Cheating Royalty (Chasing Royalty #2)

20

I try to find the words to explain why I foolishly stole the letter. There isn't anything I can say to justify my heat of the moment theft of Augustine's letter.

But before I can say anything at all, Augustine holds up a hand. "Admira, it's okay. I still trust you. I understand why you would be worried and confused when you first came here. In fact, if you hadn't stolen at least one thing since you've gotten here to find more information, I would have made sure you weren't sick."

"It still doesn't make what I did okay." I say, my voice soft.

"I forgive you."

I bow my head, "Thank you."

He nods, "You can be dismissed. Make sure you read that book I gave you, or we may never have a real lesson."

I smile, and hurry from his room. Once I close the door behind me, I nearly run to my bedroom, trying to keep tears from spilling over my eyes.

I open the door and collapse on to my bed. Grace sits on her own, reading a book.

Grace stands and runs to my side, "What's wrong?"

I wipe the tears from my eyes, "Augustine knows that I stole from him."

"What did he say?"

I shake my head.

"I'm sure he couldn't have been too hard on you."

"He said I have his forgiveness, but I don't see how he can forgive me after I've broken his trust. Perhaps he forgives me, but he surely can't trust me anymore."

"I think that you might be exaggerating. You and I both know that you have a talent for it. Just take a few deep breaths and think about what he said."

I'm slowly catching my breath when Cassandra bursts into the room. She takes my watery eyes, my tearstained bedspread, and Grace's concern all in with a sweeping glare.

She snaps, "I don't care what the problem is. There are guards again."

She practically pulls me off the bed and pushes us to the hidden panel. She presses it in and it swings open. I climb inside, barely able to see through my tear-blurred vision.

Cassandra's eyes fly over the room, taking in all the evidence of our existence we've left behind.

Two books. A tearstained bedcover.

Cassandra swipes the books off our bedside tables and hands them quickly to me. I place them inside the safety room. Cassandra stares at the bedcover, her eyebrows pinched together.

Grace says, "Flip it over. We can only hope the guards don't check."

Cassandra places her hands on her hips, "Don't you understand? The more times the guards come, the more tedious it will be. They will certainly look at the bedcover, no matter which way it is facing."

"Do you have any other option?"

Cassandra huffs and flings the pillows off the bed. She quickly flips the covers over and remakes the bed. Just as she's positioning the last pillow, voices float down the hall.

Cassandra hurries to press the panel closed.

Florentine's voice from the hall says, "Yes, I've had all the servants vacate from the home. The only people in here are you and me."

Cassandra freezes before closing the panel. She climbs inside and pulls the panel closed from a latch on the inside of the door. Through the crack between the panel and the wall, I watch the door swing open.

Florentine and only one man walk into the room. He doesn't appear to be a guard. He's not wearing a uniform.

"Do you have any other requests?" Florentine asks.

The man says, "There was an edge in your voice. Are you angry that I am here? Is this an inconvenience?"

"Am I angry? No. It is my duty to serve and obey the kingdom and the orders of its Queen Alexandra. However, is this an inconvenience? Yes. You realize how difficult it must be to conduct a business and organize my tasks of the day when I continuously have to welcome guards into my home. I didn't realize it was necessary for four different guards to search a home in order to deem it free of fugitives."

"I have no say in this, madam, only the castle's orders."

"You say that, yet I must say, you don't work for the castle. You aren't a guard. You have your own private payers. Surely you don't need the castle's money."

"Perhaps it wasn't so much about the castle's money, as it was about me doing my duty."

The man turns and I get my first clear look at his face.

Victor.

What is he doing in Florentine's home? After everything he's done to me, couldn't he have the respect to accept his victory and go? He accused an innocent man for murdering two servants, and that man was killed because of it. He also accused Grace for being the murderer, when he had no real evidence against her. He was foolish enough to believe Alexanne's lies that said that I was the murderer.

Perhaps, if he hadn't been so arrogant and let me help the investigation, we would have found the true murderer before four people had died. Maybe it's a little too much to ask to be part of the investigation. But, if he hadn't banned me from visiting any of the places or people associated with the murders, perhaps I could have connected the dots sooner.

