by CN Thornton
"This is one of the many entrances to the secret passages that lead to the safe rooms." She entered, and I followed. Before we continued, she pulled down on another candelabra inside the passage. It ignited and the door behind us simultaneously slid shut with a click.
"Always make sure you close the door, or anyone can get in. Of course, only those of the nobility know how to open any of the entrances, so not just anyone is allowed," she said matter-of-factly as we started down the recently lit passageway.
We walked in silence for several long minutes until we came to a thick door. She pressed the brick that was level with the crest on the door, then opened it.
The room beyond was massive—it had two levels and several doors. "We call this the honeycomb," she began. "These doors lead to private safe rooms. The top floor is for the royal family and the families of the dukes. Everyone else of nobility is on the first floor."
I nodded my head. "So all the passages come to here?"
The queen nodded. "Both the men's and women's rooms lead to the honeycomb. The other entrances—for instance, the ones in yours and Theodore's rooms—will take you to your safe house." She beckoned me to the second door on the top floor and opened it. Inside, a decently sized room hosted a bed and a small seating area with a bookcase and desk.
"The passages from your room and Theodore's connect and lead to this room. Same with mine and my husband’s, only ours lead to the room next to yours."
I nodded my head. "What about my ladies?" I asked. "Where is their safe room?"
"In their sleeping chambers," she said quietly.
I crossed my arms. "Basically, they’re supposed to push their beds up against the door and hope no one breaks it down?" I asked, not bothering to hide the disgust in my voice.
"It's not that simple, Emmaline. We have a whole court of nobles to take care of and not that much room. Only those that are irreplaceable are given the utmost protection."
"My ladies are irreplaceable to me," I said firmly.
"Realistically, anyone can be plucked and placed into their positions, so they are expendable."
"Contrary to popular belief, anyone can be plucked and placed into my position," I retorted. "The only thing that makes me different is my blood lineage."
The queen’s lips pressed into a hard line as she eyed me. "Fair enough, but my hands are tied." She gave me a look that suggested the conversation was over and gestured towards the door on the other side of mine and Theodore's safe room. "To open the entrance to the passage leading from your room, turn the picture of the Linacrean crest upside down. To close it, pull down on the candelabra just inside the passageway, and vice versa." She nodded to me, then turned and left.
I made my way through the secret passage to my room, where I exited it. In my room, I stared in disbelief as the door closed and sealed itself. It was in the corner beside my bed furthest from the door. Even now as I stared at it, it was impossible to tell—without already knowing—that it existed.
I just hoped I never had to use it. I didn’t think I would be able to leave my ladies to barricade themselves in their room while I sat safely in a panic room of sorts. It was selfish.
Dinner with Theodore was excellent. Both the king and queen were busy with their preparations to abdicate the throne, so dinner was between Christine, Alexander, Theodore and I out in the gardens.
"Can you believe it?" Alexander began. "In three days you will be King."
Theodore gave a curt nod. "Rather you than me—you were always better at thinking and acting the way father expected us to."
Alex waved away his comment. "That's a load of hogwash."
Christine and I exchanged a look.
"The only reason I am about to be King is because I was born minutes before you."
"The only reason it looks like I listen to father is because his expectations of me aren't as high as of you. Of course he would expect a lot from you, Theo—you are the next king. I am and always will be just a prince."
"I know, and I hate you for it." Theodore grinned.
Alexander gave Theodore a smirk. "Well, look at it this way. At least when you are King, you will no longer have to answer to anyone ever again. Not even Father."
That part of becoming Queen I looked forward to more than anything. I would still be expected to answer to Theodore, but I would never have to worry about the king flogging me. That would be considered an assault on the queen, punishable by death.
I would be safe.
When I returned to my room that night, I went straight to my desk and begin working on a letter to request all of my father's things. Maybe if I could get closer to my father, then I could somehow convince the rest of Linacre I would be a good queen. That I was acceptable, despite my upbringing.
It was important that I felt safe from everyone and everything. And even more importantly, I wanted to make sure those closest to me would be safe.
After I had put the finishing touches on my letter, I rose to my feet and went to gather my ladies to prepare me for my bath. It had been a long day and I could feel the stress layering my skin like dirt or sweat. It was unsettling.
"How was your day, Emmaline?" Saoirse said as she scrubbed my legs.
I smiled at her, my eyes closed. "It was nice." My smile turned to a frown as I remembered my encounter with the queen and our conversation about my ladies' safety.
I wanted to speak to Moana about it, but in private. I didn't want to worry any of the others, especially little Saoirse. The image of her backing into a corner of her sleeping chambers with a stranger advancing on her made me sick.
After my bath, I pulled Moana into the sitting room and sent the other ladies out of the room. With the doors closed to give us privacy, I beckoned for her to sit and then joined her.
"Emmaline," she said, waiting for me to speak.
I took a deep breath, my shoulders rising and falling heavily. "Have you been briefed on the safety drills?" I asked her, unsure how to begin the conversation.
