Prisoner Princess (Belles & Bullets Book 5)

by Caylen McQueen

  “Don't say that...” the princess frantically whispered as she went to collect the blade. “Please don't say that!” She thought about trying to attack Gareth, but as soon as the idea entered her head, she was already too late. Gareth's blade carved a wide wound up the entire length of his son's chest. When Tom's body toppled on top of the rest of the dead bodies, Isabella was frozen with fear and shock.

  He was dead. Tom Harriot was dead.

  “Come now, Princess...” As he approached, Gareth extended a hand. “Come with me. Your help is needed to end this war.”

  When Isabella tried to stab him, Gareth easily caught her arm and twisted the blade from her fingers. As Eversio's president squeezed her wrist, she shrilled, “Ow! Let go of me!”

  “Do you really think there's a chance I'll actually let go of you, dear? Or is that what you're expected to say at a time like this? You can't just come willingly, right?” Gareth chuckled as he dragged her forward, over the dead bodies and down the adjoining alley. “But you should come willingly. All this fighting needs to stop... and you're going to be the one who stops it. I'm going to use you to negotiate with your brother.”

  “Nico? My brother's here?”

  “Indeed he is. And he's amassed quite an army. I don't know how he's done it, quite frankly.”

  While she was happy to hear about her brother's successes, her thoughts were still with Tom. Seeing him fall, watching the life leave his body—it was a devastating sight. She wanted to cry, but her shock had frozen her tears.

  “I've lost a lot of men, but I still have the most valuable hostage of all.” Gareth yanked her arm as he dragged her forward. “You. I just need to get the word out that I have you, and then we'll end this... once and for all.”

  Nico was still on one of the airships when he heard the news. He was asked to meet with Gareth Harriot—alone—if he ever wanted to see his sister again. Even though he doubted the validity of the message, and even though it was a terrible idea, Nico decided to comply with Gareth's demands. He decided to meet with Eversio's leader without any soldiers at his side.

  Nico and Gareth met on a dusty side road, which was mostly abandoned, apart from a pair of pretty washerwomen who observed the scene with worried expressions on their faces. When he finally saw his sister, Nico's heart nearly stopped. Isabella had bruises on her face, she was tied up, gagged, and was wavering in and out of consciousness. Though he was relieved to see her alive, his blood boiled with rage at the sight of her.

  “Hello, Nico,” Gareth greeted him like an old friend. “As you can see, I wasn't lying when I said I had your sister.”

  “Indeed.” Despite his cordial reply, fury burned behind Nico's brown eyes. “And as you requested, I'm all alone. I brought no men with me.”

  “Good. I'm glad you were smart. If you weren't alone, I would have killed her on the spot.” When Gareth nudged the princess with his foot, she rolled away from him. “I'm going to give you two options, Prince Nico. Either you can call off your men and I won't kill your sister... or we can participate in a duel. If I win, you abdicate all rights to the throne forever... and your sister won't die.”

  “I might as well accept the duel.” Nico's hand moved to the hilt of his sword. “But do I have your word? You won't kill Isabella if I lose?”

  “I swear on my life.” Gareth held a hand to his heart. “I never wanted to kill anyone. Not really. I am simply a determined man who lets nothing stand between himself and his goals.”

  As she laid on the pavement with a gag in her mouth, Isabella was rapidly shaking her head. She didn't want her brother to place his trust in such an awful man. If Gareth Harriot could murder his own son, he was capable of murdering anyone.

  “Then... let's get this over with.” Nico raised his sword and assumed what he thought to be a proper fighting stance. But he was unskilled, and when Gareth advanced on him, he immediately realized he was outmatched. Nico managed to block once, and twice, but after Gareth's third sword stroke, Nico's sword flew from his hand. Gareth caught it in midair, chuckling.

  “Well... that took even less time than I thought it would! I can hardly believe it was as easy as that.” Gareth shouldered his cutlass as he took a step in Nico's direction. “You should have considered your answer more carefully, Prince Nico. I said I wouldn't kill the princess. I never said anything about letting you live.”

  “Do it, then.” Nico lifted his chin and pointed at his throat. “Kill me. Get it over with.”

