Aisling

'Percy,' Alice cried exuberantly beside me, before running to the small boy with white hair and thin round glasses balanced precariously on his tiny nose. He was barely as high as my waist and Alice's body easily covered his own.

'Alice,' came a small voice I assumed was Percy's. 'You're wrinkling my clothes.'

'Oh Percy,' Alice giggled stepping back from her younger brother and straightening them for him. It was the first time I got a good look at what he was wearing and instantly I knew he had to be related to Alice. His tiny legs were clad in a perfectly tailored pair of pants, with matching jacket. However, that wasn't what made the suit distinguishable from all the other families greeting each other in the foyer.

The bright red of the material made him stand out against all the blues and blacks of the father's greeting their daughters and brothers annoying their sisters. He even wore a waist coat complete with golden pocket watch he was continuously looking at, muttering the time under his breath as if it would stop if he didn't remind himself and others of it.

'Alice,' he said gravely and Alice tried to school her face into something serious.

'Yes Percy.'

'It took us precisely,' he paused and lifted the sleeve of his bright red suit jacket to reveal seven watches attached to his little arm and he inspected them all before continuing. 'Seventeen minutes and fourteen-seconds to arrive. However, according to my research the trip should have taken us exactly fourteen minutes and fifteen-seconds. I observed the traffic conditions closely and I deemed the driver relatively competent however, I am forced to make the conclusion that he did not drive at the required speed limit in order to get us here at the instructed time.'

All I could do was stare at the small boy in shock, tilting my head to the side to assess him more closely. He couldn't be more than eight and he was speaking as if he were running a complex business where each second was a wasted million.

'Percy, put those away,' a woman who I assumed to be Alice's mother scolded, resting her hand gently on Percy's shoulder. 'We arrived in plenty of time.'

He muttered something under his breath in response, fiddling with all his watches before hiding them from view again.

'You must be Lady Aisling,' she smiled, looking over at me. 'Alice has spoken about you often and we have seen you on the report many times.'

'Not some of my finest moments,' I answered sheepishly, feeling my cheeks heat.

'Nonsense, it was wonderfully humorous,' she laughed and I found myself wondering how such a calm person could be the mother of both Alice and Percy. However, I had my answer moments later when their father tottered over talking animatedly with Adam.

'You see, the trade possibilities are endless,' he explained enthusiastically, waving his hands wildly and Adam watching him, deep in his own thoughts.

Outwardly, he appeared as normal and as put together as Mrs Wonderly but on closer inspection you could see how the lines of reality began to blur with this man just like his otherworldly children. It was just like Alice had told me the first time I had met her all those weeks ago in the palace dining room. There was something in their eyes that made you question how they saw the world.

'Papa,' Percy called angrily. 'Where have you been? You promised we would only need to be here for exactly twenty minutes.'

'I know Percy but I've been having the most interesting conversation with our prince. However, he doesn't seem to share my revolutionary vision,' he dismissed his son, turning back to Adam and ruffling his own hair as if through making it more dishevelled his thoughts would become more coherent.

'It's been twenty-three minutes and fourteen-seconds.' Percy complained, thrusting his watch clad arm at his father who had made progress on removing his restricting tie.

'Johnny,' Mrs Wonderly scolded batting away her husbands hand from his neck, where his tie was at risk of being removed.

'Mama, papa lied and now we will be late,' Percy whined, both of his parents ignoring his protests as they argued over the necessity of a tie.

'Percy, what are you going to be late to?' Alice asked curiously.

'Our next date,' he answered simply looking back at Alice before turning and tugging on his mother's dress impatiently.

'What's that?' Alice continued calmly.

'I don't know, I'm eight,' he answered impatiently. 'But if we don't leave now we shall be late, very late.' By now I had backed away from the group, overwhelmed by all the people and the noise of all their voices trying to compete to be heard. It was so loud my own thoughts were struggling to speak over the top. I just needed some space.

Before I realised it I had escaped the overwhelming foyer filled with overexcited families and leant gratefully against the wall of an empty corridor and let out a long tired breath.

