“I don’t want to share you with the whole party,” he said.
“Now you know how I feel,” I said.
“At least it’s better than the whole Kingdom looking at you, which it soon will be.” Prince Byron took my hand and led me deeper into the mansion.
I certainly wasn’t ready to have the whole Kingdom’s eyes on me.
CHAPTER 44
I didn’t know life could be like this. We talked, we danced, we laughed. We hardly talked to another soul at the party and no one seemed to recognize either of us—if anyone did, it was never expressed. We’d succeeded in disappearing into the sea of anonymity.
Prince Byron never left my side, nor took his eyes off me. He held me close as we moved across the dance floor and made me feel I was truly his.
Each time I touched him, I waited for him to disappear—for all of this to disappear and for me to awaken in my room again, in the cellar of the Ramseys’ estate. I felt the dream coming to an end as I fought hard not to let it go, not to let it dissolve into real life where fairytales didn’t come true for servant girls like me, or for someone even less than that—an unnatural human and the Queen’s secret science experiment.
But the music played on, the Prince continuing to spin me in circles until I felt almost drunk. He kissed me in front of everyone around, with no concern for who was watching. Midnight came and went without the magic that had transformed me into a princess wearing off.
“Would you like to find a place to sit for a while?” the Prince asked.
“Yes, please,” I said. My legs and feet were sore from all the dancing, but I hadn’t wanted to stop.
Many rooms were serving as lounges, but all seemed taken by the multitude of guests throughout the estate, all partaking in sophisticated conversations, sipping from elegant glasses, engaging in intimate moments in full view of the rest of us.
Prince Byron led me to a balcony off one of the lounges. It had fewer people than were gathered inside. The night air was cool, but portable heaters were spaced at regular intervals.
We claimed an empty couch by one of them. I slipped my feet out of my heels to let my toes breathe. My feet had become toughened from a life of being barefoot and receiving regular switchings, but wearing all these different heel styles and heights since coming to the palace seemed the biggest punishment yet given to them.
Prince Byron peered down at my bare feet, then without saying a word, stretched one of my legs across his lap. With both hands, he began to rub my foot. The attention hurt at first, but as soon as the aching muscles slowly relaxed, it began to melt all the tension in my body. Through my foot, he seemed to be reaching areas all over. I sank into the cushions of the couch and closed my eyes.
“How’s this?” he asked as he dug his thumbs deeper into the sensitive flesh on the bottom of my foot. I felt some of the lingering bruises that were no longer visible, but they didn’t diminish the ecstasy brought forth by the Prince’s expert fingers. “I usually don’t like people touching my feet,” I said.
“I can stop,” he said.
“Don’t you dare.”
“Yes, m’lady.” Prince Byron leaned in to kiss me while continuing to massage my foot.
“Prince Byron, I thought that was you,” a woman said, standing over us.
I’d been so enraptured in the Prince’s handiwork I hadn’t noticed her approach.
“Good evening, Lady Duncan,” Prince Byron said. “You continue to stand out from the crowd and look as lovely as ever.”
“Always the charmer,” she said.
Lady Duncan wore a long burgundy A-line gown that shimmered in the lights from the estate. Her masquerade mask matched her gown and was accented with plumes and sequins. From her voice and the lines on her face, I guessed she was in her sixties, but her toned arms and shoulders didn’t reflect the body of an older woman.
“And this must be the elusive Princess Amelia,” Lady Duncan added, offering me a hand. “Don’t worry, child. Your secret’s safe with me. No one else suspects a thing.”
“How do you—” the Prince started, but Lady Duncan interjected.
“I hear everything,” she said with a brilliant smile. “I make it my business to know. Word has spread from your little stunt on the train. It was so sweet though. You two make an adorable couple.”
“Thank you,” the Prince said.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I said.
“You look well,” she said. “More than well. You look absolutely radiant. Has the Queen actually been hiding you all these years, or have you spent time in other kingdoms for treatment and healing—Easteria for instance?”
I didn’t know how to answer, but luckily, Prince Byron spoke for me.
“The Queen has been protective of her and remains protective of her, especially since she hasn’t issued her official statement of reintroduction.”
“Like I said, my lips are sealed,” she said and performed the gesture. “I’m just glad I had the chance to see you with my own eyes. I saw a few of the pictures from the train and heard the talk, but didn’t fully believe it. Until now. You really are back. The whole Kingdom will rejoice once it’s official.”
“It’s a lot of pressure,” I said. “I hope I can live up to the Kingdom’s expectations.”
“I’m sure this young man can help you with that,” Lady Duncan said, patting the Prince on the shoulder. “You’ll do fine. Now I’m sure you didn’t want to get stuck talking with an old woman on this romantic evening. I’ll let you get back to your anonymity.”
Once Lady Duncan was gone, I turned to Prince Byron and said, “There are pictures of us on the train?”
“Yes,” he said. “They’ve been circulating like wildfire. I haven’t seen any really good ones though, so… they can’t be particularly damaging. The Queen is aware and she’s not commenting on the reports—she’s waiting for the end of this process, which is quickly approaching.”
