Moments in Between

by DalishEssence

You know, I never once resented my best friend and that's saying a lot, considering he's the Crown Prince of Cordonia. That changed the night Camilla Myers walked into our lives and changed them forever. She was supposed to be one of his suitors. She turned out to be everything I'd never known I wanted. And for the first time... I resented my best friend. (TRR from Drake's POV)

41. Chapter 41

When Phoenixes take Flight

They marched me into a van , completely blind and with my hands tied behind my back and the barrel of a gun between my shoulder blades. I stumbled inside, getting pushed and kicked on my ass. I heard a thud next to me, and tried to crawl my way towards the sound... tried to feel around with my elbow.

"Camilla?!" I whispered harshly.

It had to be Camilla, didn't it?

"Camilla! Camilla!"

"Oi! Shut the fuck up, asshole, or I'll have you gagged and that little bitch of yours shot! You. Gag him."

I heard the doors slide open, and a man muttering under his breath. In a second, the bag on my head was yanked off, and a thick piece of cloth was shoved in my mouth, almost all the way down to my throat. I looked around quickly as my eyes watered, and spotted Camilla next to me, still unconscious.

It was a small reassurance - she was here, next to me, still alive - before the black bag was yanked over my head again, and the world was plunged into darkness.

---

After a long drive - long enough that everyone had to have realized we were missing, right? - the car finally stopped. I heard the sliding door open, and suddenly I was being pulled up and out of the car.

"Oof, this bitch's heavy."

I heard a soft groan. Camilla's groan.

Immediately I panicked and tried to get loose, but was quickly kicked behind my knees, and fell to the ground. The bag over my head was yanked off, as the assassin pressed his knee over my shoulder blades and yanked my head back by my hair. A second later, I felt the cold barrel of a gun pressed up underneath my chin. "I told you to shut the fuck up and stop moving, didn't I?!"

I swallowed instinctively.

"Don't fucking test me. One more wrong move, and I'm blowing off some of the pretty duchess' fingers. Got it?"

I nodded, still gagged.

Suddenly, another van pulled up, the person inside thrashing against the wall. I watched, horrified, as an assassin opened the door and pulled Olivia out. She was kicking and screaming against her gags, glaring at them. Even with her hands tied behind her back, she gave them a good fight; headbutting the first asshole that opened the door and tried to reach for her, and kicking the one after him in the stomach. It took four of them to be able to somewhat subdue her. When they finally got her down on the floor, they searched her, and I watched with a heavy heart as they took two knives from the folds of her dress. She glared at them, before finally catching my eye. Her eyes widened as she met mine, and then saw Camilla limp on the floor next to me.

Suddenly, I was yanked to my feet, as another attacker hefted Camilla over his shoulder like a potato sack.

"Come on!" He yelled to the others. "Anton wants them in the dungeon."

"Move!" The attacker that restrained me pressed his gun against my back, pushing me forwards.

Behind me, Olivia was also pushed forwards, four different guns being pointed at her.

We were led inside an abandoned castle, through a dilapidated foyer, and down stone stairs. The dungeon was cold and drafty, dimly lit with actual wooden torches. Each cell was barred with thick metal bars, hay scattered around in each cell. From the corner of my eye I saw a giant dead rat in one of the cells, and a chill ran down my spine.

This place was down right medieval.

And right in the middle of it, there were three ancient looking wooden chairs.

I was shoved into one, and one attacker tied my arms to the back of the chair, and my ankles to the legs, as another pointed his gun towards me. Next to me, the attacker holding Camilla dumped her down unceremoniously to her chair, before tying her up and taking off the bag covering her head.

I glared at him as Camilla groaned, her head lolling forwards.

"Aw, how sweet…" Anton entered the cell, smiling cruelly at me. "The big heroic husband, so concerned for his dear wife." I glared at him, and he laughed in my face.

"Should I take the gag off, sir?" The goon that'd been manhandling me asked.

Anton shrugged. "Sure. His bark's worse than his bite anyway."

The attacker nodded, before moving to ungag me.

I was about to say something, before Camilla groaned once more. She opened her eyes slowly, bleary eyed and lost.

Anton waited as she blinked, looking around the cell confused, before her eyes landed on him. "Camilla… how lovely to see you again."

Camilla's eyes widened as she recognized him, before she turned her head frantically, her eyes landing on Olivia on the other side of her, and then on me. They calmed slightly, only slightly, when she saw me.

"Camilla, if he'd hurt you…" I'll kill him.

"I'm okay, Drake." She shook her head, panic clear in her eyes as she took in the dungeon and the multiple armed assassins around us. Almost on instinct, she pulled at the fastenings on her wrists and ankles.

"There's no use." Anton told her. "Even if you escape those ropes, my guards will have you back here in mere moments."

"Anton? What is this?" Her voice shook, and she swallowed.

"Don't you see?" He smirked at her. "Me, my former client and her new husband… my irascible wife… It's quite the reunion."

"Call me your wife again and I'll show you what a real ball and chain feels like…" Olivia glared at him. "I will never go along with whatever you have planned."

He stepped towards her, placing a hand on the back of her chair, staring her down. "You'll cooperate or you'll die here with Camilla and her groom."

"Hey!" Camilla yelled, prompting him to step back from Olivia. "We both know you can't rule Cordonia if this is how you win the crown."

Anton raised a single brow.

Camilla continued, "You helped me gain the love of the Cordonian people. You must know that if you hurt me, they'll hate you."

Anton's frown melted into a smirk. "There's my Camilla. You always were good with the spin… winning hearts and minds." He sighed, and for a second there, he looked actually remorseful. "My one regret is that it had to be you. You're the one person at court worth a damn. You should've stayed in New York."

Camilla raised her brows, blinking in surprise.

Suddenly, a familiar masked man stepped into the dungeon and a chill ran down my spine.

"Sir, preparations are underway." He took a moment to look at each of us, before turning back to Anton. "When our king comes for his prized duchess… we'll be ready for him."

Anton nodded. "Thank you, Claudius. And what about Duchess Camilla's impressionable servant?"

Gladys?

"Locked up, just as you ordered."

"Wait…" Camilla spoke up, her eyes wide with a spark of recognition. "Aren't you…"

"He was at the palace the night of the first assassination attempt!" Olivia confirmed.

"You shot me!" I spat at him.

"And you tried to kill me!" Camilla added, stomping and struggling against her restraints.

The flash of light blue heels seemed so out of place in the darkness of the dungeon.

"That's right." He said simply.

"Drake, would you like to see the face of the man who nearly killed you?" Anton asked, his eyes gleaming with cruel and morbid curiosity.

"You son of a bitch." Camilla shot him a fiery glare.

Anton looked at her and laughed.

Claudius pulled off his mask and looked at me, his eyes boring into mine.

I clenched my jaw, a deep seated anger bubbling in the pit of my stomach - no, not anger, pure hate bubbling, tightening my chest.

"I know who you are, Walker. Your dad was a legend for what he did for Constantine, how many times he saved the king's life." Claudius told me.

How dare he talk about my father?!

I could barely contain my temper, my hatred. I had to actively stop myself from trying to stand and ram my chair into him. "Don't talk about my father."

"Bet you thought you thought you were gonna be a big hero like him, taking a bullet for your girl." He taunted.

"Hey, asshole, Drake's twice the man you'll ever be!" Camilla growled, stomping her feet and damn near getting up off her chair.

Claudius walked towards her with a scowl and pushed her back down. "Maybe… maybe not. Either way, he's as good as dead."

"Get your hands off her!" I moved to stand, held in place by my fucking blindings.

"Enough!" Anton yelled. "Tonight, we finally finish what we started at the Homecoming Ball."

"So that's it? You're just going to kill us?" I growled.

"Eventually, yes. We've sent word to King Liam that we're holding you all here, and that he's to come alone if he ever hopes to see you alive again." Anton told us, very matter-of-factly.

"Anton…" Camilla called, her bottom lip trembling.

The fight seemed to have gone out of her completely… she looked… defeated. Almost resigned.

"Anton, please… leave Drake out of this."

"What?!"

"Kill me if you have to, but let him go." She pleaded.

"No!" I told her, but she didn't look at me, her eyes intent on Anton. "There's no way I'm leaving here without you! Camilla! Look at me!"

Anton sighed. "Do you take me for an idiot? Even if he left without a fight, he knows too much." He shook his head. "No, unfortunately every one of you dominos is going to need to fall. King Liam would never let anyone die because of him, least of all you, Camilla. He'll arrive shortly to trade his life for yours."

"He's going to get himself killed!" Olivia yelled.

Anton smirked at her. "Precisely. It's obvious that Liam cares about you… all of you. He's too noble and heroic to let you die for him. And that will be his undoing."

"Caring about people isn't his weakness." Camilla said slowly. Her eyes seemed to light back up, that fire of hers returning. "It's his strength. It's something you'll never have, and you know what? Even if you kill us tonight, you still won't be half the king he is! You'll go down in history as nothing more than a corrupt usurper and a tyrant. A man whose only legacy will be driving Cordonia into the ground. A sorry excuse for a m-"

"Enough!" Anton's nostrils flared as he stared down at Camilla. "Claudius!"

Claudius stepped up and slapped her with the back of his hand.

He slapped her.

I saw red.

"You son of a bitch! I'm going to kill you!" I growled.

