned to the others nodding back at the arm-chairs, in front of the still blazing fire. Uma quickly turned around and opened the bathroom door fully, before rushing into the other room, where Dizzy was supposed to be peacefully sleeping, and turning on the lights, closing the door behind her as she took in the sight in front of her.

Dizzy was curled up in a ball on top of her bed, her knee's pressed tightly into her chest as she cried into her knee's, soaking the new fabric of her PJ's as she shook violently. Her mattress was thrown around, with half of it hanging off the edge of the bed and her pillows soaked through by sweat or tears -Uma couldn't tell- as Dizzy closed her eyes tightly. It broke Uma's heart into a million tiny pieces -worse then what her mother ever did to her- as she looked at the once confident girl she had grown up listening to Evie talk about constantly, now shaking on her bed because of -what Uma could only think of- a nightmare. It pained Uma most knowing that she was unable to protect Dizzy from her dreams and that she could only hold the girl when she cried in her arms until she falls asleep, into an inevitable nightmare filled sleep.

Uma rushed to Dizzy's side and quickly sat next to the little girl, gently placing her hand on Dizzy's shoulder as to not scare the girl, but what happened next shocked Uma. Dizzy violently pushed Uma's hand off like it was fire -ready to burn her skin from one single touch- and sat up, moving away from Uma quickly. "I'm not going to hurt you Diz. I promise you, I won't leave until you are okay again" Uma promised, extending her hand out to Dizzy who shook her head, no, at the gesture.

"Everyone leaves through," Dizzy said quietly, pain evident in her eyes as she sat up on her bed. Dizzy pushed her legs into her chest, placing her chin on her knee's as tears flooded down her rosy cheeks. "Mom said she wouldn't leave, but she did. My biological mom doesn't love me and I don't even know my father. I left my whole life on the Isle Of The Lost and I wish I could just... I just wish I could go back and forget everything that happened" Dizzy signed into her knee's which broke Uma's heart.

"Dizzy, that's not true. You are an Auradon girl, just like E. I know it's hard to fight something you have been told all your life as I know you have. I think I am to blame because I filled your head with stories about how the good people always win and they live 'happily ever after' from such a young age" Uma started which made Dizzy look up as she saw the small tears gather in Uma's dark brown eyes as she spoke.

"It's hard. To grow up with people you love and trust telling you that we are the good guys and that we should have our own 'happily ever after' as well as the heroes and then have someone you love go away. I did this to you because I was the one who told you all those stories that filled your childhood and I'm so sorry about that. You didn't deserve that and for that I am sorry but I made a promise to Evie a long time ago and that was that I would protect all of you. I promise that just because I failed you for so long, that I would not fail you again or everyone else." Uma continued confidently as Dizzy unwrapped her arms from around her legs and moved to be closer to Uma who was wiping her eyes clean with her fingers.

"I know that it's going to be difficult for you but I promise that I will always make sure that everyone in our family is okay" Uma continued as she extended her arms out for Dizzy who smiled sadly through her tears and moved into Uma's lap, her arms wrapped around Uma's waist while she buried her face into Uma's chest. Uma smiled sadly as she ran her fingers through Dizzy's hair, pressing a gentle kiss on top of Dizzy's head as she signed deeply. "I love you, Diz. Never forget that"

"I won't. I love you too... auntie Uma"

Uma smiled sadly at Dizzy's words before turning her head towards the large windows in the room which gave the daughter of Ursula the greatest view of the heavens that sparkled brightly on top of the dark blanket of night that they were cuddled upon. And as Uma stared at one magical star, in particular, she made a promise to anyone who was listening; that she would protect her friends and family no matter the cost and never let them down. And after watching the second star to the right twinkle brightly -like encouragement from the gods to fulfil her promise- she knew that what Audrey said was true.

Evie truly was a star. The second star to the right, and straight on till morning.

