The Beautiful Thief

Chapter Twenty-Eight

      I get dressed in my night clothes and throw a robe over my body. "I'm gonna go to the library, I'll be back later. I love you." Caleb gives me a kiss on the cheek and I leave, heading down the hall.

      Summer is sitting in one of the two chairs in the reading section of the library. "Hi," she says when she sees me. She gets up and we hug. "Thank you for coming."

     "I promised didn't I?" She nods and we sit down.

     "Most royals don't keep their promises though." She immediately sucks in a breath and tries to explain herself. "I didn't mean it like that, it came out wrong."

     "You aren't incorrect in your statement. A lot of us don't keep our word, but Caleb and I are different."

     "I realized that when you gave that speech about the house maids. The ones who died in the attack." I smile and place my hand on my belly, rubbing gently.

     "They were very nice people." Summer and I talk well into the night, and I end up getting very sleepy around one in the morning and send her off to bed. On my way back to bed, someone grabs my arm and yanks me into a hidden doorway.

     I feel something cold and hard on my neck, a hand resting firmly on my mouth. "If you try anything, I cut. Got it?" I nod my head, placing my hands on my belly. "I have a message for the royal family. The Rebels won't quit until we see the kingdom fall, and we'll kill the heirs and their mother to do so. Sleep tight, Princess Adelaide."

     The person lets go of my mouth and I scream. He slinks away as fast as possible, but my scream has gotten the attention of every guard within ear shot. I point down the hall and they take off; a house maid escorts me from the doorway, tears streaming down my face. Caleb is halfway to me when I reach the entrance to our hallway.

     "What happened Addie?" He asks.

     "A-a man threatened to kill me and the babies. He said they'd do whatever it takes to make the kingdom fall." Caleb gathers me in his arms, walking me to our bedroom. "I don't care about me, but the babies are different. They had no part in anything."

     "Neither did you baby. Get some sleep." He crawls in behind me and holds me firm to him. I know he'll leave as soon as I fall asleep to see if they caught the man that threatened me, so I stay awake as long as possible, no longer tired.

     In the morning, breakfast is brought to me and I attempt to fit into a too small dress. Mary is laid up sick in bed, trying her best to remain happy in her final months. I visit as much as possible, but she always kicks me out when I get upset. My new housemaid, Cheyenne, is young, a lot younger than Mary, older than me by a couple years.

     "Is this dress okay Princess Adelaide?" They're forced, against my will, to call me Princess, which I loath with all my being. I nod. It's a floor length dress, the color deep as wine. The sleeves end at my wrists, the neckline dropping to my shoulders. Surprisingly, it fits well.

     "Thank you Cheyenne. You're free to go eat breakfast if you'd like. I can finish up."

     "Are you sure Princess Adelaide?"

     "Of course. Go eat before you starve." I give her a kind smile and she leaves the room. Pulling my hair into a semi-decent up-do fit for a princess. Due to my title, I have to wear a tiara, which seems extremely silly to me. I grab the twisted piece of metal, and place it on my head strategically.

     It's beautiful, but I hate wearing it. The framework is gold with rubies adorning the small swirls and peaks. A knock sounds at the door and I call out a 'Come In'. Mary walks in, and sits on the bed. Since she told me she's sick, I've noticed her gray pallor and sunken cheeks.

     "How are you feeling today?" I ask, looking at her through the mirror. She shrugs and I shake my head. "Did you eat breakfast?"

     "No. Didn't feel like it. How do you feel?" She asks.

     "Probably a lot better than you. Why aren't you resting?" I turn to face her and she smiles.

     "If I lay in the bed any longer, I will go stir crazy and rip the bricks out of my wall. I'm going to go on a walk with the kids. I just wanted to say good morning."

     "Okay, but don't strain yourself."

     "Same for yourself Princess. You look beautiful by the way." She closes my door and I slip on my shoes. Caleb was already entertaining our guests for breakfast in his study, getting them ready for the discussion. My mother and Penelope meet me at my door and escort me down the stairs and into the Dining Hall.

     "Queen Penelope and Princess Adelaide," a guard announces. The announcement was only for royals, and I felt bad because my mother was left out. She doesn't seem to mind however, because her eyes are drawn to the elaborate breakfast display. Caleb walks over to the three of us, kissing my mother and his mother on the cheeks.

     "You both go get breakfast," I urge. "I'm going to talk to Caleb for a second." They walk away, happy for any excuse to load their plates. "I'm fine, so don't bother asking. Do I look okay?"

     "Beautiful as always. You get food too, we'll all join at the table and eat together." I nod and walk over to the table. A house maid grabs a plate and places whatever I ask on it. Which isn't much due to my morning sickness.

     "Thank you," I wait for her to tell me her name.

     "Stella. And the pleasure is all mine Princess Adelaide." She gives me a sickly sweet smile and hands me the plate. A shiver runs down my spine and I hold my plate out to her.

     "Why don't you take a piece? It's too good not to try."

     "Oh no thank you Princess Adelaide, that's all for you."

     "I insist." I kept pushing because I had never seen this house maid my entire time in this palace, and the way she was speaking made me wary of the food she placed on my plate. "Go on, anything you'd like."

     I hold the plate out to her and she takes a piece of fruit, unsure of which poisoned and which is not. Unfortunately for her, it's not a harmless piece of fruit, because when she swallows the bite, she begins to couch, blood seeping into the cracks of her lips.

     "Nobody eat the food, it's been compromised," I state. The rebel falls to the ground, her sleeve lifting enough to show the crossed swords tattooed on her wrist. Guards escort us in a formation to a safe spot in the palace, all ten staying to make sure nothing happens to the royal family and their visiting diplomats.

A/N-

    I apologize for this update taking so long. Life just kinda got in the way. Feel free to ask any question in the comments if you have any :)