Saving Her Kingdom

♡ Chapter 29

Chapter 29 (Edited)

Thomas planted the shovel into the ground and leaned backwards to make the earth move up. However, the earth was stiff, so it barely moved. Thomas puffed out a breath and leaned entirely backwards, to make his whole weigh pull the earth up. Still, the earth didn't move.

He grabbed a nearby tree to help himself pull at the shovel and groaned at the effort. As I watched him, I couldn't help but find the sight highly amusing. I covered my mouth with my hand so he didn't see my growing grin.

He gave a big pull and slowly but surely, the earth began to give up under his weigh. It moved upwards faster and faster and suddenly, the earth exploded over the shovel and flew everywhere. Thomas and the shovel were sent flying backwards and he landed completely on the ground.

I burst out laughing. He sent me an unamused look, trying to hide the glint of playfulness in his eyes. "I'm glad I amuse you," he deadpanned. I continued to chuckle as he slowly stood up.

He raised an eyebrow at me, while he dusted his clothes off, as he saw my huge grin. I looked at him for a second more and again burst into a fit of giggles. The image kept replaying in my head, I couldn't help it.

"Are you quite finished?" He picked up the shovel and leaned on it, staring at me.

"Yes, yes, of course!", I couldn't wipe the amused smile of my face.

"You know what, since you find it so funny, you'll do it," he grumbled, and shoved the shovel into my hands.

"Alright, alright. No need to be upset," I sent him a playful smile and shrugged.

He smirked and leaned on a tree. "Well. Let's see how you do it."

I looked at the hole on the ground and narrowed my eyes, calculating the depth of the hole I was about to dig. I carefully planted the shovel near the hole and after tugging forcefully, I easily lifted a small amount of earth.

I shot Thomas a look of triumph and lowered the earth on the ground just in front of him. He scowled when I smirked smugly. "It's not fair. You have the hole I already made and it's easier," he muttered.

I smirked more widely. "Whatever you say." I dug the shovel a second time into the earth and pulled out more of it.

After digging four times more, Thomas looked quite impressed. "How do you manage that?", he asked.

I shrugged. "I was used to dig this hole anyway, so I know how to do it."

"Alright, let me continue for a while. You need all the energy you have left," he said and I handed him the shovel.

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Thomas and I dug the hole for another fifteen minutes. I was beginning to worry because we didn't reach the box yet, and we should have already found it at the moment.

Suddenly, Thomas' shovel got stopped by something hard. I sighed in relief. Thank God it's still there. "I think that should be it," Thomas mumbled and shoveled another bit of earth.

After a few more minutes, he was finally able to reach the box and take it out of the hole. It was the size of a shoe-box and made of wood, with a metal lock. Thankfully, Marguerite and I always left it open, since it was already underground.

Thomas set the shovel on the ground and dusted the box off. "Let's hope it's there," Thomas said with a hopeful twinkle in his eyes. He set the box on the ground and I knelt in front of it, pausing for a moment, and finally opening it.

The box contained all sorts of items, that we thought was precious. There was an old watch, some jewels, two of my father's rings (he searched them for months after we took them, but eventually gave up), my grandmother's golden waterfall earrings with a few rubies on each, half-polished gemstones, a few golden and silver trinkets, a monocle, and even a horseshoe with the Ravenport's crest. Every item was put in its special place and it looked very ordered. But there was no rose.