"Are you a Descuvi?"

His words continuously echoed in my brain.

Are you a Descuvi?

I pulled my robe closer, suddenly feeling colder though it was a warm night. His eyes were piercing mine, guilt engulfing my whole body. I looked away immediately, knowing if I kept staring he would be able to see right through me.

"Annalise, I need you to look me in my eyes and tell me the truth." He tried grabbing my hands, but I brushed them off. My heart was pounding and my mind was haywire.

What was I going to say?

If I told him the truth, he would never talk to me again. I would receive the penalty for a Descuvi, especially one whom had lied about their identity: death. I looked up at the moon, wishing I had the strength to tell the truth.

"Annalise, you can't hide forever. I'm trying to help you."

Everything leading up to this point in my life, my mother had kept me safe. She provided for me and created a better life for me. She warned me not to get close with any sort of royals, and I didn't listen.

I messed this up, so I had to make it right.

"I'm not a Descuvi." I sighed out, still staring at the moon.

"Look me in my eyes, Annalise," he turned my chin to his direction, no escaping his truth-seeking eyes. He drifted the back of his hand across my cheek, and I wanted to cry out in sadness. I was about to tell the biggest lie of my life to the person I cared about most.

And I've never lied.

"I'm not a Descuvi," a tear fell from my eyes. He wiped it away, concern now written on his face. It hurt to even say, the lies spilling from my mouth leaving a salty taste behind.

"Then what are you?" He looked relieved, his shoulders slumping back against the bench.

"I'm a Gregerson."

"But you look nothing like one, sweetheart." His taunting hands still stroked my face, making me feel more guilty.

Another tear fell,"My father was a Descuvi. He moved to Gregerson before Demotis' Rage hit him, and met my mother in Gregerson. There they had me, and he was killed by a Descuvi a few months before I was born. Ever since, my mother had wanted to move out of Gregerson to give me a better life," The tears didn't stop rolling down my face.

"Your dad had left before the Queen was killed then, right? He stayed a good man before he died?" His questions taunted me.

I nodded my head to his question, not wanting to speak another lie. I didn't even know my father and I was lying about him too. The guilt was taking over my whole body, I was shaking as I cried.

Damien pulled me in, wrapping both arms around my back and embracing my tears. The sad thing was that he didn't know I was crying because I lied to him. I've been lying to every person I've befriended, not being a true friend.

My whole life had to live in lies.

"So you're half-Descuvi?" He asked, taking my sobs into his shirt and stroking my hair.

"Yes, but I've shown no signs of his rage reaching me." Maybe I truly was a cold, lying, sneaky Descuvi. It's in my blood after all. Maybe this was Demotis' rage reaching me, myself being a full-born Descuvi lying to everyone who cares for me.

"All that really matters is that you were truly born in Gregerson, Annalise. Though you are half-Descuvi, you have shown compassion, truth, and open arms to every person you have met. You even got the cold-hearted, emotionless Prince of Deltora to open up to you. I don't know if you feel it, but with you I feel an insane, electric bond I've never felt before with anybody else. I don't know what is, but I feel like it's fate pulling us together."

I cried even more, his words making me wish I had never met him. If only I had never crashed into him in that hallway, this could've all been prevented.

Fate works in funny ways.

"Your only half-Descuvi, Annalise. The rage will never be able to reach you because of that. Only full-born Descuvis can be effected." He held me tighter against his chest, trying to make me feel protected. It didn't work, it only made me feel worse.

"So where do we go from here?" I asked, pulling away from his shirt and wiping my nose.

"What do you mean?"

"I just don't know if I can be close to you anymore, Damien." I exclaimed.

He suddenly kissed me, taking my breath away even more. Tingles erupted all across my skin, my lips meeting in sync with his. It felt magnetic, our pull to each other was irresistible.

His lips trailed down my neck, putting me in a certain daze as he gave me love bites. He trailed up to my ear, sucking on it a little and causing my body to heat up. His lips met mine again, this time with need and lust. I returned it, his soft lips caused a certain spot in my body to run into overdrive.

He pulled away,"I've just found you, Annalise. Somebody who I can open up to. A woman who helps me become a better man, without me required to give something in return. A woman with no ulterior motive but to listen to me, and try to understand me. I'm not letting you slip through my fingers now, sweetheart."

Another tear almost dared to fall from my eye.

I was still a liar.

He gave me a mischievous smile,"From here we stay the way we are, smooth sailing and taking things slow... and I think we need to go back to the castle. We've got some desserts to go steal for you, shortcake." He wiped away my last tear.

"What could they be doing right now?" Hazalen asked, flipping through a fashion book.

"Probably off having sex." I remarked, putting my evening gel in my hair for the night.

Damn you look good!

"Henry, you know Annalise would never."

"Have you seen the way they look at each other! Annalise looks like a love-sick puppy and Damien just looks lost." I exclaimed, laying back on the bed next to her.

"You know, it's kind of the look Landon gave you at dinner... are you going to talk about that?" I asked, squinting my eyes at her. I knew about Landon and Hazalen's break up right after it happened. I was still living in Revola when I received a letter in the mail.

She had explained that it was out of the blue, that he just fell out of love. It was the most cockatoo excuse I had ever heard. After moving into Deltora since my dad got the job, I realized things work here like they do in Revola.

Social hierarchy.

Once I arrived, I immediately started building my way up by learning drama, people's finical status, and how people viewed them. From there I now have many birds in my ear whom respond only to me when it comes to learning new information.

My new case: Who Paid Off Landon?

I first found out about the drama as I explained before, how the two star-crossed lovers very suddenly came to an end. Secondly the finical status, and this is where it gets tricky.

Landon Apa used to have a mother, but she died with illness one year ago. She was a high noble's daughter who fell in love with a commoner, so once she died all the money went back to the family. Landon's dad has struggled with the money situation ever since, and it's rumored that Damien pays for Mettling High now.

Thirdly, how people viewed them: everybody loved Hazalen but envied her. Being one of the richest daughters in Deltora with beauty, she was a tough competitor for any situation. Landon was viewed as the Prince's best friend since childhood, so obviously he was going to rank in power somewhere.

The next bird told me that after they broke up... he became rich again. His father placed a high-ranking job for Isabelle's family empire of jewels.

So my thesis: Did Isabelle tempt Landon into making a deal for his father to ensure she could keep Hazalen below her in the hierarchy?

I'm an incredible human being, I know.

If Landon and Hazalen were to marry, the power of the kingdom and Hazalen's status would raise; given that Damien would probably place Landon as an advisor.

"It was nothing, he just kept giving me looks and I didn't like it."

"What kind of looks?" I leaned in, scanning her face.

"The ones he used to give me. I felt very uncomfortable."

"Or maybe you felt angry. Angry that he would give you the same looks he used to, because he shouldn't have any reason to anymore." I analyzed, smirking as her face morphed into realization. She quickly caught it, narrowing her eyebrows into a frown.

"I just didn't like it, there's no need to talk about it anymore." I gave her a big hug, wether she thought she needed it or not.

I'm going to get to the bottom of this, my favorite cousin.

You don't mess with the Star family.

And especially one Henry Star with over a million different colored handkerchiefs.

I hope you all are asking these questions. And yes, shit is about to go down. This was the most requested chapter I've ever written. All your sweet comments have me tearing up. Espically , your message was so kind.

And I'm so very glad. I promise, the book is worth continue reading; I've already planned out the rest. We started out slow but now it's rapid fire from here.

I will definitely be updating in the next four days, maybe more because I'm going on a long car ride.

I love you all💕