Royal Replicas

by Michael Pierce

  “Well, I should be getting to my next appointment,” he finally said and turned back toward the door.

  “Okay,” I said and waited until he’d closed my door and his footsteps had disappeared down the hallway before pulling out the tablet.

  I made more attempts to get past the password protection, but they continued to come up short. I thought about calling Kale back but didn’t want to get into an argument. I already had enough problems with the tablet that wouldn’t open; if it was going to be useful and aid me with my plan, then I’d somehow have to break into it.

  With my failed efforts compounded, I grew tired.

  I dreamt of my sultry night of wonderfully physical connections with the Prince and wanted him to hold me right now. I longed for his hands on my feet, his breath on my skin, his lips on my neck and his sensual whispers in my ear. If he was here with me now, I didn’t know if I’d have the resolve to turn him away again.

  I couldn’t recall when my daydreams turned into real ones, and when I awoke, it was dark outside.

  My stomach was growling and I thought of calling for room service but decided to get out of my room. So I planned to go down to the dining room and see who was around and what food I could scrape together.

  As I descended the curved staircase, my heart leaped at the sight of Prince Byron standing in the foyer with a single red rose—just like he’d held the night before for our date. He wasn’t in a tuxedo this time, but a well-fitted gray suit.

  He smiled when he saw me, but it was restrained.

  “I was just dreaming about you and here you are,” I said as I reached the ground floor.

  He moved his hands to reach behind his back, hiding the rose. “It’s good to see you,” he said.

  I walked up to him and leaned in for a kiss. He turned his head and offered a cheek, which I took, but it was hard hiding my disappointment.

  Then I heard the rustling of fabric and clinking of jewelry. I turned and saw Bethany descending the staircase in a long, flowing lavender dress. She looked gorgeous and my excitement to see the Prince drained at the sight of her. We were supposed to be happy for each other. I knew that, but it was hard now, seeing the two of them together.

  Prince Byron offered her the rose and bowed like the gentleman he was. She was beaming; her cheeks flushed.

  “Hi, Victoria,” Bethany said, glancing over at me, unsure of how to take my presence.

  “Hi, Bethany,” I said.

  She forgot about me almost immediately as she lifted the rose to her nose and took in its sweet scent.

  “We should be going if we want to make our reservation,” Prince Byron said. “Shall we?”

  “Yes,” Bethany said as she took his arm.

  “Goodnight, Victoria,” the Prince said as he led his beautiful date out the front door.

  “Goodnight,” I said weakly, watching them disappear into the night air.

  I shuffled up to the door to see how they were leaving and saw the open back door of a limousine. I watched them climb in and the car circle the drive and make its way to the gate.

  The staff member at the front door asked if I’d like the door to remain open. I shook my head and left for the dining room.

  Throughout the walk to the dining room, I couldn’t get the image of the Prince leaving with Bethany out of my mind. I was the one for him, his choice, and here he was, still going on romantic dates with the others. I knew he had to keep up appearances, but it still felt like a punch to the gut. And the fact it was Bethany almost made it worse because she was my friend, a great girl, and she’d make a fine Princess Amelia—probably a better one than I would.

  The dining room was dark when I arrived; surprisingly, the table was already set up for breakfast. I continued into the kitchen and rummaged through the refrigerator for leftovers and anything else edible that I wouldn’t have to cook. I arranged a plate of random food items no one with any taste would combine, but I didn’t care. It silenced my stomach, which was all that mattered. Now—if only I could silence my mind.

  After eating, I wandered through the downstairs. A few staff members were around, all cleaning various rooms, but overall the palace was quiet. In one of the hallways, I passed Danielle and Jane. They both said “hi,” but I heard laughter shortly after, which made me think it was something to do with me. At least my frustration with them took my mind off Bethany and the Prince for now.

  I ambled to the hidden library and up to the Pride & Prejudice that couldn’t be read. It was kind of a cruel joke. I followed the secret passage to Princess Amelia’s room.

  “Hello, Sister,” she said. “I was wondering when you’d come back to visit me. But you can’t stay long. It’s approaching my bedtime. At nine, one of the doctors will be down to put me to bed. Maybe even Mother. She hasn’t come down for a couple of nights.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I didn’t realize.”

  “But maybe it’s okay. Maybe it will be okay if the doctors know you come down here.”

  “Maybe, but I don’t want to take that chance just yet. We’re just getting to know each other.”

  Princess Amelia rolled from her illuminated glass table, trundling closer to me by the bed. Her hand shook as she maneuvered herself with the joystick. Her head was still cocked to one side, which looked painful, but she couldn’t seem to reposition herself.

  “Can you tell me about your day?” she asked. “I want to hear all about it. Everything.”

  “Everything… wow. Where to begin…”

  “At the beginning.”

  I sat down on the bed and looked her in the eyes with a smile. “I don’t think we have enough time, but I’ll get through as much as I can,” I said and fabricated a story of what I envisioned a normal day in the palace to be like, away from all things clones and competitions.

