He Strikes at the Hotel

Chapter Seven

"Is this all really necessary? I mean really?" I huffed to Nerissa, who seemed to be enjoying herself, waiting in anticipation for this meeting to kick off. I sank lower into my chair, wondering how one individual could make the whole hotel come to a stand still just because they wanted to tell us how to act around him. The ballroom was almost full now, with all but a few seats occupied. Even with the amount of people in here, it still echoed every time there was a sound. Each time the door opened, the creaking of the door ricocheted off of every wall, hitting our ears with the velocity of a bouncy ball being thrown around the room. The door hadn't opened in a while, which means we are now only waiting for the Duke and his guards to arrive. The room was split between people who looked excited about what was to come, and those who were on my level, and didn't understand why an announcement couldn't have been made in a more practical way, such as being passed round on paper, or not being made at all.

The room's eerie silence was abruptly broken by the door to the ballroom flying open with an authoritative force which made us all jump in our seats. Nerissa elbowed me in the ribs, motioning for me to sit up straight, as even the startle from the door didn't revert my position back to what is deemed as 'proper'. I winced as I snarled at her, "your elbows are like daggers, surely they should be classed as a lethal weapon, what would the Duke's guards think of you bringing something like that near his royal highness?" She just stuck her tongue out at me before looking round to the front where everyone else was facing. We all began to hear the heavy footsteps approaching the front of the ballroom, where there was five chairs set out facing us. It felt like we were going to be getting interrogated.

Two guards came in first, with the Duke behind them, and two more guards behind the Duke. He was like a prisoner being escorted to his cell by the officers, but he held his head high, and walked in pace with the guards as if it were well rehearsed for these types of occasion. The guards locked their gazes ahead without looking around at any of us, with the Duke doing very much the same, until he came to where I was sat. As he walked past in military form, he slowly and ever so slightly glanced back towards me, sporting a half smile before snapping his head back forwards. Nerissa's eyes widened and looked round slowly to me, as if to ask 'What. Was. That?' I looked back at her and shrugged my shoulders, pulling a face that told her I really wasn't very interested, I only wished for the meeting to be over. When Nerissa accepted my response, I couldn't help but ask myself the same question she had insinuated. And why did it make me so nervous? The fact that the man walking past me with guards who could break your neck if you were to breathe on him, is the same man who caught me last night in the kitchen, in my robe, searching for wine that was not mine. The same man who told me to call him Zachery, not 'Duke', but I couldn't quite get my head round that one yet.

They all sat down on their designated chairs in silence, looking at us all with eagle eyes. They all wore the same dull black suit, with white shirts underneath their blazers. The first to speak was a tall, strongly built man, with a balding head, and a facial expression that could pass for wind.

"Good morning everyone. My name is Giles and I am Duke Zachry's head of protection. We have asked you here to inform you all, that due to unforeseen circumstances, Duke Zachery's stay here at the Hotel Victoriana will be prolonged, and we must be able to make sure that he is able to reside here comfortably and without cause for concern. We are aware that some of you stay on the premises also, so those of you who live here permanently will need to be aware that you will be the first port of call if the Duke requires anything during the night. We trust you all to be respectful towards the situation at hand, and to maintain confidentiality at all times. There are plenty of people who wish to cause trouble for the royal family, and we work every day to reduce that possibility, but whilst we stay here, we require your help also. So, if you see or hear anything, or anyone, who seems suspicious, please come speak to us, as the last thing we want is for anything to happen to Duke Zachery, or for any of you to be caught up in royal politics. We trust that this will be an enjoyable stay, and on behalf of us all, thank you." He spoke in a kind but stern manner, which was a complete contrast to what I was expecting due to his appearance. He actually seemed quite nice. I must stop judging people on their first appearances...

Besides how nice Giles seemed to be, what was more important was what he had just told us. "What on earth do they mean by us getting caught up in royal politics?" I whispered to myself.