Page 9 of If The Crown Fits
I couldn’t help but let out a small sigh. “Try is an awful word.”
“What?”
“Try sounds as if you attempted to do something only to fail at it. At least, in the context you’re giving it.”
He frowned. “What are you insinuating?”
“I’m saying that I didn’ttryto steal the necklace.” I reached into the hidden pocket in the back of my bodice before pulling out the string of fine-cut jewels and tossing it to him.
“I’m saying I did steal it.”
It could have been a stupid move, giving him the necklace, but I was slowly running out of options and bargaining chips. Jumping out of the window didn’t even seem like such a good idea anymore. I walked to the other side of the table.
His jaw slackened a little, to my satisfaction. “How did you...?”
“Steal it?” I allowed myself a small smirk. “Well, that’s my favourite part. You see, I was mid-escape when your guards caught up to me and took the necklace. One of them — what did you say his name was again? Rhen, I believe — placed it in his pocket.
“I should tell you that your guards are not immune to pickpocketing and that even an eight-year-old boy could have stolen that necklace back and replaced it with a fake, without being noticed — all before we reached the court. I’d originally planned to replace the necklace with a fake to buy me some time but then the whole plan went up in shambles when the guards discovered me.
“You might want to consider improving your security, Your Highness.” Of course they took any weapons I had, checking all the visible places, but thinking they had the real necklace, no one thought to inspect any further. “Now will you tell me why I’m here?”
He surveyed me for another moment before looking at the necklace in his hands and, after some inspection, realising that it was in fact his sister’s. His sister who was halfway across the kingdom, staying at the family’s Autumn Castle. I eyed him, expecting an answer to my question.
Instead I got another question. “Why?”
Why?I withheld a grunt of discontent.“I already answered your questions. Now answer mine.” Never mind stealing from him. I could be hanged simply for the way I was talking to the prince. Although his face didn’t tell me he was grossly offended.
“Yes, I’m afraid you’re not very good at bargaining.”
“You want to know why I stole it?” I asked. “Because there is good money in it, even you could have guessed that. That’swhy people steal things... to get what they don’t have or can’t afford.”
Lance shook his head. “You’re not that stupid. There are a lot of things you could steal that would make you rich, none of which would be treason. This—” he held the necklace up, letting the string of jewels dangle between his fingers — “has a bigger purpose.”
Maybe he wasn’t as dumb as I thought. Not that it really mattered. He was still a prince. He was still the enemy. Perhaps I did have another bargaining chip after all.
“I have two conditions before telling you.”
There was that bored expression again. He let out a heavy sigh. “I’m listening.”
“After I tell you why I stole the necklace, you tell me why I am here.”
“And your second condition?”
My gaze shifted to the necklace. “My second condition is that I get to keep the necklace.” I was in so deep over my head, I didn’t think I’d be able to dig my grave any deeper. But I was too far gone to stop now. To my surprise, he tossed me the necklace, which I barely caught. Maybe he only did so because he still planned to kill me. But I had plans of my own.
“Deal.”
I stared at him, flabbergasted for a moment.
“Very well.” I tried to sound casual, but it would do little to aid me now.
“I want you to tell me everything, from the beginning,” he requested, and I took a deep breath.
“I was hired to steal the necklace.”
“By whom?”
“I don’t know,” I answered truthfully. “The person wanted to remain anonymous. I received a letter, with a sum of money, saying that if I stole the necklace, I could keep it. They gaveme the location of the necklace and everything. I assumed this person had bad blood with the Crown, perhaps an ex-lover of Eloisa who didn’t want her to have it anymore, but didn’t want it himself either, you know... that sort of thing.”
