Chapter 1

"Has anyone ever told you that you're a bastard, Mills? Because if they have, I want you to know that I agree with them whole-heartedly."

Lieutenant Mills looked up from his computer and smiled at the young detective's opening line. "Why, Charlie. What a nice surprise." He gestured toward the chair across from his desk. "Have a seat."

Charlie didn't return the smile. She whipped her flame-colored ponytail over her shoulder and walked straight up to the boss's desk. "You gave the Carter case to Williams and McGee? Seriously? Barnes and I deserve it and you know it!"

Mills sighed. He'd hoped he could maybe make it through one Monday without this girl barging into his office. "Oh, come on, kid. This case is high-profile with a lot of undercover work involved. Both Williams and McGee have undercover experience."

"So does Barnes!"

"Not with you, he doesn't. Barnes is still getting used to you as a partner. And you're not even used to wearing your own clothes to work. Do you really think you two are ready to lead a case like this?"

"Yes, I do," Charlie replied, her jade eyes still shining with anger. She began pacing in front of Mills' desk. "You know damn well that Barnes is one of the best detectives you've got. And if you'd let me prove myself, you'd see that in me too! I'm smart, strong, dedicated; you yourself told me I had some of the best potential you've seen!"

"I didn't know it would make you so cocky," Mills said, smirking.

Charlie groaned. "When are you ever going to start taking me seriously?"

Mills shook his head, his laughter petering out. "Oh, kiddo, I do take you seriously."

"Thanks, calling me 'kiddo' really convinces me of that."

Mills put his hand up. "Quiet. I spent fifteen years in the trenches, right where you are. I can call you whatever I want." When Charlie looked at the floor, Mills' features softened. "Listen, Charlie. I do think you have potential. You would still be in uniform if I didn't think that. You're twenty-three years old and already in plain clothes—that's something to be proud of. What's your rush? Your time'll come. And I'm sure you'll be great."

Charlie rolled her eyes and sat down. A siren went off outside (as sirens always seem to do in New York City), and it served Charlie with a fresh reminder of all the action she wasn't seeing. "Thank you, Mills, very inspirational," she commented.

Mills laughed. "You are a pain in my ass, Roberts. You're lucky I happen to like you."

"You like pain in your ass, Mills? I never knew you swung that way."

Mills closed his eyes and shook his head. "Lord, kid, what am I going to do with you?"

"Give me an assignment?" Charlie asked with a fake smile.

"Maybe next time. For now, I think you should head out for the day."

Charlie squinted her eyes in confusion. "What for? I barely even yelled at you."

"I guess I just want to quit while I'm ahead. Plus I think you need reminding that as your boss, you shouldn't be yelling at me at all."

"Mills! That's completely ridiculous."

"No, what's ridiculous is a girl who's only been a detective for six months screaming at me every time an assignment goes to someone else. Especially a girl who wants to get into the FBI someday. A bad report from me would stamp that dream out in a hurry. Now go home, relax, and try to get your priorities in order."

Charlie stood up. "All right, all right. But could you please try to find something for us? If you don't want to do it for me, do it for Barnes. He's been going crazy from boredom these last few months."

"Hmm, I would think if he were going so crazy, he'd be in here instead of you. That boy's got some patience, something you learn after you've been on the force for a while. Or at least I hope you will—I blame my gray hair on you, you know."

"Well you should be happy then. The hair makes you look just like Morgan Freeman."

"Please get out of my office, Roberts."

Charlie shrugged and grudgingly got up and walked out of the office, closing the door behind her. She even managed not to slam it, for once. Mills exhaled. It was tough to discipline Charlie—she'd quickly become one of his favorites when she'd come roaring into the NYPD two years ago. Her willfulness and humor were what he would've liked to see in his own daughter, if he'd ever had one. But that girl had to learn respect. No one talked back to the boss, not even little Charlie Roberts.

Mills ran his hand through his hair, chuckling in spite of himself, "Morgan Freeman, huh? Not too bad…"

Charlie left Mills' office to get her coat. She sighed. Another failed attempt at an exciting case. She wondered if she and Barnes were ever going to catch a break. At least Barnes had worked on interesting assignments. His career was just on a little bit of a hiatus while he attempted to introduce the less experienced Charlie to detective life. Charlie was starting to feel like life as a uniformed officer had been more eventful. At least she had a few interesting stories from her days patrolling. All that seemed to happen to her lately was paperwork, paperwork, a little bit of background checking, and then more paperwork. She felt more like a secretary than a detective.

She approached her desk and sank into her chair. Barnes looked up from his desk, right next to Charlie's. "Let me guess," he said, "it didn't go well with the boss."

Charlie slumped in her chair. "Back at NYU, kids laughed at me for wanting to be a cop. They thought I could do so much more with my life. I'm starting to wonder if they were right."