Dark brown eyes shot open as the princess gasped for air, her body jolting up as she breathed heavily. The brown eyes looked around the room in confusion, expecting to see her normal dorm room or at the very least, her friends and family but instead she saw neither of those things. The room the princess was in was large and spacious -fit for a princess she thought happily- with walls coloured a dark blue and bordered all the way around with sparkling gold. The light wood floor complemented the white paint on the vanity table that was opposite the dazed princess as her eyes scanned over the contents of the table. Half used perfume bottles of some of the princesses favourite sents and new red lipsticks graced the vanity table and pictures of family members lined the mirror as the princess stared at them each intently. Something felt familiar with the pictures but she couldn't put her figure on it and it was starting to freak her out, so her eyes began to wander again until they set upon a pair of grand doors, each side by side and lined with gold- like the rest of the room.

Taking off the silk quilt that covered her body, the princess noticed that she was no longer bleeding or in the clothes she fought Ursula in. Evie's hair still reached the bottom of her back as she sat at the edge of her bed and still held it's orange and blue colouring that she no longer had to hide from the world anymore -considering they already knew about it from when she fought Ursula and used her magic to change her outfit. Evie's mouth hung open in shock as she looked down at the long black dress that she was now dressed in.

The top of the dress was made entirely of lace and sheer fabric that allowed some of the princesses skin to be shown but still kept her sophisticated as her sleeves ended at her wrists- with a piece of lace wrapping itself around the base of her thumb so the sleeves didn't rise as she moved her arms. The dress then fanned out into a knee-length black skirt that matched the colour of the top of the dress but also had a small, thin, black and sparkly band wrapped around her waist. There was also a long trail on the back of the dress that flowed behind Evie as she stood up, the trail wrapping around her as she moved left and right. The sheerness of the trial matched that of the top half of the dress but the large ruffles allowed the fabric to be opaque. Evie's gold heels clicked on the wooden floor as she moved, the four-inch high-heels adding to Evie's height and making her smile as she twirled around the room.

"Wait," Evie said to herself as she stopped moving and looked around the room, "Where are my friends?" Evie muttered as she moved towards the large grand doors on the other side of the door, pulling on them but failing to open them. "Let me out!" Evie shouted as she pounded on the seemingly locked door, waiting for someone to answer her pleas.

After a couple of minutes, she heard a small click from the door and a sign as she moved backwards and prepared for anyone who was about to walk into the room. The doors opened and Evie was surprised to find that it was a knight in shining armour and a long sword that was attached to his hip by his belt. The knight looked confused for a moment until his eyes locked with Evie's who instantly held her head up high and narrowed her eyes at the intruder- trying to ignore the pang of panic that hit her heart upon seeing the stranger.

"Who are you and where am I?" Evie demanded to know as she stepped closer to the knight who looked at the princess confusingly. How can she not remember? the knight wondered as he looked into Evie's shining eyes that were glowing with a fire that could be the Underworlds flames to shame. "Where are my friends? What have you done with them? Speak!" Evie commanded when the solider didn't say a word.

"His Majesty has requested that your royal highness stays in your chamber until his meeting has ended" the knight responded which made Evie scoff in annoyance. Requested she thought amusingly, we will see about that.

"Where is this king?" Evie asked definitely, "I wish to speak to him" Evie was not about to be bossed around by some king that she doesn't even know the name of when her friends were who knows where and probably worried about her! The knight stumbled for as Evie stepped closer, not used to the pang of fear that wrapped itself around his heart as Evie moved closer to him, her dress trailing behind her as her heels clicked against the wooden flooring. "Tell me or I swear on everything beautiful, that I will burn down this inter castle with one single wave of my hand. I am not in a cheerful mood" Evie was bluffing of course as she didn't even know if her magic even worked where she was but the knight didn't know that- evident by the scared look edged into his features.

"He is in the throne room, just down the corridor-" before the knight could finish, Evie strutted past him and down the hallway, paying no mind to the onlookers who stared at the princess in disbelieve before dropping into a low curtsy as she moved past them. Evie walked towards the large doors that were located at the end of the corridor, lined with gold as they stood proudly in front of Evie. The blue-haired teen signed before pushing open the doors, her eyes widening at the beautiful senary around her.