  “You're not even going to try to run? You're just going to face your death head on?” Gareth raised a bushy white eyebrow. “I must say, you're more of a man than I expected.”

  The washerwomen were more than he expected as well. All of a sudden, Lettie tore off her mobcap and raced toward Princess Isabella, cutting her free of the ropes that held her. At the same time, Mae sprang to action. Raising her gun, she marched toward Eversio's president and pulled back on the hammer. When she heard the satisfying click, a tiny smirk tipped her lips.

  “Oh my!” Gareth Harriot sounded amused as he stared down the barrel of Mae's shiny gun. “This is a surprise. And you didn't even lie! You said you didn't bring any men with you... but you never said anything about bringing women. Well played, Prince Nico. Well played.” The president smiled at Mae. “So... what's the name of the beautiful woman who's about to end my life? Am I allowed to ask?”

  “Mary Melissa Mae,” she calmly told him.

  “Well then, Mary Melissa... would you be so kind as to let an old man--”

  Mae shot him in the head before he could finish.

  It was over.

  The battle was ended by a former prostitute with an unusual penchant for guns.

  Forty Eight

  “Isabella!” As soon as Gareth was down, Nico ran to his sister's side and threw his arms around her. “Oh god, Isabella, I thought you were dead! Are you alright?”

  “I'm... alright.” It was for Nico's sake that Isabella told the lie. While she was glad to be reunited with her brother, she couldn't pretend to be happy, not when Thomas Harriot was gone. Now that she was no longer threatened, the crushing pain of reality sank in. She would never see him again.

  “Are you alright?” Nico cupped his sister's cheek in the palm of his hand. “You look sad.”

  “Well... of course I'm sad. We've been through a lot. I thought you were dead too, you know.”

  “It's over now, Iz,” Nico said as he helped her off the ground. “No one can hurt you anymore. I'm alive... you're alive. From here on out, it can only get better.”

  Isabella wanted to disagree, but she knew her brother wouldn't understand. In truth, the pain in her heart was only beginning. As soon as she was on her feet, Isabella's gaze shifted between her two rescuers, Lettie and Mae.

  “This is Letitia Jordan, Captain of the--”

  “I recognize her,” Isabella interrupted, offering a hand to Lettie. “We've met before.”

  “And it's a pleasure to meet you again, Your Highness.” As she shook the princess' hand, Lettie nervously tucked her chin-length hair behind her ear. After the pesky lock insisted on springing back into place, she gave up on trying to tame it. “I'm glad to see you alive and well.”

  “Well, I'm certainly alive. I'm not sure how well I am, though,” Isabella said with a sigh. “And you are...?” She was addressing the girl who held the smoking gun.

  Mae didn't know how to introduce herself to a princess, so Nico answered on her behalf. “This is Mae. She's my girlfriend.”

  “Girlfriend?” Isabella gasped.

  “I am?” Mae sounded as shocked as Nico's sister. “This is certainly news to me!”

  “Well... I guess I've come to think of you as my girlfriend.” Mae's surprise brought a frown to Nico's lips. “Should I not think that?”

  “Well... I-I mean... it's just... I didn't...” Mae drew a deep breath as she tried to make sense of her thoughts. After a short pause, she finally answered, “I would be honored to be your girlfriend,
Nico.”

  “Good.” Satisfied with Mae's answer, Nico turned his attention back to his sister, whose eyes were brimming with unshed tears. He needed to get her somewhere quiet, away from Gareth Harriot's lifeless corpse. “We should get back to the palace. I need to let everyone know we've won. Are you ready to go, Isabella?”

  “I... suppose.” Blinking back tears, Isabella joined her brother and his companions on a mile-long walk to the palace. Lettie complained about the cut on her arm and how much it ached. Mae talked about guns and how much she regretted that she hadn't taken part in the more major battles of the day—apparently, Nico wouldn't allow it.

  Isabella barely listened to any of them, because her thoughts were with Tom.

  When they were just a few blocks from the palace, Mae suddenly halted. “I... just thought of something,” she said. “You probably don't want me in the palace, do you?”

