Page 5 of If The Crown Fits
Neither was a viable option for me at that moment... as much as I might have enjoyed it. But they obeyed their prince and unlocked the chains around my wrists. I took a second to adjust my sleeves, which had got pulled up during the process of me being dragged here against my will.
I watched His Highness get up from the throne and the whole room went silent in suspense and anticipation.
He approached me slowly, as if he were a hunter and I were the deer.
I took this as my opportunity to size him up. Getting an audience with the Prince of Everness was hardly a task easily done. You would have to steal something very valuable in order to be tried for treason of the highest degree. A personal offence against the royal family, if you will.
IfI had got away with it, then I would have been halfway across the kingdom by now with a sack of gold in my pocket and a brand new life ahead of me. But now the necklace would never be sold and I had the nauseating feeling in my stomach that I would never leave this palace.
Instead, I was being intensely observed by a royal prince.
Apparently, our “faithful” King Magnus had become too ill to attend public events. At least that was what I’d heard at the marketplace, not too long ago. I didn’t indulge in gossip, but rumour had it that it wouldn’t be long before the coronation of a new king took place.
Prince Lance was tall and lean, his body not quite that of a warrior or soldier who’d be willing to fight for his people in battle. Aside from the ridiculous crown, he was wearing ratherglamorous attire — boots polished well enough that I could practically see my own reflection in them, and a tunic threaded with silver. Something so expensive would feed a few families for months. And that thought alone, that he lived such a luxurious life while his people starved, made me hate him all the more.
From afar, his eyes appeared darker, but the closer he got to me, the more I realised they were icy blue. Cold and uncanny enough to give one shivers.
He sneered for a moment and I looked away, taking in the vast room. I didn’t enjoy being stared at. I didn’t enjoy feeling like prey.
“I mean, you honestly expect me to believe this is the most dangerous thief in Levernia?” He gestured to me. His question was directed towards the two guards. “I was told that someone stole a family heirloom from the royal household.” He crossed his arms, lifted an eyebrow, and I swore I could hear the guard to my right gulp. The scar-faced one chose to reply.
“This is her. She stole the necklace.”
At his words, Prince Lance started to laugh and I contemplated just how offended I should have been. I was under no misconception about what I looked like — a skinny, raggedy, poor girl. But still, I didn’t find the thought of me being a thiefthatamusing.
“You’re telling me,” the prince started, once he’d caught his breath, “that this—” he scanned me up and down — “scrawny little thing broke into my family’s guarded residence, stole something out of our personal possessions, managed to get out of the castle, and outran all of my guards without getting caught?” His disbelief in my ability to do just that was rather insulting.
“We did catch her, Your Highness.” Scarface pushed me forwards and I tripped over the toe of my boot, falling to myknees. I kept my palms flat on the ground and I clenched my teeth.
“She shouldn’t have gotten in, in the first place. And now you dare tell me you got outsmarted by a thieving little girl?”
Little girl.You could feel the tension in the air now that the guards were getting scolded. Punishment was not entirely out of the question for them as well. Our audience, which consisted of a few aristocrats and their social acquaintances, watched in almost excited expectation. This was not what they bargained for when they thought about lounging in the throne room.
If I were any more stupid, I would have rolled my eyes at Prince Lance. He appeared to be only a few years older than me — if not for his title and power there would be no fear in my heart of any kind. But he held my life, my very existence, in his hand like a pomegranate, with the ability to crush it any second. What it must be to have power like that!
So, I refrained from doing anything outspoken and remained kneeling, but I kept my head up high. It was all the defiance I could manage with a question ringing in my head. Was I going to die today?
“Bring in the one responsible.” I heard the two doors to the back of the throne room open. My eyes widened when I saw the young guard being pulled forwards on his knees until he was next to me, facing Lance. His leg was still bleeding from where I had stabbed him, though there was some cloth wrapped around it.
“So,” Lance said. “You’re responsible for letting her get away?”
The boy didn’t say anything, though I could hear his heavy breathing and spotted a trickle of sweat running down his forehead.
“You know the price of letting a fugitive escape, don’t you?” Lance’s glare remained on the boy, who still didn’t say anything,his eyes boring into the tiles of the floor. “Well, speak up, you dimwit, or should I cut out your tongue?”
This made the young guard look up.
“I . . . I . . . I didn’t. She is a skilled fighter. I wasn’t prepared.”
“Well.” Lance bent down, hands on knees to be on eye level with him. “You are going to regret not being more prepared.”
“It won’t happen again, please.” He was shaking.
“You’re right.” Lance stood back up. “It won’t.” He called over one of the guards. “Have him drawn and quartered.” The boy started begging, with tears soon spilling down his face. A shudder went through my body as they dragged him out of the throne room still screaming.
Prince Lance looked back at me as if nothing had happened. If he didn’t have trouble torturing and killing one of his own soldiers, I’d bet he wouldn’t have any trouble getting rid of me.
“You are well aware that you committed treason by stealing from the royal family of Everness, and therefore you must be punished without a doubt, Masked Bandit or not.”
