Beauty and the Beast

Chapter 8

"Robert, someone broke the Queen's Rose! Has anyone left the building!" Heath said.

"All the guards are on patrol. No one is allowed to leave." Robert said.

"What about the servants?" I asked.

"Well, of course they can leave. Food does have to be delivered. Clothing has to be purchased.."

We were already making our way to the exit.

"Let me through" Heath commanded.

The guards opened the huge door and Heath burst through it.

I was on his heels.

"Heath this isn't stealthy." I tried to whisper.

"I don't care. The person could be getting away this moment and they need to pay for their crimes."

"Heath!" I yelled pulling on his arms.

"Where would the person even go?" I said calmly.

"Why would I know." Heath said putting his fingers through his hair.

"If you were the thief, where would you go."

Heath stood their looking straight up frazzled.

"I would use the Queen's Rose and sell it to the highest bidder but since he broke it and opened up the barrier I would.... leave. I would leave the kingdom. I wouldn't get caught and I would go on an adventure beyond the barrier."

Silence reigned.

Heath broke into a run.

I just stood their letting it sink in.

Someone took the Queen's Rose to break it so they could leave. They went through all that security so they could remove themselves from the kingdom. This person or people had to have nothing to lose. Could he be a criminal already? Maybe he was just like me.

I had stolen from lord and dukes just so I could do things like have my cat back, go to a ball, and read lots of books for free.

I even stole to get food until kind people fed me and my father.

"Heath," I whispered.

He was all the way down the road now.

He was stubborn but he was also a great leader.

He thought about this kingdom while the person or people thought about themselves when no one else would.

What is beyond the barrier?

I made my way back to the castle door as if this were completely normal.

When I saw the guard by the door I asked if he would follow Prince Heath so that the prince wouldn't be kidnapped since we had enough to deal with.

He agreed and set off in a carriage.

I stepped back into the castle.

I couldn't believe this all started with a ball.

As I descended the staircase into the ballroom I tried to imagine what it was like that night. If there was something we had missed in the process.

Perhaps I had seen someone, and they didn't get into the ten people already in the castle.

I stopped.

The person or people had made sure Heath was in the room before the set the trap since none of the guards had that happen to them. Then they had used their magic to close the door behind us but to what avail? If they were trying to get out of the kingdom, why would take all that time to set up a trap for us or did they even have the gem?