ANDORRA DIDN'T know what to expect. When they touched down in Averotho, her mouth had flopped open in surprise. Where Anltihamy looked like a woodland painting come to life, Averotho was different.

They landed at the gates of a bustling city. But not like the city in the Royal Court, with cobble stoned streets and squat business storefronts. This city was built tall, with stone walls keeping everyone in and buildings reaching towards the sky in what Andorra considered a New York City fashion. But, that was where the similarities ended.

A river flowed through the center of the city, which led to large, arched bridges dotting the skyline when Andorra looked through the gates. The buildings seemed to build up and over the river itself, but from where they were standing, it was hard to see just what was going on.

"Come on," Ero gestured. In Averotho, Ero didn't hide his wings. He had his on full display, and he seemed proud of them. As they stepped through the city gates, two large statues greeted them on either side, and Andorra paused to look at them.

The statue on the right had a woman standing with her hands cupped, outstretched towards whoever walked past. She had her head bowed, but her gaze was sharp and piercing, seeming to stare into Andorra's soul, as if she knew the Queen of Anlithamy was walking by. The woman wore a flowing gown, but around her neck was a star pendant.

From her hands, water slipped through the cracks of her stone fingers, rushing towards the wishing well at her feet.

The statue on the left was a man in a different position. One hand held a sword, poised towards the ground, sharp end scraping against the pavement at their feet. The other hand was raised in a still wave, palm facing Andorra. When she looked into his face, a blindfold covered both eyes.

Ero seemed to catch the way she stared. "Our guardians," he said conversationally. "They both protect the city. They did it once, centuries ago, and my father had their likeness crafted and placed here."

"Your father knew them?"

Ero grinned, but said nothing else. "C'mon. Let's keep going. It's been quite a long day, and my father awaits us."

"You could say that." Oberon rubbed at his neck. "Are you sure they'll be fine out there?"

They was referring to the wyvern and Pyatt. Ero just turned to look at Oberon, his smile gaining a bit of an edge. "Are you doubting that I've invited you here peacefully?"

Oberon held his stare, and Andorra let her gaze bounce between the two of them, feeling a hint of unease. What good would any of this be if Oberon and Ero decided to fight it out right here in the inner city of their enemy country?

But before Andorra could step between them, Ero began walking forward, clearly ignoring whatever had passed. Andorra was quick to keep up, marveling at how the buildings seemed to swallow them whole as they ventured into the heart of the city. "This is our main street. We're on the ground level right now, which is the river district. We're going to rise up to the private sector district in a moment."

Andorra was immediately overwhelmed. The river flowed next to her, and alongside the walkway were boats upon boats, all docked for the moment, but a few hosted what looked to be fishermen checking their daily haul.

Across the river was a street similar to the one they currently walked, with fishermen returning from their day on the water, hauling fish into the streets and into buildings.

When Andorra looked at the buildings on her side, she noticed that they were fish markets of some sort. Not for shopping, but rather for fishermen to sell to. She saw men bartering inside windows with bags of fish slapped over their broad shoulders.

"River district?" She wondered out loud.

"Fishermen work down here. We also have the serpent riders that you can find in almost any alleyway, but be careful. They're a slippery sort, like their bonded serpents are."

"Wait, bonded?" She looked over at Oberon. "Like Rali?"

Ero looked over his shoulder at Andorra, confusion and curiosity waring in his expression. "Rali?"

"Winter Court thing," Oberon seemed to spit out. He was sounding a little too much like Callum, and Andorra elbowed him with a draw of her brows. "Fine. Winter Court custom where we bond with an animal that can then act as our eyes and ears. Andorra has her Flayre as well, also bonded."

Ero hummed as he side-stepped a few fishermen. "I see. Yes, similar to your Rali, then. But serpent riders aren't really a reliable sort. They're a part of our seedy underbelly." He snorted then, and Andorra imagined it was accompanied by rolling eyes.

So, he didn't believe that, then. Interesting.

Andorra looked up, and above her head was a slab of ceiling. She veered close to the river edge and when she looked up again, she could see that there was nothing covering the river except an occasional bridge. The sky rose over them, quickly turning from daylight into dusk.

