Make Your Move Katherine

Lese-majeste

“We’re going there?” Katherine asked Anthony as she stared at the corroded gates, through the wide thick glassed window just as the other guards who brought her finished greeting Anthony. In front of her was an old battered-looking, hot asphalt smelling- for the sun was beating down on it- pitched roadway, overgrown with weeds that separated them from the gate. A distance of approximately fifteen feet with an abandoned feel to it.

“No. Enough questions, Your Majesty, the King will inform you in all that you need to know,” Anthony said stiffly to her, watching the royal guards as they closed the door behind them.

Pulling open the unlocked door that was next to the glassed window, she stepped out and stared at the metal, heavy-looking gates in front of her, its rusty smell reaching her nostrils and she wiggled her nose. She was always told her nose wiggle was cute in the past and gained a smile from everyone who saw it but the royal guard just stared sternly at her.

“No, those haven’t been in use some years, although that is the original way, if that’s what you’re asking me,” Anthony replied as he looked around and closed the oak doors back when he saw the guards outside and gestured for Kat to take a seat in the overly lit room and she obliged still curious as to why Oscar had given the order to meet him here yesterday when they both came into her room.

She had been flipping through her photo albums when they came in yesterday without so much as a knock and normally one of the guards would knock first or the maids would let them in but informed her first. But no maid for Kat had sent Oni away. And well, Oscar was above the guards.

“That was your move, Katherine?” Oscar had said in the quietest tone and Anthony had stretched out his hand for her cell. She had handed it over mumbling, “It’s not like I can call anyone you know, I was just looking at my pictures. I miss my family.”

Anthony then gave the phone over to Oscar and said, “Good, it was a test for you. You pass.”

“I pass-” she had mumbled feeling a bit stunned and looked at the guard but Oscar interrupted anything she might ad said. Just why did even a guard have say over a queen?

“Yes, I wanted to know how far you were willing to go and break our contract,” Oscar had smirked at her and she had felt the guilt kicking in. He then turned to Anthony saying, “Bring her tomorrow to the white room.”

She hadn’t missed the startled look on Anthony’s face as he turned to look at Oscar before nodding and both men walked out. Anthony had returned with Miss Moon in tow, an hour later with his cell phone for her to call her father.

Kat realized how stupid she had been then as she saw the icon on top of the guard’s phone screen. Wi-Fi. She could have used the castle’s Wi-Fi to access her apps on her phone. She cried.

Kat folded her hands now in front of her as they waited inside the brightly lit room, for Oscar. She was dressed for this outing in soft pants and long-sleeved flowered blouse and no jewels. Flat brown sandals were on her feet as Oni said that she was told to dress her in comfortable wear. Her hair was held together with a black scrunchie which one of the maids tried to take away but Miss Moon’s slight shake of her head had stopped her. Of course, Kat had felt a bit triumphant over the little match but she knew the older woman had probably grown tired of hearing her whine about her disagreement with the ‘proper way to have her hair’ which honestly was giving her headaches.

Anthony was dressed unlike the rest of the royal guards in their traditional plain dark suit today, this time a dark green and his signature black shoes. Anthony she had noticed was the only one of the castle guards that changed his color uniform from time to time.

“Anthony, what is this about?” the place made her stomach cringe.

“Your Majesty, wait for the king. I do apologize for what you are about to witness,” he replied uneasily and Kat frowned.

“You must understand that the King feels this is necessary for-” he broke off when his phone beeped in his hand and looked at the screen. He bent his head between his hands and nodded his head before turning back to her standing.

Kat looked at him and felt a cold running up her spine. Just what was going on? Is this the day she dies?

“He’s already there. Come on, let’s go.”

Kat stayed frozen in her seat and clasped her hands together, wishing the guard would tell her- “Am I dying today?”

“What? No,” the guard was swift in his reply.

“Isn’t that something to say to throw me off guard?”

He stared at her and Kat saw him swallow. She could taste the bile in her mouth. “I promise to go along with the contract- I swear.”

“Good. But I assure you that you would live to see another day.”

‘Live to see another day?’

“So, you’re going to torture me?” she cried, feeling her insides tremoring, nausea hitting her.

“So, you’re going to torture me?” she cried.

“No- “

“So, no torture or killing today?”

“My Queen, you are safe- “

“Answer me then,” she pleaded.