Barnes laughed, running his hand through his chestnut hair. "Yeah, well, you can bet what my friends at Princeton had to say. Not to mention my parents."

"Oh, yeah, I always forget about your WASP-y roots. You have no right to be as normal as you are." They both laughed. Then Charlie frowned and looked at him. "I'm really sorry, Barnes. If you weren't stuck with me as a partner, you'd probably be having a lot more fun."

"Fun is not the right word for homicide cases. Besides, everyone knows you're Mills' pride and joy, despite that temper of yours. Once he decides you're ready, we'll be rolling in good cases."

Charlie grinned. Barnes was always good at making her feel better. She and Barnes had been close since Charlie had started at the NYPD, and becoming her partner had pushed him into best friend territory. "God, I hope so." She put her briefcase on her desk and packed up her paperwork. She grabbed her coat off the back of her chair. "Well, I guess I'm off."

"Whoa, Charlie. I don't think leaving in the middle of the day is a good way to get back into the boss' good favor."

"Relax. He told me I could have the rest of the day off to 'get my priorities in order.'"

Barnes nodded. "Aha. So what are you gonna do with the time off?"

Charlie shrugged. "I don't know, maybe go to Central Park."

"Haven't you lived in New York long enough not to be seduced by that tourist trap?"

"I like nature, so sue me."

"City-regulated nature is not nature. But fine, enjoy. Playoffs at my place tonight?"

Charlie stood up and shrugged into her coat. "Yep."

"And Charlie?" She looked at him. "Don't worry, we'll get there eventually. Just need to have a little patience."

"Ah, something you apparently have tons of, according to Mills."

"He said that? Like as a compliment? Charlie, you should write that down. I can frame it, hang it over the mantelpiece, show it to guests—"

Charlie laughed. "Goodbye, Barnes."

Barnes smiled. "Bye, Charlie."

Charlie hugged her coat closer as she walked through the park. She admired the brown, red, and yellow leaves. She didn't care what Barnes said. Central Park was nice. It was one of the few places in New York where one could actually tell it was autumn. As a person who hadn't grown up with seasons, Charlie certainly appreciated that.

She looked around her. Sometimes Charlie wondered what she was even doing in New York. She'd come all the way from California seven years ago … for what? To be a police officer? She could have done that anywhere, with much cheaper living expenses. Charlie did want to be in the FBI, but it wasn't like the FBI didn't have headquarters in other cities. But something kept Charlie in New York after graduation. She identified with this city—she'd wanted to live there her whole life. Just because her dream had changed from painting to criminal psychology didn't mean she was going to abandon the one place that had started to feel like home. Besides, it was a hell of a lot better here than fake-tanned, dyed-blonde Los Angeles.

Feeling a little better about her life decisions, Charlie continued her walk. A couple was eating lunch on a nearby bench and a girl in jogging clothes whizzed past Charlie, breathing deeply. She raised her eyebrows when she noticed the man walking in her direction. He was tall (at least compared with Charlie's meager height of 5'3") and had jet-black hair. He had fair skin and large, cerulean blue eyes. He looked around him with a deep fascination that convinced her he wasn't a native New Yorker. Charlie wasn't much for checking out random guys, but she couldn't help noticing how ridiculously attractive this one was. The man's eyes met hers, and his face erupted into a smile. He began to walk quickly toward her.

Before Charlie could react, the man caught her arm in a forceful grip and attempted to pull her along with him. "You have to come with me right now," the man said, excited.

Charlie tore the man's hand from her arm and twisted his arm behind his back, pushing him off the path and into the grass. Despite her petite appearance, she had been one of the strongest fighters at the Police Academy. "Excuse me, I don't have to do anything," she said with a vicious smile. After the day she'd had, arresting some creepy mugger was exactly what she needed.

The man yelped in pain. "I don't want to hurt you, dammit! I just want to talk!" He got free and pushed Charlie to the ground.

Charlie jumped up, took the man's collar, and pinned him against the nearest tree. "Well, fuckhead, you've got a funny way of starting a conversation."

A few people nearby were staring at Charlie and the man in concern. Charlie frowned, made sure she had a good hold on the guy, and fished in her coat pocket for her badge. She flashed it at the spectators. "Go along with your business, people, there's nothing to see here." She put her badge back and returned her other hand to the man's collar, pushing him harder into the tree. "Bet that badge doesn't make you too happy, does it?" Charlie asked.

The man stopped struggling and sighed. "Actually, I can't feel much of anything at the moment since you're cutting off my air supply. If you'd just let me go—"

"What, so you can mug me or abduct me or do whatever the hell else your sick mind was thinking? You just assaulted a police officer—I don't really think you're in the position to be making any requests."

