Encatia was beautiful.

After the initial shock of teleporting subsided, Judah was blown away by the clear blue sky with just the right amount of white clouds surrounding it. Streets were paved with cobblestone that had lines of floral tiles embedded in them. There wasn't a sidewalk that didn't have a flower bush of some kind on it. The buildings were bright and colorful. Everything that surrounded them was crafted to perfection.

Judah had a feeling he hadn't even seen the best of it yet.

"The castle is down this way," Elora said. She pointed behind the group and Judah's jaw dropped when he saw the palace. It was a giant golden building with white pearl accents that traveled alone in a vine pattern. Rows of trees and flower beds lined the courtyard, and at the center was a large diamond shrine to the queen. The sun hit the gem perfectly, and a beautiful radiant reflection bounced off it in every direction.

"Subtly isn't their strong suit, is it?" asked Asher.

"Not at all," Elora chuckled.

When they walked through the gate that guarded the palace Judah froze. Standing before them was a dragon. It had red scales and crystal blue eyes. The surface of its skin was smooth, and when they walked in it bowed its head to them. Elora continued to walk as the four guardians stood frozen.

"Elora, are you just walking by a dragon?" Jayden asked.

The absurdity of that sentence didn't even strike Judah as he stood, eyes locked on the red beauty. It walked over to him and nudged his chest with its head. He looked at Elora cautiously who simply nodded at him that it was okay.

"Dragons aren't the creatures that you read about in your world," Elora said as Judah raised his hand and placed it on top of its head. It purred and shook its neck as he ran his finger along the scaly surface. "While they can be ferocious, the truth is, it all depends on how you raise them. The Queen would never allow wild and dangerous creatures to roam her garden freely. This is a very trained dragon."

The other walked over and raised their hand cautiously. The dragon looked at them excited, almost as if it was a dog whose owner just got home from a long day of work. They pet the dragon for a minute before Elora cleared her throat and ushered them along.

"There will be many things that you've not seen before tonight. I wish that we could have come here under different circumstances, or that you had your memories of here from when you were children-"

"We played with dragons as kids?!" Asher asked incredulously. "That's freaking badass!"

"None of that language," Elora said. "You're going to be on your best behavior. The Queen has a habit of disguising herself with her magic. You never know who you're talking to, so make sure that every impression you make tonight is a positive one."

Judah felt his chest tighten again. What could he possibly prove at a ball? He'd never gone to a ball before. He hadn't even been to a school dance. Those were typically pretty lame in Saffron. Teachers would dress up and play a couple of line dance songs and then send you on your way. Judah couldn't dance to save his life.

Cold sweat appeared on his brow. What if the Queen expected him to dance with her? Or for her? He'd surely fail any assignment of that regard.

"You look like you're about to pass out," Elle whispered. "Are you okay?"

"I'm nervous," Judah said. "What if I fail?"

Elle grabbed his arm and let the others walk ahead of them to the giant gold-plated doors. Elora raised her hand and knocked on it and two fairy men opened the door for Asher, Jayden, and her.

"Judah," Elle said. "You're going to do amazing. Everything has worked out so far, and all you have to do is finish the task."

It was something that was easier said than done. In his head, he knew it was only one task, but on the outside, Judah was frozen. This wasn't some game where if he lost it was no big deal. Losing this trial could mean the difference between saving Selena and winning the war.

Judah was about to open up his mouth and reply when a man carrying a large crate began to topple as he approached the door. Judah dashed over to help him steady the crate. "There we go," Judah said as he lifted the crate to a balanced position. "Do you need help getting this to where it should go?"

"No," said the man appreciatively. "You're the Queen's guest today. I'm embarrassed having ever needed your assistance."

"It's no big deal, man," Judah said with a smile. "Let me know if I can help. It's no issue."

The man scurried away and Judah turned back to Elle. He took a deep breath and put on a bright smile. "Ready to make a good impression?" he asked as he raised his arm. She linked hers and smiled back.

"I've been doing it my whole life after all."

They walked to the large door and knocked. They waited as the men opened it and allowed them access. The outside of the castle was beautiful, but the inside was stunning. Diamonds were everywhere. In the chandeliers, on the handrails of the stairs, in the tiles on the ground. Judah felt his jaw drop as he walked to the center of the room. Large pieces of art sculpted from gold and silver were scattered along the floor. Miniature dragons walked around the room and interacted with people.

"Holy shit," Judah whispered.

Judah felt even looking in this room was too expensive. They scanned the room for their friends. Hundreds of fairies were in their best and most lavish outfits around the room. There were girls with ballgowns that shimmied and swayed with each step. There were men with gems and rubies incrested on the shirts that they wore. They looked like something straight out of the Met Gala.

"There they are!" Elle said as she pointed to the large stairwell. Elora stood conversing with official-looking fairies, Asher and Jayden kneeled next to her playing with a tiny yellow dragon. Judah and Elle crossed across the room, and when they arrived, Elora was speaking the language that Desmia spoke when transporting him to Elle.

"Ah, yes," Elora said when she saw them approach. "These are my last two guardians, Judah and Elle."

The two men nodded and dismissed themselves. Elora turned and instructed Jayden and Asher to stand up. "You all look amazing," Elora said. "Jayden, Asher, and Elle come with me. Judah, you're instructed to go up the stairs. Someone is waiting for you."

Judah gulped as the other followed Elora away from the stairs. Each step Judah took up the stairs felt like a brick was attached to his foot. He walked slowly and took deep breaths. Every sense in his body was on overdrive. From the tightness of his shoes to the noise level in the room, everything felt like he was overstimulated at this moment.

Please don't faint, please don't faint, please don't faint. Judah thought to himself as he reached the top of the stairs. Desmia stood there and smiled. "You look very nice! Compliments to your stylist," she teased as she turned and walked to a room in the back with no other word. She knocked twice before walking in and held the door open for Judah.

