I fixed my tie, anxiously checking the father clock in the corner of the room. The plate of oatmeal cookies at the center of the table looked appealing, but I hadn't been able to eat since earlier today. The dessert only reminded me of the kitchen raids Annalise and I would make at night.

I checked the clock again.

It had been approximately ten hours since the Annual Targle event, and Deltora was in chaos. Visitors from foreign lands had already started their journey home, not feeling safe in our walls. The news of the 'Descuvi' infiltrating our lands had spread, and our people did not feel secure.

Knights were pacing the streets, trying to find remaining members of the attack. Over sixty people were brutally killed, all of them being Deltorians.

And one person kidnapped.

The attack was well thought out, with a goal to be reached. If they just wanted Annalise, they could've taken her without the Targle Event, but they wanted to wreak havoc.

They wanted fear.

If they wanted to make a bargain with me, they would've already sent a proposition. The Bendlar clan wanted something from her, and I wasn't going to let them have it.

It was almost time for the meeting to start. I had called upon certain individuals, ones closest to her so we could come up with a solution and break down the situation at hand.

The door opened, revealing a beaten up version of Jack. He limped across the room, settling in the chair beside me. Silence followed, only the ticking of the clock could be heard.

Jack's eyes were stuck to the table,"I'm sorry." I sat up straighter, gazing at him to continue with no emotion.

"I couldn't protect her. I know how much you care for her... and how much you mean to her as well, and I wasn't able to protect her. I let everybody down." He looked away with guilt, and I almost felt bad.

At least he was there for her...

"You tried your best. The only choice we have left is to find her, and I'm going to need your help." I exclaimed. I didn't like asking for help, I was used to demanding what I wanted. Yet this situation was different.

He looked back at me, nodding with realization. The only thing we could both agree on was Annalise, and we were going to have to work together for right now.

Hazalen and Henry entered the room, quite dreadfully might I add. Henry's suit was completely black, even his handkerchief. I assumed that this was his way of handling his emotions, was channeling it into his wardrobe.

Hazalen's eyes were puffy and strung out, obviously she had been crying all day. She was wearing the same dress from the event, her dress was disheveled and crumpled at the sleeves.

The last to walk in was Landon, and as he entered his eyes immediately landed on Hazalen. I had called him to the meeting due to his tactical logic, as well as being my most trusted friend. He was very intelligent when it came to war, and could realize key points that I could not.

"I have called upon this meeting today on the topic of Annalise Woods." I stated, viewing my audience with authority. I was only met with silence, until Hazalen's sobs rang out. Henry handed her an oatmeal cookie with a sad smile, trying to cheer her up. Jack continued to gaze at the table, and Landon looked as if he wanted to console Hazalen.

This is going swell.

"Henry, how did the discussion with Mrs. Woods procure?" I needed to get the ball rolling.

"She wasn't making much sense, Prince. She mentioned Descuvi, but her cries wouldn't stop. I had to resort to searching Annalise's room."

"What did you find?" This sparked my curiosity.

"King Demotis' diary." He reached in his pocket, placing it on the table. I tried to keep a calm composure as I gazed at it, but I was taken off-guard.

"It is to Hazalen and I's belief that Annalise is a Descuvi born. On page one-hundred and twenty, Demotis talks about his wife's dressmaker." A sad smile appeared on his face, the irony of it all. It was a sweet realization for them both, as Henry held Hazalen in his arms.

"He explained that Mrs. Woods had married one of his advisers, and that was how his wife and her met. They had become great friends, but his diary ends soon after that."

Annalise wasn't a half-Descuvi, she was a full born.

I rubbed my temples, already knowing this information. I hadn't known her mother's backstory, but I could recognize when Annalise lied.

The night of the dinner from hell, I had to ask Annalise a dreadful question. I had been speculating this theory for some time before that day, but I never wanted to force her to tell me.

