Frances sat in the stadium’s locker room bench, arms curled around her knees. The moment she could, she’d retreated here, not wanting to see anybody. Only, the hot shower did nothing to take her thoughts off of her failure.

Because she’d failed. She didn’t beat Ophelia. She’d done all she could, turned it into a fight she could win, and she wasn’t able to. She kept replaying what she’d done, what she could have done, and there were a lot. Not that she would have known about. She didn’t think Ophelia would push herself to such an extent, but her rival had dug out all her tricks and items.

Frances could hear Edana telling her that, “Hindsight always reveals to us what we could have done. That’s why it’s called hindsight, and that’s why you can’t blame yourself with it.”

Still, because of that, the conspirators had their opportunity. It didn’t even matter if Ayax, who was fighting her semifinal match, won or lost. It wasn’t the end of the world, but the easiest way to disrupt the plot was gone.

Two hands grabbed her shoulder and Frances yelped as she was rocked side to side. As her vision stabilized she realized it was Ophelia, talking a mile a minute.

“Frances oh my god you got to tell me what your armor does! How did you make it so that?” Ophelia squealed.

“Spelled every plate with an enchanted formula. When I channel magic into it, it activates the spell.” Frances gently pried Ophelia's fingers off her shoulder. She didn’t mind the girl. Most of the time she liked the Voidsailor but right now the sight of the orange cloaked girl stung.

“Ohhhh. So that’s why you ran out of power. I thought it seemed odd—” Ophelia’s voice trailed off and she stared at Frances. “Oh um. Well, there’s always next year?”

“If we have a tournament next year. With the war and all.” Frances sighed and tried to smile. “It was a good match Ophelia, you won, fair and square.”

“Well duh. But you’re being an utter sourpuss. Come on, I doubt your mom or grandmother are going to be mad at you. They’re probably overjoyed you made it this far.”

Frances curled up tighter as Ophelia chattered on. She was tempted to tell Ophelia that she was wrong. However, her rival was correct. Yes, her mother and grandmother might be disappointed but it wasn’t like Ophelia was an easy opponent. They believed in her but they still loved her.

“...my family are probably going to throw me one hell of a feast. Everybody will be attending except for Basil.”

“Basil? You mean your cousin who I met in the cafeteria when I first met you?” Frances asked.

“Oh no. Basileus is a little shit but he wants to stay on my good side. I mean my uncle Basil, his dad.” Ophelia grimaced, arms crossed. “Basil’s always doing some shady shit. Grandpa and my dad let it go because he doesn’t get us in trouble and it’s not a bad idea to keep a connection to the black market, but I think he’s smuggling shit. God knows who is actually transporting his goods but he seems to have partnered up with a Seaskimmer.”

Frances’s eyes widened. “How do you know he’s partnered with a Seaskimmer?”

“He visits their house on occasion. Says it’s to talk about personal business.” Ophelia frowned and she studied Frances’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“I… I’m sorry Ophelia, I’ll tell you as soon as I can.” Frances leapt off her feet and ran for the stands in the stadium. Haste and a growing suspicion lending speed to her run.

In the privacy of one of their carriages, (it was the only soundproof and secure area they had on hand) Eleanor and Edana listened to Frances pour her story out. When she’d finally finished, Edana was frowning, and Eleanor looked as if she’d bit into a lemon.

“Edana, can you put a bubble around my head.”

“Mom that seems like a frivolous—” Eleanor’s growled, and so Edana swallowed, and sang a note that made a glowing white bubble appear around her mom’s head. Once that was on, Eleanor bellowed several somethings, before snapping her fingers and pointing to her head.

Once the bubble was gone, Eleanor groaned. “That was an excellent lead, Frances. Yeah, we knew Basil does some shady stuff, but we didn’t know it was with the Seaskimers. We’ll put a few tails on him to find out who he’s meeting with. In the meantime, Ayax’s match is soon, let’s get going.”

Frances nodded and was following her grandmother out of the carriage, when Edana said, “Frances, can you wait a moment?”

Frances froze and her stomach fell into a pit. She faced her mother and closed the door to the carriage.

“Dear, are you alright? You know I’m not mad or disappointed that you lost.”

“You’re not? I mean, of course you’re not. I… I’m fine.” Frances looked away, clasping the hand her mother offered.

“Would you like a hug anyway?”

Frances nodded and burrowed into her mom’s torso, pressing her head into Edana’s shoulder. “Is… is grandmother going to be mad at me?” she whispered.

