Timothy stared at me with wide eyes that were filled with shock and fear, and a look of fear flashed across his face. "So, he knows everything?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, and I gave him a weird look.

"Yes," I said and nodded in confirmation. "He knows everything."

Timothy gulped and cleared his throat, and he shifted on his feet, not saying another word. His cheeks turned red, and I rolled my eyes and pressed my lips into a thin line.

I looked at Freyin, deciding to ignore my comrade because I did not want to deal with him and whatever he was thinking. "What were you planning with the prince?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "What has he been working on because I assume that he has been trying to get the kids out of here without the king's knowledge and permission?"

My father stayed silent but chuckled amused, even though there was a little hint of sadness in it, for I hadn't called him my father and only referred to him by his title when addressing him.

Freyin nodded in confirmation. "Again, it is because he wants to go back home and so do the rest of us," he said and bowed deeper before he cleared his throat and stood, putting his hands behind his back and holding his hands together, even though both of us grew a little nervous. "We want to find a way to live there and not live here where we are no longer welcomed or wanted."

And my hope is that you will be coming with us... the Prince said, trailing off at the end, and the hair on the back of my neck stood at attention.

My hearts skipped a beat before they pounded hard and fast in my chest but not enough for the other Addisan to hear, especially since I still wore the suit that the Committee made us wear. I grabbed my gun tighter and bit the inside of my lip but made no move to answer him.

Timothy seemed to know that something was said to me because he frowned and worry flashed through his eyes while he glanced at me from the corner of his eye. "Neeley?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, and he raised an eyebrow in question. "What's up? What's wrong? What did he say?"

I pressed my lips into a thin line and shook my head, without saying a word to him and looked at Freyin. "What did he have for us, and are there others that are trying to help us as well?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I studied him.

Freyin nodded in confirmation before he bowed again, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and scowl because I was annoyed with all of this bowing. "There are, Your Highness," he said before he cleared his throat and stood taller. "There is a group actually, and they will do everything in their power to help you with getting the children out so that they, well we, can go home."

"And do they have a symbol or something?" I asked and raised the eyebrow higher in question while I studied him. "I will make sure that my group knows not to hurt or kill them, since they will be helping us."

Freyin seemed to breathe a small sigh of relief. "Yes, Your Highness," he said and nodded in confirmation. He hesitated and bowed some more, not meeting my gaze and pressing his lips into a thin line. "May I show you?" he asked and stood, looking me in the eyes.

I nodded in confirmation. "And pull out what the prince wanted you to give me," I said. "You aren't going to get shot from either of us." I flashed Timothy a small look, and Timothy rolled his eyes and scowled but didn't say a word to refute my claim.

Freyin bit back a small chuckle and slowly nodded before he grew serious. He looked around to make sure that we were still safe before he moved a piece of his armor to show a calla lily, and my hearts grew still while my throat closed and became filled with pain and sadness.

A wave of emotion washed over me, and I took a deep, shuddering breath before I released it with a small whoosh, earning a curious look from Timothy but an understanding look from Freyin, who smiled sadly and bowed his head, breaking eye contact.

Your mother's favorite flower, my father said, and his voice cracked with pain and sadness. He cleared his throat and tried to compose himself, but I could tell that it took him a while to do it. If they have that somewhere on them, then they follow me.

And what if they don't? I asked and grabbed my gun a little tighter. I watched as Freyin bowed again before he stood and closed the flap on his armor. There are those that could be a double agent and could be working for your father.

My father chuckled softly. There have been a few cases, but they have been dealt with immediately, he said. We have not had any other words about anyone else double crossing us.

My eyes twitched a little, but I didn't say a word while I watched as Freyin slowly reached into his pocket to get something for me.

The rest are safe, my father said as if he knew what I was thinking. We have eradicated those that were a threat as soon as we knew about them.

I didn't say a word and pressed my lips into a thin line, grabbing my gun tighter because there was this small sense of doubt that they had gotten everyone and everyone else was on his side.

Freyin pulled his hand out of his pocket to reveal a small circular device, a card, and a few small calla lily pendants that I could give to others. "This is to help you out on your quest, Your Highness," he said and held out his hand for me to take the stuff from his hands. "You and your comrade can have a calla lily pendant, if it pleases you, and the others are for any other... Addisan that you may have deemed safe while you and your group rescue the kids."

