The Robber Princess

Chapter 5. The Robber and the Princess

Chapter 5

The heir to the throne of Rochevaux sat alone at her dressing table, brushing her hair and repairing her makeup to make herself more presentable to her mother, the Queen. She reached over to her jewelry case and opened it. Lying on top of the other pieces was the Eidelstein necklace that she had purloined the night before. She lifted it out of the case, fished out her loupe, and examined the enormous center stone to verify that it was real, as her mentor had taught her to do. She must have done so ten times already, but this was no ordinary diamond and she would test it ten more times just for the thrill. She could find no cavity, no bearding, no clouding, no pinpoint, no feathering, not a single inclusion. Her pulse raced; it was the most incredible stone she had ever seen, and she was holding it in her hand. She had regretted having to ditch that incredible man who had danced the Grächenaise with her, but this was worth it.

Regina still could not believe her luck. That the Queen of Eidelmark should walk into her own home wearing such a prize-and not even a facsimile for prudence's sake-was so fortuitous that she could not resist the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The day-or rather, the diamond-cried out to be seized, so she seized it. It was the most difficult lift she had ever attempted. The theft of the Royal Orb of Eidelmark had taken weeks of careful planning and rehearsal and that was a three-person job. In contract, stealing the Eidelstein had been completely spontaneous-a target of opportunity, planned and executed in a snap decision. If only Marcelo could have been there; he would be extremely proud of her and his approval meant much to her. Unfortunately Marcelo would never actually see the necklace; he would have to take Regina's word that she had in fact lifted it right off the neck of Queen Gertrude, unnoticed by any of the four hundred guests. Instead, Regina was going to give to her mother as a birthday present. Regina checked her makeup in nervous anticipation; this was the vehicle by which she and her mother finally would be reconciled-and finally her mother would be proud of her after a lifetime of berating and disapproval.

Although Rega had had the good sense to let Regina pursue her own interests, Rega had always been harsh with her. Whether it be her academic studies, chess, technology, gymnastics, dance, or anything else, Regina had always felt that her mother had held her to exacting standards of perfection beyond any human ability to achieve. Yet despite the pressure of being the future Queen of Rochevaux, Regina had been more-or-less happy until she was ten, when her father the Prince-Consort had been killed in a horse-racing accident. Her world then crumbled around her. Her mother transformed from a gentle pillar of calm into a raging tyrant. From that point on she had been unable to enjoy her childhood.

Still, Regina might have turned out as Rega had wished but for one travesty in particular. When Regina was thirteen she had attended a festival in St. Moritz in neighboring Switzerland, where at a formal ball she had met a boy from Eidelmark. She really liked him and they were inseparable for the rest of the festival. When they parted for their respective countries, Thomas gave her a silver bracelet. Regina had hidden all of this from her mother, fearing that she would disapprove of her interest in a foreigner-and from hated Eidelmark, to boot.

Regina and Thomas corresponded but were never able to meet again. Three months later, her mother confronted her about the relationship. Regina never knew how Rega had found out about it. She told her mother everything that had transpired between her and Thomas and about her feelings for him. Rega responded by confiscating Regina's treasured bracelet and cutting off all channels of communication between Rochevaux and Eidelmark-telephone lines, internet connections, snail mail, everything. Regina tried for months unsuccessfully to get a message to Thomas. Rega never let Regina go to St. Moritz again, or to anywhere else outside Rochevaux except under Rega's strict supervision. Thus unable to reach Thomas even from another country, Regina was heartbroken.