The giant room was almost three times bigger then the room Evie had woken up in and was made entirely out of stone. Large pillars lined the long black carpet in the middle of the room and acted as support beams for the giant roof that had three chandeliers that hung above certain parts of the black carpet- pacifically the start, end and middle. Groups of people were group together at the sides of the room, each surrounding a large circle table that was filled with -what looked like- important documents that the men and women were talking about. Three of these tables lined each side of the room and one large, rectangular table stood at the very back of the room, where men and women were sat with their backs towards Evie as they all looked up to the large throne in front of them. The throne was made initially out of sharp spikes and was a midnight black which matched the gloomy and mysterious vide of the rest of the castle from what Evie had seen so far.

The room instantly became quiet as people turned around to see who had just entered the room, causing Evie to plaster on a fake smile and continue her sturt down the black carpet, ignoring the hushed whispers from the groups of people as they bowed and curtsied to her. Eventually, she stopped just a couple of steps away from the long table and instead of raising her head to look up at the king she lowered it and dropped into a low curtsy. She may not have specifically liked the king, especially after he 'requested' that she stay in her room -as the knight put it- but she didn't forget her mother -and father's- teachings on respect. They taught her that if she wanted respect then she had to give the person respect first, a lesson she tries to teach everyone she meets by treating them with respect no matter what.

"Your Highness" Evie greeted as she kept her gaze lowered, fighting the urge to look up and start shouting questions about where she or her friends were and instead be calm and collected- even if she did want to yell at the king until her vocal cords snapped.

"Princess Evelyn" A deep voice greeted back which made Evie shiver as she heard no emotion in the man's voice. "I thought you were not allowed to leave your room until further notice" The king stated in amusement.

"With all due respect your highness I am not some animal to be copped up in a pen" Evie answered back before raising her head to look at the king who smiled in amusement. Evie tilted the head to the side as she looked at the young man who sat casually on the throne, his chin resting on his palm as he looked at Evie with amusement shining in his eyes. His skin was a light grey colour and his jawline was sharp, while his eyes were a bright yellow as he gazed down at Evie. His grey suit was fitting and his white button up top was half tucked in and half tucked out which let him rest his unused hand into his trouser pocket. Evie swore she had seen the man before, maybe not like he was now but she could have sworn that some of her earliest memories were filled with his bright yellow eyes. "Um...do I... know you?" Evie asked slowly as she looked at the king.

"Dad said you would be forgetful" The king jocked which made Evie scoff and turn her head to the side, her hair falling across her face as she rolled her eyes.

"Forgive me. I don't actually know where I am" Evie answered back as she looked back to the king. "Speaking of which, where are my friends? I have been here for Hades knows how long and yet, I haven't seen one familiar face apart from yours and I'm not even sure who you are" Evie added.

"You would think a princess would remember their step-brother" the king responded as he stood up, walking around the long table and towards Evie. The king extended his hand out to Evie who gently placed her hand in his, slowly rising up to her feet as she looked at the king properly.

"Hayden" Evie gasped in surprise which caused the king to nod in confirmation. Evie quickly wrapped her arms around Hayden's neck and quickly pulled him into a hug, her face buried in her step-brother's chest as he pulled his arms around Evie's waist. "I missed you so much" It was true, although Evie hadn't seen Hayden since her mother forbid her from seeing her fathers side of the family, she did miss the other side of her family. She loved the trips she would make to her father's castle where she and her step-siblings would play games and have family dinners together before Evie would have to go back to her mother's castle. Hayden was the eldest of her step-siblings but he also had two younger sibling -a girl who was thirteen years younger than him and Harris who was on the Isle and dating Oceana, which always made Hayden smile as he thought about the girl that made his brother happy- but he always protected Evie like they were biologically related.

