She Wears The Crown

Chapter VII: Problematic Pop-Ups

After classes the next morning, Doug sped over to Evie's cottage. Carlos had already hacked into the national census database and they needed his knowledge of Auradon to aid them.

"Okay, so who knew the census was only locked by a set of two passwords. You'd think a nation would further secure their database" Carlos scoffed as Evie lightly punched his arm.

"Oh, shush. Show-off" Evie teased. Carlos pretended to be hurt from the weak blow to his forearm. They heard the back door open and in came Doug. Walking into the kitchen, he set down his bag, grabbed a stool and sat next to Carlos.

"So, you got into the server?" Doug asked. Carlos nodded and slid the laptop his way. The two guys looked over the computer scrolling through the pages.

"Every file in Auradon history of births, deaths and marriages. All the secrets to the Southern Isles, everything" Carlos said impressed with his own work. He folded his arms across his chest, letting Doug take over.

"That awesome, Carlos. You know you should really go into security tech. Or maybe computer science"

"Cool. Do they offer that at MIT?"

Doug was just about to respond when Evie interrupted. "I hate to kill the college conversation, but it says there are ten minutes before it's going to alert the Auradon Online Security Force of a data breach" she pointed to the screen and the guys nodded.

Carlos tried to override the system, but it wouldn't budge. "Great. So maybe I'm not as good as I thought. We've got eight minutes to find out if you're first in line to the throne, print it and remove all the evidence on this device"

"Okay, so, I've seen Ben use the database before. I believe you can type in any name into the bar across the top. Evie's birth was registered in the census of 2000, since they only collect it every ten years on the Isle. Since the copies I made won't show her status, we have to print them off here"

Carlos typed in "Evie Queen" into the search bar and was surprised when Doug shook his head. "She was registered as Genevieve Westergaard"

"What kind of a name is that?" Carlos laughed as Evie playfully glared at him. "Dad picked it, huh?"

"Unfortunately" Evie responded. She still had yet to speak to her father. And she needed to. If she really was an heir to the throne, she needed the 411 from Hans Westergaard. Well, and she kind of also just had a lot of unanswered questions.

Their search resulted in Evie's file. They found the registered document from 1999 that was added to the database in the 2000 census. Quickly typing in another search, they found information on the Southern Isles.

"So you're apart of the Westergaard family, right?" Carlos asked. Evie shrugged.

"I mean I guess so,"

"Well it says that they're the reigning family" Carlos began as he scrolled down. "And get this, they actually just updated the file at midnight. I wonder—" he stopped and his mouth was left wide open as Doug slid the computer his way to see what Carlos was in sudden disbelief over.

Doug began reading the article aloud, his words getting quieter by the moment. "The King, the Queen Consort and his son were declared lost at... sea last night. After weeks of searching, the coast guard has found no trace of the Royal Family. Auradon's condolences to the presumed deaths of the Westergaard family... of the Southern Isles" Evie felt her head throbbing.

"What?! How?" Evie said sliding the computer to her view. She read the message, time after time, a lump growing in her throat. Her thoughts landed on the fact that this news must have explained the Duke's opposition of her status.