Camilla laughed, wiping a bit of blood from the corner of her lip with her tongue. "That hurt didn't it, Anton? I must've really gotten to you."

Anton looked down on her impassively. "You always did know how to provoke a reaction, Camilla. But I guess we'll know who's right by the end of the night, won't we?"

"Liam will come running, and when he does… we'll kill him." Claudius leaned in closer to her, staring her down before taking a step back. "Then we'll kill you, and Anton will claim the Nevrakis shrew as his queen."

Olivia scoffed. "Cordonia will never submit to a king that slaughtered his way to the crown."

"The fact that you say that makes me more a Nevrakis than you'll ever be." Anton told her. "Luther Nevrakis' legacy was built on just that very act."

"You're not a Nevrakis' and you'll never be!" Olivia growled.

"Nonsense. My legacy will be bringing his vision to fruition under my rule."

"You'll have no legacy. You'll never be king." Olivia told him.

"Well, with King Liam dead, Anton will be the only choice left." Claudius shrugged.

"Of course, it'll be so much easier if you work with me, Olivia. Don't you want to be a part of the restoration of House Nevrakis?" He told her, his tone bordering on charming.

"Don't listen to him, Olivia!" I told her.

"I'll never work with you." She answered.

Anton nodded, his lips pressed together in what seemed like disappointment. "You may have realized that this building is an old Nevrakis stronghold. The very one where your parents trained me, in fact."

Olivia's jaw dropped. "My parents trained you? I-"

"It was within these very walls that I first heard your father say 'if you can breathe, you can stand, and if you can stand you can fight'."

"I'll cut your tongue out before I hear you utter those words again!" Olivia growled at him.

"This is what your parents wanted for you, Olivia. For us to rule Cordonia, together, with the iron might that courses through your veins." Anton told her, trying to persuade her.

"I… I..."

I watched in horror as Olivia hesitated, her resolve wavering.

"Olivia, you are a true Nevrakis, not your family!" Camilla told her. "You have a chance to set the record straight… to show that Nevrakis strength doesn't have to be paired with cruelty and treachery. But you have to fight back!"

"You're… you're right." Olivia nodded, the fire returning to her eyes. "Anton, you're a fool if you think I'd ever betray Camilla. She's..." Her eyes darted to Camilla. "She's my friend. Maybe the only one I've ever had."

Anton sighed. "Then it's true. The last drop of real Nevrakis blood died with your parents. A shame."

"And the last shred of their rebellion will die with you." Camilla glared at him.

Anton raised an eyebrow, before leaning in close to Camilla. He whispered in her ear, but the walls of the dungeon amplified his words. "Camilla, you're going to watch as I destroy everything you have worked so hard to build."

Camilla huffed, before leveling a steely glare at him. She narrowed her eyes at him and clenched her jaw, but said nothing.

Anton, ironically, seemed to be more bothered by her lack of reaction, so he loomed even closer to her and grabbed her chin.

"Hey, you keep your hands off her!" I yelled, struggling against my restraints.

Anton rolled his eyes, before shooting me a smirk. "Ever trying to be the hero."

"Hurt her and I'll kill you." I growled.

"You're in no position to make threats." He warned, before looking at Claudius and nodding once.

I barely had time to react, before Claudius bashed my head with his gloved fist.

"Drake!"

The world seemed to spin as I tried to focus my eyes and find Camilla through the haze. "Camilla…"

The world turned to black.

---

"Drake, wake up! Drake, wake up! Please!"

The world slowly swam into focus, as a pounding pain rippled through my temples.

A blur of warm brown eyes, dark hair and a dirty white dress sat in front of me.

"Oof…" I blinked. "Myers? That you?"

I felt her arms around my neck, that familiar scent of coconut and flowers surrounding me. "Thank god you're okay." She sniffled, before pressing a kiss to my forehead.

I reached out to touch her cheek. "Don't worry about me. I'm glad that bastard didn't hurt you."

"If anything had happened to you…" She whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

"I know we said, 'Till death do us part', but I'm not going anywhere for a long, long time. That's a promise."

"That's a promise." She repeated. "Now, fucking kiss me already."

Without another word, I cupped her neck and pulled her in for a deep kiss. A voice in the back of my head whispered this wasn't the time or the place, but I needed to reassure myself she was here, that she was alive, that she was okay… and judging by the way she kissed me, I knew she needed it too.

"Ahem!" I heard Olivia clear her throat behind us. "If you two are finished with your sappy proclamations and unnecessary displays of affection… we still have a breakout to plan."

"Right… Sorry." Camilla smiled sheepishly. She took my hand. "Drake, can you stand?"

I nodded. Camilla pulled me up, and I swayed a bit, a little dizzy. She immediately supported me, letting me lean on her.

"Whoa, easy… Easy."

"Thanks."

"Okay… Are you okay?"

I blinked as the world stopped swaying. "Yeah… Yeah, I'm okay. Let's go."

"You sure?" Camilla pressed.

"He's fine, Camilla." Olivia rolled her eyes. "Now, let's go."

We made our way up a short flight of stairs, to the dungeon's entrance. There was no doorknob, only the other side of an ancient lock.

Camilla sighed. "I'm guessing you don't have a set of lockpicks on you?" She asked Olivia.

"The next time I plan on being kidnapped, I'll add some to my wardrobe." Olivia replied dryly.

"Maybe there's something else here we can use. Anton said this was an old Nevrakis stronghold… is it ringing any bells?" Camilla asked, looking around.

Olivia shook her head. "It's not a stronghold I recognize. But if Anton was telling the truth, any Nevrakis estate is bound to be full of secret passages."

Camilla' eyes widened. "You… you do know that's not normal, right? I just want you to know that's not normal." Then she hummed thoughtfully. "You know what? I take it back. Supposedly my estate's also filled with secret passages. And the palace…"

Olivia grimaced. "Be that as it may, I think 'normal' and my family legacy parted ways a long time ago."

"If it gets us out of here, maybe your family's legacy can do some good." I told her honestly.

The corners of her lips twitched, and she shot me a grateful nod. Then her eyes became laser focused as she looked around.

"The entrance is sure to be carefully hidden. Check for false flagstones, or movable torches, or…"

"Weird metal panels on the wall?" Camilla said with a grin, a few feet away from us.

I hadn't even noticed she'd wandered off. Olivia and I ran towards her. Camilla touched the panel and it slid back to reveal four stone buttons. Each one was inscribed with a symbol: a shield, a bow, a sword, and a helmet.

"That's it." Olivia stepped closer to get a better look. "That must be the key to the secret passage."

"But how do we open it?" Camilla asked. "Is there a button you press that goes 'open sesame'?"

"That would be too simple. We need to know the right symbol, and knowing my family…"

"Let me guess. The wrong ones are full of deadly traps." Camilla sighed.

Olivia grimaced. She didn't need to say more.

Camilla stepped aside to let Olivia get a full view of the symbols, and after a moment, Olivia's eyes lit up in recognition. "I… I've seen these before. My grandmother used to give me riddles with these symbols when I was a child. There was a saying she always drilled me on… 'The best offense requires a personal touch'."

"That's gotta be a clue about one of the symbols." Camilla brought her hand to her mouth, brows furrowed in deep thought. "The best offense… That immediately rules out the shield and the helmet."

"They're armor. Defense." I nodded in understanding.

"And if it requires a personal touch… It has to be the sword, right?" Camilla looked at us.

Neither Olivia and I seemed too sure.

Camilla explained her reasoning. "The bow is a long distance weapon. A hunter's weapon. Hunters kill for food or sport; it's not personal for them. But the sword… the sword is a melee weapon. A warrior's weapon. And when a warrior dives into the fray, literally fighting for their life, you can bet your ass it's personal. It's kill or be killed, and when they kill, they get to see firsthand their opponents face, watch the light go out from their eyes…"

Um… "Morbid, Camilla."

She shrugged. "I was a writer… getting into people's heads, discovering their motivations, is kinda my thing."

"If I didn't know you better, I'd ask if you were a long lost Nevrakis." Olivia actually joked.

"I'm gonna take that as a compliment. Anyway, that has to be the reason House Nevrakis' crest is a flaming sword, isn't it? You're a house of warriors... and, well…"

Olvia sighed. "Yes, yes, our history is bloody, I know."

"I didn't mean it like that…" Camilla squeezed her shoulder.

"I… I know, Camilla." Olivia squeezed her hand, before gently shoving Camilla's hand from her shoulder.

"Alright." Camilla said after a moment. "Alright, I'm gonna do it."

"Camilla, don't-"

Before I could even utter two words out, she'd already pressed the button. She pulled her hand back immediately and winced, closing her eyes.

But nothing happened. Not deadly booby traps.

Instead, a low rumble came from underneath our feet, before a hidden doorway in the wall slid open.

"Gotcha!" Camilla whispered excitedly.

"Well done." Olivia looked impressed.

"Let's get out of here already." I told them.

I took Camilla's hand, and laced our fingers together. She gave me a small smile and nodded. With that, we stepped through the threshold and into the secret passage.

We came upon an old, crickety wooden staircase. It looked ancient, to the point where I was scared the wood was going to splinter and give out any minute. At one point, we came upon a small, circular window. Camilla pulled my hand and stopped, before looking out the window.

