Stolen

The Heist (1)

Moonlark's POV:

I reach the glittering palace, where the royal family is staying, most likely hosting one silly party or another, wasting money that could go to saving lives.

Sighing, I walk up the steps, the same as everyone else around me except for the minor detail that they were invited and aren't planning on stealing the prized exhibit. As I draw closer to the doors, I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"Do you have an invitation, miss?" A guard who looks to be in his mid-twenties asks me.

I did not have an invitation. I smile, dig around my bag, and pretend to be flustered. "I'm sorry, I had it just a minute ago, but I think I dropped it somewhere." I search the bag more frantically to show I'm looking for the nonexistent invite. "Let me go check." I hurry down the steps before he can reply and bump into someone.

"Watch out," a beautiful woman in a hot pink dress steadies my shoulders.

"Thank you, I'm so sorry," I smile and apologize. She smiles and pats my shoulder. In her hand, I spot what I was looking for. My ticket into the palace. As the woman rushes past me, I snag my fingers on the invitation without her even thinking twice about it.

Pausing to see if anyone noticed, I go up the steps when no one stops me to the same guard who asked me for my invite earlier.

"Here you go sir," I pant, slightly winded from practically sprinting up and down the stairs. I hand him the invitation, and the guard smiles, waving me into the luminous hallway of the grand palace.

Anyone who came in here would look at the glittering chandeliers, the marble staircases, the elegant portraits, and gaze around in awe, dreaming of living here. But I look at them in disdain. So much money wasted on unnecessary glitter and marble, when people are starving out on the streets and some don't live to see another day.

I cut off my train of thought. I can't think about that now. Not when I have a job to do. Besides, if all goes well, dozens of those people would be getting a proper meal tonight for the first time in weeks. So I put a dreamy smile on my face, loosen my shoulders, and note the windows, the doors, and the number of guards stationed near each exit, pretending to examine the art on the walls. If things go wrong, I'll need an exit route. Spotting a slightly ajar window, I note that as one of them.

A servant comes up to me and asks if he can take my cloak. I shrug it off and give it to him. Underneath the thick fabric, I'm wearing a sea-green dress, the tresses flowing around me. My hair is pinned back into a bun adorned with green flowers. I have to admit I look quite stunning, considering I bought it from a thrift store with whatever money I had left.

I'm in no hurry. With the celebrations for Summer, the party will last all night and the street will be full until well past dawn. So I walk into the dining room, where tables are seated with people, eating platters of food.

So. Much. Food.

Bowls of creamy soup, sizzling hot all-you-can-eat buffet, pastries topped with fruits and frosting, and so much more. Waiters rush into the room carrying even more trays with food. I even spot someone holding a tray in each hand, and balancing another on top of his head. My mouth watered as I rush over to a table and sit down, grabbing buttery rolls, roast beef, and everything else I can fit on my plate in a decently civilized manner. After I'm finished, I grab some mallowmelt and custard bursts, along with salad, of course. You can't get far in my career by being out of shape. I finally finish by drinking down a glass of lushberry juice. I realized I have custard burst all over my mouth, even though I don't look very proper, I grab a napkin, and dab custard off my chin. I hope that no one noticed. Famished, I got up and set out to find where all the gold and jewels were located, slipping into the room without problem. But when I make to grab for the nearest pouch, an insane amount of guards storm into the room. Oops.