Volume Two: The Beckoning of Shadows

by gins-potter

The battle is over, they've won, and Bloom Peters knows she should feel on top of the world right now. But she just doesn't. Haunted by the memories of last year, Bloom returns to Alfea with a darkness growing within her that scares and taunts her. Part two of my Winx Club retelling for teenage audiences.

19. Royal Battlegrounds

Diaspro stood at the window and gazed over the dark palace grounds. She might have been standing within the castle's well-guarded walls, but her mind was with the renowned gemstone forest that lay sprawled before her. Each of its thousands of trees had been carefully modified to be encrusted with millions of the planet's natural resource and was said to be one of the most spectacular wonders of the planet. It was breathtaking during the day, when the sunlight made the gemstones sparkle so tremendously that the sight often struck people into silence, but maybe that was why Diaspro preferred it during the night hours, with its much more muted beauty.

During the day the area was practically infested by crowds. Although it was only open to the public a handful of days a year - making the tickets so astronomically expensive that only the wealthiest among the upper classes could afford them anyway - there was always someone visiting the area; visiting dignitaries treated to a tour, royal advisers escaping the work waiting for them in the palace, and any number of Diaspro's cousins trying to impress their latest partner.

She eyed the dark trees now, the light from the moon and palace windows creating only the occasional sparkle amongst the gemstones, and wondered what it would be like to get lost amongst them where no one could find her again.

"Dee-Dee?" a voice spoke up from behind her and Diaspro automatically bristled at the abhorred nickname.

But when she turned it was to find her younger sister, Amethyst, the only person who could get away with calling her that, standing there waiting. She softened and watched as the eight year old fidgeted with the puffy sleeves of her gown, tugging at the tight elastic cutting into her arms.

"Enough of that," Diaspro admonished gently, brushing her hands away from the expensive fabric.

"It's too tight," Amethyst complained with a frown.

Diaspro clucked her tongue and moved closer. "You have to get used to it, it's part of being a Princess," she said, before gesturing for Amethyst to turn. "You're about to take it off anyway."

She crouched down, the hem of her own long gown pooling on the ground around her, so she could undo the line of buttons down her sister's back. Once they were undone, she stood again and nudged Amethyst towards the bathroom where her nightgown was waiting.

"Go on, and don't forget to wash your face. I'll tuck you in if you're quick."

Amethyst hurried away and Diaspro cast a final longing look out the window before fussing over her sister's large bed, pulling down the covers and putting aside the many throw pillows that decorated it. Technically Amethyst had a veritable army of staff who could be doing this for her, as all members of the Juvel royal family did, but Diaspro had sent them away. Usually the lessons forced upon her by her parents meant that she rarely got to spend time with her sister, seeing her only at breakfast if she was lucky, but she had finally been granted a break to enjoy the start of the spring season and she planned on using it to spend as much time with Amethyst as she could.

"How long until your classes start again?" Amethyst called from the depths of the bathroom.

Diaspro sighed and smoothed a hand over the velvety soft blanket. "Only a couple of days."

Amethyst appeared in the doorway, clad in a white nightgown with her hands planted firmly on her hips. "That's not nearly long enough for everything I had planned," she cried indignantly and even went so far as to stomp her foot.

This time, Diaspro chuckled and crossed the room in a swirl of skirts to scoop her sister up, swinging her around.

"Oh no," she murmured, depositing her sister on the bed and bypassing the step that had had to be built into the side just so Amethyst could scale its height. Logically, Diaspro knew the bed was much too big for her tiny sister, but that was the Juvel royal palace to a tee; dripping with wealth to the point of dysfunction. "Whatever will we do?"

Standing on the mattress as she was, Amethyst was slightly taller than Diaspro, and folded her arms with a frown. "Be serious, Dee-Dee. This is a tragedy."

Diaspro cupped her hands around her sister's arms, thumbs smoothing over the red lines left by the dress. She summoned the smallest amount of magic to heal the marks and made a mental note to talk to the royal seamstress about new dresses; she thought about how quickly her sister was growing and felt her heart squeeze painfully in response.

Diaspro nodded at the pillows. "We'll just have to find a solution for the tragedy in the morning. Now, under the covers."

Amethyst flopped down with a sigh, her long blonde curls spilling over the pale lilac sheets. Diaspro turned away, setting about the room to draw the curtains and extinguish the lights.

She hadn't yet found the courage to confide in her sister about the whispers she'd heard about the palace. The whispers that hinted at a plan hatched by her parents and their closest advisers to send her to Eraklyon under the guise of learning more about foreign diplomacy. But Diaspro suspected the true reason was because her parents weren't giving up on her and Sky's engagement so easily. Eraklyon might have been their closest neighbour but the thought of being so far from her sister for an indefinite period of time made her sick to her stomach.

"Dee-Dee," Amethyst said quietly once the room was dark, only illuminated by the light from the hallway.

Diaspro hummed, crossing the room back to the bed.

"Sing to me?"

Diaspro's lips twisted wryly; Amethyst had to be the only person in the universe who would voluntarily ask her to sing for them. Not that her voice was bad, it was fine, just fine, much to the chagrin of her mother and the vocal teacher that had been inflicted upon her for years. No matter how many lessons she took, how many hours she'd worked at it, her voice had remained stubbornly plain.

The refusal was practically on her lips when Amethyst, violet eyes nearly glowing in the darkness, said, "Please?" and Diaspro felt herself melt.

She didn't need to ask what Amethyst wanted her to sing as she perched on the edge of the bed. She sang the same tune every time Amethyst managed to wheedle a song out of her. She took a second to adjust her skirts, stroke a hand over her sister's hair, just to procrastinate.

"Dee-Dee," Amethyst said impatiently, sleep starting to creep into her voice, and Diaspro smiled.

'The life of a princess

From her birth is well-defined.

She must humbly serve her kingdom

Play the part she's been assigned.

She guards the hopes of her people

Weak and mighty, rich and poor

Who could ever ask for more?'

Amethyst's eyes flickered closed and her breathing turned slow and deep as Diaspro whispered the last line of the song to herself once more.

"Who could ever ask for more?"

The last of the tension drained from Amethyst's body as she gave in to the pull of sleep. Diaspro stroked a final hand over her curls before standing and making her way to the doorway and hallway beyond. She took pains to shut the door quietly behind her, not wanting to disturb her sister, and lingered over the doorknob longer than was probably necessary.

"Your Majesty?" a voice queried, and Diaspro shivered delicately at its gentle tone.

She finally turned away from the door to face the Juvel Royal guard waiting for her. A perfectly tailored blood-red uniform, armoured plates of an impenetrable diamond and fortituceum compound, gold gauntlets that protected her forearms, the woman was the perfect image of a royal guard. Still, Diaspro couldn't help but notice more details like the ponytail of dark hair that flowed from beneath her gold helmet, the green eyes that were the only indication of her Juvel heritage, the sensual mouth that lifted in a slight, questioning smile. The guard's bronzed features, gifted to her from her Linphean born mother, set her apart from the wider Juvel population who nearly exclusively boasted blonde hair and fair skin.

That's why the guard caught her attention so often, Diaspro told herself. That and her youth, barely out of school and already a member of the Royal Guard. Those reasons and no others.

"Can we escort you to your room, Princess?" she asked. Her companion, a male guard who might as well have been a statue for all the life he showed, said nothing.

But Diaspro's earlier longing for the forest outside flared again as the palace felt suddenly stifling. She couldn't blame the weather, for even though spring was upon them, Juvel wouldn't truly feel its warmth for weeks yet, but still Diaspro was struck by the sudden need to feel a breeze on her flushed cheeks.

"I'm not ready to retire quite yet," she heard herself say, voice measured despite the pressure weighing down her chest.

Still she stared at the woman, the guard's head tilting minutely, and Diaspro's fingers ached to lift the helmet away, to be able to look into her eyes uninhibited and discover what the girl was thinking.

"A walk around the grounds, I think."

Finally the male guard stirred. "Your Majesty, it's not recommended-"

But Diaspro was already walking away, leaving the two guards no choice but to follow her. She strode through the quiet palace, free for once of its usual hustle and bustle, and she found herself glad for it; Diaspro didn't think she could endure any of her painful family members or nosey courtiers when she was feeling as off-balance as she was.

She pushed open the glittering glass doors at the end of the hallway and stepped out onto the large paved patio, her heels clicking on the large squares of ruby. One of the squares alone could likely feed a family for a year and yet the occupants of the Juval palace walked over them as if they were nothing.

The male guard walked out after her and stepped to one side neatly, keeping a careful watch of his charge from a respectful distance away, while the female guard kept pace with Diaspro, following her to the railing where Diaspro could get an even closer look at the gemstone forest. She gazed out over the trees, not once glancing sideways at the guard who hadn't even removed her helmet. They were both all too aware of the other guard's eyes on their backs.

"I might be on Eraklyon by the end of the year."

Diaspro wasn't sure what made her say the words, but she knew from the lack of response from the guard that she'd already known.

"They've already started assembling the team that will go with you," she said, confirming Diaspro's suspicions.

Her breath caught in her throat; her parents were truly sending her away then. Away from her sister, away from her home, away from her people.

"I'm going to put my name forward for the team," the guard continued, and Diaspro's heart stuttered in her chest.

Away from her sister, away from her home, away from her people, away from the constantly watching eyes. Somewhere where she might finally get a sliver of a chance to be herself.

The ember of hope in her heart flickered and held for a single, perfect moment, before harsh reality came crashing back in, blowing it out again. She would be going from one cage to another, one set of eyes to another.

Diaspro couldn't even look at the guard; that way madness lay.

She closed her eyes and forced herself to speak. "You shouldn't."

Finally the guard looked at her, and Diaspro could sense her shock through the visor of her helmet. "Diaspro…" she whispered.

"I need air," Diaspro gasped, eyes flying open and she turned to the stairs that would take her down to the grass.

But before she could reach them, a hand caught her arm, holding her still, and suddenly the other guard disappeared from the world, the palace, her family, all her problems disappeared. There was only her touch.

Her hands were rougher than Diaspro's, callused from years of working outside and then with a sword, and yet Diaspro never wanted to forget the feel of them sliding over her skin.

"Talk to me," she whispered brokenly, and Diaspro's heart wrenched.

She angled her head towards the guard, not trusting herself to face her properly, and allowed herself to say her name. "Jade," she said quietly, but not weakly, and a shudder passed through the young woman. "You need to let me go."

Diaspro wasn't just talking about her hand on her arm and they both knew it, but still Jade nodded jerkily and finally let her go, mouth flat and face still hidden as she stood motionless, watching as Diaspro raced down the stairs. What the other guard thought of the entire scene, Diaspro didn't know, and she could only pray that it wouldn't get back to her parents or anyone else.

Feeling quite unlike herself, Diaspro kicked off her heels and jogged across the cold grass, uncaring for once, about the hem of her gown as it caught on the stray stick. Within minutes she had disappeared between the trees, darkness closing in around her. Her guards would be worried, Jade would be worried, but Diaspro wasn't worried; there was still the strongly guarded and reinforced wall that bordered the entire estate, she could feel its presence pressing in on her.

All these people constantly surrounding her, and she still felt so alone, kept from the ones she truly cared about. And soon she would be on Eraklyon, even further from them. And even if it wasn't Sky, her parents would marry her off eventually, and then her sister, and Jade would go on to do other things, and she would be alone, forever.

Diaspro closed her eyes and leaned against a tree, trying to take comfort in the sharp edges of the gemstones against her back. They were warm and she could feel them calling to her and her power.

Lonely, she realised, pressing her lips together to stop them from trembling. She was desperately lonely.

Unbidden, the memory of Bloom from the previous spring rose in Diaspro's head.

"If you ever want to hang out or talk, just send me a message, yeah?"

Diaspro couldn't believe she was considering it, she'd even told Bloom at the time that that wasn't really her thing, but all of a sudden her phone was in her hand and Bloom's connectix profile was on the screen. Her thumb hovered over the envelope next to Bloom's name, the little icon tempting her to open a new chat thread.

"If you ever want to hang out or talk…"

Releasing a sigh of frustration, Diaspro tapped the envelope, bringing up the empty thread. Right at the same time a hand clapped around her mouth, cutting off the yell of surprise before it could fully emerge. A bag was yanked over her head, sentencing her to darkness, as more bonds wound around her waist, pinning her arms to her sides causing her phone to tumble out of her hand and to the grass. The chat thread remained empty, tauntingly so, shining up at the moon as Diaspro was hauled away.

---

The end of the term couldn't come soon enough in Bloom's opinion as she stood under a rain cloud, getting steadily soaked as the class watched on.

"And so, as Musa has just demonstrated," she said through gritted teeth, cutting her friend a glare. "Continuing to add spells to your arsenal is incredibly important in becoming a well-rounded fairy."

Musa winced. "Right, I read about this technique and kept practising it until I could do it perfectly." She hurriedly dismissed the cloud that she had conjured over Bloom's head, not that that did much to alleviate her friend's dripping. "And that concludes our presentation."

Palladium clapped his hands together, the rest of the class joining in, while Musa and Bloom returned to their seats.

"Some very good points raised, girls. And nice job everyone, I know it isn't fun to be doing presentations in the last class of the term. Enjoy your break, and remember, we'll go back to perfecting our convergence when we resume class after the break."

The class scrambled to their feet as the final bell rang while Bloom miserably wrung out her hair. Stella tutted gently at the rough treatment and conjured a beam of sunlight instead to help dry Bloom off.

