"Do you think something happened?" Krolia asked as she stared at the setting sun. She had been anxious all day since the day had begun. For today was the day where her son was to return home after eighteen years.

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Allura said with a smile as a maid walked in with a tray with tea on it. "There's still a little while until sundown."

"You're right," Krolia said turning from the balcony and sitting down on the couch across from Allura, the bottom of her red and white dress pooling at her feet. "I guess I can't help but worry."

"I understand," Allura said handing the anxious woman her cup of tea. "I'd be worried if anything were to happen to Lance."

"Where is he anyway? He should have been here a while ago," Krolia asked setting her cup down on the oak wooden table.

"I'm not sure," Allura said with a sigh. "He said he was going out for a ride with Pidge and Hunk but never said when he was coming back."

"He's always out riding," Krolia said with a smile. She meant it not in a bad way, she was glad the teen had a hobby he enjoyed doing, and with his friends.

"He always has, ever since he was given Blue by Coran," Allura said with a smile as she remembered the day Lance was given his precious horse. "You should have seen his smile."

"Forgive me for the intrusion Your Highnesses," a maid said as she entered the common room. "Lord Matthew Holt is here to go over your plans for the new castle."

"Send him in," Krolia said to which the maid nodded and headed out and went to collect man. Before Krolia could open her mouth to say another word the guard at the castle gate yelled out an announcement.

"His Royal Highness Prince Shiro!" Krolia turned to Allura and gave her a sheepish smile.

"Start without me?" she asked to which Allura nodded.

"Of course," Allura said with a smile to which Krolia returned as she stood up and headed out of the room to meet her son. That was when Matt entered the room.

"Only you today Your Highness?" he asked sitting down where Krolia had been sitting.

"Yes, Prince Shiro just arrived back home," Allura said with a nod.

"I see," Lord Jackson said with a smile. "Shall we start?"

"Of course," Allura said and watched Matt unroll the plans and sketches onto the table.

"I took your suggestion of the stained glass of the two prince's and spoke with the stained glass worker Rolo, and he was able to create a rough draft sketch."

"His Royal Highness Prince Lance!" the guard announced before Matt could pull the sketch out. Allura turned to Matt with a sympathetic smile.

"I'm sorry Matt, I'm afraid I must attend to my brother," Allura said to which Matt gave her a smile.

"No worries Your Majesty," Matt said standing up. "If Lance is back that means Pidge will be with him, I'll come with you."

"If you wish," Allura said standing up and brushing off her pink and white dress. "I imagine we'll meet your mother down in the courtyard as well?"

"If she has plans to dress Pidge up in a dress, probably," Matt said with a smile. The two exiting the room and heading down to the courtyard. On the way, they ran into Shiro and Krolia. Shiro was still dressed in his hunting clothes and bowed to Allura upon seeing her.

"Evening Your Highness," Shiro said with a smile. Allura smiled back and Shiro stood back up.

"Evening Shiro, how was hunting?" Allura asked, there were no servants around so she was free to call Shiro by his name only.

"It went well, we caught a few deer this time," Shiro said with a shrug.

"Off to see Lance?" Krolia asked as she heard the announcement by the guard a few moments ago.

"Yes, I need to talk to him about being on time," Allura said with a sigh and a nod. "We'll see you later?"

"Of course," Shiro said with a smile. There was still a few hours until the celebration of his younger brother's return and so he had a few kingly duties to attend to. He was given the throne 12 years after his brother was put into hiding after his mother felt he was ready.

"Then we'll be going," Allura said as she big the mother and son goodbye and walked with Matt down to the courtyard just in time to see Colleen dragging Pidge away from Lance and Hunk who just watched with smirks on their faces.

"Good evening Your Highness," Colleen said as she caught sight of Allura and Matt. "Matt, your father is waiting in the bedroom for you," Colleen said before dragging a struggling Pidge with her.

"I guess that's my cue, to leave, excuse me Your Highness," Matt said bowing to Allura before heading off to meet his father to get ready.

