Secret Keepers

Chapter 32

The world froze for a few seconds. Cutter and Tracker stared at each other, one shocked and one determined. I stared at both of them, just as shocked as Cutter. "Wait. What?!"

Tracker held his head high and nodded. "I don't know anyone else that would handle this responsibility as well as you. You're a born leader who can handle any situation no matter how many back aches he gets. I may be older than you, but for my entire adult life, I've looked up at you as the leader I never could be. You put this group together. My dad may have hired you, but you were the one who took in the others. You were the one who trained me in my namesake's field. You were the one who organized us. You were the one who took in the miracle working girl everyone has come to look at as a mother."

Here Tracker gave me a fond smile. "Speaking of her, you would have the best queen by your side that I could have ever imagined."

He took a pause and Cutter was still staring at the crown, dumbfounded. "But I'm no royal. I was born to some of the lowest blooded peasants anyone could imagine. I grew up in a farmhouse and then later I stole food from pig troughs to survive another two days. A man like me doesn't deserve to sit on a throne."

Tracker stood tall and firm. "Yet a nobleman born into the highest ranking bloodline, other than my father, would abuse the power he stole for himself. Sometimes the most noble men aren't the noblemen themselves."

Cutter bit his lip and paused as he reached for the crown. "I still don't think this is what we need to do. There has to be someone else."

I looked at him and took his hand. "What makes you think you aren't worthy to sit on a throne? Your birthplace? Your lineage? That doesn't make a king. A king isn't always born."

Tracker spoke up once more. "A royal is born. A leader is made." Cutter sighed and then nodded. "Alright. I'll do it."

Tracker smiled and I watched in excited pride as my lover bent his head to accept the crown Tracker placed there. He chuckled and glanced at me. "So I guess she's queen now?"

Tracker shrugged. "Well she's technically a princess. She'll be a queen if you get married." Cutter smiled his cocky smile. "More like when we get married."

I blushed scarlet and took his hand, following him and Tracker into the castle. Tracker suddenly paused and shrugged. "I guess we have to go back to being called our normal names again don't we?"

Cutter sighed and looked down. "I don't wanna be a Leeland again. Not after my father. I'll just stay Cutter."

Tracker shrugged. "I guess that'll work. Shadow? You wanna be Brenna again?"

I shook my head. "I think I'll just stay as Shadow. I've heard of weirder names."

Tracker chuckled. "Well call me Adam. I never minded it."

I cocked my head. "Okay, Adam. Gosh that's gonna be weird to get used to. You wouldn't mind if I called you Tracker as a nickname would you?"

He laughed and nodded. "That's fine."

As we walked inside, a lovely slender woman wearing a long silver gown came running up to us. She threw herself in Tracker's arms. "Oh Adam! My baby! What happened?"

The queen pulled back and suddenly saw the crown on Cutter's head. She scoffed. "How could let this peasant wear your father's crown?!"

Tracker sighed. "Mother, dad is dead. I never wanted to be king so I gave the crown to my closest friend who I know will rule as good as father would."

His mother snarled at him. "What?! You dare hand off the crown and throne to a peasant?!"

Tracker frowned. "You dare ignore the fact your husband is dead?"

She shoved him away from her. "That fool didn't deserve to marry me. I'm more of a royal than he ever was. I helped Darwin get those soldiers together. They listen to me. And they still will. Bernard! Nate!"

Two soldiers came around the hallway and saluted her. She pointed at us and narrowed her eyes. "Take these two men to the dungeons, get me that crown, and bring the girl to my room. I need to question her."

Cutter and Tracker gasped and backed up as the soldiers approached. Tracker snarled and pulled a knife from his boot. "Back away. The king is dead and I, the Prince, formally transferred the crown to this man. He is officially king now. You take orders from him."

The soldiers paused and looked at one another, saying nothing. The queen snarled and hit one in the ribs. He uttered no sound, but he grimaced in pain. "What are you waiting for you damn mute?!"

Cutter stepped forward. "They're waiting for orders from actual authority. You two, take her to the dungeon instead."

The soldiers contemplated fora moment and then turned on the queen. She gasped. "You idiots! Unhand me!"

They unceremoniously drug her down the hallway with smiles on their faces. The queen was not loved by a lot of people. Tracker sighed and shook his head, crossing his arms and walking away from us towards the dungeons. "I need some time to talk to her through some protective bars. You guys can go upstairs to the big set of gold doors at the back of the building. It's the royal suite. It'll be your new room. Feel free to clean out and move whatever you don't want."

Cutter nodded and, as we walked down the hall and up the flight of stairs, he removed his crown and looked at it. "This is a bit gaudy for my tastes."

I took his hand and led him down the third floor hallway towards the large gold doors at the end. When we pushed open the doors, I didn't get a chance to look around before Cutter had grabbed my waist, spun me around, and kissed my lips.