THE TOWN center was packed for Cauladra. Andorra wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but it wasn't this. This was glorious.

Earlier in the day, Eve had taken her and Callum swimming at the local streams. They had a blast, but the water had been cold. Then, they had gone hiking up a beautiful mountain, and when they got to the top, you could see the entire court for miles. It was beautiful and breathtaking. But the best place of all was when Eve took them to the cove to watch the sunset. They got shaved ice, from in town, and ate it while they watched the sun streak the sky.

"I've never seen it quite like this," Eve had said, looking at Andorra. There had been pondering in her eyes, almost shock.

Now, in the town center, they stood with their lanterns. Callum looked the most out of place, but everyone else from the Summer Court looked exactly how Andorra had pictured. Some of them were less human-like than others, donning antlers, or skin that sparkled and glowed. Some looked like the faeries she played with as kids, with wings and everything. Little pixie-like creatures, and Andorra had been so pleasantly surprised that she had the most human urge: to take a picture.

Kids around them played with homemade versions of sprinklers, like on the fourth of July, and there were others that drank fae wine like water. The spirit was high, but there was also a sad undertone to the night. They were, after all, saying goodbye to loved ones.

Andorra held her lantern tightly, but it felt heavy in her arms. She felt mixed emotions, saying goodbye to her parents. To Noah. Not that she wouldn't continue to mourn her old life, but this did feel like a special moment. A momentous moment. She had been trying so hard to fit in that she had been pushing the mourning away. But now, she could embrace it, the loss of her old life, the loss of her family, the loss of a future ripped away from her.

Eve bumped her shoulder. "Are you okay? Do you want to get a drink? It may take the edge off."

No, she didn't want any. She needed to feel this, needed to mourn fully. She shook her head. "I'm okay. I want to experience this sober. I want to embrace it, you know? As my first Cauladra."

Besides, how embarrassing would it be for the future Queen to get plastered at this sad event? Not exactly how she wanted to portray herself.

Eve looked at Callum. "What about you?"

Callum scoffed. "What about me? What if someone tried to kill her? I'm not drinking on the job."

Eve stared at him for a long beat of time. "No one is going to try and kill her. Callum, these are her people. She's a Summer Fae. She's not in danger of her own people."

"I'm not talking about the Summer Fae. I'm talking about the Hunters that can slip by border lines, like in the Autumn Court."

"Okay, enough. Stop worrying so much. If you're that bothered, send out your Rali to parole the area. He'll seek to protect you, and maybe me be association."

The area around them was lit up with lanterns, casting light into the town center. Andorra felt completely safe, but if Callum was on edge, maybe this would help him. "Or, you could parole the area, since you didn't make a lantern."

Callum's eyes sharpened, but he wasn't glaring. "Fine. Let me do a parole quickly. Just to make sure."

When Callum was gone, Eve let out a long sigh. "He's insufferable."

"He's worried about dying." Andorra countered.

"I don't think that's it." Eve raised an eyebrow at her. "Andy, I think he's concerned about you."

"He hates me." It was a fact. Andorra knew he did.

"Not anymore. I think we all hated you at first. How could we not? You were this girl who was handed a crown, and yet you'd done nothing to prove yourself. You didn't grow up like we did. But, you really aren't what we all expected. I was picturing someone else... someone more stuck up. Someone more like Aihfie."

"And am I a pleasant surprise?" She was afraid that people had these expectations of her, and she was letting them down, but it sounded like the opposite. Like they had poor expectations, and she was crushing them.

"You are exactly like your fae parents. Even though they didn't raise you, you have their same kindness. Their understanding. You are them. The debate about nature vs. nurture? Well, you are all nature."

Maybe that was true, but Andorra knew it was nurture, too. Her human parents had raised her to be kind, to be empathetic. But, it was heartwarming to know her fae parents had been the same type of people.

"I want to make them proud. My fae parents." Andorra's fingers dug into her lantern, and she wondered if she should've written a letter to her fae parents as well. Because they too were gone.

"You are, Andy. They are proud. You're making all of us proud. Sometimes, I can't believe I didn't really like when you first got here. You're everything I hoped you would be. Everything my parents and our people hoped you would be."

Andorra ducked her head, secretly pleased. She was winning them over, slowly. Coralia had been right about building allies in school. She needed the royal children to be on her side. And she felt like she could get them to be, if they actually met her. Well, with the exception of Anders and Aihfie.

"C'mon. Let's get ready to light our lanterns. It's almost time to send them up into the sky. My parents will do a little speech first, though. And while you're here, we should say hello. Everyone is so eager to meet you. I think they're a little afraid to approach, though."

Were they? Andorra looked around at the people around her. Some of them were watching her, but most seemed to be doing their own thing.

As they walked closer towards the center, Andorra took that time to look at the lanterns around her. Some of the fae were very talented, painting their lanterns in ways that were beyond her skills. Beyond anything her skills would ever be. She was in awe of them as they passed.

"So, do people celebrate every year, even if they don't have family that has recently passed?"

"We always celebrate. Even with family members we never met. Faeries live so long, it honestly can be hard to know someone who has passed in your young adult lifetime. My parents? They have centuries of memories of people who have passed. But kids? Yeah, most of us haven't experienced loss. So we write to our ancestors."

Andorra spotted Prince Desmond and Cher right away. They stood with a few others, talking and smiling with their people. Everyone looked so happy to see them, so joyful, and Andorra wondered if it was like this in every court. Did every court love their leaders? It was hard for her to picture everyone loving Prince Puck. Did they crowd him like this during the Winter holidays? Andorra had a feeling they didn't.

"Princess!" It was an older man that approached her. "Hello! It is good to see you!"

Eve stiffened at her side, and Andorra took that as a sign to be cautious. "Hello to you too." She smiled, but the way Eve reacted was making fear trickle down her spine, just a little bit.

