A knock sounded at the door. When I opened it, Bertolf stood there, with an anxious Willy at his side. He jumped around Bertolf’s feet, his tail wagging furiously. The dog fed on Bertolf’s energy, and mine too. Bertolf continued to remain a steadfast facade of complete calm, but Willy always gave him away.
“My lord, I’m sorry to interrupt, but we have a situation.”
“Not now, Bertolf! Handle it yourself!”
“But, sir —,”
“Fuck, Bertolf! What is it?!” I growled.
“The Queen, my lord. She is asking about the emerald necklace. The one that Madam Rose was wearing, sir. Last night, sir. In the video, sir. She’d like you to bring it to her, sir.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
JEWELS
I watched the scene before me play out in slow motion. When Bertolf asked for the necklace, my heart stopped. I must have gasped, because Will, Bertolf and Willy all looked my way at once. Willy cocked his head to the side and his ears shot straight up.
“What’s wrong, hjärtat?” Will asked.
“The emerald necklace. It’s missing.”
“What do you mean, it’s missing?”
“I went for a walk this morning. I left it on the bedside table. When I returned from having lunch with my father this afternoon, it was gone. I was trying to tell you, but you kept interrupting me!”
“That’s absurd, it can’t be missing,” Will replied, turning to Bertolf. “Bertolf, did you take it?”
“Of course not, sir!” Bertolf exclaimed.
“Well, then where is it? Are you sure you didn’t pack it in your suitcase, Jewels?”
“I’ve been looking everywhere, and I can’t find it, Will!”
“We’ll find it, don’t worry,” he said, turning to Bertolf once again.
“Bertolf, find the fucking necklace! Now!”
“Yes, My Lord. I’ll find it,” Bertolf said, setting into motion and looking around. He walked into the large closet, leaving us alone in the room.
Will pulled me close, hugging me tightly.
“Everything’s going to be alright, hjärtat. Don’t worry. I’ll figure everything out. I’ve got a plan.”
“I hope so,” I said. “Because I have no idea what to do.”
“Bertolf will find the necklace, don’t worry about it. In the meantime, I’ll go talk to my mother,” he said. He pulled away slightly, his hands falling down to my hips. “Jewels, I’m sorry about everything.”
“It’s okay. I’m sorry, too, Will,” I said. “Let’s just forget about last night. I think there are bigger things to worry about right now.”
“If you say so, hjärtat,” he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. They were warm. So warm. I wanted to lose myself in them, but instead, I pulled away.
“I think we’ve caused enough damage already,” I whispered.
***
As Bertolf searched my room, I found my way to the palace chapel to call my father.
The beauty of the chapel took my breath away. The huge arched ceilings were painted with colorful frescoes of fat cherubs and saints. Gold trimmed moldings and marble archways framed the masterpieces. Stained glass windows threw colorful displays of light on the intricately carved wooden pews.
I sat down in one, its smooth wood cool and solid beneath me. I welcomed the peace and quiet, and sat there for a few seconds, breathing in and out deeply, trying to gather my thoughts.
Everything was spiraling out of control, and I had no idea what to do or how to fix it or even slow it down. I was overwhelmed with it all, and hoped like hell that Will really did have some sort of plan, but I wasn’t holding my breath on that.
What I needed was the one man I knew I could depend on.
I picked up the phone and called my father. He answered on the second ring, his deep voice soothing me immediately.
“Jewels, honey, how are you?”
“Not so good, Dad,” I replied. “Did you see the tape?”
“One of my aids just showed it to me, honey, I’m so sorry,” he said. “What can I do to help?”
“I don’t know. I’m so sorry, Dad. I’m so embarrassed.”
“Well, don’t be. It could be worse.”
“How could it be worse? It’s appalling! You must be so mad at me.”
“Darling, how could I be mad at you? Listen, stop beating yourself up. So, you made out with Will and just because he’s a Prince, it’s being played all over. It’s no big deal. You two knew each other in school, right? I didn’t want to pry, but I could tell you two had history that first night. I’d never seen you so uncomfortable. I figured you would come to me if it was a problem.”
“Oh, Dad…”
“Jewels, what I am worried about was that slap. You slapped Will pretty viciously. And I want you to know that I am always here to take care of things if you need help. I don’t care who Will is. If you need me to have a talk with him and tell him to back off, I will. I mean, by the looks of things, it appears you can handle yourself just fine,” he said, with a chuckle. “But I’m always here if you need me to handle anything at all. I am a US Ambassador, after all. I’ve got people.”
I could almost see him wink at me over the phone.
“No, Dad,” I groaned, “I’m fine. I can handle Will on my own. But the press will find out who I am, Dad. And that means they will figure out that I’m your daughter and they’ll come after you.”
“I can handle the press, darling. I’m not worried about them.”
“And Vicky? I can only imagine how furious she is,” I said, groaning in again. The embarrassment was killing me. “I don’t know how I’ll ever look at her again. I’ve ruined everything, Dad, I’m so sorry!”
“Stop it, Jewels! I can handle Vicky too. For goodness sake, they’re the Royal Family. They’ve weathered a few scandals, they can weather a few more.”
