TWO WEEKS of sitting on the bench became tiresome. Andorra didn't mind it the first few practices; it was almost helpful to watch her teammates from below. She got a good shot of moves and deflections, and it even gave her some ideas for when she took to the skies again.

But after about three days, Andorra had been over it. She'd begun to daydream on the bench instead of watching. Even seeing Anders up there, her murderer, didn't warrent a second thought. No, what Andorra couldn't stop thinking about was the trip to the Northern Mountains. She couldn't stop thinking about starting her training with Vulara. She couldn't stop thinking about her parents and the Golden Crown in the darkness of whatever world she had slipped into all those months ago in the Snow Clan.

But now, as she walked up to the practice, she grinned at Coach. "The healer said I'm good to go." She even flashed a thumbs up.

The coach barely looked at her. "You'll have a lot to catch up on. And if I see you even think about going out of bounds next game, you will be off the team. Got it?"

The growl of his voice made Andorra look towards her feet. She was done being this person, this little girl everyone thought her to be. She lifted her head, swallowing her fear, and looked him in the eye.

"That was an attempted murder, and you know it. And guess what, Coach, Anders was in on it, yet you still let him play. Do not, for one moment, think I'm not aware that you let us disappear from view without realizing which players were missing. You knew that Anders had chased after me. You knew I had fallen. Yet, I didn't see you there when I stumbled from the woods, hours later, with a concussion. Had you been hoping I had died on the fall, like Anders had?"

The Coach took a step back, bewildered. "What-that-why-"

"What, cat got your tongue?" Andorra stepped closer to him. "I may be a child to you, but I will be your Queen. And I have a long memory, Coach. A long memory. Don't think I've forgotten you trying to give Viir to Anders, even after Sir Nohx gifted the wyvern to the team specifically so that I could ride him."

The Coach had the dignity to look angry then, and it matched his scars. The frightening man Andorra had met on tryouts was back, and he loomed over her. "Watch your mouth."

"Watch my mouth?" Andorra lifted her chin. "You didn't like my parents, did you? I can tell. I don't particularly care if you like me, Coach, but you will not threaten me after my teammate tried to have me killed. It's not a good look for you."

The look on the Coach's face made Andorra hold his glare. She wasn't going to back down. She channeled her inner Callum, looking at him like there was nothing he could possibly do to scare her off.

"And one last thing, Coach. I treated you with respect, even after I knew you had turned a blind eye to my attempted murder. I treated you with respect after you tried to give Viir to Anders. I've always treated you with respect. I'm asking you to give me some in return, as your player. And as your Princess? I'm demanding you give me some. It's not a choice."

Andorra turned on her heel, moving towards Viir, keeping her head high. Even if her heart thumped in her chest at a speed worth some concern, Andorra tried to keep up the appearance that she was in control.

Even if standing up for herself did not come naturally. Even if conflict terrified her. She wasn't going to be a doormat for those around her any longer. She almost wished Callum was there, just so he could have seen how she'd stood her ground. Like he would have.

Maybe befriending Callum was worth more than having him as a guard. She may be rubbing off on him, but he had been rubbing off on her as well. His confidence, the way he stood up for himself and for his people, the way he protected himself. Andorra wanted that for herself.

Viir lifted her up on his back, and despite spending two weeks away from him, Andorra felt comfortable on his back. She was shocked she even felt that way. As they took to the air with the others, she grinned into his neck. "I missed you, buddy."

He made a screech in return, and Andorra wanted to think he was saying, ditto.

When she flew next to Clini and Mar, they both smiled at her. "Finally!" Clini exclaimed. "We've been bored without you."

"I've been more bored on the bench, I promise." Andorra ran a hand down Viir's neck. "I don't think Coach is gonna let me play in the next game after the conversation we just had. I ran him through the mud after he threatened to take me off of the team because of last game."

Mar gasped. "What? Totally not fair, considering there was foul play involved." She sent a glare towards Anders, who was pretty far from the both of them, keeping his distance. He had, ever since the incident in the hallway with Callum.

