“What tether?” Sawyer asked.

“Does this have something to do with the tree dying?” Seren hoarsely whispered. “Cause I know you love the tree more than me.”

“Of course it’s to save the tree!” The Queen yelled. “You were the biggest mistake I’ve ever made!” Seren threw up their hands and let them fall.

“It doesn’t even hurt to hear anymore,” Seren said. The captain looked between Seren as they started to cough violently. He turned and leveled his blade at the Queen.

“Drop the book,” He commanded. The Queen didn’t turn to look at him. Sawyer came around and shouldered him hard. The captain didn't move, Sawyer latched onto his arm and tried to rip his crossbow from him. The Queen began to read from the book, her voice brought a palpable electric charge in the air. James leapt forward and grabbed one of the fallen crossbows near Aurora. He raised it and drew back an arrow. The Queen threw out her hand and a lash of lightning sprang forward. Throwing James back into the tree with a splintering crack. The Queen pulled the lightning whip around and cracked the captain with it. Knocking him to the side as well. Seren fought to their knees, their head was pounding. Their chest was splitting in half.

“Search everything!” Pandora yelled as they lit up a lantern from their bag.

“I got an alchemy kit!” Eoin called in response. He looked behind him to see who else had followed but only the two of them were in the small space.

“I found apples!” Pandora brought down a burlap sack that had a small handful of golden apples left. “Where’s everyone else?”

“No idea. I’ll peel and core the apples and start on the antidote.” Eoin took the bag and ran to the alchemy station. “What else do we need?”

“Uh,” Pandora pulled out the recipe card. “A blossom, a couple of herbs and liquids I’ve already put together.” She pulled out a cloth bag and a jar of muddy liquid.

“What blossom?” Eoin asked.

“Apple blossom from this tree.” Pandora said.

“I didn’t see any blossoms,” Eoin poured the bag and jar into the mortar.

“I’ll check again,” Pandora ran for the door. All the candles in the witch’s lab lit up. “What the hell is happening?”

The air was humming with the spell the Queen was casting. Seren felt their head pounding so hard it seemed like it would explode. Through their hazy vision they could see lines of white ethereal magic tied around them. Leading up and tying them to the tree. Seren looked up and their blurred vision turned sharp. The Queen was coming at them, pulling her coat aside to reveal a knife. Seren stumbled trying to get to their feet. Their knees felt like they were being ripped out when Seren tried to get up and run.

They slid and stumbled on their hands and knees away. Scratching their arm on the thorns that kept Kyi immobilized. The Queen grabbed the white threads and bunched all of them up. The tug jerked Seren forward, their head felt like it had exploded and all they could see was white. Ears were ringing and their heart completely stopped. The Queen closed her book and threw it to Sawyer. The weight hitting the young woman in the gut and throwing her to the ground. The Queen took the knife and held the threads.

"Now with this edge, I sever the bond." The Queen cut the threads and the air ripped out of Seren's chest. The ache in their dormant muscles was forgotten, it felt like their chest had been cracked open. The white in Seren’s vision cleared and the pain vanished. All they were left with was a gap in their chest and an ache. They fell back onto their elbows, their hand knocking into Kyi’s dropped crossbow. Seren turned to seize it.

“Now severed, I’ll use all the life to bring back the tree better than it had ever-” The Queen pitched to the side. Hitting the tree from the force of a crossbow bolt piercing into her side. Sawyer screamed, Seren dropped the crossbow into their lap. Falling back onto their elbows again reaching blindly for another bolt. The Queen slumped against the tree, holding the bolt in her side. The knife falling from her hand. She clawed the bark of the tree, huge clumps of rotten wood falling from the trunk. Her teeth were bloodstained as she bared her teeth at Seren. The energy in the air ramped up. Turning the atmosphere as thick as syrup. Seren’s snatching grabbed a loose bolt. The Queen raised her hand, wind accumulated around it. Seren’s hands shook as they tried to load up the bolt. They fumbled it once but caught a hold of it and slotted it into the chamber. They closed their eyes and shot the crossbow.

The bolt pierced right through the Queen’s chest. Pinning her to the tree. The Queen’s limp body slumped forward, stuck to the part of the tree that was still standing. The energy in the air stalled. Thunder rumbled in the distance as the energy rose up toward the skies. The clouds rumbled, no lightning to be seen in the gathering black storm clouds. Seren dropped the crossbow and placed a hand on their chest. Feeling the damp that had spread over their torso.

James got up to his feet, holding his side. He turned to look at the captain also getting to his feet. The Captain held his stomach, armor dented. The Captain looked at him with tired suspicion. The wind picked up and circled the inner space of the labyrinth; blowing hard enough to cut. The black clouds roared; the scrutiny between the men redirected to the storm. The circling winds pulled the thick stagnant energy up higher, more clouds building.

