The warmth and beauty they had felt upon first entering Fillory had been drained from this version. They'd been spit out on the steps of Ember's temple, though the flowers that covered every inch of the grove had long since withered. The magic in the air had vanished now, old, dark, empty. The ram's head adorning the front of the temple had crumbled, leaving barely recognizable ruins in its wake.

"Shit," Quentin gaped at their surroundings, his reaction mirrored in his friend's faces. Something sharp suddenly flew into the side of his head, then fluttered lifelessly to the ground. Lilly examined the object and found a tiny, folded paper airplane. It was an odd sight, something that didn't belong in the world of Fillory. Quentin bent to retrieve it, unfolding the paper to reveal a crudely scribbled note. Lilly and Julia peeked over his shoulder.

"Enchanted this to find you if you ever arrive. Hope you're not dead. Penny freaking out. Margo being such a bitch. Follow the map to find us- El," Quentin read aloud. The map looked as if it'd been drawn by a five-year-old, but it was clear enough for them to follow. They journeyed along the same path they'd taken to reach Ember's temple. In the end, Ember's assistance had been unnecessary, thanks to the convenient arrival of Jane.

Fillory 2016 was drastically different from that of 1942. It was as if the joy had been entirely sucked from the atmosphere. Homes had been reduced to rubble, and bones were scattered on the side of the road. They'd just entered a post-apocalyptic world, and there was no guarantee they'd ever leave.

The moment she caught sight of them, gathered around one of the pub tables, or in Penny and Alice's case, standing restlessly, she was propelling herself towards them. She made a beeline for Penny, sighing in relief as she wrapped her arms around his neck. His arms circled her waist, holding her securely against him.

"Thank God, you're alright," he whispered against her hair. She could feel his smile as he rested his head atop hers. Both of their nerves had been placated now that they knew the other was safe and sound. It was a long moment before she was able to tear herself away from him, reluctantly moving on to give Alice a quick embrace.

Margo stood to greet her, pulling her into a warm hug. Lilly then wrapped her arms around Eliot's waist, receiving a kiss on the forehead. He draped an arm across her shoulders, pulling her into his side.

"Who is this?" Lilly eyed the unfamiliar man sitting beside Margo. He had a plump face, framed by a pair of large glasses. He didn't look like any of the other Fillorians they'd seen. His clothes looked like they'd come from Earth.

"Oh!" The man stood clumsily from his seat, scurrying over and holding out a hand to Lilly. A goofy smile spread across his face as he observed her. "Josh Hoberman, Brakebills, class of 2016," Lilly looked to the others, puzzled.

"It's a long story," Eliot drawled, taking a long swig from his flask, "it's good to see you, Thumper, but why am I looking at the hedge bitch that tried to kill Quentin?" Lilly turned back to Quentin and Julia, who loitered at the edge of the room. In her excitement, she'd almost forgotten they were there. The drama that had unfolded between them and the rest of her friends, however, was still overwhelmingly present. The tension was practically palpable, and Alice's glare cold as ice.

"We worked it out," Quentin mumbled, avoiding eye contact and shifting his weight between his feet. "We wouldn't be here without her, so..." the others look skeptical, sizing up Julia.

"He's right," Lilly defended, "she helped us get here, and I may not trust her, but I think she deserves a second chance at least."

"I'm here, you don't have to like me," Julia leveled. The others looked wary but grudgingly nodded.

"Don't worry, we don't," Margo glowered, crossing her arms, unconvinced. Things weren't exactly chummy moving forwards. No one was very happy with the idea of working with Julia, and their feelings toward Quentin were less than pleasant at the moment. To Lilly's relief, they were able to take a break from traveling to recount their separate journeys. She couldn't be more relieved to be back together. The uncertainty she'd gone through when they were apart had been agonizing. Being able to see their faces unharmed was all she had wanted. An hour later, they were departing from the cozy pub and on their way to the knife maker.

Lilly pulled her coat tighter around herself, the wind had increased to icy gusts, whipping her hair around. The pages of Quentin's Fillory book rustled wildly as he attempted to read. No one spoke for a long while as they followed the dirt path to the next village. Things were tense now that they were back together, and Lilly tried her best to ignore the dirty looks Alice was sending Quentin and the longing ones he returned. She walked upfront along with Penny and Quentin, waiting patiently for him to find something that might solve one of their many problems.

"So, do you know where The Beast is holding Victoria or not?" Penny asked, he'd had enough of Quentin's bumbling.

