Colt paced in the long green grass alongside the rushing waters of the Lotus River on a planet named Glacirem. He rubbed his hands together, agitated. It was not because of the slight chill in the air, though he had never been used to colder temperatures. It was the downside of growing up in a desert. “She has been down there for over half an hour now,” he muttered, still pacing back and forth. “What is taking her so long?”

“It’s a very long and deep river,” Leo answered.

He was lounging on a rock in the sunlight, his hands braced behind his head and his eyes closed. He had not bothered opening them when speaking. The General looked completely unconcerned by the fact that his Queen had been gone for longer than expected. A golden eagle – Nikki, no doubt – was sitting on his shoulder. After pruning her feathers, she looked to be slowly falling asleep.

“Glacirem is known for its rivers, lakes, and oceans. Most of them are fed by the snow and glacial runoff further up the mountains.” Leo pointed towards some of the mountains he was speaking of. Indeed, their peaks were covered in fresh white sparkling snow despite it being the warmest time of year on this world. Apparently. Colt was rather sceptical of that. “Makes the water purer while keeping it nice and cold at the same time.” The General frowned. “I really do sound like Amnsy sometimes, don’t I.”

Nikki squawked her confirmation, earning a sour look from Leo. It was a strange site to Colt, seeing the famed General of Lyriumia having a silent argument with a golden eagle. Nikki flapped her wings, jumping from his shoulder. She landed on the rock he was leaning on where she shook her feathers and sat again, tucking her head into a wing for a sleep in the sun. Leo only rolled his eyes at the Queen’s Second.

“Even so,” Colt said, wiping the confused expression from his face at the scene unfolding before them. “How can it take half an hour?”

All that he had been told was that they were retrieving a stone. He had not been told why but assumed it had something to do with Tara’s plan to release the Dark King. Amneris had insisted on getting it herself, dropping her long zaffre cloak into the grass and vanishing into the water without anyone having the chance to change her mind. He let out a frustrated sigh.

Leo placed a hand on the spot beside him almost invitingly. “Sit and relax for five minutes, will you? You’ll wear a hole through to the planet’s core at the rate you’re going.” There was humour in his voice. That was rare for Colt to hear, especially when directed towards him. Leo seemed to have a problem with his presence. It had only become worse since Amneris allowed for him to join the Court.

Reluctantly, he did as he was told. Still, it did not stop him from worrying. What if something had happened? What if she was in trouble? Or hurt? Or dead? Or worse? He raised a hand to his head. There was no way he could stop himself worrying about her safety. It did not matter that she had absolutely no idea who he was.

“If you don’t stop worrying, I’ll put my gladius through your gut.” Colt faced Leo who had a hand resting on the leather-wrapped hilt of one sword. He gave him a slightly softer and reassuring look. “She’s fine. We would know if she was in trouble.”

“Yeah,” Colt agreed. “There would be a large explosion if she was.”

Leo laughed. Actually laughed. “That does sound like the Amnsy way to solve a problem.” He sat up straighter, a grin on his features. “There was this one thing she told me. Basically, she sent a guy through a wall because he was poisoning people at a party. Apparently, they never found the body.”

Colt knew the story very well. He had been there when it happened all those years ago. The memory of the Amneris he remembered made him smile. Some things never change when it comes to that woman, he thought with a laugh.

That made him realise why Leo had a problem with him. He was, to the General, a security risk. He new things about the Queen no one else did. He probably knew this that Leo did not. It did not matter that she had changed in more ways than one since he last saw her. She seemed . . . happier than she did after her resurrection. Guilt shot through Colt momentarily.

The look Leo was giving him was enough for him to change the topic. “What are we supposed to do while we wait?”

The General closed his eyes again. “Sleep,” he said, getting into a more comfortable position. “Like you said, there will probably be an explosion if she gets into trouble. That would wake us up.”

The eagle sat up suddenly and pecked his head.

“What?”

She pointed her beak at the water.

