THE AUTUMN Court was just like she remembered it. The chill in the air, the turning leaves on the trees, the calming presence of a season in change. Princess Carling was standing there at the foothold of her shopfront, smiling at them with such warmth, it made Andorra's heart ache for her parents.

"Welcome, welcome!" Princess Carling fluttered towards Coralia, giving her daughter a kiss on the forehead. She grasped the redhead's shoulders, smiling down at her daughter. "I am so glad you've come home!"

Coralia rolled her eyes, but it was in good nature. "Momma, you're embarrassing me."

Princess Carling moved on to Andorra next, her smile wide and motherly. "My dear, you are just as precious as the first day we met. Welcome back, welcome back! I knew you and my Coralia would be thick as thieves." She hugged Andorra tightly then, pulling her into the warmth of a woman who cared.

Callum didn't see it that way. "Unhand the Princess before I take your hand as payment." The words were dark, a growl, a warning.

Princess Carling blinked at the Winter Fae, and then let out a delighted laugh. "Prince Puck's son. How you've grown! And... you're the Princess's guard. Interesting turn of events." Princess Carling did release Andorra, and she looked at Coralia with a pointed look. "The Princess is safe here, but I suppose I understand your worry and fear. But let me be perfectly clear, Callum: this isn't your father's court. We do not have assassins in the street, hiding at every turn."

Callum stiffened, but said nothing in return. The shadows that clung to his body seemed to intensify, sweeping across the cobbled street like fog. He was more than a boy right then, more than the son of Prince Puck. Goosebumps flared across Andorra's skin at the sight of his eyes going black, like a demon possessed.

She turned towards Princess Carling abruptly. She was forgetting that Callum wasn't on her side, and he wasn't a good person. He was the son of a very harsh, very sinister Court Prince. The power he held was not the power Hans and Bort had running in their veins.

Even his girlfriend was not made of the same power. Andorra had to remember that.

Princess Carling didn't pay the shadow fae any mind as she turned towards Bort and Hans, her warm smile returning. "And, my daughter's favorite friends. Welcome back! Hans, you've grown taller I think! And so thin! Are you eating anything at that fancy school? And Bort, lovely as always. Please tell your mother I say hello. We see her very seldom at the market anymore. I do hope she is feeling okay."

There was some back and forth between Princess Carling and the boys, but Andorra was too focused on the shadows slinking past her ankles, wrapping around them like fingers. She tried to subtly shake the shadows off, but it was to no avail.

"Knock it off," she hissed to Callum, shooting him a look. The shadows were trailing up past her shins now, cool against her skin, but trapping her nonetheless. When she met his eyes, it was almost as though he seemed to snap out of the trance he was in, his eyes immediately turning back to normal, the shadows suddenly rushing back to his side.

She wanted to ask him more questions about it, but there was no time. And there was an audience that Callum would absolutely not entertain, so Andorra faced forward once again. Coralia was opening the shop entrance door, beckoning Andorra forward. "Momma, Andy and I are going to get set up with our stuff."

Princess Carling waved off her daughter. "Go ahead, go ahead! I have some phone calls to make. Please, settle in. Princess, I have heard you would like a dress for the Fates Ball. I would be honored to make one. Just let me know when you would like the measurements taken."

Andorra nodded, trailing after Coralia. Being back there, in the shop front, made a rush of memories crowd her mind. The first time she had visited, she had no idea where she was. Who she was in front of. She had barely gotten a hold of her power to open the gates then. Andorra purposefully didn't look at the door to the basement, where she had ignored Noah. Where she had met Prince Puck for the first time. Where she had said goodbye to Oberon and Lithe, her only friends at the time.

It was painful, wondering if the two of them were alright. Were they? Andorra had no way of knowing, not unless she wanted to reach out and ask Noah about them. But, would he even tell her if they were doing okay? What if he had them banished, and Andorra never knew?

Her stomach felt sick at the thought. Some kind of friend you are, she thought to herself as she climbed the stairs behind Coralia. She hadn't even bothered to keep in touch with them. Hadn't even known how to do so. And, due to the whirlwind of her life and the sudden abrupt changes, she hadn't even really thought of it.

Now, it was all she could think of. Was there a possibility of mailing them a letter? Of finding out the address for where Noah and his clan were residing?

Her mindless wondering was cut short when Coralia spun towards her and opened a door. "And here is where we will be staying!"

