Page 42 of The Abandoned Princess

“You think Eulalie has tested the jewel already.”

He shrugged. “Maybe. Or maybe she didn’t need to test it. Maybe she has some other way to find out the details of how it works.”

“Don’t you think it’s time you told me what this is all about?”

He resumed climbing, overtaking me and forcing me to continue upward in his wake.

“I’ve been wracking my brains trying to work out how an invisibility enchantment could be used to take over a kingdom,” he said as he reached the hallway with the guest rooms. “It didn’t make much sense until I put it together with the upcoming coronation, and then I had an outrageous idea.”

It was odd to hear him talking at full volume in the quiet of the sleeping inn. But, of course, no one stirred at his words. Instead we moved down the hall unchallenged, stopping in front of one of the doors.

I tried to work out what possibility Xander had imagined. “You think Eulalie intends to enchant King Richard and Prince William during their private ceremony to hand over power?”

He nodded and eased open the door. A guard slept inside, stretched out across the floor. His body should have blocked our access to the room, but he had rolled just enough for us to squeeze inside.

I went through after Xander, closing the door softly behind me and turning to face the unnatural blue glow that lit the room. When I joined Xander at the side of the bed, I saw the source of the light—the king’s jewel.

“I have no idea what claim Eulalie thinks she can make on the throne,” Xander said. “But when I tried to think what plan would require an invisible king instead of a dead one, that was all I could come up with.” He pointed at the blue gem.

Startled, I tore my mesmerized gaze from the jewel to stare at Xander instead. “You think she means to wear the jewel herself, even though she’s not the true ruler? You’re thinking that if she keeps the true ruler with her, invisible to others, it will keep glowing because of his presence?”

Xander shrugged. “If the gem has to actually be worn by the king to glow, then the plan wouldn’t work. But surely he takes it off to wash, at the very least. From what I’ve heard, it wasn’t in the form of a necklace when it was first gifted to him. It was just a gem. King Richard had it placed in its current setting so he could carry it with him where it would be visible to others. So my theory is that it’s not about wearing the necklace, it’s about the jewel itself and the jewel remaining in close proximity to the king.”

“And you want to test that by seeing what happens when you take it off him?” I asked, realizing why we were here.

“Exactly.” He shuffled closer to the bed. “If the jewel will still glow anywhere in this room, then we’ll have our answer.”

“And if it stops glowing and the king and guard wake up as a consequence?”

He smiled mischievously. “We shove it back over his head and run? It’s not like they can catch us.”

I groaned. “Clearly there’s no arguing you out of this.”

“Do you even want to try?” he asked with a little too much perspicacity.

I stayed silent, not wanting to admit he was right. Now that he’d planted the idea in my head, I was feeling extremely unsettled and wanted the answer myself.

“How are we going to get it off?” I asked instead, eyeing the necklace which had fallen askew during the king’s sleep but which was still very much around his neck.

“Very, very carefully.” Xander reached for the chain. He looked up at me. “You raise his head?”

I moved into a better position, reaching tentatively for the king’s head. “The enchantment might not let me.”

“As long as he stays asleep, I think it should,” Xander said, falling unnecessarily into a whisper.

Sure enough, my hands successfully touched the king’s hair, my touch gentle. I eased my hands underneath his hair and lifted his head the tiniest fraction.

“How is this not waking him up?” I asked in astonishment as Xander worked the chain up and over his head, trying not to let it touch him any more than necessary.

“Remember he can’t hear any sound we’re making or even sense our presence. That helps. So it’s just the movement itself. And you’d be surprised what most people can sleep through at this point of the night.”

I gave him a disapproving look. “Now I know why you volunteered for middle watch.”

“Of course.” He sighed with relief as the chain eased over the last of the king’s hair and up onto my arms instead. “Now you let go.”

I forced myself to move slowly as I eased the king’s head back down and pulled back. Immediately, I slid the chain down my arms and into Xander’s hands, wanting as little contact with the thing as possible. I still wasn’t entirely sure it was all right for us to be touching it.

“It’s still glowing.” Xander sounded disappointed to be right.

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