Royal Threat Read online

  “That doesn’t equate to safe,” he countered.

  “Fine; I’ll get back behind the wall, but I needed to see this for myself—the true consequences of everything that’s happening.”

  “It’ll get worse before it gets better.”

  “I know,” I said, dreading how bad that could possibly be.

  Brock guided me back to the gate and stopped to talk with the soldiers posted there. I continued back to the palace, seeing the broken window where I had shot one of the protestors. His body was also gone now. The window was in the process of being boarded up until replacement glass could be installed.

  On my way back to my room, I stopped at the Yellow Room to see Princess Amelia. I thought the Queen might be there as well, but the Princess was alone in her new room. At least the guards were still posted outside the door.

  The wall television was on and the Princess was watching it from her motorized wheelchair, which had been brought up from her old room, along with the medical equipment the doctors insisted she needed.

  “How are you this morning, Your Highness?” I asked as I approached. “I’m sure it feels good to be home.”

  “It does,” she said, her lips barely moving as she spoke, forcing me to listen carefully to understand her. “This reminds me of my room when I was a little girl. That was a long time ago.”

  “Yes; I hear you’ve been below ground for quite a few years.” I glanced at the screen and saw news coverage of the protesting. I was surprised that after how much she’d been sheltered by the Queen, she’d be allowed to watch this. Though maybe it simply didn’t matter anymore…

  “Things aren’t going well.”

  “Very badly, I’m afraid.”

  “Is what they’re saying true—about Victoria… about me… my family?” Princess Amelia pushed on a lever built into the armrest and pivoted her chair toward me.

  I didn’t know how to answer her, afraid of revealing things I’d come to regret. I didn’t expect to see those images on the television screen.

  “Not everything,” I finally said. “The media takes a nugget of truth and twists it into something unrecognizable.” Though the story was recognizable, I just couldn’t admit to it. In looking back at the screen, I noticed the television remote on the coffee table and wondered if it was even something she could bend down to reach.

  “Is my mother going to be overthrown? I knew I would never be queen, but I hoped my sister would.”

  “I—I don’t know what the future will bring,” I said.

  “None of us does,” a voice said from the far end of the room just as the door clicked shut. “Can I help you, Prince Byron?” Dr. Crane asked.

  “I was just checking on the Princess,” I said. “I was surprised to find her alone so shortly after her return.”

  “She is never truly alone in here. There are guards outside at all times, as well as cameras.”

  “There are cameras in here?” I asked, thinking of the night I’d spent with Victoria in here, then our conversation with the Queen before the press conference. “That’s how she knew…”

  “How who knew?”

  I shook my head. “Never mind. I apologize if I offended.”

  “No offense taken,” Dr. Crane said with a smile that I couldn’t quite tell if it was genuine or not. “The safety and security of the Princess is paramount. Your skepticism is warranted and appreciated.”

  “Yes… well…” I nodded to the doctor, then said, “Your Highness,” as I made my way toward the door.

  “Did she provide you with any more details of her captivity?” Dr. Crane asked before I could leave.

  “No,” I said. “I don’t know any more this morning than I did last night.”

  “I see,” he said pensively. “We’ll continue to work on getting the answers we all desire.”

  “Thank you, doctor.” I left and headed up to my room.

  Something told me that whatever answers he’d be able to pry from the Princess’s damaged mind, he’d keep to himself—at least partially. I did not believe he was as forthcoming as he claimed to be.

  If Dr. Crane was correct, I now wondered if my room had hidden cameras as well. I felt like I was now in somewhat of a position of power to demand some privacy from the Queen. We were now indebted to each other. I was a player now, no longer just a pawn.

  I went over to the desk to call for some food to be brought up when I noticed a sheet of paper that hadn’t been there previously. When I picked it up to examine further, I realized it was the list I’d requested from Johanna, of the Ramsey properties and names of family friends. The property names weren’t much needed anymore now that Victoria was safe—but the friends’ names could still come in handy.

