Emergency Princess (Under Editing)

Chapter 21 | Secrets in The Shadows

Jacob looked at my trembling form with stormy grey eyes, then burst out laughing. That's right. The jerk laughed.

"You-sho-should have seen your face," he chortled. "Don't hurt me Jacob, I'm just a little girl!" He mimicked me.

"I didn't say that!" I said in indignation, annoyed that my face had become red.

"You were thinking it," he said.

"Jacob, that wasn't very nice," said Adwoa, frowning. "Get out."

"But-"

"Out!"

Jacob shuffled outside, shooting me a glare as he did so. I stuck my tongue out. It wasn't my fault that he'd been mean to me.

"So, what are we going to do?" I asked, looking around the room.

"Nothing," she responded simply.

"Nothing?" I echoed.

"You heard me," she said. "I've already completed all my chores." Her face became more serious. "We need to talk."

"Talk?" I felt like a parrot right about then.

"You know you don't need to repeat everything she says," said Jacob from behind the closed door.

"Go away!" shouted Adwoa and I.

"Fine," he said, and I could hear the pout in his voice as he walked away. I grinned.

Adwoa looked at me with a curious expression on her face.

"What?" I said, feeling uncomfortable under the intensity of her stare.

"Be careful who you befriend," she warned. "Not everything is as it seems in this castle."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"People lie and deceive. Judge a book, not by its cover but by its contents. The vilest of people can save your life, and the friendliest can destroy it."

"Huh?" I said, confused.

She ignored me, and rifled though the tiny suitcase under her bed, pulling out an old, leather-bound book and handing it to me.

"What's this?" I asked, turning over the book, which was quite heavy, and glancing through the pages.

"It's a journal," answered Adwoa. "It belonged to your dad."

It was a very lucky thing that I was standing near the bed because I just collapsed onto it.

"My dad?" I breathed. I looked at the ink filled pages and wondered what he had written inside.

"Yes," she answered. "Before he left for England with your mother, he gave it to my grandma for safekeeping, saying that he doubted that he would return, but that he knew his child would one day return to rule as King or Queen of Maldonia. He told her to make sure that the journal never fell into the wrong hands, and that it should be given to that child when he or she was ready to take responsibility for the Kingdom."

She smiled slyly.

"I don't think he knew he would have twins."

I gasped. "Your sister may not have been prepared for this, but you are Emily."

"How-how did you know?" I breathed.

"Your sister had-has the poise and grace needed to act like a royal," she said, and my shoulders sagged. I was getting tired of being told that I could never quite match up to her. I tried, really I did, but... Tears pricked my eyes, and I blinked them away.

"You didn't let me finish," she continued. "She had grace and poise, but she also had a heart of ice. She wouldn't have cared about what happened to her subjects. You, on the other hand, you care about others. When someone gets hurt it hurts you. You are trying to make a difference, to be a light in a dark world. This is what a true Queen does."

I lifted my tearstained eyes to meet hers, which were sparkling with sincerity.

"You really think so?" I sniffed.

"I know so," she said, with utmost conviction. I let out a watery laugh, which made her laugh as she hugged me.

"God is waiting for you, Emily," she whispered into my ear. "He has big plans for you."

Under normal circumstances, I would have ripped myself from her embrace and refuted her comment about God. But for some reason, I felt like what she was saying was true, that there was a mysterious someone out there, looking out for me. And it made me feel safe.

Adwoa let me go, walking over to the wall, where a framed picture was. Looking closer, I realised that it was one of a younger Adwoa, grinning toothily and standing next to a beautiful woman, with curly black hair and flawless cocoa brown skin. I looked at Adwoa and saw the resemblance.

"Your...sister?" I asked.

She laughed, long and loud.

"No, that's my mom." 

I leaned back against the wall when I heard a creak. Panicking, I looked beside me to see a portion of the wall opening up.

"Adwoa," I hissed. "You've got to see this."

She turned around and her face paled.

"You...you found it," she breathed.

"The tunnel?" I asked.

"Not just any tunnel," she said. "This is the tunnel the Royal family of the olden ages used to escape attacks from other nations. When Grandma told me about it, I looked all over for it for ages, but I never actually thought it'd be in my own room."

"Should we go inside and explore?" I asked.

"No," she said, looking forlornly at the tunnel. "As much as I would love to, we don't have much time before the rest of the castle awakens, and God knows the amount of trouble I'd get into if you were caught with me."

I nodded as Adwoa and I left the room. Jacob was leaning against the wall, and he pushed himself off as we came into view.

"Took you long enough," he yawned. Then, blatantly ignoring me, he spoke to Adwoa.

"Did you tell her you know?" he asked.

She nodded, but pulled me back to hand me Dad's journal, which I must have left behind.

"Let no one know of our conversation," she said. "Don't tell anyone about the journal."

She nodded towards Jacob's retreating figure.

"Not even him."

What do you all think? Another update already? I'm on a roll? What do you guys think of Adwoa's confession? And her warning? And the journal?

EMERGENCY PRINCESS MADE IT TO 83RD IN SPIRITUAL!!

I LOVE YOU ALL SOOOOOOO MUCH! THANK YOU!

P.S Can someone please recommend a nice, clean, non-cliche, Christian book for me to read! I'm really bored!