The Strings in the Shadows

Chapter Five- In which the search for Jack occurs

"That's easily amended," said Luke, who pointed to name plagues on each door. In a matter of minutes they found "Hasline".

"The one day I don't have my picks with me," moaned Luke, after they tried the door and found it locked.

"Should we kick it down?"

"Boys, boys," said Kaira with a smile, lifting her set of lock picks. Unlike her brother, she never went anywhere without them. After a couple of deft movements, the lock clicked and the door spun open. "Got it."

They would have shouted for Jack if Edward hadn't spotted a small door with a piece of paper reading, "Jack's Room: Keep Out" tacked to it. Kaira didn't have to pick this lock; there was still a key in it. Turning the key, they opened the door. Despite the rather ripe smell, they went into the small, messy room.

And almost tripped over the prone body of Jack Hasline, who was shallowly breathing, sprawled out on his bedroom floor.

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Jack opened his eyes with a groan. He felt awful. He was pretty sure his stomache was trying to digest itself. His mam hadn't been the most agreeable when she'd locked him in his-

"Room?" The kitchen boy said aloud. He was most definately no longer in his tiny room. The new room he was in was massive, and the fluffy blue bed he had been drooling on was as big as one of the tables in the kitchens. "Where am I?" He wondered.

"North Wing, Ninth floor," said a voice to his right. Looking over, Jack saw a blonde noble, probably not that much older than himself put down the papers he was reading. Jack took in his rich clothes and green eyes, and automatically thought of Kaira. "We found you passed out and elected to move you to more...comfortable accomedations." The noble said in a solemn voice.

"We?" Asked Jack at the same time that another young man, also richly dressed, entered the large room. This one was dark haired and had the same green eyes as the blonde, and was carrying five or six books. He stopped when he saw Jack awake. "Oh. You've finally woken up." Then, hurrying over to the blonde, the newcomer said, "Why didn't you send a message, Luke?! You were supposed to as soon as he woke up! Kai's gonna kill you!"

"Calm down, Ed, he literally just opened his eyes! And you ruined the moment! I was trying to act like a mysterious benefactor!" Exclaimed Luke, who reached up and poked the dark haired boy between the eyes. AFyer a moment of silence, they both looked at Jack, whose mouth was wide open.

He wasn't stupid. He knew the names of all the royal family, and the royal family's Shadows. He was possitive that if 'Ed' put down his books, and Luke took off his gloves, he'd see the same small purple crown tatooed on their left hands that Lady Kaira had. He was in the presence of the Crown Prince and Shadow. And his mouth was hanging open like any villiage idiot's.

"Um..." He tried to speak. He cleared his throat and was about to try again when his stomache rumbled.

"Ah, you would be hungry. We tried to feed you some gruel yesterday but most of it dribbled out onto your clothes, which we changed out, of course," rambled Prince Edward a little. Jack hadn't even noticed he was wearing a diffent tunic and leggings, which were by far the softest clothes he'd ever touched. "I'll tell one of the maids to bring you some breakfast. What would you like to eat, Jack?"

"Oh...Um, muffins, Your Highness?" answered Jack, twice flustered because royalty knew his name as well as just asked him what he wanted to eat, a question that had never before been directed at Jack and had therefore never really thought about what he liked to eat.

"Muffins it is. Luke, do you want anything?"

"Maybe some coffee? Ask for a pot, I have the feeling everyone will want some," said Luke, who was slightly distracted shifting through the pile of books Prince Edward had deposited on top of the papers he'd been reading when Jack had woken up.