Anthony

Silence, that's what it had been for the last half an hour. He hadn't said a word and I was too afraid to speak. I was prepared for yelling, disapproval and anger but not this, not the endless silence. It was terrifying and my racing heart was all too happy to remind me.

I glanced up at him as we walked down another corridor but I couldn't read his face. It was emotionless and it only fuelled my panic. What was I going to do?

'Anthony,' his voice finally broke the silence but it offered me no relief. If anything my nerves only increased.

'Yes sir,' I answered, my voice shaking. He wasn't referring to me as prince Anthony anymore. I couldn't decide whether it was a good thing or not. I was leaning towards not.

'I don't like you for my granddaughter,' he announced and I felt my heart plummet. How did I come back from this?

'Look I know I haven't made the greatest impression but I promise you I'm not like this all the time. Generally, when we have guests I wear clothes and I've only kissed Amberly a handful of times,' I pleaded. Although from the look on his face I could tell I hadn't helped my cause.

'It's not just the actions I have been privy to over the past two days but it's everything about you,' he answered calmly. I felt as if my world was crumbling and there he was as calm as ever. He seemed to be revelling in my despair. 'You don't respect my granddaughter.'

'I do respect her,' I said desperately stepping in front of him and pressing my hand on his shoulder to make him stop walking. I quickly withdrew my hand when he looked down at it and then back at me with his cold eyes.

'I don't believe your hollow words Anthony. Your actions have shown me the kind of man you are,' he dismissed, moving to go around me. Taking a deep breath I knew I needed to lay it all on the line. If he didn't believe me Amberly never would.

'I love her,' I said on a heavy breath as he walked past. He stopped and I stared at his back for a long time waiting for him to reply.

'I love her sir,' I repeated. 'She is everything to me. Please don't hate me because if you hate me then she will too. Just…just give me a chance,' I begged, but he didn't answer me. Instead, he walked calmly down the corridor never looking back at me once and I felt my heart fill with ice. What was I going to do?

All I could do was stand there until I was alone in the empty corridor. How was I meant to convince the unyielding man of my love for his granddaughter? Why wouldn't he believe me?

Slowly, I felt my despair morph into frustrated anger at the man who would deny me my happiness. Who was he to decide my feelings for Amberly?

Feeling the anger swell inside of me I marched down the corridor after him. I was prince Anthony, son of king Frederick and I was next in line to the throne of England. I would not let a former king, a former tyrant rule my decisions. What did he know about the heart?

'Clarkson,' I called, anger fuelling my confident tone. However, as soon as he turned to face me I felt my mind run blank or maybe it simply ran away in fear from the intimidating man.

'Anthony?' He glared down at me and my mouth opened but I had momentarily forgotten how to place one word next to another. Who was I again?

'I…I…'

'You know what Anthony, Amberly would never allow herself to be married to such a bumbling fool so you should just give in. No matter how hard you try, you will never be good enough for her,' he answered firmly, turning from me again. For the second time in under an hour I watched him go, my emotions a mix of despair and anger.

Eventually, I turned away from the empty corridor and marched back to my room my mind a mix of questions and half answers. This was hopeless, he was never going to approve of me.

Amberly

'Anthony, how did it go?' I asked anxiously getting up from the chair in his bedroom I had been waiting for him in. I had been too nervous to wait in my room. I had wanted to follow after them but then I thought maybe Anthony could handle grandfather on his own. From the vacant look on his face I knew I had been wrong.

'How did you get in here?' He asked, surprised.

'The door,' I answered simply moving to his side, worried by the blank expression covering his face.

'What are you doing here?' He asked a little dazed and I questioned how deeply the talk with my grandfather had affected him.

'I wanted to make sure you were all right. My grandfather can be…intimidating,' I said cautiously stepping up beside him.

'He's terrifying,' he laughed humourlessly and I could hear the fear he was trying to mask behind his laughter.

'So what happened?' I asked, not daring to touch him.

'I don't want to talk about it,' he replied, still in a daze.

