A Royal Engagement: The Young Royals Book 1 (30 page)

"Benjamin," I said, turning back to him, "I'd like to go for a walk on the grounds.
 
Do you have someone to accompany me?"

"Of course, Alyssa," he said, "Meredith will go with you and I'll have Jamie, Cody and Aiden waiting for you at the back door."

I smiled my thanks and left the room with Meredith.
 
We took the elevator to the ground floor and walked through the halls to the back door where we found the rest of the security team.

"Where to Your Grace?" Jamie asked.

"That big tree," I said, pointing to it.

"Walk or ride?" he asked.

I looked at the golf cart and shook my head.

"I'll race you," I said and took off running.
 
I heard Jamie whoop behind me and Meredith curse.
 
They could all outrun me, but I had the element of surprise and got a good head start.

I laughed as I ran, remembering the many times that Jacob and I and Will and Jordan would race across the lawn.
 
The three boys had always tried to lose me, but I was determined to keep up with them.
 
As a kid it had felt like it was miles away, but as an adult who regularly ran five kilometres every day, it took me no time to cross the grassy expanse and pull up at the foot of the tree.

I beat Jamie, but only by a handspan and I laughed delightedly at his scowl.
 
Meredith arrived next, shaking her head at me and the other two arrived together in the golf cart, smug smiles on their faces.

"I haven't been here in years," Meredith said as she stared up at the tree.

It was an old European Plane tree with a thick trunk and spreading branches.
 
It was currently flush with bright green, maple shaped leaves, which I knew would turn gold and then red as we entered the autumn season.
 
I looked up into the branches and saw the floor of the treehouse and smiled.
 
I searched the trunk to find the boards nailed to it that acted as a ladder and started to climb.

"Whoa, Lys," Meredith called, "That might not be safe."

"It's fine," I said as I continued to climb, finally reaching the trap door.

I had expected it to take some banging and strength to open due to the swelling of the wood over the years, but it opened easily on well greased hinges.
 
I climbed up into the treehouse and was immediately swamped with memories.
 
It was just how I remembered it.

Meredith climbed up behind me and whistled as she looked around.

"Do you think the children of the staff play in here?" she asked.

"I don't know," I replied, taking note of how un-abandoned it looked.
 
Someone had been here regularly and recently.
 
There were no cobwebs or dust to speak of, no rodent droppings or water damage.
 
The treehouse had been looked after and even modernised.
 
It appeared to be watertight and had glass in the windows and even a television.

"Maybe Jacob spent time here," I said softly, running my hand over the bookcase that was stuffed full of well-read books.
 
There was a wingback chair, that I couldn't even imagine how they had gotten into the room and blankets and even a lamp.

"Carlos would know," Meredith said stepping up to one of the windows to look out.

"Jacob, Will and Jordan would spend hours up here," I murmured, sinking into the wingback and closing my eyes, "Sometimes they would let me in, but most times they would not and I'd sit at the base of the tree and yell at them or I would stomp back up to the house in a snit and Nanny would have to find me something to do."

"I remember," Meredith said and I could hear the smile in her voice, "I'm pretty sure your temper tantrums were the reason we first met."

I laughed and opened my eyes, "Probably," I replied, "The boys were sick of me following them around and Nanny was at her wits end with my protestations of being bored.
 
I hope I wasn't too terrible for you."

She turned to look at me and smiled, "Never," she said, "And we had our revenge on the boys."

It was true.
 
When Meredith had come to be my companion we had devised many and varied ways to get back at my brother and his friends.

"I miss him Mer," I said quietly, getting up out of the chair and walking over to a cabinet full of curiosities.
 
I ran my fingers lightly over the treasures my brother had collected over the years.
 
I wondered what would have become of this place had my brother lived...would he have brought his own children here and shown them the secrets of the treehouse?

There was an old metal strongbox sitting on one of the shelves.
 
It was intricately decorated and patinated with age and looked not unlike a pirate's treasure chest.
 
I tried to lift the lid, but it wouldn't budge, likely stuck with rust and age.

"Your Grace," Jamie called up from the ground, "The sun is starting to set."

I sighed, "Okay," I called down to him, "We're coming."

Later that night as I puttered around my new bedroom putting things away and generally making it feel more like home, I couldn't help thinking about the treehouse.
 
After we had come back to the palace, I had gone back into Jacob's study and put it back to rights before sending of a quick reply to Will telling him that the treehouse still exists and that it had been improved upon.

I felt closer to Jacob, somehow, after having spent time there and I could see that in the weeks to come I would find refuge there.
 
The path ahead was going to be rocky and it was comforting to know that I had somewhere I could escape to when I needed to.
 
No doubt that was what Jacob had used it for.

I was beginning to feel that I had allies, finally.
 
Lady Isabella had contacted me with news that she may have found something for me to use in my defence at the appeal and we had made plans to meet later in the week.
 
Hopefully she would have some good news for me.

I was weary and it had been a long day, so I trundled off to the bathroom to shower and change, looking forward to climbing into bed and surrendering to sleep.
 
I unzipped my pants and let them fall to the tiles and I heard an unmistakeable clank as they hit the floor.
 
I reached down into the pocket and pulled out the key I had found in Jacob's office.
 
I turned it over in my hand, taking in the delicate scroll work of the bow, the long shaft and the simple, three pronged bit.
 
