“You’re not worried that Jordan might have decided to come along with his parents?” Alex asked, sounding a little more aggressive than she’d intended. She really didn’t like the idea that the man who had once held her semi-captive for information was in the same room as her again.
“Jordan’s never come to a palace event before, so I doubt he’d suddenly decide to now. Plus, he’s staying with Bear, remember?” D.C. answered. “Relax, Alex. Marcus and Natasha won’t dare try anything here.”
“If you say so,” Alex murmured, choosing to trust her friend. But despite her acceptance, she still felt antsy. Seeking a distraction, her eyes fell on the bar and she said, “I think I’ll go grab a drink. Do you want anything?”
“Some of that fruit punch would be great, thanks.”
Alex left D.C. and headed towards the beverage table. She would have made it there much faster if she’d crossed the centre of the ballroom, but she didn’t want to risk running into Marcus, so she took the longer route and hugged the walls. The closer she moved to the beverages, the louder the music became, since the refreshments were located directly beneath the orchestra. When she finally reached the table, she felt overwhelmed by the vast array of coloured liquids to choose from.
“What are you after?” asked a male voice in her ear. It was only his proximity that allowed her to hear his question over the music.
“The fruit punch,” Alex said loudly as she continued to search the kaleidoscopic contents of the table. A hand reached out from behind her and pointed towards the bubbly pink liquid served in dainty crystal glasses. Alex retrieved two of them and turned to thank the person she presumed was a waiter.
“Thank—Kaiden?” Alex stared up at his familiar face in surprise.
“Alex,” Kaiden responded, with a hint of a smile.
“What are you doing here?” Alex gasped, glancing nervously to where D.C. was waiting. Was Kaiden one of the people who had grown up around D.C., or was he a threat to her friend’s secret identity?
“It’s the refreshments table,” Kaiden said pointedly, reaching around her and grabbing a glass filled with a glowing green liquid.
“Not what are you doing here, what are you doing here?” Alex asked, flustered.
He raised one dark eyebrow and she struggled to fight off a blush. If it was possible, he was even more attractive than the last time she’d seen him in her Combat class. And considering he was wearing a tuxedo and not covered in sweat and grime, it was definitely possible.
“By ‘here’, I presume you mean the palace ballroom?” Kaiden clarified.
She shook off her dazzled feeling and pursed her lips. “Obviously.”
“It’s the princess’s birthday,” he stated. “There’s a party going on, in case you haven’t noticed. And I never turn down an invite to a good party.”
Alex couldn’t quite interpret the depth behind his humour-filled expression, but before she could ask anything else, they were joined by another familiar face.
“Alex! Fancy seeing you here!”
“Hey, Declan,” she greeted the massive hulk of a boy. His tux was practically bursting at the seams and he didn’t appear at all comfortable—unlike Kaiden, who looked as if he was born to wear formal attire. “How was your summer?”
“You didn’t ask how my summer was,” Kaiden said, looking even more amused for some reason.
Alex felt her left eye twitch and was glad when Declan started speaking so she didn’t have to respond to Kaiden’s remark.
“Yeah, all right. Not too exciting, but good. You?”
“Same here,” she said, not wanting to go into detail. While they were definitely the nicest of her Combat classmates, the first time she’d met Declan he’d ended up sending her to the Medical Ward, unconscious. As for Kaiden, well, she wasn’t sure what to make of him. Needless to say, neither of them were what she would call close friends.
But speaking of close friends…
“Oh, no,” she said, looking across the room. “I’m so sorry, but I have to go.”
Alex set both drinks back on the table and lifted her floor-length dress high enough to move quickly without tripping. She didn’t care about avoiding Marcus Sparker this time as she hurried across the middle of the ballroom, weaving between dancing couples and political dignitaries. Her focus was solely on the two people who had arrived at the entrance to the room and were now heading towards the corner where D.C. was speaking to a small group of people. Alex knew she had to warn the princess, but she was too far away to capture her attention.