'Already tired of your family Lady Aisling?' I started at the sudden voice and my eyes shot open to see an amused Italian queen looking down at me.

'Queen Nicoletta,' I answered, equally shocked and excited. I quickly dropped into a low curtsey and I heard her laugh above me.

'You are wonderful,' she replied, her face alight with a warm smile, her dark eyes dancing with amusement.

'You're the one that's wonderful,' I gushed, trying but not succeeding to hold back my excitement at seeing the queen again. I still couldn't believe I got to meet the woman I had been looking at on the covers of magazines all my life. It was so surreal to have her here in real life.

'So, should you be getting back to your family or are you going to hide out here all day?' She asked and I felt ice slip into my heart, filling the spaces where my family should have been. All excitement about seeing her again ebbing away until sadness was all that remained.

'I don't have any family,' I muttered, looking at my toes as the sorrow rolled over me.

'Oh, I just thought…that little boy…' she trailed off uncertainly, looking back down the corridor to the foyer I had escaped from moments before.

'That's Alice's family, mine are…well…I don't have any family,' I answered softly and a silence quickly fell between us, until finally her soft, melodic voice pushed through the wall of quiet.

'I have a very large family Aisling,' queen Nicoletta began. 'I have many cousins, nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles. There are so many I can barely count them.'

'That sounds wonderful,' I answered numbly.

'Yes, they are wonderful,' she answered but I quickly realised there was a sadness in her tone. 'But, the one family I always wanted I could never have. All I wanted in this world was to start a family of my own. To have a daughter I could pass my wisdom to and a son Tony could teach to be a man. Unfortunately, that was never the plan for me. I love my nieces and nephews and even Maxon and America's children as if they were my own but that was always the problem. They were never my own.' She finished sadly and I knew the loss she felt.

Where she dreamed of children of her own I dreamed of parents of my own. I had wished for them my entire life. I had dreamed of parents who would love me unconditionally, who would kiss my sore knees and console me when a boy broke my heart. I wanted a mother who would offer me advice and a father who would read me stories about knights and princes rescuing the princess trapped inside the tower.

'You know this might sound insane but when I was younger I always dreamed that you and king Tony were my parents,' I admitted before my mind could stop my mouth from speaking the words. 'Sounds insane doesn't it?' I laughed lightly, shuffling my feet nervously.

'No,' Nicoletta replied quietly watching me with a strange look.

'I just thought that you were a mother without a child and I was a child without a mother. It just made sense,' I shrugged my mouth trying to fill the silence.

'Sounds like the perfect fit,' Nicoletta mused, a warm smile lighting her face and I felt it permeate my own heart, warming the ice that had taken up residence there only moments before.

Anthony

'Elliot, sit down,' I instructed for the hundredth time as he leaned across Amberly's lap to get a better look at the plane as we approached it. He had somehow managed to wedge himself between the two of us and when I had protested Amberly had shot me a look quickly silencing my complaints.

'Look Anthony it's huge,' he replied excitedly, ignoring my demands completely.

'This isn't the first time you've been on a plane Elliot,' I grumbled, glaring out the other window wishing my little brother had travelled in the car with my parents.

'This is so exciting,' Elliot exclaimed exuberantly, kicking me in the shin in the process. I turned to glare at him but instead was met with Amberly's harsh glare warning me to keep my mouth shut so instead I turned back to the window, grumbling under my breath about unwanted younger brothers.

'Anthony, what if there are pirate planes?' Elliot asked excitedly.

'Pirate planes?' I repeated turning around to face my brother with raise eyebrows.

'Yeah, like pirate ships but in the sky. What if they attack our plane and demand all our treasure? What if they take Amberly as their prisoner and make her walk the plane plank?'

'Why would they take me captive?' Amberly demanded, playing along with my brother's overactive imagination.

'Because you're a girl and the pirates always take the girl,' he explained as if that were the only logical thing to do.

'Why wouldn't they take Anthony?' She asked, motioning to me with a frustrated wave of her hand.