The expression on her face answered that question.
"Between you and I, I overheard Theodore and the queen talking about the uprisings in Linacre."
Just like the queen, with her hand and a smile, Moana waved away the idea that it could be anything at all serious.
"Theodore wanted to bring back one hundred soldiers from the war in Slobakia, but he couldn't without the king's consent, so instead he has subjected the courts to drills three times a week."
Moana's face fell, and I could see worry etched into the rise of her eyebrows and the creases in her forehead.
"This is bad," she said, rising to her feet to begin pacing back and forth in front of me. "The prince... he sees things that others don't. The war in Slovakia," she rushed out. "He saw it coming before it even began. He saw the signs... The king... he only sees what is in front of him." She suddenly brought her hand to her mouth, as if she had said something offensive.
I stood and placed my hand on her shoulder. "You have my permission to speak freely, and the promise that whatever is said between us will stay between us," I reassured her.
She looked at me, her eyes searching. Then she took a deep breath. "When it comes to the people of Linacre, the king is oblivious. He doesn't understand them. Doesn't see what is going on until it has blown up in his face. The war in Slobakia, Theodore saw it coming months before it happened. He tried to tell his father but got shut down. It could have been prevented if the king had listened.
"If Theodore senses something bad is going to happen, we should all be worried. Especially if the king thinks otherwise." She bit her lip worriedly. Then she quickly caught on and sank to her knees. "We are going to die... If something happens, we are going to die."
I kneeled down before her and placed my hands on her shoulders. "No one is going to die. I will not let you die," I said confidently.
"How are you going to protect us? We aren't allowed in the safe houses. Protocol for the help is to lock ourselves in our sleepin
g chambers." She sobbed into her hands only to quickly wipe away her tears. "My mother..." she choked out. "My mother died during the last rebel raid in the palace. I hid in my blanket chest at the foot of my bed and listened as all the other ladies were slaughtered." She began trembling.
I clenched my jaw in a perfect imitation of Theodore. It sickened me that these women who loyally served the nobility in the courts were not given the best protection.
"Listen, Moana," I began. "I'll do whatever I can to protect you, even if it means I have to bring you all into my safe room. I don't care if it gets me fifty lashes—I will proudly take them as long as I know you are all okay."
Moana nodded her head as her sobs slowly began to die down. "You are too kind, Your Royal Highness."
"Emmaline, just Emmaline." I smiled. "Do me a favor and keep this to yourself. I don't want my ladies worrying. It will do them no good."
After I had excused myself from the room, I climbed into bed, facing the corner of the room where the secret passage was. If a raid happened and I took the ladies with me into our safe room, would the king allow it? Or would he shove them back out?
Before I closed my eyes, I made it a priority to do everything I could to ensure their protection. Starting with talking to Theodore. Certainly he would have some answers, or at least some inkling of helpful information.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
I woke early the next morning to the sound of a siren wailing in my ears. Accompanying it, a voice said, "This is a safety drill. Please make your way to the nearest passage and settle into your safe rooms. The voice repeated itself again and then my bedroom door burst open and my ladies came hurrying in."
"Quickly, Emmaline," Moana said, my other ladies on her tail.
She pulled me from my bed as I pressed my hands to my ears to block out the wailing of the siren, then pushed me to the corner where the passage was.
After I tilted the picture of the crest, the wall fell back and slid open to reveal the passage that led to the safe room.
"Go on!" she said, pushing me inside.
Even though I knew it was a drill, I still felt unsettled with the idea of leaving my ladies behind, but I didn't know what would happen if I went against the rules and brought them with me. So I decided to keep from making waves—at least just yet.
Sealing the passageway, I started towards the safe room. When I arrived, Theodore was there, pacing. When I closed the door behind myself, he hounded me.
"WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG!" he barked.
I took a step back, thrown off by Theodore's heated approach.
"I was caught off guard. It was just a drill, anyways. It's not like I was in any real danger."
He put his hands on my shoulders and squeezed a little too tight for comfort. "Do you know what happens sixty seconds after the alarms sound?" he said, his teeth bared.
I gave him a look.
"The entrances to the passages lock themselves. It's a secondary safety precaution; if you aren't in the passageway before that minute is up, you are locked out."
"For how long?" I asked.
"The entrances do not unlock unless they are manually overridden by someone with the code sequences. If rebels have found their way into the palace and you are locked out, you are as good as dead."
I nodded my head, only hearing half of what he said. If the rebels penetrated the palace and I was in the safe room, I would be locked in there for only god knows how long, not knowing whether or not my ladies were okay.
I couldn't fathom it. The idea of not knowing if they were okay... if Saoirse was okay... pained me.
I had brought her into this life by not stopping Theodore when he'd suggested she come work at the palace. I had even encouraged it, and now her life was possibly in more danger than when she had been living on her own.
If anything happened to her...
I closed my eyes to do my best to force out the wicked thoughts. There was nothing to worry about—yeah, there was nothing to worry about. I was going to do everything I could to protect them, and that would be enough. They would be safe.