The king and queen came into Alex’s peripheral vision as they waltzed along to the music and she groaned inwardly when she recognised the opportunity they presented. With a mortified breath and a silent apology, Alex picked up her pace…
… And launched herself at the dancing couple.
The three of them tumbled to the floor in a pile of limbs and formal attire. Alex could hear people shrieking around them, and before she could so much as blink, she was forcibly hauled off the royal couple with her arms wrenched behind her back.
With no chance for her to explain, two guards promptly dragged her from the room. She felt like her face was on fire as the entire ballroom of people watched the guards manhandle her, but she managed to lift her head and meet D.C.’s stricken gaze. When her friend stepped forward to intervene, Alex shook her head and subtly gestured in the direction of the two boys who were now gaping in shock along with everyone else.
Alex offered Jordan and Bear a weak smile as she was escorted past them. She turned back to D.C., relieved when her noticeably pale roommate nodded to say she understood why Alex had acted as she had.
‘I’ll fix this,’ D.C. mouthed.
Alex smiled ruefully, fully aware that they would have a difficult time coming up with an acceptable excuse for her attack on the ruling monarchs of Medora.
The two guards frogmarched Alex out of the ballroom and through the resplendent corridors, before hustling her down a dark, winding staircase that led underneath the palace. Once they were on level ground again, they strode past more guards wearing armour and through what could only be described as an ancient stone dungeon. Fortunately, it was empty of prisoners—as far as Alex could tell.
They stopped in front of a grimy cell and she was shoved none too gently into it. One of the guards immediately pressed on a touch-screen TCD terminal attached to the wall and a semi-transparent barrier appeared, zinging with what appeared to be live electricity. It didn’t take a genius to work out that the barrier could do some serious damage, but Alex still had to struggle against the temptation to touch the almost hypnotic entryway.
When the guards took up sentry positions opposite her, Alex began pacing back and forth in the small space, preparing herself for whatever would come next. It wasn’t long before she heard the sound of approaching footsteps and a young woman stepped into view. She had dark hair and striking features, and wore a black uniform with a gold emblem stitched above her heart—two swords crossed together behind a crown.
“I’m Warden Jeera,” the woman said without preamble, her title telling Alex that she, like Bear’s dad, was one of Medora’s peacekeepers and responsible for the safety of the kingdom. “And you just tried to carry out an assassination attempt on the king and queen.”
Alex sucked in a startled breath, realising that her current circumstances were perhaps more dire than she’d presumed. “I didn’t—”
“What’s your name?” Jeera interrupted.
Swallowing thickly, she answered, “Alex.” But at seeing the Warden’s I-hope-you-can-do-better-than-that expression, she cleared her throat and quickly added, “My full name is Alexandra Jennings, if that helps. I’m Princess Delucia’s best friend.”
The Warden raised a sceptical eyebrow. “I’ve never seen you at the palace before. That doesn’t sound like best friend behaviour to me.”
“We only met last year,” Alex defended. “We go to Akarnae together—we’re roommates, actu
ally. You can check if you want.”
“You’re a student at Akarnae?” Jeera asked, her head tilted thoughtfully.
“Yes,” Alex said. “I’m about to start as a fourth year. Provided that you let me out of this cell sometime before tomorrow.”
Jeera’s face transformed as if she’d come to a sudden understanding. Her harsh demeanour changed into something that looked very much like amusement. “Epsilon Combat, right?”
Alex felt confusion wash over her. How could Jeera possibly know that?
Before she could ask—or confirm her answer—Jeera waved her hand and said, “Never mind. But answer me this: if you claim to be the princess’s best friend, why did you just attack her parents?”
Alex shook her head in denial. “I didn’t attack them.” When Jeera’s brow rose again, she amended, “I can see how it might have looked that way. But I promise there’s a perfectly good explanation.”
Even though Jeera opened her mouth, it wasn’t her words that responded to Alex’s statement.
