Kidnapping the Prince

Kidnapping the Prince Installment I

A/N Thank you for giving this story a chance. I hope it doesn't disappoint! When you're done reading, please take a moment to click that little button right there, the one that says "vote"! THANK YOU!

*** ALSO This is a different version of chapter one than previously posted. I didn't like the first version so I decided to redo it. Hopefully it's good! Please tell me what you think. :)

Kidnapping the Prince Installment I

“Ryan,” I breathed in the darkness, calling over my sixteen year old apprentice. Seconds later he appeared at my side, his blonde head and pale face floating eerily over his dark getup. I pointed to the large wooden chest at my feet. It was an impressive piece; inlaid with pearls that gleamed in the moonlight that streamed in from the velvet curtained windows and bound with a fancy but strong golden lock and leather straps.

I knelt down before the heavy lock and examined it for a few seconds. Holding up three fingers, I signaled Ryan to hand me the third lock pick tucked into his belt. He handed it to me swiftly and I unlocked the chest with a swift ease that only the best thief in Pentedwell City could possess. Almost shaking with eager anticipation, I lifted up the heavy lid of the chest to expose piles of books, letters, and most importantly, a large sack bulging with what was soon revealed to be gold. Ryan’s eyes gleamed with triumph as he bent down and picked up the bag painstakingly slowly so the money wouldn’t jingle. I held my breath, waiting for the bottom of the sack to fall out, announcing our illegal presence noisily, but fortunately it didn’t.

Next, Ryan pulled his black rucksack from behind his back and tucked the money into the folds of thick gray cloth stuffed inside. When the money was securely in the bag with no room for it to move and clink, I let the tension seep out of my body with an inaudible sigh of relief.

When the rucksack had been returned to Ryan’s back, I led the way out of the rich tea merchant’s grand office and into the dark hallway beyond. As the two of us tiptoed over the thickly carpeted floors, I mentally shook my head at the owners of the mansion and their stupidity; thick carpets meant silent footsteps, which made our job a whole lot easier. Luckily for us, almost all of the Second Quarter’s rich had a habit of using impressive carpets as a way to show off their wealth. Idiots.

We passed closed door after closed door before finally reaching the end of the long hallway; for a merchant’s home it was much larger than average. Fortunately, it still wasn’t large enough that we would get lost. All we had left was the staircase and two more hallways and a sitting room before we were back out on the dark streets.

At the end of the hallway was a large landing that faced a long, curved staircase. I stepped carefully onto the very side of the top step, making sure to hug the wall and put all my weight onto my toes so that the wood wouldn’t squeak; there was no carpet on the stairs, which was a real shame. I carefully made my way slowly down the long stairway, grimacing in annoyance when a painting interrupted my embrace with the wall. Paintings meant I couldn’t rely on the wall to help me keep my precarious balance on the very edge of the steps, so I had to either crouch down and lower myself onto the step (which wasn’t very comfortable) or rely on my own balancing skills (which weren’t too reliable).

When I finally reached the bottom of the stairs, I let out a breath and shook out my tense limbs before turning to watch Ryan’s progress down the stairs; he was only a few steps away from the bottom.

“Hurry up,” I muttered impatiently but quietly. Ryan still heard me though and didn’t hesitate to send a glare my way. I pressed my lips together, not disapprovingly but rather because I was trying not to laugh. However, in the second it took to glare at me, Ryan briefly lost his balance. His right foot came crashing down onto the next step, and the sound seemed indefinitely louder in the nighttime silence. Both of us winced, and Ryan quickly jumped off the stairs, landing silently on the carpet at the foot of the steps.