Coralia stepped into her bedroom with the excitement of a grader schooler having a sleepover for the first time. "Welcome to my humble abode."

The bedroom was cozy. It was small, but was definitely a bedroom that was lived in. There was a window seat built in, a bookshelf that was covered in handmade paintings, a wire framed bed pushed up against the wall, a rug that was well worn down, and a small desk stacked high with books. It was like her own bedroom back home. And it wasn't at all what Andorra expected from a Princess's daughter.

But, Andorra had to remind herself that Coralia and her mom had become royalty not that long ago, and this was their childhood home.

Coralia placed her bag on her bed as Callum crowded the doorway. He raised an eyebrow at Coralia, who crossed her arms. "What? Go on, say it. You think my room is too peasant-like, right?" Her words were a challenge, but Callum didn't rise to them.

"No, I think it's nice." There was something in his voice, a hint of sadness that caught Andorra off guard. But, Coralia either didn't hear it, or didn't care to. "Sure," she bit back, anger coating her words. "Feel free to go back to your sister about this. I don't care." She lifted her chin in defiance.

"Leelee, tell the grump to move out of the way," Hans said from behind Callum, and it dispelled a little of the tension in the air. Callum shifted out of the way and into the bedroom, watching as Hans and Bort walked in, sitting down on Coralia's bed like they had done this many times before.

"Uh, there was a girl downstairs looking for you Coralia. I think she said her name was Rose or something," Bort said as he scratched his knee. "She said it was pretty urgent."

Coralia stopped ruffling through her bags for a moment to look over at Bort. "Oh, Roseria. She can wait a second. She can be so impatient sometimes."

Roseria didn't have to wait a minute. Before Coralia could go fetch her, the girl was suddenly in the doorway, her eyes staring at Coralia in a way that was clearly displeased. Andorra stopped her own unpacking to stare at the girl in the doorway, taking the sight of her in. The girl had pink, chin length hair, so soft it looked like cotton candy. Her eyes though were what captivated Andorra. The way the girl seemed to hold your gaze was almost alluring.

"Roseria, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Coralia's voice wasn't rude, but it wasn't kind either. She straightened from her bags, stepping almost in front of Andorra in a protective stance. Callum picked up on it immediately, and he too shifted in front of Andorra.

The thing was, Andorra didn't feel like she was in danger around Roseria. Looks though were deceiving.

"The Princess is here. I think that alone allows for a visit, don't you think?" Her words were soft, whimsical. She turned towards Andorra with a smile. "I am Roseria. My family resides here in the Autumn Court. I'd like to sit down and have tea with you, Princess."

Roseria didn't look much older than Andorra, but it was obvious she was. The way she held herself was confident and wise.

Callum shifted further in front of Andorra. "I don't think she's here for a tea party."

"The Princess can do whatever she wishes, son of the Winter Prince."

Can do whatever I wish. Andorra straightened her shoulders and pressed her hand to Callum's arm, moving him slightly. "I would love to sit and have tea. But right now I'm here to be with my friends. Perhaps another time?"

Roseria tilted her head up. "There is much you don't know. There is much they haven't been telling you."

Andorra didn't want to fall into a trap of distrusting her friends. She wouldn't fall into that trap. "Maybe they are. And maybe that is for good reason." She was practically still human. Of course there was much she wouldn't know. It would take years, decades even, to know what they knew about Anlithamy. She wouldn't pretend she could master that in the few weeks she had been there.

Roseria regarded her for a moment. "You do not need Prince Anders to become Queen. The Royal Counsel can grant you your place at the throne without him, but you need to gain their favor. As of now, they favor the Prince, but they can be persuaded."

Andorra's heart seemed to stop in her chest. You do not need Prince Anders. It was like her entire world, or the newer version of it, was suddenly clearing up. She didn't need Prince Anders. She didn't need Prince Anders.

"How? How do I gain their favor?" Her words fell from her lips desperately. She needed to know. She would do anything to know.

"I think this may help you. This is a potion made by my father. It is a potion of true intentions. Use it however you see fit." Roseria opened a bag that was strapped to her waist, and from it, she pulled out a vial. Inside, the liquid sloshed against the glass, flashing a mix of colors that glimmered in the sunlight that filtered in from the bedroom window.