“And I have nothing to worry about?”
He placed my first foot gently back on the floor and lifted my second, taking it in his hands. “There can always be something to worry about, but I don’t want you to worry about me—about us.”
“What are we going to do about the other girls?”
“I don’t know yet,” he said, looking off into the distance. “I need to get my guards into the room when the announcement is made to protect the other girls from whatever next step the Queen has in store. The biggest problem will be that whatever guards I can get in will be grossly outnumbered by the Queen’s own. She’ll be thoroughly protected and I don’t want there to be any bloodshed.”
“That makes two of us,” I said. “I want to keep everyone safe—even the few I despise, who will remain nameless.”
The Prince laughed. “They’re certainly not nameless. But yes, I want to keep everyone safe as well. I’ll work something out. I don’t want you to worry about this either. This is my problem to solve.”
“They are my sisters,” I said.
“But they’re my responsibility,” he countered. His hands left my foot and moved over to my waist as he leaned in to kiss me. “A responsibility that can wait until tomorrow. I want to enjoy my time with you now. This is our night. No Queen. No competition. Just us.”
I climbed onto his lap, my lips inches from his. “That’s all I want too.”
“Then we both have everything we want and need right here.” The Prince kept his hands on my waist, repositioning himself under me. “This choice wasn’t supposed to be so easy—but it is. It’s simply you.”
I smiled from his conviction and sincerity and kissed him with a fervor that matched my dress. It was no longer the nearby heaters keeping me warm, but him. I pressed every possible inch of my body to his because I just couldn’t bear to be apart any longer.
As we devoured each other’s bodies, I never felt so alive. In some ways, I was already Princess Amelia. And with that thought, an idea came to me of how to save the other girls… and myse
lf, if needed. But I had to keep this idea to myself.
CHAPTER 45
T he last time I’d come back on a high from a date with the Prince, the Queen had dropped a bomb on all of us. I was afraid of some new, terrible revelation punching me in the gut again. When Kimera told me of my afternoon appointment with Dr. Crane, I figured this was it.
Kimera wanted to know everything about the night before, and I told her, save for my new idea. But with my sense bad news was on the way, it was hard to get fully into the story. Kimera didn’t seem to mind; she was simply excited for me.
She led me to an empty bedroom on the third floor, in which the doctor had set up his usual machinery. But when I entered, I was surprised to find Dr. Sosin as well. He’d checked me out a lot when I was younger but had delegated most of the check-ups of the last few years to Dr. Crane.
Dr. Sosin looked like he’d aged more than a decade since I last saw him. His hair had gone from peppery to completely white and he seemed to be steadily gaining weight. But his smile was still the same and looked genuine when he saw me.
“Victoria, my dear. You are looking well,” Dr. Sosin said.
“I hear you’re making quite an impression on the Prince,” Dr. Crane said, finishing setting up the machines. “It seems your accident hasn’t hindered you at all.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I feel great.”
“Are any of your memories returning?” Dr. Crane asked. “How are your energy levels? Mental clarity?”
“All fine, I think. And no—no memories have returned.”
“That’s okay. Nothing to be alarmed about.”
“I think you know the routine by now,” Dr. Sosin said.
I nodded and took a seat that they’d placed by the machinery so I could be hooked up and their string of tests could begin. While the machines did their work, Dr. Crane examined the results on his miniature tablet computer.
“Everything is looking good,” he said. “Though your Vitamin D is slightly below average. A little extra sunlight may do you some good. You love to ride, don’t you?”
“You know I do,” I said. “I’ll try to get out more.”
“The benefits would be twofold,” Dr. Sosin said.
Dr. Crane handed me the cup for a urine sample, and I filled it in the en suite washroom and brought it back to him.
“Dr. Crane,” I said. “You told me I was the Queen’s daughter, but not what I truly was. I wasn’t being checked so often, like now, because I was the Queen’s daughter. And now to learn about the rest of us…”
“It was a sensitive subject,” Dr. Crane said.
“Would you have believed it if you were told earlier—told without seeing?” Dr. Sosin asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “It hard to put myself back there at this point. A door’s been opened for me that I can’t seem to close.”
“And I wouldn’t want you to close it,” Dr. Sosin said. “I want you to be proud of what you are. You’re a marvel, as are all your sisters.”
“I don’t think everyone will see us as such,” I said.
“Not everyone in the world will be ready for and accepting of your kind, but such is the reaction to progress. You are a huge leap forward in human evolution. You are the future.”
“If we’re the future, then why are you letting the Queen kill us off?”
Both doctors’ expressions became morose. I could tell right away this was something they hoped would not come up.
“We are still trying to reason with her,” Dr. Crane said. “Killing any of you is not the answer. There are available alternatives. But she is afraid.”
“Afraid of what?” I asked.
“Looking weak,” Dr. Sosin said.
“We’re still her daughters,” I said. “Even though she didn’t birth us.”
“You’re as much our daughters as hers.”
