Adam

'Where is she?' I demanded angrily, drawing myself to my full height.

'I don't know who you're talking about, your highness,' the woman answered coyly, only infuriating me further.

'Aisling Zander, where is she?' I growled, unable to keep my anger under control any longer.

'There is no one here by that name.' She replied, looking at me as if I had lost my mind. This was insane.

I had come down here, early this morning searching for Aisling so we could leave when I came across Malvolia in the sitting room looking smug and I knew something was up. I had been talking to her for the last twenty minutes now and she still refused to admit to me that Aisling lived here, let alone where she was.

'I'm losing my patience Mrs Avery. Now, I'm going to ask you one last time, where is Aisling Zander?' I ground out through gritted teeth, clenching my fists tightly at my sides.

'What's going on?' A quiet voice asked from the doorway and I looked over to find Flora's tiny frame wrapped in a delicate, white nightgown and robe, shuffling into the room.

'Flora, you shouldn't be out of bed,' her mother scolded, hurrying to her side with a care I didn't know the woman was capable of.

'I'm fine mother,' Flora answered, before turning her attention to me.

'What's going on here?' She asked me again.

'Your mother seems to have forgotten that Aisling lives here.' I answered, glaring at the woman who was keeping me from her. I watched in confusion as the weak girl turned on her mother with a look so murderous I was certain Malvolia should have simply dropped dead.

'What did you do?' She demanded in a low voice, that even scared me a little.

'Flora-,' Malvolia tried to talk to her daughter but I could see the nervous look in her eyes and my anger quickly returned. What had this woman done?

'No, mother, where is she? What have you done?' Her voice was louder than I had ever heard it before and I felt anger mix with terror in my heart. I needed to see her. I needed to be sure she was safe and the longer this conversation went on the more anxious I felt about finding her.

'What's going on here?' I asked a little uncertainly, looking between the two women, trying to find the answers.

'Mother?' Flora promoted, looking expectantly at her mother, who had panic in her eyes.

'Malvolia, where is Aisling?' I yelled, losing complete control of my temper. I needed to find her now.

'The cellar,' she whispered defeatedly, holding out a key to Flora. She quickly snatched it form her mother, before rushing from the room faster than I thought she could move. Throwing Malvolia a harsh glare I ran from the room chasing after her daughter.

I ran down the corridor until I found her in front of a door struggling to get the key in the lock with her trembling hands.

'Here, let me,' I offered softly, walking up beside her.

'No,' she said firmly. 'I have it.' I took a quick step back from her and let her do it.

Finally, I heard the lock click and the door swung open slowly. I watched as Flora took a deep breath walking into the darkness which quickly consumed her small, white frame.

Seconds later, a dim light flickered on and I moved to follow her down the wooden stairs. Looking at my feet I felt my heart drop suddenly, realising what the dark marks on the wood were. My eyes moved frantically around the room looking for her as the stairs creaked with every step we took. In the dim light it was hard to make out anything and I felt my breathing increase in anticipation.

There wasn't any movement in the room bellow and that was when my eyes rested on a crumpled figure half swallowed in darkness and hidden by a misshapen sheet that had been tossed haphazardly over the form. I prayed she wasn't beneath it. I scanned the room again and it was filled with boxes and even a makeshift bed in the corner that was more like a pile of worn blankets and old clothes piled up on the floor.

It was so cold down here and I could hear an incessant dripping coming from somewhere in the darkness. The air was damp and constricting. How could anyone live down here? How could anyone allow or force someone to live down here?

As soon as Flora reached the concrete floor she ran for the crumpled figure and my worst fears were realised. She quickly whipped the sheet away to reveal the figure beneath. When it was pulled away she let out a strangled cry before dropping to her knees, tears streaming down her face. That's when I saw her tainted, golden hair, matted with died blood and some was even missing. Her limbs were all at odd angles and most of her was covered in dark streaks of blood that had dried and crusted on her skin.

Without thinking about it my body moved itself to her side and fell down until I could pull her limp body into my lap, wrapping her tightly in my arms.

That's when I saw her face. She had an angry red bruise that was blossoming on her cheek and a long cut on her left temple that was still bleeding. There was a small pool of blood she had been left to lie in and I felt anger and despair twist inside of me, both competing for dominance but neither winning. Looking back at her, I saw her already worn and tattered uniform had somehow become even worse. The long sleeves hung from her arms, covering nothing, revealing the sickening scars and burns on her skeletal arms.