"Thanks," she said begrudgingly, standing and swinging her backpack over her shoulder.

"Sorry B," Musa said when Bloom's grumpy expression didn't quite abate. "Those clouds can be a little temperamental. Are you all packed and ready for your trip to Eraklyon?" she asked, changing the subject in an attempt to lift Bloom's mood.

"I'm packed," Bloom said as they made their way to the door, waving to Palladium as they left. "I'm not sure I'll ever be ready to meet Sky's parents."

Truthfully, she'd been surprised that Sky had asked her to spend spring break at his family's palace at all. Things had been slightly strange between them ever since Avalon had lifted Darcy's spell off her a few weeks prior. Sky understood that she hadn't been completely in control of herself across those days, and had even apologised to her for not realising something was wrong sooner, but Bloom could still feel what had happened in his dorm room sitting between them, still not completely addressed.

So she'd been surprised by the invitation but eager to accept, hoping they might find time while on the trip to actually talk about it and clear the air.

"They're going to love you, Bloom," Stella assured her, but Bloom couldn't help but notice the blonde's bitter expression.

She knew her friend had been hoping that Brandon might also invite her to Eraklyon to meet his family. But he hadn't. And it seemed Stella wasn't quite over it.

"I guarantee that you're going to have a better break than I am," she continued. "I was hoping to spend some time with my Mum on Celestia, see how she's settled back in, but Dad's advisors have got every spare second scheduled."

"Maybe you can sneak off for a few days," Musa said optimistically.

"Yeah, maybe," Stella grumbled, before making a visible effort to shake off her bad mood. "You're spending it at home with your Dad right?"

"Yeah, the tour he's been managing is over and he's actually making an effort to spend the break with me."

"That's great, Musa," Layla said warmly. The other girls already knew she was going home to Andros but every time they tried to ask her about it, the expression on her face told them that the less said about that, the better.

"Well, I'm staying here to keep the pixies company," Tecna put in. "My whole family will be working through the break so there's not much point going home."

They reached their dorm and the other girls hurried ahead, ready to dive into their break as soon as possible, but Flora couldn't help but notice Bloom hanging back, seemingly lost in thought.

"Did you figure out what you're going to wear, Bloom?"

She'd seen her friend irritably going through her dresses while packing for the trip, looking for something appropriate for the colder climate on Eraklyon. Not to mention their conservative court.

Bloom grimaced. "I'm just going to have to wear my dress from the back to school dance. I can't afford to get a new dress every other day like Stella."

Flora's eyebrows lifted in surprise but she let the remark slide without comment. "I'm sure you'll look lovely."

Bloom sighed, wrapping her hands around her elbows. "Sky's relationship with his parents is tense enough, I don't want to do anything to make it worse."

Flora's heart ached at seeing her friend so worried. "Why don't I come with you?" she blurted out before wincing. Had this been months ago she would have offered without thinking about it, but lately it had been hard to predict how Bloom would react to just about anything.

But she blew out a sigh of relief when Bloom looked at her gratefully, and said, "Really? You don't want to go home?"

"My parents are working anyway," Flora said, waving a hand airily.

As much as she had been looking forward to hanging out with her sister and being on Linphea again, Flora was worried about what might happen to Bloom without someone around to look out for her. She would have Sky and Brandon of course, but Flora wasn't sure they completely understood just how bad things had gotten.

"Flora, that would be so amazing. Just to know I'd have one more person in my corner."

And then, surprising Flora, Bloom pulled her into a tight hug and Flora knew she'd made the right decision.

"We don't mean to interrupt, ladies," a teasing voice spoke up from further down the hall and they broke apart, spinning around to find Sky and Brandon walking towards them.

Brandon, who had been the one to speak, tossed them a grin and a two-fingered salute before slipping into the dorm to find his girlfriend, while Bloom hurried forward to slip her arms around Sky's neck.

"Hey," she breathed as his arms settled around her waist, holding her to his chest. "You're early."

"Was hoping to beat the inter-realm traffic. Plus the ship my parents are sending will be arriving soon."

Bloom leaned back a little so she could gaze up at Sky's face. "I invited Flora to come with us, I hope that's alright."

Sky lifted one hand to wave around her concern, smiling warmly at Flora. "The more the merrier."

"I'm just worried I won't have anything to wear to meet a King and Queen," Flora said, worrying at her bracelet.

"It's just a casual dinner," Sky assured them both as he and Bloom finally pulled apart and they made their way into the dorm. "I'm sure you'll both look lovely no matter what you wear."

"You're such a guy," Bloom said, a touch more bite to her words than normal. Sky stiffened slightly but Bloom didn't seem to notice, "You can just chuck on jeans and a t-shirt and everything will be fine." She rolled her eyes at Flora and her friend smiled awkwardly back.

"Wardrobe issues?" Brandon asked from where he was standing in the middle of the common room with his arms crossed. Stella was nowhere to be seen.

"Just a little," Flora sighed.

Tecna, sprawled on the lounge, looked up from the book she was perusing. "Eraklyon is considered fairly conservative compared to somewhere like Magix or Linphea. And at this time of year, quite a bit colder too. I'd advise selecting your outfit carefully."

Bloom raised her eyebrow at Sky. "See?"

Sky glanced at Brandon inquiringly. "Could your mum help us?"

Brandon frowned thoughtfully. "She'd probably have something. We'd have to go right there before seeing your parents though."

Sky's returning smile wasn't particularly joyful, as he said, "I don't think that will be a problem."

---

"Did Stella seem alright to you?" Brandon asked Bloom in an undertone, pulling her from her thoughts as the ship slowly descended towards the grounds of Eraklyon's royal palace. She'd been gazing out the window, trying to get as much as a look at Sky's home as she could through the moody clouds that surrounded them.

She glanced at Brandon, wondering how much she should reveal.

"I think she was expecting you to invite her along," she said, watching Brandon's face.

He kept his face carefully blank, not speaking for a moment. "I didn't really think to," he finally said, voice bland.

Bloom laughed. "Liar." She thought Brandon very much had a reason for keeping Stella away from Eraklyon and his family.

Brandon tossed her a funny look and moved away, and Bloom turned her attention back to the window. The castle was large and imposing, made of dark stone and incorporating a great deal of metal which was the planet's magical source. It and the surrounding grounds were technically beautiful, but the big black gates and thick wall that surrounded it all were imposing, and Bloom couldn't help but wonder at the kind of childhood Sky would have had within its walls.

Sky slipped into the space that Brandon had just vacated. "Nervous?" he asked, watching her face even as she kept her eyes on their surroundings.

Bloom's lips twisted into something of a smile. "Considering the first, and only, time your parents have ever seen me I was battling your fiancée? Very."

Sky squeezed her waist teasingly at the 'f' word but his tone was light as he said, "They'll love you. Maybe not outwardly," he amended when Bloom just raised her eyebrows. "They're not very inviting people, with anyone. Not even with me. Or each other." His hard laugh sounded forced and Bloom finally looked away from the window, touching his face briefly. "I learnt a long time ago not to take it personally."

Bloom wasn't so sure she believed that, not when she beheld the sadness swirling in his navy eyes, but unlike with Brandon, she let him have his lie.

"Just remember, chew with your mouth closed and you'll be fine!" Chatta boomed, zipping between them and breaking the moment. She hadn't been able to resist getting the chance to visit somewhere new, and Lockette had insisted on coming to support Bloom.

Bloom smiled thinly at the pixie. "I think I've got that one down."

"Just be yourself," Sky said, before his voice dropped a notch lower. "Don't turn yourself into someone else for them."

Bloom only had the chance to smile softly and nod before the pilot announced their imminent arrival. The change in Sky and Brandon was subtle but immediate. They both stood, expression blank, chins high, and shoulders back and as they made their way to the ramp, Bloom couldn't but notice how Brandon walked a step behind Sky. She exchanged glances with Flora, the other girl equally perturbed in the change of their friends, before they hurried after them, doing their best to mimic their posture.

Bloom wasn't sure who or what she expected to be waiting for them when they arrived on Eraklyon. Sky's parents, surely, and wasn't she nervous about meeting them in her jeans and cardigan which, while cute, wasn't exactly appropriate for meeting a King and Queen. Maybe a crowd of advisors and courtiers eager to see their Crown Prince after months away.

The reality, therefore, was somewhat underwhelming as the ramp lowered and revealed a sole advisor, an older, distinguished looking gentleman with white hair and beard, and impeccable presentation. A cold wind immediately nipped at Bloom, even with the cardigan, and she shivered, understanding Tecna's warning about the cold climate. Spring might have technically arrived, but it seemed Eraklyon had missed the memo.

"Talarin," Sky said, striding down the ramp towards the man, shaking his hand.

"Your Highness, I trust you had a comfortable journey."

"It was fine."

"Squire Phillips," Talarin said, acknowledging Brandon who had followed Sky silently, and yet again a step behind. Brandon nodded sharply in response, before Talarin's eyes drifted to Bloom and Flora.

"Talarin, may I introduce you to Princess Bloom Peters. Bloom, this is Talarin, my father's most trusted advisor and the only one with a head on his shoulders," he joked.

Knowing how important Talarin was to Sky, Bloom quickly smiled and was about to stick out her hand for him to shake, when the advisor bowed deeply at the waist, ignoring Sky's joke.

"An honour to meet you, Your Majesty," Talarin said, as he straightened.

Sky smiled as Bloom's lips parted in surprise. "Bloom is fine," she finally managed to say. "It's lovely to meet you, Sky's told me so much about you."

"And this is Flora Salgueiro of Linphea," Sky said quickly, as to not leave Flora out.

Talarin inclined his head to Flora. "A pleasure to meet you both." Introductions out of the way, his gaze returned to Sky. "Their Majesties sent their apologies for not being able to greet you. Their meetings have run long and they won't be able to see you until dinner later."

Sky huffed a short laugh. "I'm shocked." Talarin didn't react to the sarcasm and Sky shook his head, adding, "It's fine, we were planning on heading to Brandon's place anyway."

Talarin's expression flickered. "I'll call for a guard company to accompany you-"

But Sky was already waving him off. "No need. Brandon is sufficient."

Brandon's chin lifted at the clear confidence Sky had in his abilities, but Talarin didn't seem as convinced. Still, there was a weight to Sky's words that Bloom wasn't sure she'd ever heard before and Talarin didn't argue.

This was Sky, the Crown Prince and eventual inheritor of the throne, she realised as Sky slipped his hand in hers and steered her towards the gates, Brandon and Flora following. This version of Sky wasn't the leader she usually saw, capable of directing his friends, while also listening and respecting their opinions. This was a Sky whose words were automatic law. She wasn't sure what to make of the difference.

"So, what did you think?"

"Talarin seems great," Bloom said. Despite the brief interaction Bloom could already see the bond between the two, and even though he might have presented as no-nonsense, he was the only one who'd bothered to come out and welcome Sky home. "The palace…" she trailed off, trying to find the right word to describe it without hurting Sky's feelings.

"Yeah…" Sky said with a humourless smile, seemingly reading her mind. "Trust me, it doesn't get much better inside either."

Bloom squeezed his hand, but Sky's smile faded as a pair of courtiers strolled across their path. They looked a little older than them, maybe in her mid-twenties. Brandon's spine stiffened and Bloom felt herself brace automatically.

"Prince Sky," the man said. He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, which gleamed with something more dangerous. "Welcome home."

The woman's eyes flickered over Bloom and Flora, roving over their casual clothes, and her mouth turned up in a smirk as she smoothed a hand down her own lustrous dress.

"Yes," she simpered, eyes returning to Sky. "It's so nice to have you back. Are you glad to be home, Your Highness?"

"It's always nice to come home after a long time away," Sky said neutrally, his lips forming the slightest attempt of a smile.

"I've actually been seeking an audience with His Majesty for some time," the man said, stepping closer. "I have an idea that I think could be quite lucrative. Perhaps, we could discuss-"

"Perhaps," Sky said noncommittally. "I'll try and make some time to discuss it," he said graciously, before adding, "Enjoy the rest of your walk."

He nodded a goodbye and stepped smoothly around them, Brandon, Bloom, and Flora following.

"Are they always so…" Flora started.

"Needy?" Brandon asked with a sardonic laugh. "Always. Vultures," he added with clear disgust. "It's all about who knows who, what they can do for you, and how you can step on them to move up in the social order."

Sky didn't agree, but he didn't deny it either.

As a group, they moved with purpose through the grounds, but didn't run and Bloom got the sense that appearances mattered more than almost anything else here. They strode out through the front gates, Sky nodding to the patrolling guards who bowed as they passed.

A perfectly maintained road led down to the city from the palace but Bloom got the sense it was hardly used by the way Sky and Brandon walked them directly down the middle of it. Glancing over her shoulder at the foreboding castle, Bloom couldn't imagine anyone feeling welcome to approach.

The further they got away from the castle, the more Sky and Brandon seemed to turn back into the versions of themselves that Bloom and Flora knew so well. Brandon drifted forward to walk at Sky's side once more, and the tension seemed to drain out of them both. As they made their way into the city proper, Brandon was smiling more and Sky was swinging his and Bloom's joined hands between them.

They attracted a few looks as they journeyed through what appeared to be an affluent section of the city and Bloom had to remind herself that the general public of Eraklyon had barely known what their Crown Prince had looked like before last year, as tight as Sky's security had been in his childhood. She thought again about a childhood spent behind those walls. But Sky handled it with ease, smiling and nodding at those who stared openly.