"I think the dungeon is in The Castle That Isn't There," Lilly nodded, the statement seemed highly probable, considering the dungeons of Castle Whitespire were never described as what Penny saw.

"That's the stupidest name I've ever heard," Penny spat and Lilly rolled her eyes with a huff. She would've stepped in, but she knew his reactiveness was only due to how worried he was about Victoria, how much he cared.

"It's a kind of Phosphoromancy, uh, Alice could explain it better," his request only resulted in silence.

"How much further to this knife maker? These shoes weren't cobbled for a quest," Margo whined. Lilly had to admit that the knee-high, four-inch heels, weren't the most practical.

"Right over here, I think."

"Not another one," Julia sighed from the back of the group. Lilly glanced over her shoulder, following Julia's line of sight to a grouping of cracked and crumbling gravestones, "they're everywhere. Plus headstones, unmarked graves," the others slowed, turning to see what she was referring to. Lilly had been trying her best to ignore the signs of The Beast's death and destruction along their journey. She didn't want to read the names of those he'd killed, for every one was another to join her mother and grandmother.

"Oh, no..." Quentin shifted his eyes to Lilly, pity growing behind them.

"What?" She stepped forward, past her companions, until she had a clear view of the crumbling tombstone. "What--" Her hand flew to her mouth, unable to staunch the gasp as it arose.

"All the Chatwins are dead," the name etched into the face of the stone was none other than Martin Chatwin. They were too late.

"You good, Thumper?" Lilly couldn't bring herself to respond. She felt as if her throat had completely closed up. The last hope she had of a family was dead along with the rest of them. A tear cascaded down her cheek, falling to the dirt and sinking into the earth.

"I mean, it's sad and all, Lilly, but we didn't even know the dude," Margo's face scrunched up, mystified by Lilly's strange reaction.

"Um," she heard Quentin mutter from over her shoulder, "there's something you guys should know."

"You're kinda freaking us out, Q," Eliot looked between Lilly and Quentin alarmed.

"Jane Chatwin is Lilly's Grandmother," Lilly could feel their eyes on her, no one made a sound as she wrapped her arms around her waist, trying to comfort herself. She moved unconsciously towards the grave, sinking to her knees on the cold, hard ground. Every family member she had, was either dead or gone. She was alone now. Though she hadn't truly known Martin, she'd been hoping that when they returned to the present she may be able to find him. That she could have the relationship with him that she'd so craved with her father. It was wishful thinking, but sometimes wishful thinking is preferable to reality.

"Well, fuck."

"Uh, when did this happen?" Eliot looked to the others in trepidation.

"Probably when she was born," Lilly took three hesitant steps forward, crouching down before the carved name of her Great Uncle. She let her fingertips brush across the rough, cool stone, a silent caress, an apology she would never be able to give. Boots crunched behind her until a gentle hand squeezed her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Penny whispered from above her. She didn't bother to respond, "we can take a break if you want."

"I'm fine," Lilly stood abruptly, brushing off his hand, "we need to get going, we don't know how long we have before The Beast shows up."

"Yeah, but don't you think--"

"I'm fine!" Her words came out much harsher than she'd intended, but she wasn't in the mood to care. So, while the others stared wide-eyed at her reaction and the revelation that had just occurred, she sped off down the path again. The knife makers home was largely the same in 2016, though now run by a stranger. The man looked up as they entered, his eyes steely blue and appraising. A look of recognition flashed across his face.

"I remember you," he stood from his workstation, sharpening a particularly lethal sword, "I must say, you've aged well, the three of you." Lilly cocked her head to the side, trying to connect the dots as to who this man was, "I was eight, apprentice to my father."

"Is he around?" Quentin inquired, looking around the cottage for any sign of the senior knife maker.

"He's out back, six feet under grass. You know, he grew a little aggravated waiting for you to come back," the man- who Lilly remembered to be named Blight- turned, rummaging around the various boxes stacked in the far corner of the room. He finally located the wooden box, returning to present it to them. He lifted the lid, revealing the smooth, milky white blade, the same as the moonstones they'd been shown all those years ago, "The Leo Blade, as promised." Quentin reached out to grab it, only to have the lid slammed shut before he could touch it. "Payment is due, as promised," the Magicians gulped.

"About that..."

➺➺➺➺

"Here's the thing, all the Chatwins are dead, Fillory has no rulers, and the only people from earth left here now, not locked in a dungeon--" Julia began to explain to the others. After leveling with Blight about the predicament they were in, they'd been left with the task of choosing the new High King of Fillory.