My eyes widened in pure horror. She had four silver burn marks and one that didn't seem new but recent enough to still be red and puckered. Her left had an angry jagged scar from elbow to underarm, flashing silver in the dim light.

What had she done to her? I leant my forehead down so it was resting against hers gently and I heard the most beautiful and horrifying sound in the world.

'She's breathing,' I whispered, pulling back from her and looking over at the sobbing Flora who had her head resting in her hands.

She slowly lifted her head to look up at me revealing her red and puffy eyes from all her tears she had shed for Aisling.

'Barely, but she's still breathing. We need to get her help.' Flora nodded firmly, drying her eyes and gingerly getting to her feet.

'I'll get the doctor,' she announced running for the stairs.

'Get my guards as well,' I said as an after thought. She turned to look at me with a confused expression, her foot poised over the first step.

'For your mother,' I almost growled, thinking about the woman upstairs who had done this to Aisling. I watched as anger flashed through her eyes before she nodded again and ran lightly up the stairs.

Slowly, I turned back to Aisling, who still rested motionless in my arms. Pain sliced through my heart as I thought about all she had suffered. I could only imagine how bad it was, but I knew the scars on her skin were only half of what she had been through. How could I have let this happen to her? I was meant to protect her. This was what Flora had meant about protecting her and I had already failed Aisling. I slept soundly above her while she suffered. I would never be deserving of her.

'Aisling, please wake up.' I whispered into her hair pulling her tightly to my chest. 'Please just open you eyes Aisling. Let me see your beautiful green eyes again.' I pleaded, brushing her mattered hair from her face, wishing with all my heart she would just open her eyes.

'I just…please don't leave me. I'll give you anything you want, I'll do anything you want just please don't go Aisling, don't go…' I trailed off my emotions sitting right beneath the surface ready to spill over.

I ran a shaky hand over her bruised cheek, horrified than anyone could do this to my beautiful Aisling. Even a single thought for the woman upstairs had my blood boiling, the anger rolling off me in throbbing waves. Only evil could harm Aisling this way.

All of a sudden there were light footsteps running down the stairs and my eyes looked up hopefully. However, Flora returned alone and I felt the despair crush down on my chest as I looked back down at Aisling to see her chest fluttering weakly.

'He's coming now,' Flora gasped, falling down beside me. 'He promised he would be here within the next ten minutes.' I nodded weakly, afraid even that wouldn't be enough to save her. I couldn't take my eyes off Aisling and her battered form. The longer I looked the more damage I found to her beautiful face and her tiny body.

'Maybe we should move her to one of the beds upstairs?' Flora suggested and I nodded again placing a soft kiss on Aisling's forehead before gathering her up in my arms gently, trying not to disturb her too much. However, she didn't make a noise except for her shallow erratic breathing. Each unsteady breath caused pain to pulse through my chest and I placed another kiss on her forehead desperately wishing she would just open her eyes.

'Oh Ash, please don't leave me,' Flora whispered, reaching up to place a gentle kiss on Aisling's uninjured cheek. She took one last look before running off in front of me, heading for the stairs.

I followed close behind her, holding Aisling close to my chest, wrapped protectively in my arms. I may have failed her once, but I wasn't going to make the same mistake twice. Now that I had her in my arms I was determined to never let her go and to never let anyone get near enough to hurt her.

The feelings swelled in my chest and I didn't even question them because they felt so right. I may have only met this girl that one night at the ball but she had successfully lodge herself in my heart and there was nothing I could do to make her leave. I didn't want her to leave.

When we reached the first bedroom we came across, Flora flung the door open for me and I rested Aisling gently down on the bed, already feeling her absence from my arms.
The brighter light from the windows in the room only made my anger increase. Ever scar, every bruise, every cut and every scrape was amplified in the light.

'Adam,' Flora's small voice broke through my furious haze and I reluctantly pulled my eyes from Aisling to look at her. 'You can't be angry right now.' She warned and I only felt it have the opposite effect on me.

'Why not?' I demanded furiously. 'Look at her.' I motioned forcefully to Aisling's limp body lying motionless on the bed and Flora cringed away before returning her pain filled gaze to me.

'You need to be strong for her,' she gasped, trying to catch her breath. That was when I realised how pale she had become. 'You need to be strong for her because…because I can't.' All of a sudden her eyes rolled back and she collapsed before I even had time to react. I quickly scooped her fragile form into my arms and walked around the bed to place her beside Aisling.

