Although some members of the group- Brainy and J'onn, especially- were skeptical, Mon-El turned out to be just the guide they needed. Despite his carefree, somewhat heedless nature, he was able to think quickly on his feet and settle down to seriousness when the situation called for it. He fit seamlessly into their established dynamics too, joking easily with Winn and Kara, slightly scared of Alex (like everyone was) and cheerfully respectful of J'onn and M'gann. It was as if he always been a part of their little band, and Kara especially found herself drawn to him. He reminded her of a far more confident version of Winn- awkward, bumbling, sometimes clueless, but always with a heart of gold beneath.
Within three days, they had reached the mountains. As Mon-El picked their way through the treacherous landscape, pointing out pitfalls and dangers that only a Daxam native could have seen, Brainy kept his eyes open for landmarks he recognized. He seemed lighter, happier now that they were drawing closer to the home of his friends, and Kara was happy to see it. She worried, sometimes, about Brainy; no matter what they did to draw him in and make him a part of their ragtag little family, he always seemed a little bit distant, lost in a world of his own. It was good to see him talking more, even smiling every so often, coming a little further out of his shell. Maybe, by the end of this quest, he would let his guard down completely.
"We'll be there in a day or two," he announced finally, as the end of the week approached. "I recognize those three rock spires."
"What exactly are we supposed to be keeping an eye out for?" Mon-El asked. "I can't be sure I'm taking us in the right direction if I don't know what to watch for."
"A clearing," Brainy answered. "There's a little stream that flows through it, a few trees, a stand of berry bushes. And a cottage. It shouldn't be hard to spot once we get close."
He was right about that. The next day, as sunset was falling, they rode into the clearing he had described. Kara was awestruck by the perfect, picturesque beauty of the place. She could think of no better spot to find safe haven, and suddenly she realized why Brainy seemed so much happier here. Tucked away in this little idyllic corner of the world, you felt as if no problem anywhere else could ever reach you.
A wide smile broke out on Brainy's face as he swiftly dismounted his horse, tossing the reins over a branch. "Nia?" he called out. "Eve? It's me."
The cottage door flew open, and two women rushed out, one short and blonde and rosy-cheeked, the other tall and dark-haired. Both were smiling as they threw their arms around the huntsman. "I didn't know you were coming!" the dark-haired one cried as she pulled back from the embrace.
"Neither did I. Things happened rather suddenly after I reached the Luthor kingdom. Is Lena inside? I've brought guests who would very much like to speak with her."
The blonde looked over at their little group, her eyes widening. "So I see," she said. "Quite a few guests. I'd better pop into the kitchen and see if I can stretch dinner." She hurried away as they dismounted from their horses.
"Princess Kara of Kryptonia, meet Lady Nia Nal," Brainy said, as the dark-haired woman swept a graceful curtsy. "She's one of the magical friends I told you about."
"Are you some kind of fairy?" Kara asked. As far as she could tell, this woman was human.
But Nia surprised her. Snapping her fingers just as Cat might have done, she immediately vanished...until Kara glanced down and saw a much smaller Nia smiling up at her. "I'm a dwarf, actually," she said. "Distant cousins of fairies, you might say." She snapped her fingers again, returning herself to a normal size. One by one, Brainy introduced the other members of the group, and she greeted each one warmly before inviting them inside.
After so many weeks of being on the road, it felt strangely foreign to be inside a house again. The cottage was rustic but cozy, lit by crackling firelight and filled with the tantalizing aroma of fresh bread. As she had promised, the other dwarf, Eve, was bustling around the kitchen, setting the oaken table with the kind of food Kara hadn't seen since she'd left the palace- a roast chicken, soft white biscuits, fresh green salad and a warm berry pie in the center. It took a little creative maneuvering to circle enough chairs around the table so that they could all eat, but they managed it. Kara couldn't help but notice that one chair was empty.
Soft footsteps sounded on the stone staircase, and as one they all turned to look. Kara's eyes went wide.
There on the staircase was the girl whose portrait she had stared at so many times. She was the painting come to life, every bit as lovely as she had looked. But she looked different now, dressed simply instead of royally, with her black hair tied in a loose braid over her shoulder, her feet bare, and, most noticeably, the shadow of sadness gone from her face. Her cheeks were glowing and her eyes sparkled. She stopped short at the bottom of the staircase, a curious look on her features.
"I thought I heard voices," she said with a smile. Her own voice was lilting and musical with a light accent that Kara couldn't remember hearing in Lex's voice. "And Brainy, you're back! What is all this?"
"In a manner of speaking, Princess Lena," J'onn said, "we're ambassadors sent here on behalf of your brother."
