Choosing Royalty (Chasing Royalty #3)

15

I wake to Antonin shaking my shoulder. I try to blink the sleep from my eyes, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I have a plan."

I glance towards my windows to see what time of day it is, but the curtains are pulled. "What time is it?"

"Three o'clock in the morning."

"What? Why did you wake me up so early?"

He shushes me, "We're going to go to the dungeons to look for Grace. This is the best time."

I burst out of bed and quickly change into a simple day dress. Camille is still asleep, in her small quarters within mine. I push the door open to her room to make sure she is safe and asleep, before leaving.

She'll be safe. It's better not to get her more involved than she already is.

I follow Antonin as he slips out of the quarters. The hallway is dim, only a few candles lit for the guards and servants. As we tiptoe over the stone, I can't help but think back to all the times I did this with Emilienne. We would run out to the gardens to watch the stars or visit each other's quarters in the middle of the night.

Antonin, since he's a commander of the guards, knows that shifts. He knows when and where to hide and when it's safe to move forward. He leads me to a hidden staircase that leads to the dungeon.

I've only been to this staircase a few times, and only with Emilienne. She used it as a place for dares, and not much else.

Just the same as before, there isn't a single source of light within the staircase. As Antonin closes the door behind us, everything turns invisible. Antonin commands that I hold on to his arm, so that I don't fall. We shuffle forward, trying to find the steps in the darkness.

I slip a few times on the cold steps as we make our way down the staircase, but Antonin catches me every time. After what seems to be hours, we finally reach the bottom. I stumble along the cobblestone, hoping that Antonin doesn't lead me right into a wall.

A light eventually begins to appear at the end of the tunnel. The opening to the dungeon.

Alexanne doesn't keep any highly dangerous criminals beneath the castle. There are no murderers here. They are more political criminals. Prisoners of war, people who may have insulted her, no one too dangerous. She also keeps people here who she wants to interrogate herself. It's much easier to climb down a staircase than to travel across the city to question her criminals.

I wonder if she is treating the criminals better than William or worse. Are these prisoners that she has arrested during her rule or are they leftovers from William? Has the number of incoming prisoners increased since she's became Queen?

The light increases until I can see the cobblestone beneath my sandaled feet. I catch sight of a rat scurrying off into the tunnel. I press my lips together and move forward.

Antonin stops me once we are at the opening of the tunnel. I can't see any guards, but Antonin must know where they are. He waits for several minutes, before suddenly pushing me forward. I suppose the guards must be changing shifts. Now would be our time to look for Grace.

We run forward, careful to keep our heads down as we look into each of the cells. We don't want the servants reporting that the Princess Admira was within the dungeons with a commander of the guards. I'm not sure what the consequence would be, but I'm sure it wouldn't be good.

At first it's easy looking within the cells. They are just men shackled to the floor. I tell myself that they are criminals and they deserve this.

But then I catch sight of the hundreds of rats skittering across the floor. The puddles of human waste with nowhere to go. The tattered rags hanging from their bodies. The bones sticking through their clothes. The gashes and wounds exposed on their skin, with more blood seeping across their flesh. They scream and moan and watch us pass with unforgiving eyes.

The deeper we move the worse it becomes.

Sacks of sleeping bones.

There's no longer hatred in their eyes. Only emptiness.

And it's quiet enough to send chills over my skin.

I can only hope that Grace isn't down here. If she is, I don't want to see her. Horrible images invade my mind, with her crouching among the rats, her dress torn to shreds, her skin littered with scratches. I shake my head, trying to push the thoughts from my head.

I glance into another cell and see a poor man with his arms shackled up in the air.

This doesn't seem to effect Antonin at all. As commander of the guards, surely he has seen this before. Has he ever done any of these things to these people? Did he slice away half of that man's skin? Did Antonin cut off that man's finger?

Even if Antonin hasn't hurt these people, has he tried to help them?

