Royalties

Part 6: Home

Beck

"I don't know how I didn't see it before," Rueben said, barging into my room. "Look at the paper."

It was past midnight and I was ready to finally get some sleep. The thing with Emrys had kept me up longer than I liked, but here was my brother, keeping me awake longer. I took the letter that was stretched out to me. I wasn't sure what I was looking for but I humored him and took a second. The paper was nice quality, but I didn't see what was so revolutionary about that.

"That's got Levi written all over it. He must have had someone else write the letter so we wouldn't recognize his horrible handwriting. Has anyone checked on Emrys? I'm afraid the letter wasn't a distraction. You know how Levi is," Rueben explained.

I dropped the letter and hurried out of my room, Rueben following close behind. I did know how Levi was. He would have no problem taking Emrys out of her room and staging an actual kidnapping while laughing all the while. I didn't understand how we were at all related.

Neither of us bothered knocking and opened the door to Emrys' room. She wasn't there, her sheets were a mess, and the window was open. Not a good sign. I felt a surge of panic wash over me before it subsided again. Why was I so panicked? She would probably be fine; scared but unharmed. But the thought of Emrys actually being kidnapped stuck to the back of my mind. Rueben was pretty sure the letter was from Levi, but we couldn't be 100 percent sure until we found Emrys. A maid knocked on the door and handed Rueben another letter before bowing slightly and leaving the room.

"What's it say?" I ask quickly, barely giving him enough time to read.

"Levi's waiting for us with Emrys. They're near town. The bastard has given us directions and says he's expecting us shortly for some tea and cookies," Rueben summarized in annoyance.

I called for a carriage and we wasted no time leaving. Going on just horses may have been faster, but Emrys wouldn't have had a comfortable time of it on the way back home. The carriage stopped in front of a small house. There was smoke coming out of the chimney and I could smell the faint scent of baked goods. It seemed Levi was going to stay true to his words and we were going to have a tea party. At one in the morning. After he kidnapped Rueben's guest. Rueben and I stepped out of the carriage and knocked on the door. I was ready to barge right in and see that Emrys was alright, but Levi would have likely thrown a fit and we'd never leave.

"Ah, finally. I was beginning to think you wouldn't come, Rueben, Beck," Levi said and opened the door.

I immediately looked around until my eyes landed on Emrys. She was sitting at the table with tea and a plate of cookies in front of her. She did not look happy. I looked to Rueben who was looking at Emrys. The look of relief on his face was obvious, and when Emrys saw us, she seemed to relax a little.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" I asked, turning to Levi.

"What? It was just a little joke. An initiation for the little lady and welcome to the family," Levi said nonchalantly.

Emrys scoffed and rolled her eyes. "You little punk. I'll show you a fucking welcome to my family," she said under her breath, although we were all quiet and the house really wasn't that big.

Rueben let out a hearty laugh. "I'm glad to see you are unharmed, Emrys, and I'm sorry you had to go through this," he said walking over to her. "Let's get you home. And Levi? Enough of your childishness. If you want our attention, find a less intrusive way to get it."

Emrys stood up and followed Rueben out the door. I gave Levi a look of disapproval I knew he would ignore before leaving myself. Emrys looked exhausted. I knew I would be, too if I had to spend as much time with Levi as she did. I don't know how anyone tolerated him back at his estate. Okay, so they were paid to, but we weren't. A sigh was exhaled on the opposite side of the carriage where Emrys sat. She had opted to sit next to Rueben, which I wasn't all that surprised about. Maybe she was trying to get Rueben to fall in love with her so she could be the next queen. If that was the case, I hoped I didn't have to worry much since he was already engaged.

Rueben had been engaged for a few years now to a woman of great mind and heart. It was as if she was meant to be queen. I had the thought to mention it and see Emrys' reaction, but now wasn't a good time. Anyway, she had fallen asleep by the time I looked back at her. Emrys had her head leaning against the side of the carriage. Her eyes fluttered open every now and then as the carriage hit a bump or swivelled unexpectedly. She didn't seem used to this mode of transportation, which made sense since she came to us with nothing. I found it curious that she had never mentioned where exactly she came from. When I asked Rueben he laughed but brushed me off saying it wasn't his place to comment on a lady's secrets. And as much as I was curious, it didn't seem like Emrys would tell me even if I begged her.

"Emrys," my brother said, shaking her slightly. "We're home."

Emrys groggily stood up and exited the carriage with the two of us following.

"Beck, would you mind taking her to her room?" Rueben called to me, already making his way to his study before I could even answer.

I looked at Emrys, and she looked at me. The look in her eyes made everything I thought I knew about her wash away. It was like she could see everything I had thought about her intentions and she knocked them down while telling me how silly they were. Maybe she wasn't a spy, or trying to steal from us, or trying to use us in one way or another. When someone was as tired as she was at this moment, they couldn't be a good actor, no matter how much they tried, and she probably wasn't one in the first place. All my assumptions and suspicions were false. Emrys really did come here looking for a place to work and Rueben had been right to see that. I was just too stupid to really look at her to see it.

"Come on, Emrys. Let's get you to bed," I said, walking next to her.

"Thanks," she said with a faint smile.

I felt better seeing a smile on her face than the expressionlessness she had shown earlier. The whole carriage ride, when she was awake, she wouldn't give anything away. She didn't talk to us or complain like I'm sure Rueben and I had been expecting. From the little I actually knew about her, Emrys was not one to keep quiet. She didn't curse at Levi as we left nor when we rode away. It was almost worrying how quiet she had been. But, that one faint smile on her lips set my mind at ease. She was probably just tired and didn't want to talk about being sort of kidnapped. After we got to her room, I left and went to my own. All the adrenaline had withered away and now I was about to pass out. I hastily threw my shirt and pants off and jumped in bed, my eyes instantly closing.

I heard a knock on my door. It was late in the morning, I could tell without having to open my eyes. No one knocked on my door until late morning when they changed the sheets. Usually I was already out of bed and getting started with my day, but these past few weeks have been intense and I was finally getting a break. Emrys had settled into her new job. She may have experience in her field, but from what I heard at dinner, it was different to what she was used to.

My door swung open just as I was finishing the buttons on my shirt. Three maids walked in and started their process, not even minding me in the slightest. I guess after working here for as long as they had, the surrealness of being in the presence of a prince really died down. I walked out of my room and headed for the kitchen. There should still be someone around to prepare my breakfast, and if not I would just grab some fruit to go. On my way, I heard a few people, who I assumed were maids, gossiping. It wasn't my intention to eavesdrop, but they were in the direction I needed to go.

"That sounds tough to be on her station," one of them said.

"Well, it's not so bad. She doesn't ask for much. But lately, it's been hectic at night. The poor thing's been having nightmares," said the other.

"Who's having nightmares?" I heard myself ask. I had seriously meant to just walk past them as if I hadn't heard anything.

"Miss Emrys, sir," said the second maid with a bow of her head.