I didn't have time to look her over though because beside her, Aisling had begun to stir for the first time. I ran around the bed to her side and grabbed desperately for her hand with both of mine. All I wanted to see were her beautiful eyes, I just wanted to see the mesmerising light that hid within them.

'Aisling?' I asked hopefully and watched as her eyes began to flutter open.

'Ad-,' she only managed half of my name before a wave of pain pulled her back in, her eyes held captive from me again.

'Please, Aisling, open your eyes,' I begged, holding her hand tighter in mine, trying to give her all my strength. I looked at her for a long time but her eyes never opened again. She stirred moments later, her hand reaching out for someone beside her. I watched curiously as somehow she reached out for Flora. How was she able to sense her friend when I was sure she hadn't see her there before? I watched as she wrapped her hand around Flora's limp one and then she didn't move again.

I had her hand pressed to my lips when one of my guards came in with a wide-eyed man beside him. He was unmistakably a doctor by the way he was dressed and the bag he carried in his left hand. Recognising me the two men bowed but I quickly waved them off, needing for the doctor to tend to Aisling as quickly as possible. I didn't know how much longer she could hold on.

'There's no time for that, Aisling…' I looked back at her broken body, trailing off as the doctor stepped up beside me.

'What happened to her?' He asked, bending over and starting to check her over.

'I don't really know, we found her this way. She woke about five minutes ago but she didn't stay that way for long.' I answered hurriedly.

'I'll see what I can do for her,' He answered as I stepped away so I wasn't in the way of his work.

'What about miss Avery? What happened to her?' He asked pushing on Aisling's ribs and I cringed as one of them seemed to move slightly.

'She passed out when we were moving Aisling, I think she may have overexerted herself.' I replied looking briefly as the other girl before returning my attention to Aisling. My eyes quickly darted back to Flora when I realised I could barely make out her chest rising and falling and for the first time since she collapsed I was afraid she wasn't.

Slowly, I walked around the bed with dread in my heart already suspecting the girl's fate. Standing beside her, looking down she appeared frailer than when I first met her. Lowering myself to her side I searched for the rhythmic breathing that indicated life but it wasn't there. Flora may have looked like she was simply sleeping but she was never going to wake from this slumber. Flora's weary soul was no longer trapped inside her ailing body, she no longer existed among the living.

'Doctor?' I said shakily getting to my feet and looking over at the man treating the only girl that had ever mattered to me.

'Yes, your highness?' He asked not looking up from whatever he was doing to Aisling.

'She's not breathing,' I announced and watched as he froze with his hands on Aisling, looking over to me and then Flora.

'You're sure?' He asked cautiously, still not moving. I nodded my confirmation and watched as he took in a deep breath.

All of a sudden there was a ruckus that came from outside the room and I looked up at the guard in alarm. Quickly, he ducked out of the room and I was quick to follow him afraid whatever it was might hurt Aisling.

'What is the meaning of this? Why is my wife under arrest and where is my daughter?' An angry man demanded, whom I assumed was Mr Avery.

'Calm down sir,' I instructed, drawing his attention to me as two guards tried to stop him from going into the sitting room his wife was being held in.

'Who are you?' As soon as he turned to face me his face went pale and recognition flashed across it.

'Your highness,' he breathed, dropping into a low bow. I glared down at him, feeling my anger spike again. Had this man ever laid a hand on Aisling?

'Arrest him as well,' I commanded and two guards quickly moved to his side taking both of his arms.

'What, why? What have I done?' He asked in confusion.

'An innocent girl is in there on the edge of death,' I growled. 'How can you ask me what you could have possibly done to deserve this?'

'Flora?' He breathed, despair and sadness washing over him, but I shook my head harshly.

'No, Aisling. Flora died beside her after trying to help me save her. Not that you deserve to know.'

'Flora's gone?' He asked in disbelief and I turned my back on him not caring to see how upset he was for his daughter. I needed to get back to Aisling.

'Wait,' He shouted and I paused but refused to turn back and look at him. 'Aisling? Will she be all right?'

'Why do you care?' I growled, my fists clenched tightly by my sides. He was silent for a long time and finally, I turned back to look at him.

'Why do you care what happens to her?' I repeated angrily.

'She's…she's my daughter.' He barely whispered, his head hung low as I felt my initial shock at his revelation morph into uncontrollable rage.

'What?' I demanded, striding towards him.