Ero took a sharp left and headed down a thin alleyway. Andorra found herself scrambling to keep up as Ero approached the end of the alleyway, where a door stood almost ominously. Ero though didn't seem perturbed; he pressed the button on the outside of the door, and it slid open, revealing an elevator.

Andorra was shocked, but she didn't have time to dawdle as Ero pulled her into the small box. When the doors shut, he pressed a button on the keypad, then pressed his thumb to a scanner. When he caught Andorra and Oberon staring, his grin widened. "Certain districts are guarded. We're going to a private district meant only for the upper class. My thumb will get us there."

Andorra eyed the keypad. "What are the other districts?"

"Well, ground level is the River District. Second level is our market and merchant district, so where you would go shopping. Third level is our resident district for the city dwellers. Fourth level is a private district, but not the one we're going to. That district is for high end shopping, for high class residents. We're going to the fifth level, which is for high class residents. We'll cut through there to the castle."

Level? It made it sound like they were in a hotel. But, when the doors opened, it was nothing like a hotel. They stepped out into a similar alleyway, however this level had a magnificent view of miles and miles of land around them. Almost as if they were in the streets of the Royal Court back home, Andorra could see mountains rolling against the landscape of Averotho. Large arched bridges crossed what Andorra had to assume was the river below.

As they approached the main street, Andorra looked over the lip of the railing, and she could see the river far, far below. When she looked back up, she realized that this level was normal living. Everything else could be considered underground, for all they saw.

Something uncomfortable sat in her stomach. "So, only royals get to see this view of the city?"

Ero was striding down the main street, smiling at people as he passed. Andorra noticed that the others around her also had wings, although they were not as large as Ero's. They bowed as he passed them, cheerful expressions on their faces as they beheld their prince.

"No, not at all. This is the main street in our city. Everyone can experience the rest of the city around us." Ero pulled Andorra to a stop with his hand on her shoulder. He pointed to their left where the sun seemed to be setting behind mountain peaks. "Do you see that bridge over there? The golden one?"

Andorra did see the bridge. It was large in the distance, eating up the skyline. "Yes."

"If we were standing on that bridge right now, we would be surrounded by all city dwellers. But the path to the castle is very guarded, as you may understand as Queen. We take our security seriously here. Do you see the creatures on the roofs?"

Andorra did suddenly notice the small wyvern-like creatures on the roofs. They blended seamlessly into the architecture.

"Anyone who tries to fly up to this part of the street will be demolished by our guards. And you need to press your thumb to be granted elevator access to this portion of Main Street. Anyone who is not invited to be up here will not stand a chance, powers or not."

"So, it's just the path to the castle that is barred? What if someone needs to see the King?"

"They need an invite, and an escort. You're lucky to have both. Now, let's go. My father is not a patient man."

Andorra didn't need to be told twice. They hustled towards the castle, and Andorra took in everything she could on the walk. There were airtrains that seemed to glide across the street on specific tracks. Different streets veered away from the main drag, and Andorra wondered where they led. The buildings around her were clearly homes, or apartments, or maybe condos. Do faeries have condos? It seemed ridiculous to ask Ero that.

Different fae seemed to watch Andorra and Oberon, unsure of who they were. Their stares though weren't hostile, and Andorra wondered if they could even tell that Andorra and Oberon weren't from Averotho.

The Main Street brought them closer to the castle. It wasn't as castle-like as Andorra would have expected. Instead, it loomed over them with a circular, dome-like appearance. Hills rose around the castle, and rooms of the castle were built into the rolling masses. There were towers of course, tall and imposing next to the round, squat main building. Four different towers stood at the border around the castle, with arching bridges connecting them.

It was gorgeous. It was so very different from Anlithamy.

Back home, her castle had never felt like home. It was the castle in every fairytale, but it was cold and impersonal. It was surrounded by massive lawns and gardens. It was alone, surrounded by woods and a road into the city. It was not like this.

This castle was the heart of the city.

The way it was built was incredibly personal to the overall architecture in the entire city structure and landscape. It was a living, breathing place.

"You're going to catch flies with that open mouth," Oberon whispered, nudging Andorra with his elbow into her gut. She snapped her jaw shut in an instant, a blush covering her cheeks. But she couldn't help it.

