Call It A Royal Cliché

A MERRY CHRISTMAS MAYBE

CHAPTER 27

It's empty.

How can it be? I have the key and it opened this thing and now empty? Did someone take it? Does the duke know? Have I lost? What is happening?

"Look carefully there must be something." Nicholas insists. Panic rises in my chest as I frantically look inside the rectangular box. My fingers trace all the corners. I take a few steps back and study the clock. It takes me a few moments before I knock on the insides to check if any part of it was hollow. I stand back and try to examine it again.

The distance between the pendulum and the either sides of the walls of the lock door is different. One is less than the other. That is definitely odd.

I knock on both the sides and the right one sounds different more like hollow. I kneel on my knees and Nicholas helps me with the flash light. Yup there is a gap between the plank and the upper corner of the lock door. I take out the plank and Nicholas keeps it aside.

BINGO!

A manila folder is taped to it. I carefully pick it out and examine the closed folder. The label on it states confidential.

I open it and a loose paper falls down. I hand the folder to Nicholas and ask him to look into it. I pick up the paper and recognize my grandpa's handwriting on it.

I trace his initials GW on the top of the perfect, creamy A4 size paper.

Dear Ava,

I might be long gone by the time you read this but I need to tell you something.

I cannot express how proud I am to have you for my grand-daughter. You have done so well and grown up to become who are you today you became your own person. I know it wouldn't have been easy for you to reach here.

Had I announced it earlier that you were to be the crowned Princess all of this wouldn't have happened. But I kept it a surprise for your 19th birthday. I would have given you this directly in your hands without wasting time or your father but Duke Henry was after it. His motives weren't exactly very honorable. I knew he would find a way to destroy these or turn the tables around in his paper. So I kept it a secret for a long period until I got to know that he had threatened the Head of Parliament Mr. Fredrick Weatherwood and I knew I had to hide these. He killed him because he wasn't ready to change his decision I did not do all this until I knew he was coming after me. My health was already deteriorating so I knew I had to hide it as soon as possible before his filthy hands try to touch it. You were so brave.

I would like to apologize for not being there for you but I would want to congratulate you now that you are officially and legally the heiress of this kingdom and my and your father's successor.

Last but not the least, Grandpa misses you a lot and loves his tiny Ava.

Stay strong and think clear.

Your dearest,

Grandpa.

I slump down on one of the sofa seat next to me. Call me crazy but I could hear him speaking to me. I keep on re-reading the letter. It has my grandpa in it, his last words to me.

But I cannot understand. He says that I am officially and legally the- the heiress of this kingdom. How? I mean everyone knows that it is impossible for me and what has he handed over to me? He said that old Fredrick Weatherwood was killed because of this thing. That son of evil step mother of goblin! How could he kill someone?

I realize Nicholas has spoken anything yet. I look at him and ask him what was there in it? He looks at me with a look I quite don't understand.

"These papers in my hand state that you can be officially and legally be declared as the crowned princess of Asteria..."