It was an old key, discoloured with age and put me in mind of the box I had seen in the treehouse.

It was such a little thing, but I couldn't help feeling excitement over the discovery.
 
The strongbox was likely empty or full of forgotten childhood treasures, but I wanted to find out.
 
The key had been hidden in a book like a prize or a clue in a treasure hunt and I desperately wanted to find out if it opened the treasure chest.

I pulled my pants back on, my shower and tiredness forgotten, and skipped out to the door of my suite where Carlos and Daniel were on duty.
 
I pulled the door open and they both turned to look at me curiously.

"I need to go outside," I said, "I need to look at something in the garden."

"Can it wait until morning, Your Grace?" Daniel asked, reasonably, "It's late and dark out."

"I know," I said, trying not to sound bratty, "But I don't think I'll be able to sleep without having a look."

Carlos tried to hide his smile and looked away while Daniel looked decidedly put upon.

"Okay," he said resignedly and I had to contained my desire to clap and jump up and down like a kid.

I followed them down to the back door where they collected two other guards, not ones I knew well, and we set off over the lawn to the treehouse (in golf carts this time).
 
Carlos went up the ladder first and turned on the lamp, before I followed him up and into my brother's domain.
 
I pulled out the key and went straight to the box.
 
It slid in easily and turned with a click.
 
I lifted the lid and discovered my bounty.

The box contained a hard copy of a dossier and a flash drive.
 
I pulled them both out, pocketing the flash drive and flicking through the dossier.
 
The information it contained was incendiary at the least and potentially incriminating for some very high ranking officials at worst.
 
From the very quick look at the information inside the file, Jacob had been investigating corruption amongst the Peers and he had found some very damning evidence.

"Ah, Carlos," I murmured, not able to tear my eyes away from the pages, "I think we need to get back to the palace and alert Von Bartham and Benjamin.
 
I looked up and saw his eyes widen as he sneaked a peek at the pages I was looking at.

"Right away, Your Grace," he said.

We raced back across the lawn and up into the Palace.
 
I headed straight for Jacob's office with Carlos and Daniel on my heals.
 
I turned to them both as we stood in the outer office.

"This information," I said, holding up the flash drive, "Is the key to everything."
 
I handed the flash drive to Carlos.
 
"Guard this with your life." I said and started pacing.
 
"We need to keep this as close to our chests as we can, there is no telling how many leaks we have in the palace.
 
Carlos, I want you to go and wake Benjamin, give him the flash drive and then head to the Conference Room.
 
Daniel, I want you to go and wake Von Bartham and meet us there.
 
I just need to grab a few things from Jacob's office and then I will follow you there."

"No," Carlos said, "We're not leaving you here alone."

I harrumphed, but nodded, "Fine," I said, "But I'm going to be a few minutes in the office.
 
One of you can stay out here and wait for me."

They nodded and then Daniel stalked out the door, while Carlos took up a position beside the secretaries desk.
 
I shook my head, but didn't say anything as I walked past and into the dark office.

I closed the door and let my eyes adjust to the darkness for a moment before moving towards the desk and reaching for the lamp.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a familiar voice said in the darkness as a hand clamped around my wrist.

"Jordan?"
 
My voice shook with surprise and a little fear.
 
I could smell alcohol and sweat as he neared me, his hand a vice around my arm.

"The one and only," he said, his voice low and sinister.
 
I felt the press of something small and metallic against my ribs and gasped.
 
"Don't scream now, Princess," he sneered into my ear, "You might startle me and the trigger on this little baby is very sensitive."

"What do you want Jordan," I asked, trying to keep my voice even and not screech or hyperventilate.

He stood behind me, his body an unwelcome pressure against my back, and he forced me forward so that I was pushed up against the desk, the mahogany tabletop pressed painfully into the tops of my thighs.
 
He let go of my wrist snatched the dossier out of my hand, keeping the gun jammed into my side and his body keeping me prisoner against the desk.

"This," he said, shoving it into his jacket, "And you."

"You won't get away with this," I said feeling stupid for saying something so cliched, "Carlos is waiting right outside and Von Bartham and Benjamin are on their way."

"We'll be gone before they even know you're missing."

His arm snaked around me roughly and he dragged me across the room, the pain in my side a brutal reminder of the lethal force he was prepared to use to keep me quiet.
 
The room was dark, but my eyes had had time to adjust and the ambient light from outside meant that I could make out rough outlines of the furniture in the room.
 
Jordan pulled me over to the fireplace and pressed his hand against a wooden panel causing the section of wall beside the mantel to open soundlessly.

Crap.

I had been shown the secret panels in my new suite of rooms, not to mention growing up with the ones in my childhood bedroom.
 
I didn't even think that Jacob's office might also have a secret escape route.

Jordan pulled me into the dark corridor and the panel slid shut, encasing us in darkness.
 
I took a breath, ready to scream regardless of the gun and then I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head and I lost consciousness.

Chapter Twenty-One

My head hurt.
 
It was my first cognisant thought as I swam up out of the darkness and towards consciousness.
 
I couldn't remember what had happened or why my head hurt and the temptation to slip back into the nothingness of sleep was almost too much, except that there was a very real feeling of wrongness that buzzed in the back of my mind.
 
Something was wrong, I just couldn't remember what.