'Can I do anything?'

'Change your grandfather's mind,' he mumbled stepping around me and sitting heavily on his bed.

'Anthony, he doesn't control my decisions,' I said cautiously, walking over and sitting beside him.

'You know of all the scenarios I had pictured of you being in my room, this was not one of them,' he laughed, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck.

'Do I want to know what you pictured?' I asked dubiously, glad that he was finally acting close to his normal self.

'Probably not,' he smiled, he's eyes lighting a little after my grandfather's undoubted assault on him.

'It's going to be fine Anthony,' I assured him placing my hand gently on his forearm.

'You didn't see him,' he answered gravely.

'Why don't I go and talk to him?' I offered, standing beside him.

'What are you going to do? He's only looking out for you. Do you even love me?' He laughed bitterly and I felt each of his words slice through my heart, leaving a stinging wound.

'Do you love me? You've never said you have either,' I shot back defensively.

'Amberly,' he laughed harshly. 'I have never hidden my feelings from you.'

'You've never said the words either,' I retorted.

'How can I? You're always angry at me for one thing or another. A man can only suffer so much rejection.'

'This is not my fault.' I replied, raising my voice.

'Then why bother? He doesn't think I'll be good enough for you and you don't love me so why waste your time trying to convince him otherwise?' He asked defeatedly.

'I didn't say I don't love you,' I answered in a small voice.

'You didn't say you did either,' he shot back.

'I'll talk to him,' I answered, desperately wanting to get away from Anthony. His serious words were off putting. His accusations hurt, when all I wanted to do when I came here was comfort him.

'You do what you need to do Amberly but there's no point pretending to fight for something you haven't admitted to yourself yet. You will never win,' he answered, his voice disappearing into the silence of the room. I stared at him for a moment before escaping from his room. I fell back against his closed door, exhaling a long breath.

I should have never come here. I had never seen Anthony like this and it frightened me. Not the way he was but the way it affected me. I didn't want to hurt for him. His words were dangerous. It wasn't possible what he said. I couldn't love him. Despite the kiss, for the most part I couldn't stand him.

My heart beat irregularly in my chest as if it was yelling something at my brain trying to make it understand but reason fell back into place and silenced the conflicting words. Slowly, I was able to straighten myself and walk away from Anthony's room but the haze of question continued to hover at the front of my mind. What was happening?

Aisling

When I woke up the next morning I was sure I had been dreaming. I remembered Adam at my door and his warm voice beside me revealing his insecurities, but it felt like a dream. I had been thinking about him a lot yesterday so it was understandable that my subconscious was obsessing over him when I was asleep but I couldn't get the expression on his face when I first answered the door out of my head. It was so caring and it made me feel all warm and happy. It had to be a dream.

'Lady Aisling?' Rose's voice broke into my sleepy haze pulling me fulling into consciousness and I sat up to see the three maids fussing around my room.

'I'm not a lady,' I mumbled rubbing the sleep from my eyes.

'Yes, all right miss,' Rose smiled coming up to my side. 'The prince has requested your presence for breakfast.'

'Umm…doesn't everyone go to breakfast, every morning?' I asked a little confused by the strange request.

'No, you misunderstand, he requested that you have breakfast alone with him in his room.' She giggled and my eyes went wide.

'Why?' I blurted, shaking off all the sleep from my body. 'Do the other girls have private breakfasts with him?'

'Some have,' Annette answered, pulling out an eye catching, deep purple dress, that had sequins that glittered in the growing sunlight.

'I am not wearing that,' I said, outraged.

'Why not? It's lovely. The prince won't be able to take his eyes off you,' Annette said dreamily, swirling with the dress as the ruffles of the skirt flared around her.

'Annette,' Rose hissed causing my other maid to come to an abrupt stop with a bashful look on her face.

'You wear it Annette,' I sighed. 'I don't want it.'

'Then what would you like to wear miss?' Rose asked, turning to face me again.

'Something that's plain and simple. It's just breakfast,' I answered.