  CHAPTER 47

  I t felt so good to talk with Princess Amelia that I didn’t want to leave. I ended up staying too long and hid in the closet when Dr. Crane came and helped her into bed, then gave her a shot of her latest treatment. He didn’t seem to suspect an intruder, even though I couldn’t lock the exterior deadbolt. I crept out when he went into the en suite to wash his hands.

  I wanted to kiss Princess Amelia on the forehead. She had just been tucked in, yet she was already asleep; she looked so peaceful but I knew I couldn’t linger and slipped out of the door before Dr. Crane could emerge and discover me.

  The next morning before breakfast, I took out the computer tablet again and took another stab at guessing the password. But this time when I touched the screen, it didn’t ask for one; the Home screen appeared completely unencumbered.

  There were only a few icons and I clicked on each of them. Nowhere did I see anything with our names on. No information. No medical records. No pictures. There seemed to be nothing specific on it whatsoever.

  I called Kale and he didn’t sound surprised.

  “It was probably reset to factory defaults remotely, wiped clean of all sensitive material,” he said. “I’m sorry you didn’t find what you were looking for.”

  “Not entirely,” I said. “The camera still works.” That was what I really needed for the plan I was devising. “If I take pictures, how can I get them to you?”

  “What kind of pictures?” Kale asked.

  “Incriminating pictures,” I said.

  “I’m listening.”

  “I don’t want to jinx myself. Will I be able to get pictures to you or not?”

  The line went silent for a moment, then he went into a speech about the old internet, downloading applications, cloud storage, and granted user access. I didn’t fully understand, but I tried following his directions.

  “Why have I never heard of any of this before?” I asked.

  “There’s a lot the general public in Westeria doesn’t know still exists. We’ve built over the old world, but there is plenty of its infrastructure still in place behind the scenes. Those who control the information retain the power.”
r />   “What if the doctors reset it again?” I asked.

  “Why would they unless they suspect something? Besides, if I’ve already downloaded what you’ve uploaded, it won’t matter.” There was another pause. “Are you going to tell me what you’re up to?”

  “Princess Amelia is alive,” I said. “And I’m going to send you proof. She doesn’t know it, but she’s going to save the lives of all the girls here.”

  “Where is she? I didn’t hear about this when I was there,” Kale said, sounding disappointed.

  “What can I say, I’ve got my connections too.” When he didn’t find my comment amusing, I continued. “She’s locked in a secret wing of the cellar. The Queen’s apparently had her down there for years. She’s definitely not well. That part wasn’t a lie. But she’s such a nice and hopeful girl. She doesn’t deserve how she’s been treated.”

  “You’re going to be careful, aren’t you?” Kale asked.

  “Of course,” I said. “You don’t have to worry about me.”

  “I always worry about you.”

  “Well, stop. It’s not your place to always worry about me.”

  “If I could help it, I would,” Kale said. “But I can’t. I care about you too much. And I’m still worried what’s going to happen at the end of this.”

  “I know.” I was worried too but didn’t want to keep thinking about it. If I did, it would consume me and drive me mad. I had to put some trust in the Prince that he’d keep his word, choose me and find a way to save the other girls. And if all that failed, then Princess Amelia would have to come through and save us all.

  After breakfast, I ventured toward the hidden library again. I was wearing shorts under my dress, with the tablet inconspicuously tucked into the waistband. As I reached the secret door area that led to the library, the wall opened up and the Queen stepped out into the hallway.

  I turned to race back in the direction from which I came, but she saw me before I could make an escape.

  “Victoria, is that you?” she asked.

  I froze, then slowly turned back to her. “Yes, Your Highness.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “I was just… umm… just wandering the halls,” I said, stumbling over every word.

  “In that case, come, walk with me.” She linked arms with me and dragged me along. “I’ve recently received a call from Queen DuFour—Prince Byron’s mother.”

  “Oh?”

  “There has been a lot of speculation as of late about Princess Amelia—speculation all stemming from your stunt on the Inter-Ward Express.”

  “It was all a misunderstanding,” I said. “Everything is going really well with the Prince. We’re developing a very strong relationship.”

  “More so than the other girls in the house?”

  “I can’t speak for the relationships he’s building with the other girls, but I feel good about ours.”

  “I’m glad to hear the process is working, despite the added pressure.” The Queen was looking out of the passing windows as we walked, then decided to continue our stroll into the gardens. “You seem in good spirits,” she said once we were in the sunlight.

  “I am,” I said, which couldn’t be further from the truth. “I feel like everything’s going to work out. I’ll marry Prince Byron, meet his parents and visit Easteria. And I will learn from you how to rule a kingdom.”

  “I’m sure it will all work out,” was all she said. Her words carried very little emotion. She stopped and turned to me, her eyes suddenly staring intensely into mine. “But if you try to run away again, I’ll have you disemboweled, stuffed as a scarecrow, and posted out here as another permanent palace fixture. Do we understand each other?”

  “Yes, Your Highness.” I gulped. A chill ran through me despite the warm, sunny air.

  The Queen left me in the garden to digest her threat. She knew. Of course, she knew. She’d made it clear she was playing nice for the competition, for Prince Byron—but her leniency would only go so far.