Edana shook her head. “She was a little disappointed. However, she said you did amazing nonetheless. I think you did very well too. You didn’t have much time to prepare and Ophelia is a very talented mage.”

Frances smiled and squeezed her mom just a bit more tighty. “Thanks mom. I… I really needed to hear that.”

A few days later...

“So I heard you and Ayax attended the family meeting today? Did anything interesting happen?” Martin asked from his spot on his bed. They were all in Frances’s room, which was the largest, having pushed their beds into the room (which is very easy if you have magic). Elizabeth had taken it upon herself to organize an impromptu sleepover for them, including food, games and activities. Martin had agreed because he was curious and Frances, having never had a sleepover before, decided, “better late than never.”

As for Ayax, she sat curled up in her bed, trying to keep her eyes from darting towards Elizabeth. “Yes. Um, why are we talking about it here, in our beds? Not that I mind, or anything. It’s just I wasn’t quite sure what a sleepover meant, I just kind of agreed to it because… because—”

“A sleepover is something Otherworlders do back in our world,” said Frances, saving her already slightly blushing cousin. “A group of friends hang out for a day and sleep in the same room or house, usually after gossipping.”

“That’s… not scandalous in your world?” Ayax asked, eyes widening.

Elizabeth scratched the back of her head. “Well, usually it’s for younger kids, but well, I thought that since Frances never—hadn’t had one yet, I thought we might as well have one.”

“Oh, um, guys. It’s fine. Ayax knows about my birth parents that is,” Frances said.

Martin blinked, thick eyebrows shooting up. “Ah, I suspected but wasn’t sure. Um, how did that go if I may ask?”

Ayax coughed. “Fine. Better than when I was telling Frances about my dead parents.” She grimaced. “I cried a lot.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” said Martin.

Elizabeth nodded. “If you ever need to talk, just let us know.”

Ayax smiled briefly. “Thanks.” Shaking her head, she coughed again. “Alright, so, the gossip from the meeting. The family spies have been tailing Basil as best they could. Far as they could tell, no explicitly shady business, but he’s been going quite often to a House of Light. Far more frequently than one might expect.”

“Is a House of Light similar to an Erisdalian Leisure House? Where… well, you know, people do… nighttime things?” Elizabeth fiddled with her fingers as she asked this.

“Yes. It’s why our spies found them suspicious. We also noticed someone frequenting the same House of Light at the same time as Basil. Sometimes they even would leave together.” Ayax grinned, and somehow, her black eyes seemed to dance. “That someone is James Seaskimmer, patriarch of the Seaskimmer family.”

“That seems awfully suspicious given what we know. However, do we have any hard evidence?”

Frances shook her head, Ayax adding, “It’s why the meeting was called. We have all this information and clues, but no way to convince people in a court. And no, we couldn’t figure out a solution to this.”

“Edana and Eleanor did tell us that we shouldn’t let Ophelia, Robert or Jeffrey know.” Frances winced and sighed. “I don’t like lying, but they’re right.”

Elizabeth lay on her bed, stomach-first. “This might be odd coming from me, but by not telling them right now, we are keeping them safe. We could always tell them once we figure this out.”

Frances blinked and nodded as sounds and gestures of affirmation filled the room. That did make her feel a bit better.

“So, I thought we were going to gossip?” Martin asked. There was a hint of cheekiness to the knight’s smile. Frances wasn’t sure if she wanted to bite the hook her friend was offering.

Elizabeth either didn’t notice, or didn’t care because she went, “Well, last time I had one, we talked about crushes, and people we have crushes on.”

It was at that moment that Frances noticed Elizabeth’s eyes flicker, just ever so slightly, to Ayax. The troll didn’t seem to notice, because she was looking at her bed, cheeks just tinged with pink.

Did I just imagine that? Frances pondered.

“Before we start, let’s say that we shouldn’t have to name our crushes, and if you don’t want to share, that’s fine.” Martin said. He glanced at Frances in a look that basically screamed, No you did not just imagine that. “I can go first. I had a huge crush on Edana.”

Frances snorted, whilst Ayax and Elizabeth’s eyes flicked back toward Martin.

“Talk about aiming high,” Ayax muttered.

Martin laughed weakly, glancing at Frances. “You knew?”

“I had a guess. I didn’t realize you stopped, though,” she admitted.

“Well, kind of hard to keep crushing on someone completely unattainable, especially when she’s already in a relationship,” said Martin, shaking his head. “I mean, your mother’s a hero. I grew up on stories of her beauty and character. When I actually met her, I found the stories were mostly true.”

