Ruperto watched his brother spar with Lumen, Soile, and Stratos. Three against one. It almost didn't seem fair. But Ronell was learning fast and defended himself well.

"Hard to believe how easily he adapts," Azris said as she came to lounge beside her Earth-master.

"Yes," Ruperto replied, scratching behind her ears. "So, when this is all over, and I have to go back to Earth . . . Are you going to stay here?"

"Master Ruperto, I might have had the purpose of protecting Aleia, but I remain loyal to you. If you wish for me to return to Earth with you, return with you I shall."

He sighed, "That means more to me than you know. Thank you."

Azris nodded her big head before resting it in Rupero's lap. He ran his hand through the thick fur.

"I've always understood how calming it was to talk to you," Ruperto went on, looking up at his stepsister, who had just entered with Inanis, Spiris, and Kinasha. "Yet, I always teased Aleia for it."

"Our own insecurities are always the cause for the putting down of others," Azris panted and tilted her head back, encouraging for more scratching.

"Ruperto."

Aleia appeared and sat beside him with a smile.

"Princess," he replied with a chuckle. "Where were you?"

"Supporting a friend," she explained tenderly. "Turns out, I am a sister figure to more than just you in this bunch."

"Really, who?" Ruperto asked while looking at each person in the arena.

"Inanis and Spiris. But more Inanis. You've probably heard it, or maybe he told you. He manifested and his sister, Glint, died because of it. It was all an accident and he wasn't prepared for it. But he's only just begun to forgive himself."

"I actually did hear some of that. Poor guy."

"He's going to be happier now. Don't worry about him. Question is when we survive this battle, will you stay in Anerathia?"

Ruperto raised an eyebrow at his stepsister.

"You want me to stay here?" he asked, pointing to his chest. "Me? The one who didn't stop his mother from treating you like a slave?"

"Well," Aleia said, weighing the thought in her mind. "I could have tried to stop her from hitting you. But I didn't. So, we're kind of even on that one."

"I guess . . . But really? What good would I be to you when you're queen?"

"You would be an amazing friend and brother to have around. I want to offer this to Ronell too, but I feel you're the one who needs to know the option exists. From the looks of it, Ronell has already found his place."

They both looked at Ronell as he shoved Stratos to the ground, and stopped Soile's advance.

"What might you be talking about here?"

Auro joined them and placed an arm around Aleia's shoulders.

"Just whether Ruperto might like to stay in Anerathia or not," she replied, smiling. "Miss me?"

"A lot, actually," Auro kissed her cheek. "Inanis looks better. Where did you go anyways?"

"The graveyard."

This response made Auro and Ruperto exchange a glance. The graveyard? Ruperto quickly understands what that meant. But perhaps Auro was left out of the loop.

"He wanted to visit his sister's grave," Aleia explained, patting Auro's thigh. "Don't worry. He's a good guy."

She gave him a silly grin, which triggered a smile of his own.

"Ugh, I'm going to join the spar." Ruperto stood and Azris trotted away with him. He called out over his shoulder, "You're lovey-duff is making me sick!"

"Why does everyone get sick when we get all giddy?" Auro asked, wrapped Aleia in his arms and kissing her hair.

"Doesn't matter," Aleia giggled, but that giggle was cut short when she saw the ghost of a girl enter the sparring arena. She sat forward, trying to focus her eye on the transparent figure. The girl stood by Inanis, her hand resting on his shoulder. But he did not know she was there. As if disappointed, the girl pulled her hand away and was about to leave. Her gaze fell directly on Aleia, who gasped softly.

"What's the matter?" Auro asked; Aleia glanced at him and then back to where the girl stood. But she was gone.

"I just think you have a bit more to teach me," she said, jumping to her feet. "I must learn all I can before we meet Anaemis in battle."

Auro nodded and stood as well. Aleia sighed and decided it was just her imagination. There was no ghost. If the girl had actually been a spirit, she felt that Inanis would have felt her hand on his shoulder. Because she had been able to feel the Spirit Queen when she'd gone to Goowrark that first time.

Aleia felt silly that she would outlaw what she'd just seen. Especially given the world she was now learning to call home. Anything could be possible here, right?

***

Aleia was hanging out with her dad. They hadn't been able to do anything together since all of this had happened. There were things she wanted to ask him. Answers she hoped he would give her.

"What was Mom like?" she whispered, afraid her dad might not want to talk about her mother. "I don't anything about her. You said she bore the Mark . . . What happened to her?"

Her dad sighed and squeezed her shoulders.

"There are some things about your mom that are just better left unspoken," he explained with gentle forlorn. "The most important thing for you to know is she loved you dearly. And she was very much like you. Always giving. Always trying to see the good in everyone. And above all, she only spoke up if she felt her words were necessary."

Aleia nodded, "That does sound like me," she said, a bit disappointed.

"I know it's not fair that you don't know more. But I made a promise to her that you would have a good life. And that I would keep you from harm's way for as long as I can."

She snorted, "You kinda broke that last promise by marrying Susanna. I don't know how or why you put up with her. She's always been mean to Ruperto. She puts Ronell on a pedestal. And she's treated me like her personal slave. Those days you came home and thought she'd made you a special dinner? I was the one cooking. I was the one who did all the cleaning. She's a two-faced bitch."

Aleia was not ashamed of her words. Even when her father gave her an appalled expression, she held her chin high. He had to have known this was what happened behind his back. He needed to know the truth.

"I'm sorry for that," he said after a pause. "Part of my motives were to give Ronell and Ruperto a chance to have a better life. But now I am bound to the woman. And nothing can break that wedding vow."

"Anerathian wedding laws are different," Aleia sighed and leaned back on her elbows as she watched the birds chasing insects for their dinner. "I'm sorry that you're stuck with her for life."

"I truly do care for her. Perhaps not as much as I thought, but some good came from the marriage."

"Yeah, I have two pretty awesome stepbrothers. And I'm starting to learn how much we all actually mean to each other. Coming to Anerathia has changed a lot for us."

Peter chuckled, "Yes, it has," he said, sighing. "I have been wondering if I should consider bringing Susanna here. But that might be too much change for her."

"Mhm, and Anerathia is better off without her."

The two laughed. Because it was true. If Aleia's stepmother were to come to Anerathia, she was pretty sure hell would break loose.