  The Queen’s actions made me want to return to Princess Amelia even more. Since she’d just visited with her daughter, I figured it would be safe for a while.

  “Two days in a row,” the Princess said. “Is it my birthday and I’ve lost track of the days again?”

  “No,” I said. “Nothing special. I just wanted to see you. Is that okay?”

  “I love having you here with me. I only wish it could be every day.”

  “And maybe someday it can,” I said and reached under my dress to pull out the tablet.

  “That looks like one of the computers the doctors have.”

  “Similar,” I said. “I bought it in the city.” I didn’t want her to know I’d taken it from the doctors. “I noticed you don’t seem to have a mirror in here and the one in the washroom is rather high. When was the last time you were able to really see yourself?”

  “It’s been a long time. I don’t remember.”

  I held the tablet up and clicked a picture of her. Then I brought it up on the screen and showed it to her.

  “I’ve grown so much older,” Princess Amelia said. “I wonder—if I wasn’t sick—if I’d look more like you?”

  “You look beautiful,” I said.

  “Take another picture,” she answered.

  I snapped a few more and showed them to her. With the little control she had over her facial muscles, I noticed her attempting a smile.

  “I wish I had long hair like you,” she said.

  I had the tablet up, and instead of taking more pictures, it was recording video.

  “Long hair looks nice and all, but it’s a lot of work,” I said.

  “Yeah, but all I have is time. The doctors or Mother would be taking care of it for me. Then they could let me see it sometimes.”

  “I could do that for you. Help wash it and brush it every day. I’m sure it would be very similar to mine. Do you know what day it is?”

  “Wednesday, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. February 18th, 579.”

  “I know what year it is,” Princess Amelia said. I sensed a bit of sarcasm in her comment.

  “I wasn’t implying you didn’t—it was just a habit when saying the date. How long did you say you’ve been down here?”

  “Almost ten years. Since July 2nd, 569. That was back before I had the motorized wheelchair and I could still push myself. I wish I still had the strength.”

  “But the doctors are working on getting you better, right?”

  “I don’t know. I feel like everyone’s given up. I’ve been on the same treatment for years now—a daily shot—and nothing seems to be changing… I mean, for the better anyway.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said.

  I turned off the video. “I’ll do what I can to help you get the treatment you need. What these doctors are doing doesn’t seem to be working, so there has to be someone else who can help. New technologies. New breakthroughs. Something.”

  “Can I see the pictures again?”

  I brought the tablet to her and scrolled through the pictures I’d taken, not stopping to replay the video.

  “This is the best day I’ve had in a long time,” Princess Amelia said.

  I stroked her short hair and gave her a kiss on the temple. “Me too,” I said.

  CHAPTER 48

  I tried calling Kale, but he didn’t answer. On his phone, there was an automated message reciting the number. I promptly hung up without recording a word. Another number was listed in the call directory; I had no idea whose it was but didn’t think it would hurt to give it a try.

  It rang four times before a young girl answered.

  “Hello?”

  I wasn’t sure, but I thought the voice sounded familiar enough to ask. “Mina?”

  “Yes? Who’s this?”

  Tears came to my eyes almost immediately. “Hey there, sweetie. It’s Victoria.”

  “Victoria!” she squealed into the receiver. “I can’t believe it’s really you!”

 
; “Are you safe? Happy? Comfortable? Where are you? Have you seen Kale?”

  “He’s been here. I haven’t seen him recently though,” Mina said. “It’s nice here. Everyone’s been nice to me. Kale’s mother is a good cook. I love what she makes.”

  I fell back onto my bed as I continued talking to Mina.

  “What number is this?” I asked.

  “The house phone,” she said.

  “Where did he bring you? Where are you?”

  “I don’t know exactly, but we’re out past the fence.”

  “In the Outlands?”

  “Yeah.”

  The Ramseys definitely wouldn’t find her out there. They’d never venture past the Kingdom border and out into the land of outlaws, even though that’s where Master Ramsey belonged.

  “I can’t tell you how good it is to hear your voice. I’m so glad you’re safe. I knew Kale would come through, but… it’s just hard. You know?”

  “There’s a lot of good people here,” Mina said. “Now we can talk to each other every day.” That little girl excitement was infectious.

  “Yes, we can,” I said. “See, it’s like we’re still together.”

  We talked for almost an hour and when I hung up, the tears returned. I just wanted this to be over. I didn’t know how much longer I could take the looming uncertainty.

  I met up with Bethany and Piper for lunch and then we all headed down to the pool. We had the whole place to ourselves to choose whichever lounge chairs we wanted.

  Bethany was eager to share all about her date with Prince Bryon, while I was eager for her to finish the story. I wanted to be happy for her and share in her excitement—as we’d said we’d do for each other—but it was too hard to think about the Prince with other girls at this point. I already saw him as mine and had no intention of sharing.

  “Did you hear about Eleanor?” Piper asked after Bethany had finished regaling us with the specifics of her romantic evening—or so she thought.

  “No. What about her?” I asked.

  Bethany perked up as well.