The further into the city they travelled the less prosperous it seemed to become. The road's were slightly more cracked, the buildings smaller and set closer together, and although Eraklyon as a whole hadn't seemed to have embraced modernity as much as other realms, there was a distinct feeling of history in this part of the city.

"You've seen Sky's home," Brandon said, as they moved through the more crowded streets. "Now welcome to my neighbourhood." Despite his smile, there was a hint of tension in his face, as he cast his eyes about the streets he'd grown up on.

"It's lovely," Flora said genuinely, clearly picking up on Brandon's discomfort.

Brandon shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. "It's not much, but it's home," he said dismissively, and Bloom started to understand why he hadn't invited Stella to join them.

It was true, these streets were a far cry from Sky's palace, or even the wealthier parts of the city, and yet there was a vibrancy to this neighbourhood. Small marketplaces seemed to have popped up out of nowhere, people called to one another by name, chatted over fences and called into the streets. Children played, shrieking with laughter. And for the first time since she'd arrived on Eraklyon, Bloom felt herself relax.

Sky seemed at ease for the first time as well, his genuine smile returning in place of the horrible, fake one he'd used at the palace. If the people around knew who he was, they didn't seem to care much, leaving him be as they strolled through the crowds. He placed a stack of coin on a nearby florists' counter, grossly overpaying, Bloom was sure, for the two flowers he plucked from one of her vases, tucking one of the blooms behind Bloom's ear, before gifting the other to Flora.

Flora brought the flower to her nose, inhaling its fragrance. "The Eraklyon floral landscape is really amazing, you know? It has such persistence despite the harsh climate. Amazing."

"I've organised a tour of the Royal Gardens for after dinner," Sky told her. "I figured you might appreciate it," he added with a laugh, when her eyes lit up.

"Plus it's so romantic," Brandon teased him, and Sky shoved his shoulder as Bloom hid her warm with her hands, making Lockette laugh.

Still laughing, Brandon led them up a well worn path to a small, but well-maintained house, set neatly between the two on either side. Brandon sighed deeply as he jogged up the steps.

"Home sweet home," he said, before pushing the door open.

The explosion of colour and noise as they stepped in was much closer to what Bloom had been expecting when they'd first arrived on Eraklyon. Music was blaring from deeper within the house, it sounded like a tv was playing somewhere, while the babbling of a baby could also be heard. Not to mention as soon as they stepped inside, two little boys came charging down the hallway.

"Brandon," they cried, crashing into their brother's knees.

"Hey," Brandon said through a laugh, ruffling their hair.

They peeked around him, their eyes lighting up when they saw Sky.

"Sky!" they yelled, and dove for the already laughing prince.

Brandon watched on, shaking his head. "I'm their flesh and blood and they still love Sky more."

Sky spread his arms. "Can't help it if I'm cooler than you." His attention dropped the two boys clutching his pants. "How have you two grown so much?" he cried theatrically, using his hands to measure them against his waist. "You're gonna be taller than me soon."

Sky was grinning so broadly as he joked around with Brandon's two little brothers that Bloom couldn't help but smile just watching it. She glanced at Brandon, who was also smiling, his earlier tension having vanished as soon as he stepped inside.

"He really loves it here."

"Yeah. I think this place was more of a home for him when we were young than that palace ever was."

"Is that your girlfriend, Sky?"

The question interrupted their quiet conversation and they turned their attention back to see the smaller of the two boys pointing at Bloom.

"Oooh," the taller boy crowed, a devilish smile on his face that reminded Bloom instantly of Brandon. "Sky's got a girlfriend."

Both boys took up the taunt and Brandon laughed again. "Have fun with that," he told his friend, leading the girls further into the house.

The hallway was small and narrow, and clearly well-loved but well-maintained at the same time. The paintwork was old-fashioned and faded, the carpet a little threadbare, but fresh flowers decorated the little hall table squished in there.

Brandon banged on a door as he passed, the source of the music. "Tris! Get out here and say hello to your favourite brother, won't you? And turn off that music while you're at it."

There was a grumble from within but no one emerged, although the music did turn down slightly. Giving up, Brandon shook his head and pressed on.

The hallway opened out in a communal space that held the kitchen, living room, and dining space all in one, and Bloom's eyes swept over the chaos within. The television was blaring while a girl lay sprawled on the couch watching on, a toddler of no more than two sat in a high chair babbling to herself, while a woman who could only be Brandon's mother bustled around the kitchen. Brandon's father sat at the table pouring over what looked to be castle blueprints.

The toddler spotted Brandon first, her face splitting into a big toothy grin.

"Bwandon, Bwandon, Bwandon," she babbled, the cutest little lisp affecting her pronunciation.

Brandon swooped in and scooped her out of the high chair while his mother twisted around in surprise.

"Brandon?! We weren't expecting to see you until tonight."

She hurried around the island bench to envelop her son in a hug before divesting him of the toddler when his father strode up to him to hug him fiercely.

"Brandon?" the girl on the couch asked, her head poking up. On seeing her older brother she scrambled up and over the couch to throw herself at him.

"At least some of my sisters are happy to see me," Brandon said, holding her tight.

"Oh, shush, Bran-Bran," another girl said, pushing past Bloom and Flora into the room. She looked to be older than her other sister and Bloom would guess was the grumbler behind the bedroom door.

Brandon grinned at his sister. "Hey, Trissy."

"Call me that again and see what happens," she hissed in response.

"Really? Already?" their mother sighed, but the sound was fond as she beamed at her son.

'Trissy' turned her eyes on Bloom and Flora, who were watching the scene with bemusement.

"It's Beatrice, by the way. No one," she continued, with a glare directed at Brandon, "Calls me Trissy."

"Ah!" Brandon's mother exclaimed as her eyes fell on the girls. "You must be Bloom! And… Flora?!"

Quicker than either girl could confirm, she passed the toddler over to Beatrice who immediately put her down, letting her run off on wobbly baby legs. Brandon's mother gathered both girls in for a hug, before pulling back and touching their faces.

"Beautiful!" she declared, before fixing her eyes back on her son. "But you didn't bring that gorgeous Princess you're dating with you?"

"Not this time, Mama," Brandon mumbled, avoiding her eye.

"Hmmm," Brandon's mother hummed, eyes narrowed.

Bloom smiled, liking her already.

"We figured we'd give you one girlfriend at a time to approve, Nikaylah," Sky said, struggling into the room with the two boys still hanging off his legs. He made it to Nikaylah's side and pecked her on the cheek.

Nikaylah's smile was equally wide as she looked at Sky. "Approval? Who needs approval? I'm wondering how you managed to get such a beautiful young woman to agree to date you."

Bloom laughed in surprise; surely no one else she'd seen on Eraklyon so far would dare speak to their Crown Prince like that, but Sky seemed delighted by her irreverence.

"Day off, Sir?" he asked, reaching out to shake the hand of Brandon's father.

"Of a sort," Brandon's father, Jonas, replied with a smile. "Just working on some security plans for the summer."

Nikaylah bustled back into the kitchen. "Speaking of, I'm surprised you aren't up at the palace spending time with your parents," she said lightly, picking up her knife once again.

"Meetings ran long. Or so I was told."

Nikaylah hummed, a touch of disapproval in the noise.

"Nikaylah," Jonas rumbled warningly before lumbering back to the table and his waiting plans.

"Ah, well, you'll see them at dinner, I'm sure. And I'll never say no to having you both at home."

Bloom couldn't help but notice the way she said 'home' like Sky belonged here as much as Brandon did. And maybe he did, for Sky looked the most at ease as Bloom had seen and certainly this was the welcome she'd been expecting from Sky's actual parents.

"See if you still feel like that after you hear what we're about to ask you," Brandon said, catching his youngest sister as she went running past and sitting her back in her high chair right in time for Nikaylah to deposit a snack in front of her.

"Oh?" she asked, wiping her hands on a dish towel.

Brandon and Sky turned pleading eyes on her. "The girls need something to wear to dinner tonight," Brandon said to his mother. "We were hoping you might have something…"

"I'd add them to our account, of course," Sky said quickly.

But Nikaylah waved him away. "You'll do no such thing. Not for dresses for my future daughter-in-law and her friend. Come," she said, grabbing the hands of Flora and a very red Bloom and dragging them upstairs, ignoring Sky who was suddenly choking on nothing.

---

"Thank you so much for this," Bloom was saying later as she stood stock still so Nikaylah could measure her. "We'll pay you for them," she added, trying not to think of how much it might cost.

"Absolutely not," Nikaylah said through a mouthful of pins. "It's my honour, my dear. I've never seen Sky happier than he's been since he met you. You're not looking, are you?"

Bloom laughed. "I'm not, I promise."

As Nikaylah had helped her slip in the gown that she'd said should be almost perfect for Bloom, she'd made both girls promise not to peek until she was finished, wanting it to be a surprise. So Bloom had been directing her words to the top corner of the room so she wasn't tempted to look.

"You- you talk about Sky as if he really is your son," she inquired gently.

"I mean no disrespect to Their Majesties," Nikaylah said, glancing up at her. "But with how much time Sky spent here as a child, it's hard not to think of him that way."

"I can tell you mean a lot to him," Bloom said, chancing a look down at Nikaylah.

The woman's eyes filled with liquid warmth as she smiled at Bloom, and she could tell how much it meant to her to hear that. Nikaylah cleared her throat and bent her head over the hem of the gown.

"Now don't you be looking before I'm finished."

Bloom smiled and returned her gaze to the ceiling.

"Were these dresses supposed to be for someone?" Flora asked, from her seat in the corner of Nikaylah's workroom.

"Ah, one of Her Highness's cousins ordered them but… changed her mind."

"Just like that?" Bloom asked. The tiny glimpses she'd seen of the dress made her think it had been almost finished. Thinking of Nikaylah putting in all that work just for her client to change her mind…

"The Eraklyon nobility and courtiers can be… fickle," Nikaylah said delicately. She shrugged a shoulder, "What can you do? If she hadn't changed her mind, I wouldn't be getting to fit these dresses for you instead."

---

"Well," Nikaylah said sometime later, when the gowns were finished and the two girls were standing before the full-length mirror. "What do you think?"

"We look…" Flora breathed, staring in the mirror.

"Amazing," Bloom breathed.

Bloom's dress was long and black, a colour she never expected herself to carry so well. The bottom, pleated panels were embroidered with thick golden thread in intricate detailing that appeared at her waist and the sides of her bust. The box neckline gave way to long sleeves that Bloom understood were necessary in the cold Eraklyon climate.

Flora's gown, conversely, was white and gauzy, embroidered with red and white flowers and green leaves. The off the shoulder neckline was inching towards scandalous by Eraklyon standards, but was offset by the long, floaty sleeves.

Flora had elected to leave her hair loose and flowing over her bare shoulders, but Nikaylah's clever fingers had twisted two sections of Bloom's hair into twin plaits. She'd wrapped those two plaits around Bloom's head, reminiscent of the tiara Bloom had left stored safely on Sparx, and curled them and the rest of Bloom's hair into an elegant bun. She admired Nikaylah's work on her hair carefully, avoiding her own eyes, lest they shine gold.

"I think you're ready to meet the King and Queen," Nikaylah said, nodding decisively at her own handiwork.

Brandon and Sky were waiting for them at the base of the stairs, and as they descended they could hear them both teasing Brandon's middle sister, Brianna, about a crush she had on a boy at school.

"I don't know," Sky was saying faux seriously. "I might have to order a background check on this guy. Make sure he's the real deal."

"Sky, no," Brianna moaned, clearly mortified at the very thought.

"I reckon we just go see him in person," Brandon said. "Find out his intentions."

"Don't you dare!"

Sky and Brandon were laughing as Nikaylah reached the bottom, catching their attention.

"Boys," she said smugly, moving to the side so Flora and Bloom could follow her the rest of the way down.

Brandon whistled good-naturedly as Flora came into view, but Bloom's attention was on Sky as she came down last, feeling pretty good as his lips parted in surprise and clear appreciation.

"You're letting bugs in, Sky," Nikaylah said, sounding downright gleeful.

Sky's mouth snapped closed as he shook his head at her words, but he never dragged his eyes away from Bloom as she moved closer and slipped an arm around his waist.

"You look amazing," he murmured, before kissing the corner of her mouth.

"Yeah?" she whispered back, tilting her head to catch his mouth in another kiss.

"Better than amazing."

"And you don't look too bad either, Flora," Brandon said brashly, killing their moment, while Brianna pretended to vomit.

Nikaylah rolled her eyes heavenward. "Dragon, give me strength, my son, the only child you blessed with a sense of romance has completely lost it. Brianna, please stop that horrible noise."

Still muttering about her children, Nikaylah shooed them out of the house so they wouldn't be late for their dinner, and Jonas gave them a ride up to the castle in his hover-car, dropping them at the gate with a wave to those stationed in the guard-house.

"Do I really look okay?" Bloom whispered to Sky, as they squeezed out of the car and the girls fussed over their dresses, making sure their skirts hadn't been crushed by the trip.

Sky gazed at her. "You look beautiful. You are beautiful." He swallowed roughly. "Just- just don't let anything they say in there make you feel any different."

Bloom set her chin and nodded, wishing she felt nearly as brave on the inside and slipped her hand in his. And together, Brandon and Flora a step behind them, they walked into the castle.

Sky had been right, the palace was just as cold and foreboding as it looked from the outside. It was dripping with wealth, ornate to a ridiculous level, and fire crackled everywhere to chase away the chill, and yet it was still quiet and unwelcoming as they walked its halls. Courtiers and nobility smiled vapidly, eyes raking over their little group, but barely spoke to them as they passed.

