[Shortlist | Ambassadors Pick] Alicia DuMont is telling the truth. Unless you count lies of omission, which she decidedly does not. Twenty-four and finally standing on her own two feet as a hairstylist, she is surprised when she and her friends receive an invitation to the prince's Coming-of-Age Masked Ball. Knowing they are right out of the running for marriage to the prince won't stop them from having a little fun, though! Prince Alejandro has a truth he can't share: his country is weaker than it seems. At nearly twenty-one, his dream of marrying for love is tied up in somehow falling for a down-to-earth woman who can strengthen the monarchy. Hoping his Coming-of-Age Ball will throw such a girl into his path, he's determined to make the most of it. And when he meets the mysterious Alicia, he is immediately drawn to her. When Alicia and Alejandro decide to begin a relationship, royal conventions throw them straight into an engagement. They may be the epitome of poise and grace in public, but behind the scenes questions of Alicia's suitability mix with the threat of national unrest. Every day their connection grows deeper, but if they can't find a way to quiet the growing discontent, they risk losing not only their relationship but also their country. *** This story was written for the ONC 2021 based on prompt #87.

Shannon is an Agent of the Immortal Search Division. Her mission is to verify that Ben is War, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, and convince him to give up his recently adopted pacifist ways and take up the mantle of his office again. She takes her job seriously but finds herself stuck between her assignment and her growing feelings for him. Regardless of her heart, she knows she must follow through, or all will be lost in the coming alien war.

Lost. Markus Longstreet is lost in a strange land, in what seems to be a past time. And on top of that, his memory is shattered. He knows his name, he knows his skills, and he knows that he needs to get home. His only guide is a stranger, a woman of regal bearing and possessing of strange powers. Can he afford to trust her? Does he even have a choice? These questions and more shall dog Markus, even as men in strange garb pursue him across fen and field. Adventure and Intrigue abound as swords clash, wits are matched, and The Gate of Chronos swings open once again... This story is being entered into the 2021 ONC, and uses the following prompt- Historical Prompt 43: You've traveled into the past, you're not sure how. Somehow, you must make it back to the present before you disturb the timeline. However, that's made a little when a character of a historical legend starts to take an interest in you.