Page 70 of The Abandoned Princess

“Come on,” Xander whispered. “We need to get closer.”

We spilled out of the alcove, hurrying up to stand beside Danielle. She gave us a nod, followed by a significant look at the milling people in the corridor.

“She’s not here,” I said with an apologetic grimace. “Maybe she didn’t know the vault was opening after all.”

“Or maybe she already found a way in,” the girl whispered darkly. “The four of us kept an extra watch on the vault all night, and we didn’t see anyone approach it, but she may have had some other means of entry.”

I winced. “I guess we’re about to find out.”

“Your Highness.” The most elaborately dressed of the guards stopped in front of Danielle and bowed. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.”

“My mother instructed me to observe the retrieval of the jewels,” the princess said in a calm voice.

She offered no explanation about whether her presence was intended as training for her or oversight for him, but the captain didn’t question it either way.

“Of course, Your Highness.” He bowed again. “One of my men will keep you escort at the door.”

Danielle nodded her approval of this plan, and the captain glanced back at his men. One immediately responded to the unspoken summons, striding forward to bow even lower to the princess before taking his place at her side.

Satisfied, the captain turned back to the doors and barked a series of orders. The four regular guards sprang away, taking up defensive positions in the corridor. Two stood on each side, their attention and spears pointing down the corridor, away from the vault door. If Eulalie did try to approach while the doors were open, I couldn’t see how she would get anywhere near them.

Several of the guards worked together to lift the heavy bar and expose the keyhole behind. The captain ceremoniously produced an ornate key and fitted it in the lock. I suspected it wasn’t an ordinary lock, but I didn’t have a clear enough view to work out why it took him so long to open it.

As soon as he was finished, he stepped back and two more guards sprang forward to push open the doors. Just as Xander had predicted, the guards flooded into the vault, taking up positions that allowed them to surveil every corner of the large room.

Danielle moved forward herself, stopping one step inside the doorway with her hovering escort at her side. I could see why she wouldn’t have a chance to take the necklace herself. The front of the room was taken up with large, sealed chests, while individual items of value were displayed on a series of tables and shelves at the back and sides walls. The crown and scepter stood alone on a pedestal in the middle of the room, but that didn’t stop the guards from paying equal attention to every corner.

“You don’t need me in there,” Lori said at the last minute. “It’s quite full enough with people as it is. I’ll wait in the alcove.”

I waited to see if Xander would suggest I do the same, but he just grinned at me and followed the younger princess inside. I smiled and followed at his heels, stopping abruptly as soon as I was inside.

Just dodging the guards filling the room was going to be difficult enough, and I didn’t dare leave it to the enchantment to shove them aside. In a situation like this, strange movement might be noticed by one of the other guards.

“Can you see the jewelry we need?” I asked Danielle. “You said rubies in a delicate gold setting, right?” I peered around, trying to find anything that matched that description.

Danielle gave the tiniest nod and threw her eyes toward the left wall. I moved in that direction, weaving my way carefully around the evenly spaced guards. I couldn’t help getting distracted by the glittering beauty of the items on display until the guard assigned to watch Danielle shocked me back to attention.

“Excellent weather for the occasion, is it not, Your Highness?” He had apparently decided to ease the discomfort of his unexpected assignment with small talk.

I froze, looking back toward them. It was too soon for talk about the weather!

CHAPTER 22

“My parents have been most pleased at the run of fair weather lately,” Danielle said without any hint of stress.

I stumbled forward, my ears straining for any loud noises and my eyes scanning the displays. A guard loomed in front of me, and I barely swerved in time to avoid him. I was moving too quickly, but I had to find the jewelry before the trio set off the distraction.

“We’ve been receiving weather reports from all corners of the kingdom,” Danielle continued. “So we’ll be well prepared for any approaching change.”

The guard murmured something inconsequential, and I wondered why I hadn’t yet heard a distant explosion. If the trio failed to come good on their promise, then the whole attempt would be useless.

I dodged another guard and froze, a flash of red catching my eye. I leaned forward to stare at the back of one of the display tables where a circlet sat beside a necklace and bracelet.

I looked up, waving frantically at both Xander and Danielle. Her eyes flashed my way once, and I pointed dramatically at the table. She gave no sign of seeing me, but instead turned to the guard beside her and spoke in a slightly louder voice.

“But it turned out all the preparations weren’t necessary since the weather is perfect for the coronation.”

I now knew why the two cousins had been so specific about the code phrase. They had obviously been prepared for the subject to be raised by someone else. I marveled at their careful attention to detail, fairly certain it came from Danielle’s training.

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