Even if Anders looked like he usually did, Andorra knew deep down, he was ashamed of what Andorra had seen. Self conscious. The way his body sat rigid on his wyvern told Andorra everything she needed to know.

He was embarrassed. She hoped he would stay that way and leave her alone, no more murder attempts. At least not until she had an entire team of guards.

"It's obvious what team he's on." Andorra made a pointed look at Anders to get her thoughts across. "Anyway, not a big deal. Now, I'll know better and I'll be on the lookout for Anders trying to kill me during the game."

Clini tightened his hold on his wyvern. "You shouldn't have to be on the lookout. Coach is weak for not pulling Anders from the game. What a snake."

Snake or not, Andorra actually was enjoying Cadmus, and she didn't want to be pulled from the team. Even if Coach and Anders wanted her gone. They would have to pry her dead body from the field if they wanted that.

When Coach blew the whistle, they did a few speed warmups, flying around the field, trying to get some speed. Then, they practiced a few pull up maneuvers, some sideways tackles, and some upwards loops.

Knowing Viir made it easy to trust the wyvern. She wasn't all that afraid of falling off, or that Viir wouldn't listen to her. The two were growing closer by the day.

By the end of practice, Andorra felt sore, but in a good way. She saw that Coach looked half tempted to make her stay and continue the conversation, but she just smiled at him and left with Clini and Mar.

So, her earlier words hadn't really been friendly, despite what her parents had written in their letter. She wondered if there was a middle ground between being a friendly ruler, and a ruler who valued themselves enough to stand up for what was right.

Which, now that Andorra thought about it, Prince Desmond had done as Cauladra. He had protected Andorra and Eve by taking a stand against one of his own fae. And despite doing that, his people loved him. Adored him. She could do the same, couldn't she?

As they approached the school, there was a figure that stood by the field entrance doors. She leaned up against it, arms crossed. As they got closer, Clini broke from the group, taking a few steps closer to the student. "Jez, what is it?"

Despite Clini being on the outs with the other royals, it was clear that he and his sister were close. There was familiarity in his voice, a hint of concern, and he held no walls up. As he approached his sister, he seemed completely at ease.

"There's been an attack back home." Her voice was smooth, without a hint of despair at this news. "On Aunt Lin's home."

Clini froze in place, then he swung his gaze to Andorra. When he looked back at his sister, his shoulders had gone stiff. "Is anyone hurt?"

Jezebel shook her head. She took a step away from the wall. "There was a lot of hateful graffiti left behind. Some damage to the home."

Clini again looked to Andorra. His eyebrows bunched up in concern. "What did the graffiti say?"

Jezebel, just now looking at the two newcomers, sent a glance behind her shoulder at the door. In a softer voice, she said, "Princess Killer."

Andorra went still at those words. Her mind rushed to put together the dots. Aunt Lin... Princess Killer... "It was at Anders' home, wasn't it?"

Jezebel tilted her head at Andorra. "We've never had this happen in our home. The community is frightened."

Clini balled his hands into fists. "If you're blaming Andorra, you can stop now. Anders tried to kill Andy all on his own, and he hasn't really been quiet about it. No wonder people found out and are outraged. He's attempting to murder their future Queen."

"I know you've never gotten along with Anders-"

"That's an understatement and you know it." Clini stepped closer to Andorra and Mar, his eyes narrowing at his sister. "You and I both don't like him, so I don't know why you even bother sticking to his side like a puppy."

"He's our cousin." There was a hint of desperation in her tone. Her eyes pleaded with Clini. "C'mon."

"No. He's bullied me relentlessly. I don't care if he's family. He's tried to murder Andy multiple times, Jez. That's not okay." Clini stood in front of Andorra, almost shielding her body from Jezebel, as if the spring royal would hurt her. "I'm sorry for Aunt Lin, but I don't care about our cousin. He's made it very clear how he feels about me."