Finally they reached the throne room, where the King and Queen were perched on their thrones, waiting for them.

Once again Sky, and Bloom by extension, walked a step in front of Brandon and Flora, and she realised abruptly how much she hated it. By the tension radiating from Sky, she could tell he did too. But there were only so many battles they could pick with someone like King Erendor, and this wasn't one of them.

They came to a stop at the base of the dais that held the thrones and Brandon and Flora instantly sunk to one knee, their heads bowed in deference to the monarchs. Instinct called for Bloom to mimic them but if there was one thing Stella had drilled into her since they learned of her royal heritage it was that royalty never knelt; not even in the castle of another King. So Bloom lifted her chin a fraction higher and gazed at King Erendor and Queen Samara.

King Erendor, so like Sky, and yet so unlike him at the same time stared right back at her, navy eyes cold. Bloom got the sense that he was waiting for her to kneel along with Brandon and Flora, but feeling a sudden flash of bravery, Bloom resolved to keep King Erendor waiting a very long time.

At his side, Queen Samara was beautiful, her features like something out of a classic painting. But she was as cold as she was beautiful, face like hewn granite as she gazed over the throne room, and Bloom thought there was a deep sadness about her. Bloom tried to find something of Sky in her face but came up wanting, he was his father's son through and through, physically at least.

"Father," Sky said, inclining his head slightly, and breaking the tense silence. Brandon and Flora rose. "Mother."

"Son," Erendor said, and as one he and Samara rose, descending the dais.

"Sky," Samara said, an ember of warmth lightening her face as she beheld her son, before folding him in a brief hug.

"May I formally introduce you to Princess Bloom Peters."

"Your Majesties," Bloom said, inclining her head in respect. "It's an honour to meet you."

Erendor eyed her from top to bottom, gaze frank and assessing. "It's amazing how well you scrub up when you're not attacking members of royal families, Miss Peters."

And with that verbal slap to the face, Erendor brushed past both Bloom and his son without another word.

Sky spun away from her, towards his father, mouth already forming an angry retort, but Samara halted him with a hand on his shoulder. Her head shook fractionally, expression blank, before she lifted her hand and followed her husband from the throne room.

Bloom's eyes shuttered close. Her stomach had swooped painfully at the reference to the disgraceful moment the year before with Diaspro and in that moment it felt like the only thing keeping her from sinking right into the floor was Sky's hand in hers.

His words from outside floated back to her.

You are beautiful. Don't let anything they say in there make you feel any different.

She was here for Sky, not for Erendor or Samara's opinions of her. So she would make it through this dinner and the rest of the trip, for Sky. And their words weren't going to stop that.

"I'm sorry," Sky groaned, sounding pained. "I shouldn't have brought you here- I can't stop them from talking to you like that- I should be able to but I can't-"

Bloom's eyes flew open and she turned to face him, squeezing his hand tightly. Brandon and Flora faded away, Erendor and Samara faded away, the guards lining the walls, everything it all just faded away. There was just Sky and there was Bloom. And that's all that mattered.

"Hey," she whispered. "They might be your parents but their words can't hurt me if I don't let them. I'm here for you, and I'm here for us, and that's all that matters."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Now let's eat."

Dinner was unsurprisingly awkward after Erendor's snub but Bloom tried not to dwell on it, allowing the King to steer the conversation as he monologued about various policy changes and the current economic landscape of Eraklyon. He barely inquired about Sky's year at Red Fountain, and certainly didn't try to engage Bloom, Brandon, or Flora in conversation. Samara was equally silent and Bloom remembered Sky's comment about them not being affectionate even with each other.

A topic change pulled Bloom from her musings as Erendor said somberly, "Distressing news out of Juvel today."

Sky blinked and looked up from his plate. "What do you mean?"

"Princess Diaspro has been kidnapped. She went missing from the grounds last night and a ransom was delivered to the castle this morning."

Sky dropped his fork with a clatter, and said, ignoring the reproving look from his parents, "And we're just sitting here having dinner? Why aren't we out there helping?"

Samara sniffed. "We're sending a battalion of soldiers to assist with the search, of course."

"They are our closest allies after all."

Bloom, Brandon, and Flora all set down their cutlery, looking at one another.

"If they're your closest allies," Bloom started slowly, carefully, ignoring Brandon's warning look. "Surely you would want to do everything in your power to help-"

"Just what are you insinuating?" Erendor asked icily. Samara just stared at her, face like stone.

"I- I didn't mean to insinuate anything-" Bloom began. She might not care much for Sky's parents' opinion of her, but she didn't want to intentionally aggravate them either.

Brandon's expression was sending her urgent messages to shut up but it was Sky who came to her rescue.

"Bloom's right. Juvel's our closest ally, how will it look to send a mere battalion out of our hundreds of thousands soldiers? Never mind that we're sitting around, doing nothing-"

"Don't you take that tone with me, boy!" Erendor thundered. He finally looked away from Bloom, pinning his son to his seat with a glare, and Sky fell silent, jaw clenched extremely tight.

Samara laid a hand on her husband's forearm. "The Guardian Network is sending a team to coordinate the search," she said to Sky, her voice only fractionally warmer than Erendor's. "They'll find her."

Sky drew in a measured breath and let it out slowly. "I know we can help," he said, tone purposefully calm.

"With all due respect," Bloom spoke up, and Samara's dark eyes sliced through her. Brandon aimed a kick at her under the table but Bloom continued anyway, "This is what we're training for."

She waited for Erendor or Samara to rip into her again, and certainly Erendor seemed on the verge of doing so as his expression turned thunderous and he opened his mouth. But then Samara tightened her grip on his arm and he glanced at her instead. Wordless conversation seemed to flash between them and Erendor reluctantly nodded.

"We'll all go to Juvel, of course," he decided abruptly, his tone suggesting that it had been his idea all along. "Along with another half dozen battalions. We'll depart within the hour."

Sky raised his eyes briefly heavenward before nodding. "Of course, Father."

---

The flight to Juvel was tense but thankfully short, the smaller planet being not only Eraklyon's closest ally but also their closest neighbour. As they descended onto the grounds of the Juvel palace, Flora looked out the window in awe, dazzled by the sight of the bejewelled forest even at night.

"I would love to talk to the magi-horticulturist who cultivated these," she murmured, mostly to herself, as she pulled her phone from her pocket and snapped a few photos. "The surface is extremely intricate, they'll be hard to draw…"

"Draw?" Brandon asked, looking at her curiously, a knowing smile playing around his mouth. "I didn't know you were into drawing, Flora."

"Oh, I'm not. It's just a project Helia and I are working on," she explained, blushing furiously.

Ignoring the teasing, Sky slipped into the seat beside Bloom.

"Not exactly how I expected this trip to go," he admitted to her.

She smiled wryly back. "It probably says something about my life now that I feel so comfortable flying to a foreign planet to launch some crazy rescue mission to rescue a kidnapped princess."

Sky smiled but it didn't quite reach his eyes. He looked tired already, after only half a dinner with his parents. "But are you okay? My parents… some of the things they said…"

"Are you okay? The way your father spoke to you…"

Again that smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "It's fine. I'm used to it."

Bloom hated the way he sounded so resigned, but as she opened her mouth to say so, the ship touched down and the ramp started to lower. The King and Queen rose, along with the large entourage they'd insisted on bringing with them. Sky pulled Bloom up and along with Flora and Brandon close on their heels.

"Just a warning," Sky murmured to the girls as they made their way to the ramp. "Queen Almandine and King Painite make my parents seem like fluffy puppies by comparison. Diaspro's mother especially."

Bloom sucked in a deep breath and exchanged glances with Flora before nodding. Sky's face was battle-ready and Brandon was already grimacing as the four of them followed King Erendor and Queen Samara off the ship.

Despite the darkening hour, there were plenty to greet them as they stepped onto Juvel territory, but the courtiers and nobles faded to the background as Queen Almandine strode forward.

"King Erendor! Queen Samara!" she cried tremulously. "Thank the Dragon you've come. My daughter…" her voice caught on a sob and she shook her head as words seemingly failed her.

Despite the warble to her voice, Bloom couldn't help but notice how perfect Queen Almandine seemed. Not a strand of her honey blonde hair was out of place, a crown heaped with gems sat perfectly atop her curls, and it certainly didn't appear as though a single tear had marred her perfect makeup.

Queen Samara glided forward across the grass to meet her, allowing her hands to be clutched by Almandine's own that peeked out from ridiculous trumpet sleeves that brushed the ground and belonged to an even more ridiculous gown. Skin-tight to show off a perfect and well-endowed figure, the gown seemed to make its own light; it was only as Bloom looked closer did she realise that it was sewn with thousands of tiny gems that were reflecting the lights of the castle.

All in all she hardly looked like a woman whose daughter had just been kidnapped.

"Oh, Samara," Almandine said, freeing up one hand to press against her perfectly painted mouth.

Meanwhile Erendor and Painite were greeting one another, shaking hands, and murmuring quietly to one another.

"My daughter, Diaspro, my daughter," Almandine said over and over.

"I know, dear," Samara said, a bare trace of warmth in her voice. She glanced at the pair of Kings. "She needs to go inside, get a warm drink."

She might as well not have spoken for all the response Erendor or Painite showed, the two men too absorbed in their conversation about how to conduct the ground search to acknowledge the women. Samara's lips thinned while Almandine noticed Sky, Bloom and their friends for the first time.

For a split second the image of the grief-stricken mother seemed to melt away, in its place an expression of anger that morphed into pure loathing as her gaze travelled from Sky to Bloom. A shiver raced down Bloom's spire and for a moment she wished she hadn't traded Nikaylah's beautiful gown for her more comfortable jeans and sweater on the ship ride over before Almandine's eyes returned to her fellow Queen and sorrow filled them once more.

"I think you might be right, Samara," Almandine said, and allowed her to lead her back towards the castle, their long gowns whispering over the grass.

Barely noticing their wives departure, and ignoring the teenagers completely, Erendor and Painite took their leave next, striding off into the darkness to talk to the generals leading the search. And all of a sudden it was just the four of them as the last of the courtiers and nobles drifted off as well.

"So, what do we do now?" Flora asked, looking between the other three.

"Now we find the Guardian team," Sky said grimly. "They're going to have the real information."

Heading into the palace, it didn't take them long to find the Guardian team in question, noticing a room on the ground floor out of which the sound of intense discussion floated out. Bloom quickened her pace, interested in meeting a Guardian team for the first time, and as she got closer she spied a group of individuals in a navy, yellow, and red uniform, differentiating them to the Juvel Royal guards milling around.

"…interrogating her now, surely they're going to demote her," one guard was saying to another as they walked away from the room. "We should never have let her go into the forest."

"You couldn't have known," the other said consolingly. "We all thought the fence was secure."

The first guard just shook his head and walked away. Bloom and the others hurried past and reached the open door of the meeting room, stepping quietly inside so they could watch the scene unfolding before them.

"Why did you break protocol and allow Princess Diaspro to venture unaccompanied into the forest, guard?" one of the Guardians was asking, his arms folded as he leaned over the seated guard.

The guard, a young woman, didn't seem intimidated by the Guardian towering over her. Her long ponytail of dark hair flowed behind her as she tilted her head to stare at him in the eye.

"Princess Diaspro told me to stand down. I was following orders."

"But breaking protocol," the Guardian pressed.

He had to be the leader, Bloom guessed. Three other members of his team leaned against the wall watching the interrogation.

The guard pursed her lips as she considered her response. "Princess Diaspro was upset, she wanted space. Yes, I was technically breaking protocol by letting her walk the forest alone, but I believed at the time that she would still be protected by the wall. I had no way of knowing there had been a breach."

The Guardian didn't seem totally convinced by her story but leaned back a little. "Do you have any links to the Red Throne Resistance?"

Bloom wasn't familiar with the group, but Sky stirred beside her, his face creasing with concern. On his other side, Brandon was also looking at him, opening his mouth to say something-

"No!" the guard burst out, her annoyance turning to anger, and cutting off whatever Brandon was going to say. "I would never do anything to intentionally harm the Princess! And those people are crazy."

Still the Guardian's wouldn't let up, questioning her about her mixed Linphean and Juvel heritage, asking about how she'd come into her job so young, telling her they were going to dig into every part of her background, threatening what would happen if they found anything amiss.

"Why are they still questioning her?" Flora whispered to the others, obviously upset as the interrogation went on and on. "She clearly has nothing to do with it."

Sky shook his head. "We're wasting our time here."

"Excuse me, what are you kids even doing here?" the Guardian said, turning to them, his expression annoyed at the interruption.

"We were hoping to help you find Diaspro, but you clearly have no idea what you're doing," Sky spat, making to leave.

The Guardian's mouth turned up in a silent snarl as he stalked closer and as one the rest of his team pushed off the wall to line up behind him. The sole woman in the team stood just off his right shoulder, to her right, a great hulking giant of a man, and off their leader's left shoulder, a short, innocuous looking young man, a funny smile playing around his mouth and a wizard's staff clutched in one hand.

The leader's eyes glimmered as he eyed Sky. "Prince Sky," he said quietly. "I might have some questions for Princess Diaspro's fiancé."

"Ex-fiancé," Sky corrected. "And it seems like you think the Red Throne Resistance is behind this. Are you really implying that the Crown Prince of Eraklyon might be part of a rebel alliance? Is that a claim you really want to make?"

The Guardian leader looked on the verge of snapping back when the woman made a warning sound low in her throat and touched his wrist.

