I couldn't sleep that night since the harpies were watching WWE in the next room. How many were there? I don't know. Maybe ten.

I just couldn't sleep that I banged on the door yelling, 'Hay! People are trying to sleep here!'

But that didn't work. So I slammed open the door into a deserted corridor with light streaming out of Andrew's half bolted door.

I slowly peeked in, onto to find a dozen harpies yelling.

'Come-on! The upper kick!'

'Oooh.'

'No, no, no, no, no...'

'Yeah!'

Also with Andrew yelling, 'Yes! The Superman punch!'

'Uh-em.'

The yelling stopped and about twelve faces turned towards me, one with pop corn stuffed in his mouth.

'Hi, Amethyst,' said Andrew. 'Can you please get out of my room.'

I folded my arms. On the LCD screen were two bodybuilders in their underwear and boots trying to back each other's heads off.

'You got to be kidding me,' I said as I watched the screen. 'Who would even want to watch that?'

They one guy carried the other guy above his head and dropped him onto the stage with a loud "chung".

"Ooooohhh, that got to hurt folks," said the announcer.

'Boo-ya!' cried a harpy.

Andrew was still watching me. 'It's the continental championship.'

'Whatever,' I said, turning back to leave. 'Just so that you know, I think I might take a stroll in the gardens and do some conspiring against the king. So, carry-on people.'

All of the harpies froze.

The palace was quite after that. But I still heard the TV from Andrew's room.

The next morning, someone banged on the door hard. Very hard. This time it was a lady with a round curly mess of black hair.

'You'd better get ready, yall. I ain't ya telling again.'

'Sure thing, sista,' I said.

She rolled her eyes. 'What-eva!'

I slammed the door shut. I dressed up and came out, only to find two harpy escorts waiting outside. The female harpy slipped a metal bracelet to my left atm. It contracted when it slid to my wrist.

'What is this for?'

'So that ya can't shift, duh.'

The only person who seemed to get along with the harpies was Andrew.

'They are not that bad,' said Andrew as we both were escorted to the breakfast room. After breakfast we were escorted to the throne room.

'Egyptian weapons have too many odd shapes,' said the presumed harpy general to Andrew. 'But their shapes are perfect for the right job.'

'I try to avoid them,' Andrew mumbled.

'Yup, it will be bad if you don't have the right weapon at the right time. Personally, I prefer the spear.'

'A gladius is much better.'

'Daggers are more convenient.'

'You can try a medieval long sword,' said a harpy from behind.

'Sure,' I said. 'He'll have to wear high heels just to reach the pommel.'

Andrew frowned while some of the Harpies laughed out loud.

'You are not so such of an outgoing person, are you,' said the harpy general.

'Nope,' said Andrew. 'She never is.'

'Like you are any better,' I said.

But he sighed, all distracted. His hands were reaching behind his back, like as if he was missing something.

'Let me guess, you feel incomplete without that samurai sword,' I said.

'It's called a katana,' he said.

'What-ever you call it,' I said. 'I presume you even sleep with it.'

'I sleep with a dagger,' said a harpy.

'I will never see it again,' said Andrew, sounding more like a girl who lost her favorite doll. 'They might have probably returned it back to the museum.'

'You got it from a museum?'

'I accidentally picked it up from a museum.'

'So it's stolen.'

'No it isn't.'

'Yes it is. If that's the situation, you accidentally stole it and no one noticed. Just like how things all run crazy in this place.'

When we reached the throne room, Bird-man and mom were waiting with some guards and the advisers and a few deities. Mom was wearing a brown dress with time, tapping her feat impatiently and stopped when she noticed us.

'Good,' said bird-man, 'Let's talk about business shall we?'

I crossed my arms. 'What kind of business?'

The cleared his throat, 'I expect you to talk to with respect.'

'Not as long as you are going to be my step dad,' I replied.

He sighed. 'If you say so... Anyway, your mother and I will be married in two weeks time and I expect you to behave until then. But I doubt you are willing to stay here for two weeks peacefully in your chambers, I will grant permission for you to leave Sightless and lead your normal way of life in the visible realm if you swear your allegiance to me.'

'Huh?'

'Psst,' said Andrew. 'It means relinquishing your throne to him and we'll become his puppets.'

'Oh,' I whispered back. I turned back to bird-man. 'Will you still marry my mom?'

He grinned. 'Of course, I'm in love with her.'

I felt like retching. I was sure mom was feeling the same way too. Is this guy serious?

'If I don't?'

'You will remain here,' he said. 'Simple as that.'

'You really shouldn't have bothered to take us out of the Imprisonatorium you know,' I muttered.

I really needed to think this through. I wanted to ask Andrew what to do but he was giving off an aura that made me think twice about asking him. He was trying his best not to punch anyone.

'I will have to refuse your offer,' I said.

'As you wish,' he said, waving his hand.

Then I took a bit of courage with a deep intake of air, 'As you are well aware, I am still queen of Sightless, so that means I still have the right to judge whether or not you are worthy of the throne of Sightless. And as your fiancé's daughter, whether you are worthy of my mother. I don't know about you being king, but my mom is way too good for you. I think you will have to wait to be king until the wedding.'

'V-very well then...'

After that we were escorted back. I felt pretty good about saying that to bird-man, but my moment of self glory was taken away when Mr. Hill came barging at us.

'Folks,' he said to the Harpies. 'I will take it from here.' The harpies hesitated at first but the general allowed so. I think his name was Long-feather.

'So,' said Mr. Hill as we dragged us behind a pillar. 'What's your plan?'

'Plan?' I said. 'Uh.... Exactly for what?'

He shook his head disappointedly. 'Listen up, kid. You left that hooligan on the throne; it's your duty to take him off it.'

'Is he that bad?'

'He is trying to reveal the invisible realm to the visible realm!'

Andrew's eyes widened. 'Why?'

'I don't know!' Mr. Hill snapped back. 'It's absolute law that this side remains hidden. I think you know the consequences, girl.'

'But doesn't he know too?'

'He has some crazy theory that revealing ourselves will deepen their faith instead of them have doubt on us and dismiss our existence. I don't know what' true but this side is not yet ready to receive the world. And he's ruining the place.'

'But_'

'What do you mean but kid, we didn't put you on the throne so that you won't do anything when the right time comes!'

'You keep in saying it,' I snapped. 'We are still kids. I'm just a stupid sixteen year old and he's a twelve year old kid who doesn't even go to school often. You are asking us to defeat an enchanter-mage with an army of harpies by ourselves?'

Mr. Hill sighed. 'I know, it's too much to ask. But don't you care about this side at all Amethyst, after all the time you spent in here?'

I didn't say a word.

Andrew snorted. 'That's her all right... I thought you might have something in mind to do about this after what you said to him. But I guess you just don't care at all. Well if aren't going to do anything, I am.'

It's not that I don't care.... I really could not understand why they were all looking up to me to do something. Well, I guess it comes with being queen.

'Fine,' I said. 'I can't do anything from inside. First, we need to escape.'

'What good does that do?'

'If I remember right, we can get a lot of help outside of the city.'

'Are you planning on an invasion?' said Andrew, aghast.

I shrugged. 'Unless you want me to ask mom or some fairies to poison his food or something, rounding up the folks within the city will be pretty useless considering how you did nothing until now. Isn't rounding up an army how stories usually work when you are chased out of your kingdom or something?'

Mr. Hill and Andrew stared at each other, and then at me.

'What? Forget I said that.'