“Good morning, Victoria,” she said. “Big day. How are you doing?”
“Never better,” I said as I carefully sat on the leather bench seat.
She seemed to notice my pained movements but didn’t comment on them. There was no way to sit comfortably, so I just had to deal with it and appear as normal as possible. I crossed my right leg over my left, which ended up being worse. So, I went back to sitting with both feet on the floor.
“Anything you want to talk about?” the Governess asked. She looked concerned.
“Not particularly,” I answered. Then after a minute, I changed my mind, and asked, “Why is everyone lying about the boy we saw in the field?”
“No one’s lying,” she said. “What gives you that impression?”
“I don’t believe he was harassing me. I spoke with him—”
“Is that so?”
“His name’s Kale and I don’t believe he wished me any ill will. There has to be something I’m not being told. It’s hard putting these recent things together with a several-month memory gap.”
“Is anything more coming back?” the Governess asked. “Or are you taking what he tells you at face value?”
“It’s not just what he told me.”
“Then what else is there?”
I didn’t know how much I could trust her with, so I ended the conversation. She wasn’t willingly giving up any additional information.
It didn’t take long to reach the train station. Our train was already there and passengers were boarding.
The driver had our luggage ready on the platform before the Governess and I stepped down from the town car. He wished us safe travels and left as we made our way to the closest boarding train car.
Luggage attendants took our bags and the Governess handed the porter our tickets. The small white-haired man in a striped jacket welcomed us to the Inter-Ward Express, offering a hand to the Governess as she climbed aboard.
I glanced back at the station, and beyond it, at the rest of the town. As the porter called for my attention, I noticed a familiar face in the crowd. Kale leaned against a wood pillar by the ticket booth and waved.
“Miss?” the porter asked.
I gave a small wave back and took the porter’s hand, allowing him to guide me into the Inter-Ward Express and take me away.
Chapter 15
The Governess and I had our own private train car with sofas, chairs and a dining room set, complete with a chandelier. It could easily accommodate twenty people.
I ran to one of the windows facing the station and scanned the area looking for Kale, but he was gone. I found the pillar he’d been leaning against, which now had a family of four standing in front of it.
“Do you want to order anything?” the Governess asked. I turned my attention back inside. The Governess was standing with a dining attendant.
“I’m having some tea,” she said.
“Sure. I’ll have some too,” I answered.
“I would like some tea as well. Thank you.” Her tone was sharp. Luckily, she didn’t have her pointer.
“I would like some tea as well,” I recited. “Thank you.”
The horn blew at the top of the hour, signaling the train’s departure. I gazed out of the window as we started to move, seeing families and loved ones of others waving from the platform. I searched for Kale again but still didn’t see him. There was no one out there seeing me off, but I’d had my send-off the night before.
The dining attendant returned a few minutes later with our tea and a platter of assorted fruits, meats, and cheeses. I perused the provided teabags and this time chose Lemon Chamomile. The name sounded fancy.
“So, I suppose my last name is Hart now?” I said.
The Governess added sugar and cream to her tea, so I did the same.
“I suppose you’re right,” she said. “But let’s not go making any drastic changes until the Queen approves them.”
“I’m not changing anything. I’m just saying. I wish I could fast-forward a few months, to a time when I knew what was going on, knew what to expect, and had my new life in order.”
“If only life worked that way,” she said. She stirred her tea and clinked the spoon on the saucer before taking a sip. “Didn’t you come home with a new dress yesterday? I thought I overheard Mina going on about one.”
“I did, but it ended up not being very comfortable so Lady Ramsey gave me this one instead,” I said. It even sounded like a poor excuse.
“That’s also a very beautiful dress. I’m not suggesting otherwise,” the Governess said. “I thought I overheard the new dress was originally crafted for Princess Amelia. I was curious, that’s all.”
“Ms. Adriana had said that. I don’t know if it’s true. It was—is quite a dress.”