"Oh, my God, I'm going to be royalty," Josh grinned, interrupting Julia in the process.

"Yeah, I mean, we all are the next wave," Quentin continued, "so what he wants is to become future royalty by marriage."

"Wait, he wants to marry one of us?" Alice asked, her eyes widening in panic.

"No, thank God," Julia cut in, quick to reassure them, "he wants one of us to marry her, his daughter," Julia directed their attention to the young woman stacking wood across the way. She was very pretty, with sandy brown hair and fair skin. Strong, too, her muscles flexing as she lifted an especially large log onto the woodpile. Lilly had to admit, it could've been much worse.

"Huh," Penny raised both eyebrows in surprise, "I mean, you know, team player and stuff." He smirked, watching as the knife maker's daughter went about her work. Lilly smacked him in the side gently, shooting him a glare, "what? It's for the good of the land."

"Who says it's you anyway?"

"It's not a volunteer gig, and she doesn't get to pick," Julia explained.

"There's a way to determine who becomes king, but it only works on the men," Lilly added on, looking to Blight with a nod.

"This seems unwise, considering everyone with a penis here is a complete imbecile," Margo scoffed, crossing her arms in indignation. Lilly had to agree, they weren't who she'd choose to rule a kingdom.

"Rude," Margo simply shrugged, standing by her statement.

"This blade draws one thing and one thing only," Blight brandished a tiny blade, holding it up for them all to see, "the pure royal blood of the High King of Fillory." He approached Quentin first, as the women stepped back to observe, rather begrudgingly. Fen, the daughter, stood by anxiously, looking between her possible future husbands. Lilly was almost positive it would be Quentin. It should've been Quentin, but as the sharp edge slid across his skin, he remained unharmed.

By the look on his face, he believed he would be king as well. Josh's blood test turned up with the same results, much to his dismay. Josh's childish pout was almost comical, but as the knife maker approached Penny, Lilly found the humor draining from her, a feeling of dread settling in her chest. She wasn't sure why, but she prayed it wasn't him. Penny looked up as the dagger touched his skin, locking eyes with her. For a moment, there was something behind his chocolate brown eyes, some emotion she couldn't quite place, and when the blade came back clean, she could've sworn she saw a flash of relief cross his face. Eliot sighed as it was finally his turn.

"So what is this supposed to--" he hissed as a bloody gash appeared in the wake of the blade. He instantly drew back, holding his handkerchief tightly against the wound.

"Get the fuck out," Margo gawked at her best friend. This definitely wasn't what they were expecting. The others shared the same shocked expression. Eliot, however, continued as if nothing had happened.

"Well, High King, makes certain instinctual sense, I guess," He shrugged, wearing the title as if it had always been there, only now the others could see it too.

"Your Majesty," Blight bowed deeply.

"Oh, God."

"Oh, this'll make him easier to live with."

Preparations for the wedding went into full swing as soon as the actual groom had been determined. It seemed the townsfolk had been waiting for a celebration like this, and everyone was pitching in. Lilly supposed it wasn't every day they got to host a royal wedding. She ran her hand through her hair with a huff. She'd been spirited away with the other women to assist the bride in getting ready. It was a tradition for the unmarried women of the village to beautify the bride, whilst the men and the married women tended to the decorations, food, and anything else that needed to be done. Margo had managed to slip away before being corralled into helping. Lilly, Julia, and Alice, along with two young girls, weren't so lucky.

Given the short notice of the wedding, the two youngest girls, Janelle and Marin, were sent off to procure dresses for Fen and the four Magicians. This left the duty of drawing a hot bath to them. Luckily, they were able to heat the water in a matter of seconds using magic. Lilly helped Fen enter the bath, as Alice added various flower petals and soaps. The knife maker's daughter smiled up at them gratefully. Fen breathed deeply, allowing her eyes to flutter shut in a moment of respite. Though the water was relaxing, Fen's muscles were taut. They stood around silently, awaiting her command as they'd been told. The atmosphere was immediately uncomfortable.

"You can sit if you'd like," Fen gestured to the sitting pillows scattered around the bath. Lilly, Alice, and Julia, slowly made themselves comfortable. It was a long moment before she spoke again. "Is he-is he a good man?" Her voice was small, and her eyes betrayed the fear festering inside. The bathwater sloshed as she leaned forward to rest her arms upon the lip of the tub. The women exchanged glances, unsure of how to approach the issue. She was no older than they were and none of them could imagine being forced into a marriage to a man they'd never even met.

