"Amelia! Oh my God, honey how are you? Is everything okay there? When are you coming back? Are you coming back? How are you coming back? What about - "

"Mom!" I screamed over the phone. "Calm down, okay. I'm alright and so is everyone else here. Now about coming back..... Um could you just put the phone on the speaker? I want to speak to both of you about this."

"Oh... Uh, okay, just a minute."
After a pause of a few seconds I heard her speak again, "Okay honey, your dad is here too."

"Hey dad," I said softly.

"Amelia! You have no idea how relieved am I after hearing your voice. When we heard what happened at the palace the two of us were worried sick. We tried calling you but I think they cut off the communication lines and now that you called, your mother wouldn't let me speak to you," he said while chuckling over the phone.

"Oh, Shush Howard! Don't waste time talking rubbish. Didn't you hear the tone of her voice? Something is definitely up with her. "

Of course she caught onto it.

"You're right mom. Something is up. And this something has been eating me up for a while now."

"Amelia, what's wrong?" asked dad worriedly.

"Why didn't you tell me Grandpa was killed?" I asked quietly, trying my best not to cry.

There was dead silence on the other end of the line and this for some reason got tears in my eyes. Tears that wouldn't stop.

Damon reached out for my hand with his one hand while the other was on the wheel. We had decided to go to the base of The Crown Insurgence. There were still many people we hadn't met who were back at the base and I needed to know the people I was fighting with. Paul said they were like my grandfather's second family and if they were that important to him then they surely meant something to me too.

Since Damon had shood Vivian in another car (something very obviously Vivian wasn't pleased about), he thought it would be the best time to talk to my parents. About everything.

"Kiddo, I am so sorry," said dad. His voice cracking.

"We were just trying to protect you Amelia," said mom.

"Protect me how, by lying to me? How do you think I felt when I came to know that the person whom I loved so much was brutally murdered? That he was a part of a rebel group? That he saw the death of his wife when his kid was with him? When you were with him dad," I cried.
"Do you know how it feels when you get this information not from your parents but from someone else?"

"Amelia," said mom. "I don't know who told you this and what has that person said exactly. You don't even know if what you know is the complete truth!"

"Don't worry about that. I trust him enough not to lie to me," I said and looked at Damon. He quickly glanced at me and smiled, clutching my hand tighter.

"What? Who-"

"Look I don't have time to explain you the whole thing right now. I am almost about the reach the Crown Insurgence base. If I have to lead them,  which was something grandpa wanted, I need to-"

"You what?!" This time she cut me, and shouted at that. God! No one in our family let's the other complete what they are saying!

"Dianne, enough!" boomed dad over the phone. I was shocked. Never in my life had I heard him raise his voice.
"It's her life and she is an adult now. She can make her own decisions. It is our fault if anything because we never told her about this. It is only natural that now she herself would want to explore it. Besides, I trusted Richard enough to know that whatever he taught her is enough to protect her. I don't want any further discussions about this now. We'll talk when she returns. Amelia, go fulfill your grandfather's dream for him."

***

Damon parked the car and we got out.  As soon as we stepped foot outside, many people came to greet us. Some of them young kids too.

They seemed fascinated after they saw Damon, Vivian and I and started introducing themselves and asking us questions. All three of us were scattered and were meeting everyone.

"Hey! I'm Genelia."
"I'm Mark and this is my best friend Robbie."
"My name is Kevin. This is my wife Reyna and our kids Jackson and Vienna."

After this a blonde girl, around my age came to me. She was extremely beautiful despite the simple clothes she was wearing.
"Hi!" she said bringing her hand out to shake. "My name is -"

"Courtney?" said a voice behind me.

I turned to see a very shocked Damon. He had his mouth open and it seemed like he saw a ghost or something.

Wait. He called her by her name. How did he know her?
Courtney..... Where have I heard this name?

My eyes widened when realization struck me.
This couldn't be the same girl right?
This couldn't be the same Courtney he fell in love with, right?

***

DAMON'S POV

"So how is it back at the palace, with King Rupert abducted and all?" Courtney asked me.

We were sitting on a cliff together. Both trying to grasp the idea that the other was right here.
"It's a mess, but we'll survive. We always do."

I knew that she knew very well what I was talking about which was exactly why she said, "I never meant to hurt you, Damon. I just never had a choice. Please forgive me."

"I forgave you for leaking those documents, Courtney. It's what you did after that, that I can't forgive."

"It was a mistake! Yes I did kiss him but I was vulnerable that time. I just needed someone to be there and.... "

"And he was," I completed for her.

"And he was," she said.
"I never loved him though, Damon, it was always you. Only you."

"I can't hear all this right now Courtney. Not when I'm supposed to be there, standing beside Amelia."

She chuckled and said, "Amelia. Of course. I hear you have quite the hots for her."

"That is none of your business."

"Oh it isn't now, is it?"

"No. Besides, what are you doing here anyway? The last time I saw you was last year when Father kicked you out of the Palace."

"That's one way of putting it," she smiled sarcastically and said.
"After everything that happened, I felt immense guilt. I wanted to do something for the people. The very people whom I had betrayed. To show them that I was loyal to our country and it's people. So I joined here. They were planning to get rid of a mole in the system so I thought that this would be the perfect chance for redemption."

"How did you find them anyway?"

"I know people too, Damon. A friend of mine is Serena's cousin. She introduced me to her."

"So that's it then? That's why you're here right, to fix what you did wrong?"

"Yes but not only to the people. To you too."

"What do you mean?"

"I want you to give this another chance Damon. To give us another chance. I still love you. I never stopped."

"There is no point speaking about this anymore Courtney. What's done is done. I'm in love with someone else. I've moved on and so should you."

"Please don't say that, Damon. Please."
She said, a tear falling from her eye.

"I'm sorry but I'll never be able to forget whatever happened," I said.
"You broke my heart Courtney. You broke Damon and Court."

"You're right," she said, her voice croaking.
"But I don't think I'll ever give up hope."

She then leaned in and hugged me.
"I'm sorry again, Damon," she whispered.

"Yeah, I know," I said softly too.

As I was hugging her though, there in the distance I saw Amelia looking at me with a frown. She then turned and walked out of sight.

I quickly broke off the hug.
Shit. Was she mad? Why was she mad? 'Please don't let her be mad,' I prayed.

***

//Hey Guys!

I cannot believe that my book has 500+ reads now. You guys liking my book and reading it gives me immense happiness!

Also, 20 chapters already done?! How did that happen?! I'm honestly shocked I haven't stopped writing this book yet but every read gives me this motivation to write more, so all thanks to you guys!

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Until next time//