'I'm too tricky for those sky pirates, they'll never get their hands on me,' I smirked as Elliot slumped back in his seat between us. 'But don't worry Amberly, I'll save you. No pirate on land, sea or in the sky will make you walk the plank.'

'No, they won't but it isn't going to be because you saved me,' she grumbled pushing the door open of the car when it came to a stop and sliding out gracefully.

'What's up with her?' I grumbled to myself.

'You said Amberly would never need you to save her,' Elliot supplied before bouncing out of the car.

'Oh come on Amberly,' I groaned getting out after my brother and jogging up beside her. Immediately, we were surrounded by our security team and my parents and Jared were getting out of the car that had just pulled up behind ours.

Clarkson had left earlier in the morning, probably to avoid a flight shared with his granddaughter who hadn't spoken to him since the day of the festival. I was glad he wouldn't be sharing the flight with us because I wanted to enjoy a flight with Amberly by my side without worrying about his harsh glare on me the entire time. However, now it looked as if I wouldn't be enjoying that either. I wasn't even sure Amberly would let me sit next to her.

'You think I'm helpless, no need to explain Anthony. I understand.' She cut me off in a clipped tone.

'I don't think that and you know it,' I groaned, reaching for her hand and resisting the urge to murder my younger brother for bringing up sky pirates in the first place. She pulled her hand away from mine and levelled me with a stare. Sucking in a deep breath, I looked over at my brother and the two swords poking out from his belt where he had tried to hide them from Amberly so he could take them on the flight.

'Anthony, why are you smiling like that?' Amberly demanded incredulously. 'Do you think this is funny?'

'Elliot, can I borrow your swords please?' I asked, ignoring Amberly.

'I don't have any swords,' he answered, pulling his suit jacket down a little further trying to hide the plastic at his waist.

'Elliot,' I smirked raising my eyebrows at him.

'Fine,' he sighed dramatically, reluctantly pulling the swords from their not so secret hiding place and handing them over to me.

'Anthony what are you doing?' Amberly asked impatiently as my parents caught up with us and were watching the exchanged.

'Challenging you to a swords fight, what does it look like?' I shrugged offering her the sword but all she did was glare at it accusingly.

'Anthony, I am not having a sword fight with you,' she growled crossing her arms over her chest. 'We have a plane to catch.'

'It's our plane, I think it will wait for us.'

'Anthony, this is childish,' she groaned.

'Don't think you can beat me, do you love?' I grinned watching the familiar challenging spark light her eyes.

'I could beat you blindfolded,' she answered snatching the sword out of my hand and I fought the triumphant look that was trying to spread across my face.

'Oh Amberly, you gave in so easily,' Jared groaned.

'Shut up Jared or you'll be next,' she threatened and my brother stepped back with his arms raised in surrender.

'Ready love?' I asked, drawing her fiery eyes back to me.

'Are you ready Anthony?' She challenged.

'Elliot, will you do the honours?' Elliot quickly bounced in between us eager to see a sword fight.

'This is a fight to the death,' he announced seriously. 'Whoever is left standing wins.'

'Elliot,' I warned and he shot me a quick, cheeky smile and raised his arms above his head dramatically.

'Let the battle begin,' He shouted, running from between the two of us at my father and launching into his arms so he could get a better look at the fight.

Before I knew what was happening Amberly had swung her sword at me and I was so surprised by her enthusiasm for a childish sword fight that I wore the first hit on my arm, unable to raise my plastic sword in time.

'What's wrong Anthony?' She jested, stepping back from me with a smug look on her face.

'Just, letting you get a few shots in first love,' I smiled, faking to the right and coming back to tap her lightly in the left side.

'Oh if the country could see you now,' Jared grumbled, keeping his arms crossed over his chest in annoyance.

'They'd be proud of their prince's sword fighting abilities,' I smirked in reply before landing another tap on Amberly's other side earning me a frustrated groan from my fiancé.

'What's wrong Amberly, are you impressed by my skills too?'

'No,' she muttered, darting out to hit my right arm which held my sword but I deflected easily and she sent me a murderous glare.

'Admit it love, you'd need me to save you,' I demanded arrogantly, rolling back on my heels.

