The week after the event, the Dawn Court became more active.

People went out to the streets, opening up their shops and their faces more uplifted than in previous years.

Auriella went out to the markets, wanting time away from the palace. There was so much that needed to be done and without her father, it felt almost impossible to do one simple task.

As she walked down the brick pathway, people greeted her, smiling and thriving as if nothing had changed in ten years. Auriella could feel the change in the Dawn Court and see that people were finding a way to live without the High Lord.

It made her blood boil a bit, but she knew that life had to keep going, that the Dawn Court needed to stay upright, no matter what the situation was.

Auriella took a deep breath, keeping her head high and her spirit free from any malice or ill thoughts that overtook her emotions almost every day. She wanted her mind to wander away for a bit, to forget everything that was happening around her.

As the day passed, Auriella walked up to vendors, residents, and store owners, greeting them and laughing along with them. She let their happiness and thoughts uplift her and make her have another reason as to why the Dawn Court must thrive. She let their worries and concerns make her question as to how she can make her court better than before.

Being the Daughter of Dawn was no easy task, especially because she was the High Lord's child. Auriella trained herself on how to maintain her emotions, her posture, and her focus on the situation or concerns at hand.

Whenever she was by Thesan's side, she would observe him in every conference and meeting. She saw his eyes look at the person speaking and his focus was on them only. She saw how serious his face was when he would think about what was being said. Auriella let him be the prime example of how she was to act.

Her father eventually caught up to what she was doing. But he looked at her with approving eyes, letting her know that it was how things were meant to be handled.

Once she was exhausted from hearing many stories poured out to her, she started to make her way up to the palace, but Damian came out of the blue, his grin high as ever. His hands were behind him, hiding something.

Auriella's curious eyes tried to look, but Damian shook his head, "Nope, not until you figure out what it is." He tells her and she groans, starting to walk the other way.

He blocks her, "Come on! Just guess." He pleads.

"Is it a pie? A pastry? Jewelry? Or an insect that will inject a dangerous poison in me?" She asks him.

He rolls his eyes, "Why do you always assume that it is food or something that could kill you? I am not a bad brother!" He exclaims.

Auriella laughs, "Well, I never know what your intentions are! You are the joker of the family after all and I sometimes can't take you seriously." She tells him.

Damian scoffs, bringing his hands out from behind him. He holds a small red box, "You weren't wrong in your guess, so you earned it. This is just something from me to you, to cheer you up because of our fathers' absence." He says.

Auriella takes the box from his hand, "Damian, you didn't have to. This has been hard on both of us. I don't want you to single me out." She tells him.

He shakes his head, "Why don't you open it, Ella?"

When she does, a necklace lays on the black felt. Three small charms are on it. A crown, wings, and a jokester mask. All three representing her family.

"Damian," She whispers, her eyes filling with tears.

Her brother chuckles, "I know that we both have huge responsibilities, considering who we are. But I want us to remember that we are a family too. We are not just some important people, but siblings who love each other and their parents more than anything." He tells her.

He extends his arm out to her, showing his bracelet with the matching crown and wings, but a piano charm is there, representing her.

Auriella chuckles, "You want to make me cry, don't you?" She asks, playfully shoving him away. He grins, pulling his sister into an embrace.

She holds him tightly, closing her eyes and remembering his engulfing scent of citrus and nature. Their hugs would usually be brief, but she felt like she had to hold on for a bit longer, wanting to savor the moment with her brother.

And once they pulled away from each other, he smiled down at her, "You look exhausted, little musician. Let's go home and eat a plate of sandwiches." He exclaims, holding his arm out for her.

Auriella grins, taking it.

As the twins make their way up to the palace, their guards following them up the stone stairs, they speak of the various stories they heard, bickering back and forth about how they could fix the problems or try to mend the mistakes.

But once they reached the entrance into their home, they could hear screams coming from all the way down their court. The twins turned, seeing black wings and terrifying faces coming into view.

The Attor and his companions landed feet away from the twins, their fangs leaking with their acidic saliva. The guards quickly placed themselves in front of the twins, pointing their steel weapons at the flying invaders.

