“I’m… umm… it doesn’t matter. She wouldn’t remember me.”
I knew the longer I talked with her, the better the chances of giving myself away—and I didn’t know what she’d do if she found out—who she’d tell, or who’d believe her.
“Good day,” I said and continued down the hallway.
Johanna curtsied again. The transformation was remarkable, and I cringed at the thought at what had been required to so quickly break her into her new subservient role. I thought of what Master Ramsey would say to the girls during my punishments. What do we do to stubborn mares insisting on remaining wild? We break them.
Johanna certainly looked broken, and at this point, there was nothing I could do about it.
I searched for any familiar landmarks and soon found the Garden Room, so I knew I was headed in the right direction. I kept going, looking for the entry staircase, which led to the girls’ bedrooms. I figured if I could get to my old room, or Bethany’s room, I’d at least have some time to figure out what to do next.
But before I could reach the staircase, I ran into the one person I dreaded seeing the most.
“Oh, Bethany. I’m glad you’re still out. With you being the future Princess, I think it would be good if you joined me.” Queen Hart seemed to be on a mission, determined, willing to run down anyone in her path.
All I could say was, “Of course, Your Highness.”
She barely gave me a second glance as we continued through the multitude of hallways, room after room until we reached a staircase leading back into the sub-levels.
I certainly didn’t want to go back down there, but had little choice.
“Is there something wrong?” I asked as we descended the stairs.
“In fact, there is. I’ll share it with you soon enough,” she said, several steps ahead of me. “Keep up. We’ll be there shortly.”
I didn’t want to say too much. The wrong word or phrase and she’d scrutinize my identity and discover who I really was.
Soon I was back in familiar territory. We’d gone a different way, but the Queen was leading us to the same place—Princess Amelia’s room. We had left the door open, so we walked right into the empty room. And inside, Duke Mackenzie was standing by the Princess’s reading desk.
I was surprised to see him, but it was apparent he was more surprised to see me, which he tried to mask before the Queen noticed something was off.
“Your Highness, what is she doing here?” he asked.
“As the heir to the Kingdom, I want her to understand how serious this situation is—what havoc her sister is causing. Bethany, this is Duke Mackenzie from the 23rd Ward.”
“Victoria is a problem,” Duke Mackenzie said.
“Do you know where you are?” the Queen asked me.
“No,” I said, glancing at Duke Mackenzie. “Should I?”
“This was my Amelia’s room,” the Queen said, sounding like she was about to cry.
I didn’t believe she had a shred of compassion for anyone other than herself, but I held my tongue as she displayed her fake emotions. I had to; it wasn’t like Bethany would have raised her voice.
“And the friends of your sister—Victoria—took her. That boy, Jimmy or Kale or whatever his real name is, the one you’d seen here… It was him and his friends. They found her and took her.” Queen Hart ventured over to the bed and ran her fingers along the tousled sheets. “There are people who want to hurt us. Your sister included. I won’t stand for it. And this act of rebellion is the last straw.” The Queen looked over at me, perhaps really seeing me for the first time. “I know you’ve been helping with the preparations, but I expect you to keep yourself presentable at all times—as the Princess of this great kingdom. Is that too much to ask? You’ve always been so impeccably groomed.”
“It’s been a long day,” I said. “I’m sorry.”
“What would you have of me?” Duke Mackenzie asked, taking back the Queen’s attention.
“I don’t know who I can trust anymore. I feel the two of you are the last of my true confidants,” she said, taking a seat on the side of the bed. “I have military teams searching for my daughter, but little confidence they will find her. One or more of these teams might already be compromised. I require the hunter I know and love—to do whatever it takes to bring her home.”
“All you have to do is ask,” Duke Mackenzie said. “Come to me.”
The Queen got off the bed and sauntered over to the Duke. Then she dropped to her knees before him, gazing up into his large, ominous eyes. “Please, my Lord… I beg of you. I can’t live without her.”
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It was like I was no longer in the room. Duke Mackenzie laid a hand on the Queen’s head, first stroking her hair, then cupping her chin and forcing her to gaze up at him and nowhere else.
“Please…” she pleaded.
Duke Mackenzie gazed over at me and his lips curled up into a full-toothed, wolfish grin.
“What do you desire?” Queen Hart asked.
He turned back to her. “I desire no one but you. You should know that by now. Rise. Don’t let this poor girl get the wrong impression. You are Queen Dorothea Hart, the third of your name, the most powerful woman to ever rule the western Kingdom. This situation will be resolved—quickly and discreetly. I’ll see to it.” Then his eyes turned back to me. “And if you happen to allow me some private time with the new Princess, to help break her into her new role, then I will not object.” That charming, yet grotesque smile beamed even brighter.
“You shall be granted your time with her,” she said. “She’s promised to the Prince, but she can be yours until their marriage is consummated.”