I sighed, and shook my head.
“This is absolutely crazy,” I said.
“I like to think of it as an adventure,” he said. “I’d suggest you do the same. If we’re marrying into this family, then we’d better grow a pretty thick skin.”
“You, Dad. You’re marrying into the family.”
“Yes, and I suppose I’m dragging you along kicking and screaming, is that right?”
“Something like that,” I said, laughing for the first time that day.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
WILL
“Bertolf is looking for it, Mother.”
Once I told her that Jewels couldn’t find the necklace, she became even more furious.
“How could you give that to her, Wilhelm? It wasn’t yours to give!”
“Yes, technically, it was, Mother. It was left to me personally.”
“All of the Crown Jewels belong to the entire Royal Family, Wilhelm, and you know that! They are never gifted outside of the family. If you want to give jewels to your women, then buy them yourself.”
“I’m the Prince, Mother, I can give what’s mine to whomever I choose,” I replied. If looks could kill, I’d be lying on my mother’s chamber floor.
“Well, that doesn’t matter now, does it, Wilhelm? It’s gone!” she seethed.
“Bertolf will find it, Mother, as I said, it was probably one of the staff,” I said.
“Don’t you think it’s curious, Wilhelm? Jewels shows up and you leave her in the vault alone and my crown is missing when she was the only one there? Now the necklace is missing? Seems a bit fishy to me.”
“Are you accusing Jewels of being a thief, Mother?” I asked, incredulously.
“Perhaps, I am,” she replied haughtily.
“Don’t,” I warned. “Jewels is a good girl, Mother. She would never do such a thing.”
“How do you know? You barely know her.”
“I know her very well, Mother. We were…good friends…a long time ago.”
“Is that so, Wilhelm? You think because you shagged some girl ten years ago that you know her?”
“Mother, don’t be crude. Besides, she’s Ben’s daughter! Your fiancé!”
“And don’t think I didn’t do a thorough background check on him,” she replied, coldly. “You can never be too safe, Wilhelm. You can never trust anyone, even when you think you can.”
“It must be quite unpleasant, Mother.”
“What?”
“To be you. To be so untrusting, even of someone you clearly love.”
“It’s our duty to be vigilant, Wilhelm. The country expects us to guard ourselves and the treasures that come with being the Royal Family. They’ve entrusted us to be meticulous.”
“Fuck duty,” I growled.
“That’s the problem with you, Wilhelm. You’ve always put your own desires and feelings before anyone else’s. You’re selfish.”
“I can’t argue you with you there, Mother.”
“Back to the necklace, Wilhelm. Jewels has it. It’s our duty to return it and the crown, which I’m certain she has also, to the collection. And if you won’t bring it to me, then I’ll go get it myself.”
She turned on her heel and strode out the door, with absolute confidence that I would follow her. And I did.
“Mother, I assure you that Jewels did not take your crown. The investigators will see who took it on the tape,” I rattled on as I followed her angry stride down the hall.
“How can you be sure of that?” she asked, stopping abruptly and turning around to face me. “The investigators just called me and said that the tape was completely erased.”
“The tape should have begun after Jewels left the room, Mother. I thought I erased it, the part that’s been leaked. But it should have continued after that.”
“It was never turned back on, you idiot! And the part you erased was saved on a backup, in some sort of cloud or something! Someone in the investigation must have leaked it, and you can bet there will be hell to pay for whoever did that. But there’s no recording of the actual theft. Only a recording of you and your almost step-sister sucking at each other’s faces like a couple of sex-starved perverts!”
“Oh, fuck,” I muttered. So that explained it.
I really was a genuine idiot. I’d sat in the security room, pulling on my cock like an adolescent boy and left with my head in the clouds. I hadn’t closed the door to the vault. I hadn’t reactivated the alarms. I hadn’t even turned the fucking video surveillance back on.
If ever there was a royally fucked up situation, then this was it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
JEWELS
After sitting in the chapel for a while, I finally felt ready to go back to my room. Hopefully, Bertolf had located the necklace, and I would have one less thing to worry about.
As I approached, I saw Will and Vicky approaching from the opposite direction. She was stoic, unsmiling, her stride purposeful, and if I didn’t know any better, very, very angry.
“Hello, Julia,” she greeted me cooly.
“Hello, Vicky,” I replied, looking to Will for help. He smiled at me reassuringly.
“I’d like to speak to you, Julia,” she said. “May we come in?”
“Of course,” I replied. Like I was going to refuse her entrance into a room in her own palace? Anxiety shot through me, as I followed her into the room. Bertolf was still there, looking through the dresser, and I blushed thinking he had been looking through my underwear.
“Julia, Wilhelm tells me you’ve lost the emerald necklace he gave you?”
“Well, I didn’t exactly lose it. I left it on the table and when I came back, it was gone.”
“You left a 1.2-million-dollar emerald and diamond necklace lying on a table unsecured?”
“I - well - yes. I thought it would be safe in my room.”
“Did you lock the room?”
“Lock it? Well, no, actually, I didn’t even realize it locked,” I replied, looking over at the door.
“Then why darling, would you leave the necklace lying there for anyone to take? It was held in the vault, locked away behind alarmed doors and guards. Only a fool would do something like that,” she said.