"I believe your mother is waiting in your guest bedroom Hunk," Allura said with a smile that dared Hunk to protest. Hunk just gave Lance a smile before walking off with a short bow to Allura.

"Allura I need to talk to you," Lance said turning to his sister who placed her hands on her hips.

"That makes two of us," Allura said giving her brother a glare. "Do you realize what time it is? You've been gone all day, you can't very well meet your future husband looking like that."

"Oh but I have met him," Lance said to which Allura's eyes widened.

"You what!? Where?"

"Once upon a dream," Lance said with a smile before he grabbed his sister's hands and started dancing with her while humming the song he and Akira sung earlier in the forest.

"Wait, Lance!" Allura yelled digging her heels in the cobblestone ground and stopping their dance. "Now," Allura said dusting her dress off. "What is this dream nonsense?"

"Allura it's not nonsense, I really did meet him."

"Prince Keith? Already? He's early," Allura said with wide eyes. "We must go and tell Queen Krolia," Allura said turning to find the queen. However, she was stopped by Lance.

"No, not Prince Keith," Lance said grabbing his sister's sleeved arm. "I never caught his name, I just know he was a peasant boy."

"A peasant!?" Allura asked to which Lance nodded.

"I'm going back to meet him and I'm gonna marry him," Lance said climbing on top of Blue.

"Lance wait," Allura said walking up beside Blue and grabbing Lance's arm. "What am I going to tell Krolia? This arrangement has been in the works since before Father died."

"I'm sure you'll think of something Allura," Lance said pulling his arm free. "You're good at politics," Lance said before giving his sister a smile and riding off.

"Lance!" Allura called out but Lance ignored her and continued towards the cottage.

Meanwhile, Nyma, Shay, and Florona had left the cottage with Keith in the middle of them. Keith hadn't really responded to them revealing themselves as being the fairy queens. In fact, he hadn't really said anything since they told him of his true identity. He hadn't spoken since he had been dressed in the black suit his aunts made for his birthday.

Before they left the cottage, they had gave him a long purple hooded cloak to wear to hide identity as they would be sneaking him into the castle. Nyma had also pulled out the dagger his mother had told them to give to him and explained that it was his mother's and that she wanted him to have a piece of her for when the time came. They managed to head to the side door they had walked out of when they first took Keith away and entered the castle.

"This way," Nyma said leading the pack up the stairs, Keith following behind her, followed by Shay and Florona in the rear. They stopped once they reached the top and froze upon seeing a guard walking by, hiding in the shadows until he had walked away.

"Is it clear?" Shay asked softly to which Nyma nodded.

"All clear," she said and the group continued down the hallway to the chambers that had been prepared for when Keith would return. They entered the door and Shay led Keith inside while Nyma and Florona watched the door.

"This way darling," Shay said softly as she led Keith into the bedroom.

The room was simple, a large bed with red blankets on it, purple carpets around the room, a desk in one corner, a vanity table, and a fireplace a few feet away from it. Bookshelves littered the room and a balcony sat to the far left of the room. Nyma headed in after the pair and Florona entered after her, closing the door behind her.

"Lock the door Florona," Nyma said taking over Shay's position. "Shay go close the curtains."

As the dark purple curtains were closed and the door locked, Keith was seated in front of the vanity which sat in front of a rounded mirror on the wall, his hood was pulled off to reveal the brushed through hair that had grown long throughout the years. Unlike his usual ponytail, it was left loose.

"This one last gift from us to thee," Nyma said turning to the other two fairies who pulled out their wands and used it to create a golden crown with red and blue jewels on it. "A symbol of thy royalty."

"A crown to wear in grace and beauty," Shay said with a small smile.

"As is thy right and royal duty," Florona finished as Nyma placed the crown on Keith's head. Keith just stared at the mirror for a few minutes before tears filled his eyes and he laid his head on his arms and started crying.

"Now dear," Shay started to say before Florona grabbed her arm and shook her head.

"We should let him be alone right now," Florona said softly to which the other two nodded and headed out of the room, closing the door behind them.