She told me she was half-Descuvi, and I could tell she was lying the whole time. Her voice was brimming with emotion, yet she couldn't look me in the eyes. I didn't care if she was half-whatever or not, but I could tell she thought it made a difference, so I let her think I believed her.

It's not like I would've told my father the truth anyway.

"She must've taken this from a cabin we had once visited, but yes- she is a Descuvi. Does this information change anybody's desire to continue with the plan?" I asked, choosing my words carefully.

All at once, everybody looked up at me with a fire in their eyes. We all knew Annalise was a Descuvi now, but we also knew her heart. It didn't matter where she was born to us, she had all impacted our lives one way or another for the better.

"I don't give a fuck if she's a Descuvi, I want her back. A Descuvi killed our cousin, but Annalise would never do such a thing. Her homeland doesn't define her, and it wasn't her fault she was born in such a dreadful place. I can't imagine what she had to go through to get here, or how hard it must've been to hide it." Hazalen confidently spoke through her tears, and I subconsciously nodded in agreement.

"Then our next corse of action shall be to find her. Landon, what does our intel cover?" I asked. Hazalen hadn't seemed to realize he was there until I spoke his name, and she started messily wiping off her tears. Henry handed her his handkerchief with a slight smirk.

This boy always had something up his sleeve.

"So far the reports are stating that the Bendlar clan aren't in the homes of Deltora, but rather the environment. We believe they could be hiding in the forests of Deltora, or even Mount Deltlara in the caves. Knights haven't stopped investigating since this morning, Prince. We have put a full-force investigation in place."

"Which forests have been examined so far?" I asked.

"The Opi forest, Kol forest, and we have yet to search all of the Uni forest, being the largest."

"Perfect, now change the corse of investigation to Mount Deltlara. I want every knight searching the mountain, from top to bottom." I trusted my gut. I have walked through the Uni forest since I was a child, and I can confidently say that the Bendlar Clan would not be there. The only part I hadn't explored was the cabin that Annalise showed me.

I used to walk the Uni forest in search of my mother, hoping to find the band of thugs who took her. My father had told me she was found dead, and yet I kept searching, in denial of reality.

"This is the same clan whom had assassinated Queen Kathrine. If they were willing to commit such a crime, they won't hesitate to kill Annalise as well. We must keep a level head through this process and work quickly to find her, or else the same fate might happen to her." I explained, wanting them to realize the severity of the situation.

"Why do they want her? What does Cole have to do with her?" Hazalen angrily spitted out.

"Cole seems to have been in the Bendlar Clan for a while now, right under our noses." Jack scoffed out.

Gods, my gut is always right.

"Do you think it has to do with Annalise being a Descuvi?" Henry asked.

"Our intel states that most of the Bendlar Clan aren't Descuvi, rather a mix of thugs from all over the lands. The ones we have in our prison originate from Deltora and Tarzla, so her being a Descuvi might not have something to do with it." I stated.

"Cole knows that Annalise is Damien's only weakness. He must've told the clan to use her as leverage." Jack retorted.

"Then why go to the lengths of attacking during the Annual Targle Event?" Hazalen asked aloud.

"To install fear. What if the Bendlar Clan wants people to think they are made up of Descuvi. This would cause chaos with the blink of an eye." Henry pointed out. Henry was far more intelligent and bright than I presumed him to be, and I was already having thoughts of him as an advisor.

"Well, they haven't sent a bargain for Annalise yet. Could they be planning another attack?" Jack asked.

"We don't have enough information on this yet, but a bargain still might be in the air. This will conclude our meeting today, and we shall have another one tomorrow at tea time after lunch. I am expecting new intel for tomorrow after Landon puts our force completely onto Mount Deltlara. For now, everybody needs to rest. We are doing the best we can to get her back, and I know with our combined strength we will. Have a good night." Everybody stood up and bowed, exiting the room with more confidence than before.

Annalise... we're coming for you, sweetheart.