Royal On The Run (unedited)

Chapter Eight

Natalie

I watched as Sebastian fled from the window, staring
into the night long after he disappeared. Just as I turned from the window to head back down and assess the current standing of the situation, I heard a thumping sound come from the Princess' closet. It was faint yet strong, someone in need.

Instinctively my hand went to the sword at my side. My hand gripped the handle just as the closet door swung open. The sword stopped just short of severing the neck of a young woman. It took a moment for me to identify her as the Princess' friend and handmaiden, Brooklyn. Relief flooded through me at the face that someone had evaded death, someone had prevailed just like I had.

Brooklyn was bloodied from head to toe, her outfit was torn and covered in dust. She panted something fierce, for a moment I thought the girl would pass out.

"Are you alright?"

Brooklyn nodded once. "Natalie. Is Naomi okay? Did Sebastian go to her?"

I pursed my lips. "Where the princess is, I don't know. Sebastian went after her and the prince. If anyone will find them safe and keep them that way, it'll be him."

"Why are you here?" her breathing was returning to normal. She was eyeing me  carefully; we were only a few years apart in age. The King and Queen had liked to keep the guards young and ripe in age, meant they could keep us around for a longer amount of time. "Shouldn't you be with him? Finding Deacon?"

"Prince Deacon will be fine with Sebastian. If Sebastian can be trusted with the rebel princess, I'm sure he'll be able to contain the tame prince." I began to walk from the room and motioned for Brooklyn to follow. "To answer your other question, I'm here because I need to find out what happened and why and how. Questions need answers, I'm more the detective than Sebastian." I eyed Brooklyn up and down once, the girl crossed her arms over her chest in a protective gesture. "Relax, I'm not going to touch or hurt you. Just estimating your size."

Brooklyn's jaw dropped. "And why do you need to know that?"

I stopped short, pinning Brooklyn to a wall. The shorter girl gasped for a breath even though I used no pressure against her windpipe though it would be a simple maneuver to prevent any air from escaping her lungs if I wished to. But due to my loyalty to the crown, I wouldn't harm the friend of the Princess-of the Queen. "If you haven't noticed." She snarled. "We are now in the middle of a terrorist attack. The King and Queen are dead. The Princess and Prince are missing. We have been betrayed. Anyone with a royal seal or any tie to the crown is at risk right now. We need to find you something that will have you blending in. But first, we need to get out of this palace. Authorities and news stations will be near. We'll have to give statements or at least let them see us. That'll be statement enough." I thought for a moment to myself . "Yes, no talking, just seeing." I concluded and yanked Brooklyn down the hall.

Brooklyn made no attempt to speak again, which I found to be a delight. I wasn't in the mood to hear a teenage girl whine right now, even with her hurt, she was alive so her wounds would be attended to later on, later she could cry her eyes out til the tears ran empty, until then, we had other worries to attend to.

Stepping over debris and bodies, which had Brooklyn gagging, we made our way out of the palace. Right into a field of cameras.

Interviewers lined the palace grounds. A mix of the Royal Military and the local police departments had a caution line surrounding them, preventing anyone without authority across. That'd keep out most, but not all. I itched to touch my sword again, I'd make it so none got through, but to keep the public from completely falling apart, the sword stayed in the belt. There would more than likely be an opportunity for that later. Especially with Curtis being at the center of it, his neck would do fine for some sword exercise.