SHE COULDN'T SLEEP.

It was unsurprising, considering how her initial meeting with the King of Averotho went. A joke, she said to herself. He thinks you're a joke.

The King hadn't taken her seriously in any regard. Everything he had said had been a biting comment about Anlithamy, about her parents, about everything. It was quite obvious he found Anlithamy to be an annoying mosquito he had to swat away every once and a while. He didn't see Anlithamy as a threat at all.

But, Andorra wasn't stupid; she knew they could use that to their advantage. If the King didn't fear them, it meant that he wasn't in any sort of rush to bring war to their shores. Why would he, unless he wanted the land for himself?

Would he want their land? Would he bring war to their shores for nothing more than to be the king of both continents?

Andorra shifted uncomfortably. She had to convince him that they were better off as allies than enemies.

Oberon was sleeping in the same room in his own bed. At first, the King had led them to separate rooms, but both Andorra and Oberon knew better than to be away from each other when they were most vulnerable in their slumber. Instead, they both slept on twin beds in one space, but whatever kept Andorra awake did not do the same to Oberon. His soft snores filled the room, and when Andorra looked over at him, he was sprawled out across the small bed, limbs spilling over the edges.

A soft knock echoed through the room, and Andorra's head whipped to the door, heart in her throat. She tensed, ready to fight anyone who would try to enter her bedchamber, but then there was a whisper: "It's me."

Andorra didn't really think about it as she rolled herself off of the bed, tiptoed to the door, and eased it open an inch. Ero blinked back at her in the open space. Before she could ask what he wanted, Ero gripped the door and opened it the rest of the way.

"You can't sleep either, huh?" He looked past Andorra into her room, eyeing Oberon. "I figured you'd have questions for tomorrow."

Andorra tipped her chin up, trying to resemble somewhat of a Queen. "And you're going to answer those questions?"

"Can I show you something?"

Andorra hesitated for only a moment before she turned back to Oberon. She shook him awake, and when his eyes popped open, he sat up with an alarmed expression. "What is it? What's wrong?" He cut his head to the open door, his expression turning into a slight scowl. "What is he doing here?"

"Ero has something to show us. Are you going to put on pants and come with, or stay here sleeping?" The attitude wasn't necessary, but with the way Oberon was glaring at Ero, Andorra was beginning to think there would be no leaving this room if Oberon had a say.

He was morphing into Callum, and Andorra wanted to know why.

"I'm coming, relax." Oberon got dressed and then followed her and Ero down the hallway. The castle was like and unlike hers on the inside. She should have been surprised to see all of the guards standing at every corner, but she was beginning to realize just how foolish she was for not having so many guards back home.

They walked in silence, all the way until they came upon a door with a guard standing out front. When the guard saw Ero, he bowed, but eyed Andorra and Oberon with such animosity, Andorra wondered just what Anlithamy had done to them to cause that look. Averotho had been painted an enemy every time she spoke about it back home, but that look alone had her second guessing.

Had Anlithamy been the enemy? The bad guy? The one at fault?

"Hi, Honouise. May we enter the library, or is it too late for any shenanigans?" Ero was grinning ear to ear at the guard, and the friendly, teasing tone in his voice had Andorra leaning closer. As much as she didn't trust Ero, he was different here. A prince. A man who was well known and respected.

He was certainly not the egotistical prick that had touched foot in her throne room.

She eyed Oberon. She so badly wanted to ask if he saw it too, but she'd have to wait until they were alone again. Instead, she watched the way the guard moved out of the way for Ero, pushing open the door to the library. Ero led them inside, and he turned back to say something, but Andorra didn't hear it.

The library stole her breath away. It was so large, so beautiful, everything she wanted back home. The floor was dark wood and covered with antique persian rugs. The walls themselves were bookshelves, stretching up at least two stories. At the other end of the library, she spotted floor to ceiling windows with stained glass. A staircase was to their left, curving along the wall to the second floor. To their right was another door, nearly hidden within the rows of books.

She was flabbergasted. She wanted to spend hours in there, just seeing what books they had, and knew exactly where she could curl up: by the windows, in one of the large leather chairs.

"Stunning, isn't it? We keep most of Averotho's history in here, amongst other things. But the real treasure is beyond these doors. Follow me."

Andorra didn't want to follow Ero. She wanted to stay in this sanctuary. She wanted to read every spine to find a book that maybe she recognized, if that was even possible. Human books probably didn't line these shelves, but she still wanted to see.

She forced herself to move, slipping into the second room behind Oberon. This room was not a library, but instead a study of sorts. A large desk sat in the middle with something spread out across the wooden surface. The walls held a few pinned maps. There were books in here, but Andorra knew they had been carefully selected on purpose.

