Page 22 of The Forbidden Sheik
“My guards will guide you to the security office,” he said.
“Excellent. I just need to make some calls.” Jadwat pulled his cell phone from his pocket and started dialing. Amit glanced at his guard. The man subtly nodded and Amit signaled that he had received and understood the silent message.
The guard pulled the door closed behind Jadwat as Amit stood there, his hands fisted on his hips as he considered his next move in this game of chess.
Chapter 25
“Excuse me,” Khal snapped, whirling around to glare at his bodyguard. “What did you just say?”
The guard cringed, then glanced at the other guards. They’d muttered something into the microphone that didn’t make sense.
There was a faint grimace on the guard’s face as he explained, “I just informed the other teams that The DD team is on its way.” The man peeked at Joran and Tila, then at Raj and Helen. They’d all just finished dinner. The entire security team had all been briefed on Marianna’s situation and were ready to help in whatever way was needed.
However, the six royals had never heard the term “DD Team”.
“Who the hell is the DD Team?” Joran demanded, scowling.
“You are,” the guard replied, his gaze encompassing all of the adults. He bowed slightly as he continued. “The four oldest children have been named The Tiny Titans, or ‘The TT team’ for short.”
“And DD Team?” Joran probed.
There was an awkward hesitation before the guard finally admitted, “You are the Disaster Diffusers, Your Highnesses.”
The six of them locked gazes, tension crackling like a live wire. Their eyes flickered nervously between each other and the team of guards, who stood rigidly at attention, awaiting their leaders’ response.
Helen laughed first. She quickly slapped a hand over her mouth, trying to hide her amusement. Then, Tila snorted and buried her face against Joran’s chest. Khal sighed, shaking his head before nodding. “Fine. But…what the hell is going on? The kids left the dining room in quite a rush.” He frowned at his guards, suspicious of their guilty expressions. “What did you do?”
The first guard stepped forward, bravely facing the most powerful man in the country. “We…uh…sent them on a quest, Sire,” the man admitted, then rushed on. “They wanted to rescue Princess Marianna. So we…created…some clues,” he nervously went on. When Khal and the others simply stared at him, he continued. “It was the only way we could keep them from sneaking out of the palace. This way, we control where they go with small, ambiguous clues and we know exactly where they are at all times.”
Another guard stepped forward. “The plan is to leave them clues so they search the palace. Otherwise, the four of them,” he paused and looked at Khal. “Well, Prince Zayn just enjoys tagging along. It’s really Princess Angela, Prince Laith, and Prince Rafi that…well…”
“Cause the problems,” Joran supplied for the guard, who was clearly struggling to find a diplomatic way to describe the tiny hellions.
“Yes, Sire,” another guard confirmed with an awkward nod.
There was a long moment, broken only by sporadic chuckles while the room waited for Khal to accept that his guards had nicknamed the children the “Tiny Titans” and the parents “Disaster Diffusers”. It was pretty hilarious, but Khal had a great deal of responsibility on his shoulders, which meant that his sense of humor was sometimes rusty from lack of use.
In the end, Joran slapped his big brother on the back. “Relax, old man,” he urged. “The teams have figured out a way to encourage and guide the kids’ creativity. This is a good thing.”
Khal sighed and nodded. “Yeah. I guess it’s better than the four of them traipsing up to my enemies and demanding they return their favorite aunt.”
“Exactly,” Raj replied with a grin, kissing his wife’s neck. She shivered, glaring at him, but everyone knew that she was suppressing a smile as well.
“Well, I think it’s brilliant,” Tila replied. “I wish I’d thought of it.” She turned to her team of guards. “Where are they now?”
The guard’s shoulders relaxed as he stepped forward. “They are in the ballroom investigating the chandeliers. The second clue was ‘Find the next clue where kings once dined, in a hall with chandeliers that shine.’”
Slowly, Khal grinned, nodding his approval. “Keeping them within the palace. That’s good.” He glanced at his watch. “But, shouldn’t they be in bed by now?”
The man’s shoulders slumped slightly. “The nannies put them to bed an hour ago. Thankfully, we were ready this time and followed them when they snuck out. Apparently, the Tiny Titans had come up with a plan, complete with a time table and a rendezvous point.” He grimaced. “They’re smart, Your Highnesses. But we’ll keep them occupied. Perhaps if they got more exercise, they might sleep through the night instead of sneaking off for wild adventures.”
Tila and Tasha snorted at the same moment, bumping their shoulders together companionably. Helen turned to the guard. “Did my daughter do the green nose thing again?”
“Yes,” the man replied, resignation lacing his tone.
“That’s not good,” she said to Raj over her shoulder.
He squeezed her slightly. “She’s safe.”