"I'm sorry," I said, then took a seat on the edge of the bed that was squeezed in the corner of the room.
Theodore sighed and took a seat beside me, his hand brushing against my cheek before his fingers wove through my hair.
"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did. I was just..." He paused and let out another exasperated sigh. When he looked into my eyes, I felt my chest warm. It was like looking into beautiful molten chocolate. "If anything ever happened to you," he shook his head. "I—" He brought his other hand up and pulled me to his lips, kissing me passionately.
My body willingly melted into his as a familiar sensation began to grow deep inside my most intimate parts.
His lips parted and his tongue brushed against my mouth, begging for access. Then our tongues began a sensual dance that had an effect similar to throwing water on a grease fire.
Theodore pressed his body against mine and I felt him harden dramatically. The memory of him deep inside me pushed out a moan that Theodore returned.
Then he was undressing me until I was bare skinned. After he had removed his clothes, he climbed on top of me and began kissing every inch of my skin that he could find.
Unlike last time, I wasn't nervous about my lovemaking moans. It actually felt pleasurable to let them flow from my lips, and it seemed to please Theodore too.
He reached down and adjusted his member so the head was pressed against my slick folds, and then he began to push into me slowly. It was torture when I felt the tip starting to enter me. Suddenly he backed out, then did it again. Before he could enter me, he flipped me so I was on my stomach and moved me to my hands and knees.
With one arm wrapped around me so he could pull me to him, he massaged my breast and then brushed his fingers intimately down my chest until they found my folds. He began rubbing as he started to grind against me, his breaths coming out labored and heavy.
The want in me grew immensely as I felt his erection hanging beneath me. I wanted it inside me. As if Theodore could read my mind, he positioned it at my folds, and with his hands on my hips he pressed into me.
We let out a moan simultaneously, and then he began to move inside me. The position we were in allowed him to take me deeper than before, stroking other sensitive parts deep inside me.
My moans began ringing out like a chorus, and Theodore pumped inside me faster and harder.
"Ahh, ahhhh," Theodore moaned as he continued to slam into me—his hands pulling my hips to him every time he entered me.
Soon my body was moving on its own accord. Pulling forward when he drew out and forcing itself back as he pushed back in. Throwing my head back, I clenched the sheets of the bed and cried out loud as the ecstasy filled me to the brim and pushed me over.
When I felt myself begin to clench around him from my orgasm, Theodore started trembling and let out a long, drawn-out moan, slamming into me once more before exploding his release inside me.
Panting, he pressed several kisses along my back before he pulled out and lay down, pulling me to his chest. His long, masculine fingers combed through my disheveled hair as he pressed his lips to my forehead.
"I love you," I murmured as his fingers began stroking the small of my back.
He brought his arms around me in an embrace and held me tightly. "I love you, too."
We lay in each other's arms until the hour—the duration of the drill—had passed. Then he helped me get dressed before dressing himself, and we left the safe room.
I parted ways with Theodore at the fork that connected the passage to my room with his. He had to go back to work, and I wanted to check on my ladies.
It was just a drill, but still...
When I returned to my apartment, I found my ladies in their sleeping chambers. Moana, Justine, Layla, and Peyton were sitting around Saoirse, who was shaking and in tears.
I quickly joined her side, kneeling in front of her a
nd taking her face into my hands.
"What is wrong, Saoirse?" I asked.
It was Peyton that answered. "The drill unsettled her. That's all."
"Actually, it was Anya." Justine said, her voice monotone. "She came by and basically said that in a real situation, our best chance of staying alive would be to lock ourselves in our sleeping chambers and push our beds against the door."
I pulled Saoirse into my arms and held her, stroking her hair with my fingers. "It's not going to happen like that, okay? If anything happens, you will be in that room with me. You want to know why?" I asked her.
Saoirse nodded her head as she let out a sniffle.
"Because if you all don't go, then I won't go. And I'm pretty sure my safety is at the top of their list." I pressed my lips to the top of her head, then released her so I could rise to my feet. "Now, enough worrying. Okay? That's an order." I grinned at them.
The day before the king and queen's abdication, we had another drill. Just like the day before, Theodore and I passed the hour in our safe room by making passionate love.
We didn't dare talk about tomorrow's coronation, when he and I would officially become the king and queen of Linacre. Thinking about it brought stress to us both, what with all the added responsibilities, and the notion that we would be responsible for the country and all its people.
We had dinner again with Alexander and Christine. This time, though, Christine's family—the Sheppards—joined us.
"Are you nervous?" Jeremy asked Theodore as we dug into the banquet of prawns decorated by cranberry sauces and seasoned butters.
Alexander guffawed. "Really, Jer?" He glanced in our direction. "Theodore crossed that Rubicon the day he was born. Nervousness is part of the territory."
I glanced sideways at Theodore and saw him give his brother an unpleasant look.
"When do you and Christine get married again?" I asked Alexander coyly.