I had let the sting of that betrayal go. I had passed all the blamed on to the entire castle, the kingdom, the people in charge. Victor, William, Alexanne, they were all the reason for my disgrace.

Seeing Victor now, only ignites my desire for revenge against everything Alexanne has done to me.

Florentine tilts her head to the side, "What is your duty? Going through an old woman's mansion. Surely you have something better to do to help your country. You will not find anyone here. I do not know why the kingdom does not understand. I am innocent."

"Sometimes, Lady Florentine, when someone continually mentions their innocence and the lack of need for the guards to be there, it often shows that they are indeed guilty. Do you think that is the case?"

"No. I'm simply irritated that the castle won't give up on something they should realize is foolish and hopeless. I suppose I shouldn't be blame you, though. I assume you would say you were only doing your duty."

"Something like that." Victor mutters.

"Are you going to search the room?" Florentine struggles to say this politely.

"I would like to see the rest of the layout of the house before I do any thorough searches. I want to know of all the rooms I need to go through before I actually start."

Florentine rolls her eyes, "Of course. You need me to take more time out of my work to help escort you around my mansion. If you hadn't ordered me to take all of my servants and guests out of the house, I wouldn't have to do it myself. But, as you wish."

She leads him out of the room.

Once we deem the coast clear, Cassandra whispers, "I need to leave, but there is no way of knowing where he is."

"Why can't you stay in here until he leaves? It will certainly be safer."

"Didn't you hear what Florentine said? It was practically a message specifically for me. She probably knew that I went to get you in the safe room and there wasn't enough time to leave. However, if Victor wants all the servants out of the house, he likely asked for a number of servants working for her. I can't be sure whether she marked me as a servant or a noble, but I need to get out to the courtyard."

She presses the panel open and crawls out into the safety room. She presses the panel door closed behind her. I watch her tiptoe out into the hall, and then she's gone. I have no way of knowing whether she made it past Victor or not.

Grace and I are once again stuck with the horrible waiting.

Only a few minutes before Victor returns. Alone.

I can't help but tense as his calculating eyes scan the room.

He moves slowly throughout the room, looking under the beds, behind the shelves, beside the furniture. He apparently thinks we are the size of mice, from where he is looking for us. He moves entire furniture aside, checking the floor beneath them. What could he possibly be looking for?

A trap door. Leading to a secret room.

Does he suspect that we could be hidden away in a room that you can't see?

After searching beneath, behind, and beside every piece of furniture in our bedroom, he seems to give up. He leaves the room and only then can I relax.

For less than a minute.

He rushes back inside and knocks on the farthest wall. A short, solid thud barely echoes in return. He takes a step to the side and pounds his fist against the wall again. The same noise answers. He slowly makes his way around the room, knocking on the wall every few feet, a thud answering in return.

He inches towards our wall. When he is only steps away, I move away from the crack. I don't know whether he would be able to see me through the crack if he looked close enough.

His knock pounds to the left of us. Short and solid. My legs start to shake.

His hit against the panel that is right in front of my face. A long, hollow thump echoes. His gasp is audible from the other side of the thin panel.

His fingers scrap along the panel and then I hear a click. The panel swings open and I'm face to face with Victor.

There's nowhere to hide. I can only stare brazenly back.

If he's surprised, he doesn't show it on his face. "Admira. Grace. Fancy seeing you here."

"I could say the same to you," My voice is stronger than I feel.

"Did you know you have the largest price on your head that I have ever seen?"

"I suppose Alexanne is afraid that the truth might escape my lips. She prefers to have control over her secrets."

Victor pulls a length of rope out of his pocket. It's the perfect amount to tie someone's hands behind their back.

He wraps the rope around his own hand, saying lightly, "How have you been? What have you been up to?"

"I don't have time to play games. Arrest me. Take me to Alexanne. Let me fight her face to face."

Victor motions to the rope, "This is only here to show that I am serious. To show that I could do arrest you, but I'm not going to. I know you are innocent."