Crowns ~ Smosh

Nine

The princes and princesses were dancing their hearts out it seemed, switching dancing partners every once and while, but other than that they were enjoying themselves too much to worry about dancing equally with each of their siblings. 

They didn't have a care in the world, but maybe they should have, for up above, Duke Bereta was slowly figuring out their secrets. 

It started out as an accident. He was walking across the common room between the royal's room, looking for a possible exit strategy for the princes and princesses. When he found that the windows were still all latched (and that the drop was far too long), he returned to the decorative stones in the middle of the common area. He wasn't sure what he thought they might be, but with a guess and a lucky pick, he stepped on David's stone, watching in amazement as it immediately lit up.

He caught on quickly that you had to dance across them, for the next time he tried to step on the same stone it didn't light up, but as he stepped as if he were going to step once again, it did. However, it nearly took him all night, trying to figure out the order of the stones.

He had pulled Sunny into the room, having him mark down the order of the stones as he figured it out, and when the portal finally opened, he forced Sunny to follow him down. 

They stood on the other side of the lake, peering at the golden pavilion, trying to see what was happening. It was nearly impossible, and neither Duke Bereta or Sunny had thought about bringing something to see with. 

"I wish I could see what was going on," Duke Bereta commented in frustration and as soon as he did so, the golden flowers resting on the tree opened, letting the golden dust fall onto Duke Bereta's open hand and creating a telescope. "Will wonders never cease?" Duke Bereta wondered aloud as he turned the telescope over in his hands. "Get me some of those flowers." 

Sunny stepped forward obediently, tugging at the flowers attached the tree and nearly failing as he could not seem to get the flowers to release from the trees. Only once he slipped and the tree sprung back to its original position did two flowers flutter off the tree, and he clutched them in his hand, glaring at the tree.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve," Duke Bereta counted as he peered through the telescope, stopping at each of the royals. "All accounted for." He smirked. "How very convenient... Hurry, Sunny," Duke Bereta said as he spun on his heel. "Opportunity knocks,"  And both of them left the magical world, leaving twelve unaware princes and princesses behind them.

~*~

"We've had our fun," David finally said, and the music stopped suddenly. Each of the dancing royals, stopped as suddenly as the music and looked to David with a confused look. "Our father is sick, we can't keep running away. We've had enough fun living in this world, but it is time to go back to our own. We wanted him to get better and give him some time, but we've given him that, and don't you think that we might be doing more bad than good by leaving him with no answers to where we are going?"

"David is right," Mari agreed. "As royalty it is our duty to protect our kingdom. If anything happens to our father, we must be there to take over. And who knows what the dukes are planning?"

"If we leave now," Olivia said quietly. "We can never come back?"

"Why not?" Damien asked. 

"Mother's story." Olivia explained. "The princess only visited the land three times before it vanished forever."

"I can't imagine never coming back," Joshua said sadly, looking around him.

"Maybe we can stay just a little longer!" Noah suggested. 

"The Dukes might not think we are proper royalty," Mari said, looking around at her siblings. "But we are royalty. We cannot turn our backs when things get difficult. Dad needs us. We have already left him once, it is not fair that we leave him for any longer." 

"What is happening?" Courtney cried, as all around them the beautiful buildings were vanishing around them. The boat that they had headed towards disappeared, leaving them stranded at the golden pavilion. Now, they realized, it was a fight to get out.

"It's all disappearing!" Keith exclaimed as he whirled around, searching for something that was still left with them.

"How will we get back?" 

"What are we going to do?"

"Are we trapped?"

"How do we leave now?"

"Why is this happening?"

"What is going on?"

"Will we ever be able to leave?" But nobody held any answers, and so the young royals were just left with open ended questions and tear filled eyes.

~*~

"Smash them," Duke Bereta ordered as Sunny lifted the sledgehammer and brought it down on one of the stones. "Smash them all!" And Sunny shifted to that his hammer collided with a different stone, leaving shattered pieces of marble scattered around them. 

Duke Bereta was nearly dancing in excitement as each stone he pointed out was crushed and broken. When the last one was finally smashed, Duke Bereta smile could not have been wider.

"Everything is falling in place, Sunny," Duke Bereta said, looking over the smashed stones, obviously proud of what had been done. "Everything is going exactly as planned."

~*~

"My children," King Ian choked out, "are they coming soon?" 

"They haven't visited you yet?" Duke Raub asked, pouring a cup of tea out for the sick old man. "Oh, I hate to say it, but your children aren't the most responsible."

"I appreciate all you have been doing for them," King Ian managed because falling back into another coughing fit.

"I only wish I could do more," Duke Raub said as he handed the tea over, helping to steady the king's hands as he drank. 

"Well, perhaps you can," The king said after he had finished the sip of his tea. "Would you ever consider standing in for me? Just until I recover?" 

"I would do anything to assist you, Your Highness," Duke Ruab said as he once again helped the sick king take another sip of his tea. "You know I would. But who would listen to me? I'm not the king." 

~*~

"I, King Ian, hereby proclaim Duke Raub to be king until I can resume my royal duties." With a shaking hand, King Ian pressed the royal seal onto the paper that the servant had recorded the proclamation on. And with that one action, Duke Ruab was no longer Duke Raub, but King Raub.

"Your Highness," The servant said, bowing as he handed King Raub a crown. King Raub placed the crown upon his head, and turned to the sick king.

"You can count on me, dear cousin."