“I can’t say no.”

Kat felt the horror creep up her neck and over her face and Anthony raced to her but stopped just before he reached her and instead held out his phone, looking at the screen before walking out of the faint, sweet-smelling, room.

A few seconds later he returned and by then Kat’s face was soaking with her tears. Anthony stared at her for another minute before two other guards came and one said coldly,” This way.”

Kat stared at Anthony who closed his eyes and nodded but she didn’t move a step forward until he made his way towards her and muttered, “I can’t promise no pain but it won’t be yours, I promise.”

Trusting him although she didn’t understand his peculiar words, she nodded and took the kerchief he held out to her. A kerchief that was inside his jacket as the outside had no place for one.

She had no idea how long they walked before they stopped and Anthony entered an elevator. One of the other guards, gestured for her to walk in ahead and then they followed in behind. Buttons were highlighted to the number fifty-six and one was pressed just as the see-through doors closed. But instead of going up or down, Kat saw they were gliding to her right. Looking at the three guards, she saw they were quite comfortable and were staring straight ahead with chins up and at attention. Two behind her and the other along with Anthony, facing her but with his eyes at the wall above her head. Of course, they were accustomed to wherever they were heading, she was the newcomer here.

Blurs of lights were the only thing she saw until they came to a stop and the first two guards stepped out and announced, “The Queen is here,” followed by a scurrying sound. Coffee was in the air and since she loathed it, her stomach felt worst.

Kat’s legs wobbled with her second step and she felt Anthony’s hands on her waist and elbow as he caught her. “Huh, elevator legs?” she murmured as he pulled her to her feet and helped her to a nearby chair. Looking up she saw they were in another room, this time with other people who were bending over almost annoying Kat.

It looked to her as a police station, for holsters were on almost everyone’s waist or shoulder strap. Weird, Kat always figured a police station would smell like- criminal…like sweat and perhaps… anger? But it smelled like coffee she noted and jotted that down in her little brain book. She took notice of the badges on the holsters and also the few that hung of the chains hanging from necks and Kat felt a bit as ease for a police station meant safety.

But she was always annoyed when she walked into a room and was greeted like this. It made her all the more conscious that everyone was going to be staring at her every move then. Today she felt worst for she had the feeling of almost death upon her some minutes back.

She knew something bad was about to happen but she was grateful for Anthony’s words of it not being her.

“As you were,” she said with authority, just as Julie had taught her and the eight persons straightened their backs and stared at her. Kat knew they were staring for she was queen and seeing a queen up close was an idol moment for them. She tried to smile but failed.

She was closer to puking.

“Your Majesty, I don’t mean to alarm you but please pull yourself together for it gets worst from here on out.”

“Wor…”

“This is where we bring criminals- only hardened criminals- please understand that.”

Kat stared at the people who began taking pictures of her and as if sensing her discomfort- or maybe he was impatient, for Kat’s legs were still jittery- Anthony grabbed her forearm and walked her into the other room where even more murmurs were heard but came to a hush three seconds after she entered. This room was full of cabinets and huge like her apartment. “At ease,” she murmured again and the same thing happened.

“Every picture is to be deleted immediately! Is this how professionals behave in the white room?” Anthony commanded.

So, this was ‘white room’. It was not a white actual room but a place. The walls were a pale grey. Was this a building or were they in the castle still? She got a faint familiar smell then.

“Hu, Zimo,” he called out and the two guards who had walked ahead to announce her walked back with a frown on their foreheads. “Check all phones now. Any photos I see online or anywhere else will be handled directly by the king. Any photos,” he warned the rooms, “Whether you posted or not, will be treated as ‘lese-majeste’, for I warned you.”

‘What was that French?’

Seeing everyone holding out their phones out to the guards, Anthony advised the two men, “Take names and badge number of each phone you searched and bring them to me,” before leading her out and yet into another corridor. They passed another room, this time it was empty, except for a huge rectangular metal table and about six chairs.

They passed by another room with no door this time and again she held her breath.

“As you were,” she breathed out when she saw only three people here. And they went back to the large table and continued reading the papers in front of them. At the end of the table, Kat saw something that made her stomach lurch- it was what she saw the prisoners usually chained and handcuffed to- on tv.

“Lawyers,” Anthony whispered and they entered another elevator.