Anthony

'Anthony, sweetheart,' someone said gently beside me, chaos still swirling around us. 'We can't stay here.' A hand wrapped around my wrist and I immediately pulled back in alarm.

'I can't leave yet,' I shouted, taking several steps away from my startled mother.

'Anthony, we need to get back to the castle, Amberly…she isn't here anymore,' she explained sadly and I felt my mind revolt against the pain in my chest, unable to process the damage that had just happened. All I could see was the fire, the determined look falling from her face as she went limp in her captor's arms and then nothing but fire. It was as if the flames were still caressing my skin, ash on my clothes and smoke in my lungs. She had to come back.

'Anthony,' my father's sad voice came next as I relived the last moment I saw Amberly. 'We need to leave son, we can do more for her back at the castle.'

In the distance I could hear the sirens of emergency vehicles and in minutes the paramedics were with me and my family checking our health, but my damage wasn't something you could cure so easily.

They fussed around us and tried to place an oxygen mask over my face but all I wanted to do was run after Amberly, find the men who took her. I needed to get her back.

Once the flurry of activity had died down around me and my family I continued to stare at the last place Amberly had been, my body devoid of any feeling. My insides numb. I wanted it to be a dream, the worst kind of nightmare and soon I would simply wake up and Amberly would be beside me smiling or scolding me. I didn't care as long as she was there.

'Ant,' Elliot's small broken voice broke through my haze and I glanced down to see my terrified younger brother, tear tracks running down his face. 'Whe…wheres Amberly?'

'I don't know Elliot,' I sighed, bending so I was eye level with him, my mind snapping out of its stupor at the sight of my distressed brother.

'When will she be back?' He sobbed, rubbing at his little eyes but his fear remained.

'As soon as I find her she will come home, I promise Elliot.' I said fiercely, a stone-like resolve settling over my body. 'We're going to find her.'

'She's going to be okay?' He asked hopefully.

'I won't allow her to be anything but,' determination flaring in my chest.

'We're going to save her, right Ant?' He asked and I could see his imagination running rampant behind his eyes. While young girls dream of being rescued by the charming prince my brother dreamed of being their saviour. He wanted to ride in on horseback, sword raised ready to slay the dragon holding her captive.

'As long as she doesn't beat us to it,' I smiled weakly but Elliot was satisfied with my response and quickly wrapped his arms around my neck, squeezing me with all his might.

'She's going to be all right, Ant,' he assured me before pulling away and running back to the car where my parents were waiting for us.

'I hope so,' I muttered, looking over my shoulder at the skeleton of what was once our plane. Smoke rose ominously in the air, flowing and changing until it disappeared into the grey English sky. In that moment I made a promise, a promise to never stop looking because I knew if I did there was nothing left.

I knew Amberly was strong but right now she was vulnerable, alone and probably terrified. No amount of stubbornness was going to hide her from the gravity of being kidnapped. I needed to save her. The image of her limp body in those two men's arms flashed across my vision again and I promised that it wouldn't be the last time I ever saw her. I was determined to make memories with her in the future, ones that obscured this one until it was as if it had never even happened.

America

'I told him to never come back, I told him to leave my family alone,' I breathed, my eyes never leaving my brother as he parted the crowd of dancers. 'What is he doing here?'

'I told Celeste she wasn't welcome in my home,' Maxon growled, wrapping his arm around my waist protectively. He obviously hadn't forgotten why he had eliminated her during his own selection. 'Why are they even together?'

'They got married,' I answered numbly as Kota's eyes locked on mine and a frightening grin grew on his traitorous face. I could never forgive him for what he had done to our family all those years ago. 'We never attended their wedding,' I explained remembering the scandal in the press when the queen refused to attend her own brother's wedding. Rumours spread around the country of jealously and unease between Maxon and I. There were several who believed that I had refused to go because Celeste was previously one of the selected and Maxon still had feelings for her. However, no one ever neared the truth of why we never attended.

'Well, I guess the devil works in predictable ways,' Maxon grumbled as the two headed in our direction and I felt my hand clench into a fist by my side. Neither of these people were welcome in my home and they definitely weren't invited to ruin the celebration of my daughter's birthday.