'I would not,' she replied emphatically, charging forward and completely forgetting her sword, instead shoving me back harshly. The sudden contact made me trip over my own feet and before I knew it I was sitting on the ground in shock. I heard her sword clatter to the floor at my feet and I looked up at her in surprise and she was looking down at me in shock at what she had done. My family however, were laughing heartily at my less than graceful fall.

'Anthony, I'm so sorry,' she gushed, her hands covering her mouth and her eyes wide.

'You pushed me,' I answered dumbly.

'I know I don't know what came over me.'

'I can't believe you pushed me,' I laughed in a daze, shaking my head.

'Are you all right?' She asked uncertainly.

'I will be,' I smirked and I saw worry cross her face.

'Anthony,' she said warningly.

'Amberly,' I replied with a smile and she took a shaky step away from me as I started to get to my feet.

'What are you doing?'

'Oh nothing,' I shrugged finally getting to my feet and taking a confident step towards her.

'Run Amberly!' Elliot shouted and she quickly obliged, turning on her heel and dashing towards the plane, me close behind her.

'You can't escape me love,' I shouted and she looked back at me her eyes alight with laughter and her musical laughter filing the air between us.

Then suddenly, everything changed, like a sudden storm on a sunny day. Her laughter died and instead the world was filled with loud explosions and startled shouts. Even the ground shook with the force of the explosion and the metal plane groaned in protest at the sudden eruption of light and flames by its side.

Everything seemed to stop for the space of a heart beat but it was in that heart beat that everything began to fall apart. Her smile slipped and fear filled her features, my own face quickly mirroring hers. She moved in slow motion as the heat of the blast filled the air around us, brushing against our skin threateningly. Fire and light were to the left of my vision and black figures raced to contain the blaze and protect myself and my family, but the only thing I was focused on in the chaos were her frantic blue eyes.

Then suddenly they were gone and so was she. I blinked and then the flames engulfed her. One moment she was there, real and alive before my eyes and the next there was empty space where she and been. I rushed forward as the flames began to retreat, desperately searching where she had been standing only a heartbeat before. As I tried to get closer I felt two sets of strong arms wrap around me, pulling me back.

'Amberly,' I shouted trying to push them away from me but they held firm dragging me back to the cars I assumed my family were already inside. 'Let me go,' I demanded. 'Amberly!'

I couldn't see her anywhere, she was lost in the moving bodies and the chaos of the blaze. My vision was consumed by the mayhem, unable to focus on anything for more than the time it took to inhale a shaky breath.

'The princess, you need to find the princess,' I instructed, but the guards ignored me. Their task was to get me to safety and they wouldn't deviate from their mission before they had completed it.

'You need to get back to the car your highness,' on of them grunted, pushing me forward.

'No, I need to find Amberly,' I answered angrily and then I heard it. Her beautiful voice floating over the noise and frantic people, but it was different, and it filled my heart with unbridled terror. It wasn't angry or musical, instead it was twisted with pain and terror.

'Anthony,' it shouted before a terrible scream filled the space where the chaos had been but the voice had no body because no matter how many times I scanned the scene I couldn't find her. I shouted her name but she never replied. My heart was beating so fast I couldn't even tell when one beat ended and the next began. Adrenaline coursed through my veins and all I knew was that I needed to get to her. I pushed on the arms holding me with renewed determination, willing myself to break free.

Somehow, I shoved off both the guards and ran at the fire, heat pushing me back but my will driving me forward. I needed to find her, no matter what, I needed to find her.

Now all I could hear was the air escaping my lungs in short burst and my thundering heart blocking all other noise from entering my ears.

Red and orange flames licked the sides of the plane where the explosion had originated, small blasts still continuing to shake the ground. I shielded my eyes from the intense heat and still I couldn't see her and with every second my eyes tried to catch sight of her the panic rose until it consumed my body.

The flames grew higher and more fierce, forcing my eyes shut with every flash of heat. Black shadows continued to move around me shouting orders, trying to get the frantic scene under control.