Jezebel looked back over her shoulder towards the door. "I should go. I wanted you to be prepared. Mother is going to call us home to be a united front when dealing with it."

Clini shook his head. "Mother can deal with it all she wants. If she wants to sympathize with our murderous cousin, then so be it. But I will not be there."

Jezebel tilted her head back and closed her eyes in a very, younger siblings are the worst sort of way. Then, she looked back at Clini. "Don't make me go alone. Please. He's family."

"He's not my family by choice. Andy will be our Queen, and I'm choosing her. You didn't see the way he tried to kill her at the Cadmus game. He's ruthless, and he deserves the hate. For once in his pathetic little life."

Jezebel let her shoulders slump. "Fine. But don't come crying to me when Mother and Father show up here to drag you home. You know how they feel about the Princess." Jezebel's eyes slid to Andorra then. "No offense."

Andorra didn't even know how to take that comment. Should she feel offended? Maybe. She mostly felt sad that she was causing a rift between Clini and his family.

"No offense taken. They're not my parents." Andorra put her hand on Clini's arm. "If you need to be home, I won't care Clini. So what, your family doesn't like me? I'm used to it. And I'm not worth the fight."

Clini whirled to Andorra, his face drawn in anger. "Of course you're worth it. Don't even say that. You're the Princess."

Andorra sometimes wished, because of this moment, that she wasn't a princess. She hated this strange line between friends and subjects. Was Clini her friend? Or was he just someone who cared about his future Queen?

"And I'm your friend. And as your friend, I'm telling you it's okay to go home."

Clini shook his head, then turned back towards Jezebel. "Thanks for the heads up, but I'm not going home. Not to protect Anders. And if you want to go home and let Anders play the victim, then go right ahead. You were always way more royal than I was. No one will miss me."

Clini stomped forward, ripping open the door and entering. Mar and Andorra followed, barely casting Jezebel a glance. Andorra couldn't get a read on her, for once. She wasn't outspoken, or outwardly rude. She wasn't like Aihfie, and she wasn't like Eve.

She wasn't even like Clini.

Clini stomped all the way to the dining hall. "The nerve!" He said loudly. "I can't believe she thought I'd go home. To that! Yeah, right." He looked at Andorra. "I'm sorry you now know my family is going to victimize Anders over this. When you're the actual victim. It's so sick!"

Andorra gave Clini a smile. "It's okay. I'm used to it. Prince Puck hates me too."

"My dad doesn't hate you." Callum's voice was suddenly behind Andorra, and when she looked over her shoulder, he stood there. Not angry. Just... there.

Maybe he was in a good mood for once.

"Yeah, okay." Andorra rolled her eyes. "He definitely doesn't like me."

Callum shrugged. "No. My dad is a very smart man. A leader at heart. He's very clinical in his thinking, and in his planning. When it was announced the future queen was a baby who lived with humans, yeah, he was outraged. Why would Cornomus pick a baby over someone else, someone qualified? But, he's had years to accept the fact that you'll be Queen, and he's smart to know not to make an enemy of you. He doesn't hate you."

"Hmmm." Andorra narrowed her eyes and frowned. "I'm not buying it."

"Did you hear? About Anders' house?" Clini shot it at Callum, bristling at Callum being so close to him. "Seems like your best friend has haters."

"Anders isn't my best friend." Callum stared at Clini. "And he deserves to have haters. I'm one of them."

Clini's mouth dropped open. "Since when?"

"Since the Princess came to town. Now, are we going to eat, or what?" Callum brushed past them, opening the doors to the dining hall. He stopped, looking back at the three of them. "Princess?"

"No. Impossible. It's impossible!" Clini looked at Andorra, then back to Callum. "I don't believe you."

"It's true. He punched him the other day in the hall. Now, let's eat because I'm starving." Andorra brushed past Clini and Mar, and shot Callum a smile. A, we're friends, huh? kind of smile. And his returning one, while sly, confirmed it.