Page 63 of The Wanted Prince

“Your Majesty, ah, the Cardonas are here. They’re insisting they have evidence to exonerate the prince.”

Father frowned. “Which Cardonas?”

“All of them, sir.”

My heart leaped. Laura? But why had she come? And her family hadn’t stopped her? Had she really found something?

“I’ll see them,” said Father. “But make it quick.”

The guard stepped aside, and Laura strode in. I’d never seen her so beautiful as she was in that moment, roses high in her cheeks, her eyes like blue fire. Her long hair hung loose, wild and windswept. I wanted to run to her and sweep her into my arms, but her parents stood flanking her, one on each side.

“Don’t do this,” said her mother. “Not here, like this.”

Her father said nothing, but his face was bright red. His bushy brows bristled, knotted with rage. Hugo loomed behind him, stone-faced, arms crossed.

“I’ll hear you,” said Father, only to Laura. “But I’ll warn you, I’ve retraced your steps. I’ll know if you lie to me about your time with my son.”

Laura colored at that, but she didn’t back down. “This isn’t about that. It’s about, it’s about…” She glanced at her parents, then up at me. Father’s scowl deepened.

“It’s about what?”

“I know where it is,” she said. “Your amulet.”

A murmur ran through the court. Father’s brows rose. I stared at Laura. What was her game? She dipped her head, and I saw she was trembling. Her father reached out to her.

“You don’t have to do this.”

“I do,” she said, then louder, “I do.” She took a step forward and closed her eyes. “I have the amulet. It’s?—”

“It’s right here.” Her brother stepped forward and reached into his coat. Two guards started for him, but Father waved them back. Hugo pulled out the amulet to a chorus of gasps. Even Father looked startled, but the moment soon passed.

“Bring that here,” he said, and Hugo stepped forward. The guards blocked his path.

“That’s far enough.”

He handed over the amulet, and the guards brought it up. Father took it and held it up to the light. He turned it over and over and thumbed at its clasp.

“This is it,” he said, and set it aside. He glowered down at Hugo. “What’s the meaning of this?”

Hugo had turned pale. He coughed, swallowed hard. “I stole it,” he said. “Your witness, your fence, I bought his confession. I paid one of your footmen to fix the surveillance tapes. He changed the dates on the cameras to get the fake footage, then swapped it out the night of the ball.”

Father’s face darkened. “Which footman?”

Hugo opened his mouth, but Dom beat him to it.

“Cardona scum! What was this, a coup?”

Lord Cardona stiffened. “Mind your damn tongue.”

Carlo pointed at Laura. “Did she know all along? Or did you betray her too?”

Father raised his hand for silence, but it was too late. The whole room erupted like an American talk show. I half-expected Hugo to shout out you don’t know me, then the guards would all chant at him, Jerry! Jerry!

“What did I tell you?” wailed Laura’s mother. “Hugo’s been honest, but will they hear him out?”

“Hear him out? Hear him out? Hear out the thief?” One of my uncles leaned out of the gallery. My aunt yanked him back before he toppled over.

“Was she part of the plan? To distract Alessandro?” Dom started for Laura. She spun to face Father.

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