Alex saw the boat Pinky and Christine had taken dock on the island. She had been talking to a pod of dolphins and wasn't looking for their boat, but she had seen it. She knew it was theirs, just as she somehow knew the two strangers in it were Percy and Kyrla. So she stole away from the dolphins and carefully made her way alone the shore to the boat.

Percy, a man with blonde hair and stormy sea-blue eyes, smiled. "Yes, and I'm sorry about that. I never planned for our ship to be wrecked and us to fall upon that island." He shook his head. "If we had just been one island over...Well, we're here now."

"Yes, but Steve isn't here," Kyrla reminded them. She was Christine's twin, and looked it, resembling a mirror reflection with the exception of the unicorn scar. "I want to see him right away. On the way, I want to hear all about the past twenty-one years."

"Well, not much happened," Christine said. "Except, Beth's band made it big and have been strong ever since. I was in their first music video."

"Good for her!" Kyrla said emphatically. "I never met her, but you always spoke highly of her. I expect to be introduced soon. How are our parents?"

"I don't know," Christine confessed. "I haven't talked to them since you disappeared."

"Then we must go visit them," Kyrla decided. "I want to see how little Wil turned out. And how are Iris and Marek?"

Christine laughed. "Iris teaches healing magic at Buckingham Palace for the Queen and the pages, and also works as a nurse. Marek has become head of the London thieves. But I thought you said something about going to see Steve...? I think he'll be almost as happy as me to hear we don't have to marry each other."

"Well, stop gabbing there, and let's get going," Percy told them. "Just...how are we going to get there?"

"Relocation spells," Christine answered. "I learned them a few months after you disappeared. Too bad you didn't know them then, huh?"

Kyrla shook her head. "Those cells were sealed from all kinds of magic," she said. "I couldn't even contact the gods. They didn't take any chances, I swear. For the first time in my life, I was completely helpless. It was quite a change from growing up in the Immortal Realm."

"And look, we're still not any closer to Steve," Percy said with more than a touch of annoyance in his voice.

"We're coming," Christine told him. "Goodbye, everyone. We'll be back in a while." In a blink, they were gone.

Steve looked at her. "Are you okay?" he asked. "I thought you said before that never in a million years would you look forward to marrying me."

"Oh, she's not going to marry you, I am," Kyrla said, stepping out from behind a row of bushes. Steve's face twisted in astonishment, and then he ran from the door and spun Kyrla around.

"He's acting just like I wanted to when I saw you," Percy remarked, standing next to Christine.

"Why didn't you? Do you no longer act on impulse?" she asked.

"No, I would have if I hadn't been locked in a cell," he replied.

"So what's stopping you now?" she asked.

And people going by saw two men swinging around their unofficial fiances on the front lawn of a very prestigious Martha's Vineyard house. It was a sight to behold, but it was more exciting to be the one being swung around.

Upon their return, Alex saw a much different London than the one she had seen a month ago. Very few cars were on the streets, and no flashing lights were present. The extinction of natural resources had begun.

The residents of London seemed to be taking it very hard, despite the Queen's previous warnings. Chaos ran amuck as people just stood by and watched. The few horses employed in drawing carriages were frightened by every motion they saw, not being accustomed to this job. Christine saw this as the immediate problem and went to soothe a panicked horse. Kyrla and Alex quickly followed her example, and soon at least the horses weren't adding to the confusion. The people were the problem, and they couldn't help with that. So they continued on their way to the palace.

One of the palace servants offered to have a room made for Alex, but she politely refused it, saying she could stay with her sister for the moment. She had decided on telling Queen Adela that nighit. The only thing she had to decide on was how to tell her.

"Alexander Tirragen."

"Come in, Alexander." The Queen's tone was pleasant. Alex wondered if it would be pleasant much longer. "Have a seat. Did you just arrive back?"

"A few hours ago, Your Majesty," Alex replied. "I need to talk to you about something."

"Oh? Did the Great Mother Goddess talk to you again?"

"No, she didn't. Actually, this is on a more personal level. You see, I've been lying since I came to the palace. I'm not really Alexander Tirragen."

The Queen's face revealed no emotion. "Who are you, then?" she calmly asked.

"I'm Alexandria Grossi." There, she had said it. Now the Queen could punish her as she saw just.

Still, she was silent. Then, in a burst of air, the majestic queen started laughing. "You mean to tell me, I've been looking for you ever since you weren't on Jagmas, and you've been in the palace? This really takes the cake on all the pranks you've pulled." Suddenly, she was serious again. "Now that the secret's out, how do you plan on living your immediate life?"

"I don't know," Alex answered. "I'd like to continue as a squire and become a knight, but I don't expect it. After all, a knight is honest. I haven't been very honest lately, although I have tried to be truthful about everything else..."

"Yes, but you want to become a knight, right?"

Alex looked her cousin in the eyes. "Yes," she answered.

"Good, because Sir Douglas Mason has shown a great interest in being your knight-master. I hardly doubt this will change his mind."

"You're letting me stay on?" Alex asked, still not believing this.

"Of course," Queen Adela answered. "I couldn't very well lose my best fencer at court, and also my connection to the Great Goddess, could I? Definitely not. Now, go before I change my mind."

Alex smiled, knowing her royal cousin never changed her mind, but obeyed her. Outside, she leaned on the wall with a sigh of relief. Her secret was gone, a thing of the past. And still she was to become an official squire in the fall! The future looked very bright, indeed.