“What?” As much as I tried, I couldn’t stay quiet any longer. Maybe even Bethany would have protested by this point, but I could only assume her reaction would be more poised and—regal than mine. I realized I didn’t know how Bethany would truly react in such a strong situation. I also didn’t know if Duke Mackenzie’s proposition was directed specifically at me—or just one of us girls since he seemed to miss his time and punishments with Constance. I certainly didn’t want to be her replacement. “Your Highness, I must say I object to this proposal.”
“Bethany, my dear, you will learn you must do your part for the Kingdom. Some things are not always easy.”
“A leader must make the hard decisions,” I said, and as soon as I said it, hoped it wouldn’t trigger remembrance of the conversation we had at the Choosing Ceremony.
“Precisely. And some things you may object to now, but may come to desire—and even need in time.” The Queen leaned into Duke Mackenzie and kissed him on the cheek.
“If you require nothing further, then I will begin the hunt. Bethany, it was a pleasure… and will be a pleasure. My Queen.” And with a returned kiss, Duke Mackenzie stalked out of the room.
Queen Hart returned to the bed, dropping down and looking as deflated as I could ever imagine a queen to look. Then I noticed the tears rolling down her cheeks.
I stood by the door, not sure what to do, where to look. It was always hard to not be focused on the Queen when she was in the same room, but never more than right now.
“Don’t tell anyone what you’ve seen and heard here,” she said, wiping away the tears. “This is not something I advertise.”
“I understand, my Queen,” I said.
“If only you did,” she said, shaking her head. “She was my miracle. That was all true. She is my life. If I lose her… then I will be lost too. One day, when you have children, you’ll finally understand.”
“If I can even have children,” I said.
“Then you’ll be spared the pain I’m feeling at this moment.” She was quiet for a long moment, staring blankly at the wall. When she spoke again, the little composure she had left looked like it was going to completely crumble. “I need some time alone. I trust you can find your way back upstairs.”
“I can manage,” I said, not believing my luck.
38
Byron
My left cheek throbbed and looked like an overripe plum. I dabbed at it with a wet washcloth. If I had any nanobots left, I’d be tempted to use them even though they should be reserved for more serious injuries. I settled for anti-inflammatories instead. But still, my face felt like it was about to explode.
I didn’t know what my end game was anymore. I didn’t see how I could honestly continue to build a relationship with Victoria without destroying everything I’d been sent to preserve. We were both surrounded by enemies. I had my family—my Kingdom—to think about. I could take her back to Easteria along with the remaining girls, and insist one of my brothers take my place. One of them should have been here from the start; it should have never been me. But then again, I never would have met Victoria…
I ambled out of the washroom, into the bedroom with the bright yellow walls—the Yellow Room. Even though there was nothing left of her in this room, I could still feel her presence. It was quiet, an empty bedroom, a sanctuary in which no one would look for me.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and after looking at the screen I decided I should answer it.
“You should be happy to hear they did it,” I said to Kale. “They got the Princess and escaped. I’d guess they’d make it back to your camp by nightfall.”
“So, everything went smoothly?” Kale asked.
“More or less,” I said, touching my throbbing jaw. “It worked, which is the important thing. Where are you?”
“Just getting to the 1st Ward, but I guess there’s nothing left for me here and I should head back.”
“That would probably be best,” I said and took a seat on the couch. “And just so you know, I gave Victoria the flash drive, which she should still have on her.”
“I’ll talk to her about it,” Kale said.
“What’s next?”
“I’ll find out when I get back.”
“Whatever it is, make sure it’s fast. The Queen is ready to annihilate your camp—originally planning to send a team out tomorrow, under the radar while the Kingdom is celebrating… Of course, this was before she found out about the Princess being stolen right out from under her. I don’t know what she’ll do now.”
“I’ll let my father know,” Kale said and hung up.
I set my phone on the coffee table and sank back into the plush cushions of the couch.
Before I even had time to clear my head from my conversation with Kale, the door creaked open. I figured Tabatha had finally found me to bring me back to the conference room and finish the meeting from earlier—but that wasn’t who stood in the doorway.
I jumped to my feet with excitement and fear. “Victoria.”
“Since I left the girls in my old room, I thought they might still be here…” she said. “And if they weren’t… I just wanted to see it again.” Victoria glanced down the hallway before entering the room enough to close the door.
“Are you okay? What happened? Did the others make it?” The string of questions almost came out as one. I rushed over to her. “Are you hurt?”
She threw her arms over my shoulders and buried her face in my chest. “I think they made it.”
“What happened?”
“I never caught up to them,” Victoria said, stepping back to look at me. “Then there was an explosion. I saw Princess Amelia’s wheelchair, but she was no longer in it. They must have made it through, which also hindered others from following—myself included.”
“I’m so thankful you’re all right,” I said, taking her back in my arms. I never wanted to let her go, but knew a lot had to happen to get to that point. “I don’t know how you’ve managed to get through the palace, but you should be safe here. No one’s looking for you here.”
“I’m not so sure,” she said. “I was being chased through the lower levels. I don’t know who exactly they thought I was, but if word gets back to the Queen, she’ll—”
“She’ll think you were with the party that took the Princess and escaped,” I said. “The search has been taken outside the palace.”
