Forbidden Crown

by Victoria Pinder

  Babik said, "From the video feed, someone has tied your mother to her chair and your father is too weak to move."

  The enemy was in the room with his parents, but he had no idea where his brother or Renee were. Lucio was out of the country. Babik turned to him, his hands behind his back. "We have a plan."

  Antonio read the three-phase army plan to extract his parents and his brother in two different missions at the same time, which meant Marco wasn’t with his parents. The guards were in position. His heart beat fast as he asked, "Where are Marco and Renee?"

  "Here." The general motioned to another monitor. "They are tied together. We have to move now, sire, if we have any chance of catching them before they secure the palace and cut off our entry points. We were desperately trying to locate you."

  "They are in bed." Kristin pointed to the screen and it brought him back. That someone would hurt his family made his blood boil. His father was a good man and always did what he thought was best for his small kingdom. He'd let the black hole that wanted to consume him get him later.

  “We found ten traitors within the castle. Our men are stationed near four entry points where they can be apprehended. The enemy is trying to secure the doors.” The general added, "There are only two traitors with your brother. The other six are closer to your parents. Two more are with Sophia."

  The plan called for three major groups to be stationed in unsecured locations and three minor groups to block any escape attempts. He had read fast and approved. "How many guards do we have?"

  Babik stood at attention. "You have a thousand men mobilized and armed already."

  He pointed to the monitor. "I want a hundred extra men dispatched to free my brother and Renee, our guest. Send another hundred to get my mom's guest, Sophia. Then I want a hundred marching with me to my parents after the Special Forces unit goes in. The doctors specifically said no stress on my father so quiet is the best option if possible. Have the rest mobilized and ready to charge into the communist headquarters near the library once I enter the palace." He glanced at Kristin. This was his family, and she was now included in this mess. He then told Babik, "I am going to meet these communists, now."

  Babik made the call. Special Forces were headed toward his father’s sickroom. He turned on his heel and marched out of the barracks. Outside the general would have men follow him, but Antonio had to see his father for himself.

  Near the door, he turned to Kristin. "This is political. Please stay here."

  She walked ahead of him and tugged on his arm. "If I'm to be your wife then I should be with you. What you stand for, I represent the same thing."

  He knew he'd not talk her out of this. He trusted his closest military guards were loyal to him, but no one knew she was to be his bride, not yet. He followed the general, Kristin at his side. "No, you're American to them. I'll need you surrounded with guards."

  "Good." She nodded and walked with him down the hall with guards flanking them on all sides.

  They stopped outside his parent’s room and he heard men speaking tersely. Neither of them said anything else as they waited.

  The general wore a green on green uniform and stood alert and ready. Babik spoke into the mic at his lapel, which reverberated in the headset Antonio had gotten at the barracks so they could communicate. "They are planning to kill your family and throw the country back to a point where most of us went without basic supplies. Stay where you are until we secure the king and queen."

  He was one door away from his mother. Part of him wanted to run inside, but it was smarter to move with the army at his command. He tapped his chest and nodded to Babik, speaking into his own mic. "Send in the storm."

  "What's the storm?" Kristin stood stiffly beside him.

  Babik sent the signal.

  Glass shattered and shots were heard. He wanted to throw open the doors and pull his parents to safety. Anything might happen, but his father's lessons about how a future king must always be prepared forced him to hold still despite how the little boy inside him begged to save his mother. "The men in the military are equipped to remove my parents from harm while we wait."

  "Got it." Kristin’s face paled. More shouts of the military but one shout of “no” reverberated in the air.

  Anyone looking at him would see a cool, composed prince of the realm. He didn’t allow a single muscle on his body to tremble. He swallowed as the rumbling noises behind the door quieted. "Kristin, my dad is ill and this stress can be bad for him. He could relapse or worse. He doesn't need this."

  She curled her hand in his. "He'll be okay."

