Long May They Reign

PT 4: the truth... lies in the passages

Her ladies were waiting as Steve left to go find James.

"We talked to our guards and the servants around our chambers and no one saw anyone leave your chambers with a body bag or dying girl. And they would have."

"I think they used the passageways..."

That night Nat crept out of bed and opened the passage with and with her half melted candle, she made her way into the tunnel. Her goal was to find the shadowed girl whose voice warned her.

"Hello? We can play if you want. But I need your help. You've helped me once remember? You saved me and I'm here to thank you and I need your help again. Someone was trying to kill me. To poison my clothes and kill me that way. I know you're here and you see everything. If you know anything, please let me know." When she got no answer she stood and turned to leave and heard the marble roll along the ground.

"Does this mean you'll help me? Would you mind playing a game with me? A guessing game. I guess and if I'm right, you roll it back to me. Okay? I think, no, I know you know who wants me dead because you knew before." The marble came back.

"Is it the Germans? Is it Pierce? Someone close to me? No, no. I'll ask one at a time I'm sorry. Is it the Germans?" It came back halfway. She didnt know what to make of that one. So she asked her next question.

"Is it someone close to me?" Nothing. Suddenly she heard a shatter and she ran towards it. There pm the ground lay two marbles, shattered next to a worn key. She picked it up and stared at it, inspecting it. Hmmm.

She went to the door marked on the key. It led to a room she'd never been in. She first tried the king and queens room knowing it wouldn't work but she needed to be seen meeting with them not going into a the other room who she was sure contained the very person she believed it did.

It didn't work for theirs and so she went to the room down the hall. Slipping the key in she turned it and it clicked open and upon opening it she found she made eye contact with Pierce.

"It's you. Of course it is."
But then her eye caught someone else. Not only was Pierce there but also the servant girl she had seen dying. Naked in his bed. She stared at herand she stared back, wide eyes fearful. She played back the scene in her head. The girl dropping to the ground, crying out for help as she died, as foam started pooling around her mouth....

"But you were poisoned." The girl said nothing and got up and started leaving.

"There you go my dear", said Pierce throwing her a fur as she ran out the room.

"Her carriage back to Orleans was delayed. I'd hoped to keep her out of sight but of course you went and looked you head into things it didn't belong."

"So you admit it. You wanted to terroize me. And you did. But know here and now. I wont be terrorized by you and your people any longer. Your queen is I'll. Your people want me on the throne because my family were the rightful rulers of all of eastern Europe. And you killed them."

"Show us you're not a threat. That you're not here to marry the next king of America for his armies."

"Armies I need against you! Armies my parents should've has that cold December night you forced us out of bed and down into the basement. Where you slaughtered them all. I only escaped because they thought I was dead." Her green eyes sparkled with fury. She would not let this ape of a man try to stand here and intimidate her.

"We need to crush Russia so we can be certain it won't rise against us."

"You'll never leave me in peace."

"Leave America now and denounce your right to the throne."

"No. You leave my sight right now or I will call the guards."

*****
"I see you're doing art now. Were you trying to help Natalia? Point her to her enemies? Save her life? Like you're some angel sent as a gift? You're not angel. If people knew what you really were... they'd be scared of you. They would never trust you, believe you or accept you. Neither will Natalia. She is not your friend. She is your enemy. An enemy that needs taken down."