'Yes, it might be just breakfast but its breakfast with the prince. Don't you want to look your best?' Annette asked replacing the purple dress.

'It doesn't matter. I'm sure he isn't going to care what I wear. I haven't been able to deter him yet,' I mumbled, climbing out of the bed as Rose and Annette shared a look.

'I like that one,' I said pointing to the dress that was pushed to the back of the wardrobe. It was a pale yellow with white flowers trimming the bottom and the winning attribute was it had long sleeves.

'How did that even get in here?' Annette muttered, taking it off the hanger and walking it into the bathroom. I looked over at Meredith who was silent as usual, but she wore a small smirk. I had a feeling she was the reason that modest dress had somehow made it into my wardrobe. I smiled to myself and walked into the bathroom to get reading for breakfast with Adam. For some reason nerves fluttered in my stomach. I had seen him numerous time before, what made this time any different?

Standing outside his door I placed my hand gently against the wood, trying to bring myself to knock.

'I don't think he would have heard that,' Michael chuckled beside me, causing me to jump back in alarm.

'I…I was just…' I stuttered, unsure how to answer for my bizarre behaviour.

'You were just, what?' he smirked and walked around me towards the stairs that led down to the rest of the palace.

'Leave me alone,' I mumbled to his disappearing back.

'Have fun Aisling,' he laughed. I breathed out a frustrated sigh before turning back to the door only to realise it was already open and Adam was leaning against the frame looking down at me with an amused smile.

'Good morning Aisling, I don't think I heard you knock.'

'What were you doing? Sitting against the door waiting for me to arrive?' I muttered crossing my hands over my chest.

'You look lovely,' he answered ignoring my remark and stepping aside for me to enter.

'My maids think I dress too conservatively. Apparently, I could never possibly win your affections by wearing clothes that cover me,' I grumbled stepping around him into his room, which thankfully had been repaired since my assault a few weeks ago.

'You always have all of my attention, no matter what you're wearing,' he murmured, taking my arm and leading me across the room to the balcony where a small table was set up with breakfast foods. I felt myself blush at his words and ducked my head from him so he wouldn't notice. How did he do that?

'I know I'm a day late, but I hope this can make up for it,' he smiled pulling the chair out for me and placing a kiss on my cheek, before making made his way around the table to sit across from me.

'I completely forgot you were coming to see me yesterday,' I answered, picking up a piece of bread and offering it to a small brown bird that was moving up and down the wall of the balcony trying to get closer to the food.

'Really?' He laughed drawing my attention back to him. 'You seemed a little annoyed last night when I came to visit you.'

'You came to see me last night,' obviously I hadn't been dreaming. What had he said to me? I thought looking over at the bird as my brow furred in thought.

'I'm not surprised you don't remember. You fell asleep on me twice,' he chuckled, picking up some fruit and putting it on his plate but I wasn't focused on him any more. I was watching the bird. One moment it was fine, flapping it's wings then suddenly it fell to the tiles of the balcony and stopped moving. I looked at it for a moment waiting for it to move but it stayed still, it's wings at odd angles. What had happened? I looked back at Adam in shock and watched as he raised a piece of fruit to his mouth.

'NO!' I shouted, launching across the table and slapping the fruit out of his hand.

'Hey, what are you doing?' He asked as I straightened and pushed all the food away from him.

'Don't eat that,' I instructed and after a few seconds his face broke into an amused smile.

'Aisling, you promised no more tricks,' he smiled reaching for my hand.

'It's not a trick,' I answered in exasperation. 'Look, the bird,' I pointed to the dead animal and he looked at me as if I had lost my mind.

'It's just a bird,' he answered, tugging on my hand. 'Are you all right?'

'It's dead,' I said pulling my hand from his. 'I fed it some of the bread and then it died.'

'What do you mean?' He asked a little confused, getting up from his seat and looking from me to the bird.

'The bird ate some of the food and then it dropped dead,' I answered, my hands beginning to tremble.