"No," he said finally. "I guess it's not. Guard," he snapped, eyes never leaving Sky's face. "You can go, but make sure you're on hand in case we have any more questions."

The guard stood, her pale green eyes holding nothing but contempt for the Guardian leader as she stalked past, but she held her tongue and disappeared out the door.

"Sorry," Bloom said, breaking the awkward silence after the guard's departure. "But what's the Red Throne Resistance?"

The leader of the Guardians quirked an eyebrow at Sky, inviting him to explain.

But it was Brandon who spoke as Sky continued to glare at the Guardian. "They're a rebel organisation, born out of Eraklyon and Juvel both."

"Named for the red throne as red is one of the national colours for Eraklyon and Juvel's both but also for the blood they believe is on our hands as the Royal families." Sky finally looked at Bloom and she could read the tension in his face. "They have been the cause of unrest for some time now."

The Guardian leader snorted. "You downplay their significance, Princess Sky."

"Watch yourself," Sky snapped back.

The female Guardian made a sound of impatience and stepped forward, hands raised slightly. "Secure information we find out about a realm while on a mission is privileged. The Kings and Queens of Eraklyon and Juvel doubtlessly want to downplay the threat of the RTR, but if we have any hope of getting Princess Diaspro back, we need to know the truth."

Sky sighed. "The truth?" he asked, and the woman nodded encouragingly. "They're a massive threat. They've only expanded in number as the gap between the rich and the poor of Eraklyon and Juvel has grown. People are starving and they're fed up. It unfortunately doesn't surprise me that they would take Diaspro."

"Would they kill her?" the Guardian leader asked and Sky winced.

"I don't know. It depends what faction has taken her. Some have attempted good-faith negotiation, others seem bent on causing as much chaos and destruction as possible. They- they might kill her just to send a message to King Painite and Queen Almandine."

Their leader and the woman exchanged looks.

"We can't waste any more time then," the woman said and he nodded.

The group turned to leave but Bloom and her friends moved between them and the door.

"Hang on, it sounds like you guys need as much help as you can get," Bloom said.

Their leader rolled his eyes at her. "Don't you know who we are?"

"Uh, no?" Bloom said, the barest hint of apology in her voice.

"We're the Wrong-Righters," he said, the exasperation in his voice suggesting that Bloom should know this already.

Brandon snorted, and four sets of angry eyes cut to him. "Oh," he said, regaining control of his face with visible effort. "Uh, cool name."

Ignoring the obvious slight, their leader said, "We have the highest success rate of any Guardian team in the Network right now. Why do you think we were chosen for this mission?"

When he failed to receive any signs of recognition from Bloom or her friends, he sighed.

"I'm Rachel," the woman said, before indicating their leader. "This is our leader, Ben." She indicated the larger man at her side, "Bo, our muscle, and Oleander." She pointed to the shorter guy who smiled slightly.

Bo might have had the muscle, but Bloom got the sense that Oleander was the one she should watch out for, not just because of his poisonous name.

"High success rate, or no," Bloom said, when the Wrong-Righters looked ready to get moving again. "If RTR are as dangerous as they sound, having four more people could only be a help."

Oleander laughed. He was so short he could rest his chin atop his staff quite comfortably. "You guys are just kids. How much help could you be?"

Sky and Brandon visibly bristled, but Flora jumped in before they could start another argument with the Wrong-Righters. "Well, I already have an idea about how to save Diaspro once we know where she is."

Once again Rachel and Ben exchanged glances, before wordlessly they kicked into gear, the four Guardians walking out the door. "We… already have a good idea where Princess Diaspro is being held," Ben admitted, as Bloom and the others kept pace with them.

"You what?!" Sky exploded. "You already know?"

"We have an idea," Ben corrected and Sky gritted his teeth.

"Then why were you interrogating that guard?" Flora wanted to know.

"To make sure RTR don't have people working on the inside, to make sure we won't be walking into a trap; the Network received a tip about a possible RTR hideout a couple months ago but we haven't moved on it yet because the information's being treated as highly suspicious."

"But you're moving on it now?"

Ben shrugged. "No choice, Princess Diaspro's life is in danger and if Prince Sky's right, we might not have much time left, if any."

"Then that's all the more reason for my plan," Flora said quickly. "I think we should find the Poppy Portalis."

"The what?"

Flora clucked her tongue. "The Poppy Portalis, it's a fairly rare flower, but when you pluck its petals it will transport you wherever you want to go. The only drawback is, its transportation magic will only make a swap."

The Guardians looked mystified. "Why would we need something like that?"

"How else are we going to get Diaspro out?" Flora asked. "We don't have time to pull in the soldiers from the ground search, the Royal Guards won't abandon their post, we'll just have the eight of us."

"But if we can only swap two people, even if we get Diaspro out, we'd just be handing someone over to them…" Brandon said.

But Bloom could see where Flora was going with her idea. "Maybe, maybe not. If they're as strong as you guys think, we're never going to get Diaspro back with brute strength, not before they hurt her anyway. But if we teleport someone, me, in Diaspro's place right at the same time that you guys breach from the outside, maybe it'll cause enough of a distraction that I could fight my way out."

"Hang on-" Sky began, but Ben lost his patience first.

"That's going to take too long! We'd be better off just teleporting her ourselves."

Bloom looked at Oleander. "And how's your teleportation magic?"

The wizard shrugged. "It's not my strong-suit," he admitted.

"And we don't have Stella here," Brandon added, who was by far the best at teleportation of their group.

"Maybe you should have invited her," Bloom muttered, and ignored the face Brandon threw at her.

"Look," Ben said, clearly at his wit's end. "We'll let you guys come along, because you're right, four more bodies would be helpful in a fight, but this is still our mission, and you have to follow our plan. It's up to you."

Not leaving any time or room for debate, Ben and the rest of the Wrong-Righters went striding off, leaving Bloom and the others to decide.

They looked at one another but before they could say a word, a tiny voice spoke up.

"Sky? Is Dee-Dee going to die?"

Sky twisted and spied a little face peeking around a nearby corner, two big, pale purple eyes blinking up at him through a sheen of tears.

His face softened and he knelt down so she could step into his arms.

"I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that doesn't happen, Amethyst," Sky vowed.

The little girl couldn't be anyone but Diaspro's sister. The resemblance was remarkable, the only real difference in those enchanting violet eyes. Amethyst sighed and rested her head against Sky's shoulder.

"I know what that means," she said, clearly trying to sound grown up and in doing so betraying how young she really was. "That means you're not sure."

Sky hesitated, then admitted, "I'm not sure, but if Diaspro is still out there somewhere, we'll find her, and we won't stop until we do."

Bloom waited for the tears to come, for the girl to inevitably cry at the possible death of her sister. But instead Amethyst straightened, squaring her tiny shoulders as the fate of her sister and their kingdom came to rest on them.

"Promise me," she said fiercely.

Sky didn't even blink. "I promise."

"Princess Amethyst!" a voice gasped and then a ladies maid came hurrying down the hallway. "I've been looking for you. Time for a warm drink and bed I think."

Nearly twenty years the woman's junior, Amethyst already had the power to tell the maid to go away but instead she went to her, taking the woman's hand and letting her lead her away. The four of them watched them walk away, adding the promise Sky made to that little girl as another reason why they couldn't fail.

Amethyst and the maid disappeared from view and their thoughts moved back to Ben and the Wrong-Righters.

"What do you think?" Sky asked Bloom. "There's no way they're going to wait for us, and without them we can't find Diaspro, even if we do have the poppy-thing."

"You go with them," Bloom said, thinking fast. They didn't have much time if they were going to catch up with the Guardians. "Maybe they're right and Oleander will be able to teleport her himself. But if he can't we're going to need a back-up plan. Flora and I will find the Poppy Portalis and meet up with you."

"Okay," Sky said. He didn't much like the idea of splitting up but he couldn't see any way around it. He pulled Bloom for a quick kiss.

"Be safe," she said, watching as he backed away in the direction the Wrong-Righters had gone.

Brandon looked to Flora. "You'll understand if I don't kiss you, Flora."

Flora blushed a faint pink and waved as both guys turned around and dashed off after the Guardians.

"Come on," Bloom murmured, trying and failing not to feel like she'd just made the wrong decision. "Let's find this flower."

"The good thing is," Flora told her as they headed back outside and trekked out to the forest. "As rare as the Poppy Portalis is, I read once that they planted a bunch of them in this forest."

"Lucky for us," Bloom murmured, already scanning the dark ground for any sign of a poppy. She supposed it was lucky that after summers spent helping out in her mother's flower shop, she knew what she was looking for without much guidance.

"Yeah, of course there's still the trouble of catching it."

Bloom slowed, sending her friend a side-long glance. "Catching it?"

Flora winced. "Yeah, I didn't want to mention it in case the Wrong-Righters turned the plan down… but I suppose they did anyway…"

"Flora…" Bloom said warningly.

"Well, the flowers have teleportation magic so I suppose it's only natural that they would move around."

"Flora," Bloom said again, this time in exasperation, rubbing at her temples. She hadn't even noticed the headache forming but all of a sudden her entire head was throbbing.

"Sorry."

"It- it's fine. Let's just concentrate on finding it."

They walked in silence for a while, and Bloom might have felt bad for venting her frustration at Flora if it hadn't been for the persistent throbbing at her temples. Chatta, riding on Flora's shoulder, looked like she wanted to say something a few times but Flora just shook her head at her. Lockette was equally quiet, flying beside Bloom.

"I thought you did very well at dinner," Flora said finally in an effort to break the tense silence.

Bloom just shrugged. "Arguing with King Erendor probably didn't help my case."

"But throwing yourself into a mission to rescue Diaspro should. It shows what a kind, selfless person you are."

Bloom smiled a bit at that, unable to help but be comforted by Flora's kind words, but before she could respond, her friend's eyes grew wide and she pointed to something a ray of moonlight had illuminated up ahead.

"There, the Poppy Portalis! Chatta, quick!"

The pixie dove forward, and Bloom just caught a glimpse of a pretty pink flower before it disappeared in a cloud of gold sparkles. Chatta crashed into the ground with a groan and rolled over onto her back, staring up at the moon, just visible through the glittery canopy.

"It's gone," Bloom said in dismay, squinting through the darkness to see if she could see the flash of pink again.

"It won't have gone far," Flora said, scooping up a dazed Chatta.

"There," Lockette cried, her superior sense of direction leading her right to the tree the flower was hiding behind.

Chatta shook off her disorientation and shot out of Flora's hands, launching herself at the flower once again. For a moment it looked like Chatta might actually catch it that time, as she dove towards it, hands outstretched, but then just before she could make contact, it disappeared in a fresh explosion of sparkles. Chatta flattened against the tree trunk and fell in a crumpled heap.

"Ow, my wing," Chatta groaned, rolling over so her wing was no longer trapped under her body.

"Okay, no more of that," Flora said sternly, picking her up once more and depositing her on her shoulder, where the pixie swayed and had to clutch onto a lock of hair to stay on.

Lockette pulled one of her clips from her hair and tossed it up in the air, the gold lengthening into a sceptre. She caught it and swept it around, the gem hanging off it glowing softly as it located the teleporting flower.

"This way, this way," she urged, zipping off into the darkness, Flora and Bloom hot on her heels, while Chatta just hung on for dear life.

---

"This is insane," Brandon muttered to Sky as they crept closer to the RTR's hideout.

They'd caught up to Ben and the Wrong-Righters fairly easily, but the Guardians had barely acknowledged them as they'd trekked through the forest surrounding the palace.

"There's so many of them, and so close to the palace and the city. How have they not been detected until now?"

The keep they were scouting looked primitive from the outside, but the ease with which the rebels were patrolling its perimeter suggested it was well established and they were confident in their concealment. Sky's stomach twisted at the sight of the red crowns stitched over the left side of the guard's chest, a makeshift uniform and one that was banned in Eraklyon.

"Well, someone knew about it," Sky said, remembering what Ben had said. Months they'd had the knowledge. Someone had slipped it to the Guardian Network months ago. He shook his head, and the thought, away. "It's a fortress, we can't move on it now, not like this."

The keep had been built into the side of a mine, an old one if Sky's memory was serving correctly, stripped of its natural resources and abandoned until the planet regenerated its source. One way in, and one way out.

"We need to talk to Ben," Brandon said in agreement.

Not far away, hidden in a clump of trees stood the Wrong-Righters who from the looks of things were planning their assault with Ben gesturing fiercely to the other three.

"-and Oleander go in first with Rach and Bo coming in secondary," Ben was saying. The only one not nodding in agreement was Rachel, who was biting her lip and eyeing the rebels.

"You're not actually thinking of going in there are you?" Sky demanded, as they got closer.

Ben didn't look up from where he'd moved on to checking his sword for defects. "That's what we came here to do, Prince Sky," he said, his voice containing the barest trace of mocking.

"It's a death trap," Brandon snapped.

"We'll be fine-"

"Not for you, for Diaspro! The second you attack those guards are going to send up the alarm, the rebels will freak out and probably kill her. We need to do this quietly, you can't brute force your way out of this one."

"Watch us," Bo rumbled, folding those thick arms across his broad chest.

"Maybe they're right," Rachel said quietly, still looking at the entrance to the keep. "I can only see one way in, we would have to dispatch the outer guards silently, and even then there would likely be several layers of protection between us and the princess."

"So, what do you want to do?" Ben snapped, glaring at her. "Nothing?!"

Rachel bristled, her own voice rising in retaliation to Ben's verbal assault. "Of course not! I just think we need to wait and plan this better. Maybe consider the kid's plan again."

