Kings and Thieves

Chapter 42

**edit #2: so I revised this chapter a lot. here's the new version.*

Chapter 42

The wooden doors swung ajar, loudly banging against the wall, and Lyla found herself staring into the open-mouthed faces of all of the Hapsburg relatives.

The assembly room was decorated with reddish gold tapestries and bronze stone. The fading pews were lined with people and the slate floors disguised with a maroon rug.

At the front of the room, outfitted in their palace dress, were the missing royals— all of them.

They seemed in good health, from what Lyla could see at first glance. The Hapsburgs had clearly been treating them well. Tristran stood at the end— his hair was longer, his usual scowling face expressionless.

They all looked terrified. The youngest princess on the left— Elaina, from Kaidia, was crying, tears slipping silently down her cheeks. Lyla felt like sobbing too, at the sight of them.

On the other side stood Ben and the rest of his cousins— and Jamie. Her hair up, her cheeks dusted with rose. She didn't look sad- she looked angry, her fists clamped at her sides, her jaw tightly locked.

Both sides were dutifully guarded by one of the Hapsburg relatives. In the middle was some sort of wooden altar, and Lyla flinched.

Silence hung for one distant second before Ari raised Roland's gun. Lyla couldn't imagine what they looked like; two criminals, a palace guard and a royal, backed by Simon and his hugely muscular entourage.

"This is how it's going to work," Aveline voice heightened as she slung her pistol over her shoulder. "Best case scenario, we leave here with the royals; minimize the amount of people that die... Worst?" With a practiced smirk on her face Aveline looked... well, like a pirate. "Ari here starts shooting."

While Ari and Aveline furthered the dramatics, Lyla scanned the royals again. Someone had made them look presentable; fixed their hair, put the women in ballgowns. Jamie caught her eye and mouthed something to her; but Lyla couldn't tell what she was trying to say.

"We're not giving up the royals." One of the older Hapsburgs who stood at the front of the room folded his wrinkling arms. "Do I need to remind you who's more armed in this situation?"

"Regardless," Ari jutted his chin. "I found a gun too. Picked it off a dead man, actually. What was his name? Rolly? Rollo?"

"Roland, I think," Simon supplied helpfully.

There was an uncomfortable murmur among the crowd.

"Right! That was it. Very generous of him. He will be missed, et cetera. The point is," Ari breathed out, rubbing his index finger and his thumb together, "I'll probably be taking as many of you as I can down with me, unless we can reach some sort of an agreement."

"What do you want?" The grandfather-type man growled. "Money?" Most of the guests remained frozen in their seats; too afraid to move, Lyla figured. She couldn't relate. She would have run screaming out the door by now.

"Is that a trick question, or what?" Ari's gaze flicked irritably back to the royals. "You know what we want."

Lyla's mouth tightened into a thin line; Ari never appeared to be anything less than confident, but they were remarkably out-gunned. Even now, there were several Hapsburgs aiming their weapons at them. Behind them, Jamie remained with her cousins, worry written in every line on her face.

Lyla glanced back at Ari; who paused briefly as his gaze landed on Jamie. He blinked once; losing focus. Before one of the guards could take advantage of Ari's distraction, Ben suddenly lunged forward with an angry shout, shoving the older Hapsburg to the ground.