  Perusing them, Duke Hendrix jumped out. He was the Duke of the 22nd Ward and had been one of the clone guardians—the clone who’d died several years ago. According to Queen Dorothea, the death was deemed to be from natural causes. I only remembered her name because it was the same as the Queen’s assistant—Tabatha. I never thought much of it… but now that he was on Ramsey’s list and he’d been part of the party to kidnap the Princess, I wondered if there was more to that poor girl’s story. Was he part of Frank’s plot? Was he one of the mysterious others from the limo?

  Who else was in that infamous limo the night Victoria was supposed to be attacked? I knew the names were on this list; all I had to do was cross them off.

  “One down,” I said, placing the list into the top drawer.

  10

  Victoria

  Mama Maud stood in the doorway of her cabin, as we approached; there was no shotgun this time. As soon as she heard us coming, Mina slipped past the old lady and ran to meet us.

  I threw my arms out to slow her down so she wouldn’t crush me in a hug; in my current condition, she’d take us both down. As she drew closer, she realized the shape I was in and slowed to approach me with caution.

  “Victoria!” she exclaimed. “Are you okay? You don’t look it.”

  “I am now,” I said, smiling at the sight of her.

  Codie and Anabelle peeked out from the front door.

  “You been walking long?” Mama Maud asked.

  “From the Duke’s estate,” Kale said. “Only a few miles.”

  “Only,” I said, glancing at him and rolling my eyes. My feet were killing me before we’d even started. I made him stop several times along the way, even taking a short break under the fused trunks of the devil’s tree. I noticed Kale gazing at our initials carved into the bark, but he didn’t comment on it.

  “And I brought you more supplies to make up for the guns I took the last time. The former Duke had a nice gun collection.”

  “He was a hunter,” I said. “You saw the mountain lion, right?”

  “How could anyone miss it,” Kale laughed. “I’ll put the new additions in the shed.” He carried the full duffle bag around the side of the cabin.

  “I was just about to make some snacks for the young’uns,” Mama Maud said in her rough, yet endearing voice. “You hungry from your walk?”

  “That sounds wonderful. Thank you,” I said, following her shuffling frame inside.

  Mina remained glued to my side. “Where have you been? Kale said you went back to the palace. Are things better now?”

  “Not completely, but getting there,” I said. Even though she knew her father was a monster, I was not about to tell her what happened—that he was gone. He was a monster, but he was still her father. “This was the first opportunity I could break away for a bit to visit you.”

  Mama Maud eyed me as she sliced some bread. I didn’t know how much Kale had told her, but she appeared to know enough. But if Kale trusted her, I had no problem trusting her either.

  “Let’s not scare the children,” she said as she arranged the bread slices on a plate and topped them with marionberry jam. She brought the plate over to the table and invited us all to eat up.

  “Who’s scaring the children?” Kale asked as
he came in and shot straight for the food.

  “Not me,” I said, covering my mouth while I chewed.

  “I noticed your woodpile is low. Would you like me to replenish it this afternoon?” Kale asked.

  “If you can spare the time,” Mama Maud said.

  “Victoria needs to rest, so I’m all yours for today,” Kale said.

  Kale had already told me I couldn’t return to the palace yet due to the protests about the files released on Princess Amelia. Then he admitted to being the reason for that release, something about a virus implanted on the little device I’d given the Queen. All she had to do was plug the device into any computer and the virus automatically released the files to the Kingdom. This was all unfamiliar to me, but I felt bad that I’d unintentionally carried and delivered the weapon directly to the Queen. I guess nothing about my plan went right.

  I knew where the bedrooms were, but Mina insisted on guiding me because she now felt like she lived there. I remembered changing in there the first time Kale had taken us to Mama Maud’s, when I had to choose some of his old clothes to wear. Now, there were some girls’ clothes hanging in the closest, presumably clothes he’d gotten for Mina and Anabelle over the past few days. They hadn’t been there long, but seemed to have settled right in.