When Evie's father and The Evil Queen got together, Hayden was three years old and his mother and their father were taking a break. After Evie was born, her father got back together with Hayden's mother and they got married and ten years later they had a beautiful little girl called Harley. Harley and Evie never met each other before but she heard some things from Harris and Oceana who got weekly reports from her father's kingdom.

"Everyone leave" Hayden commanded as Evie snuggled closer to her step-brother, signing in relief as he tightened his arms around Evie. Everyone quickly left the room after bowing and curtsying to the two royals as the two hugged, smiling widely when the large doors closed and they were finally alone. "I missed you so much, Blueberry. You have to tell me everything that has happened"

Evie and Hayden spent the next hour recapping on the past events. Hayden told Evie about his coronation that happened almost a month ago. The blue-haired princess felt a pang of sadness erupt in her heart after hearing that her older brother had had his coronation and became king without her help. When it came to Hayden, he was more of a silence-master and an athlete than a political genius and he often went to Evie for help about how to rule a kingdom, since she had grown up with her mother and father both teaching her different ways to rule. While The Evil Queen told Evie to follow her husband's directions and just focus on the feats and parties that they would throw, Evie's father and step-brother made sure that Evie felt like her voice was heard and appreciated which Evie was very thankful for.

Evie informed her brother about everything happening in her life and the changes that she has made to herself. After telling Hayden that she made a new business with her boyfriend -something that Hayden let slide as he didn't want to interrupt her flow of conversation as she described everything that has happened within the past six months- Evie then told him the last things she remembered before blacking out and waking up in her room. "So that's what happened. I don't remember anything else" Evie signed as she looked towards her lap, her eyes welling with tears at her last memories with her friends.

"Evie" Hayden started which made Evie sign in disappointment, already knowing that whatever Hayden was about to say would be hard. Hayden never called Evie by her true name unless it was a serious situation, especially considering that his favourite hobby as a child was to give people nicknames. "You are... dead. You fell and bleed out and now you are dead"

"Sure," Evie said sarcastically as she laughed. Evie turned to see the serious look on Hayden's face and stopped laughing, shaking her head in disbelief at the thought of her actually being dead. "Then how are you here? And everyone else? I'm not dead. I am just... asleep. Yea, I'm asleep" Evie added.

"We are in the Underworld remember and because I was born here, I don't have to die to actually stay here for a long period of time" Hayden started to explain. "Evie, your soul came down here but your body is still up there. You are classed as dead but I pulled some strings and saved you from the Lake Of Lost Souls. That's why everyone is bowing to you- because I told them that you were my sister and so you are a princess. But I'm sorry Blueberry. You may not be able to leave the Underworld"

"What about all my friends? Dizzy? Doug?" Evie asked as she turned to face her step-brother fully until an idea hit her. "Where's dad?" Evie asked which caused Hayden to sign.

"With mom and Harley in your old nursery" Hayden answered back which made Evie smile as she stood up and walked towards the large doors that were in the corner of the room.

"You coming or what? I have a couple of people to meet"

Okay, so this chapter may be a little confusing. So in this chapter, we deal with two things;
-how the VK's and the AK's are reacting to Evie's death plus some of Audrey's background information which will link together with future chapters.
-and that Evie's is not gone forever like everyone things.

So just to explain, in this chapter, Evie goes down to the Underworld and meets her step-brother who is King Of The Underworld and brothers with Harris, Hayden. You may be able to guess who Evie's father is and if not, the next chapter will kinda be based on Evie's biological family (not the VK's or AK's) finding out about her fate and trying to make it right. I know it may seem weird now but I promise that I do have a plan for this.

I read the comments from the last chapters and some people were really sad that Evie had died but she has returned. Evie is one of my favourite characters and it honestly pained me to write the last chapter but I had too. Mal and the VK's (plus the AK's) will learn about Evie's fate soon but it may be a couple of chapters until then so you may have to read a little about how the teenagers are really sad. Sorry :(

Thanks for reading and please favourite and comment so it tells me that you enjoy this book.