Ten years later...

Auriella woke to a soft purr against her cheek.

Her cat, Levi, was curled up next to his owner, wanting to get her attention. Auriella chuckled at her pet, slowly sliding her hand across his black and white fur.

It was the same dream as always: the last time she saw her fathers.

She didn't know how that day affected her until the dreams kept recurring every night. Auriella would either wake up with a jolt or with sweat sliding down her forehead. But after ten years, she was used to it.

There would be times when the dreams would change themselves, putting their own twist in the story. But Auriella knew the truth about what happened. Amarantha. The Lady Under the mountain who held all the High Lords captive.

As days and days passed without a word about the High Lords safety, the courts started to become restless. Groups of madmen started to depart to Under the Mountain, wanting answers from Amarantha herself. But when those men left, they never came back.

But there was one High Lord that made an appearance. The High Lord of the Spring Court, Tamlin, was back in his court under the orders of Amarantha, along with his emissary, Lucien Vanserra. Citizens of each court visited the court with his permission, asking questions that he was hesitant to answer.

But as hope started to rise, it quickly fell.

Tamlin refused to answer anything that had to do with Amarantha and the rest of the High Lords. He would not say a word about their safety or welfare, instead, he would just walk away, going back into his palace, leaving people with more questions than before.

Auriella sat up in the giant bed, staring out to the balcony, where the sun was peeking out behind the clouds.

A few years after her fathers' were put Under the Mountain, Auriella moved into their room, sleeping in their bed, and maintaining the cleanliness of their things. She kept everything in order, not wanting there to be one thing out of place in case her fathers' came back.

Auriella always held out hope for their return. There wasn't one thing that could make her think any differently. She knew that she was going to see them again.

As she stepped out of bed and cleaned herself up, she changed into her regular clothing, fitting into her loose-fitted black pants and white shirt, tucking it underneath the hem. She slid into her white flats and headed out the door, Levi following after her.

Damian was waiting at the end of the hallway, kneeling down to bring Levi into his arms. "It looks like someone woke up lazy today." He tells his sister.

Without their fathers' watching over them, the twins knew what was expected of them and their role as children of the High Lord of Dawn. Damian always made himself look presentable for every occasion, letting the spirit of his fathers' shine through him. He was the perfect example of elegance.

Auriella also knew what she had to do, but there were times when she could not stand being in dresses and makeup, like today. Fia would give her stubborn looks for it, but she would smile because there were times when even she felt the same.

"Oh, like you haven't seen this look a thousand times. There isn't anything special planned today, so there is no reason for me to be in such dramatics." Auriella tells her brother, who makes baby noises at the cat.

Damian raises his brow, "What are you talking about? Have you forgotten that today is the Summer Solstice? You really woke up on the wrong side." He says to her and Auriella groans, forgetting about the major ball that goes on for the solstices.

Her brother chuckles, "It doesn't matter right now, Ella. Come on, Atreus wants us to meet him in the throne room for a meeting." He says.

Once the twins walk into the throne room, Atreus is at the head of the table, looking down at blueprints and unexecuted plans for the Dawn Court. He looks up at the twins, grinning at them as they enter.

"Ahh, the twins that I wanted to see. Come." He tells them.

The twins made their way down the table, analyzing what Atreus was staring at. From what Auriella could see, there were multiple plans to infiltrate Under the Mountain, each of them having a stamp of "Negative" plastered on the page.

Auriella flicked her eyes up to Thesan's cousin, knowing that he was still looking for a way to get the High Lords out of captivity. But it didn't seem like there was a way out.

Damian sighs, "So what is all this, Atreus? Is this something that we should be concerned about?" He asks.

Atreus grins, "Since today is the tenth year without Thesan, I would like to honor him during the Summer Solstice gathering tonight. I want you both to say some words about your father, and encourage people to have hope for his safe return." He says to them.