'Wait here, don't touch anything,' he instructed before crossing his room and returning moments later with two guards. He spoke to them the entire way over until he was beside me again and quickly took my hand in his, pulling me away from the table. I looked back and saw something fluttering under his plate which still had the food he intended to eat. I pulled free and picked up the note and read the sickening words, in the same print as the letter that was pinned to the poisoned tree in the queen's garden.

'The royals stole our future, now we will steal theirs. The Elite will rise.'

Adam had come up beside me and slowly removed the note from my stiff fingers, not even the morning sun could warm my frozen body. They had tried to poison him.

'Adam,' I whispered turning to look up at his blank face as he read the note. 'What's happening?'

'I don't know,' he whispered. Then the realisation finally hit me. He could have died. If he had eaten any of this food he could have died.

'Adam, I'm scared,' I answered in a soft voice stepping closer to him. Something in my voice must have snapped him out of his daze.

'It's going to be fine,' he breathed, pulling me in close so my trembling hands were pressed between us. Just as I let out a shaky breath a shrill noise erupted in my ears and I flung out my arms to hold him closer.

'What's happening?' I said over the panic of the alarm.

'They must be inside the palace walls again,' Adam muttered angrily releasing me and taking my arm in his then pulling me from the room, the two guards trailing behind us. I turned back to see them looking everywhere, hands on their guns and it only heightened my panic. Would there be need for those or was it just a precaution?

'Aisling, we can't slow down. We need to get to the safe room,' he said tugging my arm firmly to get me moving. I nodded in reply and moved a little faster to keep up with his long strides.

All of a sudden the corridor was filled with shouting and loud cracking noises. What was happening?

Adam moved faster and the guards moved in front of us as we raced down the stairs, then down another corridor. The shouting and strange noises were getting louder. My breathing was uncontrollable and I tightened my hold on Adam.

I realised the guards had drawn their guns in front of us and my eyes widened in horror. Was that what those sounds were, gunshots?

'Here, your highness,' one of the guards shouted, opening a concealed door and ushering us inside. Just as Adam pushed me through ahead of him, people came around the corner guns drawn then the sounds erupted, filling my ears with nothing but their noise.

'The Prince lives,' one of them shouted and the fighting began to increase until the corridor was shut off from me. The door slammed shut and I could still hear the gunshots, but they weren't as deafening on the other side of the wall.

'Aisling, are you all right?' Adam asked, moving in front of me, holding both of my wrists and looking me over. I nodded my head, too shocked to speak.

'We need to keep moving.' He said urgently and all I could do was nod my head again in reply. However, the urgent message seemed to stop at my head. The rest of my body didn't realise the urgency of the situation and froze at the top of the narrow, dark staircase that led to the main safe room of the palace.

'Aisling, we need to move,' he said raising his voice a little as my uncooperative limbs stiffly, stumbled down the stairs.

'I am,' I said to his back in a weak voice as we neared the bottom of the stairs and thankfully I hadn't tripped, despite my wooden limbs.

'It's the prince and Lady Zander,' one of the guards by the door said in relief as we rushed passed before the large metal doors fell shut with a resounding thud behind us.

My eyes glanced around the room but took in nothing, for all I knew there were elephants on tightropes moving around the room.

'Aisling,' Adam said, stepping in front of me, clutching both of my hands in his, his eyes locked on mine. I realised when I looked down at our clasped hands that mine were trembling, as was the rest of my body. 'You're safe now. It's going to be okay,' he soothed and my eyes moved back to his.

'They…they had guns,' I answered and even my voice shook.

'It's going to be all right,' he repeated, clenching my hands tighter.

'What about the guards?' I asked. 'Or the maids?' I continued, my panic rising. My mother had died in an attack like this, were other's going to die now as well.

'Aisling, they can protect themselves. I can't promise no one will get hurt but they are as safe as they can be,' He answered.

'I don't want anyone to die,' I whispered. 'Like my mother did.'

'How do you know-never mind,' he dismissed, pulling me in close to his chest, my head resting against his racing heart.

