Convict Cichlid Eggs?

So I bought 2 convicts which I thought were both female. I checked the tank on Friday morning and saw that they were both guarding a cave, one was inside and the other was staying right outside of it and occasionally going inside too. I looked inside the cave and there was a bunch of eggs! Must of been laid thursday night. I was so excited! Okay so figured one must be male then? It's now Monday morning, the eggs didn't hatch yesterday like I thought they might, I checked on them this morning and most of the eggs are gone?! The eggs stayed an amber color the whole time since I noticed they were there, none ever turned white, or they ate those ones before I saw. The eggs never got any darker tho, just stayed the amber color. I thought that if they didn't get fertilized then they would of died within a day or 2. Or is that wrong? I really thought they were going to hatch because on day 3 the " female" started clearing a spot in the sand right by the cave, I figured she must of known they were about to hatch. I also heard that the female usually protects them the most, that's what makes me wonder if they are actually both female because the 1 I think might be a male is always in the cave with them and the female is right outside. Any help would be appreciated! So what happened to the eggs? Are they both female and just never got fertilized? Or just too young to fertilize them yet? I tried to take some pictures. The one stays in the cave So much it was hard to get a pic of em. The " female" stays right outside the cave and has been very colorful since the eggs weere laid, very bright red, blue, green. The one in the cave is little red and blue.

 

Sorry, also..
They aren't somewhere else in the tank, I checked!
They are still guarding the cave and there's a few amber colored eggs left in there with them
This is also their first time breeding, obviously, lol so could that be a reason also?

 

I've only seen convicts eat the eggs if they are infertile. Even then that's a guess. I have seen one of the 2 fish fight the other one off when that happens.

Do Both fish have colour?
I guess that's answered. Both the same size? Females tend to be hearty small fish and males will continue to grow and look similar to other common cichlids

 

I've only seen convicts eat the eggs if they are infertile. Even then that's a guess. I have seen one of the 2 fish fight the other one off when that happens.

Do Both fish have colour?
I guess that's answered. Both the same size? Females tend to be hearty small fish and males will continue to grow and look similar to other common cichlids

Both the same size but also quite young still, that's why I'm thinking maybe they are just too young to fertilize them, but wouldntbthe eggs die and turn white within a day, they stayed amber colored, does that mean fertilized?

 

My eggs have always been in a cave so haven't really. Even able to document the colouring