Leo sighed. “So much for sleeping.”

Laughter made Colt look up. It was followed by a female voice. “Did I wake you boys? Amneris was back. She was dripping wet and holding something in her closed fist. She smirked at them. “You two seemed to be bonding.”

She crossed her arms across her chest as she came closer, shivering. Colt retrieved her cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders, holding her close against him. She leant into his warmth. “Try not to die from the cold,” he laughed.

“Overbearing mother hen,” she muttered quietly enough he almost did not hear her. Amneris opened her hand. A small white pebble was resting on her palm. At first glance, there was nothing special about it aside from the tiny marking etched into it. She seemed to look over the two men before her eyes settled on Leo. She cocked her head to the side before sighing in defeat. “Okay, I’m gonna regret asking this, but why do you have an eagle on your shoulder?”

The eagle was indeed back on his shoulder. Leo grinned at his Queen. “The better question is: why don’t you have an eagle on your shoulder?”

The eagle let out a sassy squawk, moving its head in a circle.

Colt snickered as Amneris hissed, pocketing the stone. “Shut the fuck up, Nikki.”

Scanning the area around him, Colt let out a relieved breath at the sigh of no immediate danger. “At least no one has come to get it.”

A sudden surge of darkness surrounded them.

Leo whacked the back of Colt’s head. “Rule one, newbie. Never say something like that.” He drew his gladii. “I swear, if I got a gold coin for every time some said ‘at least it can’t get any worse’ or ‘you and what army?’ and someone showed us to try and kill us, I would be a hundred times richer than Amneris and she’s the Queen!”

Said Queen rolled her eyes at the comment, pulling herself from Colt’s grip as two women appeared in front of them.

The one on the left had long wavy mauve hair falling over her bronze face and ruby eyes. Her hands rested casually on the hilts of the two swords on her sides. She had a variety of scars covering her bare arms and hands. Colt recognised the woman as Semele – one of the people who worked for Tara.

The one on the right had short straight frost-coloured hair framing her honey eyes and marigold skin. She had a silver bow and a quiver filled to the brim with arrows strapped across her back. She held a rose staff covered in gems which seemed to glow in the light. What was her name again? Colt wondered. Ileana, I think it was.

“Never seen those two before,” Leo murmured, giving Colt a sidelong glance. He made the introductions.

That was when a third person appeared.

A low growl escaped Amneris at the sight of the latecomer. Colt understood why. He knew the man who had just appeared quite well.

The dark-skinned, dark-haired man give the group a smile before addressing Amneris. “Not happy to see me, old friend?”

“I’m never happy to see you, Kek,” she replied, nonchalant.

He clicked his tongue. “A pity, and after all we’ve been through together.”

At his tone, Semele unsheathed her swords. Colt had never seen anything like them before. The edges had sharp points sticking out like prickles on a rose. The whole sword glowed with a red light. He heard Amneris swear under her breath as they both realised exactly what was causing the glow. At least this will be interesting, he thought, eying the small crystal shards visible on the blades.

Kek held a hand to his side. The woman stood down. “We don’t have to fight,” he drawled, holding his other hand towards Amneris. “Just give me the stone and no one has to get hurt. I’ll let you all leave with not even a scratch.”

Colt, Leo, and Nikki – now in her Fae form having transformed sometime during the encounter – faced Amneris as she let out a dark laugh. All three of them knew what that laugh meant. Leo and Nikki took a step back. Colt remained in place. Someone had to make sure she did not loose her temper too much.

“The last time you said that, I ended up getting impaled and dying a slow, painful death.” She let out a proper laugh, the sound enough to make Leo and Nikki take a few more steps away from her. Amneris placed a hand slightly below her breasts, covering the area where she had been stabbed. “Or did we forget about that little incident from when we were children in which I lost my mortal life?”

Kek frowned. “I thought I would give you the courtesy of asking nicely.” He reached behind him and, with a flash of light, hefted a large machine gun in front of him. The safety came off with a click.