  Silence echoed through the hall of the west wing where his parent’s private tower was located. He nodded at the men behind him. Babik waited by the door, and went in the room first, then Antonio and Kristin. The moment he entered his gaze locked on his mother, Queen Anna Camilla Aussa. She sat on the bed with his father and nodded at him, tears of joy in her eyes.

  He wanted to run over and hug them both grateful they were alive. Instead he asked the guard, "Report."

  The leader of the Special Forces unit pointed toward the group that was tied on the ground near the servant’s door. "We have the suspects. One of them began to touch your father's IV but a nurse struggled with him and prevented any poisons until we fired our shots. The nurses are checking everything thoroughly now."

  Fire raged through him. If anyone hurt his father, he'd bring back public executions with an axe. Kristin's hand in his was the only calming influence. He was known as the cold one in the family, but right now he was furious. He gave a single nod. "I'll speak to them."

  "Over here." The guard walked him the two feet and stared at the two young men who couldn’t be more than eighteen years old. He had never seen either of them until now so they were probably foreign born.

  He damned the men who dared to harm his family. He let go of Kristin's hand and crossed his arms, his head high in the air. "Who are the cowards that tried to assassinate a king when he was sick?"

  One of the blond, blue-eyed boys answered, "You were supposed to be in the castle too."

  A guard handed him the man's driver’s license which had his identification on it. Antonio knelt down to stare into the man's eyes. "You're the leader here, Mikel?"

  Mikel snorted. "You betrayed us all when you brought an American home."

  If he wasn't the prince, he'd have murdered the man with his own hands. Instead he stayed still, though his hands curled into fists. "You went after a sick old man. Your heartless attack destroys any chance at martyrdom among the people." He then addressed the guard. "Get them out of my sight. Put them in Iron Seven."

  “Is that the dungeon?” Kristin asked.

  No, that was barbaric. “Iron Seven is a prison.”

  Once he turned, he saw that Kristin hugged her waist and stared at him. He returned to her side, kissed her forehead and placed his hand on the small of her back. She dropped her hands and went with him as he urged her forward. His mother stood to greet him. He spoke formally. "Kristin Wells, this is my mother, Queen Anna Camilla, and my father, King Leopoldo, Regents of Avce."

  "Nice to meet you," Kristin answered shyly.

  His mother kissed her cheek and then hugged him. The world was right. He had everyone he ever wanted and there was no way he'd lose them. Not now or ever.

  Chapter 10

  Kristin held her tongue. She had no idea what to say in Antonio's family discussion because she didn't know any of them. So she stuck to his side and waited, listening. The room had probably been white and sterile, but the walls were now stained with bullet holes and the air smelled of gunpowder. Her eyes burned but the closer she came to the king in his white sheets, the more she realized that he was untouched.

  Antonio's shoulders were square, but she could tell he wanted to hug them all again. Yes, she might be reading into his body language, but his shoulders caved in and then straightened too many times to mean anything else. He crossed his arms as if to stop himself from showing emotion.
"Mother. Father. I—I’m sorry that I wasn’t here."

  "You led our rescue." His mother reached out and pressed her hand on his cheek. “We’re glad you weren’t here.”

  His father, the king, settled back and closed his eyes as if to rest, more peaceful. Kristin fixed his blanket so he'd be covered to his thin shoulders.

  Antonio glanced down and spoke to his mother. "Only because I wasn't home."

  His mother reached out and took her hand as well. "As I said, we're glad you weren't. I hope you and Kristin had a good time exploring the kingdom."

  Antonio waited for her to stand next to him. The moment she did, he placed his hand on her hip and stared at his mother. "Mother, Kristin's agreed to marry me."

  The queen smiled at them both. "Perfect."

  Kristin's entire body had tensed, expecting another reaction. She swallowed and said, "Really? Those men came in to kill you. They said I was American. Is there a revolution happening here?"

  “The men were not our citizens.” Antonio answered fast.

  His mother shrugged and then motioned for one of the nurses to come in to check on the king. She watched the nurse like a hawk though she said in a bright tone, "Tonight, we will have the official announcement of your engagement made. Have you selected one of the dresses I left for you yet?"