Sky and Brandon both bristled at being referred to as children once again, but Oleander was staring in the direction of the keep, face tense.

"Are you-!"

"Shut up!" the wizard hissed, and they only had a split second to realise how loud their conversation had grown before-

"Who's there?"

"Shit!"

Six rebels came charging out of the darkness, weapons drawn and faces hard with tension. Two converged on Rachel who was nearest to them and she went down with a scream. Ben, Oleander, and Bo instantly had their own rebels to contend with while the last swung at Brandon with a large broadsword.

Trusting his friend to hold his own, Sky ran to Rachel, diving at the rebels atop her and sending all three of them sprawling. Rachel rolled up onto one knee, magic already forming at her hands, while the larger of the two rebels jumped on top of Sky, driving the breath out of him with a knee to his chest.

"Who do we have here?" the rebel taunted, yanking a dagger from his belt and holding it to Sky's throat. His eyes, dark with hatred, lit up with malice as he recognised Sky. "A little princeling?"

The rebel was much larger than Sky, and with no breath left in his lungs and the knife at his throat, Sky didn't dare try any of the dozen manoeuvres that were coming to his mind. Around him the battle raged, Rachel defeated her rebel with a blast of red magic, Bo stopped another from reaching for his radio with one hand, and Oleander didn't seem to have a hair out of place as he swung his staff in a lazy sweep. They seemed to be winning but none had realised the predicament Sky had found himself in.

"How much blood do you have on your hands, princeling?"

That hatred in his eyes, that look of utter loathing and revulsion. Sky had never seen anyone look at him like that.

"Didn't… do… anything," Sky gritted out, trying to speak without piercing himself on the rebel's dagger.

"No," the rebel said slowly. "You royals never do."

That hatred spiked and the rebel lunged forward, driving the dagger down, and it had just spilled the first drops of Sky's blood when a heavy force hit him, knocking them sideways. Sky caught a glimpse of Brandon's brown hair before they went rolling away and he scrambled after them. He pulled his own sword hilt out of his belt and clicked out the blade in one smooth movement. Brandon got a kick off to the rebel's ribs, stunning him long enough for Sky to knock the dagger out of his hand, and crack him over the head with the hilt of his sword, rendering him unconscious.

"Thanks for the assist," Brandon gasped, winded from tackling the large man.

Sky reached down and yanked him to his feet. "I could say the same." He brushed a hand against his throat, grimacing when his fingertips came away slick with blood.

They turned back to find the others dispatching their own opponents, some knocked unconscious, others being tied up and gagged. Rachel straightened up from where she'd been leaning over the rebel she'd knocked out with a sleeping spell, looking back in the direction of the keep.

"We have to get out of here," she hissed.

They all waited for a tense moment, half expecting the rebels within to have heard the fight and come running, but the door remained closed, no sign of life behind the heavy metal.

"No way," Ben argued back.

"He's right," Sky said, ignoring Brandon and Rachel's looks of surprise. As much as he'd disagreed with Ben a few minutes ago, the fight had forced their hand. "It's only a matter of time before they realise something's happened to this lot." He jerked his feet at the rebels at their feet. "And when they do they'll run, with or without Diaspro…"

He didn't need to say aloud that even if they left without Diaspro, it likely wouldn't end well for the Princess.

Ben looked gratified for a moment before Sky added, "But we're doing it our way this time."

Bo nodded and nudged the rebel he'd subdued with the toe of his boot. "This one almost alerted the rest of the rebels with his radio. It could have been game over for us."

"So, we agree," Sky said, looking around at them all. "We wait for Bloom, Flora, and the pixies to get back with the flower and we do this the smart way."

Rachel and Bo nodded, even Oleander although he didn't look as convinced. Still, Ben frowned.

"We just don't know how long it's going to take. Any minute now they could realise their guards are missing and send someone to check on them. Then we'll have no choice but to engage-"

"Lucky for you we come bearing gifts," a voice spoke up from behind them, and they all twisted in time to see Bloom and Flora emerging from the trees, their bonded pixies at their sides.

They all looked like they'd had a rough time of it, trying to catch the flower; their clothes were covered in dirt, and leaves and twigs had taken up residence in both of their hair. But that mattered little as the Wrong-Righters, Sky, and Brandon beheld the perfect pink flower, cupped gently in Flora's hands.

"What happened to you guys?" Oleander asked as they got closer.

Flora was bearing a few scratches from a bush she'd dived through in one attempt, while Sky was easing a few of the twigs from Bloom's hair.

"Poppy Portalis's don't love being captured as it turns out," Bloom said wearily.

"But Lockette was able to get it in the end," Flora added.

Lockette blushed at the acknowledgment.

"Yeah, she was amazing," Bloom hastened to add, while Chatta folded her arms and harrumphed.

"I helped too." She looked at the others. "I wrote Lockette a whole new cheer and everything." Her eyes lit up. "Did you want to hear?!"

She was already reaching for her megaphone pendant, but Sky and Brandon, knowing how loud Chatta's voice could be naturally, jumped in quickly.

"You can show us later, Chatta," Brandon said quickly, eyeing the door to the keep with concern.

Pacified, Chatta settled back on Flora's shoulder.

"So, I'll trade places with Diaspro-" Sky started but Flora shook her head.

"Not you, Sky. The poppy's magic isn't that strong, to give us the best chance of success we need someone a similar size to Diaspro to trade places. So it should be me or Bloom. Even Rachel is likely too tall."

"And I've already decided that I'm going," Bloom added, when it looked like Sky was going to argue.

They stared into each other's eyes, Sky's face incredibly tense and Bloom trying to read in his eyes why he was so worried about her swapping places with Diaspro. She knew he didn't underestimate her abilities, but didn't know what else could be holding him back…

Ben coughed awkwardly. "So, Bloom will take Princess Diaspro's place at the same time we breach from the outside. Hopefully by taking them by surprise on two sides we'll be able to defeat them, or at least Bloom will be able to fight her way out. We'll capture as many as possible for interrogation and to serve justice, but our main priority will be Princess Diaspro's rescue, and everyone else's safe return. Understood?"

The group rumbled with voices of agreement, except for Sky and Bloom who were still having a silent conversation. Ben sighed and beckoned for everyone to reconvene a short distance away.

"We'll just go over our plan, join us when you're ready." The last part was delivered with a mocking twist to the words, as he was clearly unimpressed by being ignored, but neither Sky nor Bloom seemed to hear him.

"This Red Throne Resistance," Bloom said quietly, once they were out of earshot. "They're the reason that you and Brandon switched places, aren't they?"

Sky swallowed roughly. "The RTR has been threatening my life since before I was even born, since my father announced that my mother was pregnant with me. It's why I barely saw outside the castle walls before I went to Red Fountain, and why, when I did, it was always in disguise. My parents didn't even want me to go to Red Fountain, they - my mother - she was scared the RTR would come for me."

There was more. Bloom could tell by the anguish in his face that there was more.

"I wasn't lying when I said some factions of the RTR are ruthless, that they would kill Diaspro just to send a message to her parents. If they know who you are to me, some of them wouldn't be above hurting you just to get to me."

He swallowed again, seemingly trying to decide to go on or not.

"When I was six my mother fell pregnant again, she- they-"

He broke off, his eyes suddenly glassy, and Bloom grabbed his hand, squeezing tight.

"I can't lose you," he said raggedly. "I can't lose you."

Bloom stepped into his arms as they came around her and held her to him tightly.

"You're not going to lose me," she whispered into his chest, before looking up to press a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "I'm going to fight my way back to you, and you're going to fight your way back to me. I know you will."

He leaned his forehead against her as a shudder worked its way through his chest.

"And no matter how scared you are," Bloom continued. "And how scared I am." Because she was, she was suddenly terrified to go willingly into the hands of these people. "I just know Diaspro is so much more scared right now. She needs her friends right now."

Sky kissed her suddenly, so fiercely, that for a moment Bloom was breathless, able to only cling to Sky's uniform as his arms tightened around her, lifting her slightly off the ground.

"You're right," he said, when they finally parted, both breathing hard. "You're right, and you're amazing, and I-" he broke off and shook his head, a small smile working its way across his face. "You're amazing," he just said again.

"Alright love-birds," Ben grumbled, apparently fed up waiting. "Are we doing this or not?"

Sky squeezed Bloom's waist one final time before they parted and rejoined the group. Flora handed the poppy over to Bloom.

"You know what to do?" she asked, even though she'd spent the entire walk over prepping her on how the poppy's magic worked.

"Yep," Bloom said, before out a tense breath. She looked at Sky one last time, trying for what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "See you soon." Then concentrating on Diaspro, she closed her eyes and plucked one of the poppy's petals.

---

Diaspro knew she was probably going to die in this mine. She'd resigned herself to that fact when she'd come to, bound to a wooden post, head throbbing and surrounded by people with that red crown pinned to their chests. The Red Throne Resistance had one of the biggest prizes within their hands, they weren't going to let it slip away.

There was a sudden scrape of metal on stone, but Diaspro didn't open her eyes. Not even when a throaty voice spoke to her.

"You really should eat something."

"No, thank you," she said politely. The RTR usually opted for more spectacular deaths than poisoning, but she wouldn't put it past them either.

A few shuffling steps and Diaspro was fairly certain her companion was now standing directly in front of her.

"Stubborn one, huh?"

The voice was amused but quickly gave way to a hacking cough that seemed to come from deep in the woman's chest. Diaspro sighed a little and finally opened her eyes, blinking a few times to adjust to the dim lighting.

Her companion, an elderly woman with her hands on her hips, was watching her. It was the same woman who had brought the food to her hours before, walking with a heavy limp and seemingly impervious to the heavy glares directed her way. By her colouring, Diaspro would guess that she was a Juvel native.

"You need a healer," Diaspro said flatly, when the woman coughed again.

She wasn't the only one with that awful cough, she'd observed many of the RTR rebels plagued by it.

The woman's hard expression didn't waver. "No healers around here anymore. And it's too expensive to go to an outsider."

The woman watched her expectantly but Diaspro didn't rise to the bait, and she sighed, shuffling closer.

"How about some water?" she said instead, slowly lowering herself to the ground beside Diaspro.

It was true, Diaspro's throat was burning, her lips were dry and cracked, and she'd trade just about any of her favourite gowns for a drop of water right about then. But the risks…

Still the woman was the only rebel to show her a shred of kindness since they'd dragged her here.

"Fine," she acquiesced and the woman chuckled.

"Nice manners," she grunted, even as she produced a cup of water and brought it to Diaspro's lips.

The princess drank from it greedily, uncaring as some of it spilled down her throat.

"Thanks," she said quietly, when she'd drained it and ignored the grumbling from some of the other rebels milling around the cavern who were half-watching the interaction.

They'd mostly left her alone since they'd tied her to the post. Their leader, a hard man with dark eyes, had taunted her at first and hit her a couple times, before the old woman had intervened and told him to knock it off. She'd half expected him to turn around and slap the old woman across the face, just as he'd done to Diaspro, but he'd only glared at her for a moment, before slouching off, followed by most of his cronies. Diaspro didn't pretend to understand the dynamics within the rebel group but it was clear the old woman held some sort of weight here, getting away with helping her despite the clear disapproval from her fellows.

Diaspro looked at her. "Why are you doing this?"

The old woman wouldn't meet her eye. "You have to understood why we took you, Princess-"

"No, why are you helping me?"

The old woman didn't seem to have an answer for her as she gazed across the cavern. The others seemed mostly caught up in planning something, pouring over maps and reports, but occasionally Diaspro would sense the conversation shifting as they glanced at her. She also got the sense that although they'd caught her, they hadn't quite decided what to do with her.

"My son, Jasper, died in this mine, you know?" the woman said unexpectedly, her eyes tracing over the walls sadly.

Diaspro's lips parted in surprise and she too felt compelled to look around at her surroundings. She knew, somewhat logically, that working in the mines was a dangerous job, but it was entirely different to have a name, a grieving mother, to put to the statistics she read in the palace reports.

"We were compensated for his loss for a while, but eventually the money dried up. I guess we were supposed to get over it." The woman's smile held no humour. "As if I could ever get over the death of my only son. But my daughter-in-law, their little girl, they needed to eat, so I went back to work. That's how this happened." She gestured to her poor knee. "And it still wasn't enough. The bills just keep coming, the prices just keep rising, and the hunger never stops."

The words were on her lips, it had been drilled into her never to say them, never to show that weakness, but Diaspro couldn't stop them from spilling out.

"I'm sorry."

The woman glanced at her, nodded slowly. "I didn't want this to happen," she said, and it felt like a confession. "A fair few of us didn't. It's not why we joined the Resistance. We tried to stop them."

The words were apologetic, and they seemed to weigh the woman down, ageing her by the minute. The fear simmering inside Diaspro ratcheted up a notch and she looked away to find the faction's leader stomping towards her.

"Get her up," he was barking at one of his lackeys, and Diaspro knew that this was it, this was the end.

But something else was happening. A tingling had started up in her stomach, overtaking the fear, and spreading throughout her body. Diaspro's lips parted in surprise as a gold glow started to shine through her skin. The rebels cried in alarm, the woman struggled to her feet, but before anyone could act, the mine disappeared from around Diaspro and she was gone.

---

As much as she was expecting it, there was still a moment of disorientation as Bloom appeared in a cloud of gold sparkles in the cavern. She got a brief glimpse of rebels staring at her, mouths agape, before a thunderous boom rocked the mine.

