Chapter 59: Fifty-nine

Damien

I walked to my chambers as fast as I could. I needed to share the news with Alana but planned to approach the subject carefully.

I got to our chamber only to find it empty. A servant informed me that Alana was with my mother.

I walked to my mother’s chambers, my mind swirling with thoughts. As I approached, I heard laughter, Alana’s musical voice mingling with my mother’s. I knocked lightly and entered, a smile spreading across my face at the sight before me.

Alana was sitting beside my mother, both of them engaged in a cheerful conversation. My mother looked up and smiled warmly. "Damien, come join us."

I walked over and kissed my mother on the cheek before sitting next to Alana. "I didn’t mean to interrupt," I said, my eyes meeting Alana's.

"You're never an interruption," Alana replied, her eyes sparkling with affection.

My mother chuckled. "It’s good to see you two so happy. It reminds me of your father and me."

I felt a pang of longing for what my father and mother had but I quickly masked it. "Mother, may I borrow Alana for a while?"

My mother raised an eyebrow, a teasing glint in her eye. "Oh, taking her away so soon? You young people and your endless need for privacy"

Alana blushed, looking down at her hands. I couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, Mother. We'll be back later."

My mother waved us off, still smiling. "Go on, then. But you don’t need to bring her back it's late already,you might as well retire for the night."

We bade her good night,I took Alana’s hand, leading her out of the room. Once we were back in our chambers, I turned to her, my expression serious.

"Damien, what’s wrong?" Alana asked, her brow furrowed with concern.

"I didn’t want to say anything in front of Mother," I began, taking her hands in mine. "We received some news yesterday."

Alana's eyes widened. "News about Aurora and Asher?"

"We’ve found a cabin deep in the inhabitable forest," I explained. "It was heavily guarded by men loyal to the Minister who declared the area uninhabitable. It’s a promising lead."

Alana’s breath caught in her throat. "Do you think our children could be there?"

"I don’t want to get our hopes up " I said softly. "But it’s the best lead we’ve had in a long time. We’re going to investigate it thoroughly."

Tears welled up in Alana’s eyes, but she blinked them away. "Damien, if there’s even a chance…"

I pulled her into my arms, holding her tightly. "I promise you, Alana. I will find them, no matter what it takes. We will bring them home."

She buried her face in my chest, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. "I know you will," she whispered. "I believe in you."

I held her for a moment longer, feeling the warmth of her body against mine, before pulling back slightly to look into her eyes. "Alana, we need to be prepared for anything. If they are there, we need to act swiftly and decisively. I’ll need your strength and support."

Alana nodded, determination replacing the tears in her eyes. "Whatever it takes, Damien. I’ll be ready. We both will."

I smiled, "Thank you. Now, tell me about your day. I noticed you and Mother were having a good time."

Alana’s expression softened. "Your mother is wonderful. We spent the day talking about the old times, and she shared stories about you when you were a child. It was nice to see that side of her."

I chuckled. "I can only imagine the tales she told. I’m glad you two are getting along so well."

"She’s been a great comfort to me, especially with everything going on," Alana admitted. "She understands what we’re going through more than anyone else."

"She’s always had a way of making people feel at ease," I agreed. "I’m glad she’s here for you."

Alana hesitated, then took a deep breath. "There’s something else, Damien. Mrs. Morgana, I went to see her yesterday , and today she called to inform me..., She said she found out something important about my mother."

I looked at her in surprise. "Your mother? What did she say?"

"She didn’t tell me everything, only that she had some information and wanted to speak with me tomorrow," Alana explained. "I thought you should know."

I nodded, my mind racing. "We’ll go together. Whatever she has to say, we’ll face it together."

Alana smiled gratefully. "No Damien, I want to do this alone ,I know you also have to prepare to raid the cabin,but yiu shouldn't know,I definitely feel better knowing you’ll always be there when I need you ."

"Always," I promised. "Now, let’s get some rest. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

And as we were about to lay in bed, Alana turned to me, her voice barely above a whisper. "Damien, promise me something."

"Anything," I replied, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"Promise me that no matter what happens, we’ll never give up on finding them," she said, her eyes shining with determination. "Promise me we’ll keep fighting until they’re back in our arms."

I looked into her eyes, my heart swelling with love and resolve. "I promise, Alana. We’ll never give up. We’ll find them, no matter what it takes."

She smiled, a mixture of hope and determination in her expression. "Thank you, Damien. With you by my side, I know we can do this."

We settled into bed, but sleep eluded me as thoughts of our children and the upcoming meeting with Mrs. Morgana swirled in my mind.wondered who her real parents her and why they still haven't reached out to her,

I just hope everything goes well,I held Alana close, drawing comfort from her presence, and finally drifted into a restless sleep.