It was so very gorgeous.

As they approached the castle, lines and lines of guards stood on the walkway, watching them. Each guard held a gun to his chest, eyes on Andorra and Oberon. It had Andorra doing a double take. A gun?

Guns existed in this magical faerie realm? Why?

Ero led them casually to the front doors of the castle, where more guards stood. Two stood directly in front of the doors, wearing a different colored uniform than the ones who stood in lines perpendicular to the castle.

These men bowed in Ero's presence. "Prince Erowillric. Welcome home."

"I'm happy to be home," Ero crowed in a delighted voice. "Meet my friends. This is Queen Andorra of Anlithamy, and her head guard, Oberon."

At the mention of who she was, the guards immediately straightened. Andorra noticed the way they gripped their guns a little tighter, their knuckles going white. Both men wore grave expressions as they beheld her.

She raised her chin and smiled. She let her mask fall in place, confidence taking the place of the delighted awe she had just been feeling at the sight of the city. She held their eye contact without saying anything, acutely aware of what she wore.

She certainly wasn't in a royal gown made for a Queen.

Both guards opened the double doors at the same time. They didn't take their eyes off of Andorra or Oberon as they entered the castle. When the double doors shut hard behind them, Andorra beheld the guards posted at each corner post. The castle was crawling with them, and it had Andorra feeling itchy.

"Are these guards here because we're here?" She kept her voice low, but she knew everyone in that main entrance could hear them.

Ero glanced at her with a furrow in his brow. "No, this is the usual rotation." Then, it dawned on him, and his eyes lit up. "You know, I was surprised to find how few guards you had in Anlithamy. Barely any, which, because we're friends Andorra, I feel like I can tell you how foolish that really is."

Oberon snorted, but he didn't say anything as Ero led them down the east wing hallway. The way Ero walked was full of swagger, and it was obvious that whoever he really was would come to play here in Averotho. He could very well be a lethal enemy here in his own castle.

Andorra gave Oberon a silent side glance, wondering if he was feeling the same way she was. Did we just enter the viper pit?

"I actually agree with him," Oberon said when he caught her glance. "You have very few guards posted. I think we should be taking tips while we're here. That is, if we're going to actually be allowed to return home."

Ero waved his hand nonchalantly in the air. "Stop being dumb. You're my guests here. This isn't some ploy to kill you."

But isn't it? She didn't say the words, but they got stuck in her throat. Ero may not want them dead, but the King of Averotho was a completely different story. One she was terrified of reading.

Ero spun on them suddenly. "My father is just beyond these doors in the throne room. We have a preliminary greeting first, and then I will show you to your rooms. Tomorrow, we will have a sit down meeting."

Andorra found herself nodding stiffly. She was about to meet the King. A king who wasn't all that sure that Andorra was fit to rule.

She wouldn't mess this up. She wouldn't.

The guards posted at the throne room doors bowed low in the waist to Ero, then opened the doors for him. For all of them, but the way they stared at Andorra and Oberon was with complete animosity.

As soon as Ero stepped into the throne room, there was delighted clapping. Andorra tried not to become overwhelmed, but it was hard. Her throne room back home was nice, but this throne room was something else entirely. It was built from gold and emerald, she was convinced. The gold and green took up the entire room, polished to the point of becoming mirrors. Andorra could practically see her reflection in the nearby post.

"Ero, my son. Welcome home. And I see you've brought our guests."

As soon as Ero took a step to the side, Andorra stepped forward and got a good look at the King of Averotho.

Her first thought was that this man looked like Ero, with warm, gray skin and sharp, pointed ears. His hair was green, fading back into twitching antenna. His eyes were gold, his teeth were sharp, and his wings flared out behind his back intimidatingly.

What differed was the soft beard that connected to a bushy mustache. He was broader than Ero was. He held himself with a solid confidence that was unshakable, whereas Ero was more cocky and showy.

This was a King. A king who wouldn't care if Anlithamy fell.

"Ah, and there she is. The Child-Queen. Tell me, Queen Andorra, does Anlithamy know their ruler is in enemy territory?"