"Well, it's official. We're in the middle of nowhere." She muttered with a sigh.

"For all his idiotic choices, Anton isn't foolish enough to try to hide us in the middle of the capital. He must've chosen this battlefield so that Liam would be on his terrain, on his terms." Olivia told us.

Camilla got this steely look in her eyes. "Then there's no time to waste." She climbed up the next step, leading me now.

I tugged on her hand as I thought of something. "Hang on. We have no idea what's waiting for us upstairs. We could be walking into the middle of an army."

Olivia nodded in agreement. "Or a death trap. We'll have to be careful."

"I'm always careful!" Camilla whispered harshly.

Olivia and I looked at each other, before shooting her a deadpan stare.

Camilla rolled her eyes. "... Okay, I'm careful enough."

"Just… stay behind me." I told her. "You too." I told Olivia.

The Ice Queen rolled her eyes, before pushing past me and taking the lead.

We snuck up the rest of the stairs as quietly as we possibly could. As we got closer and closer to the top, Olivia pressed her toes into the wooden steps, testing them out, since some of them creaked loudly when you put a certain amount of pressure on a certain spot. When that did happen, she'd immediately test the next step, skipping the creaky ones. Camilla and I followed her footsteps, and soon, we had reached the top. Olivia pressed her ear to the wall/door, before nodding an 'all clear'. I helped her push open the wall/door, which thankfully didn't make a sound.

It opened onto a dark room, dimly lit only by the moonlight seeping in through the windows. It seemed to be a sitting room of sorts, judging by the old couches and drawing tables, all covered in thick layers of dust.

We looked around everywhere, but there wasn't a soul to be seen.

"Anton must have most of his forces preparing for the ambush." Olivia whispered.

"Bad news for Liam… but good news for us." Camilla grimaced. "If the next room's clear, we can head toward the front en-"

A harsh whisper startled us, making Camilla literally jump.

"Camilla! Is that really you?"

"Who-"

We all turned in the direction of the voice, and saw a door with bars over its small window. Pressed against it, gripping the bars with both hands was Gladys. My blood boiled immediately, and apparently, so did Camilla's.

"Gladys?" Camilla' eyes widened in surprise, before darkening. "You led me straight into Anton's trap!"

"Yes, Camilla. I'm… I'm so sorry." She lowered her gaze.

"What, nothing to say for turning me over to our enemies?" Olivia walked up next to Camilla, glaring daggers at Gladys.

"Or me?" I asked, stepping protectively in front of Camilla.

Gladys grimaced. "I… I owe you all an apology too."

"Gladys…" Camilla sighed, rubbing her temples. "What are you doing in there?"

"Once I'd done what was asked of me, Anton wanted to 'tie up loose ends'." Gladys sighed. "As unlikely as it sounds, part of me was hoping to free you, before…" She gestured at the locked door that separated her from us.

Olivia scoffed. "'Unlikely' isn't the word I would use. More like 'unbelievable'."

"I swear it's true." Gladys pleaded.

"If you wanted me free, you shouldn't have handed me over to Anton in the first place!" Camilla whispered harshly.

"I don't…" Gladys sighed. "I don't expect mercy, or forgiveness. I just want to do what I can to make this right. There's an armory in this building. I could take you to it. Anton's men favor guns, but maybe with some weapons on your side… Maybe you'll be able to stop what that monster is planning."

Now it was my turn to scoff. "You expect us to trust you?" Like hell. "I thought you were serious about your job. About looking out for Camilla. But the whole time you were playing us." I glared at her.

She seemed to shrink under my glare. "I have little else to offer. All I can say is that I… I got in over my head. I meddled with forces I didn't understand. We've both paid the price for my mistakes. But I'd like to help undo some of them… if you'll let me."

"Whatever we do, we need to move quickly. Liam could be walking into Anton's clutches any minute now." Olivia looked at Camilla for direction.

Camilla narrowed her eyes. She thought about it for a long second, before sighing. "Fine. Take us to the armory."

"Thank you, Camilla! I swear you won't regret it." Gladys beamed at Camilla.

Camilla sighed. "That's for me to decide." She said simply.

With a slight moment of hesitation, Camilla took a deep breath, before reaching for the external lock on Gladys' door. She turned it and after a click, Gladys' door was open. She stepped out with her head bowed, before motioning for us to follow her.

Gladys led us through the dark halls slowly. I held Camilla back, stepping in front of her just as Olivia brought up the rear… just in case we were being led to an ambush. But as we walked through the maze-like halls, it seemed to get quieter and quieter. There were no signs of Anton's men anywhere.

Finally, Gladys stopped before a large wooden door with metal gildings, and pushed it open with a small grunt.

"Wow." My jaw dropped.

Past the unassuming wooden door, there was an ornate room with a red carpet covered floor. On the walls hungs swords, dagger, axes, and pretty much any other medieval weapon you could imagine. There was even a suit of armor in the corner of a room.

"Uh… Olivia?" Camilla asked, her eyes wide with what seemed to be a hint of fear. "Is it just me or does this place look exactly like your armory?"

"It does look exactly like my armory." Olivia nodded.

"That… is so creepy." Camilla winced.

Olivia huffed. "I guess he'll do anything to set himself up as my parents' true heir."

"Yeah, but… Replicating parts of your house is a whole new kind of creepy…" Camilla grimaced in disgust, before steeling herself. "At least we can use his obsession to get some payback."

"I couldn't agree more." Olivia nodded resolutely. "Now, come. Choose your weapons."

I nodded and walked towards the wall, where there were a couple of swords hanging. Before I was able to pick one, however, I heard Gladys speak up.

"Camilla… I just wanted to apologize again." Gladys began. "If I could do things over, I would never have helped Anton get to any of you."

Camilla sighed, and I could practically see her run her fingers through her hair. "Gladys… You owe me an explanation. I liked you, Gladys… And I think you respected me, at least. Whatever you did… I'm not saying I forgive you, but I'm guessing you had a reason."

I bit back a sigh. Always so forgiving… always willing to hear everyone out.

"I… y-yes, Camilla."

I picked up a simple sword, twirling it around to get a feel for its weight. After I was certain it was the right fit for me, I turned to watch the conversation play out. I couldn't help noticing how Gladys took a deep breath before continuing. She kept fidgeting with her hands, too, and she wasn't able to look Camilla in the eye.

"You know the previous Duchess I served was demanding. She cared more for her animals than the humans who served her. She cared nothing for our safety. She saw us as tools to satisfy her extraordinary whims, no matter how her endless construction projects worked us to the bone or how many workers they sent to the hospital…"

I… I wish I could say I was surprised.

"My family served the estate for generations. I saw it as my duty to stay with her, even though she put more and more of the staff in peril. We had nowhere else to go. Valtoria was our home."

"I see…" Camilla grimaced, nodding in understanding.

Gladys looked at her gratefully, before continuing. "I joined the Liberation Core out of desperation. I wanted to feel like I could do something for our people. But we were just a small collective of servants trying to get the nobles to listen to us."

Yeah, good luck with that…

"Nothing we did seemed to matter. When Duchess Carmine died, I mourned her but things got better. It was a relief to be able to run the estate the way it deserved to be run. Then, a year later, word came along that a new duchess had been chosen for Valtoria."

"Me." Camilla's eyes widened in understanding.

"Yes. Claudius posed as another member of the Liberation Core at that point. He pushed me to bring you alone to the hedge maze. He said it was to plead our case to you. That since you were once a commoner like us, you'd understand. You'd work with us. I didn't realize that he was working with Justin… Anton. Not until it was too late." Gladys' tone took on a pleading edge, as if beggin Camilla to try to understand. "So now you know the whole, shameful truth."

I looked at Camilla, who was clenching her jaw tightly. I could tell that she sympathised with Gladys. After a story like that, who wouldn't? I mean, she was right about one thing… Of all people, we'd understand. Both Camilla and I know what it's like to be humiliated by the nobility. To be used… disposable. Tossed aside like ragdolls. The fact that we were nobility now didn't change that.

"You know what sucks?" Camilla said after a while. "That I do understand. And if you'd told me this before, I would have helped you. I mean, how couldn't I? You and the people of Valtoria are my people. I want to help you… But now… Now I don't even know if I can. I don't even know if we'll get out of here ali-" Her voice broke and she dropped her gaze to the floor.

"Camilla." I stepped towards her and wrapped her in my arms.

She shook herself off and pushed me away gently. "Sorry. Sorry. I'm fine. Adrenaline must be running low now. I'm sure it'll spike back up again once we go back out there…"

"Okay… well… we should get going. Kinda on a schedule here." I told them.

Camilla saw the sword in my hand, and gave me a small, tired smile. "You look ready to win another duel."

I nodded. "I'm going to enjoy kicking Anton's ass more than Neville's." I stepped closer to her, running a thumb over her lips, where there was still a bit of blood in the corner. "And I'm not letting him touch you ever again."

Camilla winced a bit, before nodding, kissing the palm of my hand. She turned to Olivia. "What about you, Olivia? That claymore's still on the wall…"

"Oh, I've already picked my poison." Olivia pulled an ornate dagger from the folds of her dress.

Camilla looked at her questioningly. "It's basically a weapon smorgasbord in here, and you went for a dagger?"