  "No." Kristin hadn't even thought about clothes or dinner. Adrenaline rushed into her veins from the danger that had just happened. Clothes seemed banal. “I haven’t gone back to my room.”

  The queen turned toward Kristin as if this was the most important thing to do. "I need you to select one immediately and tell the servant I’ve assigned to your chamber. She'll inform me of your choice."

  Antonio made to leave, but Kristin pressed her heels together. "Wait."

  Antonio paused. "For what?"

  Clothes were the least important thing, to Kristin’s mind. Her heart still beat wildly. "Ten men just stormed the castle. You’re still going to have a formal dinner?”

  None of this made sense. Shouldn’t they be worried about more insurrection and danger and what to do about it?

  Queen Anna Camilla said, “One must keep up appearances for the people. We have a very important election at stake.”

  Antonio interjected, “Clearly they had help from someone inside, Mother."

  His mother nodded. "Korba was one of them. You saw him on the ground."

  “Who is Korba?” Kristin asked.

  Antonio's face went white. "No. Korba was not on the ground." He turned toward her and said, “Korba is-was a trusted servant of my mother’s.”

  This conversation was important. She held her breath as the queen explained, "Korba let them in and locked the staff out. Please have Marco and Sophia check in with me. I want to see my son."

  "Of course." Antonio hugged her goodbye, then placed his hand on Kristin's back and led her toward the door. "Mother, I know the guards are here, but stay vigilant until Korba is found."

  Queen Anna Camilla sat down next to the king on the bed who roused briefly from his slumber and smiled at his wife. "Yes, of course,” she said. “Order will be maintained and your bride must look angelic for tonight's live feed. Have the guards check everyone before they enter her room, but hair, makeup, everything must be in order. We only have a few hours."

  So, Kristin had marching orders, or so it felt. Perhaps when things were less frazzled, they’d have a conversation where they could get to know each other. If she intended to live here, she'd need the queen to be an ally, if not a friend.

  She followed Antonio's silent directions and left. This time he walked her out, closed the door and closed his eyes in the hall. She stood next to him and massaged his shoulder, unsure how to help. His family might still be in danger.

  He hugged her and she stayed in his arms.

  Minutes passed and neither of them moved until the grandfather clock dinged in the hall. He let her go and led her toward a stairwell. She looked around and had no idea where they were. "Can you take me to my room? I’m afraid I’d get lost if I tried to find my way.”

  "Sure. Then I’ll go find my brother." He guided her down a flight of stairs. "This is the short cut."

  She couldn't imagine a longer way. The halls were all enormous enough to house a giant party. They passed a huge grand piano and the crystal and gold chandeliers more than made up for missing art. He stopped right before the gilded door of her room. She knew this was it, for now. She tugged on his hip to keep him close, but she also wanted to talk to her friend who had been with his brother this afternoon. "I want to check on Renee and it seems hair and makeup will be there for me."

  He traced her cheek and smiled. "You'll have to look the part of princess for a while. I'm so glad you're here."

  His touch reminded her of why she’d said yes to his proposal. She hugged him. "Then it's worth it."

  Once she let go, he claimed her lips and for that second the rest of the world dissipated. All that mattered was that she was in his arms. "Hurry back to me, Antonio." She brushed the five o'clock shadow along his jaw with gentle fingers and let the fullness she felt settle inside her heart. Renee would say that Antonio was a keeper. Her friend loved her slang.

  She turned to go into her room, but he caught her shoulder. "I am sorry I never bought you a ring."

  Seriously? It wasn't a big deal. His family mattered more. She shrugged. "Don't worry. Go find your brother and make sure he’s okay."

  He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Kristin, I will come to you later to escort you to dinner."

  Her cheek tingled where his mouth had touched as he stepped away. She couldn't do anything but smile at him. For some reason, Prince Antonio Aussa wanted to marry her, Kristin Wells. Her heart beat grew faster. "I look forward to it."