  “What?” Nico sounded offended by the thought, as if she had just insulted his character. “Why on earth would you think that?”

  “Well, when we first got to the capital, I think you were ashamed of me,” Mae reminded him. “I don't think you wanted me there. So... if you want me to leave, I would understand.”

  “Ashamed?” Nico's fists clenched as he repeated the word—mostly because he was angry with himself for letting her believe such a thing. “Mae, I have no idea what I said back then to make you feel that way, but it's absolutely, completely not true. I want you with me always.” Wrapping an arm around Mae's waist, Nico pulled her in for a kiss. “Forever.”

  Mae held the prince's hand as their walk continued. “So... my brother has a girlfriend...” Isabella sounded impressed. “I have to say, that's a first!”

  “Is it?” One of Mae's blonde eyebrows shot up. “You've never had a girlfriend, Nico?”

  “Not... really,” Nico confessed with a sneer. “And if Isabella and I weren't recently reunited, I'd probably be shooting her a few scathing looks for revealing that.”

  At the palace's front gate, they were greeted by Admiral Jordan, who bowed deeply when he saw the prince and princess approach.

  “Your Royal Majesties... I'm happy to say, Eversio has been quelled. All opposition within the palace is subdued, and most of the enemy's airships have been seized or destroyed,” Admiral Jordan stolidly told them. “The only loose end is Gareth Harriot, Eversio's supposed president.”

  “He's already been taken care of.” As he reported their success, Nico winked at Mae, who looked rightfully pleased with herself.

  “I'm glad to see the princess is unharmed.” When he noticed Isabella's black eye, Admiral Jordan amended himself. “Well... mostly unharmed, I should say.”

  “And no one's happier to see the princess than me!” a chipper Julian Featherstone chimed in. He hopped out from behind Admiral Jordan, took Isabella's hand, and raised it to his lips. “I'm glad you're not dead, Your Highness. The world would've had one less angel in it.”

  Lettie, who was standing beside the princess, was glaring and clearing her throat.

  “Now, if you don't mind, I do want to return to Baltmoor,” Admiral Jordan spoke up. “I'll leave half of my men at the palace, as well as a few airships. In the future, we'll need to work harder at keeping it safe. We cannot tolerate another insurrection such as this.”

  “I agree,” said Nico. “And it won't happen again.”

  “Nico Nico Nico!” Lord Featherstone exclaimed as he slapped his friend on the arm. It was probably improper to address the prince so informally in front of a crowd, but Julian didn't care. Propriety was rarely a concern of his. “I just realized something. You're going to be an emperor!”

  Nico was open-mouthed and dumbfounded. It was a new revelation for him as well. Beside him, Mae whispered, “holy hell, I'm dating an emperor.”

  “Oh, I'm sure you'll do alright,” Julian half-heartedly reassured him. “If crowns look half as good on you as hats look on me, you'll be the perfect man for the job.”

  “Nico...” Isabella whispered into her brother's ear. “Do you think we could go inside the palace? It feels awkward standing out here in front of all these people.” At least a dozen Baltmoor Aerial Militiamen were gawking at the bruises on her face.

  “Of course.” To Lettie's father, Nico said, “Thank you for your assistance, Admiral. We will be forever indebted to you.”

  “Well, we did have help from Queen Lyneah. Nevertheless, I will happily accept your gratitude. I wish you well, Prince Nico.” As soon as the prince and princess were gone, Admiral Jordan grabbed his daughter's arm and pulled her forward. “Lettie, you're coming home with me. We need to discuss your promotion. I've thought it over, and I don't think you were ready for your captaincy. You need to train more, learn more...”

  “Father.” Lettie's voice was cold as she yanked her arm away. “Is this really the right time and place to discuss this? Let's talk about it later. The battle just ended.”

  Admiral Jordan stroked his chin as he considered his daughter's request. But he didn't consider it for more than a few seconds. “I know. The battle's over. Life moves on, dear. And now we can turn our attention to more important matters.”

  “Like our engagement,” added George Whitley, who stepped out from a lineup of soldiers. “Lettie, I want to marry you soon. I don't want to wait.”