That signature cat-like grin spread over Olivia's face. "The dagger has always been my preferred weapon. Small, agile, underestimated. As the old saying goes, you don't train with mace and then go into battle with a halberd. But you can't be going into this fight unarmed. I've personally vetted these as the deadliest weapons in the room."

She gestured to the far wall, where an enormous battleax, a ram's head mace, and a skull flail were hanging.

Camilla looked at them all carefully, before reaching for the flail. She tested out its weight, did a few experimental lifts with it and nodded. "I… don't think I could actually carry the mace or the axe. But this flail's actually pretty light. And the only thing better than a flail is a flail with a bad-ass skull on it."

Olivia watched as Camilla kept testing out the flail, her gaze turning surprisingly wistful.

Camilla looked up, and raised her brows. "... Are you okay?"

Olivia shook her head, and smirked. "Armed and ready to fight for the crown… Now I really feel like a Nevrakis."

Camilla let out a soft chuckle. "Sometimes you terrify me. But like… in a good way."

Olivia's smirk seemed to grow, before she turned to Gladys, subtly pointing her long knife in her direction. "As for you… I suppose we owe you some thanks for the weapons. Even if it's your fault that we're here." She glared.

Gladys bowed her head in shame. "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness… but I'm glad I could be of assistance."

Camilla sighed deeply, rubbing her temples with her thumb and forefinger. "Helping us now is a start."

"Thank you, Camilla." Gladys shot her a grateful look.

Camilla merely responded with a resigned nod.

"We can't just leave her here." I pointed out.

And I didn't feel comfortable with her coming with us. Not anymore. Just because she got us here doesn't mean she'd help us in the fight ahead. Hell, this could all be some elaborate plot to regain our trust, only to shoot us in the back when we confronted Anton.

And it seemed Olivia had the exact same thought.

"I say we lock her in the armory." Olivia glared. "That way she can't double-cross us again."

"Wait!" Gladys shouted.

"Sssh!" Camilla shot her an icy glare.

"Ah, sorry…" Gladys apologized sheepishly. "I just wanted to say… I'd be no use in a fight… but I might be able to help in another way. Anton gave orders for his men to keep me captive. If I lead some of them on a wild goose chase, maybe you'll stand a better chance of saving King Liam."

Camilla narrowed her eyes at her, before looking at me.

We stared at each other for a long moment, and I was able to see her weighing all the pros and cons in those beautiful brown eyes. They grew bolder, a deeper richer brown, with every pro, and then grew dimmer with every con.

After a long moment, Camilla turned back to Gladys. She took a moment to stare at her once more, almost as if trying to read her, get inside her head… before sighing. "Gladys, if you'll really help us… then go."

"Camilla!" Olivia whipped her head around to stare at Camilla in shock.

"I know it's risky… but we need all the help we can get." Camilla told her.

Olivia scowled and turned to Gladys with a growl. "If I see you fighting for Anton once the battle starts… I won't hesitate to end you."

Gladys took a subconscious step back. "Understood, Lady Olivia. And Camilla… Thank you for giving me this chance."

She tried to step closer, but I stepped in front of Camilla, partially shielding her.

Camilla may have chosen to let her go… but I'd be damned if I let Gladys get anywhere near her again. Gladys set her lips in a thin line, before bowing deeply. With a nod, she stepped out of the armory.

Camilla let out a deep breath once she was gone, and wrapped her arms around my waist. I turned and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I… don't know if I made the right call." She admitted in a throaty whisper.

I held her a bit tighter, in an effort to comfort her. But I didn't know what to say… I didn't know if she made the right call either.

Camilla nodded against my chest, giving me one last squeeze, before stepping back. "Here goes nothing…"

I held her back. "Listen, Camilla, whatever happens out there, I-"

"Don't." Camilla cut me off, shaking her head. "Don't say it. I'm a second away from falling apart and if you say it like it's goodbye, then I swear, Walker, I'm gonna-"

I wrapped her in my arms once more, and she let out a heavy breath against my chest. "Okay. I won't say it. But you know it, right?"

She nodded. "I do. And you know it too… right?"

"I do."

"Can you do me a favor?"

I nodded. "Yeah."

"Can you just… tell me we're gonna make it through this? Even if you don't believe it, I just…"

I cupped her neck, tenderly angling her head upwards to meet my eyes. "Camilla… Myers. We will get through this. We're gonna make it out of here. All of us."

Camilla's chin trembled and she swallowed, before nodding. "Okay. Thank you."

Olivia cleared her throat from behind us, but she was partly turned away trying to give us a hint of privacy. "We have to go."

"Yes, let's go."

---

We made our way slowly towards the front of the building. Olivia led us, then Camilla, and I brought up the rear. We made sure to check each room we passed for Anton's thugs but every room was empty and eerily silent.

"Coast looks clear." I whispered.

We heard voices in the distance, several men and women shouting orders or responding with a militarised "Yes, sir!", but other than that, everything was quiet.

"I guess… Gladys kept her word after all." Camilla commented.

Olivia let out a soft scoff. "Will wonders never cease."

Suddenly, she tensed and lifted a closed fist.

Camilla and I froze in our spot. We didn't even dare to breathe, as we heard voices echoing from down the hall.

"They aren't in here."

"Then we just have to keep looking."

Shit. Anton's guards already realized we'd gone missing.

Instinctively, I tensed, my muscles tight as I gripped the sword in my hand until my knuckles turned white. And when I looked up, I saw Camilla and Olivia do the exact same thing.

Until suddenly, Camilla stood, broke the line and stepped forward. "Wait. That sounds like…"

A woman's silhouette rounded the corner, her face unseen from the shadows.

Then suddenly, Camilla took off running as Hana stepped into the light. Both women met halfway in a hug.

"Camilla! Drake!" Hana hugged Camilla tight, while shooting me a relieved, tearful look.

"You're alive!"

"Ooof."

Maxwell ran up next, engulfing me in a hug as he whispered excitedly. "You're alive, you're all alive!"

He clasped me tightly, before reaching for the strap of Camilla' dress and pulling her into a group hug. Camilla chucked tearfully, before doing the same to Olivia, who grumbled, but joined in nonetheless.

When we finally parted, I couldn't help but notice both of them were wearing black tactical gear, including bullet proof vests, and both had two gun holsters and a couple knives strapped to their waists.

"I've never been happier to see you guys, but… what are you doing here?" Camilla asked.

"Duh! We're coming to rescue you!" Maxwell told her.

"We already got the ball rolling on that one already." Camilla told him.

"One of us did more rolling than the other, but semantics…" Olivia quipped.

"Here. Quick." Maxwell pushed us into a room.

He swung a thick black backpack off his shoulder, before opening it with a sharp zip. Hana was also carrying a similar pack, which she also opened and tossed me and the girls some closed packets. Maxwell took out two bullet proof vests from his pack, and Hana took out the third.

"Put these on. You can't exactly move comfortably, much less fight, in your ball dresses." Hana told the girls.

Olivia scoffed, but her eyes gleamed as she tore the plastic bag and took out the light, black clothing inside.

"Thanks Hana." Camilla quickly took off her wedding dress, and put on a sleek pair of black tactical pants and a thin black shirt. Hana handed her a vest, and helped Camilla fasten it, before moving to help Olivia. Camilla quickly covered the vest with a black pull-over and topped the look off with some killer-looking military boots.

I also tore off my suit, feeling a bit more confident, safer, and incredibly grateful for Maxwell and Hana right now. I pulled on the black, military tactical pants, tucking the undershirt inside.

"Here." Maxwell held up the vest for me, and helped me with the fastening, before also handing me a black pull over.

"Thanks." I told him. "Hey, if you're here… where's Liam?"

Maxwell and Hana shared a worried look.

Hana sighed. "He's probably about to meet with Anton. We knew Anton's people would be watching the King's Guard, since Liam was warned to come without reinforcements, but they weren't keeping tabs on us. Liam knew we couldn't trust Anton to let you all go… but he was hoping to distract him until we could find you."

"So he's walking into a trap alone?" I grimaced.

"He's not… entirely alone." Maxwell's eyes darted to Camilla.

"That's right. He's got us." Camilla nodded.

"Yeah… and also… Jaime snuck in with a super cool sniper rifle, so he's covering Liam." Maxwell admitted sheepishly.

"Wait, what?" Camilla asked.

"This whole plan was actually his idea." Maxwell finished. "Well, his and Liam's."

Camilla chuckled, her eyes welling with tears. "Yeah, that sounds like Jaime."

"Now, if you're all finished, we should go. Even if Liam is covered by a sniper-wielding marine, he's still not entirely safe." Olivia reminded us.

"Yes, let's go." Hana nodded.

She led us back through the dark hallways, until we finally heard faint, familiar voices. We followed them to the top of a curved staircase that led down to a ruined grand hall. Carefully, silently, we crept forward, until we were close enough to see Anton and his small army in the foyer, facing off against Liam.

Unlike us, however, Liam was still in his regal wedding attire. I hoped against all odds that he was at least wearing a bullet-proof vest under it, but those hopes were dashed when I shot Maxwell a panicked look and Maxwell pressed his lips together in a grim line. And I realized with horror… that for the distraction to work, Liam would have had to come unarmed and unprotected. It would be too suspicious if he showed up in tactical gear, and he definitely would've been searched when he came here by Anton's men.