Ero was moving towards the desk.

"So, why the secret room?" She asked, itching to get this over with so she could go back to her bedroom and dream of the books she could read here.

"I want to share with you our plans for Anlithamy."

Andorra flinched. Plans for Anlithamy. The words fell like stones in her stomach, landing hard and uncomfortable. Plans for war? Plans for taking over? Plans for me?

Andorra stepped closer, heart in her throat, and she shared a long look with Oberon. He was standing by the doorway, clearly readying himself for some sort of battle. Would Ero be the one to kill her? Had he brought her to this room to dispose of her himself?

"As you know, Averotho and Anlithamy have not gotten along in a long, long time. Our worlds did not agree with the advancement of technology and how to use it. But, we think it's time that Anlithamy joins us."

Andorra was shaking her head. It came out of her mouth before she could stop it. "I refuse to cut open my people to steal their powers. Absolutely not." She said it with venom, with a bite that had Ero glancing up with surprise.

"Cut open?"

"Yes. I know all about how you steal powers-"

Ero broke off her sentence with a laugh. "We don't steal powers, and we certainly don't cut anyone open. Is that what Anlithamy is teaching you? That we've been brutally killing our own people for their powers?"

Andorra didn't dare back down. "How does it work then?" She sounded judgemental, even to her own ears, but why would that have been a lie for centuries if there wasn't a crumb of truth?

"It's true that we share powers here. And we access those powers using technology. However, we aren't sadistic brutes who cut open any fae we see. It's more of a scientific process that involves magic binding. Sort of like those sigils you've been finding."

"So, star fae power?" Andorra recalled the conversation with Eiriae. "You utilize it here as well?"

"Of course we do. Do you not know anything about our history here in Averotho?"

She didn't, and now Ero knew she didn't.

Ero shook his head. "We owe a lot to a star fae who once graced our lands centuries upon centuries ago. She's the one who taught us how to use her star power and help bind powers to tech that would help aid us."

Andorra had many, many questions. But, she forced herself to focus on the desk. "So the plans, then. Why did you bring me here in the middle of the night?"

Ero lifted his hand and placed it on her shoulder. "I'm not your enemy." He stared into Andorra's eyes, his own expression earnest. "Please believe-"

"Remove your hand," Oberon hissed. He moved faster than Andorra could follow, and before she could blink, Ero was across the room against the wall. Oberon held him there with an arm against Ero's throat, constricting airflow. His other hand was flat against the wall beside Ero's head.

Oberon and Ero were similar heights and similar builds, but Oberon had training. Ero, for everything he boasted, was a prince and not quite a trained fighter and guard. Not the way Oberon was.

"The next time you touch her, I won't be as kind," Oberon snarled in Ero's face. "You aren't familiar with her in that way, understand?"

Ero wheezed out a laugh, which only made Oberon more angry. He pressed against Ero's throat harder, but Ero just grinned at Oberon, a little too happy to be pressed up against the wall. Andorra watched in stunned silence as Ero patted Oberon against his ribs in a tapping out sort of way. His other hand was clenched into a fist by his side.

But he didn't push Oberon away. Not like Andorra knew he could if he really wanted.

When Oberon stepped back, Ero rubbed his throat but didn't retaliate. Not the way Andorra expected. "You're right to defend her like that. I won't lay a hand on her again."

When Ero faced her again, his cheeks were flushed. "Back to what I was saying. We don't have courts in Averotho. We banished the caste system, the court system, and the clans. Which means, while our powers are mostly mixed and almost a lottery when you're born, we are lacking the strength that you have in Anlithamy. Take you, for example. You are what could be considered a pure-breed Sun Fae. Your powers aren't diluted, and have only gotten stronger over time and lineage. We're looking for some of the powers you have. Or, take your boyfriend. I have to be honest, I haven't met a fae in a long time that exalts power the way Nohx does. My father wants to experiment with that power."

The thought of Nohx being in the presence of the King of Averotho made Andorra's chest tighten anxiously. She wanted to say no. She wanted to say hell no.

"What happens if I say no?"

Ero didn't shy away from her intense look. He didn't sugar coat it, either. "My father won't take no for an answer. Either you give him what he wants willingly, or he takes it by force. When I told you I don't want to be your enemy, I was being honest. But my father is not the same. Taking from you would be easy, Andorra."

"How does it work, then? How does the star power take from us?"

"Not take. You wouldn't be losing any power, Andorra. Your power isn't a well that dries up. We would harvest a bit of your power, but you're not going to be less powerful from that."

