The room was decorated in thick hanging ivy that bloomed with impossible flowers. Flowers that would never bloom on ivy, or on this continent for that matter. But the contrast of deep, dark green and fragrant exotic beauties tugged at my senses and I stepped forward.

Ahead of me a murmur of voices swelled in conversation that stuttered and stopped as I swept by each group of people. Testers, those who decided if an elemental was worthy of moving up in the ranks, Ambassadors from the other three families, Walkers, those who went into the human world to help where they could, and the Shifters—all fell silent as I passed. The Planters waved to me, I was one of their own and they were more than a little proud that a princess worked by them in the fields. It didn’t matter to them that I was weak, or that none of them really wanted to be my friend, they saw me as a direct connection to the king. I smiled at Simmy, who waved a calloused hand at me, but the next group stole that smile. My siblings.

Five of them, starting with the oldest, Vetch. He was a real piece of work and we locked eyes as I drew close. He favored his mother in coloring, dark-haired and green-eyed. Short and stocky, he thought he was a real ladies’ man, but in truth, the ladies were afraid to say no to the crown prince. Next in line for the throne was Belladonna. She was five years older than me and unwed, though not for lack of trying. Rich chestnut hair spilled down her shoulders in carefully manicured waves that she curled around her fingers whenever she caught a man looking at her. The demure lowering of lashes over her light gray eyes was a seriously false advertisement. Demure, she was not.

Beside her, mimicking every move she made was Keeda, named for a flower Cassava had seen bloom in winter. Her hair was the lightest of my siblings, a dirty blonde that she darkened to be more like Belladonna’s. She and her twin sister, Briar, were identical, right down to their hazel eyes. Briar, though, was sweet, where Keeda worked hard to be as difficult as Belladonna.

Last born was Raven, who came into the world a mere month after me. He looked nothing like the rest, his blue eyes and jet black hair reminding me more of a certain guard who’d been on duty with the queen for years. No one said anything, but the family knew Raven was as much a bastard as me. The difference was simple, though, he was strong where I was weak. And his mother would never allow anyone to claim one of her children as a bastard. It would be instant banishment.

The three girls clustered together, pointing at my clothes and then tittering. Keeda took the point on their attack. “Doesn’t she know that she looks like an old lady in that?”

They were dressed in the most recent human convention of skin tight, shiny material that left nothing to the imagination. “At least I don’t look like a human’s painted whore.”

The room, so silent as it was with my passing, drew in a collective breath.

“Daughter, how kind of you to join us.” My father stood from his throne and I immediately dropped into a curtsey.

“Your Majesty,” I murmured.

Raven came to my side and held out an arm. “Sister, may I escort you?”

I placed a hand on his elbow and nodded, grateful. Raven and I knew we both stood on rocky ground, and he often came to my defense. Of all my siblings, he and I were the closest.

“You look lovely, they are jealous ‘cause they can’t pull off any amount of grace,” Raven said as we walked the last thirty feet at a slow, sedate pace.

“Thank you, Raven.” I squeezed his arm. “How has it been?”

“Oh, the same. Plotting against one another, bickering, doing nothing of import. Father is happy, which makes me think perhaps he’s found a new mistress, and mother is more violent than usual, which confirms it. Also, to be noted, that is the reason she chose not to come today. Said she was tired of being compared to sluts.”

For that alone, the relief flowed through me. Seeing Cassava would only make the reality of my dream harder to dispute, just one more reason to avoid coming to the Spiral. I raised an eyebrow and scanned those closest to the throne. “Any idea who father might be bedding?”

“I was hoping you might be able to help with that. You seem to have a knack for digging out the truth.” Raven smiled up at me and I laughed. Of that, he was right. I scanned the room again, and saw one face that stood out. Rich auburn hair, so dark the red tones were hard to see, caught my eye first. And then her deep green eyes fairly glowing with the burn of new love, and in one glance between her and my father I knew I was right.

“Good goddess, he’s seeing a child,” I grumbled.

Raven slowed our walk even more, dragging out our time together. “Who is it?”

“The one on the right, there in the green dress that matches her eyes. Her name is Fern, she is a few years younger than you and me.” I could scarcely believe it, but there, another glance between them confirmed it. A sigh slipped out of me. “Don’t tell your mother. Goddess knows, it will fuel her rage if she sees how young he’s gone this time.”

“Point taken, and now I must leave you, sister. Good luck.” He gave me a wink, bowed, and left me to stand directly in front of our father.

King Basileus still cut a sharp figure, despite his advanced years. We didn’t age like the humans. At around the thirty-year mark, our bodies just stopped maturing, allowing us longer than normal lives. There were a few in the family who looked old, which meant they had been around a very long time indeed. And no, you don’t ask how old they are, it’s rude.

My father’s time on this side of the soil had not aged him, and his body was as firm as those of his Enders. Deep brown hair with hints of auburn and a few flecks of silver, that was long enough to be braided, but he left it to flow down his back. A number of the men tried to emulate it, but couldn’t really pull it off. He wore a full beard that was trimmed close to his jaw, showing off the lines of his face and again, emphasizing he was still a man to be reckoned with. His eyes, though, they were what captivated me. Deep, dark forest green that sometimes faded to black when angry. But today I was in luck. His new love had softened him, and his eyes sparkled with good humor and a relaxation I hadn’t often seen on him. I let out a sigh of relief and curtseyed again. “Father.”