Auriella is taken aback, "Words? What are words going to do? My father is stuck Under the Mountain with that psycho bitch, Amarantha, and you want us to say words won't even do a single thing?! As we speak, she could be doing who knows what to him or to Zephyr. People should still hope for his safe return. We shouldn't have to give it to them." She yells.

Atreus nods, "I knew this was going to upset you, Ella, but I need you both to do this. Since you two are the children of the High Lord of Dawn, our residents need to see him through the both of you. You need to show them that you are Thesan's children, act like he would act, show the appreciation and gratitude that he once showed." He says.

He takes a step towards her, "Imagine the impact that the daughter and son of Dawn can hold over their court? You two are the reason why this court hasn't gone to chaos. I can't say the same for the others, who still struggle without their High Lords, excluding Tamlin, of course." He says.

Auriella looks over to her brother, who stares at her with conflict clouding his eyes. She knows that Atreus is right. Their people need to still have hope that their High Lord will come back.

She takes a deep breath, "I will speak for my father." She tells Atreus.

Thesan's cousin gives a friendly smile, taking Auriella's hands in his and bringing them to his lips. "I know that your father is proud of you both for being so strong in such hard times. Even if their hope is wearing thin, I know that ours will never dim, no matter how many years go by." He tells her.

Damian clears his throat, "Even if my father does come back, things will never be the same. Amarantha must have done things to him. He will come back changed, but not for the better." He says.

Auriella shakes her head, "Don't say that. I can't bear to even think about what she is doing to him and the others. Whatever it is, they don't deserve it. When they are freed, they must return to their courts with their head held high." She says, but Damian shrugs, not saying a word.

As the day passes, Auriella hurries back to her room, where Valeria and Lara are waiting for her outside. She smiles at them, "I always said that you are able to go inside and wait there for me. But you both still don't seem to listen."

Valeria chuckles, "We were always instructed to not enter the High Lord's quarters, even if the Daughter of Dawn resides there for now." She says, keeping her head lowered.

Auriella rolls her eyes, using her finger to lift Valeria's head up all of the way so that she was looking her directly in her eyes. "Do not lower your head to me, Val," she looks over to Lara, who is also staring down, "Look up at me, Lara." The girl lifted her head up.

The daughter of Dawn nods, "You both are not my servants, but my friends. When my fathers' were taken from me, you both came at unexpected moments, moments that were crucial to me. You may work for my court, but you will always have a place in this palace." She tells them.

Lara nods her head once, "You are too kind for us, Ella. We don't deserve you." She says.

Auriella shakes her head, "You both deserve everything good. Now let's get moving shall we? I don't want Fia to lecture me again."

When the girls are in the room, Valeria and Lara get to work. They choose the dress together, putting their own touches onto the fabric. Auriella sits at the vanity, combing through her hair and lightly doing her makeup.

Lara rushes over to her, "Ella, you are not supposed to be doing that by yourself. We are under strict-" Auriella interrupts her, "Lara, I can do this by myself. I don't care what orders you are under, I am the one you should be listening to. You were assigned to me, but you do not have to do this." She tells her.

Valeria sighs, "You are stubborn, Daughter of Dawn. I hope that your future husband can handle you." She tells Auriella, who chuckles, "Please, I believe my future husband would rather claw his eyes out than tell me to do things the right way twice. Hell, I might even claw his eyes out if he asks me once." She says, making the girls laugh.

Once the girls have put their finishing touches onto the dress, they reveal it to Auriella, who marvels at the sparkling delight that it holds.

The yellow dress shimmered in the sunlight, along with the sparkles that covered every inch of it. It went all the way down to the floor, having a train of fabric behind. "You both never fail to surprise me," Auriella says, circling around the dress.

"The Daughter of Dawn deserves to be admired tonight. If you are to give a speech to the representatives of the court about your fathers, you deserve to be in his favorite color, as it is yours." Lara says.

