The messenger looks as exhausted as he is dirty. He’s left muddy footprints all over the throne room and I pity the people who’ll have to clean up later on.

“Give the man some water,” I tell one of the servants and she scuffles off, returning moments later with a pitcher of water and a glass.

The messenger drinks it greedily.

“Thank you, my lady,” he says with a deep voice. “I need to talk to the Queen.”

I cringe. “Queen Beira is currently unavailable but I am her daughter, so you can tell me whatever message you had for my mother.”

He blanches and does a hasty bow.

“Forgive me, I didn’t know, Your Highness.” He looks around the people watching us curiously. “You may want to listen to this message in private.”

I nod and wave at Jonathan to clear the hall. The Lord Chamberlain looks like he’s about to argue, but then does as he asks. He’s never liked me – I don’t think he likes anyone – but he’s very aware that I’m well in my rights to give him orders.

He’s the last to leave, but not before Arc slips into the room. The messenger is about to protest when my Guardian joins me at my side, but I quickly silence him.

“Arc will stay, he’s trustworthy.”

Arc pulls up an eyebrow as if he’s questioning that statement, but says nothing.

“Now, what’s your message?”

“I was sent by Flora and…”

Arc is suddenly in front of me, taking on a protective stance.

I’m confused. Who exactly is Flora? My knowledge of the Gods is still sketchy.

“Why are ye here?” Arc growls. “Everybody ken that the Spring Goddess is allied with Angus.”

The messenger shrinks back a little. “That’s why I’m here. She wants to talk about a switch of allegiances.”

Arc doesn’t change his stance. “Flora has been Angus’s ally fer centuries. Why would she change that now?”

“You’ve not heard?” the messenger asks in confusion. “About Favonius?”

Another name I’m not familiar with. The problem is that I concentrated on learning more about the Celtic Gods. These two sound more like they’re Roman. That’s the problem with so many Gods that suddenly turn out to be real. There are far too many of them, but I never know which ones actually exist and which ones don’t. It doesn’t help that a lot of them go by several names, depending on what culture they’re talked about. Thor for example is also known as Donar, Taranis, Indra and Perun. Yes, exactly, confusing.

“What’s wrong with Fav?” Arc asks, his voice less aggressive now. It seems like he knows this Favonius guy, if he even has a nickname for him.

“He’s dead,” the messenger sighs. “Assassinated. There was a raven feather left on his body.”

“Could someone please explain to me what’s going on?” I push Arc out of the way and glare at him.

He clears his throat. “Favonius is… was the God of Wind. Flora is his wife, and the Goddess of Spring. Fav was a minor God who was once on our side, but when he fell in love with Flora, he started to support Angus like his wife. I’d not heard from him in a while.”

“How was he killed?” I ask the messenger.

“Poison. One I’ve not seen before, but our healer said something about dragons.”

“The poison of a black dragon?” I ask in shock and an ominous feeling sinks into my stomach when he nods.

“That’s the same they tried to kill me with. It seems we have the same enemy.”

The messenger is staring at me wide-eyed. He clearly didn’t expect this.

“The raven feather is new though…” I mutter.

“The Morrigan,” Arc replies darkly. “It’s her sign. But why would she kill Fav? Did he do something ta oppose her?”

The messenger shakes his head. “I wouldn’t know, but the Lady Flora wants to talk to you, I’m sure she can explain. I’m just the messenger.”

“Will she come here? You can assure her that she’ll have safe passage.”

Arc grimaces and looks like he’s about to say something, but then thinks better of it.

“I will let her know. She’s waiting close to your Realm’s border, so she could be here tomorrow, if that suits Your Highness.”

“Yes, tell her to come. If we are to form an alliance, we better do it quickly.”

The messenger bows deeply, visibly relieved that he can return to his mistress with good news. He turns to leave, but bows again before he exits through the large doors.

Once he’s left, I turn to Arc.

“How powerful is Flora? Is she trustworthy?”

“She’s the Goddess of Spring and fertility. Her element is earth, but I’ve never seen her use it, so I dinnae ken how strong she is. She’s kept out of most battles, but if the Morrigan killed her husband, she might want ta get involved in this one.”

I nod. “I’m going to talk to my mother about it. This means that either the Morrigan isn’t actually working with Angus – she wouldn’t attack one of his allies otherwise – or that she had a personal issue with Favonius. Hopefully Flora can tell us more about it tomorrow.”

“What’s worrying me is the poison,” Arc says slowly. “It confirms that the dragons are involved, and that they’re in league with the Morrigan. And the only dragon we could have asked has disappeared with Ada.”

“Maybe we should search for her after all, now that things have changed. I’ll see if Tamara can spare some people. Five people can’t disappear just like that.”