A lash of lightning cracked down faster than sight. It struck the tree and split it in half. The release of the pent up energy throwing everyone away from the splitting tree. Veins of light streaked through the bark leaving cinders in its wake. The trunk halves hit the ground and sparks flew. Igniting the dry wood in seconds.

“Eoin! Pandora!” James jumped to his feet and ran toward the fire. He turned to the Captain, rolling onto his feet again. James pointed to the thorn vines of Kyi and Aurora. “You! Get these two free so they can help!” James turned back to where the hole in the roots had been. Large green sickly looking smoke was rising from the flames.

“We’re okay!” Pandora was thrown up from the smoke. She turned and thrust her hand down and helped Eoin out of the smoke. He coughed and kept his eyes shut tight.

“Flower,” He wheezed. Pandora nearly dropped him as she looked at the trees.

“Flower! We need a white blossom from the tree!” She yelled. “Everyone! Stop what you’re doing and come help grab it!”

“Grab it where?” Kyi stumbled free of the vines. Tossing an expression of gratitude over their shoulder at the Captain. “Seren?”

“Over here!” James yelled. He knelt down beside Seren, they were mumbling. Skin turning ashen again. “Hurry it up!” The Captain cut Aurora free and the two joined the search. Eoin cradled the mortar in his hands and kicked the loose dirt onto the flames to try smothering them. Kyi joined the digging but the flames tossed the dirt back.

“Was there even any flowers on the tree?!” Aurora yelled as she circled the fallen halves. The Captain hesitated, all that was left of the Queen was a few tatters that were being consumed by the flames. He blinked, and there was nothing left of her. He turned to Seren. James was hovered over them, he’d stripped his jacket and had it pressed against their chest wound. Adding to the chaos by yelling that Seren was bleeding out. Everyone was yelling. He turned back to the tree where the Queen had died. But in trying to find the spot, his eyes caught a single white blossom behind the green smoke. His heart skipped.

“Flower!” He yelled. But no one heard him among their own yelling. He jumped forward, all hesitation vanishing. He ran through the chaos shoving Pandora to the ground. The flames were consuming the tree and leaving nothing. Not even ash.

The captain grabbed the branch holding the flower and snapped it off. Running away from the fire and back to Eoin.

“Hold it steady,” Pandora said as she grabbed the plates of the captain’s armor and pulled herself up. She harvested the flower, using her long nails as a dull knife on the stem. She tossed the whole blossom into the mortar. Eoin fumbled under his shirt and pulled out a dagger. Turning it around and using the hilt to grind the contents together into a paste. Eoin ran down to Seren’s side.

“Are they still breathing?” He asked as he kept grinding.

“Barely,” James nodded. The rest of the party gathered around Aurora falling to her knees. Leaning Seren upright against her lap. “Hold their jaw open,” Kyi sat beside Aurora and forced Seren’s mouth open.

“Seren, swallow this!” Eoin yelled in Seren’s unconscious face.

“Is this going to help?” The captain asked Pandora. She shrugged helplessly.

“The recipe card burned with the tree, we have no way to know if we’re missing something.” She leaned over. The captain looked up at the entrance of the labyrinth, Sawyer was gone. So was the book.

“Captain!” Yelled another of the royal guards from somewhere in the labyrinth.

“Grab as many physicians as you can and bring them here.” The captain commanded. “Break down the walls of the labyrinth if you need to!”

“Yes sir!” Came the reply. They heard crashing as the group started pulling down the walls to get out. Kyi closed Seren’s mouth after Eoin scooped all the paste into it. James triggered Seren to swallow the mess. Another bolt of lightning struck in the distance and thunder rumbled soon after. Large drops of rain started falling. Dissolving the small amount of the tree that was left. The thorn bushes on the labyrinth walls started to dissolve as well.

“What’s happening?” Aurora asked as the rain started coming down hard.

“I think the magic’s starting to vanish,” Pandora said.

“Is that helpful or harmful?” James asked. She shrugged.

“It’s working!” Kyi yelled. The rain water was dissolving the blood stains on Seren’s chest. They drew in a deep breath, their eyes shot open and they turned to the side to choke on the rain water.

The vine walls disintegrated. Only three royal guards came crashing through the walls with two castle physicians. Their medical bags clanged on their backs. Aurora held Seren in her lap and held their hair back. The captain stood up and held his dented armor. Kyi and James moved aside for the medics to sit on either side of Seren. The royal guards drew their blades at Kyi, James, and Aurora. They moved on either side of Seren, advancing threateningly toward the group.

“Hang on,” the captain held a hand. “This is a weird situation. No action should be taken until the crown commands it.” The guards put away their blades and looked around the rainy remains of the labyrinth.

“Sir?” One asked, “Where IS the Queen?”

“Dead, executed by the crown for attempted murder and magical malpractice.” The captain said. He paused and thought deeply. “Those are the most prominent charges anyway, there’s definitely more that I can think of. Which reminds me, where’d that maiden go? Sawyer? Anyone see her?”

