Annalise Stark, orphaned after losing her parents in the military, is desperate to find a way to pay off her sister's medical debts. She finds work at the palace, home to the infamous Prince William. Despite her efforts to ignore him, Annalise soon...
"She's the kind of queen that knows her crown isn't on her head but in her soul." ~Adrian Michael
Annalise
The car pulled up to the maximum-security prison at two-thirty. Mark, Will, and I alighted from the vehicle, approaching the imposing building. Mark shuffled closer to me, and I grasped his hand. I would've taken Will's, but he walked in front of us as all royals were supposed to, and I didn't want him to appear weak or for anyone to get any ideas about us.
Mark leaned in and whispered, "You ready?"
"Yes. Are you?" I replied.
"I can't wait to punch his lights out."
"Can you wait until after I ask my questions?"
"I can't make any promises, but I'll try."
"That's all I ask."
We followed the guards through seemingly identical hallways and secured door after secured door. It was no wonder this place was a maximum-security prison. It was designed to confuse any potential escapees, making them unable to distinguish where they were going, hindering their escape.
"In here, Your Highness," the guard said, opening the door. The three of us filed in, approaching a one-way mirror. On the other side sat a red-haired man in handcuffs, chained to the table. His blue eyes stared at the wall across from him, unmoving, unblinking.
"Creep," Mark muttered.
"Meet Chuck O'Connell," a woman said, entering behind us. "The CIA caught him trying to cross the border into Mexico from California and captured him. They called me, and now he's here. He's not speaking, but we'll get him talking soon enough.
"Thank you for your efforts, Idina," Will said sincerely. "You've done a great service to your country."
"You're very welcome, Your Highness." Idina bowed her head. "After his daughter gave us all the information she could, we were able to discover evidence linking him to the attack on Miss Stark, Miss Ward, your mother, and Lorraine. We also found evidence that he was planning on attacking the younger Miss Stark, Mister Stewart, and Mister Monroe. It is irrefutable, and it will help us bring him to justice to the full extent of the law. Would you like to speak with him?"
"Absolutely."
Nodding, she opened the door, and the three of us entered. Idina stayed on the other side, watching from the one-way mirror. For the first time since I saw him, Chuck O'Connell moved his eyes to observe every moment we made.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Will approached the table, his sapphire eyes murderous. "How does it feel? To be in chains? To have failed your mission?"
"I have not failed," Chuck said, standing up to meet Will's gaze. "My name will go down in history as the man who almost usurped the Veronian throne, reinstating my family as the rulers of this great country, and avenging the injustice done to us so many years ago."
