A crown of flames

Chapter 19

The prince's face pales as the guards seize and handcuff Jadiel , Milo and Lysander.

"ALEX"cries Lady Willow "It really wasn't me i swear"

"What is going on exactly?"Asked the prince with deadly calm.

"Your highness , we received an anonymous tip earlier today that some of the ancient royal records kept at your rooms have been stolen and will be used against us"Said the general.

The prince paused for a moment before he said "Continue"

"We rushed guards to search your office and found that the royal transcripts are indeed missing , not only that , your room was......set on fire"

"Excuse me?"He erupted in fury.

"We managed to save most of it"He assured the prince "but the damage was considerable , your court have the most access to your rooms so naturally we investigated them first , and i regret to announce that upon being searched Lady Willow was found with a lighter hidden in her dress"

The prince looks at Willow who was sobbing
"I really don't know how it got there i swear"

"And Lysander,Jadiel and Milo?"He turned to them.

"Lord Milo and Lysander's rooms were searched and tanks of gasoline were found , we suspect that fuelled the fire"answered the general "But it appears that the mastermind was Lord Jadiel , his journal was found in his room depicting an elaborate plan on how the records would be used against you in blackmail to force you to send Miss Melian home"

The general finally notices me lying half dead on the floor and he asks "What was happening here?" walking towards me.

"He was about to push her of the tower"explained the prince moving towards me , i ignore his outstretched hand and reach out for the general who held me up.

Milo and Lysander begin to protest , insisting they had been framed. the general nods to the guards and they move to search the lords.

Milo and Jadiel are clean but Lysander's face drops in horror as a sheet of paper is drawn out from his back pocket.

It was the first page of the royal transcript that i'd stuffed in his pocket while he was kissing me.

The prince clenches his fist and dryly says "Take them"

But the general makes another announcement.

"Lord Jadiel you are under arrest over a second charge of the attempted murder of a royal guest"

I smile . I am not helping him out of that one.

The general hands me to one of the guards who looks at me sympathetically and i dare a final glance back at the prince who is loping at me with the weirdest expression,somewhere
between thoughtfulness and hatred and .........surprise?

I shake the thought away and walk through the door , the strong hands of shoulder guiding me  back to my room as i limp with exhaustion.

I barely have the energy to lock my door behind me as i make my way to my bed and dive into the silk sheets and finally giving in to my exhaustion.

I wake up the next morning to the stench of sick covering me.It takes me a moment before i recall the events of last night and when i do , my hands begin to shake uncontrollably and my face warms with embarrassment and fear.