"He is," Lilly smiled up from where she sat, her legs crossed beneath her, "he's unequivocally one of the best people I know," Fen visibly relaxed as she listened to her, "he's ...unique, but he's loyal and loving, and he'll keep you laughing."

"He sounds wonderful," Fen grinned dreamily, Lilly nodded.

"I'd be cruel of me not to tell you... he doesn't exactly find women attractive in the same way he does men," Lilly spoke slowly, unsure how she would take the news that her soon to be husband was gay.

"I was raised knowing that when the High King was to return, I'd marry him. All I could hope for is that he was a good man. There are fates worse than mine. I'll live in a palace, mother children, never be want for anything. Does that sound so bad?"

"Won't it be painful for you though?" Julia piped up from beside her, "knowing that he'll never love you in that way?" Fen sighed, sitting back in the steering water.

"Maybe, but there are more important things in life." Lilly knew they would get along well in the coming days, she only hoped Fen would live to mother the children she'd dreamt of.

"Well then, let's get you ready for your wedding."

The women helped her out of the bath, instantly drying her hair with a spell, before setting to work on makeup and hair. They got to know Fen a little better as they worked and Lilly was increasingly positive that she and Eliot would get along well, despite the less than ideal circumstances. The girls returned not long after, bearing gowns for each of them. They helped Fen into her wedding dress, a pastel green, floor-length floral appliquéd gown, with a long train. It was beautiful, for such short notice. They'd also managed to find a halo of tiny wildflowers for the bride.

The dresses they'd brought for Lilly, Julia, and Alice were much less grand, though beautiful all the same. Lilly slipped into the blush pink dress, admiring the beading, which she was sure had been done by hand. The neckline dropped into a deep v, ending at the waist and flaring outwards into a full skirt. It glistened in the lamplight as she twirled, bringing a joyful spark to her eyes. One last night of fun before they had to kill The Beast.

Darkness had set upon the tiny village by the time they emerged from the Knifemaker's cottage, trailing after the breathtaking bride. The clearing had been lined with glowing lanterns and fairy lights, which Lilly would later discover were actual live fairies. They followed the path of flower petals towards the line of benches, occupied by the villagers and Lilly's companions. Margo stood beside Eliot, wearing a gorgeous wine-colored gown. The music floated towards them, the beat matching their pace as they approached.

Lilly caught sight of Quentin, Penny, and Josh in the crowd. They'd been given front row seats, considering they were the only people on Eliot's side of the family in attendance. Lilly shot them a sweet smile, before stepping up to the wedding arch behind Fen. She and Julia adjusted the train until it lay in a perfect pool of iridescent fabric. They then split off from the bride, heading to take their seats with the boys. Lilly stopped to give Fen a quick kiss on the cheek, and squeeze of the arm in encouragement, before taking her seat between Penny and Quentin. Penny looked down at her with an unreadable expression. She attempted to ignore it, putting her attention on the ceremony, but curiosity got the better of her.

"What?" She hissed under her breath, "is there something wrong with my dress?" He chuckled softly, leaning in close, so close she could feel his warm breath on her neck.

"Nothing, you just look beautiful," A trail of goosebumps formed in his wake, creeping up her arm. A warm flush tinted her cheeks red, and she turned forwards in an attempt to hide it. She could feel him watching her as if his eyes were staring straight through to her core. The wedding was short and sweet, considering there wasn't much substance to the vows, nor anything other than the bare minimum. One thing Lilly knew for sure as she watched the newly named husband and wife, was that, though Eliot would never love her in the way he loved a man, he would love her and be her friend through good and bad.

To their delight, it turned out that Fillory knew how to throw a pretty great party. The reception was complete with a feast, enough booze to get an elephant drunk, and lively dancing. Lilly had spent a good portion of the time stuffing her face and dancing with Margo, who seemed to have worked out her reservations about the marriage in her conversation with Eliot, which she'd ditched them earlier to have. Lilly sipped a flute of iridescent liquid, which could only be compared to Champagne, as she sat perched against one of the nearby stone walls. She watched with a mix of amusement and irritation as Quentin and Alice sat grumpily on opposite sides of the party, drowning their sorrows and occasionally shooting daggers or puppy dog eyes at each other.

"What are you grumbling about?" Penny asked as he approached, hopping up beside her and snatching her drink from her hands. He took a good long swig, before passing back the remaining dregs. Lilly mock glared at him, before pointing out the warring couple.

