The Crown Thief and Her Alpha Prince

CHAPTER 7 - THE GARDENS

Amelia Cooper’s Point of View

Amelia’s first few days at the palace had been positively nerve wracking. 

She had been assigned as a lady’s maid in Princess Marjorie’s room, along with another surly woman, Stacy, who had been working for the princess for years. 

Stacy was in charge of dressing the princess, and making her hair and makeup. Being the new girl, Amelia was assigned to lower duties, like cleaning the room and helping Stacy in whatever menial thing she needed. Stacy clearly liked having someone to boss around, like it made her feel somewhat more important. 

Amelia did find it odd that a princess had such few staff members in her direct entourage. It did suit the princess though. To Stacy’s dismay, Marjorie did not usually want help, insisting on doing whatever she could herself, only asking for help for more complicated tasks like lacing her corset. 

Although Amelia hated every royal family member for what they did to her, she could not find it in her heart to truly despise Marjorie. The princess was always kind, even attempting to ask questions about Amelia’s past in an effort to converse with her as if she was her equal. Amelia had kept her answers brief, fearing she would overstep and offend the princess - or worse contradict herself as her past as a maid was completely fabricated. Feeling that the discussion was not going anywhere, Princess Marjorie had let it go. She kept mostly to herself, writing and reading, not leaving her room very often. 

When Amelia was not directly needed to help Marjorie or Stacy, she was to help clean the castle, from dawn to dusk. The palace was immense, so it was grueling work. Amelia did not begrudge it too much. She was used to working hard. Besides, it allowed her to familiarize herself with the place, for when she would need to escape it.

The work itself was not what was stressing Amelia.

For her stress, she had to thank his Highness Prince Edmund.

Amelia had spent her first night at the castle wide awake in her bunk bed in the room she shared with ten other servants, completely unable to sleep. The room was a bit moldy and a bit cold, being in the basement, but that did not bother Amelia was much as the excruciating wait. She was dying for Edmund to confront her, to tell her why he had let her in when he knew she wanted to steal the crown. 

What did he want from her? What was he going to do with her? 

Did he let her in the castle only to toy with her, as a cat did with a mouse, before arresting her and torturing her? Would he have her executed? Or would he keep out imprisoned, happy in knowing that he was depriving her of her freedom?

It turned out Prince Edmund was not going to give her any answers. 

After a few days of waiting for him to come to her, Amelia was fraught with nerves. She was ready to confront him, no matter the cost. She wanted to walk up to him and demand answers. If he was going to rattle her out, it was better to get this over with quickly. Once she took the decision to demand answers from him, consequences be damned, did Amelia realize the truth. 

Prince Edmund was avoiding her. 

She had seen Prince William around multiple times around the castle, but Edmund never left his room except to have meals in the dining room - in which she could not enter while the family had their meals. It had to be on purpose. It had to be part of the sick game he was playing with her. He had to know how close she was to losing her sanity, how close she was to snap. 

On her third night at the castle, Amelia was going completely mad with stress. Her head was spinning, her breath coming out in short bursts. She tried to concentrate on making it more even, but it refused to obey her. She needed fresh air. She was not allowed to leave her room at night, but she was on the verge of panic. She had to get out. 

As silently and as quickly as she could, she slipped from the servant room to the gardens above, in nothing but the nightgown that had been provided for her at the castle, a thin, white dress covering her down to her ankles. 

It was very dark, but candles were still lit up inside the castle, allowing Amelia to make out her surroundings. She found a bench near a fountain and sat down, breathing in the cool summer air. The garden was quiet, insects chirping being the only sound she could hear.

The night was cold, the damp grass under her naked feet grounding her to the present moment. She took a deep breath and this time, she managed to calm herself a little. She could not let herself get caught up in the Prince’s games. Whatever he was going to do, she could not do anything against. She would focus on her plan, and hope she would have time to execute it before being executed herself. 

As long as she had her plan, everything would be ok. 

Amelia had almost amassed the strength to get back to her quarters, hoping she might get a little sleep when something caught her eyes near the garden wall. Two golden orbs were dimly shining, looking straight at her. Two eyes that she knew a little too well. 

The prince was in the gardens too. 

Was he here to arrest her? To kill her? 

Amelia did not take too long to think. She grabbed a rock, then lurched forward towards him in a desperate attempt. She could not hide from him, so her only hope was to fight for her life. 

Edmund had clearly not expected her to attack him and lost balance, sending both of them tumbling to the ground, her on top of him. She lifted her arm to strike him with the rock, but he shifted them until he was the one on top of her.

“Easy there, little crown thief,” he growled. 

His golden eyes were shining with anger. He was as handsome as ever, his dark hair ruffled by their short fight. He was wearing nothing but his prince crown and loose pajama pants, leaving his muscled torso on display. Despite that, his beauty was the furthest thing from Amelia’s mind at the moment. His strong body was holding hers down, and panic was swelling inside her.

“If you’re going to kill me, do it now,” Amelia spat back at him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of showing him she was terrified.

She did not even try to escape his grasp. His body was heavy on top of hers, his muscles firm as he held the arm holding the rock down. She had no chance against that beast of a man and she knew it. He had fought three guys the other night in the woods, breaking their bones like it was nothing. Even if she did stand a chance against him like this, he could always turn into a wolf. 

Edmund’s brown eyes were not angry anymore. They did not hold any cruel mockery. He just looked puzzled, and a little amused

“Kill you? May I remind you who jumped on who, trying to fracture who’s skull with a rock?”

Amelia almost felt ashamed of that. Almost. She had good reasons to suspect he was there to kill her - plus, he was nothing but an entitled prince, the son of the king she hated so much. She had to remember that. 

 “What the hell are you doing here then?” she asks him before she could think the better of it, her heart beating fast from her fear. "Have you been stalking me?"

“You wish,” he chuckled, and she shot him a glare. He continued, sounding almost apologetic. “Seriously, I don’t mean any harm. I did not know you would be in the garden. If I did, I would have never… I just come here from time to time to clear my head. That is all.”

Amelia c****d an eyebrow at that, skeptical, but said nothing.

“You are still afraid. Your heart is still beating fast.” The prince said, then paused for a beat, thinking. He continued seriously. “Are you afraid of what I might do to you? Now that we are alone in the gardens? Because you know it would be impossible for you to do anything if I had any ill intent?”

Amelia shivered, but not from fear, suddenly very conscious of his body still pining hers to the cold ground. She glanced at him. He was on all four, not touching her except for her wrists he held above her head, but she could feel the heat radiating from him. His body was tense in the dim moonlight. 

She found that she was not afraid to be alone with him in the slightest. Already, fear was dissipating, her mind flooding with desire despite her best interests. She was as entranced as she had been in the woods a few nights before, as if once more a powerful spell had been cast on her. 

What did he want to do with her?

The way his eyes were looking her up and down left little doubt in her mind.

She was at the prince’s mercy, but she found she did not care. 

She loved it. 

Heat flooded her as she looked back at his face. His pupils had darkened, his gaze almost predatory, as intense as it had been when they were nothing but strangers. 

Edmund seemed to sense her shift in emotions, seeing the way her eyes trailed on his gorgeous body. He leaned towards her ear, his voice now a murmur so low she Amelia could barely make out the words. 

“Are you afraid I might take advantage of you?” he grinned as she breathlessly shook her head. “Or is it exactly what you want? For me to rip that flimsy nightgown from you, and to take you, mate you right here and there?”