'America, you need to stay calm,' Maxon warned. 'We can't create a scene, we can't allow them to draw an unwanted reaction from us.' I nodded knowing he was right but my fist remained clenched by my side, anger filling my heart and spreading through my veins with every furious heart beat.

'Well, baby sister,' Kota sneered coming to stand in front of us as the party continued to flow freely around us. No one was interested in the couple who had come to confront their king and queen. They were unaware of the history and I knew we needed to keep it that way. 'It has been far too long.'

'I disagree Kota,' I ground out through my tightly clenched teeth, my jaw aching with the pressure. 'It hasn't been nearly long enough. No amount of time could wash the betrayal from your hands or your scheming nature from your soul.'

'Oh America,' he answered condescendingly. 'You always did have a flare for the dramatic.'

'What do you want?' I hissed and Maxon squeezed my waist, reminding me to remain calm.

'We, simply came to celebrate our niece's birthday,' Celeste purred and I looked at her for the first time since the couple had arrived. She was as beautiful as ever, her entire body preserved in a timeless bubble. No doubt countless surgery's and endless amounts of money had been thrown at her to keep her young and I'm sure my brother encouraged her, if only to remind everyone of their wealth and status in society. It had always been more important to him than anything else.

'We don't want you here,' I answered angrily, making a move towards them but Maxon held me back as I felt my anger tense every muscle in my body.

'Oh little sister, you should remember your manners,' Kota scolded, glancing around at the oblivious crowd.

'You should remember what I told you all those years ago,' I hissed, my words from my wedding day running through my head, the anger from that conversation feeding the fire in me now.

'No America, you should remember what I told you,' Kota smiled maniacally.

'I think its time for the two of you to leave,' Maxon said before I could reply.

'Why Maxon dear,' Celeste crooned, reaching out a perfectly taloned hand and running it down my husband's arm. 'We just got here, this is a perfect opportunity to reminisce about old times.' However, reminiscing was the furtherest thing from my mind as my vision tinged with red, my eyes locked on her hand that had yet to leave Maxon's arm. I was about to do something I would regret when a guard came up beside us, a worried expression on his face. My anger was immediately forgotten as I looked at the young man's expression. My heart dropped from my chest and I felt Maxon's body beside mine tense, both our minds going to our eldest daughter. Immediately, I knew something had gone wrong, I could sense it and it terrified me.

Harmonia

'Justin?' I called into the dark stables where the horses slept soundly, their snores filling the night air. 'Justin are you in here?' I asked again into the darkness.

It was the only place left that I could think to look for him. However, the stables remained silent and I let out a defeated sigh as I walked over the straw covered floor. Until I came to a stop outside Nancy's stall and noticed she was still awake. Hope bubbled in my chest and when I pushed the door to her stall aside there he was, in his once immaculate suit, sitting dejectedly on the floor of the stall pulling apart a piece of straw in his hands.

'Justin?' I asked cautiously but he didn't look up at me and instead continued to shred the piece of straw in his hand.

'Go away Nia,' he muttered. 'I don't want to talk right now.' Sadness flooded my heart and I gingerly walked into the stall, Nancy looking over at me and eagerly nudging me for attention. I ran my hand absently down her nose, never taking my eyes off my best friend.

'Justin, you can't say things like that and then run off,' I stated softly. 'It's not fair.' Still he sat on the floor, silent and I felt anger rise in me.

'Don't just sit there,' I said exasperatedly. 'We need to talk about this.' Still he said nothing and anger forced my feet to march over to him and stand between his legs glaring down at him. His sandy hair in his face, obscuring his eyes from me. 'Don't ignore me Justin,' I growled and moments later he burst into laughter, almost insane and I stepped back from him in alarm.

'Justin?' I asked cautiously.

'You're absurd,' he gasped before getting his insanity under control. 'How can you stand there and be angry with me? If anyone has the right to be angry its me.'

'What?'

'I told you I loved you tonight and you said nothing. I let you see into the deepest parts of me and you said nothing,' he laughed bitterly, throwing the piece of straw away.

'I…I-' I stuttered.

'I was a fool,' he continued. 'I should have never listened to Marinda.'

'Marinda?' I asked in surprise, my mind desperately trying to keep up with Justin.

'It doesn't matter now,' he muttered, resting his head in his hands as silence fell between us. 'I've ruined everything.'

'You're my best friend Justin,' I started.