'She's my daughter too.' He repeated a little louder, still refusing to look at me.

'You would do that to your own daughter? You would let your wife do that to your own daughter? She was a slave to you but you still stand there and tell me she was your flesh and blood? ' I accused barely stopping myself from tearing him limb from limb.

'I never hurt Aisling,' He replied in alarm looking up at me with startled eyes.

'I don't believe you.' I growled levelling his eyes with mine.

'I promise you, I would never hurt her. I loved her.' He finished in a whisper.

'Don't lie to me,' I scoffed.

'It's the truth.' He pleaded. 'I loved her mother very much, too much, but I was never allowed to be with her. We planned to run away. My parents were stuck in the old ways and they would have never allowed me to marry a maid but I loved Molly. On the night we planned to run away together my parents threw a party and announced my engagement to Malvolia. They knew what Molly and I were planning. They also knew that she was pregnant. They threatened to make her disappear if I refused to marry Malvolia. I couldn't let them hurt Molly or our child. I was weak, it was the only way I could see to protect them.' I looked down at the man in disgust. How could he have hurt the woman he loved as he had?

'Where's Molly? Why is Aisling here?' I ground out, anger consuming my vision.

'She died,' He answered sadly. 'She was a maid in the palace and died in one of the rebel attacks. They called me and gave me Aisling to take care of.'

'This is how you took care of her? By torturing her and making her a slave in a house she had every right to live in as an equal?' I demanded.

'When I brought her home Malvolia was six months pregnant with Flora, she didn't want my illegitimate child in her house but I couldn't just toss her out on the street. So we agreed to let her stay with the staff. Malvolia was unhappy still and I knew it.' He finished sadly.

'You knew what Malvolia was doing to Aisling and you just let it happen?' I was outraged by the cowardice of this man and quickly grabbed his shirt front lifting his pathetic form from the ground so his feet dangled beneath him.

'I never hurt her,' he said trying to calm my anger.

'No, but you let your wife do it. You allowed Aisling to live a life of suffering. Did she know you were her father?'

'No,' he answered quietly falling limp in my hold.

'You're a despicable man,' I spat throwing him to the ground. 'You deserve to rot in prison for the rest of your life.' His head hung low in defeat as he sat crumpled on the ground. I stared at him for a long time my mind consumed with hatred for him. How could he have allowed this to happen to Aisling and in the same breath tell me that he had love her?

'Is she going to be all right?' He asked in a weak voice, not raising his eyes to mine.

'You have no right to know about her wellbeing.' I growled and he nodded his head dejectedly. 'However, you should know you'll never see her again, you'll never be allowed to hurt her ever again.' I hissed, turning from him and heading back for Aisling. When I was almost to the door he spoke again.

'What's going to happen to me?' He asked and I felt my anger surge again. How could a man be so selfish, so weak?

'Your fate will be to live without both your daughters. You never deserved either of them.' I accused before disappearing into the room, never turning back to look at the man who may have cost me Aisling.


Amberly

It had been almost two days now since I heard Adam had left the palace in search of the mystery girl. Mother had told me her name was Aisling Zander. I could sense she had something more to say about her but she was holding back. I didn't push her because I was too worried about Adam and how he was handling all of this.

He hadn't contacted anyone since he arrived in Likely. His guards had contacted mom and dad telling them the situation was bad. I didn't get all of the details but there was something wrong with Aisling, she had been hurt but I didn't know how or why and I'm not sure mom and dad knew either.

The guards said Adam was livid with the person who had done it to her but I only had half the story. I needed to speak to Adam but he wasn't talking to anyone. He wouldn't leave her side. Last I heard they were at the local hospital and she still hadn't woken up. Dad was getting anxious because he needed Adam back but there was more to it than just needing him to return for the selected girls. I wish I was there, I was so tired of getting second hand information and half answers. I was so confused.

I was pacing my room when I heard a tentative knock on my door. I looked at it for a long time considering who it might be and whether I wanted them to come in. Finally, I called for them to enter and the door slowly opened to reveal someone I knew I didn't want to see.

'Amberly?' Anthony asked softly.

'I don't want to see you right now, Anthony.' I said, turning from him and moving to the glass doors which led to my balcony, overlooking the castle gardens.

'Are you sure you don't want some company, I know it's hard for you to be away from your family, especially with all that's going on.' He answered quietly as I heard the door close and his uncertain footsteps cross the room to me.