“Then you should be doing more to protect us,” I snapped.
“The Queen is not so easily persuaded. But I assure you, we’re doing whatever we can without risking everything,” Dr. Sosin said.
“You should be risking everything. We are.” Here I was with people saying they were trying to help us, but not actually doing anything. I couldn’t count on them and couldn’t count on the Prince to find a way either. I wondered if any of them knew about Princess Amelia, but didn’t want to mention her since she was the central component to my idea. Now I just needed to turn my idea into a plan that would save all our lives.
Our meeting did not end on a happy note, but I hadn’t been floored with a terrible revelation as I’d been anticipating. Instead, I found myself frustrated with every word they uttered.
There was a time gap before their next appointment, so both doctors left the room shortly after me. I went back to the second floor and they continued down another level.
Once they were out of sight, I sneaked back upstairs into the bedroom-turned-exam-room and looked around. Set atop one of the portable machines, I found the small tablet computer Dr. Crane had been using. I grabbed it, clutching it to my chest with both hands, and rushed back down to my room.
I sat on my bed, folded back the cover of the tablet, and stabbed a finger at the screen. A keypad showed up, along with a message asking for a password.
That puts a hindrance on my plan. What was I supposed to do?
I started by typing all our names, including Princess Amelia. But none of them was the correct password. I tried more seemingly relevant words, but they all came up with error messages.
As I continued to fiddle with the tablet, my typing was interrupted by a buzzing. I followed the sound to the desk, and more specifically to my coat draped over the back of the desk chair.
From the pocket, I removed the phone Kale had given me and flipped it open.
“Hello?” I said.
“Hey, Victoria.”
I instantly recognized the voice as Kale’s, which brought a smile to my face. Even after my wonderful evening with the Prince, it was good to hear him.
“Hey,” I said.
“How are you? You’ve been on my mind.”
“I’m good… except this stupid computer tablet I stole from the doctors has a password on it. I can’t get in.”
“I seem to be rubbing off on you,” Kale said with a chuckle. “Why are you stealing tablets?”
“I’m sure they have information on me and the other girls that they’re not sharing and I want to know what it is.”
“Are they going to know it was you who took it from them?”
I hadn’t really thought about it when I went back to the room. I’d been the last one in there, but the door wasn’t locked and it could have been anyone. I’d have to keep it hidden well in case anyone came snooping around my room.
“It could have been anyone,” I said, hoping my thought would sound as plausible when spoken aloud.
“You need to make sure you cover your tracks. Be careful, okay?”
“I will.”
“If I was there, I could hack into it for you,” Kale said. “There’s always some type of back door.”
I flipped over the device. “I don’t see anything,” I said.
“You wouldn’t see something so obvious. When I come back to check up on you, I’ll look at it.”
“You’re not coming back—you can’t. They’ll never let you back in here.”
“I wasn’t planning to ask the Queen’s permission.”
“How about mine?” I asked.
“Do I have your permission?”
“No. I don’t want you to risk your safety by coming back. I don’t want to think about what would happen to you if you were caught.”
“So, I don’t have your permission because you’re concerned about my safety or because you don’t want to see me?”
“I do want to see you. But I don’t want to jeopardize what I’m building with Prince Byron. And I am concerned for you. You’re looking after Mina, right? You can’t go getting yourself into trouble. Li
ke I said, when this is over, I’ll come for her.”
“By that time, it may be too late,” Kale said.
“No. The Prince gave me his word.”
“And you trust him?”
“I do,” I said, even if that wasn’t the entire truth. “I’m going to be okay.”
“Forgive me if I don’t share the same level of confidence in this prince of yours.”
I could hear the bitterness in his voice. I had chosen Prince Byron over him and the wound was still fresh. But the choice had not just been between the two of them. I wished he’d be able to understand that someday.
“I know you don’t agree with my choice and I’m sorry,” I said.
“It was hard watching you walk off that train,” Kale said.
I walked back to my bed and lay down across it. “I know.”
“There are pictures of you everywhere now.”
“Pictures of Princess Amelia.”
“Who is you.”
I heard footsteps coming down the hallway and took the phone away from my ear to listen more closely. When a knock sounded at my door, I brought the phone back to my ear. “I’ve gotta go,” I whispered.
I didn’t even give Kale the time to respond before closing the phone and stuffing it and the tablet under my pillows.
“Victoria, are you in there?” Dr. Crane asked.
Oh, crap!
CHAPTER 46
“Y ou can come in,” I called from my bed.
Dr. Crane entered but stayed close to the door. “Did you happen to see anyone going up to the third floor after our appointment?”
“No,” I said, sitting up on the bed. “Why? Is something wrong?”
“Nothing to concern yourself with. I was just curious. You saw no one when you were going back to your room?”
“No. The hallway was empty.”
“Did you forget anything in the exam room?”
“No. I didn’t bring anything.”
Dr. Crane glanced around the room. He was trying to look casual—not to appear like he was searching for something. I watched him attempt to mask his actions during a long moment of silence.
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