'I know Nia, I get it. You never saw me that way,' he grumbled and I felt my feet move involuntarily towards him until I was sat beside him. I stayed there for a long time, staring across the stall as the silence pulsed against my ears. Thousands of questions running through my mind, the answers eluding me at every turn. However, one kept coming back to me and the answer was clear. I did love Justin, but what kind of love was it? Was he a friend or had he become something more and I hadn't realised it?

'Just-' I started, turning to face him but suddenly his lips brushed against mine and all words flew from my mind, all thoughts evaporating. As fast as the contact had come it was gone, my eyes locking on Justin's, my body numb with shock. What had just happened and why was my heart trying to pump blood around my body at a record pace?

'I just wanted to know what it was like.' He answered sheepishly, looking down at his entwined hands.

'I…what just…what?' I stuttered, a lightness lingering in my mind and electricity pulsing through my body.

'Do you hate me?' He asked uncertainly and I shook my head slowly, my mouth hanging open with the shock of it all.

'Say something,' he begged and I quickly closed my mouth trying to compose myself.

'I've never kissed anyone before,' I blurted.

'Me either,' Justin answered.

'I'm glad you were my first,' I smiled finally, my mind settling and I watched as Justin's tense shoulders relaxed.

'What about your second?' He asked hopefully and I pushed up on my knees so I was level with him and leant forward, pressing my lips to his, feeling the excitement all over again.

Adam

'Aisling?' I asked, finally locating her in the flower garden that had been created in the corner of the ballroom.

'Adam,' she shouted, jumping to her feet a wide smile on her face, her eyes unfocused.

'What are you doing?' I asked, confused by her change in mood.

'I forget,' she admitted, looking around as if she just realised where she was, then she leant over, picking up a glass and taking another sip of champagne. Immediately, I knew why her mood had changed so dramatically.

'I think you've had enough,' I chuckled, taking the glass easily from her hand as she looked up at me in confusion.

'No, I want it back,' she pouted, swaying slightly and I quickly placed the glass on the nearest table and stepped up beside her.

'What have you been doing little dreamer?' I sighed, wrapping my arm around her waist to steady her.

'I give up,' she muttered and my brow furrowed in confusion. 'I'm never going to be enough.'

'What?' I asked in alarm, spinning her so she was in front of me, both of her hands clutched tightly in mine.

'Medea helped,' she swayed, a lazy smile on her face, eyes struggling to stay open. 'She's so nice, isn't she?'

'Aisling,' I sighed, giving up on decoding her drunken ramble. 'Why don't we get you to bed?'

'What, no,' she scoffed. 'I'm not even sleepy.'

'I think you are.'

'No, no, look I'm wide awake,' she insisted, pulling her hands from mine and peeling her eyes wide open. 'You didn't even dance with me.'

'I know, I'm sorry,' I smiled as she held her eyes open with her hands. 'Why don't we go dance somewhere more private?'

'Okay,' she conceded, dropping her hands to her sides. 'But not bed,' she warned.

'Of course not,' I chuckled, wrapping my arm around her waist again and moving us towards the exit.

'Oh you found her,' Marinda smiled, stopping in front of us. 'I think she drank too much.'

'Keen observational skills there Marinda,' I deadpanned.

'I did have something planned for tonight but she was far more entertaining,' she laughed as Aisling leant on my side heavily. 'Did you see her try and speak to Nicoletta? It was priceless, she even tried to speak Italian. Nicoletta couldn't stop laughing at her, although she was a little concerned.'

'Adam?' Aisling said softly beside me.

'Hmm?' I mumbled looking down at her.

'When did Marinda become a triplet?' She whispered, squinting at my younger sister.

'Probably after your second glass of champagne,' I answered, tightening my arm around her as she started to slide down my side.

'You should probably get her out of here,' Marinda mused.

'That's what I was trying to do. Where's mom and dad?'

'I don't know they were talking to a couple on the dance floor and then they disappeared. That was about half an hour ago, maybe more,' she shrugged.

'If you see them tell them I left with Aisling.'

'We're going dancing,' Aisling announced trying to step out of my hold but I wouldn't allow it. 'Come on Adam,' she insisted.

'See you tomorrow big brother,' Marinda laughed as we walked around her.

