“Are you going to marry them?”

Blaze greets us a with a wide grin when we wake up lying on the ground beneath him. All four of my men are by my side, all of them looking rather sleepy.

"What?"

Did I miss part of a conversation?

Blaze sighs. "I thought you may have used the chance to propose to them. A coronation goes so well with a wedding."

I'm speechless, utterly speechless. Who does the unicorn think he is? And me proposing to them rather them to me... well, I guess it makes sense. I'm about to be Queen, maybe it's the etiquette for rulers to propose to their future consorts? But no, I'm twenty-two, I'm not planning to get married any time soon. My plan was always to wait until I'm at least in my mid-twenties, and then maybe think about children when I'm thirty. I have a life to live first.

None of the guys says anything. They're waiting for me to respond. Cowards.

"I think a coronation is enough for now. I don't believe Tamara could handle the stress of adding a wedding to the ceremony."

There you go, I found a reason why it's a terrible idea. And it's definitely not because I secretly want the guys to go on one knee in front of me... no, I'm a strong and emancipated woman. That tradition is so outdated... but I'm also a romantic, and it would be nice... Stop it, Wyn, think with your head, not your ovaries. This is not a time of romance, it's a time of war.

"How much time has passed since we disappeared?" I ask the unicorn.

He sighs again. "You didn't disappear," he explains as if he's talking to a three-year-old. "You were right here, seemingly asleep. But to answer your question, it was mere minutes. Four, five minutes, perhaps? Barely any time at all."

"Good, I have some research to do. Crispin, coming with me?"

He nods and gets up from the ground, shaking the dust off his clothes. For some reason, I'm surprised that we're no longer naked, but of course I shouldn't be. It was all just an illusion.

"We better get back to our duties," Storm grumbles. "I have a meeting with Gwain to discuss strategy. Again."

He doesn't look very happy about it.

"What about you two?" I ask the others.

Arc grimaces. "I need ta find the traitor who gave the clone the password. I have some suspicions, but I need proof before I can tell ya."

"I've got a training session to lead," Frost says, not seeming very enthusiastic. "Some of the fire Guardians aren't very good with defending against water and ice, so I'm going to pretend to be one of the bad guys."

"You are one of the bad guys, little brother," Storm chuckles.

"Little?" Frost roars and begins to fling water balls at his brother.

"Let's leave them to it," I say to Crispin with a laugh and take his hand, teleporting us straight into the library. "I didn't want to get wet, and that looked like the beginnings of a water fight."

"I'm glad I'm working with you today," he chuckles. I wish I could see his smile, but my vision has returned to only giving me the view of their auras, not their faces. "So, what are we doing?"

I turn and look around the library, searching for Algonquin. The Librarian is hopefully going to make this easier by telling me where to find the books I need.

"I'm going to read some books. You're going to make sure I don't go crazy by overdoing it." I smile at him. "I've not experimented enough to know how many books are too many to absorb into my mind."

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" he asks carefully. "Maybe leave the experimenting until after the battle?"

I shake my head. "I wish, but I need this information now, and we don't have the time to actually read all the books. Maybe I've been given this new skill for a reason."

I extend my magic, looking for life signs. There are two Guardians I don't know at the far end of the library, and I find Algonquin's familiar aura not far from the row of shelves we're standing right now. I take Crispin's hand again and teleport us right in front of the Librarian.

He gasps in shock and I almost regret doing this. He's an old man, and while I'm pretty sure Guardians can't die of a heart attack, I don't want to test that theory.

"Your Majesty." He bows his head.

"Not yet," I mutter, but I don't correct him. I better get used to that title.

"How can I be of service?"

"Do you have any books on the balance of the seasons? Some that mention Spring and Autumn in particular?"

He thinks for a moment. "Not specifically, but there are some chronicles about the struggle of power between Queen Beira and Angus over the millennia. At least two of them refer to Flora, although I'm pretty sure there is no mention of Autumn. Are you aware that there is no God of Autumn?"

I nod. "I know that there wasn't, but there is now."

His aura changes into something that looks to me like enthusiasm. "There's a new God? Who created him?"

"It's a Goddess, and she created herself." I ignore his confused gasp. "That's the next thing I need information about. Are there any books that speak of a union between a female dragon shifter and a God? They had a daughter named Dewi, but I need to know who her father was."

