I'D EARNED A lecture about princes from Parisa just as she informed me that both the Athena children and the Fortis princes would be spending the week with us. Her glare at the end of her speech had told me all that I needed to know: Liam Xavier Fortis was to be left alone.

I spent the next morning after the party trying to collect my thoughts and calm my nerves the best way I knew: at the range. With a bow in my hand, I felt strong and my mind was its clearest when I guided each arrow to its mark with the soothing hum of the string.

Parisa had let me take archery lessons as a pastime when I was young, and it had always been my favorite subject, the feeling of pulling back an arrow with a firm hand indescribable. I had multiple teachers as I became more experienced and increased my skill. After eleven years of constant practice, my lessons had stopped altogether when Parisa couldn't locate a teacher for me to train under.

Archery wasn't a common art any longer, not with the development of the modern sword and the emphasis on the assault rifle. Arrows and bullets could hardly be compared in battle, and most of the universe had taken to the latter because of its deadly nature. There was also the rise of chemical weapons and the new fatal craft of the warlocks, all of which were considered above the power of an arrow.

I'd practiced before with guns but they had always terrified me, their loud explosion and the force of their kick nearly sending me backwards into the dirt. Archery was different. It was quiet and patient, modest in its appearance and difficult to master. Any day I would choose to walk into a battle with a bow rather than a gun.

When I released the string, my arrow hit its mark with a soft clunk into the center of the ring. I shifted my weight, pulling another arrow from the quiver on my back. Adjusting my stance, I located the next target up in the branches of a sturdy tree, nestled between two branches that barely gave a glimpse of its dark green body.

I sucked in a breath, drawing back the arrow as I steadied my arm and kept my eyes open. In, out, release. The arrow shot out from my bow, wizzing through the air in the blink of an eye up into the treetops. There was a distinct thunk, the arrow lodged deeply into the green target through its core.

Shifting my feet, I spun around as though I were dancing the tango just as a target swung across the trees. I followed it before letting another arrow snap into its center. The second target swept the opposite direction and I drew another arrow, the buzz of its feathers through the air almost as pleasant as the sound of the arrowhead sinking into the wood.

Every target was hit, swinging back and forth with a red feathered arrow lodged in its middle. The sight made the tension leave my shoulders as I took a breath. Slinging my bow over my shoulder, I brushed my hair over my shoulder before turning to walk back inside the fortress.

The sound of my boots against the gravel reminded me of rain, and I looked up into the cloudy sky. Perhaps today we'd finally get a thunderstorm. The weather had been sunny and warm for so long, the dirt dry and dusty with each of my steps. The crops needed water, and I prayed to Fate that she'd bless us with rain.

A pain flared in my neck, making me wince as I reached up to touch the aching skin. During my doctor's appointment that morning, Dr. Letteri had given me the usual vaccination for my sensitive feathers, and the aftershock always made my skin burn. Gritting my teeth, I ignored the soreness, lifting my head towards the fortress.

When I looked up, I noticed two women standing by the doorway. The girls were shorter than me, slim with platinum colored hair. I knew the color, a rush of deja vu running through me as the striking image of Venus Athena walking into our dining room so many years ago replayed in my head.

The older of the two women walked towards me, her hair a deeper shade of blonde the closer she got to me. Her younger sister was shorter, her locks nearly ivory. I knew them both though I'd never met them, the older sister named Pluto and the younger Vesta.

"You're good with a bow." Pluto said, her tone as honest and straight forward as an arrow itself.

"Hello, Princess Cybele. My name is Vesta de Athena. How did you learn to be so skilled?" Vesta asked, her voice higher than her sister's and her eyes glowing with a warmth that was endearing.

"Years of practice." I said, extending my hand to her. "Cybele of Opulentia. I hope you are enjoying your stay with us."

"It's lovely!" She said with a wide grin, her grip firm but light just the same. "It's so green!"

"And always sunny." Pluto added, making me turn. She shook my hand hard, nearly making me wince under her grip as she scanned the field. "Is this field just for archery?"

"Yes, and we don't have many archers among us so it's mostly become my own training area." I shifted my quiver on my back, nodding my head. "Can I interest you both in tea?"

"Tea sounds lovely!" Vesta jumped at the chance with a giggle. As her smile faded, she looked up at me with a budding shyness, "can I hold your bow?"

I slid it off my shoulder, handing it to her. "Be prepared, it's a little heavy..."

As soon as I let go, she nearly dropped the bow, letting out a squeak in surprise. She managed to steady herself, holding it between her fingers. "Much heavier than I thought."

"I apologize for her." Pluto added quickly, giving her sister a stern glare. Vesta's face flushed as she handed the weapon back to me.

"The number of times I've dropped it is numerous so no apologies are necessary." I gave them a smile before continuing, "come in with me so we can see to tea."

I led them through the doors and into the hallway, stopping into the first room on the right. The two sister's eyes grew wide as they looked around. Bows and arrows lined the walls, and I hung up my quiver and bow, sliding off the leather armguard that protected my skin.

Brushing the dust off my dress, I walked back towards them. "I'm a very dedicated archer." I laughed, Pluto investigating one of the larger bows while Vesta looked up to me.