"Now, I don't mean to bother you, but I need to know: why did you forsake our people in the human realm? You're telling me the Sun Clan didn't deserve to be here tonight?"

Andorra opened her mouth, but it felt like it was stuffed with cotton. Not once did she regret leaving them behind. She was happy to leave them behind. But she knew that it would be hard to explain that to someone who didn't know them, weren't kidnapped by them.

"The Princess doesn't have to tell you why she left them behind." Eve laced her fingers with Andorra's. "It was her choice, and she made an educated one."

"Sir, the Sun Clan did not treat me well. The Snow Clan did. I can't explain it any other way than that."

"You mean to tell me Sir Nohx was the better choice? That evil tyrant? Prince Puck's mini me?"

Callum chose this moment to return from his parole. He was stiff too, baring his teeth slightly. "Don't speak about my father like that. You'd be wise to keep his name and my court from your mouth."

The man stuck his finger at Callum. "You are no good Winter scum." His gaze swung to Andorra. "And you. You're nothing more than a Winter sympathizer!" Finally, his finger landed on Eve. "Your parents would be so disappointed to find that you are friends with Prince Puck's son. And letting the Winter Court take over!"

Callum's shadows seemed to melt off of him. "Be very careful of the words you choose."

"Ah, Pellik. I see you've found my daughter, and the Princess." Andorra felt the body of a man behind her, and she knew it was Prince Desmond. She almost leaned into him in relief. "I do hope you're being kind and respectful. The Princess had to make some very hard decisions back in the human realm, one of which resulted in leaving behind her people. You will respect her decisions, because I do, and she will be your Queen."

The man, Pellik, flinched from Prince Desmond. He stumbled back, like he hadn't been expecting this. "You have not seen the Sun Clan in a long time, yet the Princess had to endure their abuse to her after they'd kidnapped her and tried to force her into a decision. They have changed. So has the Snow Clan."

Andorra was shocked Desmond knew. How did he know? Did most know about her kidnapping, and if so, did they hold it against her?

Pellik tried to escape, but Desmond stepped around Andorra and Eve to grab the man. "And you talked down to my daughter. I don't take to that kindly. My daughter being friends with Prince Puck's son is none of your business. It's none of mine, either, yet I respect her decision. Prince Puck is a wise and smart man, who is my colleague. I trust Prince Puck with my life."

Pellik gripped Desmond's wrists. "Please, I am sorry Prince Desmond. Forgive me for how I spoke. I didn't mean it! I just miss my brothers and sisters in the Sun Clan, and I felt strongly that they should have returned. Forgive me!"

"Forgiveness to a man who begs for his life without true repercussions will breed hatred. You treated the Princess with disrespect. You will most likely continue to do so. I feel like there is a much better place for you to think of your actions, and it isn't here at the festival."

The man went pale. He looked at Andorra with wide, terrified eyes. "Please Princess, I am sorry! I did not mean disrespect. Please!"

Callum stepped in front of Andorra, hiding her from sight. "You do not get to plead to the Princess after calling her names."

Eve yanked her back, towards where Cher stood. "C'mon, Andy. Let's get out of here while my mom starts the festival."

Andorra let Eve move her away from the man, away from the scene, and towards where the others stood with their lanterns. She felt sick to her stomach, but this was her reality. People would hate her for any decision she made that was unfavorable to them. That is how it would be for the rest of her life, now.

Cher, trying to move the attention away from Prince Desmond and Pellik, smiled to the crowd. "Hello everyone! Welcome, welcome. We are here tonight to connect with our loved ones who have moved on from Anlithamy. I've seen the most magnificent lanterns this year! You all keep outdoing yourselves. Let's get ready to say our goodbyes by starting with the first lantern of the evening.

"We have a special guest here tonight. Princess Andorra has returned to Anlithamy, and she has joined us tonight. We are very proud to have King Henra and Queen Adela's daughter here tonight. Please treat her kindly, as this is her first time here in her home Court. Princess?"

Andorra turned towards Cher with a wobbly smile. It was time. She lifted her lantern and handed it to Cher, watching as she lit the lantern gently. All of her paintings came aglow as Cher handed the lantern back.

Andorra stared at the lantern, silently saying her goodbyes. This was it: she was really letting them all go.

Eve was next to her, in her ear. "Raise it above your head, and let it float away. You'll know it's ready when it strains against your hold."

Andorra lifted it up, letting it slowly push against her hold. It took a few moments of absolute silence, and instead of feeling her usual self consciousness, Andorra closed her eyes and let herself mourn. She said goodbye to her parents, the two of them sitting on their couch in the living room, watching their usual show. She said goodbye to her house in Maine, to her school, to her bedroom, to the pond behind her house. She said goodbye to California. She said goodbye to her old life and her old friends.

The lantern strained against her fingers, and she finally let it go, watching as it climbed into the air slowly, getting higher and higher.

The crowd erupted into applause. There were cheers. Andorra turned to Eve just as the blonde wrapped her arms around Andorra in a hug. It was real and genuine, and when Eve let go, her smile was proud. Welcoming.

Andorra watched as the lanterns around her began to light and take flight, rising overhead and disappearing from sight. It was amazing to see all of the beauty take off into the sky. Those around her began to cry, hugging their families. Mourning the loss of a loved one, but also celebrating their life.

This was it: this was her home. Andorra felt it deep inside of her. She belonged here, amongst these people, celebrating her ancestors. She had never felt so at-home in her entire life. This, she decided, was worth fighting for. This was worth finding the Golden Crown, finding her own guards, finding her own way to the throne. This was worth becoming Queen for. To watch over her people, to keep them safe, to protect and unite the fae in Anlithamy. This was her destiny.