'Amberly,' I choked out through the smoke, constricting my lungs. I tried again to move to the flames I thought contained her when something drew my eyes to their centre. There was a gap in the growing wall of heat and my eyes locked on the three bodies moving rapidly across the black tar of the runway.

In between the two men my eyes settled on the limp body they held. Her hair flowed from her head in a waterfall of blonde curls and her head hung forward, lolling from side to side keeping her face hidden. Her pale blue dress was torn in several places as if she had tried to escape but their hands had clung to her anywhere they could reach.

However, now there was no fight as she hung limp between them. Her bare feet dragging along the harsh ground. Then the flames swallow her again, hiding her from my view almost as if she were an illusion. A trick of the flames, a mirage deceiving my eyes and my mind. Although my heart wasn't convinced and it beat harder as if it were trying to escape its cage so it could reach her, save her.

My heart finally convinced my brain to move my body, and just as I made a move to run through the flames two hands shot out to stop me. Without their interference I had no doubt I would have run through them, not thinking of the consequences. All I could think was I needed to get to her. I couldn't let them take her.

'The princess, they have the princess,' I shouted at the two guards who were holding me back. 'Amberly!' I shouted into the blaze, the roaring waves of flames swallowing my words. They grew higher as if feeding on my words and my desperation, hiding her from my view.

'They have her, you have to save her, I have to save her,' I yelled desperately but my words were ignored and instead they dragged me away from the inferno, towards the cars again.

'The princess,' I gasped grabbing desperately at one of the guard's uniforms.

'We have men looking for her you highness, she was lost in the explosion and the inevitable chaos,' he explained, continuing to move me along despite my protests.

'No, she's not in the fire,' I yelled in frustration. 'They have her, two men have her. We need to save her.'

'What men?' The guard asked in confusion.

'I don't know. There were two men carrying her away behind the fire. She was unconscious, you need to find her.' The guard shared a look with the man on my other side and suddenly he let go of my arm and hurried off in the direction of the flames, weaving through the frantically moving bodies who were trying to control the blaze.

'We'll find her your highness,' he assured me but I knew it was too late. 'But we need to get you to safety.'

'I should have protected her,' I muttered the adrenaline rushing from my body and quickly being replaced by an overwhelming sense of loss and despair. I had failed her.

'Oh Anthony,' I heard my mother gasp before her arms quickly enveloped me brushing the other man's arms aside. 'You're all right.'

'Where's Amberly?' I heard my father ask, his deep voice laced with worry and I looked up at him wearing the loss on my face, feeling the darkness eclipse my heart.

'She was taken,' I barely choked out, the emotion thick in my words.

'What do you mean taken?' My father asked, his fear escalating.

'Two men had her but the fire stood between us. I couldn't get to her,' I admitted,the weight of my failure resting heavily on my body. There was silence between my parents and I, as my mum still had her arms limply wrapped around me. The noise of the unfolding mayhem behind me filling the silence that had descended between us.

'We'll find her Anthony,' my father finally tried to assure me but even I could hear the doubt in his voice. It was reflective of the doubt that was in my own heart. That limp body I had seen between the flames was my love and it may have been the last time I would ever see her again. She was gone.

Oh no...who took Amberly? Why are they taking Amberly? What's Anthony going to do? Will he ever see Amberly again? Oh dear...

Sam, I love puppy dogs. I have three, and they are all completely insane. We have a labrador, a moodle and a boarder collie. Absolutely crazy and my lab is a terrible snorer, you can hear it everywhere in the house, it's insane :) So, there was of course cuteness in this chapter but also sadness and of course more Nicoletta and Aisling :) But, poor Anthony and Amberly just can't catch a break. I'm super excited that you liked the last chapter and I hope you like this one too, despite the sadness at the end there :)

Lola5147, here is the next chapter, possibly not what you were hoping for but I warn you for most of our characters everything is about to change dramatically. So be prepared :)

Thank you to everyone who has been reading and reviewing, you're amazing and I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter :) As always happy reading beautiful people. I shall see you very soon with a new chapter, hopefully ;)