  “Is there anything you need?” Kale asked, standing in the doorway.

  “I’ve got everything I need,” I said, which was only partially true. Despite my excitement to see Mina and Kale, I missed Prince Byron and wished he was there with us.

  “Good. I’ll let you rest,” he said with a smile and closed the door.

  Sitting on the edge of the bed, I slipped off my shoes, then maneuvered into different positions to find a comfortable way to lie. The previous night, I’d been too exhausted and sick to care, but now everything ached and burned.

  Once I was semi-comfortable, Mina lay next to me and disrupted my perfect positioning. But I wasn’t about to complain; I wanted her to remain at my side.

  “Are we ever going to see the rest of the family again?” she asked. “I mean, I don’t want to see my father, but I miss Mother and Johanna. I want to see them again.”

  “Yes; I believe you’ll get to see them again,” I said, looking into her innocent, sorrowful eyes.

  “What about you? I want you there too. Since you’re not going to be a princess anymore, then you should come back to live with us—just you, me, Johanna, and Mother.”

  “Who says I’m not going to be a princess anymore?” I gave her a sarcastic grin.

  “I thought with all the stuff that was happening, that—a”

  “Well, I’m not saying I am, but there’s still a chance,” I said. “It’s complicated.”

  “Then we’ll be able to come live with you in the palace. I really loved it there when I got to come for the party.”

  “That was fun. And yes, it might just happen.” I nuzzled closer to her. “Are you going to let me sleep? Because if you’re not—”

  “I will; I will. I’m just not tired—but I know you are. You can sleep for a while, and then we can talk a little. How about that?”

  “Sure thing,” I said closing my eyes. I thought it would take me a long time to get to sleep—to block out the pain, to block out the noise from the main living room—but I seemed to be enveloped in a dream just moments after closing my eyes.

  Mina shook me awake, which hurt like hell. When I came to, I noticed the pillow was wet. I scooted my head back to a dry spot and realized both cheeks were moist.

  “You were crying,” Mina said. “Are you okay? What were you dreaming about?”

  I took a moment to compose myself, then noticed Mina was not in bed, but standing beside me. “How long have I been asleep?”

  “About four hours,” she said. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah; I’m fine.” I wiped my cheeks and painfully sat up. I was relieved to find myself still out of the Ramsey estate. It felt so real. He’d still been alive—though “alive” was a loose term in my dream. There was no use trying to get back to sleep now.

  If Mina’s time was correct, it was around the middle of the afternoon. I got up and wandered into the main living space of the cabin.

  “Where’s Kale?” I asked Mina.

  Codie and Anabelle were sprawled out on the floor, reading books from the small assortment on a wall shelf. Mama Maud was cleaning in the kitchen.

  “He was outside,” Mina said.

  “Are you hungry?” Mama Maud asked.

  “I’m fine for now. Thank you,” I said and went outside. I heard light footsteps behind me and knew Mina was following.

  There was noise coming from the shed, which was where I assumed Kale was hiding. But before I went in to see him, I heard another sound that made my heart flutter. Around the back of the cabin was a small fenced area where Misty was grazing.

  “I’d forgotten she was here!” I exclaimed and ran to the fence, momentarily forgetting about the pain in my feet.

  “I come out to see her and brush her every day,” Mina said, sounding proud, now standing beside me by the fence. “I even rode her a little yesterday. She definitely likes you more than me.”

  “We’ve been through a lot together,” I said reaching my hand over the low fence to see if Misty would come over.

  It didn’t take her long to forget about eating and stroll over to us. Then I was brushing my hand down the soft fur of her cheek.

  “I hope Pumpernickel’s okay,” Mina said, her tone turning sad.

