Kidnapping the Prince

Kidnapping the Prince Installment XVI

Kidnapping the Prince Installment XVI

~DAY NINE OF THE BALL~

On the morning of the ninth day of the ball, Ryan and I had breakfast outside in the middle of one of the rose gardens, where we could talk without fear of people listening through the walls. It was sunny and unusually cool; sitting among the bright roses and feeling the refreshing breeze relaxed me so much I almost forgot to worry about, well, everything.

Talia, Willa, and now Lucas, brought out a meal of lightly toasted bread and honey along with the usual milk and fresh fruit. Before we began to eat, I dismissed Talia and Willa, and when they had disappeared beyond the walls of perfume-emitting roses, I quickly relinquished my seat for Lucas.

“I’ll bet you’ve never tasted anything this good!” I grinned as I eagerly piled his plate high with fruits and honey-soaked bread. Ryan smiled at Lucas’s look of wonderment as he poured a glass of cold milk. After a long bath and a shave, Lucas now looked much younger and less of a thug.

“Okay, seriously?” he gaped at all the food. “You guys have been pigging out like kings while I’ve been stuck in that tower eating cabbage soup?” He picked up his fork and began shoveling strawberries into his mouth. “Mmm,” he sat back contentedly and closed his eyes as he chewed. “That is good.” Ryan and I laughed at his reaction, forgetting our own reactions not-so-very-long ago.

Once Lucas had slowed his eating down to a normal speed, Ryan and I began a quick recount of the job and what we’d discovered the day before, thanks to Phillip.

“And now we don’t know how to proceed with the job because it’s pretty obvious that we’re walking straight into a trap,” Ryan finished with a sigh. Lucas chewed his bread thoughtfully.

“Well,” he swallowed, “I’d say the only thing for you to do now is to just follow the plan.”

We stared at him.

“Okay,” Ryan started slowly, “let’s say we follow the plan exactly how we would if we didn’t know there was a trap, and frankly we don’t know for sure that there’s a trap yet. It’s all just speculation. But if we did do what you say and we walk into an army of soldiers ready to take us on, everyone dies.”

“Correction, youngster, you guys,” Lucas pointed lazily at Ryan and me, “would die, but not me. Because for the record, I have not had any part in this job. And I think it would do both well to remember it.”

I stared at him in disbelief. What was wrong with him? Ryan was scowling; he hated being called youngster by Lucas, and he wasn’t exactly pleased with the threat either. All Lucas did, however, was to take another casual bite of an apple.

“Fine,” I snapped, snatching the apple out of his hands. He looked up at me in surprise. I took deep breaths, trying to get my anger under control, before pointing at the pebble path that led back up to the castle. “Go on. Get out of here. You don’t have anything to do with this job, so you might as well go help Talia and Willa with their jobs: making my bed and cleaning my floors.” Lucas stood abruptly, rage flashing in his silver-blue eyes. I met his gaze steadily, refusing to back off.

Suddenly, in my peripheral vision, I saw his hand curl into a fist. Fear mixed in with my slightly confused anger, but still I would not let my eyes leave his. Mentally, though, I called out desperately for Ryan to help, and bless his heart, the boy sensed danger and called loudly, “Talia! Willa! Please lead Luke back up to the palace. I’m afraid he’ll get lost.”

Swiftly, Lucas directed his glare and Ryan, who faced it just as coolly if not more than I did. He even had the daring to stick his hands in his pockets, feigning boredom and disinterest in the fist that was dangerously close to swinging up and breaking his nose. Just then, however, Talia and Willa appeared. The two of them began to clear away the dishes, and when Lucas stood to the side sulkily without helping, Talia actually smacked him on the head with her towel and scolded him for being lazy.