“This I’d like to hear,” came a dry male voice. “Especially given that you accosted me and my wife in the middle of our waltz.”
inst h er.
Two
Alex’s eyes widened when the king stepped into view outside her cell, but she quickly came to her senses and dropped into a curtsey. “Your Majesty.”
“Alexandra Jennings,” King Aurileous returned. “I’ve heard a great deal about you, and none of it leads me to believe you have any kind of ill intent towards my family. So, tell me, what brought on that display upstairs?”
“I’m not sure what to tell you,” Alex answered honestly, looking from him to the now very clearly entertained Jeera and back again. “You see—”
“Alex, where are you? We’ve come to bust you out of here!”
She groaned at the sound of Jordan’s whispered voice echoing along the stone corridor. Only he and Bear would think they could break her out of a palace dungeon. Actually, considering both of their gifts, they probably could get her out, but that would just cause her more trouble when she was inevitably caught again.
She looked at the king and he gave her a ‘go ahead’ gesture.
“I’m over here,” Alex called weakly, hoping they’d have the presence of mind to get out of there while they still could. But no such luck, since a few seconds later, both Jordan and Bear sprinted around the corner and came to a wide-eyed halt.
Jordan rallied himself first and said, “Uh, hello, Your Majesty.” He bowed regally, with Bear following his lead. “We didn’t expect to see you down here.”
“I’m sure you didn’t,” the king said with a touch of amusement. “Nor did I expect to see anyone but my guards and their prisoner. For future reference, no one has ever broken out of my dungeons before. Or been broken out.”
Jordan sent him a cocky grin. “With all due respect, Your Majesty, there’s a first time for everything.”
Alex couldn’t believe he’d actually said that—and to the king of all people—but she was more shocked when the monarch smiled.
“Indeed there is,” King Aurileous acknowledged. “But not in this case, I’m afraid. Unfortunately—”
“You have to let Alex go! She was only trying to help me!”
When D.C. came running around the corner mid-yell, Alex felt the need to bang her head against the cell barrier, regardless of the live electricity. So much for trying to keep her identity a secret, she thought. What a wasted effort.
“Dix? Is that you?” Bear asked, squinting into the shadows where D.C. had skidded to a stop at the sight of him and Jordan.
“Sweetheart, what are you doing down here?” the king asked.
“I… Uh… That is…”
For the first time since Alex had known her, D.C. appeared lost for words.
Jordan, however, looked like he wasn’t sure whether or not to laugh. “Did the king just call you ‘sweetheart’?”
There was a loaded silence where everyone appeared to be waiting for someone else to jump in and explain what was going on.
In a quiet voice, Alex said, “Dix, you’re going to have to tell them now.”
Bear glanced between them. “Tell us what?”
D.C. looked like she was frozen to the spot.
“Dix!” Alex called, trying to snap her friend out of her shock.
D.C. flinched and locked eyes with Alex, begging for help.
“Tell them,” Alex encouraged softly, and D.C.’s shoulders sagged.
“Could you please give us a moment?” she asked her father, her eyes flicking to include Jeera in her request.
“You want me to leave you alone in a dungeon with the girl who just threw herself at your mother and me, and who is now under suspicion as an assassin to the throne?” The king sounded both sceptical and incredulous. “Not to mention her trespassing friends, who are here to to stage a prison break.”
Put like that, Alex realised the situation wasn’t all that wonderful for any of them.
“I guess not,” D.C. murmured her acceptance. She stepped closer and turned to face Jordan and Bear. In a wavering voice, she said, “I wanted to tell you sooner, but I wasn’t sure how.”
“Tell us what?” Jordan asked, repeating Bear’s question.
“I’m the—” D.C. began, but she coughed mid-sentence, as if the words were stuck in her throat. She moved her eyes to Alex again who nodded reassuringly, prompting D.C. to take a wobbly breath, stand up a little straighter, and say, “I’m the princess. Of Medora. And, um, it’s my birthday party that we’re celebrating tonight. Surprise?”