"It's that boy he met in the forest," Nyma said with a sigh.

"Whatever are we going to do?" Shay asked sending a worried glance towards the door.

Inside the bedroom, Keith pulled out the dagger from its brown sheath attached to the grey waist around his waist. The cold silver of the handle was the only indication that this wasn't a dream and he wouldn't wake up in the cottage and await the day the boy from the forest would return for him.

"Why," Keith said softly as he remembered the story Nyma told him, of how the dagger belonged to his mother. "Why did you send me away?" a single tear fell down his cheek as he stared at his reflection in the blade, he didn't even recognize himself anymore. With a growl and a glare towards the dagger, he placed it on the vanity and stood up, his cloak falling from his arms and on the chair he had been seated on.

Glancing around the room, Keith tried to find a way to escape the castle and make his way back to the cottage without his aunts knowing. However, he was unable to. He could climb out the window but there would probably be guards outside that would bring him back. As frustration built inside him he failed to notice the fire in the fireplace had gone out and that the witch Haggar stood in its place a black scepter in her hands, a purple glowing orb pulsing from the tip as a spell was cast.

Keith froze as he felt something overtake him. He slowly turned and the fireplace opened to reveal a hidden passageway. There was a hypnotic song echoing through his brain that seemed to draw him towards the floating purple orb. It slowly floated down the passageway, beckoning Keith to follow after it. As if it was calling his name, Keith followed slowly after it, lost in a trance. He walked right past Haggar who smiled and disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

"I don't see why he has to marry any old prince," Florona said glaring down at the floor. "He should be able to make his own choices."

"I wish we could help," Shay said with a sigh. "But it's not up for us to decide, this was decided before King Alfor of Altea died."

"I still find it stupid," Florona huffed.

"Maybe we should tell Queen Krolia about all this," Shay said. Neither of the two noticing the hypnotic song coming from the bedroom until Nyma froze.

"Wait! Listen," Nyma yelled silencing the other two. The three fairies froze before their eyes widened.

"Haggar!" the trio yelled before entering the room, their eyes widened seeing Keith following a glowing purple orb down a passageway.

"Keith!" the three yelled rushing after him.

"Oh why did we leave him alone?" Shay cried, their heels stomping against the ground as they rushed to grab Keith. However, the entrance closed behind Keith, thanks to Haggar's magic.

On the other side of the wall, the orb led Keith up a spiraling staircase. The orb letting out pulses every once in a while to keep the trance strong.

"It won't open!" Florona yelled as they tried to open it by force.

"Here," Nyma said waving her wand in the hopes that the entrance would open. Which it did. The fairies rushed into the passageway, blue, green, and pink lights emitting from their wands as they search desperately for their charge.

"Keith!?" Nyma yelled as they split up.

"Where are you?" Shay yelled, desperation filling her.

"There!" Florona yelled noticing a staircase. The trio rushed up the stairs yelling out Keith's name.

In the meantime, the orb had led Keith to the very top chamber of the stairwell where it stopped near the wall. The orb glowed for a few minutes more before turning into a spinning wheel. Despite all the spinning wheels in the kingdom being burned, Haggar still had her magic and created her own.

Keith continued walking towards it, unaware of Haggar watching behind him with a smirk on her face. The needle of the wheel calling out his name, beckoning him towards it. Keith reached out his arm and continued walking towards it. However, he was stopped by his aunts calling out to him through the haze of the spell.

"Don't touch anything!" they yelled which made Keith freeze and pull back his arm. Doubt starting to fill his mind and he started to slowly break through.

"Touch the spindle," Haggar growled out from behind, using her magic to strengthen the spell. "Touch it I say!" she ordered taking control over the prince more.

With that, Keith reach forwards and pricked his finger on the needle.

It was at that moment that Nyma, Shay, and Florona ran in and gasped seeing Haggar standing before them, a spinning wheel behind her.

"Did you really think you would win?" Haggar asked with a smile on her face. "Well," Haggar said grabbing the edge of her black cloak and pulling it to the side, revealing Keith on the ground. "Here's your precious prince."