Andorra didn't get the chance to grab the vial. Callum snatched it from Roseria, putting it in his pocket, away from Andorra's grasp. "On what authority do you think you can just hand the Princess weird poisons?"

Roseria turned towards Callum, her eyes tracing him in a way that was not very pleasant. "Is this what you've become? I always thought you would become more than a royal guard. Oh, how your father must be so proud."

Callum lunged, the room immediately falling into shadows. They were thick and dense, making it hard for Andorra to breathe. And even more frightening was that in the shadows, she couldn't see a single thing.

"Stop!" She yelled, but she had the feeling that her yells were swallowed up by the shadows immediately. The way they pressed against her, cold and invasive, made Andorra shiver violently. She dropped to her knees, wondering what she had to do next to get to Callum. Or Roseria. Think, think!

She pulled herself into the in between, gasping hard for breath. She didn't have time to think. She pictured Roseria, hoping the gate would open for her where she needed to be. As the gate opened and she dropped out, her hands came in contact with a pair of shoulders.

She didn't have time to verify who she held in the shadows. She immediately pulled herself and the person into the in between and slammed the gate shut.

As the shadows dissipated in the in between, Andorra blinked at Roseria. The girl didn't seem all that concerned about Callum attacking her, but how would Andorra begin to even understand how the stranger felt?

"Are you... are you okay?"

Roseria looked at Andorra, but it was an unsettling stare that made the hairs on the back of Andorra's neck stand on end. "Your guard is not very well trained."

"Callum isn't... I didn't make him my guard on purpose. His dad is punishing him."

Roseria tilted her head back to laugh. "Prince Puck continues to surprise me."

"I want to know more about becoming Queen without Anders. Is it truly possible?"

"Yes. The Royal Counsel speaks of you now. They do not feel that you are a good fit. You're too young. You're too human. You're too soft. You are not what your parents were, and that worries them. Show them that you are the fae that Cornomus picked, and they have the power to grant you your crown."

Andorra sagged in relief. "It won't be easy, Princess. A part of that includes you proving your lineage. Have you heard of the Golden Crown?"

"No. Do I need that? How do I prove who I am?" She doubted they had DNA tests here in Anltihamy. And without her birth parents, would a DNA test even matter?

"It's said to be an old relic of Anlithamy, dating back to Cornomus's rule. Every King and Queen has held possession of this crown, including your parents. And only those who have been marked worthy of the title by Cornomus can come in contact with the crown."

"So... If I find the crown, and Cornomus lets me find the crown, it'll prove my lineage?" To Andorra, this sounded almost silly. Stupid. She was obviously the daughter of the king and queen. Why did everything have to be a quest?

"The Crown is one of the most important pieces to your Coronation. Without it, you will never become Queen, even with Anders."

"Well, does Anders know? Can he find the crown before me, and somehow usurp me?"

Roseria regarded her then for a moment, pausing in her answer. Like she was unsure of how to answer, or if Andorra needed to know the answer. Finally, she let out a sigh. "The Princeling knows about the Crown. He also knows that Cornomus did not choose him, and therefore, he will never be gifted the crown. You are the only person who will be able to find the Golden Crown."

Andorra let that information sit. Not only did she need to travel to the Northern Mountains to get a whole new set of guards, she now needed to add find missing crown to her list of things to do. She felt tired then, so unbelievably worn out. How could Coralia be thinking about a dance when Andorra was thinking about her planned death? How could anyone be thinking of anything else when Andorra had her entire world flipped upside down, and she was the only one who could righten it?

"So, I can prove to the Royal Counsel that I am the true heir to the throne by finding the Golden Crown. And on top of that, I have to win their favor... by using that poison?"

"It's not a poison. It's a potion. And that will help you, yes. But I can not help you any further. This was already too much help on my part. If the Royal Counsel ever found out that I had come to talk to you, or even that Princess Carling was helping you, it would not end well."

"How do you know all of this? Does everyone know this?"

Roseria regarded her again for a moment, weighing the answer in her head. "My father is a potions maker for the entirety of Anlithamy. Royals often talk, even when ears are present. You pick up a lot of chatter when you exist amongst them."

Andorra touched the girl on the shoulder. "Thank you. I know I'm not my parents, but I'm trying. I'm learning. And I will learn from this, from you. So, thank you."

Roseria nodded, and then with a smile, she dropped from the in between with her own gate, a gate the pink haired girl made herself.