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to my own realm led us to a series of doors.  Caydon opened the floor to ceiling double wooden doors where two guards stood at attention.  Will, whom I was well acquainted with, nodded not in a friendly way.  It was a reminder that he felt he’d win and I’d lose.
    The older guard speared his eyes her way and returned his gaze to empty space.  Will, undressed her with his eyes and then some.   Another gave her quite the appreciative glance.
    This was going to be hell from the inside out.

EMMA
                 
    I was unprepared for the inside of the room ’s decor.  It was the exact replica of the main room at Ames realm, but on the ceiling in bright, beautiful colors was a mural of my parents...and me.  It was the painting I’d seen of them in the cave covered in dust a million times larger. 
    “How?” I asked no one in particular.  I forget all manners of being in a strange place and greeting first because I wasn’t in a strange place. 
    “We were all aligned together once, remember?” Ames asked me.
    Feeling strangely protective suddenly, I said to Caydon, “Oh yes.   I do remember you sharing that, Ames.”  My hand wrapped slowly across his the front of his shoulder blade and pressed against the indentions there.  Caydon watched at first then walked away.  I was hoping for some boomerang sarcasm.
    Caydon ignored my ploys and began moving fashionably fast towards a sitting area surrounded by little tables.  All the tables sat bare.  All the chairs were full.
    A snap in the direction of one of the servant girls brought her nearly to the tips of his toes when she jumped up. 
    “Sir.”
    “Greta.  Can you have the kitchen bring out something for our guest to celebrate with?”
    The servant named Greta bowed and left.  I, once again, felt like I was in the presence of Joshlin but a slightly nicer version.
    “Emma, please get comfortable.”
    I could almost hear the duplicity in his voice.  He had agendas I wasn ’t aware of yet and I feared their revealing.  I backed closer to where I knew Ames was behind me hoping for his hand to find its way to my back again. Sadly, it didn’t.
    “I ’m fine standing.”
    Caydon continued standing as well, but inched in a little closer.  I tried again to step back, but my foot caught on the small step I took to get to the center of the room.  Before I knew it, Caydon ’s arms were wrapped around my waist and setting me back to standing. 
    My eyes wide, I flailed around to admonish him, but that same smile knocked me down again.  Was a sexy smile part of the requirements for running the goblin realm?
    I made myself look back at Ames to see if he would rescue me or get a jealous act like he usually did to guys too close to me.  He was passively looking at the stone floor like a tense cyborged robot.  It was unrealistic of the Ames I knew. 
    A girl was kind enough to move in my direction and ask if I needed anything.  She was just being nice, so I smiled.  Pretty, I admired her shiny brown hair.
    “Lily,” she said so softly.  If a girl was ever considered a delicate flower, she fit the description perfectly.
    Oh!  That was her name.  Got it.  At first, I thought she was trying to guess mine.  “It ’s nice to meet you Lily.”
    Caydon took her hand and led her to the seat close to where I stood.  He bowed his head in slow motion to her and looked back to me.
    “Attention everyone.  Our guest today is no guest.  I want you to formally meet the beautiful exquisite,” he paused for effect, “Princess Loggin.”
    A fierce whisper came over the crowd with a few laughs and giggles I couldn ’t place a reason for.  I hoped they weren’t laughing at me.
    “Please come greet your future queen.”
    Maybe he wanted to create shock value—I don’t know.  Either way, I froze in my steps and bit my lip enough to draw blood.  When he saw my obvious anger rise, he made another snide remark.
    “You knew all this Jem, don ’t