"The Prince Needs a Bride" (complete)

Part 7 - "I Don't Know These People"

The head of the day's duty team for the protection of the queen saw Jeremy hovering close to the royal gazebo from where the queen could view the major part of the garden area.

Striding to stand close in front of the intruder, the woman spoke into Jeremy's face, "I'm Captain Karen Dodunski and am in charge of Her Majesty's security detail today and need to know who you are and why you're so close to where our queen is ensconced." Her eyes scanned the area behind Jeremy as she added, "Why did the guards allow you to pass?—Did you bribe them?"

With a twist of his face at this unveiled accusation, he said, "I request to be permitted to speak with Her Majesty please, Miss, Captain, Karen Dodunski."

"That's not permitted, but if you tell me the request I'll pass it on..."

Jeremy clenched his fist before turning it to extend his smallest finger upwards. Sunlight glinted on a gold ring with the royal crest at the center of it like a small seal ring.

"Oh, I did not know Sir, I've not been here long... but your name and your position, Sir?"

"I'm Jeremy James, Master of the royal stables."

"Right then, Master Jeremy, I apologize... I've heard of you. Your bravery, Sir, and,"

"Please, Captain, please, it's most urgent that I speak with our queen."

"Are you sure you cannot entrust it to me?"

"Sorry... Captain, but, I must speak with the queen in private..." His eyes travelled past her domineering figure to the approaching queen... "Ah, our queen, here she comes..."

Turning, the Captain bowed at the first glimpse of the queen. The captain watched, frowning as the queen walked between two pillars, side-tracking around Karen and taking Jeremy's arm. They walked together across a terrace until they were out of earshot. Following from a distance, Karen waited and the rest of her team gathered around her.

"I know you, Marm, and I thank you for not speaking of this, but, where is our queen? It's not often I find you and not her."

Without taking her eyes off him, the queen's substitute replied, "No, it's only been a few times, but of course, we know each other. The queen has urgent business elsewhere and I don't know her whereabouts."

"Might she be with Prince Albert?"

"I believe he went to find his mother after he realized I wasn't her; but to put this new team off the scent, he went by the way of the stables. You see, the queen was surprised at the change in her team, that's why she switched with me and is somewhere in her quarters trying to find out who these people are."

"Thank you, Clara, I will go by way of the stables as he might need my help." Jeremy bowed.

"Walk me back to the entrance to the Gazebo, please Jeremy. I feel rather unnerved by this new team. I believe our queen is somewhere in the palace investigating the change in this security team."

Having done Clara's bidding, Jeremy kissed the back of her hand as she extended it to him and he bowed again before backing away as she returned into the gazebo. Turning, he was confronted by Karen and her team.

"We do need to know just why you had to speak with our queen and what was of such importance?" the captain demanded, at the same time, gesturing that the five others, all male, return to their guarding of the gazebo.

"I've learned what I needed to know, thank you, Captain, and I'll not bother you any more. The prince has gone back to the stables and I should find him there. It was a delicate situation as he was upset from something to do with his horse." Pointing his head upward in determination, Jeremy would have brushed her aside, but as he moved to step around her, she sidestepped to frown into his face before stepping aside to allow him to leave.

Jeremy found Prince Albert at the gate of Einstein's stall, the prince was securing it.

"Ah, Prince, I was looking for you."

"And I was looking for you, Jeremy; we will talk as we walk but I will need your help to open a portal here; I'll have to show you how. Wayne is usually with me, but, come. We need to find that girl, the one who was in here, in this stall..."

"She, I'm thinking, she might be with your mother."

"You think?" Albert asked as he opened the gate again, asking, "How could she be there?"

Jeremy told the prince about his traversing through the passage all the way to the palace library where they had parted. "I think, Sir, she might be with your mother, our queen... but, Sir, who might you think she is?"

"I'm not sure but most likely and I'm thinking it will all be about nothing in the end... but then, oh, I don't know, Jeremy. It wasn't a ghost as there are no such things..."

"You've changed your mind, Sir?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe?" Jeremy queried as he locked the gate.

"I got to thinking that she, her, she was so realistic and yes, Einstein accepted her. I have to find out, Jeremy."

"She shouldn't be roaming around in the palace if she isn't for real, should she?" Jeremy frowned, puzzling about the unknown team in the gazebo and the strangeness of this day. He asked, "How Sir, how did she know about the two trigger things in this stall? I did not know until today..."

"Let's hurry," Albert urged as he grasped Einstein's mane and neck to shuffle the horse around and out of the way of the trap-door.

"Wait!" a voice called from outside the gate which he opened and relocked behind him.

"Wayne! —I'm glad to see you. Where've you been? I couldn't find Leon and my mother's not where I knew she should be. Cousin Clara is in her place and there's a new security team, not the usual one from the squad. I've not seen one of them before and it unnerved me; what do you think is going on?"

"I didn't know those people either. Let's go quickly and find out Sir," Wayne said, adding, "I've been to the security tower only to find a man I didn't know in charge. Where is Chief Dashenko?"

"As you said, let's find out," Albert answered as Wayne took up a position to trigger the lock near the outer door. Stepping across to the other, the prince added, "I didn't know that Dashenko wasn't up there. What's the name of the man in his place?"

"Gudson; he said he was second in command, but that should be Peters. Do you know where Chief Dashenko is at?"

Albert pressed on the other trigger and the trap door fell open as he turned and called, "No, I didn't know he wasn't there, here, up there..."

"You won't be needing me," Jeremy said, turning and stepping away.

"Yes, come," Albert commanded at the same time as Wayne called, —"No, don't go —come with us. We might need someone we can trust to take a message or such."

The three men chatted all the way along the familiar underground passageway, filling in each other and agreeing with the strange findings of this day, day one of the Quest.