Jordan and Bear stared at her in silence, their expressions not giving any indication as to what they were thinking.
Alex could practically feel D.C.’s tension until, finally, both boys looked at each other and shrugged.
“It makes sense, if you think about it,” Jordan said contemplatively. “You always were a prissy little—”
When the king cleared his throat loudly, Jordan’s gaze flicked up to the monarch’s stern face, and he finished lamely, “—uh, princess.”
D.C. released a breathy laugh filled with relief. “You’re not angry that I didn’t tell you?”
“We didn’t know you properly until recently,” Bear pointed out. “What right do we have to be angry?”
D.C. beamed at them both and rushed forward to wrap her arms around them.
“Can someone kindly explain the apparent importance of this moment and why we’re all down here in the dungeon to witness it? I presume the events are linked?” King Aurileous asked.
“Yes, Father,” D.C. said, stepping away from the boys. “You see, these are my friends, Jordan Sparker and Barnold Ronnigan.”
The boys waved cheerily to the king as she said their names.
“For a while now I’ve been putting off telling them who I am,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting to see them here tonight, and I’m guessing Alex was just as surprised.”
D.C. looked at her for clarification, so Alex picked up the story from “When I saw Jordan and Bear enter the ballroom, I knew I had to get Dix’s attention so she could escape before they recognised her,” Alex said. “Launching myself at you and the queen seemed like a pretty good distraction.”
Jeera let out a quiet snort and Alex looked at the king sheepishly. “I’m so incredibly sorry, Your Majesty. If I’d been able to think of an alternative, please believe that I would have taken it.”
There was silence while everyone mulled over her explanation.
“Oh, and I’m not an assassin, by the way,” Alex quickly added. “Promise.”
Someone around the corner laughed quietly and she wondered who else was listening to their conversation.
After a moment the king nodded to Jeera to open the cell. When the barrier was down, the Warden gave a quick nod of deference to him, sent a mysterious yet entertained smile in Alex’s direction, and walked away, leaving their small group alone but for the company of the dungeon guards.<
br />
The king stepped into the cell to join Alex. “Loyalty can be the strongest motivation for courage, Alexandra.” He held her gaze with the same uniquely coloured eyes that D.C. had inherited. “What you did was very courageous, if somewhat dramatic, and I thank you for being loyal enough to my daughter that you would risk your own well-being. Twice, now, if we consider what happened with Aven a few months back.”
“At least this time she didn’t end up with a knife through her lungs,” D.C. said. “That’s progress.”
“No, but the penalty for an assassination attempt is execution,” the king said, causing Alex’s breath to hitch. “Alexandra had no guarantee that any of us would have come to stop that from happening.”
Alex hadn’t considered the idea that someone wouldn’t have come to help her out. And considering the consequences, she was glad the thought hadn’t crossed her mind. Execution? Seriously? Yeesh.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Alex said, uncertain how else to respond after receiving a compliment from the king. “I, uh, promise not to do it again. Or, worst case, I’ll try to let you finish your dance first if there is a next time.”
King Aurileous laughed, causing his entire face to light up. “I’m sure my wife would appreciate that, Alexandra.”
“Alex,” she insisted.
He smiled at her warmly. “Alex, it is. And now it’s time for us to get out of here and enjoy the rest of the party.”
“You can’t be serious?” Alex said, forgetting that she was speaking to the ruler of Medora. “I can’t show my face up there again!”
“Nonsense,” the king said. “No one will recognise you.”
Alex doubted that, but she obediently followed as he led them out of the dungeon and through the maze-like corridors back to the ballroom.
“Perhaps I was mistaken,” the king murmured, when the room full of people went silent upon their entry. Even the orchestra stopped playing mid song.
“You think?” Alex muttered sarcastically, attempting to hide behind her friends. It was no use though, as it was clear that everyone recognised who she was.