"Maybe not," the man said with a slight smile. "But I wasn't trying to burgle or abduct you, I promise."

"What, just trying to break my neck, maybe?"

The man looked at her. "You seem to have some real issues trusting people."

"Of trusting assholes that attack me in the park? Yeah, I guess I do."

Suddenly, the man almost effortlessly pushed Charlie away. He didn't come at her again. He simply walked a few feet away from her. "If I were really trying to hurt you, wouldn't I have done that a while ago? And let me remind you, you attacked me."

Charlie felt for her gun in the holster on her belt. She supposed it would be silly to whip the gun out. She moved her hand away from the gun and tightened her ponytail. She was tempted to arrest the man—it wasn't like she didn't have just cause. Several witnesses had seen him assault her. But he didn't appear to be making any move to leave so she decided to hear him out. His incredible attractiveness might have had something to do with that decision.

She walked a little closer to him, making sure he wasn't going to run away. "You pushed me down though," she commented.

"Only to keep you from breaking my arm." He looked at her with a bit of a smile. "You're pretty strong."

Charlie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well, you kind of have to be to get through the Police Academy."

He shrugged. "I guess. I doubt you could get past the tests they give us at the Center."

Charlie's mind raced with thoughts of the Mafia or maybe some secret law enforcement agency. Maybe this guy was more than some lowly mugger. "Where would this Center be?"

"Nowhere you'd know of."

"Try me."

"Albanon."

"Okay … where's that?"

The man looked up at the sky. "Somewhere out there. Albanon's a whole different realm, so you couldn't find it even if you tried."

Great, so not only had this guy attacked her, but he was apparently insane as well. Charlie wasn't sure why she had expected any different—this was New York after all. Oddly enough, this didn't make Charlie want to run away. She had been a psychology major in college and it was her dream to be a Personal Profiler in the FBI. So she was pretty fascinated by studying mentally unstable people. She was sure she could hold the guy off if he attacked her again (plus she had a gun), so she decided to listen a little longer. Might give her some psychological insight. "Mmm, so you think you're from a different planet?"

"Not planet, realm. There's a difference."

Charlie decided to be a Good Samaritan and try to help this guy. He didn't seem like a bad person—just out of touch with reality. "Listen, I know a psychologist—she was one of my teachers at NYU." She slowly pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. "Let me just give her a call; she could probably help you."

The man sighed. "Joan Athen warned me you'd be difficult."

"And who is she," Charlie asked as she shuffled through the Contacts in her phone.

"Not she, he. He's my boss back home, the one who sent me here."

She flipped her phone closed and put it in her pocket. She figured maybe if she played along with this guy's story for a little bit, she could convince him to go see Dr. Rosenthal with her. He needed help. He seemed almost rational in his speech, and not particularly mentally disturbed (despite his belief that he was from another planet) so perhaps he would be able to accept the help. "How would this Joan Athen know who I am?"

"Oh, back home, everyone knows who you are."

She raised an eyebrow. "Well then, would you mind telling me my name?"

"Charlie Jennifer Roberts."

At this, Charlie was speechless. She felt in her coat pocket to see if the guy had stolen her wallet. He hadn't. She came toward him, trying to keep the tremble out of her voice. "How long have you been following me?"

The man looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, I've actually only been on Earth about an hour. I saw this park and decided to take a bit of a breather before starting my search for you. Thanks for deciding to come here on your own—you saved me a lot of time."

This guy was talking very calmly for someone who was completely and utterly delusional. Charlie hardly knew what to say to him. But she couldn't leave now. She couldn't walk away without finding out how this creep knew who she was. "You're saying you were looking for me?" The man nodded. "Why?'

"That's what I've come to tell you. If you'll stop threatening me, I'll explain."

"Honestly, I should arrest you right now. You attacked me; you're convinced you're from another planet—"

"Realm—"

"Shut up. I think I am going to take you to the station, and recommend you see my friend Dr. Rosenthal—you need help." Maybe getting this lunatic off the streets would impress Mills and he would throw her and Barnes a bone.

"I guess you could. But then you'd have to live with never knowing what it is I was going to explain to you."

Charlie laughed. "Honey, if I bring you in, I'll be able to know whatever I want about you. We'll look up your background, your records."

The man continued to smile infuriatingly. "There's no record out there that can tell you what I have to say, trust me." He put his hands in front him, available for handcuffs. "But if you want to take your chances, go ahead."

What the hell was this guy's deal? She knew she should arrest him right away. But the way he knew her name … it did make her wonder what else he might know. Against her better judgment, she replied, "Fine. If you promise not to attack me again, I'll let you explain."

The man nodded, smiling. "I promise."

She glared at him for a moment. "What's your name, anyway?"

The man grinned again. "How stupid of me, I forgot to introduce myself in the midst of all your threats—"

"You attacked me!"