He cleared his throat and shifted on his feet, bowing his head while he grew hesitant about what he had to say next. "I take it that you will inform your group that there are still good Addisans that only want to go home and have not killed anyone, yes?" He looked at me and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Yes," I said and nodded, earning a curious look from Timothy, which I ignored. "I will let them know that you all want to go home and that those with the flower pendant are on the Committee's side of this war."

Freyin seemed to sigh in relief, and his whole body sank lower while the weight of the world was relieved from his shoulders. "Thank you, Your Highness," he said and bowed without meeting my gaze. He cleared his throat. "Here. Take them. I believe it is time for you all to go. Your father and I will make sure that you both do not get hurt or stopped."

"And the others?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question. "Are you going to make sure that they stay safe, too?"

Freyin smiled and nodded in confirmation. "Yes, Your Highness," he said. "We will make sure that they do not get hurt or killed either when they arrive, and I hope that they will do the same thing for us.

I didn't respond to his silent plea and took a step toward him, shifting my gun away from him, only to be pulled back by Timothy.

I twisted around and glared at him, my blue eyes flashing purple while I bared my teeth at him in warning, and he blinked and looked unamused and not afraid at all. "Copeland," I warned with a small hiss in my voice, and it took all of my self-control not to hit him with my damn gun.

"I will get the stuff from him and not you, Neeley," Timothy said and kept his hand on my arm. "Please." He tucked his head closer to his chest while he stared at me with a soft look on his face that I did not like at all because I did not understand it and it made me nervous.

The man that I called my father chuckled amused. He cares about you, Joy, he said, his voice barely above a whisper and cracking. He cleared his throat and grew serious. Let him do it, even though Freyin will not hurt you.

I set my jaw and narrowed my eyes, not saying a word while I continued to stare at Timothy. I grabbed my gun tighter in my hands, trying but failing to intimidate him into letting me go instead of him.

Timothy stayed firm, even though he was a little nervous and unnerved about the look on my face. He didn't relent in the way that I knew he would and held strong, silently praying that I would relent without a fight and would let him get it instead.

Finally, after a long staring contest on both sides, I did what I was told to do and rented first with a small nod of my head and a step back toward him. "Fine," I grunted out, annoyed, and rubbed the bridge of my nose when a headache appeared out of nowhere. "Go ahead and grab the stuff, Copeland, but hurry up because we have shit to do and so does he."

Timothy's whole body seemed to relax when I finally relented, and he gave me one of his cheeky grins that I so badly wanted to punch off of his face. He didn't say a word and let me go before he went over to Freyin without me having to order him again.

Freyin watched us amused and bowed to Timothy when he reached the Addisan, not saying a word and not moving, trying to make himself look less of a threat than he was.

Are you going to tell me what to do with everything besides the calla lily pendants when I get them, Your Highness? I asked my father, protecting Timothy's back, even though I knew that Freyin wouldn't do anything to the other male.

Yes, my father said and mentally nodded, clearing his throat to hide a chuckle. He didn't say a word about me calling him, 'Your Highness' instead of 'father' or something along those lines, but I could tell that he was hurt and sad. I will tell you as soon as you have them in your hands.

Then I should have been the one to get them and not him, I thought and mentally rolled my eyes while I pursed my lips in annoyance. That way I could know sooner.

My father chuckled amused but didn't say anything about my thoughts or feelings.

We stayed silent while Timothy grabbed the stuff from Freyin before he moved back to my side, and Freyin stood and slowly lowered his hand back to his side.

"Will His Highness tell you what to do with everything, Your Highness?" Freyin asked while he took a hesitant step back as if he knew what the answer would be and wanted to get ready to leave just as fast as he could to help us with this mission.

I nodded in confirmation and pressed my lips into a thin line. "He will tell me everything about them," I said, and Freyn breathed a small sigh of relief and took another step back and away from us.

I didn't say anything about it and made no move toward him, having this feeling that he had other orders that he needed to attend to to make sure that his cover hadn't been blown by helping us. "Thank you, Freyin, for everything."

"Of course, Your Highness," Freyin said and bowed. "It is my pleasure." He cleared his throat and bowed lower. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have other business to attend to."

And with that, and without another word, Freyin left before we had the chance to react so that he could take care of other things that needed to be done and to make sure that the king wouldn't know that he was not working for him any longer but for the prince that brought him a promise of a new life home.

Oh, Gods keep us safe...