Lena drew back, a crease appearing on her forehead. "Lex sent you after me?"
"He did," Kara answered. "But before you judge us for that, or assume we're here to harm you, let me tell you the whole story."
For what would hopefully be the last time, she poured out the story of the quest, with the others adding their own little remarks. She left nothing out except the cryptic warning Cat had given her about Kryptonia's imminent danger; she hadn't yet told the others about it, and it was not the time to reveal it now. Lena listened politely, asking a question here and there, but the look on her face was strange and unreadable. Whether or not she believed the story, whether or not she trusted them, Kara couldn't say.
When they had at last finished the story, the table was empty, the fire was burning low and the sun had vanished beneath the horizon, leaving the world in darkness. A long moment passed before anyone spoke.
It was Lena, finally, who broke the silence, folding her hands on the table in a way that gave away her royal upbringing. "So Lex really does want me back," she said half to herself. "But does he want me back because he misses me, or because he's gone down his mother's path and decided I'm a threat to his crown?" She drew a long sigh. "I'm assuming you've thought about my choices, Brainy. I'd appreciate some advice."
Brainy nodded. "I won't tell you what to do, Lena. That's your decision. What I will tell you is this. I think it would be very dangerous for you to be back in Lex's reach. He's a chaotic, unpredictable man. Maybe his motives for wanting to find you are pure and noble. But look at the way he decided to go about it- kidnapping and threatening another kingdom's princess until she agreed to do as he asked, and threatening to declare war on a currently defenseless kingdom if she broke her word. Who knows whether he would have carried out that threat, but just the fact that he made it- that should tell you something about the kind of man he is. I recognize that he's your brother. I recognize that the pair of you were close. But you can't let that closeness blind you, Lena. You cannot trust him."
"I never met Lex Luthor," Mon-El interjected, his voice for once earnest, emphasizing the importance of his words. "I don't know your situation. But I'm also a royal on the run, princess. And I'll tell you right now that if I ever got word that my parents were looking for me, I'd run as far and as fast as I could. When you turn your back on that life, there's usually not a good reason why someone might want you back in it."
Lena bowed her head for a moment, fixing her gaze on her lap as her folded hands quivered slightly. When she looked back up at the rest of them, her mismatched eyes glimmered with the sheen of unshed tears.
"You're probably right," she whispered. "Both of you. But I-" Her voice broke. Nia reached out and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, and after a moment the princess steeled herself and went on.
"Since I've come here to this cottage, I've heard not a word from Lex. He never even made an attempt to search for me, not until now. Eventually, I...I suppose I resigned myself to the fact that my disappearance was a happy accident for him. A way to take the crown without having me to stand in the way. He may not have contributed to it, not like Lillian did, but he used it. At least, that's what I told myself. That's why I was content to stay here. But what if...what if it's not like that? What if he's looking for me because he really does want me back? I'll admit he went about it in the wrong way, but what else could you expect from a Luthor? If there's a chance I could have my brother back, a chance I could help my people instead of just abandoning them...what if I could temper Lex, so to speak? What if my presence there stops him from doing the things his family is known for? What if I could save lives? What if I could save him? Is it really wise just to throw all that away because we suspect he may be lying? Shouldn't we give him a chance?"
"Kal said the same thing," Alex pointed out. "It almost ended in tragedy."
"But Lex has had a rivalry with Kryptonia since as long as I can remember. It'd be different for me. I'm his sister."
"You're still a threat to his throne," Mon-El said.
"Besides," Brainy put in, "you're forgetting one thing. Lillian. We've assumed she's dead, and she's given us no reason to think otherwise, but what if she isn't? If you reveal yourself to the rest of the world, you'd potentially be revealing yourself to her."
"She'll already know. She's a magic-wielder, remember? As soon as I leave this cottage, as soon as I'm too far away for Nia and Eve to shield me, she'll know exactly where I am. But if I was with Lex, he would never let her enter his kingdom. I'd be safe from her." She sighed again, biting her lip as her expression grew determined. "I'm sorry. I understand your caution, all of you, and I thank you for being so protective of me. But if there's a chance to get my old life back, I have to take it. I'm going home."
J'onn cleared his throat. "Then we'll take you," he said. "Eve, Nia, if you don't mind us staying the night, we'll be on our way in the morning."
The two dwarves nodded, but both looked uneasy about their friend's decision to leave their protection. Kara had to admit that she was nervous too. It would be good to be through with Lex, to focus solely on the dragon before disaster struck the home she loved, but she couldn't shake the feeling that the Luthor princess was making a serious mistake.