'Please, Anthony, just leave me alone,' I whispered wrapping my arms around myself tightly, trying to hide myself.

'Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?' He asked cautiously and I could feel myself crumbling.

'I just wish I was there,' I murmured, letting my chin fall against my chest.

'I know,' he consoled and I started as his arm wrapped around me but I didn't fight it. I found myself taking comfort in his closeness. I was never one to seek comfort from someone else's touch. As a child I had always kept myself at a distance, never initiating acts of affection, even with my brothers and sisters or my parents.

However, strangely I found myself comfortable and wanting of his arms around me and it was a little frightening. My eyes widened when I turned back to look at him but his face was caring and serious. Something I had never seen from him before, which made everything even more unsettling. Everything was so unclear. I couldn't deal with my feelings for Anthony today. Before now I didn't know I could have any feelings for him other than contempt and sometimes disgust and anger. So when he pulled me into his chest, holding me tightly I let him.

'It's going to be all right love,' he soothed running his hand calmingly up and down my back. I nodded in reply but couldn't force my mind to construct a sentence in reply. I was just so lost. Everything was uncertain and I felt like I was drifting. What was happening?


King Frederick

'What are you doing?' Olivier demanded angrily as she made her way over to me, where I was peeking through the gap in the door at my son and Amberly.

'Shhh,' I hissed, waving my hands at her, trying to keep her quiet. My wife had never been good at being silent. It was probably why she had never been able to pull any tricks on me over the years.

'Rick, are you spying on the poor girl? I swear-,' once she was close enough I quickly wrapped my hand over her mouth and pulled her close smiling at my wife's temper. She pulled at my hand trying to get me to release her but I didn't want to be found out. I heard her mumble my name several times and I looked down at her as her eyes were alight with an angry fire.

'Do you promise to be quiet love?' I asked with a mocking smile playing on my lips. She rolled her eyes at me exasperatedly, but nodded her head in agreement. Slowly, I removed my hand from her and she glared at me opening her mouth to say something.

'You promised,' I chastised and she fumed beside me but remained silent. I smiled and returned my attention to Anthony and Amberly.

'What are you looking at?' She whispered, ducking her head under mine so she could see. I quickly wrapped my arms around her waist and placed a gentle kiss in her hair. I never had been able to keep my hands off her whenever she was around.

'Our son trying to win some brownie points,' I whispered in her ear.

'He's got a long way to go,' she muttered as Anthony wrapped Amberly up in a tight hug.

'I think he can manage it.' I smiled as Amberly melted against him seeking comfort.

'No thanks to you,' Olivier murmured turning back to me.

'You know they're meant to be together,' I answered knowingly, pulling her close.

'I know but sometimes I'm not so sure. She's just so serious.' She mused as I pulled her down the hallway.

'You were too, remember love?' I laughed, placing a kiss on her cheek, remembering when we first met in her father's pub.

'I wasn't that serious,' she said defensively.

'Whatever you say love.' I answered as she swatted me playfully across the chest before falling into a thoughtful silence.

'Do you really think they'll be good together?' She asked after several minutes of silence.

'I think they're going to be perfect together, Anthony just needs to figure out how to win her over without getting himself killed in the process.' I chuckled, remembering the murderous look in the young princess's eyes when we had put toads in her room.

'Maybe we should start training Jared for the throne,' Olivier mused.

'Have faith love. They're going to be fine.' I grinned pulling her in for a kiss, trying to dispel all of her worries about her eldest son. Those two were going to be fine. It was just going to take longer than Anthony anticipated. Luckily I had taught my son to be very patient. Only those who were patient got what they truly desired. They would be together one day, even if Anthony made a million mistakes along the way and Amberly scolded him mercilessly. He would wait and grovel just to be near her again. I did it everyday with my beautiful wife and I knew he would too.


I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. I decided we needed a little something happy so I included a little Anthony and Amberly and even some Frederick because I love him. Thank you for everyone who's reading and reviewing I love that you guys are liking it so far :)

To my beautiful guest from Austria I am so grateful that you gave my story a chance and even went through the effort to read it despite the language barrier. That's just amazing. I could probably go on forever about how amazing you are but I won't. However, if you had an account I'd probably give you a very long message in reply to your wonderful review. (Your english is very good by the way) Please thank your friend for me. I can't believe you guys were discussing my story, that's just mind blowing. Thank you so much :)

Again, thank you to everyone who is supporting my story, until next time you beautiful people :)