  Guards walked down the hall in double file. They slowed when the commander of the group realized they both watched. His hand lingered on hers for a moment and slowly walked toward the troops. She slipped inside and closed the door to her room.

  Two full closets on wheels, like something a bell hop might bring to a hotel room, held dozens of dresses. She traced the soft fabrics with her hand and never imagined owning half of this, but then the side door opened and Renee came inside. Kristin dropped everything and rushed across the hall to hug her friend.

  "Renee, how are you?" She let her go and searched her friend for signs of torture or captivity. Her wrists and ankles seemed fine, but she’d been tied up, a hostage, and sleeping with Marco.

  Renee looked at her best friend with tears in her eyes and said, "You were so lucky you weren't in the palace when this happened. Where is Sophia?"

  "Who?" Kristin had a vague memory of Antonio and General Babik discussing a woman with that name.

  Renee made sure the door behind Kristin was closed and they were alone. Kristin's adrenaline built up as Renee confided, "I met her when you went to lunch. Did Antonio not mention her?"

  Her name hadn't come up in conversation exactly. She’d overheard it. She shrugged. "She must be a nice older lady then. I know Antonio sent troops to retrieve her."

  Renee shook her head. "She's not old. She's a beautiful woman. You know the queen wants Antonio to marry, quickly."

  "I said yes." Kristin hugged her waist, nervous. Queen Anna Camilla had shaken her hand and said she was good with Antonio marrying her. Was Sophia a backup plan? She'd have to ask Antonio for details, later.

  Renee began to search the dresses on the rack for something to wear as well—both ladies wore the same size. "Well, Sophia made it clear that she wanted to marry Antonio."

  "She said that?" Kristin took Renee's hand off the blue silk sheath, demanding her best friend’s attention.

  Renee tilted her head in thought. "No. She said a Prince Aussa, but not exactly your Antonio." Renee lifted a green floor-length gown from the selection. “What do you think?”

  Kristin wrinkled her nose at the dress. Something else was going on—Renee never avoided gossip. Kristin crossed her a
rms and tried to understand. Perhaps this was to do with sleeping with Antonio’s brother? "Maybe your date this afternoon then. You never told me how it was with Marco?"

  Renee's face flushed crimson. "How it was? How did you know?"

  "Know what?" Kristin asked and stayed close as her friend tried to check out the dresses again.

  "Nothing." Renee continued to flip through the choices.

  Kristin didn’t even look at the clothes, but zeroed in on Renee. "You’re bright red. Did you have a good time? Antonio said Marco was going to show you the countryside."

  “So the rebels came at the wrong moment.” Renee bit her lower lip and closed her eyes. "We were naked. In bed."

  All the blood drained from Kristin’s face as she felt cold and her skin was clammy. “Those horrible men stripped you?” Renee deserved so much better. She covered her lips with her hand.

  Renee’s blush reached her forehead, and down her throat. "No, we were taken prisoner the way they found us."

  Found in bed with Marco. “You and Marco?” Renee never had one night stands, ever. In fact she avoided any encounter that might lead to the situation. She never drank in public. She always had Kristin call at eleven o'clock on any date and pretend there was an emergency at home. On the plane to Avce, she’d admitted to feelings about their neighbor. Kristin narrowed her gaze. "But I thought you were in love with Greg?"

  Renee dropped her hands to her sides. "A man who doesn't notice me? That’s nothing to love." She twirled away from the dresses and leaned against the four poster bed. "Marco is sexy, not looking to put a ring on anyone's finger and oh yeah, a prince. He's hard to say no to, when he's exactly what I want. Anyhow, let's not talk about this. I am so glad that you agreed to marry Antonio. Did he give you a ring?"

  "We were going to shop for one when we found out you'd been taken hostage." Kristin had so many questions for Renee. Sleeping with Marco was so unlike her. She was usually so responsible and never did anything outside of the lines.

  Renee then stared at her with renewed interest. "And you were gone most of the day. Longer than just lunch in the village."