"Where are my friends?" He asked, glaring at Anton.

"King Liam, so nice to see you again. I trust you haven't done anything unnecessary foolish that would end in unnecessary blood being shed." Anton looked down on him condescendingly.

"I came alone, if that's what you mean. Where are your hostages? I want to see them." Liam demanded.

"You want to see the hostages?" Anton raised an eyebrow, but nodded.

At that moment, one of his men stepped forward and whispered into his ear, probably informing him that we were gone. I couldn't help the hint of satisfaction that mixed with the adrenaline already coursing through my blood, as I watched Anton jerk back after hearing the news.

He turned back to Liam with a scowl. "You know what? Requests are for people with leverage. And I think you've used all yours up. Coming here alone, unarmed… was it worth it? You've sacrificed Cordonia for the sake of your sentimentality. Because, let's be honest, King Liam, we both know you were never going to leave here alive."

"Anton..." Liam clenched his fist tightly.

Anton merely nodded to Claudius and the thug stepped forward, punching Liam in the stomach.

Liam grunted in pain, sinking down to his knees and clutching his stomach.

"No-"

Olivia clamped her hand over Camilla's mouth, dragging her back from the railing.

"Don't give us away." The Ice Queen whispered harshly. "We wait for our moment."

"... I don't care what happens to me." Liam stood up with a small groan. "I just want my friends to be safe. Let them go."

"Sorry, I don't negotiate with dead men." Anton shrugged dispassionately.

"You were never going to free them, were you?" Liam glared.

"Winners only write the history books if the losers aren't around to fact-check anything. They die tonight, right after you."

Liam clenched his jaw, before pulling out a dagger from his jacket. With a roar, he charged straight at Anton.

"Guards!" Anton yelled.

Claudius moved in front of Anton, but Liam high-kicked him straight in the chest, sending him flying. Several guards immediately pulled their guns out, but before they could pull the trigger, a couple of them were dropped with precise shots to their kneecaps from somewhere in the darkness.

"What the-" Anton looked up and around, failing to find the sniper before pulling out his own gun, aiming straight for Liam, who was disarming another guard.

"Get away from him!" In a flash, Camilla jumped down the banister, running at Anton.

"Go, go, go!" Olivia yelled after her, prompting us all to join the fray.

"Kill them all! Nobody leaves alive!" Anton roared.

Fights broke out everywhere between our friends and Anton's assassins. Anton himself was deep in the fray, dodging hits from Olivia. Maxwell was dodging and ducking from hits left and right, as Liam and Hana went on the offensive against several other thugs. Camilla was also almost right in the center of it all, swinging that flail as a couple guards rushed at her. From an unseen nest above, Jaime was downing assassins left and right with well-placed shots to the assassins' lower body.

An assassin came towards me with a roar, already pointing his gun at me. I ran at him, slicing his forearm with my sword before he could fire, prompting him to drop it. I kicked the thug's feet out from under him, before taking his gun and punching squarely in the jaw, knocking him unconscious.

"Drake! Behind you!" I heard Camilla yell.

I whipped my head around just in time to see a black blur streak in front of me. A second later, there was a hard crash and I watched as Camilla landed on top of an assassin. He struggled for his gun, but Camilla punched him square in the throat, before hitting his wrist and taking his gun.

I ran towards her, helping her up before pulling the assassin up by his collar and kicking him on the chest, knocking him back into a wall. He slumped down, unconscious.

"Nice one!" Camilla yelled.

Another guard circled us, gun in hand, and I stepped in front of Camilla. "Back off."

"You can't stop us. Anton will prevail!"

"Camilla, remember Mara's training…" I whispered.

She nodded.

I faked left, knowing I had the thug's full attention, before ducking down. Camilla swung her flail, knocking the gun out of his hand, and I pushed him back into the wall.

"Thanks for the help." Camilla shot me a wicked, feral grin, her pupils wide with pure adrenaline.

"Likewise." I reached for her hand, in a single moment of calm relief, until…

"Behind you!" Olivia yelled.

Camilla snapped around and we saw Anton aiming his gun at her.

"Noooooo!"

Without another thought in my mind, I grabbed the last attacker's gun, which was still on the floor, and took the shot, aiming for his chest.

Anton was knocked a few steps back, his vest taking the brunt of it, but it gave me enough time to jump in and knock his gun from his hand.

"Get the hell away from her!" I roared.

He glared at me, absolutely livid, before unsheathing the sword at his waist.

"You think you can take me? Fine. It's your funeral."

"No!"

Camilla swung her flail down, the spikes piercing and embedding themselves on Anton's shoulder. He howled in pain as Camilla quickly yanked it back with a sickening squelch.

"Guards, cover me!" Anton ordered, clutching his bloody shoulder.

The few guards still left standing stopped fighting with the others and ran to cover him as he made his way up the stairs. Jaime tried to get a neutralizing hit from wherever he was, but Anton had the sense to zig-zag up the stairs, running quickly.

"No!" Olivia pushed her way past the guards, chasing after him.

The rest of the guards formed a tight circle around us, as we all formed back to back.

"Are you okay?" I asked Camilla.

"I'll be fine as long as you are." She was crouched, her back muscles tense against mine. "But we've got to get to Anton before he escapes!"

"Then we'll end this. Together."

"Finding a moment with you is never easy." She chuckled.

"And yet, so worth it. Ready?"

"More than."

One of the guards leapt at her, and I swung my sword, hitting him in the chest and knocking the wind out of him. He fell down to the floor with a crash, his breath leaving his lungs with an audible whoosh. The sound was just enough to make the rest of the attackers hesitate.

"Leave now, and the Crown will show you mercy." Liam told them.

"Believe me, this is your last chance. We're willing to die defending each other… and Cordonia." I added.

"Anton already sacrificed most of his forces in the attack this morning." Hana tried to reason with them. "Now, he's sacrificing all of you to save himself. Surely, you're not all willing to give up your lives and your freedom from Anton's dubious plans."

"Yeah." Maxwell shrugged, looking almost disinterested. "Like Hana said, that guy is hella dubious. You think he'd do the same for any of you?"

"Hell. He's not payin' me enough for this." One guard said, raising his hand in the air.

The others followed slowly, putting their guns down gently on the floor, before running away.

"Jaime!" Liam yelled.

From somewhere above, I finally heard the marine shout, "Yeah, I got'em!"

I looked at Liam questioningly, and he said, "I asked Jaime to take any one who surrendered into custody. I trust they won't get far."

"Guys!" Camilla yelled.

Liam and I turned around and saw Claudius crawling back up from a pile of rubble. Liam stepped forward but I stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

"I've got this one."

"You may have scared off those fickle sellswords, but the Sons of Earth won't stop until Cordonia is ours!"

He threw a jab at me, but I blocked it and hit him in the stomach.

"This is for almost shooting Myers." I kneed the bastard in the balls. He slumped down, but I held him up and made him meet my gaze. "And this is for actually shooting me!" I reeled back, before forcefully headbutting him.

He looked dazed, before slumping back down, unconscious.

Huh… That wasn't nearly satisfying enough.

"Woo, revenge is a dish best served with blunt force to the face!" Maxwell cheered.

"Olivia!"

I looked up at Liam's yell to find him running up the stairs. I ran after him, with the guys following.

Olivia stood between Anton and the entrance to the hallway.

He glared at her, his sword raised horizontally in an offensive stance. "Stand down or die here. This fight is over."

"No, no, no! Get away from her, Evil Justin!" Maxwell yelled.

His yell was enough to distract Anton, giving Olivia a chance to strike, flinging the sword out of his hands.

"Argh!"

"It might as well be. I was trained by the fiercest warriors Lythikos had to offer… my parents."

She leapt at him again, but this time, Anton managed to catch the blade of her dagger between his palms.

"Have you forgotten already, my darling wife? So was I."

With his palms against one another, he thrust the dagger back, ramming the pommel into Olivia's nose. She reeled backwards, and Anton twisted the dagger from her grip. He took it and plunged it into her side.

"Olivia!" Camilla yelled, already running towards her.

I gripped her waist, holding her back as Olivia tried to stand, before collapsing back onto the floor.

"Drake, let me go!" She thrashed in my arms. "Olivia! If you can breathe, you can stand!"

Olivia met Camilla's eyes, her eyes pained and her face a bit pale, but with a determined gleam in her eyes nonetheless.

"And if you can stand… you can fight!"

Olivia got up with a grunt, another dagger in hand, and lashed out at Anton. She slashed him from the corner of his eyebrow down to his jaw, causing him to step back and wince.

Camilla and I rushed to Olivia's side. I stepped in front of them protectively, as Camilla crouched down to Olivia's level. Liam, Hana and Maxwell surrounded Anton.

Anton looked around him, his eyes wild and almost panicked before he raised his sword. Liam tackled Anton to the ground, as Maxwell scrambled to grab his sword. Liam held Anton down as Maxwell grabbed Anton's wrist with both hands, hitting it against the ground until Anton released his sword. Maxwell stood and kicked it away from him.

Liam grabbed Anton's collar and punched him once, twice, a third time, a fourth time, until Anton's eyes lolled to the back of his head and he slumped unconscious. Liam's eyes gleamed with an icy fury as he got up and shoved his prone body until he was facing down, holding his arms against his back. Hana wordlessly handed him a length of rope she'd found, and Liam began binding his hands behind his back. He fumbled with the knot, and Hana placed a hand on his shoulders.