"They still haven't talked about it," Lilly sighed, setting her glass aside with a clink, "they're going to get us killed if they can't get it together," her brows crinkled with worry as she stared at the two.

"This is a party," Penny nudged her side lightly, smiling down at her. "Weren't you the one who made me stop moping and have fun at Cara's?" Lilly returned his smile, with a look of contempt.

"That was different, our lives weren't on the line then."

"Which makes it all the more important to have fun before our possible demise," he jumped down from the wall, taking her hand in his, "come on." Lilly deliberately pouted, though she couldn't fight the laugh that curled the edges of her lips.

"That's not funny," she insisted, and Penny shot her a knowing look.

"Then why are you laughing?" He tugged on their joined hands, pulling her towards the party and into the group of people that made up the dance floor. Margo and Josh sat on one of the benches at the edge, puffing on a hand-rolled cigarette and cackling at some private joke. Julia sat beside Quentin at one of the tables, trying her hardest to cheer him up. Penny pulled on her arm, bringing her attention back to him. She wrapped her arm around him, taking up the stance of a waltz, swaying to the soft music. He held out his arm, spinning her in a circle. Her gown swished against the ground, fanning out as she twirled. She smiled up at him as he pulled her flush against him, placing a tender hand on the small of her back. Lilly allowed herself to melt into his embrace, and rested her head upon his shoulder, shutting her eyes. The moment could've gone on forever, and she wouldn't've pulled away. Penny tucked his chin, brushing his lips against her forehead.

"We're going to be fine," his voice was soft, his chin resting atop her hair as they swayed in place. She didn't bother responding, instead, she pretended to believe the words he spoke, pretended to think that this time around, it would be different.

"The Leo Blade is yours," Lilly looked up at the words, watching as Blight presented the blade to Quentin and Eliot, who'd been chatting off to the side. Lilly dropped Penny's hand and lifted the hem of her skirt to hurry over to join the others. She watched as Quentin reached out to grab the knife from its case, only to jerk back violently with a cry of pain.

"Ah! What the hell?"

"What?" Lilly and Julia asked in unison, confused by his bizarre reaction.

"It's hot," he whined, shaking out his hand. Eliot stepped forward, pushing him aside gently.

"Here, maybe it's just for High Kings," he mused, reaching for it cooly. He was sorely mistaken, jumping back as the blade sizzled against his skin, leaving behind red-hot burns. "Woah, Jesus! Okay, father-in-law, why is this blade 1,000 degrees?"

"It may only be held by Master Magicians," he stared at each of them in disbelief, "are none of you masters?"

"Well, this throws a wrench in our plans," Blight ushered them into the privacy of his home as soon as the party had died down. Eliot was roped into talk of his responsibilities as a husband and High King, whilst the rest of them gathered around the fire, trying their best to strategize the best plan of action.

"This has to be a trick, right?" Josh spoke up, drawing their attention from the blade on the coffee table. Lilly sat on the floor, her gown pooling around her, eyeing the object pensively. She rested her back against Penny's legs as he'd claimed an armchair.

"We can't trick it into thinking we're powerful. The trick is we have to actually be that powerful," Julia explained. She'd draped a blanket across her bare shoulders as the dresses they'd been given weren't built for the cold night they were experiencing.

"I gather the crowd you usually hang out with nods like you're smart when you say obvious shit, but we need ideas," Margo drawled, one eyebrow raised. Lilly hid her amused smile.

"That's a good idea," Quentin piped up, looking at Julia with a spark of excitement, "we need the power of a god."

"Yeah, or gods, Ember and Umber," Julia pointed out, looking to the others for approval.

"Who haven't been seen for decades, good luck with that."

"I mean, It's worth a shot at least, right?" Lilly offered, though it felt like they were grasping at straws.

"Okay, I have a much less idiotic idea. Why don't we use a Magician who's actually been around The Beast?" They all looked to Penny, who stood, arms crossed in frustration, "the girl from his dungeon."

"So much less idiotic, it's almost good," Josh nodded.

"I'm with Penny," Alice decided, casting her vote.

"Surprisingly, so am I," Margo added.

"So we split up," Lilly suggested, drawing their attention to her, "Quentin, you and Julia go look for Ember and Umber. The rest of us will go to The Castle That Isn't There and get Victoria. I'd go with you two, but we all know my skills lend themselves much better to covert operations." Everyone nodded, seemingly finding that to be a suitable plan, "alright then, let's do this."