  “Uhh...” Lettie's wild eyes swiveled back and forth between George and Atticus Jordan. “You know, this is really not the right time to discuss either of these topics, but since you two are insisting on having this discussion right after a battle, I might as well join you.” Lettie stepped away from her father and stood beside Julian Featherstone. “I'm going with Julian.”

  “Lettie, don't be ridiculous!” George laughed. “I can think of a million reasons why you shouldn't have anything to do with this man, starting with the fact that he attacked your airship... which is why you're losing your captaincy, might I add.”

  “I don't care. I really don't.” Lettie pursed her lips and shrugged. “I don't care if I'm part of the Baltmoor Militia ever again. I'm in love with Julian, and I want to be with him, no matter where he goes.”

  George reacted first. With a gasp, he shrilled, “You what?”

  “She's in love with me,” Julian said with a satisfied nod—and a few seconds later, Lettie's words really sank into his head. “Wait, what? You love me?”

  “I do. You might be ridiculous and frustrating and frequently annoying... and sometimes you make me want to pull out my hair, to be honest. But you're also funny and handsome and brave. Well... sometimes brave.” Lettie softly took his hand in hers. “And I love you.”

  “I love you too.” The words flew out of Julian's mouth. “I do. I really do. I can't believe you'd waste your time on a rascal like me--”

  George gruffly chimed in, “me neither.”

  “But if you really love me, I'm the luckiest man in the world,” Julian continued. “And once I find myself another airship and another crew, I'm going to need a new first mate. I honestly can't think of anyone better than the ferocious Captain Jordan.”

  “Ferocious,” Lettie repeated the word with a roll of her eyes. “I don't know how ferocious I am. I fail more often than I succeed.”

  “So do I!” Julian excitedly clapped his hands together. “We're perfect for each other, aren't we?”

  “Well, daughter, if you want to squander your life with a lech, I won't stand in your way,” the admiral said. “You're young. I have to let you make your own mistakes.”

  “Julian is not a mistake,” Lettie defended the man she loved. “He's everything to me.”

  Admiral Jordan solemnly nodded at his daughter's conviction. Lettie was a stubborn girl—she always had been. Once she made a decision, he knew it was impossible to change her mind. “Well then, Letitia, if you're absolutely sure this is what you want, I wish you all the happiness in the world. Truly.” Sensing George's frustration, the admiral grabbed the younger man's arm and dragged him away from the scene. “Good
luck, and stay in touch!”

  As she watched her father depart with his soldiers, the knot in Lettie's stomach was gradually untied. “He was more pliable than I thought,” she said. “To be honest, I wasn't sure my father would let me go.”

  “Your father has a weakness for me. That's why,” Julian said with a smirk. “He kept looking over at all this handsomeness, and he understood why you couldn't resist me.”

  “Ugh... Julian. Sometimes I wonder why I love you.”

  “Sometimes I wonder why you love me too,” Julian repeated with a chuckle. “But I'm glad you do, because I love you too, Letitia Jordan.” He slipped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. “And just so you know, I've never really loved anyone before, so this is entirely new territory for me.”

  “Really?” Lettie's eyebrows skeptically wagged. “After your long history with women, you've never loved anyone?”

  “Never! I've only ever loved you,” Julian suddenly sounded so serious, she couldn't possibly doubt him. After all, Julian was rarely serious. And he proved it with his next remark. “Well... you and Wiggly Joe.”

  For ruining the moment, Lettie was tempted to punch him in the gut.

  But she didn't have a chance, because Julian distracted her with a kiss.

  Forty Nine

  “So where are you off to next, Kitt?” The question was asked by Tobias, whose heart was heavy as he and his friend parted ways.

  Doon answered on Kitt's behalf. “We're continuing our exploration of the big, wide world. Kitt's stuck with me.”

  “And I'm happy to be stuck,” Kitt added with a smile. As she and Tobias hugged, Kitt's eyes landed on Lyneah, who was standing a short distance behind them. “You'll take care of him, won't you?”

  “Of course.” Lyneah nodded. “Tobias likes to think he's the one taking care of me... but I think we both know the truth.”