"Not really, I just—"

Charlie took handcuffs off her belt and jingled them. "I could turn you in without hearing you out, you know."

He smiled ironically. "Fine." He extended his hand. "My name's Zander Winter, nice to meet you." Charlie didn't shake his hand so Zander let it fall back to his side.

"So Albanon's like some kind of Fairyland?"

"Not really. I mean, there are faeries. I'm half, actually."

"Half … fairy?"

He nodded. "On my mother's side."

She shook her head. "Dear God."

Zander allowed annoyance to creep onto his face. "Listen, I know you don't believe me, but could you at least pretend to? It would make explaining much easier."

Charlie fingered her gun, reminding herself of the upper hand she had in the situation. "Fine. So if you're from another realm, what are you doing here?"

Zander said proudly, "I have been sent to find Albanon's princess and inform her of her ancestry."

He's looking for his realm's lost princess? Charlie thought. If he's bothering to cook up a crazy story like this, he shouldn't make it so cliché. "And who would this princess be?"

He gave an exaggerated bow and said, "You, of course, Your Highness."

She laughed out loud. This was the craziest thing he'd said yet. Her? A princess? Charlie personally couldn't think of anyone less princess-like. "So you're proposing that I'm princess of some 'realm,' I've never even heard of?" Zander nodded like it was the most logical thing in the world. "Okay. Well, I've got my explanation now. Enjoy whatever mental hospital you end up in," Charlie said and opened her handcuffs. She roughly pulled his arms behind his back and got ready to fasten the cuffs.

Zander didn't struggle, but turned his head slightly toward her. He said quietly, "Don't you want to know about your parents?"

Charlie froze and looked at him. She shook her head. "Shut up, asshole. You and I are done talking. You have the right to remain silent—"

"Oh, come on. What kind of orphan isn't curious about her parents?"

At this Charlie took Zander's shoulder and whipped him around, dropping the handcuffs on the ground. She grabbed him by the collar and spoke through gritted teeth, "How in the hell could you know that?"

Zander smiled, satisfied. "All you know is that they left you on Manhattan Beach when you were a baby. I could tell you a lot more."

Charlie backed away from him, afraid. No one in New York knew about that part of her past. Mills knew from background checks that Charlie had grown up in a children's home, but even he couldn't know what beach she'd been left on. "My parents are either dead or not worth knowing," she said softly, lost in thought for a moment.

Zander seemed sincerely hurt by that statement. "But, Princess, they only sent you away to protect you—"

"Fuck you!" she yelled, coming out of her daze. She could not deal with this, not now. She had not come this far to be thwarted back to her past by this bastard. She kicked Zander onto his back. She knew she should arrest him, he was obviously crazy, but she couldn't resist the urge to get away as quickly as possible.

She began to walk away but Zander caught her by the shoulder. "Dammit, Princess, Queen Viola needs you! We all need you, that's why I'm here!"

Charlie tried to shake him off but he held fast to her shoulder. She cocked the leg closest to him and delivered a swift kick to his groin. Zander hunched over in pain. Charlie rushed off before he could stop her. "You stay the fuck away from me!"

Zander looked up as she ran away. "Princess, you're not making my job any easier!"

Charlie ignored him, running until she had gotten out of the park. She practically fell into the first available cab. She sat back, trying to put what just happened out of her mind as quickly as possible. If she didn't acknowledge it, she wouldn't have to deal with it. And with any luck, she would never see that bastard again.

Author's Note: Hello to all old and new readers! Sooo as it says on my profile, some very cool non-UNEXPECTED ROYALTY things are going on in my writing career for the moment. I want to talk to you all about it … but I'm not sure if I'm contractually allowed, so I'm finding that out as we speak. Anyway, the way my career is going, I chose to shelve UNEXPECTED ROYALTY for a while.

But then … I really, really started to miss it. I've been working on this story for about eight years now. It's been extremely weird not working on it. A few months back, I put a new Chapter 1 on Fictionpress, to see what you all thought. And any of my awesome old readers who checked in unanimously thought the old Chapter 1 was better.

To satisfy my UNEXPECTED ROYALTY withdrawal, I'm putting this book back up. I'm putting up the latest draft I did PRIOR to changing the beginning. I know the book is way too long, but my readers helped me realize that the book just feels wrong if it doesn't start in New York. So as I post these chapters (I'm thinking I'll post one a week or so), please let me know if things ever seem to lag. I'm on the lookout for things to cut and if you spot anything, please, please let me know. Hopefully this book sees the bookshelves of bookstores someday. But since I don't intend to query with it for quite a while, I thought I should let my old readers (and any very welcome new ones!) know how it ends. Thanks so much, guys. I never would've thought I could pursue writing without your amazing support.