I Am Royal: The Search for a Prince

Shuturanij

"A lot of good it did," Willow muttered. "Now the gypsy Underground has been exposed to the outside world, and Henry is god-knows-where with a different set of people who may want him dead!"

"Dan," Chelsea said timidly. "How- how did you find us in the tunnels?"

Willow had not even thought to ask that. She looked at Dan expectantly.

"Your cell phone, Lady Montgomery. The Met was able to track its signal."

Chelsea looked a little horrified, like she suddenly wanted to chuck her phone out the window.

"Well..." she managed. "I suppose it's a good thing you were able to..."

Willow's head hurt. She was lying on her bed in her room, alone. In the first chamber of her suite, the separate room that was supposed to be for entertaining guests but that she actually used for game night when Nicki slept over, Dan, Jenny, and two separate security personnel were discussing things in low tones. Willow stared at the ceiling, depressed. She had no idea what to do next.

She had taken a bath. Jenny had insisted on it, since she smelled like dirt, stale water, and sewage. She hadn't washed her hair, because she'd been instructed not to get her injured forehead wet. It was brushed and spread out like a halo on her pillow. It still smelled faintly of brick dust. Jenny had started to tidy up Willow's bedroom after she'd emerged from the bath, but Willow had asked her to stop. She hated it when Jenny tried to fix up her messy room on a normal day, and now it grated on her. Jenny was just nervous, and trying to busy her hands, but Willow couldn't deal. She didn't care that her clothes were hanging out of her drawers, or that her floor was littered with important papers or knick-knacks she'd been gifted from where she'd worked in Africa. She had long since forbidden the maids to try and put things back in order, and she wasn't about to let Jenny mess anything up.

She felt bad. Jenny and Dan were only trying to help. She rolled over onto her side, and looked at the pictures in frames on her bedside table. There was she and Nicki in a photo booth, months before she's been told she was Prince Rogers daughter, when she was still working in a bakery. There was a formal picture of her and the entire royal family. Her crown was a little crooked in the picture, which had not been released to the public. Willow had specifically asked for the print where her crown was crooked. She thought it accurately depicted who she was in the royal family. Then, there was the picture of she and Henry. They were on their motorcycles, with their helmets tilted back on top of their heads. Henry had thrown his arm around Willow, and she was in the process of falling off her bike when the picture had been taken. It was goofy and slightly blurry, and Willow loved it.

She stared at the picture, wondering if she'd ever see her brother again. Sure, she hadn't grown up with him. They'd been sixteen and eighteen when they'd met, but they had been best friends immediately. Henry longed for someone who was as adventurous and unbothered as he, and Willow had needed someone who was willing to escape palace life with her. They shared a similar sense of humor, and view of their purpose in the royal family. They were close.

There was some movement out in the parlor area, and the main door opened. Dan and Jenny spoke to someone there. Willow rolled back over and returned her gaze to the ceiling. She wasn't interested in seeing anyone. Then a familiar voice and accent said,

"Your Highness, may I interrupt your thoughts?"

Willow turned her head.

It was the Crown Prince Khalid, standing in the doorway of her bedroom. He was holding a chess board, and smiling hopefully. Willow felt a pang of guilt. He knew she had blown him off and used his generous invitation to escape and go after Henry. And yet, here he as, still offering to play chess with her. She sat up, and swung her feet over the bed.