She was shivering in my arms, holding onto me like I was the only real thing left in her life—which might actually be true. I wanted to be that pillar of strength for her, something I’d failed to be at the Choosing Ceremony. Everything had been taken from this girl and I wanted to give it all back.
“My sisters—they’re still alive,” Victoria said, but there was no joy or relief in her voice.
At first, I thought she was talking about Piper and Constance, but quickly realized she was also thinking about the Choosing Ceremony. For all the world, it seemed Danielle, Jane, and Eleanor had died that day. The way they all collapsed in unison was terrifying, like they’d all simply been turned off.
“That’s a good thing, right?” I asked.
She pulled away from me again, her face pale and haunted. “They’re alive, but they’re not themselves. I don’t know what they are. I don’t know if there are more of us—more clones or copies. They’re being held in a room on Sub-level 2, hooked to machines, in some kind of scary, suspended dream state. The Queen must know, right? I thought she wanted all of us dead. I don’t understand what I saw. I don’t know if what happened to them could happen to me.”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I’ll inquire about it, though not through the Queen. Whatever switch the doctors flipped on those girls was also meant to happen to you, but it didn’t. I think you’re safe from their fate.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Victoria said and wandered past me, further into the room, taking it in like she’d been gone for years. She was so focused, as if trying to commit every detail of the room to memory. “It doesn’t feel like mine anymore.”
“This place wasn’t for you,” I said. “It didn’t suit you—doesn’t suit you.”
“Are you saying I don’t deserve—”
“Not in the least. You deserve great things—anything and everything you want—but not this royal façade. You deserve to come back with me to Easteria. Everything I have can be yours.”
“What about the war you told me about?”
“Is there any less a war raging right here?” Not for the Kingdom as a whole, but for us.
Victoria vanished into the closest. I walked after her, but she re-emerged carrying an emerald gown.
“It’s still here,” she said. “I wanted this dress to remind myself of Princess Amelia. The original was made for her.” She held it in front of her body and performed a single twirl.
“I’d say it was made for you.” The dress brought out the green in her hazel eyes, and they sparkled like dewdrops on the grass.
“Master—Duke Ramsey destroyed the original. I was supposed to wear it when I first came to the 1st Ward. There are so many pretty dresses here, but this one is still my favorite.”
“I’ll take it to my room—keep it safe for you,” I said.
“I’d like that,” she said, laying the emerald dress out on the bed. “I saw the jeep in the desert, where you had fought Duke Ramsey and Duke Mackenzie. There was blood. What did you do to Duke Ramsey?”
“I didn’t kill him if that’s what you’re asking. I wanted to though—for everything he’s done to you and your other sisters. He’ll never change. There’s no redemption for him. You know that, right?”
Victoria nodded. “He’ll stop at nothing,” she said. “I had hoped he’d simply let me go and forget about me. I suppose that will never happen.”
“He’s like a rabid dog and needs to be put down. Otherwise, he’ll always be a threat.”
“As will Duke
Mackenzie.”
“I agree,” I said. “Once you’ve met with the Queen and gotten the girls back and the safety of the Princess is accounted for, then Mackenzie can also be dealt with.”
“What about the other girls, should I try to get them too?” Victoria looked lost in her head again. “If I can help them, I want to. But with what I saw, I don’t know if they can be.”
“Let’s focus on the girls we know we can help for now and inquire about the others in the meantime.”
“I want to see them,” she said, standing before me and placing her hands in mine.
I didn’t want to leave this room. I wanted to take her in my arms and hold her until tomorrow, unsure if I’d ever get another chance. She was like a fleeting dream I was trying desperately to hold onto, but in the end, it still burned off like the morning fog.
“They’re in Bethany’s room,” I said, knowing as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t keep her all to myself.
“Will you come?”
“Where you go, I’ll follow. I’ll follow you to the end of the earth if I have to.” I gazed down into her wide, sorrowful eyes.
She smiled in response to my declaration, but it was pained and conflicted. “I want to believe you.”
“And I want to prove it to you,” I said and leaned in for a kiss. I half expected her to pull away, but she didn’t.
Victoria met my lips with a yearning equivalent to what had been consuming me since the moment I realized I’d lost her. It made no difference that my jaw still hurt like hell. My hands started at her neck and worked their way into her hair. Her lips parted and I felt her tongue reach through and find mine. I gripped her hair tightly—hoping this was really happening—that she was really here and not some mirage or hallucination from the painkillers and lingering nanobots.
Victoria breathed into my mouth like she was breathing a new life into me. She tasted sweet, of peaches and cinnamon. Her palms rested on my chest, not pushing me away, but leaning into me.
When our lips parted, I rested my forehead on hers. I was almost afraid to stand on my own. It took me a minute to catch my breath, and when I did, I said, “I will convince one of my brothers to take my place here, take you home with me, so we can live together in Easteria.”
Royal Replicas 2: Royal Captives Page 19