Royally Flushed

Casualties

~Louis~

I was in the middle of detailing the plan to my grandmother about how we were trying to fool the King's Horses and how we had a man on the inside when I noticed that Malia wasn't sitting on the crate by the door like she had been just seconds before. 

"Where did Malia-I mean, Lady Spencer go?"

The guards looked amongst themselves and shrugged their shoulders and I wanted nothing more than to bash all of their heads in. 

"Are you kidding me?  You lost her?  How hard is it to do your jobs!"

Panic began rising in my chest and I was sure my grandmother could tell. 

"My dear boy, it is just one girl.  If she was foolish enough to go out and get herself killed then that is her problem.  We will stay here until help arrives and then we'll go home and the men who did this will be killed."

"You don't understand!  She went out there to save Lizzie!"

"Elizabeth?  Why would she risk herself for someone else?"

"Because that's just the type of person she is.  And I love her for it."

Her eyes grew wide and gained sympathy.  

"Then I will send some of my men to find her, if she means that much to you."

"No, I need to go out there myself."

"Louis, I can't let you-"

"I know you can't, which is why I wasn't asking."

I tore off through the pool house and was only stopped when one of her guards shoved a gun in my hand and then I just followed the screams. 

***

~Malia~

"Thank god it was you that found us and not somebody else," I whispered as Daniel held me by the hip. 

We had to act like he was being rough with me for the sake of the two other guards who were witnessing the events transpiring but I knew I would be safe as long as Daniel was the one who had 'captured' us. 

"You guys  go on ahead and find the other girl we saw, I've got these two.  They won't run, will you?"

He pointed his gun at Lizzie for good measure who simply whimpered in response.  I felt bad for not letting her in on the ruse but that wouldn't have convinced the other guards. 

"Alright.  Boss wants that one unharmed though," One of the men said as he pointed directly at me. 

"You got it."

As soon as the other men were out of earshot and well beyond the bushes between the main house and the pool house, Daniel released me from his hold and Lizzie looked between the two of us, clearly confused. 

"What's going on?"

"Don't worry, Daniel is on our side.  Can you get us back to the pool house?  And quickly?"

"Yeah, yeah I think so.  Are you okay?"

Lizzie looked between the two of us and nodded, though I could see tears beginning to form on her eyelashes. 

"Don't worry, Louis and the Queen are hiding out in the pool house with all her guards, we'll be safe there."

We started to make our way back when a chilling voice stopped us dead in our tracks.