"Can you teach me how to shoot before I leave?"

"You'll shoot someone guaranteed, and Mother will kill you." Pluto said, touching the largest bow on the far wall. "Why is this one so large?"

"I'll show you." I said to Vesta before looking to her older sister. "It's for hunting bigger animals than normal prey. I don't use it since I never kill living creatures, but I've just kept it here. One of my former instructors left it for me if I decided that one day I'd want to try it."

"That's got to be really heavy." Vesta said, shaking her head.

"My arms get tired after a few rounds." I said, making her laugh as I shrugged my shoulders. "I have a feeling that one day I'll get the hang of it."

The three of us sat around a circular table on one of the terraces, the breeze running through my hair as I took a long sip from a fine china teacup the color of a full moon. Pluto sat upright, scanning the area around us while taking in the view. Vesta talked on and on, explaining how hot their planet, Umbramund, was in comparison to Viridis. Umbramund was a dark swampland unlike our planet's sunny forests and grasslands.

"We're close to Pugnam, and I swear the heat of that fire planet radiates onto us all the time." Vesta said, shaking her head. "Landing here in our plane, I saw so much water out the window! More water than I've ever seen my whole life!"

I nodded my head, "we're the planet with the most water. We also have the largest, most diverse population of creatures and species in the entire Ordinem universe."

"Your planet has the most kingdoms on it as well." Pluto added, her eyes still focussed on the meadows outside the castle walls. "The different realms are broken up into the Sylphs and Fairies, Pixies, Vampires, and Wolf pack territories."

"Also there are the clan of the Magnatoms along with the creatures of the Viridian forest." I added, Pluto's eyes shooting to mine.

"What lives in the Viridian forest?" Vesta asked, taking a bite of her scone.

"Wolves in one section, but across the Kelpie river are all sorts: Gremlins, Centaurs, Unicorns, Trolls, Griffins, Grims, and Medians. There are mostly likely more species as well, but they haven't all been documented yet. The last research expedition was over a thousand years ago, and they didn't explore too far into the woods."

I ate a strawberry, Vesta nodding her head eagerly as Pluto brushed a lock of hair from her face. "Are you friends with them all?"

"Not all of them." I replied, "we have alliances with the wolves, vampires, centaurs, and trolls. The rest are hard to locate considering they are vagrant, so it's difficult to determine Opulentia's relations with those species. They're generally friendly besides the Medians; you'll want to avoid those."

"Will Parisa be joining us?" Pluto interrupted, sipping from her teacup.

"She won't be. Parisa's busy for the rest of the afternoon."

"What about later in the week?"

"Most likely not." I said, looking up to meet Pluto's eyes. "She is a very busy woman, and she doesn't drink tea."

"I'd like to see her before we depart." She said, setting down her cup to lace her fingers in her lap. "I've been meaning to have a conversation with her."

I clenched my jaw, staring into her violet eyes as I tried to read her. Just from looking at her stern face, I knew what she wanted to discuss with Parisa. No matter how hard Pluto tried to hide it, she would have to realize that she couldn't conceal her intentions from me.

The war was written all over her face just as it was on everyone else's. It had become its own expression, its own glitter in fearful eyes and wrinkles across the forehead and in the corners of the eyes. It sucked the life out every face and the color from every pair of cheeks. Vesta was even beginning to grow uncomfortable, the lively girl going silent and still.

With recent events I knew why Pluto was eager to try and solidify an alliance with Parisa. General Fortis and his kingdom, the Holy Order, were expanding rapidly but the Resistance newly under the masterful hands of Venus Athena had made the Fortis goal of universal domination far more grueling. Wise beyond her years and an accomplished orator, Venus reigned emperor over the impoverished planets of Dolor, Pugnam, and Umbramund. The Resistance's passion was nearly an equal match to Fortis' wealth.

Viridis was the last to remain unclaimed by either side, the final of the seven planets and one of the wealthiest. If Venus could sway us to join her in arms, she would be gifted with the funds she desperately needed to have the final advantage over Fortis.

For Fortis, Viridis aligning with the Holy Order would cut off any potential of Athena receiving aid, and our natural resources would supply his army with all the materials needed to upgrade their forces. With Viridis the war could be won, and without us hope of victory was crushed.

On Pluto's face sang her stubborn belief in the Resistance's survival, and I almost wanted to laugh at the circumstances. Parisa had warned me that the Fortis princes would be the ones who'd hound me about an alliance yet the opposite had unfolded. Here was Pluto laying out for me her plan while Xavier had only wanted to dance the night away.

Or perhaps the tango had meant more to him than I realized.

I took breath, setting down my cup. Meeting her eyes, I simply nodded my head. "She'll be at dinner with us, and if you're quick enough, you can catch her before she retires for the night. I can't promise you that she'll be in the mood to speak with you, but if you can persuade her, she'll listen."

"Thank you." Pluto said, this time her tone almost as soft and warm as her sister's. "I appreciate this more than you know."

"I don't know Parisa's thoughts on the war." I said, "She respects a strong rhetorician so prepare your words with care. I advise you on this: if she thinks that you are lying, you won't stand a chance."