I've always heard stories about the Deltora Annual Festival as a kid. How there was food from every country being sold at stands, toys of any kind you could think of. Rare jewels, fake jewels, hand crafted plates with your initials on it; you name it. New technology from across the country, makeup, ideas being shared. People would go to the lengths to take a week long boat just to be at the festival for one day.

And all the chocolate!

I've always wanted to go to the festival. It's been on my metal bucket list (that doesn't exist) since I was four.

But now...

I won't get the chance.

"Mother, by the gods so help me, I am going to that festival wether you like it or not!"

"Annalise Willow Woods!" She started.

Oh I've done it now.

"You will not be leaving my sight, this house, or your room at all! You've really pushed it now honey!" She yelled at me.

"I'm fine! Truly, my concussion is gone. The doctors said so."

"I don't want you around those... savages from other countries. You don't know where they've come from, anybody could kidnap you in the blink of an-"

"Mother, I'll have Hazalen and the prince. There is also security there to watch all the activity."

"What if somebody recognizes us from Descuvi, Annalise? Do you not understand the consequences of that?"

Oh, that's what this is about.

"Nobody from Descuvi could even get to Deltora, mother. They would be rejected right at the harbor. It would be foolish to even try to come here."

"Well, we were able to infatuate Deltora." She exclaimed, annoyed with the argument.

"That's different! We came from Gregerson mother,"

"End of discussion, I've won this one." She said childishly. I rebuttled and slammed the door on her, huffing out like a little child.

All I wanted was to try the chocolate.

The nerve of this woman!

Descuvi's could be anywhere... and the sad thing is, I am so very curious to meet one. I've never officially met somebody from my homeland, nor know any of the traditions surrounding it.

What does my land look like?

From the stories I've been told, there are a variety of beautiful beaches by the sea. Sand so grainy and cream it was almost white. The ocean so clear and blue, you could see the marine activity by looking down.

Picturing Descuvi felt like home, where I belonged. A burning fire in me, waiting to be put out by the crystal waves. My mind immediately rushed back to the man I kept drawing, his eyes with the blue of the ocean and green of the seaweed inside it.

So familiar, just like my imaginary land.

Tap, tap, tap.

The food would consist of plenty of fish and conch, along with the home base for desserts and chocolate. Bakeries left and right throughout the town, new recipes and food to try every day.

Tap, tap, tap.

Maybe the green-blue eyed man owned a bakery? Lived on the beach-

Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock.

"Annalise Willow Woods!"

Mother! Again!

No... Damien?

Damien!

I jump up from my bed to find a aggravated Darius of Deltora starring me down outside my window.

"Damien! Get down from there you floosy!"

"Or, you could open the window and stop making up words you think sound bad instead of cussing." He was obviously mad.

"You could get hurt! How did you get up here?"

"The better question is, if you will open the damn window!" He shouted through the glass.

"No!"

"Yes."

"No."

"No."

"Yes."

"Sounds great! Now open the fu-"

I opened the window,"Stop cursing! How many times do I have to-" and before I could shut it back, he wedged his strong body into the room.

"Ah, much better sweet cheeks, I was getting scared you actually wouldn't let me in for a minute there." He cockily brushed off his causal jeans.

I gaped at him in utter disbelief," How do you manage to accomplish these things?"

"Get to your window?"

"No, always get what you want even when people say no."

"You know, it always helps looking this good all the time. Something you should use to your benefit as well, but I guess I've just had a lot more expertise in that category."

"Do you ever shut up?"

"Not about you, baby cakes. Now let's get out of here." His smirk was devious and enticing. I would follow Damien pretty much anywhere, but right now my mother had a say.

"I can't, Damien. My mother won't allow me to go. She's afraid of the Descuv- destruction on my head!" I managed to cover up.

"I've already figured that part out, sweet cheeks. Maria!" He shouted over my shoulder," Maria!"

"Damien! Shut up!" I rise on my tippy-toes to put my hands over his mouth. This doofus couldn't understand that I would receive major repercussions, Prince or not, for having him in my room when "grounded".

He only pushed me down by my head, easily constricting my feeble attempts, and called for her again," Maria! How's it looking out there?"

...looking out there?

Maria unlocked the door and sashayed in with a mischievous smirk on her face,"All taken care of, Mr. Daruiz," her accent burning through.