"No!" Nyma yelled turning to shoot a spell at Haggar. However, the witch let out an evil laugh and disappeared into a cloud of purple smoke.

"Keith!" they yelled before running over to the unconscious prince, Florona picking up his fallen crown and holding it in her hands. As she kneeled beside Keith, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Oh I'll never forgive myself," Shay said as Nyma moved Keith's head to lay on her lap, tears slipping down their cheeks.

"We're all to blame," Nyma said softly, brushing the bangs out of Keith's closed eyes.

Outside, the last rays of the sun shone in the sky.

They had failed their mission.

Meanwhile, Allura entered the ballroom where the celebration was waiting to get started. Krolia was sitting on the throne beside Shiro who had gotten dressed in black pants, a white blouse, purple coat with silver on the sleeves, dark grey boots, and his crown on his head.

"There you are Allura," Krolia said with a smile as the young queen walked up beside her.

"Yes, apologies for arriving late," Allura said with a forced smile.

"Don't fret about it," Krolia said shaking her head. "Where is Lance? Shouldn't he be here?"

"Yes, um, about that," Allura said, her smile fading from her face. "We might have a little problem."

"What is-" Krolia was stopped midsentence when the fanfare played outside.

"The sun has set! Make ready to welcome Prince Keith!"

Cheers erupted throughout the castle. Fireworks were set up exploding in different colours. Krolia turned to her oldest son with a smile on her face. She could tell Shiro had relaxed since the announcement and she grabbed his hand in her own. Shiro turned to her and gave her a smile, one she hadn't seen since Keith was born.

"Almost there," Krolia whispered softly to which Shiro nodded.

"Almost."

As the kingdom celebrated, the three tearful fairies laid Keith on his bed and covered him with the thin blanket on top. They placed a bouquet of red roses on his chest and folded his hands over top.

"Poor Queen Krolia and Prince Shiro," Florona said as she walked onto the balcony and watched the fireworks explode, her heart heavy.

"They'll be heartbroken when they find out," Shay said wiping her tears with a handkerchief. However, that did little to stop her tears from falling from her eyes. Nyma was silent as she stood with her sisters before she turned to Keith and an idea came to her.

"They won't have to," Nyma said pulling her wand out and summoning their wings.

"They aren't?" Shay asked as their wings sprouted from their back once more.

"What do you mean?" Florona asked shivering as her wings appeared.

"We're going to put them all to sleep," Nyma said taking flight outside of the balcony. "They'll wake when Keith wakes back up," she said flying down to the crowd and using her magic to put everyone to sleep. Florona and Shay flying around and doing the same.

"Sleeping Prince fair,

Black of midnight in your hair

Eyes that shame the soft, purple violet

Dreaming of true love in slumber repose

One day he will come

Riding over the dawn

When you awaken to love's first kiss

Till then, Sleeping Prince, sleep on

One day you'll awaken to love's first kiss

Till then, Sleeping Prince, sleep on"

As Florona and Shay covered the outside, Nyma flew inside and took care of the ballroom. As she passed the royals sitting at the throne, she couldn't help but overhear the conversation.

"The problem is, that Lance has fallen in love with some peasant boy," Allura said with a yawn. Nyma froze and turned back to the Altean queen.

"Peasant boy? Who is he? Where did he meet him?" Nyma asked flew up beside Allura and shook her shoulder.

"Just some peasant boy he met," Allura said leaning against the throne as she felt more and more tired thanks to the spell.

"Where, where?" she asked to which Allura rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"Once upon a dream," Allura answered finally falling asleep.

"Once upon a dream?" Nyma asked in confusion. "Keith! Keith met Prince Lance!" she said making the connection and flying off to find Shay and Florona.

"Nyma?" Shay asked as she said Nyma frantically flying towards them. They had finished the spell and were confused on why the oldest looked so frantic.

"What is it?" Florona asked as Nyma grabbed their wrists and started to fly away from the castle.

"We have to get back to the cottage! Hurry!"