"I can do that. Go." She whispered.

Liam nodded, and ran towards where we were.

Where Myers had laid Olivia's head gently in her lap, tenderly stroking her hair.

"Camilla, I'm hurt…" Olivia whispered weakly.

"You're going to be okay, Olivia. You're going to be okay." Camilla shushed her, holding her closely. Her hand hovered uselessly over the dagger hilt still protruding from her side.

Liam crouched near her, his eyes filled with tears, and took her hand. Olivia turned to him and smiled.

Their fingers intertwined and Liam brought her knuckles to his lips. "You were… very brave."

"I-" Olivia gasped, and Liam clutched her hand tighter.

In that moment, the massive front doors of the abandoned keep opened with an ear splitting creak, and Bastien, Mara and a contingent of guards came in. They raced up the stairs, while several other guards began cuffing the unconscious terrorists below.

"Your Majesty! You're alright!" Bastien yelled, relieved beyond belief.

"Bastien, Duchess Olivia needs immediate medical attention now!" Liam yelled.

"I've got a medical chopper outside." Mara nodded, before speaking into her radio. "I need a stretcher in here now, over."

A couple minutes later, two paramedics came in, and gently placed Olivia on a stretcher. They carried her out, with all of us following. Outside, the night sky was clear and the moon was full, a soft breeze flowing. The paramedics carefully wheeled Olivia onto the chopper.

"Bastien… assemble a team to escort me to the hospital please!" Liam ordered, yelling over the helicopter's roar.

"But Your Majesty-"

"Now!" Liam cut him off, getting inside.

Bastien nodded. "Very well, Your Majesty. Tanner, Anne, Caitlyn! You're with His Majesty!" Bastien turned to speak into his radio. "I need a unit stationed at St. Fabien's Memorial hospital. Lion incoming. ETA 10 minutes. Over!"

Liam nodded, before a paramedic closed the back doors of the chopper, and they took off.

"Milla!" We heard Jaime's booming voice, and turned to find him walking behind us, decked out in his military gear.

"Jaime!" Myers sobbed in relief as she ran to hug him.

"I'm so relieved you're okay."

"Me too! Thank you so much for…"

"Don't mention it, kid."

I stepped forward. "Jaime."

"Drake." He gripped my hand and pulled me in for a hug. "I'm glad you're okay, brother."

"Me, too. Thanks for having our backs in there."

At that moment, Jerry came out, shoving a bloodied, bruised, and cuffed Anton forwards. At the sight of him conscious, Camilla walked towards him with fire in her eyes.

"YOU!" She balled her hand into a fist and punched Anton.

"Ah! You bitch!" Anton yelled.

"You've been a shadow haunting me ever since the Homecoming Ball! You made me fear for my life, looking over my shoulder at every turn! You attacked me on my wedding day! Twice!" She took a deep breath, and stepped back, visibly containing the urge to hit him again. "But it's over. We've won. Now you'll never threaten me and Drake, Liam, or any of our friends ever again."

Before Anton could respond, Jerry shoved him forwards, into a car.

I placed an arm around Myers' shoulder, and we watched the car drive away. "It's... over. It's really over."

Myers breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah… but at what cost?"

---

We were all driven back to the city, straight to the hospital, with guards surrounding us all. We found Liam in a private waiting room - or probably what had been turned into a private waiting room on his arrival.

"Liam!" Myers rushed in and enveloped him in a hug. He leaned into it, clearly taking every bit of comfort Myers was offering. "What news?"

"She's in surgery. She's lost a lot of blood-"

"I'll donate in her name." Myers said immediately.

Liam nodded. "I'm still… waiting. It should be a couple more hours. Thankfully, Dr. Yonekura was on call, so she's performing the surgery."

Myers nodded, once more pulling him in for a hug. "It's going to be okay…" She whispered. "She's incredibly strong and stubborn. She'll pull through."

"Thank you, Camilla."

I stepped forward next, also hugging him tightly. "I didn't get a chance to tell you this before…"

"What with the assassins and all?" Liam chuckled.

"Yeah… but I'm really glad you're safe."

"You as well, brother." He clapped me on the back.

Suddenly, we heard what seemed to be a small stampede from the hall. We broke apart, and watched as the door to our private waiting room opened.

Regina and Leo rushed inside, making a beeline for Liam.

"Liam!" Regina yelled, pulling Liam into her arms.

Leo hugged them both. "I've never been happier to see you, little brother!"

Myers' parents were next, and Myers sprinted forwards to meet them halfway.

"Dad!"

"Milla!"

She was engulfed by her four parents, all of them hugging her tightly, hugging each other, tears of relief and joy in their eyes.

Behind them, Lorelei and Xinghai ran up and captured Hana in a hug.

"Hana! Hana!"

"I'm here, Mom! Dad! I'm okay…"

"Maxwell, you imprudent, impulsive, uncontrollable brother of mine." Bertrand's voice boomed from behind them, although he wasn't able to hide his relief from the undercurrent of his tone.

A lilac blur whizzed by them, before I felt someone crash into me, pulling me in for a hug.

"Wuuh?"

"Oh my god, Drake!" Savannah cried and laughed at the same time, before releasing me and punching me in the shoulder.

"Hey, ow!"

"My son!" Mom engulfed me in a hug next. Like Savannah, tears were streaming down her face and she held me tight. Then, she pulled back just a bit, just enough to press a kiss to my forehead… and pinch my ear hard. "Drake Walker!"

"Ow!"

"How could you put yourself in danger like that?! You could have died, just like your father!" She glared at me.

"Drake, don't you ever do something like that again!" Savannah added.

"What, get kidnapped? Not planning on it."

"Good! You have no idea how worried we were." Savannah hugged me and Mom once again.

"Drake."

My mom and sister stepped back, as Myers' dad moved to hug me.

"Victor."

"I'm so glad you're okay, son."

"Milla!" I watched as Savannah and my mom moved to hug my sister.

The relieved hugging kept going for a couple more minutes, Myers' parents hugging me, Mom hugging Myers, Bertrand hugging Myers, Bertrand hugging me, Leo, and so on and so forth.

As we waited for the doctor, we all sat down, and explained our versions of all that happened tonight. I told them about the hedge maze and Gladys' betrayal. Liam told us about receiving an anonymous text that held a picture of me and Myers on the floor all tied up. Hana told us about how they cooked up the plan with Jaime. Wendy and Mom told us about the moment they'd found out we were kidnapped. We talked for hours, everyone repeating how glad they were we were okay, and here, and safe.

A single knock on the door frame silenced us all.

Dr. Yonekura stood in the door frame, still in her scrubs and surgical cap. Her face was solemn and all of us stood immediately. Liam and Myers stepped forwards at the same time.

"Doctor." Liam nodded.

"Your Majesty. Duchess Camilla."

I stepped behind Myers, silently supporting her with a hand on her shoulder.

The corners of Dr. Yonekura's lips quirked. "Duke Drake."

I couldn't help but smile back at her, this motherly woman who'd saved my life, and now… hopefully, Olivia's.

"Doctor."

She shot me a kind smile, before turning to Liam.

"Duchess Olivia is stable."

Liam gasped, and the room collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

"Her surgery went well. I was able to remove the weapon and repair the damage to her diaphragm and her large intestine, as well as stop the bleeding. She is in her suite, resting now."

"Can we see her, Doctor?" Liam asked.

Dr. Yonekura nodded. "Yes, you can. Although I'd suggest not all of you to enter at once."

"Of course. We don't want to overwhelm her after all." Myers nodded in understanding.

"Thank you, Dr. Yonekura." Liam shook her hand gratefully.

"Of course, Your Majesty. I'll walk you to Her Grace's suite."

Liam nodded and followed Dr. Yonekura out the door. Myers glimpsed back at everyone gathered in the room, and they all nodded or smiled sympathetically. She shot them all a grateful look, before following Liam. Hana, Maxwell, and I followed as well.

Dr. Yonekura led us through the bright, sterile halls, before stopping at a room. Room 407.

"Here you are."

I watched as Liam swallowed, and visibly gathered himself, before nodding. "Thank you, Doctor."

"I'll leave you to it, then. Please, don't hesitate to call me if you need anything." Dr. Yonekura squeezed Liam's shoulder, before walking away.

Myers gasped softly when she heard the Doctor's frase, a small intake of breath that I wouldn't have heard if I weren't standing so close to her. Liam stepped inside, as did Maxwell and Hana, but Myers seemed to be glued to the spot, watching the Doctor's back as she walked away.

"Camilla? Are you okay?" I asked.

Myers shook her head, as if coming out of a trance. She gave me a wobbly smile, as her eyes filled with tears. "Fine. Just… I-I've… I've been here before. W-When you-" She frowned, looking down at the floor and swallowing deeply.

I immediately wrapped my arms around her, as she let out a shuddering breath against my chest. "Com'ere. We're okay."

She nodded against my chest, once again trying to collect herself for the third or fourth time today. "I know. I know. Sorry." Myers stepped back and wiped at her eyes, frowning and grumbling as the back of her hand was smudged with black pigments. "Oh, crap. Madeleine and Grace are going to be pissed."