Auriella touches the dress, letting her fingers feel the smooth silk. "This isn't for the representatives, but for the people of our court. Some doubt that we will ever see my fathers' again, but hope still lives strong in me. They will come home soon." She says, not taking her eyes off of the blinding orange.

Valeria touches her shoulder, "We carry the same hope, Ella. The High Lord and the captain are fighters. I believe that, even after all of these years, they are still holding on, not just for their court, but for you and Damian." She says.

Auriella nods, not saying a word more for the rest of the evening.

As the sun begins to set behind the clouds, representatives of the Dawn Court begin to arrive at the palace, making their way into the throne room. Invited guests remain outside, not able to be let in yet.

Auriella watches from her balcony, ready in her gown, waiting for the arrival of her brother. She takes in the cool air of the court, letting it calm the nerves inside of her. Her eyes stare at the distant sunset, once again remembering the times she spent with Thesan. She couldn't afford to be nervous. This wasn't for her, but for her fathers' that she missed dearly.

Moments later, a knock on the door is heard. Lara gets up and opens it, revealing Damian on the other side. He smiles at Lara before he sees his sister, still staring out to the beyond. He goes to her.

The twins stand on the balcony, side by side. The silence between them is comforting, knowing that they both share the same pain of not having their parents with them.

Damian grabs his sister's hand, taking it in his. "It's you and me, Auri. We are the only ones who really know who our fathers' are. Whatever happens, I know that they are proud of us, proud of the adults that we have become. Even though they aren't here right now, they know that we would put our court first." He tells her.

Auriella looks over to him, "I just want them back. I need to see them again." She says.

Damian brings her hand to his lips, "We will. Even though hope is slowly fading, I still have to hold onto mine. I don't want to believe the worst." He says.

"Then we don't. I can't give up hope for them, Damian. What if they think that we have? What if they believe that their own children forgot about them?" Auriella asks.

Damian shakes his head, "Ella, stop thinking that. They raised us before we could walk. We wouldn't be where we are if it weren't for them. We could never forget them." He says.

Auriella stares back to the sunset, not wanting to spill her tears. She basks in the silence for a little while longer before telling her brother that she is ready.

They head down to the throne room together, Auriella's arm linked through her brother's. She holds on tightly to him as if she might lose him too.

When they are in front of the closed double doors, Damian gestures to the guards to not open them yet. He turns to his sister, putting his hands on both of her bare shoulders.

"If you are too nervous to do this, Ella, tell me now. I will take over for you and give the speech myself. I came prepared in case you backed out." He tells her.

Auriella chuckles, "Want to steal my spotlight, brother?" She jokes.

Damian scoffs, a small smile appearing on his lips. "I could never. But I want to protect you and make sure you are ready to do this kind of thing." He says.

Auriella takes his hand, bringing it to her lips. "As I you. We protect each other, brother. I am ready to do this. Even if I wasn't, I would have to pick myself up and do it anyway. It's time." She says to him.

The twins link their arms again. Damian looks forward, "Then let's do this together, sister." He says. He motions for the guards to open the doors.

The throne room is glowing with gold-colored decor. There is not one corner that isn't covered without some type of decoration, except Thesan's throne. It is still the biggest eye-catcher in the room. Auriella focuses her eyes on it, reminding herself about her father who would do anything to protect his court.

Her father, who would sacrifice himself for his own blood, family, and court.

Her father, who loved her unconditionally when she was dropped on his doorstep by people who did not care for her or her brother.

She took a deep breath.

The representatives of the Dawn Court looked at the twins with wary eyes, not knowing anything about what was about to happen. Atreus smiled at the children, motioning them to walk towards him. His wife, Fia, stands beside him, nodding at Auriella, approving of her attire.

"I am glad that you both are here. I was worried that both of you would not show up or that your nerves would be too high to handle this sort of thing," he admits, "But I keep forgetting that you are Thesan's children. You have his passion and bravery that he has always had." He says.

Damian nods, "We are doing this for him and Zephyr. That is what kept us from staying in our rooms." He tells him.

