I'm Not Your Bitch

Coronation Mid-Afternoon

Madeleine’s POV

There is another knock on my door, but instead of them waiting for me to answer, I hear the door unlocking.  Leo strodes in looking perplexed. 

“I need to talk to you, go ahead and bring whatever you need to get dressed. We kinda have to hurry. I will explain on the way, but this place have too many ears. And it is bad.” Leo nearly whispers. “Meet me at our place.”

“Our place? We haven’t been there…” I whispered. 

 I knew exactly where it was. You had to use some of the secret passages to get there.  What most did not know is that it  had a tunnel that put you almost to the stone. 

We had explored a lot of the hidden passages, we even found some that were not even in the blueprints. That is where we were going, it was our secret place. 

I quickly grab my weekender bag and the dresses that were still in the garment bags from the palace boutique. One of the dresses is a beautiful blush color, and the other was a elegant cream color. I don’t know why these colors were sent, but I knew that Constantine might have been involved.

“Go ahead and take these with you, they will not think anything of you with a garment bags and weekender.” Leo nodded at the request.

 I knew that the palace had eyes and ears, but most of the staff on her floor where getting everything ready for the coronation. He left with my stuff and I waited about fifteen minutes before I went to meet him.

“Can you believe that the Countess, is actually going to get engaged to Liam?” I heard someone say.

“And they have the nerve to look down on us. At least we are not so desperate.” the other woman states.

“Did you guys ever think that she doesn’t want to do it. From what I know, she did not even want to be in the social session. The King and her father arranged for her to enter.  I saw her face when he announced she was entering.” a younger woman states.

I smiled at her defending me. I will make sure that she gets something special.  I turned the corner as if I hadn’t heard them talking at me.  I smiled at them as they tried to hide the looks of horror. I turned to the younger woman, who was my maid for my stay.

“Mari? Right?” the young woman nodded. “I am going out and I will be back before the ball, please make sure that my room is ready.  I left of list of things I need on the table by the door.  If you could please see to that being completed, in about two and half hours. Thank you.” They were still stunned as I walked off.  This will give me some cover, should my father come looking for me.

I walk to the entrance of the secret stair case.  It started behind the the wall length portrait of Kenna that was affixed to the stone. Leo had found the secret lever by accident. It was so small, that if you didn’t know where it was.

I take one more look around to make sure that no one is was in the hallway and opened  the doorway. Once the door is closed I locked it. It only locked from inside. 

Turning on the flashlight on my cell, I descend the old stone stair case.  I marvelled of how well the stonework had held up over the centries. I knew that the current palace was rebuilt over the ruins of the palace that had been destroyed by fire.

At the time most of the original blueprints with all the tunnels had been kept in a locked study had been lost. This could be why most of the secret places would not have been found if not for three mischievous little boys that grew up here.

Leo is waiting at the foot of the stairs. He looks up at the sound of my steps. God that smile he had, not the smirk he uses when he is trying to charm the woman his set eyes on. That smirk still worked on me, but that is something he doesn’t need to know at the moment. This smile is my favorite.  It was a smile that he only gives to me. Not even that bitch.

“Thank you for joining me, Countess.”

“What is this about, Leo?” 

“Honestly I don’t know. Liam just asked for me to come and get you and we are going to the stone.”

“The stone?” I am shocked. The stone was the place we went when someone had a huge problem. We always swore, that no matter if we hated the person, if they ever called for a meeting at the stone. You were bond to come.

Leo had the bright idea to make it a blood oath. Leo and I were sixteen at the time. Liam and Drake were only ten. Though Liam was more mature that Leo sometimes.