The Princess and the Fraud

15. Strike a Deal

       Dylan's lips were pressed into a hard line. His knuckles turning white from how hard he was clenching his fists. A mixture of sadness and worry consumed him. He had not only lost Camilla, but also brought her into the mess he had created.

       Hector was ruthless and there was no doubt that he would redeem his debt with her life. Dylan would stop at nothing to get his precious jewel back, even if it meant turning himself in. With his decision made, Dylan walked back toward the carnival where the royal family was. To his surprise, the royal guards and King Hayden were standing near the entrance of the park with worried expressions. A woman stood in front of them waving her hands frantically as she explained to them what she had just witnessed.

       "There's the Duke," Flora told Hayden as she noticed Dylan.

       Hayden walked over to him, followed by Flora, the Queen Mother and the royal guards. Dylan figured that they had found out the truth and was prepared to take on their wrath.

       "Camilla has been abducted and we need your help in finding her," Hayden said as he reached Dylan. The fake Duke was shocked by his sentence.

       "I saw this strange man walk up to her royal highness, they were talking and then he put some sort of cloth over her mouth," the woman that had been talking with Hayden explained to the duke.

       "Did you see in which direction they headed toward?" Dylan asked.

       The woman nodded. "They took Via Merulana," she said as she pointed in the direction of the street.

       "Micaela," Hayden called and a female guard appeared beside him. "Call Dante and tell him we have a Code Red."

       The woman nodded and typed away on her phone.

       "He is all the way across the sea," Flora reminded. "He won't get here on time."

       "I just need him to get me an exact location and then we take it from there," Hayden replied his eyes clouding with a dark fury. Dylan was scared to be seeing this side of the young King.

       "It will take long," Dylan chimed in as the wheels inside his hand began spinning. He looked up at Hayden with a determined look. "Get me a laptop and I will find her."

       Hayden looked skeptical but gave the order to bring the duke the device he needed. The guards were back in a matter of minutes with a laptop and a desk for Dylan. The brunette plugged his phone onto the computer and began typing away. It was like a scene in the movies. Dylan's skillful fingers glided over the keys as he tried to pin the princess's location.

       Hacking was one of the many skills Dylan possessed. It came in handy when he tried to derail the police and cover up his tracks. He had picked up the skill a few years back and he was now a master at it. He knew that it would come in handy and at that moment he was grateful for it.

       Hayden stood behind Dylan watching him work. He rubbed his chin vigorously as his anxiety began to rise. He knew that time was of the essence, especially when it was his sister--the royal princess--on the line.

       "Got it," Dylan beamed as he found Camilla's exact location.

       "Gather all our best guards," Hayden ordered Micaela who nodded. "We are going to find this bastardo and make him regret ever touching my family."

       Dylan looked down at the computer and sighed. He knew it had to be done. Camilla was now the most important thing in his life, and he would make sure she would get back home safely.