"Sorry, guys," she said, burning through the ropes that had previously been holding Diaspro and were now cinched around her own wrists. "But that's my ride."

"Princess Bloom?"

"That's Princess Bloom!"

"It's the Drago Princess."

"The Lost Princess!"

The whispers travelled around the cavern as Bloom jumped to her feet and backed away. Many seemed in awe of her sudden appearance, but one man in particular seemed more perturbed by Diaspro's escape, than Bloom's appearance.

"Where's Diaspro?" he snarled, advancing on her.

One of the rebels grabbed his arm, clearly aghast at his behaviour. "That's the Lost Princess!" she said emphatically, but the man just shook her off.

"Somewhere you can't get her," Bloom said firmly, still inching towards the tunnel entrance she'd spied. According to the maps the Guardians had managed to snag of the mine system, that was the tunnel she needed to meet back up with them.

Another explosion rattled the cavern and people cried out, looking around for the cause. The man seethed with rage as he glared at Bloom, correctly guessing that the attack had something to do with her sudden appearance.

"What have you done?" he asked, right as a group of rebels came running into the cavern.

"Attack!" they cried. "We're under attack!"

The man lunged at Bloom, but her reflexes were quicker, slamming up a shield of flames as she retreated. A couple other rebels tried to stop her but the attempts were half-hearted at best, and most just stepped out of her way.

Vines exploded from the rocky walls and Bloom grinned, knowing that meant Flora and the others were close. A second later the group came bursting into the cavern, fighting off the last few rebels from the tunnels who had stayed to fight.

"Guardians!" their leader roared. His eyes fell on Diaspro at the back of the group. She looked weak, but determined to help. "Get them! Get her!"

His thunderous words were enough to rally a small contingent of his rebels, although most looked torn, the chaotic turn of events rendering them stock still in surprise.

The small rebel group charged, but they were little match for Bloom's friends. Flora's vines, bolstered by Oleander's magic, knocked a decent amount of them to the ground, Chatta used her charmspeak to convince even more to fall back, Lockette used her own magic to misdirect the rebel's spells, and Ben, Sky, Brandon, Bo and Rachel mopped up the rest.

Still their leader didn't seem like he was going to go down so easily, producing a sword and looking ready to march into battle himself. But a voice stopped him.

"Enough!"

The voice was so great, so firm, that everyone froze, struck silent, the noise of the fighting dying away.

And the speaker? An old woman, hands on her hips.

"Enough," she said, and her voice was weary now. "Enough fighting."

"What are you doing?" their leader snarled, but she held up a hand to silence him.

"I'm taking back control. I led this faction before you came in and warped it to suit your twisted agenda. I only ever wanted equality for all, peace for all, and taking the Princess was never part of that."

The woman looked around at her rebels.

"We are better than this, we've allowed ourselves to stray from the true path of the resistance-"

"You are weak," the man spat at her. "They have invaded our home and you want to lay down to them?"

"This isn't my home," the woman said in disgust. "And they have come here because I gave them the information," the woman said calmly.

That brought even the Guardians up short.

"You slipped the Guardian Network information about your whereabouts?" Ben asked.

"I did," she said, over the cries of shock and betrayal. Still others were nodding in agreement of her actions, looking shamed by what they had allowed themselves to become. "I could no longer accept what we were becoming. I did it, and I'd do it again."

The man snarled at her. "Then you're a traitor and you deserve the same fate as the bloody royals."

He turned his sword on her, but more rebels jumped to her defence, the two groups suddenly clashing in the confined space. But halting them all was the crumbling cavern. It rocked and shook, clearly not appreciating whatever the Guardians had done to gain entrance.

"It's gonna go," Bo warned.

"Run!" the woman screamed at her rebels.

"Bloom!"

She fought her way through the remaining crowd to get to Sky's side, where he was looking for her desperately. He held her for a brief moment, scanning her to make sure she was alright, before Ben was shoving them along the tunnel, yelling at them to run. Bloom managed a brief look backwards at the cavern where rock was raining down to see the man, the former leader, and his remaining supporters disappearing through another tunnel deeper into the mine. Then they turned a corner and the cavern disappeared from view.

It sounded as if the mine itself was coming down on top of them as they sprinted the remaining distance to the outside world, and indeed the tunnel collapsed just as the last of them, the Guardians, Diaspro, Sky, Brandon, Bloom, Flora, the pixies, the old woman, and her rebels came spilling out.

"Did everyone get out?" Rachel gasped out through heaving breaths as she scanned the group.

The old woman, bent over and clutching at one of her knees, straightened with visible effort, and looked over her people. "I think so," she wheezed.

Slowly, as their breath returned, the two groups eyed one another. Many were still clutching weapons and looked ready to use them.

"What now?" Oleander asked.

Technically, despite turning on their leader at the end, the rebels were still enemies of the state, and the Juvel royal family likely would have wanted them interrogated and thrown in cells for the rest of their lives.

Ben's face was grim. "We have to-"

"Now nothing," Diaspro interrupted. Her tone left no room for disagreements. "They go free." The only person she looked to for input was Sky who nodded slowly in agreement.

Diaspro walked over to the woman and peered into her face. "You saved me and I don't even know your name."

The woman hesitated a beat, then, "Amethyst. My name is Amethyst."

Diaspro's face barely changed, besides an almost imperceptible pressing of her lips, before she nodded and held out a hand.

"One day," she said heavily, as Amethyst clasped it. "We will negotiate peace between our people and the lands of Juvel and Eraklyon will be free of this strife. One day, Amethyst," she said again, and her intent was clear. One day, when I'm queen.

Amethyst nodded slowly. "I look forward to that day, Your Majesty." She dipped her head in the barest show of deference before backing away, gesturing for her rebels to follow her.

They left without another word, disappearing amongst the trees almost instantly. The others watched them go in equal silence, only broken when Sky spoke.

"If our parents ever find out what we just did…"

"They won't," Diaspro said, and she looked at each person who remained, her gaze slicing through them. "They won't ever find out what really happened here tonight, will they?"

Ben surprised all of them by nodding. "Our objective was to rescue you, Princess. As far as we're concerned, everything else that happened here tonight is irrelevant."

"Then let's get out of here." Sky nudged Diaspro gently. "I know someone who's excited to see you."

---

They were almost back to the castle when Diaspro fell into step beside Bloom, gaze fixed straight ahead.

"I guess I owe you thanks."

Bloom shook her head. "You don't owe me anything. You'd do the same for me."

Diaspro huffed something of a laugh. "I don't know about that."

Bloom smiled. "That's what friends do for one another, Diaspro."

It was Diaspro's turn to shaking her head, even as she smiled. "You keep using that word, but I told you before: I don't do friends."

"And yet here we are."

"And they call me the stubborn one."

The castle came into view, Almandine, Painite, Samara, Erendor, and countless others waiting for them. But then a tiny figure broke through their legs and came sprinting towards them.

"Dee-Dee!"

Diaspro fell to her knees and opened her arms for Amethyst to throw herself into. Almandine and Painite approached their daughter much slower, waiting for her to end her embrace with her little sister, and rise before they embraced her themselves.

"I'm glad for your return," Painite said stonily, while Almandine merely touched her face briefly before turning away.

"A party," she declared joyously, to the cheers of her court. "Tomorrow night. A celebration for the safe return of my beloved daughter."

She and Painite moved to thank the Wrong-Righters, ignoring Sky, Bloom, Flora, and Brandon completely, even as the Guardians accepted their praise but insisted they had to return to headquarters.

Erendor made his way over and laid a hand on Sky's shoulder briefly. "A fine enough job, son," he said blandly. "We'll stay here tonight and attend the celebration tomorrow before we return to Eraklyon." He too turned away, Samara hesitating a beat longer, her dark gaze sweeping over the four of them equally.

"Well done," she said quietly, before she followed her husband back into the castle.

---

Bloom was woken the next morning by a knock on the door. She groaned and rolled over, willing Flora to get up and answer it before remembering that they were on Juvel and Flora had been given her own room. She forced herself out of the ridiculously comfortable bed and pulled on the complimentary robe as she padded over to the door.

"Juvellians sure know luxury," Bloom said to a still slumbering Lockette before feeling slightly sick at the thought when she remembered the rebels from the night before. Many of them, Sky and Diaspro had told her, were just trying to put food on the table and keep a roof over their families heads. Her luxurious night's sleep suddenly felt tainted.

Another knock at the door prompted her out of the depressing thoughts, and she cracked the door open, peering out to find the ladies maid who had shown her to her room the night before, waiting out in the hall.

She curtsied. "Sorry to disturb you, Your Highness. But Her Highness has requested an audience with you."

Forgetting herself, Bloom blurted out, voice horrified, "Almandine?!"

The maid winced. "Not Queen Almandine," she said. "Queen Samara."

"Oh," Bloom said, her brain struggling to work so early in the morning. "I don't suppose she said what she wanted."

"I'm afraid not, Your Highness. I could help you dress if you like," she added, probably thinking about Bloom's jeans and jumper from the night before. Not exactly attire fit for audiences with a queen.

"No, that's alright. But thank you."

Bloom figured if Queen Samara wanted to see her, she would get the real Bloom, not the one she'd been pretending to be. Especially if she was going to request her presence so early in the morning.

The maid curtsied to her once more and hurried off. Bloom shook her head as she headed back into her room; this whole Princess, Your Highness, curtsying thing was going to take some getting used to.

Thirty minutes later found her being led into a beautiful drawing room, where Queen Samara was already waiting for her, cup of tea on the little table beside her. The morning light filtered through the windows, illuminating the sharp angles of the Queen's face.

Samara seemed lost in thought, not immediately noticing Bloom's arrival; she was gazing at the intricate glass work that made up the windows but Bloom got the sense that she wasn't really seeing them.

"Princess Bloom, Your Highness," the courtier who had led Bloom to the drawing room said politely, before curtsying and taking her leave.

Samara blinked and looked around at her. If Bloom was expecting a warm welcome, she would have been disappointed by the blank look Samara offered her, before finally she gestured to a chair across from her.

"Please sit, Bloom."

Bloom did as she was told, perching nervously on the ornate chair, and half wishing she'd gone for a gown after all. Her dirty sneakers and jeans with a rip over one knee didn't exactly fit into this place.

"Tea?" Samara offered.

A servant hurried forward, already pouring a cup for Bloom before she could accept, and Bloom sipped it politely. To her surprise it was delicious, filling her with a rush of warmth.

"My favourite blend," Samara said, watching Bloom carefully.

"It's lovely."

They lapsed into a somewhat awkward silence, as Bloom waited for Samara to spill why she'd asked to meet with her. But Samara seemed in no hurry, openly eyeing Bloom, taking in every detail of her appearance from her hastily brushed hair, to her chipped nail polish, to the lace of her right sneaker that was already coming undone.

"You're not who I would have picked for my son," Samara finally said.

Bloom had guessed that Samara and Erendor felt that way about her but to hear the words said so casually was like a gut punch.

"Right," she said, wondering why the hell she'd gotten out of bed for this.

"That isn't a comment on who you are as a person, Bloom," she continued. "But rather who you will need to be as Sky's wife. Sky is going to be King." She said this with particular emphasis as if Bloom was unaware. "His wife will be Queen. It takes a special kind of person to be the partner of a monarch. And I wasn't sure if you were that person."

Samara paused and sipped from her tea. Bloom resisted the urge to remind her that she was supposed to be Queen of her own realm one day.

"But then the Wrong-Righters told us what you did to save Diaspro. Willingly trading places with Diaspro, putting yourself in those insurgents' hands."

The way Samara spoke about the rebels, the disgust in her voice, Bloom sensed they were nearing what Sky had alluded to the night before.

"Do you know what those people have done?"

Bloom swallowed. "Sky and Brandon told me a bit."

"Did Sky tell you what happened when he was six?"

"Not really," Bloom admitted.

"When Sky was six years old, I fell pregnant with my second child. Erendor and I had tried for another child for some time and I had started to give up hope, but then finally, finally, another blessing. We waited to announce it to the world, wanting to be sure, and when we finally did I was so excited to share that miracle. And do you know what the Red Throne Resistance did?"

Mutely, Bloom shook her head.

"They launched a comprehensive assault on the castle. Every day, for months, they attacked, they tried to sneak in, they tried everything and anything to hurt us, hurt me when I was most vulnerable."

Bloom was sure that it was only certain factions of the RTR that had done this, but sensed that pointing that out while Samara was telling her a story she clearly rarely shared wouldn't go down well.

"And when the day finally came that the stress and the fear was too much and I lost Sky's little brother, do you know what those people did? They rejoiced!"

The last words were a hiss and Bloom's heart cracked at the anguish in Samara's voice, even as her expression remained like granite. A decade had passed since the loss of her second son and yet the queen clearly carried that pain with her every day.

Bloom wanted to hug the woman, she wanted to apologise for that pain, but knowing what little of Samara that she did, she knew it wasn't what the queen wanted to hear.

"Sky would have been a great brother," was the only thing Bloom could think to say.

Samara's eyes shuttered. "Yes. He would have." She was quiet for a long moment, tea forgotten beside her. "These are the kind of people who took Diaspro, the kind of people whose hands you put your life in last night. Most Princesses would not do that, Bloom."

"I guess I'm not like most princesses," Bloom mumbled.

Samara smiled a funny little smile. "I'm beginning to see that. After I lost my son, I did not want to get out of bed, Bloom. I wanted to exist in my grief and my pain and my loss and did not care much about what happened to the world outside of that. But a Queen cannot think only of herself, a Queen must pick up and carry on even when she is breaking apart. A true Queen cannot be most Princesses, she has to be more."