"And how do we know you're telling the truth?" Oberon cut in, voice gruff. Harsher than Andorra had heard before. She had to look at him to reassure herself Callum wasn't there with them. "You could be lying to us easily."

"I could be, but how about I show you how it works instead? Not now, but tomorrow. After the meeting with my father."

"So after I say yes, right?" Andorra felt the lump in her throat.

"Feel free to say no. But just be aware that my father has plans to take from Anlithamy regardless. He's been planning this for a long, long time. It has nothing to do with the fact that one of your fae came to visit us with news of you being the Rabium Bellua. It has nothing to do with you at all, actually. It's been in the works probably since before you were born. He's just been waiting for an opportunity, when Anlithamy was at its weakest."

"So, I say yes and stop war, or I say no and start war?" Her skin felt too tight, and the starts of something akin to a panic attack brushed over her chest. She tried not to let it show, but she was being cornered. She didn't have a choice, not really.

Ero looked over her shoulder at Oberon. There was something in his expression that had Andorra looking back at her childhood friend. There was something tight in Oberon's face that made her confused, concerned.

The word burst from her lips before she could stop it. "No."

Ero's eyes were yanked back to her. Pity took over, and he said, "It's your choice to make, and I'll do my best to help you. I'm not your enemy-"

"Not to that. No to whatever this is." She waved her hand between him and Oberon. "You aren't the only observant one. Why are you looking at Oberon when you're supposed to be talking to me? Why did you let him shove you against the wall? Why did you only allow Obe to come to Averotho?"

She knew why. She knew why, and she was avoiding saying it.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ero said at the same time Oberon pleaded, "Andy-"

"Stop." She held her hand up. "Do you want to be my friend because of me, or because of Oberon?"

Ero didn't answer. He held Andorra's stare for a moment before looking up at Oberon. She watched as he swallowed thickly. She didn't wait for an answer as she stepped back. "I'm going to give you two a moment to talk over whatever this is. And then, you'll walk us back to our room so we can get a hint of sleep before tomorrow."

Andorra let herself out of the study, pressing her back against the door, her own mind a jumbled mess. She thought about eavesdropping, and then she stepped away, venturing into the library. She wanted to talk to Nohx. She wanted him with her, so badly it hurt.

Ero had asked about soulmates for a reason. Ero had asked about being in love for a reason.

She didn't want to think about what this meant for her. For Oberon. For Anlithamy.

By the time the door opened, she followed Oberon and Ero wordlessly back to her room. Neither of them said anything, and she noticed they wouldn't look at each other, either. Instead, both stared straight ahead, stiff and awkward.

At her door, Ero wouldn't meet her eyes. He cleared his throat and said, "I'll see you in the morning." And then, he was gone.

When she closed the door, she stepped towards Ero with her eyes narrowed. "Obe..."

Oberon put his hands up in surrender. "Andy, we don't have to do this right now. It's late, and we should probably get some sleep-"

"No. How long have you had a... a... a crush on him? Is it a crush? It has to be, right? You don't know him."

Oberon rubbed the back of his head, then ripped his shirt off. There was some frustrated anger in the way he took it off and threw it on the ground. "I don't know what to say. Of course I found him hot when we first met him. I mean, have you seen him? But he's the enemy, so like yeah I didn't flirt with him, or even talk to him. But then I was assigned as his fucking guard, and I don't know. He gets under my skin. And I hate that he's from Averotho. But I can't stop thinking about him, Andy. Like, fuck, I can't get the smell of him out of my head, and the closest I've been to him was right then in that study! If that's not insane, I don't know what is." He covered his face and groaned in embarrassment.

"So you have a crush on the Prince of Averotho. It's not a huge deal," she softened her tone. "We'll finish up here, and then we'll go home and figure it out. I mean, I had a crush on Kyle, and that's been long over."

Oberon rubbed at his face harshly. "I don't think this is a crush, Andy. I don't know what this is, but I'm letting you down and the thought of leaving stupid Ero behind has my stomach plummeting, and I just shouldn't have come with you. I shouldn't be here."

Andorra crossed the room to wrap her arms around him in a hug. "What did you two talk about? He must like you back because in that study, he was so hot for you." There was humor in her voice, but she was being honest. "I mean, the way he looked at you when you shoved him into the wall..."

"There was nothing to talk about. We couldn't be anything, Andy. He's the Prince. Soon to be King of this hellhole. It's a crush, and that's all it'll ever be."

She could hear how fast his heart was beating, though. She could feel the anxiety in how tight he hugged her back. "Is it the same as you felt with Noah?"

There was a long beat of silence. "No. And that's what terrifies me."