Colt, Leo, and Nikki braced themselves for what was about to come. Amneris stood in front of them, her hands on her hips in disbelief. “Oh, come on, guys. He won’t use it.”

A wicked grin crossed the man’s features.

Amneris raised a finger to her lips. “Though, I have been wrong before.”

Colt dashed forwards, tackling her to the ground as Kek pulled the trigger. He felt her throw a shield around them as a storm of bullets whipped around them. Colt dared a look back to the others. Leo had ducked behind the large boulder he was lounging on only minutes before. Nikki was with him.

Bullets ricocheted off the shield created by Amneris who was muttering something under her breath in the Old Language. Colt doubted it was very polite. She made her way out from under him, rolling onto her stomach. “Do we have a plan?” Colt asked.

“Same old, same old,” she sighed, fingering the charms on the silver bracelet she was wearing. She pulled one off and, with a flick of the wrist, it morphed into her staff. She pushed herself to her feet, moving the shelf so it covered them.

Colt reached for the mamelukes she let him borrow earlier. He hardly had a moment to think before Amneris let out a battle cry, running towards the bullets. She took the shield with her! Colt quickly threw one around himself. It was not fast enough. Pain shot into his left arm and he roared at the pain. Clearly his body was still adjusting to its new immortal state.

The distraction was all it took for Ileana to catch him off guard.

She whacked his injury, pain flaring. Colt growled as he attempted to ignore the pain, spinning and unsheathing a mameluke in a single move. Ileana caught his attack, parrying it with one of her own with her staff. She jumped back, dodging as he lashed out with his power shaped as a flare. He took the chance, dashing forward to sweep and attack with the blade. She dodged once again.

Colt could still hear the sounds of Kek’s gun from behind him. He risked a look towards where Amneris was dancing around her old friend, quite literally dodging bullets. She had a grin on her face, her staff in one hand which she spun each time she got close enough to attack. The strike she made bounced off a shield. Her mile only widened.

Close by, Leo and Nikki were tag-teaming Semele. Their strategy worked so she was not able to get a moment of rest. The second one jumped back, the other would step in to fight before switching and repeating. Colt could not help but be amazed at how in sync their movements were. No wonder they were paired up.

He turned to his own opponent.

Ileana had tossed her staff aside and was holding her armed bow, the arrow pointed towards the sky. She fired her shot. It vanished. Colt barely had time to react as arrows rained down on him. The ability reminded him of one a friend had a long time again.

Scarlet mist surrounded him as he dashed towards her, the shower of arrows following his every movement. He sheathed his swords, creating claws from his power and attacking with his new weapon. His breath came faster as they fought, making Colt realise just how out of practice he had become since leaving Terpola.

Ileana caught his wrist and tossed him to the ground.

“Colt!”

He saw through mis momentary daze to see Amneris coming to his aid, her own opponent forgotten. His eyes widened as he was what was behind her. “No!”

She turned, but it was too slow. She did not have time to put up a shield before Kek shot her down. Half her waist was torn off in a shower of gold from the force of the bullets. She cried out as she fell, golden blood beginning to pool around her. Amneris managed to push herself to her feet, though the agony in her eyes was obvious as she limped towards Colt. Kek let het take a step forward before pulling the trigger once again. An explosion of gold.

“Tali!”

Kek came towards Colt at the word, his eyes still on the now-headless body of his Queen.

The Terpolite warrior frowned at the man before him before a grin spread across his features, figuring out what others had not even guessed at. “Fancy seeing you again, Prince,”

Colt growled at the title, knowing it was a way of demeaning him.

Ileana kept him down as Kek came face-to-face with him. “Well, don’t you look different now.” A laugh as he hefted the gun once more. “I’ll make you as recognisable as the Princess.”

“She is as much of a Queen as I am a King,” he said, a final act of defiance against the people he had once worked with. Colt stared down the barrel as the man attacked.