Atreus laughs, "Then let's get this going, shall we?" He turns to Auriella, "Darling, are you ready to speak?" He asks.

Auriella nods, swallowing the bile that threatens to spill all over the gold-marbled floor. "Ready as I'll ever be." She says.

She unlinks her arm from her brother's, giving it a final squeeze before she ascends the three steps that lead to her father's throne. Auriella pictures him there, sitting down, laughing with his close friends and Zephyr right next to him.

She pictures herself as a little girl running up to her father, sitting on his lap, and playing with the wooden toys that he had given her. She remembers puckering her lips out to Zephyr, who would kiss her cheek in a playful manner whenever there was no company around.

She lets the memory linger in her mind as her hand touches the golden throne.

The room grows silent. Auriella wills herself to turn around.

As every eye looks at her, she scans the crowd.

"I stand before you here, not just as Auriella, but as the Daughter of Dawn. As you know, it has been ten years since my father, your High Lord, Thesan, was taken from us unexpectedly by the Lady Under the Mountain," her voice echoes throughout the room, "And these ten years have not been easy for any of us. We still grieve for our High Lord because we do not know if he is alive or not. I have thought of that many times, knowing that I might never see my father again."

"I have been made aware that your hope for them is shaken, that you don't know if you should still keep it inside you. I am telling you now that my hope is still shining brightly for my father and Zephyr. Even after ten years, I still have hope to believe that they are still alive and fighting to come back to their court, along with the other High Lords. We cannot let Amarantha," gasps are heard throughout the room, "take away our faith because that is exactly what she wants."

"Even though the High Lord of Spring has not given us any information about their wellbeing, there must be a reason as to why he is free to roam his own court. The High Lords must be alive or Amarantha has nothing to hold over our heads. We must show her that our court still stands and still honors Thesan as the true High Lord of the Dawn Court. She is not and never will be the queen of Prythian. She isn't a queen at all. She is nothing."

"If your hope has diminished, then I do not blame you. I understand. But I am asking you to still fight for your court, to stay strong and brave through it all. Whatever results in the end, we will get through it. I know we will. The Dawn Court will not falter. We will not fail our High Lord because he has not failed us. We will not start today, nor tomorrow, nor the next." Auriella finishes.

Many stand there shocked, not knowing how to respond to the words of the Daughter of Dawn. Even Atreus, whose mouth hangs open, doesn't know how Auriella was able to speak without breaking down in tears.

After a few seconds of silence, Damian spoke up, "I will fight for my court until the end. I know I am not the only one that will." He says, earning a smile from his sister.

The representatives mutter things to each other, but it doesn't take long before one of them speaks, "We will continue to protect our court, Daughter of Dawn. We see that, even in his absence, the presence of the High Lord is very much here, inside of you and your brother." The man says and people agree with him.

Auriella gives him a single nod, "I know that my father would appreciate everything that every one of you has done in order to maintain his court. It has been difficult for me and my brother. I can't imagine how difficult it must be for you and your families." She tells them.

Another representative speaks up, "What will happen if the Lady Under the Mountain ever reveals what she has done to the High Lords? What sort of action will we take?" The woman asks, but Auriella doesn't know how to respond.

Atreus speaks for her, "The courts will have no choice but to pass on the title to the next in line. It has always been that way. But I can assure you that the courts will still want justice for their fallen High Lord." He explains.

The thought makes Auriella's stomach churn. But she quickly blocks it out of her mind.

Damian speaks over him, "As my sister has said, our hope still shines brightly, even in these dark times. We cannot force you to keep believing, but we plead that you fight with us in order to keep the Dawn Court thriving. You can count on us, but you are all part of this too." He tells them.

"Our loyalties lie with the Dawn!" A representative yells, along with others. Their voices echo throughout the room, making shivers run through the Daughter of Dawn. She felt the tears spring in her eyes, knowing that hope was rising once more.

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