It was a huge room. Pinks and orange were the accents of this room. A large bed with a pink silk comforter and orange curtains surrounding it sat at the far end of the room. There was a large door that stood to the side that Judah assumed was either a closet or a bathroom. In the very center of the room was a large couch that was built into the floor. It sunk a couple of feet, and several large cushions elevated it to various levels so you could sit comfortably. On the other side of the bed was a large balcony. The circular shape with the stone gate surrounding it reminded Judah of the movies that he had watched as a little kid. There were large cushioned seats outside the balcony as well.

"Is this?"

"The Queen's private chamber?" asked Desmia. "Yes."

She walked over to the couch and took a seat. Judah's heart began to thump as Desmia with the pale white skin and fire-red hair, changed before his eyes. Her pale skin was replaced with darker skin. The red hair quickly turned to tight black curls that fell beautifully around the Queen's face. The ballgown she was in earlier faded, and she was in a yellow sundress with a gem-embedded tiara. She had a heart-shaped face, and her eyebrows were the perfect thickness. She raised one and patted a pillow next to her.

"Come, Judah."

Judah's throat went dry. "You're-"

"Yes," the Queen said. "I was Desmia this morning. I was also this person," she quickly transformed into the man that was carrying the large crate. Judah's jaw dropped as he stared at the Queen alarmed. She changed back into her normal appearance quickly. "My name is Queen Halayah, but you can call me Halayah for short."

She smiled at him and again patted the pillow next to her. Judah felt his feet moving, but he didn't remember telling them to. It was like his body was on overdrive as he walked slowly to the Queen and sat down on the pillow next to her.

"I don't care about trials," she lamented. "I think the idea was foolish altogether. The truth was we eventually were going to have to team up. While our borders hold off the Plague of Dread for now, as it gets bigger and stronger, it will consume everything. Including Encatia and the other realms," She took off her crown and set it in the middle of both of them. She cupped her hand around them and a small golden glow came from her hands. When she removed them the crown was just a giant crystal clear stone. "The others are dragging their feet as punishment for what you guys did seventeen years ago, but we all know how this ends. I'm not worried about the future. I'm worried about the present.  I need to know if I can trust you. I will not let someone lead the fairies that haven't proven themselves to me first." 

Trust was a strong word to use. After talking to her this morning, Judah knew how the five guardians looked to the rest of the world. They had run when they needed them to fight. Now that they need the realms to fight, the memory of what they did as children lingered.

She held the stone up in the air. "This is called the Awakening Stone. My people have used it as a magical detection for years. It reveals the person's true intentions by the aura that is presented in the crystal. Good people don't have anything to worry about. You seem good, but you can forgive me for wanting to make sure you're not just deceptive."

Judah felt his body relax. This was an easy trial. All he had to do was grab a stone and see if he was trustworthy. Good people had no problem with the auras, and Judah was on team good guy. He reached out his hand to grab the stone and then stopped.

Elle appeared in his mind. The way that she held onto him before they arrived in Encantia. Judah felt a twinge of guilt as Elle quickly vanished and he stared at Selena. She was in tattered clothes and laying in the middle of a dark room. He had betrayed the girl that he had pined for after the second things got hard. He had worked so hard to show he was a good guy only to throw it away seconds later.

Judah wasn't a good guy. He might be on team good guy, but that was by default.

"I can't grab the stone," Judah whispered.

Halayah raised an eyebrow at him. "Why not?"

"I'm not a good person," Judah whispered even softer. Tears welled up in his eyes and he was instantly embarrassed. "I betrayed someone. Someone I care deeply for, and now I'm in an awful situation with another person I care for."

"Girl Problems," Halayah mused. "Unsurprising. You're easy on the eyes. Who is it? The blonde and?" she drug out the word until Judah cleared his throat.

"The girl I'm trying to save."

"That's a clusterfuck," the Halayah laughed. She looked at Judah and shook her head. "Look, kid, you're not a bad person. You're a teenager. A bad person wouldn't feel bad about what they did. They wouldn't see a problem. You're playing a dangerous game, but it isn't one that affects you as a moral character. Plenty of good people are shitty partners."

The last sentence stung Judah. He resisted the urge to flench. "Your love life is not my business, your intentions though are. I lied to you," said the queen as she set the stone down. "This stone doesn't show you the aura that you are, it shows the holder the people they're inquiring about. It brings out the worst things they've done in the person's memories through a magic spell. I saw your aura. You don't always make the best choices, but your intentions are always good. It's a beautiful orange color. As you can see I like orange." she smiled gently and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You're just not allowed to date a fairy. Ever."

Judah let out a hardy laugh as tears welled up in his eyes. "So did I pass?"

"You passed when you apologized to Desmia for things that were out of your control," Halayah said. "I like you. I like your friends. They seem solid. The fairies will be honored to stand with you in the battle against Gedeon. Also, one last thing," the soft glow returned to her hands and the stone turned back into the tiara she sat on her head. "Just because you make one mistake doesn't mean you get to keep making it. Then it's a choice. You need to decide which girl has your heart. This back and forth thing isn't fair to anyone. Including yourself." 

Judah felt tears stream down his cheeks. He smiled broadly and stood up to bow when the Queen's doors flew open. A man with sweat dripping down his face entered the room. His eyes were crazed with fear, and his armor was tattered and broken. "Your majesty!" he screamed. "The Plague of Dread has infiltrated our borders!"

The Queen stood stoically and held her arms out. A steel suit of fitted armor appeared around her body. She placed two of her fist together, and glittery blue magic poured out of her hands as she magically unsheathed a giant sword.

"Judah, gather your friends," she said. "It's time we put our new partnership to the test."