The Reckless - SAMPLE

II

The two men moved their guns with them as they spun around, automatically pointing them at the prince. Sighing, I showed a little mercy and had them drop the guns. I still had my mind as a tool without trigger-happy guards ready to shoot for me. "Your Highness!" Both fell to one knee and I almost rolled my eyes.

"Guards!" Alex called, his face a picture of fury. I held my hands up, smirking just to further anger the prince. "What is that look for?" he sneered. "Think you can win?"

I cocked an eyebrow, letting my eyes sweep his uniform, then let my smirk turn into a grin. All robe, as if he'd just thrown it on when he was disturbed. No iron. "Yes, my prince," I retorted, standing up straight. I shifted, feeling his thoughts get louder and louder in my mind as he grew closer.

But they were all fuzzy, like an old T.V. I'd only listened to a few, but they were all faulty and weren't well made. We'd long since abandoned T.V.s. The static made me wince, but I hid it easily.

What I had to do next hurt my ego, but I did it to get to my uncle. "I'm not here for any reason but to see what the inside of this amazing palace looks like. Please, let me go and you'll never have to see me again."

His arms crossed, a slow grin spreading. "Why should I?"

"Why shouldn't you?" I matched his position, tilting my head.

"But why," he began, boldly venturing a little closer and waving off the guards that walked with him, "would you choose a servant's uniform rather than a gown for any other reason than to steal or hurt my family? Or perhaps you were trying to get information, though that would not make sense considering you were here in the dead of night."

"But of course," I continued, playing along, "I could have been here in the dead of night so that I could be here when you all woke up. Easy access."

"But if you were to do that, you wouldn't have told me." He grinned triumphantly.

"Unless I knew you wouldn't believe the truth, even if I told you it," I countered, matching his expression. If there's anything I'd learned in my years of law-breaking, it was to always match your 'opponent' in expression and body language. It would give them the wrong impression if they were trying to read you, or make you hard to read at all.

"But you wouldn't be that stupid."

"You don't know that." I waved, making my tone joking to throw him off my intentions, "Maybe I'm here to rob you blind and make the richest castle in the nation less so and, by default, more vulnerable for attack."

"Maybe." He shrugged in an uncaring way. "Thing is, we have you in custody and you have no way to do so anymore."

"Maybe I'm just a distraction and the true thieves are up in your towers, with all your precious golds."

He laughed, the smile taking up his whole face. I had to admit, he was quite attractive. His whole family was, with signature dark hair and perfectly straight teeth. His lips were a light color, but his eyes were strikingly dark. His cheeks held no color, but I knew that wasn't natural. They could take color out of his cheeks with makeup to make him easier to read for others.

But why would they do that while he was asleep? I wondered if they only wanted it to seem as though he was asleep, when he was really keeping an eye on cameras and guards. He hadn't been one of the people to appear in the royal hall. "You were already awake," I deduced, cocking an eyebrow.

There would be only one reason for the prince himself to be on watch. "So you're expecting an attack already, which was how you all found me so quickly." Uncle would have known this. He wanted me to get away with everything while they were busy with attackers. "Which also means..." I stopped, smirking and looking up.