“You’ll have to show it to me sometime.”
I nodded while I sipped my tea.
“This will be a first for both of us,” she said after a short pause.
“What will?”
“I’ve never been to the palace either. It will be quite a privilege.”
“Good. I won’t be the only dummy gawking at everything.”
“I have no intention of gawking,” the Governess said with a smile.
“How long will it take to get there?”
“About five hours. So, there’s plenty of time to relax. Try not to get too anxious.”
“No last-minute lessons?” I asked.
“I won’t subject you to that—not today. This will be the perfect opportunity to sit back with a good book.”
“If only I had one.”
“Oh… I assumed… I’ll ask the attendant for one when she returns.”
The train didn’t have a supply of books. They had a few used newspapers, but I decided to pass on those. The attendant suggested I go into town at the next stop—the 21st Ward—which had a bookshop not too far from the station.
To pass the time, I lay down on one of the luxurious sofas. I could lie on my side, which was much more comfortable than sitting. My legs and backside ached terribly, and I closed my eyes and tried to get some sleep; in the dark, though, I saw Master Ramsey coming for me again and again—switching me over and over. The more I cried, the more excited he seemed to get. It was a vicious cycle of pain and humiliation. Staring across the train car became much safer.
The train pulled into the 21st Ward station about a half hour later. I decided it was in my best interest to venture out and find a book to help get me through the rest of the ride in relative peace.
“I’m going into town to find the bookshop,” I told the Governess.
“You don’t know where it is.”
“I’ll ask the porter on my way out.”
She glanced down at her watch. “You have less than twenty minutes before the train leaves.”
“I’ll hurry,” I said, confident I’d make it back in time. I had to; I didn’t want to continue the ride stuck with only my thoughts, and needed something else to distract me.
The porter gave me directions to the bookshop when I disembarked. He warned me the train would not wait for me, so I needed to be back in time. I assured him I would.
A mass of people stood waiting to disembark and even more waiting to board. I pushed through the crowd, trying not to let the waiting people slow me down. In my haste, I bumped into another teenage girl.
“I’m sorry. I’m just trying to get through,” I said.
“That’s okay,” she answered as she turned to look at me straight on.
She was about my size, and when I fully saw her face, I almost stumbled back in shock. She wasn’t someone I knew or had ever seen before—except in a mirror. Her hair was cut shorter and styled differently, and she wore darker makeup accentuating her look. But her natural features were exactly like mine. She looked as much an identical twin as I could ever have imagined.
The girl gave me a strange look, as much so as the shocked expression I was probably giving her, but she didn’t say any
more and continued on. She moved through the crowd with a shoulder bag slung over her arm, approaching the train. I waited and watched as she handed her bag to one of the porters and climbed aboard.
I stood there, dumbfounded for at least another minute until I realized I was wasting my precious and dwindling time to purchase a book for the rest of the trip. And, with that, I took off running toward the town, trying to remember all the directions the porter had provided.
Thank you for reading the first few chapters of Royal Replicas. If you’d like to continue Victoria’s journey, then click below and purchase it on Amazon. And if you’re a Kindle Unlimited member, then you can read it for free!
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About the Author
Michael writes YA speculative fiction. He currently lives in Southern California with his wife, kids, and two blood-thirsty chiweenies.
When he's not at the computer, he enjoys spending quality time with family, practicing yoga, playing guitar behind closed doors, and listening to as many audiobooks as possible.
Connect with me online:
michaelpierceauthor.com
[email protected]
Also by Michael Pierce
THE LORNE FAMILY VAULT SERIES
Provex City (Book 1)
SUSY Asylum Book 2)
Doria Falls (Book 3)
Archanum Manor (Book 4)
THE ROYAL REPLICAS SERIES
Royal Replicas (Book 1)
Royal Captives (Book 2)
Royal Threat (Book 3) — Pre-order now!
Archanum Manor Page 32
