“Are you sure you’ll be able to fly the whole way?” Storm asks me carefully. It’s clear that he’d rather have me take the portable throne again. No chance. I’ll never get into that contraption again. Especially not now that I have wings. Beautiful, shimmering, almost translucent wings. I flutter them slightly and watch as they reflect the light in all colours of the rainbow. I’m still not entirely used to the feeling, but I’ve definitely fallen in love with how they look. People on Earth would probably think that I’m a fairy. If only they knew.

“I’ll manage,” I respond in my Princess voice, the one that doesn’t allow any arguments. It’s rare that I’m pulling rank, but today I really want to fly. And if I fall, I’m sure one of my four Guardians will catch me. If not... oh well, it’ll work out somehow.

“Your Highness, I’ve prepared you a picnic.” Tamara comes hurrying up the stairs to the top of the tower where we’re waiting to begin our trip. So far, I’ve not managed to launch into the air from the ground. Luckily, my mother’s palace has a multitude of towers at my disposal.

“Thank you, Mara.” I smile at her and take the basket she’s brought us. I never thought I’d have a picnic in winter, but why not. It’s always winter here in the Realm, so I better get used to it. Most people use their magic to stay warm; otherwise the ladies at court would never be able to wear their flimsy dresses. They all seem to think that nakedness is fashionable. I shudder. No, I prefer to be dressed properly.

I pass the basket on to Crispin - I’m not sure if I could carry the extra weight with my untrained wings - and give the boys a grin. “Ready?”

Before they can respond, I jump off the tower.

Falling.

Falling.

How do I move my wings again?

Ah. Flying!

Just before I hit the ground, my wings fully expand and I glide in an elegant curve over the frosty fields that surround the palace on this side. With a few beats of my wings, I ascend. Above me, my men are waiting for me. Their perfect movements show me what I still have to learn. And I will, in time. They’ve had years to practice flying. I’ve only had two weeks.

Flying is exhilarating. The wind tousles my hair as I fly higher to join them. My magic is keeping me in a cocoon of warm air, immediately melting the tiny snowflakes that have started falling from the clouds above us. Not the perfect weather for a picnic.

They all look at me in disapproval, but I ignore them. “So, where are we going?” I ask cheerily. Just because this was my idea doesn’t mean I actually know where to go. All I’ve seen of the Realm so far is the Gate and the palace, and the bits in between. But after looking at some of the maps, I could spend years exploring my new home. And if my mother gets what she wants, I might do just that.

She wants me to stay forever, basically. I’m not sure I like that idea. My parents still live on Earth - my adoptive parents, that is, but they raised me and I know them a lot better than Beira. And I never finished my studies... I had a life back there and I don’t want to give it all up. While this Princess-experience is quite a lot of fun at the moment, it’s also terribly boring in the long run. I’ll never get used to having servants and living in a massive palace that is basically a town in itself.

But right now, my mother needs me. Once her strength returns... we will see.

“We’ll head West,” Storm announces and starts to fly off, leaving the rest of us to follow.

“Why is he being grumpy?” I ask Frost, who’s flying next to me.

“He doesn’t think this is a good idea. There have been reports of Summer soldiers in the Realms, and he is worried that we might encounter some.”

“Summer soldiers, here? Why didn’t I know that?”

He looks a bit uncomfortable. “It’s not common knowledge.”

I huff. “Well, I’m not exactly common. Shouldn’t the heiress to the Winter throne know such things?”

“Yer mother didnae want ta worry ya.” Arc appears on my other side, the tip of his wings almost touching mine.

My good mood is quickly disappearing. “She keeps saying she wants me to take over some of her duties. How am I supposed to do that if she doesn’t tell me what’s going on?”

“She was waiting ta find oot if they’re here for ye,” Arc says. My head is spinning. This all doesn’t make any sense.

“Why would they be here for me? I was told the Summer King wanted to prevent me from reaching my mother, but I’m here now, so why would he want to go after me? He’s failed and I’m now under Beira’s protection. Surely he’s got no chance of actually getting close to the palace?”

“We’ve got some theories, but until any of them have been proven, let’s not talk about it,” Storm growls from the front, his deep voice carrying despite the wind getting stronger.

“No way!” I shout back. “I want answers, now!”

Frost clears his throat. “Wyn, you’re sparking.”

“What?” I look down at myself and notice a plume of smoke trailing me. Oops. What has my magic done now?

I check on her and find her running around in circles, colourful sparks flying all around her. What the hell?

“Bad girl,” I tell her and she looks at me, grinning widely. She’s been really badly behaved recently. Maybe she’s going through puberty? It’s getting harder to control her, especially now that she’s getting stronger. All the magic here must be messing with her understanding of the rules. And one of those rules is not to set me on fire.