"Not in any of the books we have about the Dragon Realm, but I suppose if the God wasn't from there... let me summon some books that may be relevant."

His aura suddenly flashes bright yellow and books fly towards us from all directions. Now that's a handy trick. I assumed he was going to look at old-fashioned index cards, but of course, I should have known better. This is the biggest library in the Realm, and it's a magical one at that.

About twenty books land in Algonquin’s arms and he huffs at their weight, letting them gently float to the floor. "It will take me awhile to find what you're looking for, Your Majesty. What's your priority, the balance of the seasons or the dragon shifter's partner?"

"They're connected," I explain, "and I don't need your help reading them. I can do that myself."

It seems word of my new ability hasn't spread yet. Algonquin will be very jealous once he finds out.

"I'd be happy to help, Your Majesty," he says, sounding like he's a little offended that I don't want his assistance. I better give him something else to do to make up for it and keep him busy.

"That's very kind of you, Algonquin, but I have another task for you. Could you choose some of the best books on battle strategies you can find and send them to Storm, maybe with a written summary? Especially those using guerrilla tactics, please. We might have a new advantage that we can use against our enemies. Oh, and of course anything you might have about dragon wars."

He bows, obviously pleased at having such an important task.

"Of course, milady. I will get on it straight away."

He shuffles off, leaving me with an amused Crispin. "You sure Storm hasn't already read all those books?"

I shrug. "Better safe than sorry. Now, let's read some books. Please make me stop when I go crazy. Or no, scratch that. Before I go crazy."

"I think that's enough now."

His gentle voice barely seeps through the words racing across my mind. So many words. Images. Sounds. Pictures. People. Lives. So much chaos. There's no order to them and they make my head hurt.

"Ouch," I say in a whiny voice. "Books hurt."

"Is it your head?"

I nod and immediately regret it. Nodding makes the words bump against my skull and gives me more pain.

Crispin lays his hands on my head and cool air begins to flow into me. Magic, not air. Same thing, isn’t?

He begins to massage my scalp, his fingers drawing small circles that feel good. Very good.

"More," I whisper and the coolness increases. The tumbling words slow down a little, but they're still too fast to grasp and understand them. I lean against Crispin, letting myself fall against his chest. He keeps rubbing my head, muttering soothing words to me that are even more complicated than the words in my mind.

"I think it might help if you sleep for a bit," he suggests. It's hard to understand him. His words sound jumbled even though I know they're in the right order. "Just rest, let your mind digest all that new knowledge. Want me to help you sleep?"

"Ouch," I repeat. Such a beautiful little word. So full of meaning.

He gently strokes my cheek.

"Sleep, Wyn. Sweet dreams."

I jump out of bed the second I wake up. So much to do, so much to tell the others.

"Council meeting, now," I say loudly before checking if anybody is actually in the room with me. Luckily, Frost and Crispin are there, playing chess on a small table by the window.

"Glad you're awake, that rescues me from being beaten by Crisp," Frost chuckles and gets up from his chair. "What's up? Why the Council meeting?"

I smile at him. "You know how Blaze said that Summer will be betrayed? Well, I think I know who will betray him. Or better, who has already betrayed him."

I'm giddy with excitement. It all makes sense now. The words in my head have cleared and have assembled in a beautiful pattern. I know so much that will help us. This is the opportunity we've been waiting for.

I run to the guys and touch them on the shoulders before teleporting us into the Council chambers. Nobody's there, but it won't stay that way for long.

"Wait here," I tell them and let my magic search for the Council members. One by one, I appear by their side and teleport them into the room, ignoring their protests. The only one I don't immediately bring back is Zephyr, who's taking a shower. I really didn't want to see that, and luckily, there was a shower curtain hiding him from view. I've told him to hurry up though. The news is waiting to burst from my mouth and I'm not sure how much longer I can wait.

Everybody is staring at me expectantly - at least that's what their auras are telling me - but I wait until Zephyr bursts into the room, his wet grey hair sticking to his forehead. He's put his shirt on the wrong way round, so I ask my magic to correct it. I don't think he even notices, but next to me, Tamara giggles almost inaudibly.

When he's finally sat down, I stand and look at them all.