'Bye Marinda and other Marindas,' Aisling sang.

'Have fun with Aisling,' Marinda waved and then we were in the safety of the hallway outside the ballroom.

'So Adam, where to?' Aisling slurred, stumbling over her feet and clutching at my arm wrapped around her. All I wanted to do was take her back to her bed but I knew she would fight me the entire way, probably hurting herself in the process. So, I took her to my mother's garden instead. By the way her eyes were drooping I knew she wasn't going to last much longer and she was still so small that it would be no effort to carry her back to her room when she did drift off.

I nodded at the guards beside the door as we passed and I could see they were trying to hide their smirks at the drunken Aisling who was struggling with the concept of walking in a straight line.

'You said we were going to dance, Adam,' she complained as I sat with my back against a tree, trying to pull her down with me.

'I'm tired Aisling,' I groaned.

'Thats because you danced with everyone but me already,' she complained, tugging on my arm unsuccessfully trying to pull me to my feet.

'Oomph,' she huffed when she fell to the ground after losing her grip on my arm. I laughed lightly at her and she glared back me only causing me to laugh harder.

'Your highness,' a guard said hesitantly as he moved towards where we were in the garden. Noticing the concerned look on his face I quickly got to my feet afraid of what he had to tell me. Amberly quickly flashed through my thoughts and I felt my heart double its pace.

'Adam?' Aisling asked, drawing my attention back to her. 'Whats wrong?'

'Nothing, every things fine,' I assured her, placing a kiss on her forehead before following the guard out of the garden.

'Your highness, the king and queen wish to see you immediately in the king's study.' He said gravely.

'Why, what has happened?' I asked in alarm.

'There has been news of Princess Amberly,' he answered uncomfortably.

'What kind of news? What has happened to my sister?' I asked urgently.

'I cannot say, the king and queen will explain.'

'Fine, can you get someone to take Lady Aisling back to her room,' I instructed looking out to where I had left her. She sat looking up at the stars, her hair blowing softly in the gentle breeze. However, my attention wasn't focused on her but on something that flashed from the bushes in the moonlight.

'Did you see that?' I asked the guard beside me in alarm who shook his head in response. I must have been more tired than I thought. I shook my head to clear it and turned to leave for my father's office when I heard a terrifying scream pierce the night air, sending ice through my body. Moments later the rebel alarm sounded and guards were grabbing at me to get me moving.

'No, Aisling,' I shouted looking at where she had been, terrified. I rushed forward from their hold and pushed the doors aside, I needed to get to her. It was her scream I had heard only seconds before and now the garden was filled with armed men and women, but strangely they seemed to be ignoring me.

'The girl,' one of them shouted as a guard wrapped a hand around my arm and pulled me back inside.

'We need to find her,' I heard another yell and fear mixed with confusion as one of the other guards came to restrain me. What was happening?

'Your highness, you need to get to a safe room,' one of the guards at me side insisted urgently as I continued to fight their hold.

'No, you need to find Aisling. They're going after Aisling,' I shouted as they pulled me down the corridor. Immediately, I thought they must have mistaken her for one of my sisters. Fear raced through my body as I remembered the warnings the rebels had left after previous attacks.

Shouts and shots rang out around the palace and my heart thumped against my chest the further I got from Aisling.

'Your safety is our priority your highness,' the guard insisted as we rounded the corner of an empty corridor. The fighting far away from where we were.

'And my priority is Aisling's safety,' I growled, glaring at the man who was keeping me from her. Then suddenly he wasn't there anymore. A loud noise rang out through the corridor and I looked from the fallen guard to the source of the noise, shock rendering my body motionless.

'It's the prince,' one of the men who stood before us shouted and my remaining guard pushed me back the way we had come, placing his body between the shooters and myself. Shots rang out from behind me as my legs moved stiffly down the corridor. The guard shot back at our attackers and I hoped he had good aim.

When I thought we had almost made it to the safety of the previous corridor our escape was blocked by several other men and I jolted to a stop, the guard crashing into me.

'The prince,' one shouted in a gruff voice, drawing his own weapon which I noticed was far less crude than the men at the other end of the corridor who continued to shoot at my back, the guard continuing to hold them off.