This is yet another horrible thing that Alexanne has taken part in. Perhaps she even enjoys it. How much time does she spend down here? Is it her hope for me to someday join all these people?

Antonin pushes me into a dark corner as four guards march past. I silently watch as they disappear, trying not to think of what might be on the wall that is pressing into my back.

Antonin guides me through the maze of cells. Grace isn't to be found. I don't know whether I should be relieved or even more anxious. If she isn't here, where do we look?

I don't realize that I'm crying until one of my tears lands on my collarbone. I wipe it away, furious. Furious at Alexanne for taking Grace. Furious at Florentine for not protecting her. Furious at myself for leaving her behind.

I should have forced Alexanne to allow Grace to come.

Antonin leads me back out of the dungeon, but I don't remember walking back. He forces me back into bed, claiming that I need the sleep. He mutters something about coming up with a better plan. I do nothing but toss and turn.

Alexanne has Grace hidden away somewhere. I don't know where to look next. There are a hundred different dungeons around the kingdom. And that's only dungeons. Grace could be locked in some cabin in the middle of the woods. Some apartment among thousands in a crowded city. The basement of a exquisite mansion with more than one secret. I have no clues to lead me forward. I know that, just like when Alexanne was the murderer, she leaves behind nothing, not a trace.

I can't help Grace.

●◊●◊●

When I wakes the next morning, Camille sits at her chair reading a book. Sunlight falls through the curtains. For a second, I don't remember searching the dungeons with Antonin. I don't remember that Grace is missing. I don't remember that I have no hope of finding her.

But then it hits me and my grief falls on my all at once. I roll over and close my eyes, trying to block out the truth.

●◊●◊●

When Camille gently pushes me awakes it's late in the morning. She murmurs, "Your tutor sent a servant for you. He wants to have a lesson. You need to get up so that I can get you ready."

"Tell Martino I don't feel well."

She frowns, "Are you sure?"

Antonin steps forward, "No, you must act normal. Remember?"

I groan, but nod. There's nothing I want to do less than go and visit with my tutor. He will only make my bad day worse. I have a test on the notes that I barely looked at. I will surely not do well.

But Antonin is right. I have to act normal. I can't let Alexanne know that I know Grace is missing. Besides, I want to meet with Henri. If I don't go to meet with my tutor, Alexanne surely won't allow me to meet with my trainer.

I need ask Henri if Florentine has any clues. If she plans on doing anything, I need to know how I can help. I'm not sure what I can do, but I plan on doing something.

I climb out of bed and Camille prepares me dress. As she runs into the dressing room, Antonin asks, "Do you know anyone who can help? Anybody who might know where to look or how to find her? We are going to need all the help we can get."

I shake my head, "Besides Florentine, I don't know who to ask."

"We need to be sure that we can trust them. If Florentine's servants aren't all loyal, we don't know who or who isn't on our side."

"It's better to keep our numbers low. The fewer people to give us away the better."

Camille clears her throat, her voice serious. "Give you away for what?"

"Nothing."

She rolls her eyes, "Honestly, Admira? I heard your conversation with Antonin last night. I didn't understand it, but I certainly won't forget it. I think you owe me an explanation. You promised me one."

I massage my temples, "I know and I'll give you one. Soon. I just need to survive my test with my tutor first and then I'll explain. Everything."

She stares at me for a while, trying to measure my sincerity. Finally she nods, "Okay. As soon as you get back from your tutor."

I nod and she finishes preparing me. Once my hair is done and I'm dressed, she sighs, "There's something I need to tell you."

I stiffen, "What?"

She takes a deep breath, "Alexanne visited me last night. It was early in the morning, maybe two or three o'clock. She was worried that you might find us. She said there was something important she had to tell me."

"What was it?" Cold spreads through my veins.

"She was talking about the cut on my stomach. The one that put me in the nurse's office for stitches. The one that you said came from falling on the dresser."

"What did she say about it?"

Her eyes fill with tears."She said that you did it. She said that you got mad at me and did this."