"I'm not sure how much you already know, so I'm going to start at the beginning. When we went to the Dragon Realm, we met their Queen, Dewi, who said she was a Goddess. Until then, nobody had ever heard of a Dragon Goddess, but Tamara discovered that until recently, Dewi used to be a demigoddess who turned into a Goddess, just like me.”

I ignore the frowns and gasps in the room. "According to the book Tamara read, Dewi's parents are a female dragon shifter and a God. Well, the translation must have been slightly wrong, because according to several of the books I read it wasn't a God. It was a Goddess, and we've all heard of her. Any guesses?"

Nobody dares to speculate.

"Bridget. Before she met Angus and became his Queen, she had a relationship with a male dragon shifter. A child is mentioned, but it doesn't reappear until twenty-two years later, when the girl returns from Earth and starts to live in the Dragon Realm. I'm not sure if Dewi was taken away from her mother, or if Bridget didn't want anything to do with her, but I assume the former. Her and Angus have been trying to have a child ever since Beira conceived me, or maybe longer, so I doubt she would have simply given up her baby girl back then."

"But that means...," Gwain begins and I let him follow his train of thought. "Our new ally is the daughter of our enemy?"

"Exactly." I smile. "You've told me that Bridget is whispering in Angus's ear, influencing his decisions. Let's assume she's doing this for power. Imagine if she was to find out that her daughter is now a Goddess and the ruler of the Dragon Realm..."

"She'd want to be on Dewi's side," Storm finishes my sentence. "I don't think she'd go against Angus, but I'm pretty sure she'd try to convince him to change sides. She's a clever woman and if we're lucky, she's begun to doubt whether the Morrigan will let them rule the Summer and the Winter Realms after they win the battle. The assassination of Flora's husband has not just surprised us, but also Angus and his allies, according to our spies. They've seen now that the Morrigan isn't trustworthy and that they're not as safe as they'd thought themselves to be."

"Do you really think Angus and Bridget would change sides?" Zephyr asks sceptically. "No offence, Your Highness, but we've been fighting against them for centuries, millennia in the case of some of us. I doubt they can be swayed this easily."

"The love of a mother," Tamara says quietly, but the room immediately quietens. "There's nothing like it. If Bridget believed her daughter dead, then she'll do anything to keep her alive now."

Gwain turns to me. "It's worth a try. Be aware though that if it doesn't work, they'll know that we have the dragon on our side, and we'll use the element of surprise."

"We still have a few surprises in store," I interject. "I assume Storm has filled you in on the temporary Gates?"

The Master of Arms nods. "Yes, that will be a great tactical advantage. We'd like you to try and teach some of our most powerful mages how to do it. If they can replicate it, we won't be as reliant on the Dragons and on you."

I frown at him. "Are you expecting me to die before the battle?"

The room falls silent and Gwain clears his throat in embarrassment. "No, of course not, Your Highness. I just meant that you might want to stay in the safety of the Palace, and therefore..."

"No way," I interrupt. "I'm going to be fighting alongside everyone else. While my mother is sick, it seems that I am the most powerful person in this Realm. It would be a waste to keep me behind the walls of the capital, you must see that." I'm hoping that appealing to his sense of logic will help. He's a very rational, calculated man.

I decide not to give him any time to argue and turn to Tamara. "I'm sure you have a way of accidentally letting Bridget know about Dewi?"

The spy mistress chuckles. "I do indeed. I'll also work with Ada to make sure that the dragons are prepared in case Bridget tries to contact them."

"Is there any chance of Dewi changing sides if she finds out who her mother is?" Algonquin asks in his old, creaking voice.

"No, not after what the Morrigan did to the Dragon Realm," I say decidedly. "She practically imprisoned every single dragon shifter in their own heads and tortured their Queen. I don't think there's any way they could ever forgive that."

I think of my own reasons for hating the Morrigan. Could I ever work with her if my mother and my friends suddenly switched sides? No, I couldn't. She killed my mum, imprisoned my father, tortured Crispin. There's no forgetting that. And definitely no forgiving either.

I push down the hate bubbling up in me. There's no time to be emotional now.

"Tamara, if you and Ada want a lift to the Dragon Realm, let me know. I need to talk to Dewi tomorrow."

Tamara sighs. "Does that mean I have to reschedule your dress fitting?"

I cluck my tongue in disapproval. "Priorities, Mara, priorities."