Bloom looked up at her slowly, trying to understand what Samara wasn't saying.

"When I heard what you did for Diaspro, Bloom, I realised that maybe there's more to you than I thought." She paused, looking at Bloom meaningfully for a moment, before returning to her tea. "Enjoy the party tonight."

The dismissal was clear and Bloom stood on instinct. It wasn't outright acceptance from Samara, but it was something like it. She turned to leave, the beginning of a smile creeping onto her face.

"Oh, and Bloom?"

She twisted back around.

"Don't worry about my husband so much," Samara said, something like amusement dancing in her voice. "He takes a while to warm up, and he'll hate it when you challenge him on something, but keep at it; it will be good for him."

Bloom grinned. "Yes, Your Highness."

Samara nodded at the door and Bloom escaped out of the drawing room, nearly giddy with how well it had gone. She felt in a good enough mood to skip back to her room when Sky came charging down the hallway, sweaty and out of breath.

"Where's the fire?" she teased when he skidded to a halt in front of her.

"I heard my mother asked to see you," he said, eyes flicking between her and the closed door of the drawing room. "How did it…"

"Good," she said. "Very good."

"Yeah?" he asked, and her heart swooped at the hope in his eyes.

"I mean, we're not going to be best friends or anything, but I think we found some common ground. Now, what have you been up to this morning?" She took in his appearance again, noting the mussed hair and workout gear.

"Oh, just sparring with my dad," Sky said with a grimace. "He likes to do it at least once whenever I come home."

"Fun," Bloom said, poking him in the side.

Sky winced and slapped her hand away playfully, before grabbing it so he could hold it instead. "Yeah, except I end up as a walking bruise. He doesn't believe in going easy."

Bloom raised her eyebrows but didn't comment on that one, content to let the subject drop as they walked along the hallway, swinging their joined hands between them. Still, another subject wormed its way into her head, and once it was there, she couldn't let the opportunity pass.

"Sky," she said, and he hummed in response, glancing over at her. "About what happened in your dorm room…"

Sky's smile slipped slightly, and he brought them gently to a halt. "I'm sorry, if I'd known-"

"No, it's not that. You've already apologised, which wasn't even necessary the first time. I just… are we okay?"

"I hope we are." He squeezed her hand.

"Because I like you, like I really like you, obviously," Bloom said, laughing awkwardly. She could barely look at him and felt like her face was on fire. "I just don't think I'm ready for that."

Sky blew out a breath. "Well, I really like you as well, obviously," he teased and Bloom blushed even harder. His tone grew serious, "But I'm probably not ready either, and a big part of me is glad we stopped when we did. And maybe, one day when we're both ready, we'll take that next step. But only when we're both ready."

Bloom couldn't help but smile as she looked up at him; the warmth that flooded through her at his words was unlike anything she'd ever felt before, intense and all-consuming, a feeling she didn't quite have a word for yet.

So she settled for a simple, "Sounds good."

---

Diaspro wasn't particularly enjoying the party her mother had insisted on, but it seemed like Amethyst was and after scaring her sister half to death, that's all Diaspro cared about. Watching her sister dance with a few of her friends from her place by the far wall of the ballroom, Diaspro couldn't help but smile at the sight, even if she would deny it if anyone pointed it out.

She was so distracted by her sister that she didn't notice the guard approaching her until she was right by her side, both of them looking out across the ballroom. Diaspro's heart shuttered but she didn't turn to face the other woman.

"Can we talk?" Jade said quietly. "I'm so sorry, I feel like it was my fault-"

"It wasn't," Diaspro said, quiet but firm. "No one could have known. And my parents are so relieved that I'm back that you won't even be getting any disciplinary action over it."

Jade blew out a sigh of relief. "Good, that's good. They'd never let me go to Eraklyon with you if-"

Diaspro's eyes fluttered shut. Her heart was aching but she forced herself to say, "I meant what I said about you not coming to Eraklyon."

Now Jade looked at her. "You don't mean that."

"I do," Diaspro said simply, opening her eyes but not really seeing the people in front of her. She couldn't look at Jade, couldn't gesture between them for the fear of who might see it, what conclusions they might draw. "This can't happen between us."

"Diaspro," Jade whispered, but the Princess was already gone, pushing off the wall and disappearing in the direction of a certain redhead.

---

Bloom had to hand it to Almandine, she might not be her favourite person, but she threw one hell of a party. Bloom had been half-expecting it to be a stuffy sit-down affair, but so far it had somewhat resembled an Alfea dance just with a more lavish setting. The food had been divine, the music lovely, and Sky and Brandon had taken turns whirling herself and Flora around the dance floor. Eventually a Juvellian courtier had whisked Flora away for a dance, and Brandon had snuck off to call Stella, leaving Sky and Bloom to find themselves a corner to themselves to catch their breath.

"Drink?" Sky asked.

"Please."

He grinned, promised to be right back, and disappeared towards the refreshments table. He'd barely been gone a moment before someone was sliding into his place, stepping between Bloom and the rest of the ballroom.

"Oh," she said in surprise, blinking up at the stranger. "Umm, hi?"

"Crown Prince Kendrick of Istryria," the guy purred, scooping up Bloom's hand and pressing a kiss to the back of it. "It's a pleasure Princess Bloom, and may I just say you're looking absolutely delectable this evening."

Bloom shuddered at the ooze coming off the guy's words and politely tried to take her hand back. "You go to Red Fountain, right? With Sky?" Bloom didn't particularly like doing it but she hoped the subtle reminder that she had a boyfriend might get the guy to back off a little.

Kendrick maintained his sleazy smile but Bloom was sure she saw some dislike enter his eyes at the mention of Sky. "Indeed, I do. Topped Sword Safety 101, in fact."

"Oh," Bloom said vaguely. "How nice."

She looked desperately across the ballroom, wondering how much longer Sky would be. She finally spotted him with two glasses in hand, looking as though he'd been on his way back to her when one of Diaspro's cousins had stopped him to talk. She could see him wearing a polite smile as he nodded at whatever the cousin was saying.

"Have you ever had the chance to visit Istryria, Princess Bloom?"

Bloom dragged her attention back to Kendrick who had managed to inch closer while she'd been distracted. "I haven't, unfortunately. I actually just have to-"

"Oh, you should definitely come visit, it's lovely in the summer," he boasted, cutting right over the top of her.

"Sounds nice," she said, and made to step around him. "But if you'll excuse me, I need to-"

"Running away, Princess?" he purred, stopping her with a hand to her waist.

Irritation flickered through Bloom at the boldness of the gesture, at his stubborn obliviousness.

"Not running away," she said through gritted teeth. "Just walking away. Now get out of my way."

Kendrick grinned, apparently amused by her reaction. "Come on, we were just talking. I'm sure your boyfriend will be back to whisk you away in no time."

Boyfriend? the voice hissed. Don't need him to save us.

Hardly realising she was doing it, Bloom laid a hand on Kendrick's forearm, digging her nails in slightly.

"I don't want to talk to you," she snarled, smiling as she did.

Kendrick's lips parted in surprise and he tried to pull away but the flames of anger were licking at Bloom now and she held on. He struggled, trying to yank his arm away now, but she wasn't letting up.

"Running away?" she purred sweetly. "I thought we were talking?"

"Let me go," he begged, eyes wide with pain. "Please. Please, it hurts."

"Something the matter?" a smooth voice broke in and Diaspro appeared at the edge of Bloom's vision, edging her shoulder in between them so she could look into Bloom's eyes. "Bloom," she said quietly. "I think he's learnt his lesson."

"I really don't think he has," Bloom snarled, and the flames inside her burned hotter. Kendrick whimpered.

Diaspro exhaled sharply and looked around but everyone was enjoying the party too much to notice their little altercation.

"Bloom," she said again, voice firmer. "That's enough."

How dare she, how dare she, how dare-

"Fine," Bloom said, and finally released Kendrick who immediately yanked his arm out of reach and cradled it to his chest.

Bloom didn't look away from Diaspro's gaze but if she did she was sure she'd find that her grip had burnt right through the layers of his suit jacket, scalding the skin below.

"You crazy bitch!" Kendrick hissed under his breath. "When people hear what you just did-"

"The way I saw it, you harassed and cornered the Lost Princess of Sparx and current darling of the universe until she retaliated and defended herself. How do you think that's going to go for you, Kendrick? Especially when, the way I hear it, this isn't the first time you've had trouble understanding no means no."

Diaspro said all of this very fast and very quietly, never looking away from Bloom who was glaring at her. Kendrick seethed at both of them for another few moments before abruptly turning on his heel and stomping away. Neither Bloom nor Diaspro spoke, watching and waiting for the other to make the first move.

"Something the matter?" Sky asked, finally reappearing with their drinks. When neither girl answered, a crease appeared in his forehead. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Bloom said finally. "I just need a moment." She took her drink from Sky without further comment and slipped out of the ballroom.

"What happened?" Sky asked again, rounding on Diaspro.

"No, I- I don't know, maybe nothing." Completely unusual for her, Diapsro seemed ruffled as she watched Bloom until she disappeared from view. It was only then that she met Sky's eye. "Is she okay?"

"Yes," Sky said, but they both heard the uncertainty in his voice. "I mean, she had a run in with the Trix a few weeks ago, and she was… off… for a while after that. But she's supposed to be fine now. She is fine." But it sounded like Sky was trying to convince himself just as much as he was trying to convince Diaspro.

She shook her head slightly, golden curls swaying. "I wouldn't be so sure of that. Keep an eye on her." She touched his shoulder briefly, then headed back into the crowd where Amethyst was calling for her.

Sky's eyes shuttered closed. Part of him wanted to run after Bloom, find her and see for himself if she was really okay, but he needed answers, he needed the truth, and he had a feeling that he wouldn't get that by following Bloom. So instead he scanned the dance floor.

When he found who he was looking for, he took off, striding through the crowd and brushing past anyone who tried to stop and talk to him. Brandon reappeared from thin air and fell into step beside him.

"What happened?"

Sky shook his head, not wanting to have this conversation surrounded by so many people he didn't trust. He reached Flora and tapped her on the shoulder. One look at his face and she excused herself from the courtier she was dancing with, and both she and Brandon followed him to a private side chamber off the ballroom.

"What is it? Is Bloom alright?" Flora asked once the door shut behind them.

"That's what I need you to tell me," Sky said, trying to remain calm. "Is Bloom actually alright?"

"Did something happen?" Flora asked carefully.

"Flora."

Flora fidgeted with her bracelet, looking so distressed that she didn't even notice as the leather finally wore through and broke, falling to pieces on the ground.

"We're worried about her, it's why I wanted to come on this trip, to make sure nothing happened. She's been acting strange for a while now."

"Darcy's spell-" Sky began.

" Sky…" Flora shook her head sadly. "This started long before we ever went to Cloud Tower."

Sky's face darkened, and Brandon glanced at him, as it slowly dawned on both of them the seriousness of what was going on.

---

Oh hello, hello, how has everyone been?

I actually had this chapter more or less ready to go last week but some unforeseen circumstances, my grandfather inviting himself over one day, coming down with a nasty cold delayed things a bit. I've also been promoted (again lol) so I'm now working full time and fuck me it does not leave me with a lot of spare time ha ha. But this fic continues to be my priority and I'm enjoying where it's at right now.

Another chapter, another step closer to the end of this fic. This one is definitely more of a filler chapter but there's definitely still threads I've woven in that will be picked up in the remaining chapters of the fic. Plus it was also a great opportunity to delve into Sky, Brandon, and Diaspro a bit deeper, their backstory, and the world they come from, which is fairly different to the other royals we've seen so far. I think it also explains why they are the way they are so much.

I think I've said it before but Diaspro is definitely the character I didn't expect to love writing so much but do, and I love her relationship with her sister and the love she has for her people, probably the only times we see her be "soft" so I couldn't resist giving her a bit more screen time. Also bonus points if anyone knows where the song she sings to Amethyst is from.

Another family dynamic I love so much is Brandon's and his chaotic home life. I've been looking for an excuse to introduce them and I finally found it, and also getting the chance to show how much Sky is connected to Brandon's family over his own. Nikaylah in particular really sees him as another son, and not having siblings, Sky definitely considers them as his.

Another change you might or might not notice depending on which dub you watch was actually changing who the bad guys were. In the 4kids dub the Wrong-Righters were actually the people who took Diaspro, but I decided to make them the good guys in my version, to finally show what a Guardian team looks like and how they operate but also, they were quite a funny/goofy threat in the show, but I wanted to change that vibe in my fic. The people who took Diaspro weren't fucking around, and some of them really did want her dead, plus adding in the resistance was a chance to demonstrate how out of touch Sky and Diaspro's parents are as rulers. The RTR isn't something I'll necessarily be picking back up with in this volume, but definitely a possibility for the future while also establishing the kind of realms that Diaspro and Sky will eventually inherit. It's not all fun and games out there, and some Kings and Queens are pretty fucking bad and don't give a shit if their people are starving. A bit more of that political element that's going to grow as the characters get older and get closer to becoming Kings and Queens themselves.

I think that's pretty much it; I've had a lot of these scenes in my head for a while so it was really fun to finally get them down, and this was a really fun chapter to write. As always I'm so appreciative for your patience, your favourites, your reviews, asks you send on tumblr. Definitely always reach out to me there, I'm probably going to post some ref pics there later today, and I would love to know what you guys thought of this one :D

(Also lmao new longest chapter - 21k)