I couldn't help but laugh at that. "I think smudged make-up is the least of your problems, Myers."

"Heh. You're right. I've survived worst. Now, come on. Let's go see Olivia." With a nod, she took my hand and we stepped inside Olivia's room.

Olivia was laying on her bed, a bit pale, but she was somewhat awake, her eyelids fluttering once… twice… before her eyes became a bit more focused as she took us all in.

Liam was sitting in the chair next to her bed, but stood when she opened her eyes and gripped her hand. "Olivia. How are you feeling?"

Olivia blinked slowly before opening her eyes wide, as if forcing herself to stay awake.

"Olivia?" Myers stepped forwards, taking her other hand. "You're in the hospital. You had surgery, and it went great."

Olivia's eyes slowly met Myers'. "Anton?" She whispered hoarsely.

"He's in custody." Myers smiled tenderly. "Thanks to you, Olivia."

Olivia nodded, a hint of a smirk on her face, before her eyes fluttered closed again.

Myers sighed, squeezing her hand once more, before dropping it. She turned to Liam. "She probably won't wake up until tomorrow. When Drake had surgery, he woke up just like that for five minutes, before going back to sleep. He woke up again, like, 8 hours later."

Liam nodded.

"Should we… should we go back to the palace, then?" Hana asked. She looked at Liam hesitantly. "We can come back again tomorrow, first thing in the morning."

Liam clenched his jaw, obviously conflicted, before sighing. "Yes, let's go. The guests have worried long enough, and they must be awaiting our arrival."

"You could… come back, y'know." Maxwell dropped a not so subtle hint. "Y'know, go back, announce our grand victory to everyone, shake a couple hands, then come back to keep Olivia company."

Myers' eyes twinkled with a bit of mischief, and nodded. "That's a good idea, Maxwell. And I can personally attest that those chairs are more comfortable than they look."

Liam let out a soft chuckle, before nodding. "Perhaps. But now, we should let her rest. And tell all of Cordonia what happened tonight. The people deserve answers."

---

As soon as we got back to the palace, we were greeted by resounding cheers and applause.

"They're back!" Shouted Ana de Luca, waving at her crew to get up and start filming.

"Quel soulagement!"

Liam cleared his throat, raising his hands. He turned to Myers. "Will you do the honors?"

Myers nodded, stepping next to him. She cleared her throat. "Ahem. Thank you, all of you, for that warm welcome. Tonight is going to go down in the Cordonian history books. After a tumultuous few weeks, Anton and his allies are finally in chains."

At her announcement, the whole crowd cheered once more.

"They have intimidated us, threatened us and our country, they have hurt us... but we have once again proven resilient." Myers continued. "We have shown them that Cordonia is united and strong, and we'll never submit to tyranny!"

Cheers once again filled the ballroom as servants brought out more champagne, our wedding reception becoming a celebration of our victory.

After Myers' speech, all of us were rushed to the boutique, except Liam. Since this party was apparently still on-going despite the fact that we'd just been kidnapped, we had to change back into proper wedding attire. Maxwell and Hana had no trouble donning back their wedding outfits, but Myers and I had left ours in that creepy castle. So I had to go back to my room and quickly don my dad's grey tux, and when I went back to the boutique, Myers had put on her ceremony gown. Grace touched up her hair and makeup, Myers wincing as the woman tried to conceal the bruise on her jaw.

Once we were ready, we were escorted back to the ballroom, where Maxwell wasted no time in livening up the party.

"Jason, pump up the victory jams and everyone get on the dance floooooooor!" Maxwell shouted.

He moonwalked to the center of the dancefloor and began… doing his thing, I guess.

A crowd of nobles joined him, as we stepped aside to greet Myers' friends.

"I'm so happy you're okay!" Hailey hugged us all.

"If anything had happened to you guys…" Jacob shook his head as he pulled us in for a hug.

"Don't even say that!" Daniel told him.

"Are you okay? Really?" Mari Jo shot a knowing look at Myers, squeezing her hands.

Myers sighed. "I'm… I will be."

Mari Jo nodded. "I'll be here when you're ready to talk."

Myers simply nodded, looking absolutely exhausted. "Thanks, Mari Jo."

For appearances sake, we joined everyone on the dancefloor. Myers plastered her Duchess smile to her face, and I had to learn to do the same thing. We danced, we drank some champagne, shook hands with well-wishing courtiers…

At one point, Myers pulled Hana, Maxwell and Liam into a hug and tried to yell over the music. "You guys are the best friends I could ask for. Thank you for coming to save us!" Her eyes welled up with tears, despite the smile on her face.

"Life is nothing without those closest to us." Liam told her.

She shot him a pointed look and he blushed slightly. "Truer words were never spoken."

I decided to save him from another not-so-subtle hint. "Yeah, yeah. You're all my best friends too."

Hana laughed. "Now it really is a night to remember!"

"Put it in the history books!" Maxwell shouted.

Finally, after what felt like hours, Madeleine finally pulled us both aside. "Camilla, Drake, this might be a good time for you to slip away…"

Myers lifted her eyebrows in shock. "Really? You don't have us scheduled for any post-abduction photo ops or something?" She said sarcastically.

Madeleine merely shook her head. "I think your night has been eventful enough. A car is already waiting out front to take you to your honeymoon suite at the Vescovienne Grand."

Myers sighed in relief. "Thanks, Madeleine. For everything. Good night."

Madeleine nodded. "Good night, Camilla. Drake."

We were escorted by Mara and several other agents to a car waiting outside. The quiet night was a stark contrast to the noise and music in the ballroom. I helped Myers with the skirt of her dress, and then got in the car with her. Myers let out a shuddering sigh as she rested her hand on my shoulder. I gripped her hand tightly, pressing a kiss to her temple.

Just… hold on, Myers. We're almost there.

---

We reached the hotel quickly, and we're led to the honeymoon suite. After tipping the usher, I took Myers in my arms. She gave me a small chuckle, her eyes shining brightly as I carried her across the threshold.

I set her down gently, and closed the door. As I looked around the luxurious room, I couldn't help but sigh.

"We're finally here."

I turned back to Myers, only to find her eyes welling with tears. She took a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling and blinking rapidly.

"D-Drake… seeing you here… in our wedding night suite…" Her bottom lip wobbled as she shut her eyes closed. A few tears managed to escape anyway. "When Anton knocked you unconscious… W-Well, I wasn't s-sure you and I would end up here tonight."

I immediately crossed the room to her and wrapped her in my arms. I ran my fingers through her hair as Myers squeaked, before finally letting go.

"I… I know. I know." I shushed her comfortingly. Myers wrapped her arms around my waist and held on to me tightly. "Tonight was… absolute insanity, if we're being candid." I cupped her neck and lifted her face gently to meet my eyes, brushing a few tears away with my thumb gently. "But we did it. We won."

Myers' face crumpled up with more tears and she buried her face in my chest. "It's j-just… c-coming so close to… to losing you again-" Her breath hitched and she sobbed once more. "It almost broke me, Drake! I-I can't… I don't know what I would've done if-"

I swallowed, a knot forming in my own throat. "I… I know."

Myers nodded against my chest, letting out a soft squeal. "And I had to be s-strong, to save us… to save C-Cordonia… but now…" Myers sobbed again.

"Now, we're safe. We caught him. Anton is gone, and he will never be able to hurt either of us ever again."

Myers nodded against my chest, squealing softly before sobbing once more.

I slowly picked her up. She wrapped her arms around my neck, burying her face in the crook of it. Hot tears hit my bare skin, making me shiver. I wordlessly carried her to a sofa right in the center of the room and sat down, cradling her closely. Myers cried and cried, finally releasing all her fear and all the stress that had been building since…

The kidnapping, Anton's keep, Olivia's surgery, and then having to come back to keep up with that shit show, pretending we were okay when we weren't… Having to play this goddamn part and smile for the cameras.

So I'd let her have this. She needed it. And I'd be right here to help her ride it out.

I held her, rubbing her back slowly with one hand, and her hair with the other. I pressed kisses to her forehead, her temple, her nose, her cheeks… I took her hand and pressed it against my chest so that she'd feel my heartbeat; so that she'd feel it and realize we were here, and we were safe, and alive. So that she'd feel I was with her, and I loved her, and I'd never let anything keep me apart from her ever again.

So that she'd feel me.

Slowly… ever so slowly… the sobs subsided. Gave way to sniffles and breath hitches. Her body relaxed against mine, utterly spent. Her head fell heavily against my chest, pressed up to my heart.

"I-I love you. I love you, Drake." She whispered softly. "I love you."

I tipped her chin with my knuckles. Her eyes met mine, red and puffy.

"I know. I love you too, Camilla."

"I know. I just… I need to say it. I need you to know. I need to know you know."

"I do. Of course I do, Camilla. How could I not?"

Myers chuckled.

"You…" I shook my head. "You tackled an assassin that was sneaking up on me."

Myers laughed and sobbed at the same time. "I couldn't let him hurt you."

"I know." I softly ran my knuckles against the bruise on her jaw, now fully visible after her make-up had washed off.

"I love you."

"I love you, too. I'm ready for forever with you."

"Starting with a real wedding night?" Myers chuckled in a really self-deprecating manner. "I'm sorry. I'm totally killing the mood."