“No, not today.”

“Keep an eye out, bring her in for questioning. Gently.” The captain insisted. He turned to Pandora. “What was under the tree? I noticed you two came up from under.”

“A standard witch den. Alchemy tables, books, cauldron.” Eoin said. “Lots of empty jars, shame we lost the apples.”

“Yeah?”

“Oh yeah, they were golden and supposedly potent magic.” Eoin said he turned to Kyi.

“We had one identified by the magic shop in Cannonry,” Kyi said. “Fae magic.”

“Either of you have any idea about the white lights show?” The captain asked. Eoin and Pandora turned in surprise.

“No?” Kyi asked, looking at Aurora and James.

“I guess at some point in time the tree and Seren got linked together by the fae magic?” Aurora said.

“Ha, dumb move then.” Eoin snickered. “Killing Seren before severing the connection. Dumb move.”

“Makes you wonder what her actual plan was if you all hadn’t brought Seren here or broke in at all.” The captain said uneasily.

“So…” Aurora started to break the uneasy silence. “Seren’s the next in line, right?”

“As far as I know,” The captain nodded. “The former King only had one child, Seren. The Queen never reportedly had another child despite her lovers.”

“Good,” Eoin nodded. “That’ll make the transition easy.”

“I hope Seren’ll let me make them a coronation outfit!” Aurora bounced excitedly. “I can just imagine! It’ll be red, has to be. Red and gold. No Blue! Baby blue!” Seren shoved one of the medics away. The sudden movement stopped the conversation.

“As long as it isn’t damned purple, you’ve got the job.” They called. Seren let one of the physicians help them to their feet. Though they stumbled slightly and had to lean. “So, how did we get here? Why do I have a gaping hole in my chest?”

“How about we go inside and get out of the rain?” Eoin said.

“What? In the castle?” Seren asked.

“Yeah, it’s yours now.” Pandora said. Seren looked up at the castle, the clouds behind it were clearing enough to see the sun rising.

-----

The Sovereign Suite made up the entire left wing of the third floor. Seren had never before been in it. It’s high arches whispered above their head about how they didn’t belong. All the curtains and furniture had been removed. Every possession and item belonging to the old queen was removed. Put away for Seren to decide what to do with later. The only thing in the grand bedroom was a wooden framed bed with basic bed covers. There weren’t even curtains on the windows. It felt completely wrong to be standing on the hardwood mosaic floor.

Seren pulled down their white suit jacket. Wearing clothes tailor-made to fit their every curve felt wrong. The starched shirt and vest under the jacket were itchy. The collar on the jacket pressed a bit too much on their neck. Even their hair had been combed and braided back with golden fasteners. A knock on the giant double doors brought Seren out of their blank stare.

“Come in,” They called. James poked his head in the room.

“Hey, you okay?” He asked. Seren shrugged with half a smile. James entered the room and left the door open. “Yeah? Wanna talk about it?”

“It all feels wrong.” Seren said. Crossing their arms across their chest. “It’s so big, it’s empty. Every single person I talk to is practically on their knees when they make eye contact. It’s all so wrong.”

“Yeah, you were never really prepared for ruling.” James nodded. Placing his hand on their shoulder. “The clothes look nice though. Aurora really knows her stuff.”

“They’re tight and itchy,” Seren shrugged. “Feels like a constant wedgie.” James laughed until tears came to his eyes.

“Maybe, but look at yourself.” He took Seren by the shoulders and brought them to a mirror. They didn’t recognize themself at all. Their white suit was decorated in hand-stitched golden embroidery. With decorated golden chains. Even their bright leather boots had painstaking golden designs on them. Seren had never worn jewelry before, but now their ears had small golden studs and hoops in them. They shrugged, instead looking at James. He had some clothes sent for him from his home. He'd changed into an equally smart looking suit but in deep ocean blues.

"I think I'd rather look at you," Seren turned to face James. He playfully shoved them though his cheeks blushed.

"Seriously," he said. "You look as golden on the outside as you are on the inside." Seren laughed aloud.

"Please, I was born trash and no amount of fancy clothes can change that." Seren rolled their eyes. Shocked when James grabbed their shoulders and gave them a harsh shake.

"You were not born trash," he said dead serious. "You were born the crowned heir of this Kingdom. You were denied your birthright but that does not change that you are royalty." Seren shrunk their shoulders and sunk low.

“But how do I stop feeling like I don’t belong?” They whispered.

“By remembering that you DO belong. We all know you belong.” James reassured them. “I come from a long line of royalty so I know real royalty when I see it.” Seren felt their eyes watering, Seren wiped their face. Groaning when they saw the smeared makeup on their sleeve.

“I forgot about that,” They sighed. Seren shook their head and James pulled them into a hug.

“That’s okay,” James whispered in their ear. “You hold your head up and show the world what you’re really worth. Now let’s get that coronation planned.”