“Sit in a corner,” I command but all she does is show me her pink tongue. Maybe I should talk to my mother about this. Or one of the Guardians, although they all think it’s crazy that I talk to my magic. That I see her as a distinct entity. So maybe not, they wouldn’t know what to do.

“I think we need to give you some lessons,” Frost says with a smirk and I perk up. Is he talking about... no, he means my magic. Pity. I’ve not had as much physical contact with them as I would like. I thought once we’d get to the palace and have a life where we weren’t running from assassins and fighting demons, we’d have more alone time. But no, everybody’s so busy that I’m rarely alone with all of them. I could probably count the times all five of us have sat together on one hand.

I should really enjoy this trip and leave the questions for later. I will get my answers though, even if I have to invent new torture methods. Maybe if I play all innocent now, they’ll forget our argument and will be more easily convinced to part with their knowledge later? A girl can hope...

I send some water magic over my back to extinguish any sparks that may still be lingering there. I’m amazed I haven’t actually burned myself. That would be so like me. A whoosh of warm air dries my clothes immediately. Magic does come in handy.

We fly in silence, although Frost shoots me a smile from time to time. He’s not going to let the almost-burning-myself-by-accident go anytime soon. Well, I’ve got enough dirt on him to retaliate.

“We’re almost there!” Storm shouts from the front. “Will you manage to land?”

I cringe at his doubts in my skills - but they are well-founded. I try and move the memory of crashing into one of the palace towers out of my mind. I’ve still got bruises on my bum. Flying is hard, but landing is even harder. And painful, in most of my attempts so far. Let’s hope this time will be more graceful. I’ve got four guys watching me, after all, and despite being their Princess I still want to impress them. Don’t ask me why, my brain is weird.

“Yes!” I reply loudly, trying to sound confident. Maybe if they believe in me, it will work?

“Don’t forget to use your wind magic to buffer your fall,” Crispin whispers from behind and I give him a grateful nod. Always good to have a plan B. Combining different kinds of magic is one thing I’m still struggling with. And using magic while flying... not easy. But then I remember how I instinctively extinguished the sparks and warmed my clothes after, and smile. Looks like I’m making progress, even if I’m not noticing it immediately.

We descend towards a solitary pine tree in a vast expanse of ice. There’s nothing here but frozen ground. No houses, no people, only this one tree. Having grown up in a city, this is very alien to me. Even when we went on trips into the hills, there were always other people around. Not here, though. Nothing grows in these plains, and there is no reason for anybody to be here. Except for us. I have no idea why Storm chose this as the place for our picnic.

Storm accelerates and lands on the ice below us. Maybe he wants to catch me if I fall. I’m not sure if I feel insulted or cared for. These men are messing with my feelings again. Having one boyfriend was hard enough back on Earth - it lasted about two months before he gave up on me - but now I have four. There should be handbook for this. How to have your own male harem. Or: How to cope with four times the normal testosterone.

They’re driving me crazy. But then, they probably think the same thing about me. I know I’m not the easiest person to be around. Or the most stable.

I adjust the angle of my wings just like the guys showed me. Theoretically, this should enable a smooth landing. I reach for my wind magic and create a pillow of air hovering above the ground. Just in case. I don’t want to ruin this picnic by breaking anything.

“Go for it,” Frost cheers me on and I dip my wings, going into the final dive down.

Ten seconds later, I’m very thankful for the air cushion I created. I’m lying on it, three feet off the snowy ground, nursing my bruised ego. I probably looked like a dodo falling from the sky. With even worse wing coordination.

All four of the guys have landed and are watching me, in various stages of hiding their laughter. Or in Crispin’s case, not hiding it at all. He’s bent over laughing. I growl at him. He’s insulting my ailing dignity.

I deflate my magic pillow and am gently lowered to the ground. Now that’s what my landing should have looked like. Arc comes over and puts an arm around my shoulders.

“Dinnae worry, lass. It takes some time ta learn how ta fly.”

“I know how to fly,” I protest. “Just not how to land.”

Crispin is shaken by another fit of giggles. That man has no respect for his Princess.

To change the topic, I ask, “Why are we here? What’s so special about this place?”

Storm gives me a rare smile. “Use your magic to find out.”

I frown but do as he says. I expand my senses, reaching out for any signs of magical activity. There’s a slight humming beneath the ground that I focus on. I’m hesitant to use my Earth magic, as it seems to be the one I have least control over, but I send a tendril of magic into the ground, feeling for anything unusual.

The humming increases the further I reach. Something is hidden in the Earth, something big. There’s a point to my right that calls to me, and without thinking, I walk to it and stop only a few feet away from the tree. It’s beneath me, whatever it is.