Adam

I had always thought she never knew about how her mother had died. I wondered when she had learnt it but I didn't press her right now. I just held her trembling body wishing I could do something to make it better for her, but I knew I couldn't.

As much as I wanted to be with her and reassure her that everything would be all right, without my father here I needed to control what was happening, not only in here but what would happen once the palace was clear. I was confident we wouldn't be here too long. However, the image of the guns pointed at us continued to flash across my eye lids. If we had been a second slower Aisling could have died. I could have died. I held her a little tighter with that thought and noticed the tremors in her body were beginning to subside.

'Michael,' I called to my younger brother. Despite everything, I trusted no one else other than Michael to keep her safe and comfort her.

'Adam, what took you so long?' he asked, his eyes darting between Aisling and me.

'There was a complication and we were further away from here than was ideal,' I whispered, trying not to remind Aisling of the danger our lives had been in or all the others out there risking their own lives for our safety.

'Is everyone alright?' he asked, looking more intently at Aisling.

'We're fine, but I need you to stay with Aisling while I deal with everything,' I answered on a heavy breath.

'I-I…can sit with the other girls,' Aisling said, stepping back from me. 'I don't need another reason for them to hate me.'

'No one will hate you Aisling, just stay with Michael, all right?' I pleaded, bending so my eyes were level with hers but they no longer held any traces of fear, only determination.

'Adam, I don't need to be protected all the time. I'm just like all the other girls so let me sit with them,' she demanded and my eyes darted up to Michael but he just shrugged his shoulders in response.

'Fine,' I sighed, looking over at a guard who was shifting impatiently by the door we had entered through. I didn't have time for this. 'You're sure you will be all right?' I asked one last time, running my hands up her arms.

'Adam, go,' she replied firmly, moving my arms from hers and turning away. I let out a heavy breath and watched her until she sat beside a calm looking Alice, then I turned to Michael.

'How are Marinda and Harmonia?'

'Bad,' he said bluntly. 'They weren't ready for this Adam. This place was always safe for them and now this and after last time, they aren't dealing.' I nodded in response looking over at my two sisters. Harmonia was trying to hold her tears back and Marinda was staring blankly at the wall. I had no idea what was running through their minds and I felt helpless in how I should protect them. The world before my selection had begun had been safe for them. They had never been through an attack.

'They miss mom and dad,' Michael continued sadly.

'I know,' I answered. 'I'll be there soon.'

'What's going on Adam?' Michael asked, grabbing my wrist as I moved to walk away.

'Something's coming, I just don't know what,' I answered vaguely. I didn't need to worry him either. He was still my little brother no matter what disagreements we had or how old we got, I would always protect him first.

'You're not alone Adam,' Michael said in a quiet voice before letting my arm go and walking back to our terrified sisters. I watched them for a moment before heading over to the guard. Everything was shifting. The world was threatened by war, our country was falling in on itself and my family were in danger, under an apparent constant threat of attack. Who had the power or the strength to deal with all of that?

I'm trying to get the chapters out sooner I promise :) Poor Anthony can't seem to catch a break, but at least his problems aren't life or death, although, he might believe them to be.

theoneforever, glad you liked the chapter, this one was a little or a lot less cute. Those two obviously have a lot of issues to sort through, not to mention the added complication of Clarkson. Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)

To the beautiful guest who just stumbled upon this fanfic, it's so exciting to hear that you like it. Although, I may write a little slower than desirable I hope to follow this through to the end. There's nothing worse than an incomplete story. I hope you enjoy the latest chapter.

CandyKingdom723, thank you so much for your review and I hope you continue to enjoy the story :)

Thil, I'm so excited that you are enjoying the story and I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter too, thank you for your review :)

Lola5147, sorry I have no idea when I post most of the time. It used to be alarmingly frequently but recently it has been far less so. At the minimum once a week, I hope to post again before the end of the weekend because obviously thats when I have the most time to focus on it. Sorry, to keep you in suspense :)

Thank you to everyone who continues to read and review the story, you're all wonderful :) Happy reading beautiful people.