"May I ask why you have shown yourselves in our court once again? Are you here to tell us that your precious "queen" is finally wanting to get rid of the High Lords from her possession?" Damian asks.

The Attor growls, licking the saliva off of its teeth. "Be careful of how you speak, Son of Dawn. You might end up in her collection of bones that sit next to her throne," It speaks, "To answer your question, no, that is not why I came." He tells them.

"Then why have you come? To terrify our citizens and make them rush back into their home so they fear you?" Auriella snaps, "Because if that is the case, you have accomplished it. Now leave my court before my guards impale you and have your blood spilled in front of my home." She says to it.

The Attor grins, its teeth showing a sinister smile. "Ahh, but you see, you cannot do that. If you do, the precious High Lord of Dawn's throat will be cut and his less competent cousin will have to inherit the title."

At that, the twins stepped forward, having knowledge that their father is alive. Damian snarled, "What will it take to get my father and the captain back? Does Amarantha want a price for them or are they some trophy that she is keeping locked away?" He asks.

The Attor laughs, extending his wings. "I knew that would get you all riled up and ready. And no, Amarantha is neither selling nor giving them away. They are all hers for eternity." He tells them, making Auriella's heart sink.

"But this is not about the High Lords," The Attor says and sets his sights on Auriella, "This is about you and what you have said about Amarantha." He says.

Auriella scoffs, "And what have I said about her?"

The Attor steps closer, "A citizen of the Dawn Court has betrayed you and told about what you said in the meeting you had mere days ago. It took a little... convincing, but the man eventually spilled. You said that Amarantha was never going to be the ruler of Prythian and that she was the queen of nothing." He explained, "Now how do you think she reacted?"

"If she is looking for an apology, she will never get one. I told my court the truth about what that woman is, she will earn nothing from me." Auriella says, her blood boiling with each thought of the Lady Under the Mountain.

The creature lets out a dark laugh, "You think that she wants something from you? No, Daughter of Dawn, you are mistaken. She wants you." He reveals.

The guards advance forward, their weapons inches away from touching the terrifying creature. Damian stops them, "Why does Amarantha want my sister? If she wants to be the ruler of Prythian, she needs to know that not everyone will agree with her! She has made every court terrified of her, especially because she has their High Lord in her possession!" He yells.

The Attor doesn't even look at Damian. He stares at Auriella with a nightmarish grin, "If you do not come with me, Amarantha will not hesitate to slice the captain's stomach open and rip out his innards. She will make your High Lord watch his best man get murdered because of you. It is ultimately your choice." He tells her.

Auriella's tears spill at the cruelty of what Amarantha would do to her father. Her stomach churns, feeling as if her insides will end up on the ground. She swallows, wanting to remain strong as Thesan had always done.

"What will she do to me? Will I ever come back to my court? Will I remain as her trophy as well?" Auriella asks, but the Attor doesn't answer.

She looks over to Damian, who furiously shakes his head. He knows what she is going to tell him. "You are not going anywhere. You can't. She will have to take me too." He tells her.

"Amarantha only wants the Daughter of Dawn. You will only receive death if you step anywhere near Under the Mountain, which would be entertaining." The Attor says.

Auriella shakes her head, "I have to go, Damian. If I don't, she will kill our fathers. I am not going to let that happen," She whispers, "You have to take care of the court along with Atreus. They need you. Keep Levi alive for me. Make sure that you do not provoke Amarantha."

Damian grabs his sister's hands, "I can't lose you too, Ella. I can't do this on my own. I need you by my side. If you die, I die." He tells her.

She grabs his face in her hands, "No, you will stay alive for your court. You will make sure that everything that has to get done, will get done. You have to make sure Atreus does not stray away from our father's vision. The Dawn Court will rely on you. You have to do this." She tells him.

Auriella puts the necklace back in his hands, "If I ever come back, keep it safe for me?" She asks. Damian kisses his sister's forehead, holding her tightly before she walks away from him.

The Daughter of Dawn stands in front of the Attor. He reaches his hand out to her and she takes it without any hesitation. And before she can look back to her brother for one last time, she is winnowed away into oblivion.