“Mother!” Will exclaimed. “Jewels is not a fool!”
“I know this Wilhelm. That’s why I don’t believe her when she says she left it lying on the table for anyone to help themselves with.”
“Vicky, I didn’t —,” I began.
“—Silence!” she demanded.
“Bertolf!” she barked. Bertolf jumped to her side.
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Bertolf, did you check the safe?”
“There’s a safe?” I asked, looking around. I hadn’t noticed a safe anywhere.
“No, Your Majesty, I did not.”
“Well, what are you waiting for? Open the damned thing!”
“Yes, ma’am, right away,” Bertolf replied, running to the bookshelf that lined one of the walls. I watched in awe as he tilted one of the ancient titles that filled the bookshelf. With a squeak, one of the many paintings hanging on the wall opened up and revealed a grey, metal safe with a combination lock hidden in the wall behind it.
“Whoa!” I said. “It’s straight out of a movie!”
Bertolf spun the combination lock slowly, first left and then right and then left again, until a light click echoed through the room. I held my breath as he slowly opened the door.
Sparkling and beautiful, the emerald necklace lay nestled inside, right next to the Queen’s missing crown.
“What the —,” I whispered.
“My crown!” The Queen exclaimed. Bertolf pulled the crown out and placed it in the Queen’s hands.
“I - I don’t understand,” I muttered. How did that get in there?
“Sure you don’t,” Vicky said, her voice pure ice.
“Vicky!” I said, my heart racing. “Surely you don’t think —“
“—think what? That you stole my crown? It certainly appears that’s the case, Julia. I’m very disappointed.”
“But I didn’t!” I protested. “I didn’t even know that safe was there!”
“Julia, do I have to state the obvious? It was with your necklace. I’m not sure what you were planning, but you never would have gotten out of the country with my crown. Did you know it’s forbidden to take any of the Crown Jewels out of Sweden? Even I’m not allowed to do that. But of course, you didn’t.”
“Vicky, I didn’t —,”
“—just stop, Julia. I don’t know what I’m going to do about this. I will have to talk to your father, and of course, the police will have to be informed, as well.” Vicky walked up to me and brought her face close to mine. She held the crown over her heart like some royal shield.
“Julia,” she whispered. “I cannot tolerate a thief in my family! I’ll get to the bottom of this.” She took the necklace from Bertolf, and turned towards the door.
She was the most self-assured person I’d ever met. Every step she took, she did so with the utmost confidence that she was right.
As she walked out of my room, she’d never been more wrong.
Will put his arm around me. I’d forgotten he was there. Stunned, confused and bewildered, I stood rooted in place, my brain trying to put facts together into some neat little puzzle that was never going to fit.
“I don’t get it,” I muttered, shaking my head.
“Me, either,” Will said. His voice sounded like it was a million miles away. Or perhaps, I was a million miles away. I wanted to disappear, and I looked up at the Prince Charming at my side.
My heart sank when I saw that he appeared to be just as lost and bewildered as I was. I knew then that he’d never be able to save me.
It was time for me to slay my own dragons.
“Will, I need to be alone,” I said, pulling out of his embrace.
“Jewels, listen —,” he began.
“—there’s nothing to say! Someone’s trying to set me up. I didn’t even know that safe was there. Let the police handle it. I just need to lie down. This is all too muc
h for me,” my voice cracked and I sat on the bed.
“Hjärtat, come here,” he said, sitting next to me. I pushed him away again.
“No, please go, Will,” I said. “I need to be alone.”
He stood up, his large frame towering over me. Nervously, he ran his fingers through his hair and looked over at Bertolf. Shoving his hands in his pockets, he rocked back on his heels.
“Alright, Jewels, whatever you need,” he muttered. “Bertolf, get her whatever she needs!
“Of course, My Lord.” Bertolf replied, nodding solemnly.
Will walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him. Bertolf stood staring at me, the door of the safe flung open behind him.
I sighed, and walked over to the window and opened the curtains. The paparazzi had thinned out a little but there were still at least two dozen people out there. When they spotted me in the window, they began pointing and taking pictures.
I stepped back quickly.
“Is there anything I can do for you, Madam Rose?” Bertolf asked. I looked into his eyes and burst into tears.
Bertolf stiffened and then awkwardly patted me on the back, which only made me cry more.
I’d held it together until now. I’d endured all this emotional shit, all while keeping my chin up and not breaking down. Sure, I’d had my moments of giving into Will’s irresistible temptations, but I’d done my best to remain calm - after finding out my father was marrying the fucking Queen of Sweden, seeing Will, being plastered all over television with my tits practically hanging out and slapping a Prince and then being accused of taking the jewels in the first place. I’d stayed upright through all of that.
But to be set up? This was personal. This meant someone was out for me.
And for some reason, that’s what broke me. I fell to Bertolf’s feet like a rag doll. He stood there stoically, let me cry against his shiny black tuxedo pants, my tears falling over his patent leather shoes and disappearing into the Italian rug.
After a moment, I pulled myself together, wiping my face with the back of my hand.
The Crown Jewels Page 12