I slowly turn and gape at him,"Damien... what did you do?"

"Oh, we just put some yori in your mother's morning tea. Nothing too detrimental."

"Darius."

"Yes."

Silence.

"You just roofied my mother!" I was in utter shock. Anger, enthrallment, and shock wrapped in a welcoming basket.

"I thought you wanted to go to the festival!" He threw his hands out, exasperated.

"Not by drugging my only guardian!"

"Your the most confusing girl I know, Annalise Woods. I do everything I can to make you happy and you get mad." He shook his head with a devious smile.

"Your not allowed to find this funny, Mr. Deltora. And Maria, really! You followed through with this!" I stared her down.

She shook her head with a slight smile,"I'm sorry Mz. Annalise! He wanted me to, and I do anything for ze prince." She placed her hands on her round hips. Then she winked at him.

Winked at him.

"You two are literally unbelievable." In complete disbelief, I grabbed a dress from my closet. "Your not forgiven for this Damien. I'm only going because she's passed out anyway, so don't think this is a thing I'm usually fine with."

His smirk said it all," Alright Annalise, whatever makes you happy."

"I'm not happy!" I raged into my bathroom and started changing. Maria left the room, realizing more was to come from our exchange.

He yelled through the door,"Yori is all natural, your mother will think she just got tired! I take it all the time to go to bed. Just don't think about it. Think about... all the chocolate I'm going to buy you."

"I'm not letting you buy me anything. I'm using my own money."

"We will see about that." He replied.

Oh no Darius, I'm winning this one!

I walked out in a breezy dress," We will not be seeing anything about it, because there is no changing the seeing."

He gave me a double take, obviously checking me out," Well I'm defiantly 'seeing' right now. Your sentence was not grammatically correct, by the way."

I loathed him sometimes.

"Are you ready to go?" He walked to the window.

"I'm not going out that window, Darius."

"You will be climbing down this window, Woods."

"Why would we climb out a window? What good would this serve us?" I questioned. His only response was a devilish smile.

My dress... he wanted to look up my dress!

With realization, I pointed a finger into his chest,"You floosy! I've had enough of this for one morning. You climb up my window, roofie my mother, and now you tried to trick me so you could look at my undergarments! You know what, I think I can get to this festival just fine on my own." I strutted out of the room, feeling like a Queen.

Until the devil came.

Damien grabbed me from behind, and hoisted me across his back. He held my legs in place, as my head and hair were face front to his round bottom.

Wow, that's probably the whole size of Deltora!

"Damien, let me down! Right this instant!" I yelled. Though I very much liked having a nice view of Deltora, I didn't like being manhandled by a prince. His ego was already big enough.

"I remember the last time you were in this position, you saw unicorns in the street and almost got yourself killed," he replied, a glint in his eye heard by the tone of his voice. He effortlessly carried me down the stairs and outside into a carriage, as if my yelling and trashing around didn't make a difference.

As soon as he placed me in the carriage, I crossed my arms childishly and looked out the window," I'm not talking to you anymore," the carriage started to move.

"You just did."

"Shut up."

"Isn't that what your supposed to be doing?"

I've had enough.

I reach for the door, but Darius pulled me back,"Annalise, I'm sorry about your mother. I was truly trying to do my best because I want to have a good time with you, and I didn't mean to make you upset. Please don't be mad and enjoy the small amount of time we have alone together," He pleaded. Damien's sexy blue-gray eyes always took all the breath away from me. If I had a giant black hole, he could fill it up.

"Fine. But you're still not buying my chocolate." I crossed my arms again with a slight pout.

Oh Darius, always the best intentions but usually worse outcome.

"Can I buy chocolate for myself and let you eat it?" He questioned.

"I mean... if your offering, I would try a bite."

As soon as the carriage rolled up to the market, my eyes were the complete opposite of my mother's right now.

Wide open.

People from all different countries were roaming the streets: so many different cultural outfits, colors, accents, everything was so enacting. I was taken back from the sight. Caravans were selling exotic food, handbags, jewelry, it was quite a sight to be seen. I would never forget this.

"Damien look! Chocolate!" I pointed to a stand.

"Stop here, please." He spoke to the carriage driver. He grabbed my hand and helped me out of the carriage sending chills down my back.

I'm still confused about our discussion before... does he want to be with me?

I guess we will find out today.

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