“Only mostly?” Ayax asked, smirking.

The knight chuckled. “Well the stories exaggerated a lot and they forgot to mention how helpful and just… how kind Edana is. Having her as your mom must be amazing.”

Frances smiled. “It is. Also a good consolation prize from the universe for giving me terrible parents to begin with.”

Elizabeth raised her hand, realized that she could just say something, and asked, “I still don’t understand how you don’t find it weird that your friend had a crush on your mom.”

“Everybody should have a crush on her mom,” said Ayax.

If a mouse had sneezed, you could have heard it. It was that quiet. Martin’s eyes were wide open. Elizabeth was covering her mouth, which had been doing an imitation of a goldfish.

Frances merely looked thoughtful. “Well, she wouldn’t mind. She is bi.” It took another seconds before the gears in Frances’s brain finally undid whatever jam had clogged it. She grabbed Ivy’s Sting and magically wrapped her blanket around herself so she could hide her face. “Sorry, that… nonononononono…”

Ayax was no better. She was babbling to the still fish-imitating Elizabeth, “I’m sorry! I forgot I know you’re not comfortable with this and I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine. Um. It’s just. Sorry, I just find it difficult to… how can someone like boys and girls that way at the same time?” Elizabeth stammered.

“At least in Durannon, some people and Alavari just do. It's probably something from when we are born, though some people say its a society thing.” Martin shrugged. “Erisdalians aren’t sure because we’ve never questioned it. What I do know is that Lapanteria looks down on gay relationships and yet they still have gay people who flee to Erisdale.”

“It does rather work out quite well in Erisdale…” Elizabeth shook her head. “Anyway yeah, crushes. I don’t have one. Probably because… you all know I’m a little confused there. I’m sorry.”

“And that’s fine, Elizabeth,” Frances insisted.

Her friend smiled. “Thanks, Frances. I do think that if I ever do have a partner. I… want someone to hold me and tell me everything’s fine. It’s just… probably not fair if I have a relationship now, in Durannon.” Elizabeth wiped her eyes and took a deep breath. “I… I do want to go home, someday. Damn, I’m sorry for making this so serious everybody.”

“Thanks for sharing, Elizabeth, and for organizing this,” said Martin.

“Um, if you don’t mind. I think that just because a relationship has to end, doesn’t mean it shouldn’t begin. I mean, I think my parents still would have fallen in love, even if they knew they were going to die.”

Everybody’s eyes turned to Ayax, who didn’t flinch, her chin tilted up slightly. As Elizabeth met her eyes, however, the troll swallowed. “I mean… that’s just my opinion. As for my crush, um. I like girls. There’s a girl I have a crush on. Someone really strong, dependable, kind, and with the brightest smile.”

“She sounds nice, Ayax,” said Elizabeth, smiling. Ayax swallowed, hard and averted her gaze.

Martin and Frances exchanged glances. How does she not see it?

“I believe that leaves you cuz!” Ayax hissed, cheeks tinged with pink. “You got a crush on anybody?”

Frances leaned against her headboard, and looked up at the ceiling. Do I have a crush on anybody?

Images of a smiling half-troll half-ogre flashed in her mind, as did his lastest, heart-fluttering, words.

“My Lady.”

It was at that moment that Frances Windwhistler realized she had a crush on Prince Timur of the Alavari. She had a crush on the trogre whose father she had to kill so that she could stay.

That realization was followed up by a myriad of thoughts striking her with the force of a hurricane making landfall.

Does he like me too? Do I deserve romance? But I’m broken and strange, how could he like me? Even if he does like me, I’ll probably mess up. If he does like me his father is going to kill him! But wouldn’t it be nice? I don’t deserve that! I can’t deserve that! He can’t like me. I can’t believe I’m in love with the enemy, in love with someone who kidnapped me, how messed up am I? Broken girl deserves a literal monster in need of a fixer-upper?

“What’s happening?” Ayax asked. Frances didn’t really register her cousin’s words. It didn’t sound like her after all. She didn’t sound scared. Ayax was brave and bold.

She’s not a coward like you. You’re never going to tell him or your feelings. Ayax will tell Elizabeth eventually, one day. You can barely function normally when interacting with your friends. How are you supposed to handle a relationship when you need so much help?

“Panic attack. Haven’t seen her have one in a while.” Frances heard it again. Martin’s calm voice cutting through her thoughts. He was so good to her, and their group. Valuable, level-headed, and noble. Not like her.