  I didn’t know where the Ramsey horses were now. I also didn’t know if Mina knew her home was now gone. Johanna was at the palace, forced into servitude, and the Ramsey parents had relocated to Duke Ramsey’s sister’s house—now just Lady Ramsey. I did have a vague memory of meeting her once as a child, and there were a few pictures at the Ramsey estate that had included her. The girls called her Aunt Violet.

  “You should still be in bed,” Kale said, walking up from behind us.

  “Victoria had a nightmare,” Mina said.

  Kale looked concerned.

  I brushed it off immediately. “It was nothing,” I said. “Everyone has bad dreams. And besides, my body was aching from the bed. The springs are hard.”

  “Not up to your usual royal standards, m’lady?” Kale teased.

  I slapped him on the arm. “I am so not high maintenance—just in pain.”

  Kale’s mouth became a straight line, his eyes turning stormy. “I’m not insinuating that… just playing…”

  I smiled to lighten the descending mood. “Thank you for taking care of Misty for me.”

  “Mina’s been doing much of the work since she got here,” Kale said.

  “She told me,” I said. “What are you up to now?”

  “I was going through our weapons, taking inventory.” Kale looked back at the shed and returned his attention to me. “I’m going out for a few hours, but I shouldn’t be too late. You can relax with the—”

  “I’m coming with you,” I said, cutting him off.

  “You don’t even know—”

  “I don’t care. I’m coming with you,” I insisted. “I want to help. I need to help.”

  “Me too,” Mina said.

  “No,” Kale and I said in unison.

  “What? Why not?” Mina pouted. “Where are you going anyway?”

  “Yeah; where are we going?” I asked.

  “If you didn’t keep cutting me off, I’d tell you.” Kale huffed out a sigh. “I need to meet up with Gabriel. He’s watching the Mackenzie estate.”

  “I don’t want to see him,” Mina said, disgustedly, and I surely shared her sentiment.

  “Which is why you’re staying here—where it’s safe,” I said.

  “And why you should stay here,” Kale added, directed at me.

  “I can take care of myself,” I said.

  “I won’t argue that.”

  Kale fixed us some food, so we could drive straight through to the 23rd Ward without havin
g to stop and eat somewhere. After we quickly ate, he loaded a jeep parked on the other side of the cabin with the duffle bag taken from the Ramsey estate. He took a handgun out of the waistband of his jeans and stowed it in the glove compartment.

  “Are you sure you’re up for this?” he asked before climbing in.

  My answer consisted of taking my seat on the passenger side. Kale shook his head as he got behind the wheel, revved the engine, and kicked the jeep into drive.

  We’d been driving for about an hour when Kale called Gabriel to tell him we were close. Kale pulled into an abandoned gas station and parked behind the dilapidated structure, so our jeep wouldn’t be visible from the main street.

  “How close are we?” I asked as we got out.

  Kale retrieved his handgun, grabbed the duffle bag from the trunk and slung it over his shoulder. “About a mile,” he said, pointing into the field and forest beyond.

  I tried to hide my limping as much as possible, not wanting to give him any more ammunition as to why I shouldn’t have come. “Do you want any help?”

  His expression couldn’t have looked any more patronizing, though I was relieved by his clipped answer. “I’ve got it.”

  We hiked into the sun, which was approaching the treetops of the wooded horizon. Between my injuries and Kale being weighed down by the concealed weapons he was carrying, we were a slow-moving duo. The trees ahead swayed as the wind picked up. Clouds were rolling in and the sun was hidden by them before reaching the trees.

  I knew Kale was taking his typical precautions, but it would’ve been nice to have parked closer. I wasn’t about to complain aloud.

  We weren’t in the woods much longer than the trek across the field. I could see the tree line as well as someone crouched and leaning against a wide tree trunk. A long rifle was propped up at his side. Even from this distance, I could tell it was Gabriel.

  “Any updates?” Kale called out, though careful not to speak too loud.

  “Not in the past few hours,” Gabriel said. “A guard team passed this side of the estate about an hour ago. I expect to see them again soon before the evening shift change.”