"No, you're not." I told her firmly. Gentle, but firmly. She needed to get it in her head that these moments were needed and they were okay. "Camilla, you're just finally letting yourself feel. You need to let yourself feel what you're feeling, instead of holding it back." I chuckled ruefully. "Trust me, I know."

Myers sighed. "I know you do. But I think I've gotten it all out of my system. Now, I just…" Her eyes fell to the floor, as she blushed deeply.

"What?"

"I want you." She whispered.

"I…" I cleared my throat. "Are you sure? We don't have to-"

"I want to." Myers' eyes met mine once more. "I… need to know-"

I silenced her with a soft kiss.

"I'm here."

Another kiss.

"I'm alive."

And another.

"And I'm yours."

Myers shifted until she was straddling me, her poofy skirts in the way. "Get this off me. Now."

I struggled with what seemed to be a million tiny, silk buttons on her back, but finally I was able to pull it off her. Myers stood to fully let the dress fall in a pool around her feet, before pressing herself against me. She pushed off my jacket, before moving straight for my belt. I unbuttoned my shirt and threw it on top of her dress. Myers pulled down my pants and I kicked them off.

She jumped on me and I gripped her ass as she wrapped her legs around my waist. Wordlessly, never breaking our kiss, I led her to the bed. At the last second, I turned so that she was on top. She gripped my hands and held them over my head, as she kissed my jaw, my neck…

"God, Myers…"

She pulled her name from me again and again, all while uttering my name as if it were a prayer. Her hands ran down my chest as mine tangled in her hair, bringing her lips back to mine.

We poured every feeling and every sensation we felt into each other - everything from our fear to relief, to lust and love. And in that moment, we both knew it was because we needed to show each other we were here.

That we made it this far.

That we were finally safe, and that we'd made it out of Anton's hell hole alive.

Some time later, Myers and I were tangled together, trying to catch our breaths.

"Wow." I blurted.

Myers chuckled. "Wow is right." She sighed contentedly, before turning to wrap her arm overy chest.

I pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I gotta say, I'm looking forward to a lot more sleepless nights with my ridiculously hot wife."

Myers hummed. "Hearing you say 'wife' still feels so perfect. I'm so glad it's finally real."

"Yeah, me too." I fiddled with the ring on my finger, its ever present weight reassuring. "I'm not big on titles, but I think 'husband' suits me."

"It does. Does your ring feel okay?" She lifted an eyebrow in question.

"Yeah, it's just… Well, I've never worn a ring before. I guess I'm still getting used to the feeling." The corners of my lips twitched. "It's nice, though. Like a little piece of you to carry around with me."

Myers blushed. "Aww, your soft side is showing."

"Here, with you, I'm okay with that." I nuzzled into her, before remembering… the letter! "Oh, that reminds me..."

I sat up, and turned to my bedside table. Just as Gladys had said, my letter was there, hidden inside a bouquet of red roses. I picked it up as Myers sat up, and watched as her eyes widened.

"Drake, what's all this?" She took the bouquet and buried her nose in a rose, smiling softly. The corner of the envelope poked her nose, and she slowly picked it out.

"It's, uh… well, I wrote you something. To read tonight." I admitted.

Myers' gaze softened. "Aw… okay. I'm listening."

I nodded, taking a deep breath. I opened the envelope, and took out the letter with shaky hands. Myers placed a hand over mine, and smiled softly at me. I returned her smile, before reading.

"Hey, Myers."

"Hey, marshmallow." She giggled.

"When I met you, I'd lost faith in people. I'd started to expect the worst from everyone. I lost sight of what could be good in the world. I lost hope. I gave up on thinking that I could find anyone who would see me for who I am."

I chanced a look at Myers, whose eyes were welling with tears. She pressed her lips together in a thin line, and reached out to squeeze my hand.

"As we stand here on the edge of our future, about to cross that threshold, I want you to know that you are perfect to me. And the world feels exciting and full of good again because of you."

Myers let out a soft sob, clearly trying to choke it back. "You're perfect to me too." She sniffled, and wiped the corners of her eyes. "I loved who you were when we met and I love who you are now… I know I'll love the man you are in ten years and in fifty years just the same."

I reached out to brush a stray tear from her cheek with my thumb. "I'll do everything I can to make sure I'm a man worthy of that love."

"You will be, Drake Walker. I know you will."

Myers snuggled into me, hugging me fiercely.

I wrapped an arm around her shoulders as we laid back down on the bed. Myers took my letter and gently placed it on her bedside table, next to the bouquet, before turning back to face me.

"Mmm, tomorrow morning's going to be nice." I mumbled.

Myers yawned. "What happens tomorrow morning, besides an early visit to Olivia in the hospital?"

"I get to wake up next to you for the very first time-"

"Babe, we've been sleeping together since… the first time we slept together." She uttered against my chest. "Wait, no, we actually slept together waaaay before that." Myers perked up, and rested her chin on my chest. "Remember when we fell asleep in Applewood?"

"How could I not? It was the first time I heard you snore." I teased.

Myers giggled, pushing me away softly. "I don't snore!"

"You really do, Myers." I laughed. "But yeah, I remember."

"You didn't want me to leave the next morning…" Myers said softly. "I didn't want to leave either."

"I remember. What about when we went camping?"

"Oh yeah!" Myers chuckled. "You were freaking out because I'd snuck into your tent."

"Yeah…" I chuckled too. "What else do you remember from that night?"

"I remember… a really steamy kiss. Which was, sadly, interrupted. And then I remember we talked for a bit before falling asleep."

"Wow…" I shook my head, fighting a smile. She really didn't remember.

"Wow what?" Myers lifted her chin and propped herself up on her elbow.

"That night… you told me you loved me."

"What?!"

"You, uh… You were falling asleep, and you just… sorta mumbled you loved me."

Myers' jaw dropped, and she blushed. "I don't remember that."

"Heh. It's okay. I remember it."

"But… I really told you I loved you? What went through your mind when you heard that?" She looked at me with a hint of worry.

"Uh… Denial, mostly. I figured you were sleeping, and that you didn't mean it. But…"

"But…?" Myers prompted.

"But… there was a tiny part of me that did believe it. That refused to unhear it or deny it. A part of me that hoped you meant it."

"I probably did. Or rather, my subconscious did." She ran her knuckles over my cheek. "But that doesn't necessarily make it any less true. I've loved you ever since I caught a glimpse of your marshmallowy center, Walker. And with each and everyone of our moments in between, I fell in love with you a bit more…"

"I know…" I caught her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "I did too."

Myers beamed at me, before resting her head on my chest. I wrapped both my arms around her, never wanting to let her go.

And I knew this, right here, was true happiness.

---

A/N: Hey guys! As always, I hope you're all staying safe in your corner of the world, caring for yourselves and your families, not only physically but mentally as well, in the midst of this seemingly eternal pandemic.

I hope you guys enjoy this second to last chapter (I don't really count the epilogue as a chapter for some reason - maybe it's because it's pretty short), and as always, thanks so much for reading and for making it this far with me! We finally made it past the big fight! I wanted to take a minute to explain the little changes I made, like having the guys in tactical gear, have Jaime covering for them and helpng them out, and of course, Olivia's injury and surgery, which was much more serious here than in canon. You guys know me well enough by this point to know it's because... I need a bit more REALISM than what PB gave us. Just a bit, not a lot, since the whole concept of TRR is not very unrealistic in the first place, but I mean, come on! Even with a month of training (here in my fic, because in PB canon, it's barely, like, two weeks of training), I still can't really believe that the group was able to fight off ARMED assassins in combat gear with MEDIEVAL WEAPONS and in BALL GOWNS and SUITS! I just couldn't write it like that. The words literally refused to come out. See, this is why I can't enjoy action movies, either. My brain refuses to buy it.

So... I had to swallow my pride and ask my cousin, who's a Navy Seal, for help (and I say this lovingly, because even though he's the sweetest teddy bear alive, it's still kind of embarrassing to have to ask a military man for advice for a fanfiction). But anyway, I asked what you could do in case of a high profile VIP hostage situation when you were past the point of negotiation, and he initially told me that you should always try to avoid a fight and infiltrate the ground to remove the hostages out safely. However, I told him that canon includes a fight scene, so I had to include it, and so he helped me with the idea of having the guys in proper tactical gear and maybe have an officer covering for them. He even helped me with all the other aspects of the actual fight scenes, and he even sent me a freaking THESIS, you guys, for Hostage Situations, that he had to study during his training! Isn't he sweet? He's the best and I know I'm gushing, but he's my favorite cousin and I'm so proud of him, and I love him with all my heart! (And yes, before you ask, the character of Jaime is based on him - or well, an ammalgamation of him and another close friend of mine who is also in the Army).

As for Olivia's stabbing, Anton does stab her in canon, but then... she removes the dagger and slashes his chest, and that let's the rest of the guys get close enough to capture him. But... I'm sorry, PB, but even with my veeeeery rudimentary knowledge of medicine, even I know that if you get stabbed, the WORST thing you could do is remove the stabbing object because YOU 👏 WILL 👏 BLEED 👏 OUT 👏! Like wtf? So that's why I changed that part, and got her the necessary medical attention immediately afterwards, because even though Drake hates her, I love her with my heart and soul 😍.

So yeah... so sorry for rambling, but I wanted to address those changes I made. I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and thanks so much for reading!