I shared a look with the man who had his gun drawn and I knew these were my final moments. Nothing stood between me and the barrel of the gun as my guard preoccupied with the men down the other end of the corridor. Suddenly, our eye contact broke and on some silent order the other group started to raise and shoot their own weapons, the noise deafening.

Instinctively, I dropped to the ground trying to get out of the way but knowing nothing I did could save me now. I waited for the pain to come, waited for the blood to seep from my body where the bullets cut through my skin, but it never did.

Surprised, I looked up at the men only to see them advancing down the corridor, eyes focused on the men shooting from the other end of the corridor.

Chaos filled the space, men shouting orders and cries of pain as several fell to the ground, motionless. I realised my own guard had suffered a similar fate beside me, his eyes wide, staring up at the ceiling, blood seeping from his various wounds and I quickly looked back to the action, confused by the scene unfolding before me.

Before I knew it the men had formed a line between me and the dwindling rebels who had first attacked. Too terrified to move, I remained crouched where I was watching the confusing fight unfold.

Finally, the last shot rang out and my unlikely saviours were victorious. Two of the men moved to the fallen rebels and checked they were all dead before the group rounded on me and I stood to thank my saviours but something in their expressions made me hesitate.

'Your highness,' the man who appeared to be their leader sneered, falling into a mock bow followed by the other members of his group and I felt fear tighten in my chest once again as he moved toward me.

'Why did you save me?' I asked trying to keep my voice from shaking, my eyes locked on the gun which he still held in his hand, letting it hang at his side casually.

'You're not our target,' he replied simply.

'But, I thought you all wanted me dead?' I asked in confusion.

'No,' he smirked, 'Not yet anyway.'

'I don't understand,' I answered uncertainly as he cornered me against the wall his men spreading out around him.

They were all in nondescript dark clothing and I realised belatedly that there was something very different about this group from the one who had first attacked me. They were all of New Asian descent and I had a feeling it wasn't a coincidence.

'Prince Adam, we need you alive,' he explained, spinning his gun threateningly on his finger as he took another step closer to me.

'But, who-' I started, looking at the fallen men at the other end of the corridor.

'Their aims are very different from our own,' he shrugged, as if killing were a common, everyday occurrence for him.

'What do you want?' I demanded, my eyes darting up and down the corridor.

'You'll see, but by the time you realise what we've done it will be too late,' he sneered before my attention was pulled from him to a commotion at the end of the corridor they had come from.

My blood ran cold when I saw her, fear constricting my lungs and adrenaline flooding my veins. They had her, why did they have her?

'Adam,' Aisling sobbed, a tall, burley man holding her above the ground so her feet flailed as she tried unsuccessfully to break from his hold. However, my focus was on the knife he held in one hand and I involuntarily moved towards him, anger and fear fuelling my movements.

'Let her go,' I demanded but in my haste to get to Aisling I didn't notice the previous man close the gap between us and before I knew what had hit me I was flung back against the wall, my head colliding with it, my vision erupting with bright stars.

'Adam!' I heard Aisling shout and I looked up to see the man bring the knife to her neck pressing heavily until a thin line of blood slid down her throat mixing with the tears falling rapidly from her terrified eyes.

'Aisling, no,' I breathed trying to push to my feet but a fist collided with the side of my head sending me reeling. Consciousness was slipping but all I could think about was getting to Aisling. I needed to stop them from hurting her.

'She's an obstacle in our plans Adam,' the man said beside me. 'She needs to be eliminated.'

'NO!' I shouted as he motioned for the man to do the unthinkable. I moved for her but before I had lifted an arm a hard object connected with my temple leaving me dazed and fighting off the darkness.

'Adam,' Aisling screamed, pure terror in her voice and the last thing I saw was the flash of a knife before my world went black.

So, I wasn't going to update so quickly because I have a tone of work to do but well, there were several people messaging me for the next chapter and I couldn't help myself :) Besides the story is rattling around in my head and it's very distracting. Again very little Anthony in this chapter, I believe there should be more in the next chapter but I make no promises ;) There's a lot going on right now, obviously. Where's Amberly? Is Aisling still alive? Why did Kota and Celeste make an appearance? Why did the other rebels save Adam only to promise his death at a later date? I'm going to stop with the questions now :)

Thank you wonderful readers and I hope this update satisfies you guys for a while, I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again. Happy reading magnificent people :)