I look to the guys for guidance and Storm nods. Looks like I’m doing the right thing. I send a bit more magic into the ground, feeding that strange point that is attracting me. It feels like an orb that’s been buried beneath the surface. And it needs to be filled to... to do what exactly?

The guys would have told me if this was dangerous, right? They wouldn’t let me feed magic to a monster that will eat us any second now? No, they’re sensible, most of the time. I send the final bit of magic into it - and the ground begins to shake.

“What’s happening?” I ask, slightly panicked. I remember the first time I made the ground shake, when the guys had to subdue me before I levelled the street.

“Wait and see,” Crispin grins, staring at the tree in expectation.

The tree looks just the same - no, wait, it’s slowly starting to twist. Its thin trunk pirouettes gracefully before the entire tree jumps to one side, leaving a hole in the ground.

“What. The. Fuck.” I stare at the tree which is now in a new place, looking as if it’s been growing there all its life. “What just happened?”

“So impatient,” Frost chuckles. “As Crisp said: wait and see.”

It’s not in my nature to be patient, but with the guys not budging, I have no choice. I look at the hole, carefully approaching it. It’s just about wide enough to let someone big like Arc squeeze through. I shoot him a glance. His muscles... yummy.... no, Wyn, you’re not looking at his muscles, you’re looking at his circumference. Yes, he should fit.

Nothing happens.

“Do we have to jump in?” I ask and turn to look at them - and swirl around a second later as a loud bang signals that something is happening.

“Aww, ye missed it,” Arc says. I huff in disappointment but then he chuckles. “Just kidding. Watch now.”

This time, I don’t turn but stare at the hole, trying not to blink. A faint pink mist starts to rise from the ground. No, not pink, rainbow coloured. Just like on my wings, hundreds of colours swirl into each other, creating the illusion of a rainbow. It’s beautiful. The mist begins to solidify and form a shape, almost as tall as me.

“Is that a horse?” I ask, but the guys shush me.

“Do not use the word ‘horse’ during the next few hours,” Storm warns me. “Our host is allergic to it.”

“What?” I ask in confusion, but all they do is groan. Really, they should be used to me asking questions by now. When I first met them, Crispin said he found it endearing. Now I’m not so sure. He’s probably changed his mind. Gods, even I know I can be annoying.

The mist swirls faster, getting ever more solid, until it suddenly turns white. And it’s the shape of a....

“A unicorn?” I ask open-mouthed. “But unicorns don’t exist.”

“Don’t they?” the unicorn replies drily, and I think I’m about to faint. It’s a real-life unicorn. I repeat, a UNICORN. Like a white horse (oops!) but with an ivory coloured horn that looks like it could easily kill a few demons. Its fur is shimmering with a hint of rainbow and its hooves are bright silver.

“Am I hallucinating?” I ask weakly and the guys laugh. Those evil Guardians could have warned me.

“You didn’t get this weird when you saw you had wings,” Crispin remarks and I’m tempted to set him on fire. On purpose, not like my usual accidents.

“But it’s a unicorn...” I mumble, aware that I’m not making much sense. I’ve loved unicorns ever since I was little. When I found out that Scotland’s national animal is a unicorn, I was the happiest girl on the planet. Scotland is full of unicorn statues and coat of arms. Take Stirling Castle for example, they even have giant tapestries depicting a unicorn which is being captured by a virgin. Oh.

“So the legend of needing a maiden to attract a unicorn isn’t true?” I ask my Guardians, fully aware that they’ve found out by themselves that I wasn’t a virgin. And after our... bedroom adventures, I’d definitely not be one anymore.

“No, but any maiden is welcome to appear to me,” the unicorn cackles. I don’t think my eyes can get any wider. Did this unicorn just make a saucy comment?

“Blaze, don’t shock her even more,” Storm admonishes him. Yes, it’s definitely a him. His voice is melodically masculine, although I’m not quite sure how he manages to sound so human. Do horses have vocal chords? These are the moments I miss the internet. It would be a quick search to find out, but here I have to either ask questions or not find out.

This time, I decide to stay quiet. I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of this unicorn. Who knows how powerful he is. A bit of healthy respect won’t hurt.

“We bring food,” Frost says and shows the unicorn our basket. “Can we have our picnic at your place?”

“You want to bring a girl into my house? And probably be loud? And eat human food? Hell yes!”

His bright blue eyes shimmer in excitement. Looks like this unicorn isn’t used to having visitors. Really his own fault, living under a tree isn’t very inviting. Only the initiated would ever find his dwelling.

“No flirting,” Storm warns as Blaze moves back towards his hole. How did he fit through there? The unicorn is decidedly too big for that.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll behave,” Blaze mutters and dissolves into rainbow mist. He definitely has a flair for drama. But if you’re a unicorn, you’re allowed to be a little flashy.