Another thought comes into my mind. “Arc, can you make a list of all the Gods and Goddesses supporting us. And then another of all those we definitely know are on Angus’s side. If Flora is willing to switch sides, maybe she can bring some of her friends with her.”

“Aye, will do. There are some neutral Gods as well, but I ken Beira was planning ta invite them all for talks. I think ye should do the same.”

I cringe at the thought of inviting unknown Gods for a chat. I’m still not comfortable around them. The whole idea of Gods walking around us and behaving like normal humans… ehm, people… is still new to me.

Before I came to the Realms, Beira was the only Goddess I’d ever met, and she’s different from them all. She’s the Mother of Gods, she’s not on the same level with the others.

Thor is a little aloof, but I think I could easily become friends with him. Some of the other minor Gods were just like people back at home, not intimidating at all. Others though… well, when I was suddenly confronted with Hades, the God of the Underworld, at one of my mother’s balls, I bolted.

“I suppose so,” I admit. “Can you ask someone to arrange that?”

“Aye. Dinnae worry, we’ll be with ya all the way.”

I hug him and breathe in his warm scent.

“I know, Arc. You don’t know how much it means to me to have the four of you.”

He chuckles. “Dinnae start being all mushy.”

“Mushy?!”

“Mushy. Like mushy peas, but female.”

I just shake my head and decide to not answer that. Men can be weird.

I spend the rest of the day arranging a search to be conducted for Ada and the dragon prisoner, before searching for Crispin. He’s nowhere to be found, and he doesn’t appear in the bedroom either when the four of us retire for the night. I snuggle up with the other three Guardians, but something is missing.

I try to fall asleep, listening to the deep breaths of my men. It’s not working though. There’s an ache in my chest, a sadness that isn’t quite my own. Crispin is hurting. Is this what made Frost come and search me out earlier? Have we started feeling each other’s pain?

Quietly, I get up, trying not to step onto one of the guys as I climb out of the bed. Storm lifts his head sleepily and I whisper “toilet”, watching as he nods and falls asleep again.

I sneak out of the room, following the feeling in my chest. This time, it doesn’t lead me up the tower, but outside into the freezing cold. I summon some warm air, wrapping my entire body in it like a cloak. My feet leave deep prints in the freshly fallen snow as I enter one of the gardens. White snowdrops are lining the pathways, joined by light blue flowers that look a bit like snowflakes with their jagged leaves.

“Crispin?” I call out into the darkness, still following the pain in my chest. The only light here is the moon reflected by the snow, painting the garden in a gloomy, pale yellow colour.

“You shouldn’t be here,” his quiet voice says from the shadows. I find Crispin lying on a bench in the centre of the garden, looking up at the night sky.

“Stop moping and talk to me.”

I’m rougher than I intended to be, but I’m done with him evading me. Now that I know that he isn’t actually angry at me, I’m more confident in stopping him from pushing me away.

“You didn’t read it yet, did you.” His voice is so full of loneliness and resignation that I can’t help but bend down and kiss him. He doesn’t respond though; his lips aren’t moving like mine are.

Damn that man. Why can’t he just believe that I love him no matter what he did in the past?

I stand up and put my hands on my hips, looking at him angrily.

“Listen to me. I read it. Yes, it was painful to read. Yes, I felt sorry for you. Yes, I still feel guilty for making you write this. But you know what? It didn’t change anything about what you are to me. What I feel for you. Nothing can change that, and you know why? Because you’re in here.” I point at my chest, right where my heart is pounding hard. “And I’m in there.” I touch his chest, feeling his own heartbeat. It’s faster than mine.

“Now stop being like that and come back to me. I need you. No matter what you tell yourself, you’re mine, and you always will be.” I smile to soften my words a little. “You’re my Crispy.”

He chuckles bitterly. “I don’t understand you. How can you say things like that after reading what I did? About what she did to me? I’m tainted, Wyn, and I’ll never be whole. I’m not like the others. They can give themselves to you with all their heart, but I don’t have much of my heart left. She took it from me, she made me erase my humanity. And I know that I could become like that again, if she was to capture me. I’d do the same things again. I’d kill. I’d torture. I’d climb into her bed if she commanded me to. Can you really love someone like that? A monster?”

He's sat up while he was speaking and tears are shining in his eyes, reflecting the moonlight.

I go on my knees and take his hands in mine, squeezing them hard. “You’re not a monster. And that bitch is never going to get her hands on you again. I’ll kill her before she even gets close to you. You’re free of her, Crispin. You’re no longer alone. You have me, and the guys. You don’t have to fight your demons alone.”

He looks down at me and a tear slides down his cheek.

“Even if the demons are real?”

I smile and squeeze his hands again. “Even then. Especially then. Real demons can be killed. We’ll deal with her and then you’ll be free.”

Finally, he gives me a tiny smile and wipes away his tears.

“You really are a Princess, Wyn. No, you’re a Queen.”