Good thing he doesn’t have a crush on you. If he was any closer, he’d see how ugly, how screwed up you are.

Wait, panic attack. Deep breaths. This isn’t me. This isn’t me!

Oh, who are you lying to? You’re probably freaking Ayax out now.

Elizabeth’s voice chimed in, a little high, but level. “Don’t touch her, Ayax. Frances, we talked about this. You told us before you left for Erlenberg. We’ve talked about it while travelling to Freeburg. You have breathing exercises. Take a deep breath and let it out.”

Frances did, but her thoughts were still hammering in her head. Her chest hurt. She realized she was doubled over her bed.

Oh, fantastic. Being with him means he’s going to have to deal with this. Yeah, he’s never going to want to even consider a relationship with me. What kind of guy, especially one as caring as Timur is going to tolerate a girlfriend who is a wreck like you?

“She’s in her head.” Elizabeth whispered, “Frances, I know you feel absolutely terrible right now, but you are going to get through this. You have survived far worse and you’re here, safe. We won’t leave you, or hurt you.”

I have. I have. I… why am I such a pathetic loser? What if this happened in the middle of a battle? Why can’t I be normal? I would be perfect for Timur, or anybody else!

“Frances, I’m going to put Ivy’s Sting in your hand.” Martin gently pried Frances’s fingers open and slipped in the wand.

At once, Frances’s thoughts cleared as she felt the second presence of her wand in her mind. It was a little worried, but soothing, like a cool balm wrapping around her. It drew her attention to the blankets, the soft bed.

Frances, still shivering, sat up. Her friends were around her, varying expressions of relief on their faces. She could feel the sweat soaking her back.

“I… Sorry. I have a crush on Timur. But that’s bad. It’s really really bad. Timur’s the prince of the Alavari. He’s the son of the Demon King, and we have to kill his father.” Frances, still holding Ivy’s Sting, pulled her arms around herself. “I don’t know how. I don’t know why. I just…I know this is strange and weird, but I like him a lot. He makes me laugh. He tries to make me feel safe whenever he can. He’s got a good heart no matter how he tries to hide it by being tough. On top of that… I think he’s handsome. But… but there’s no way I’m good for him.”

Ayax leaned forward. “Cuz you can’t—”

Frances turned on the troll, her eyes bright with tears. “Ayax, look at me! I’m not normal. Even if somehow he liked me, how could I ever ask him to care about me that way? It wouldn’t be fair to him! Not when I need to kill his father. Yes, I think his father might be abusing him, I told you about that, but I…” She wiped her tears with her blanket, pressing her face into the cotton. “Why am I so messed up that of all the boys I’ve ever met, I fall for him?”

Elizabeth placed a hand on her friend’s neck and sighed, “Oh Frances, how long have you been thinking about this?”

Frances tried to hold back her sniffles. “I’ve… tried not to think about it. I… I think I was in denial. But when the question was asked… it just… clicked.”

“Well, Martin and I have noticed that you care for Timur a lot, and we don’t think it’s abnormal or weird that you have a crush on him,” said Elizabeth.

“For an Alavari, he’s weirdly charming, and he’s a good bloke,” Martin added.

“And I don’t think you can help who you fall in love with, Frances. I mean… you of all people know my thoughts are rather conflicted right now,” said Elizabeth, voice full of sarcasm. Frances snorted at that.

“Also, what’s this nonsense about a relationship not being fair? You…” Ayax pursed her lips. “Yeah you need some fixing up, but we all do and you have plenty to offer in a relationship. You’re a great cook, you’re kind, pretty, a good listener, amazing mage, intelligent, and have great combat skills. Did I miss anything?” Ayax asked, as she looked up from her fingers where she was counting down.

“Frances does have a pretty good sense of humour,” Martin said thoughtfully.

“She does seem to get along with a lot of different people quite well,” Elizabeth said, mock-scratching her chin.

“Modest, and honest,” said Martin, smiling now.

A watery giggle escaping from her lips, Frances managed a brief smile. “I’m sorry everybody. I really brought the mood down.”

“Apology accepted. Just… don’t give up trying, please cuz,” Ayax said.

There may have been a warning note in the troll’s tone, but Frances could tell the concern in Ayax’s voice.

“I’ll do my best,” Frances said. “I… thank you. You all are the best. Thank you.”

Elizabeth wiped her own eyes and raised her arms. “Group hug?”

They all sortof lunged at the same time and ended up meeting in the middle of the bed in a tangle of arms. It was very messy, a little too warm, and a bit tight but none of them wanted to be anywhere else.