"How was it," Hans asked once he saw Lily coming near them. Right after the Crown Prince read the letter of the Queen Dowager they are all set to go out the palace and to follow the Queen Dowagers instruction to them. They knew that the children are not safe to wander inside the palace premises so they decided that one of them will go out and check their surroundings and find the safest way to leave the palace and Lily is the one who volunteered to do the task and Hans was left to look after the children.
Lily shook her head, she looks more anxious and worried before she left them. "Why? What is happening outside?" Hans asked feeling more worried every minute they stay inside the palace.
"All the exits are heavily guarded and most of the guards that I saw today are not familiar with me, this is the first time that I saw them here, and even the entrances are the same. No one can come and go inside without a through and through inspection, they even piercing the inside of the covered wagons, I'm afraid that we can't go out as easy as we thought earlier," Lily told them her voice sounds afraid and they can see it on her face that she is losing hope.
"What is actually happening inside the palace," Hans uttered not referring to anyone.
"I heard talks outside, it's true that the Duke of Lynneville is here," she said and she looks at the brothers who are sitting beside the Crown Prince. She saw Fredrick flinch and she felt sorry for the brothers. "they said that this is not just a simple visit, they think that the Duke wants to claim the throne as his, even his mother came with him, I heard they call him Helga some of the older servants recognize her,"
When Lily stop speaking they saw Georgie who was laying on his brother's lap sprang from his place and immediately grasp his brother's hand, "Big brother we have to go now! Aunt is here I don't want to come with her, she's going to hurt me again and she will not feed me again, she will separate us again, big brother we have to go," Georgie said between his cries while tagging his brother's hand, the boy starting to look pale and his breathing so hard.
Fredrick who saw this tried to calm his brother but the boy is too scared and was crying so hard, "Shhh... she won't find us I promise you, we will find a way to get out of here I promise," he told his brother while rubbing small circles in his back.
"Is Georgie crying because he wants to go outside?" Prince Shane ask who was sleeping earlier but was awakened when Georgie cried.
Lily who is now beside the little Prince patted his head, "Yes, he's crying because he wanted to go out," she answered the boy trying not to sound worried.
Shane looks at Lily innocently, "then why not go outside, little Georgie is so pitiful crying like that," the boy said.
"Is not that easy now Shane, No one should see us going outside," it's was Cain who answered his cousin feeling distress because of his situation, he knows that they have to go now, every minute they stayed here his putting the life of the people who are with him in danger, and especially the two brothers, he had to think of a way to get them outside the palace. He needs to fulfill his grandmother's task that she gave him.
"Oh, is that so, then why not use the secret passageway? Consort Syl told us that we can only use that passage if we don't want others to see us going outside the palace," Prince Shane said excitedly with beaming eyes, everyone around him look at him like he just said some miracle word, and the little prince thought that they think that he was joking "I'm saying the truth, Right Georgie your big brother Syl told us," he added for them to believe him.
The others turn to Georgie who was just crying earlier, Hans sits beside Fredrick who had his brother in his arms. Hans pulled out his handkerchief and wipe the tear stain on the child's face, "Is that true Georgie," he asked gently so the child won't be distress again. Georgie who was hiccupping now just nod his head.
Fredrick and Cain look at each other, then Cain looks at his little cousin who is now walking towards Georgie with a smile on his face. When Shane is in front of Georgie he held his hand, "Feel better?" he asked and the other boy just nodded.
"Shane can you tell us where this passageway is," Cain asked carefully so that his little cousin won't feel the urgency in his voice so that Shane won't feel that there is something wrong, he doesn't want this little cousin to feel afraid it is enough that he is the one in this situation if he could shield Shane from any danger he will.
"Yes, I could draw a map, Consort Syl will always make me draw it every day because I cannot memories the song," he said sheepishly but his brows knitted "but I don't have a paper and pen with me," he said dejectedly.
Cain was about to let his cousin draw the map in the dirt and he will try to imprint the image in his mind when suddenly Shane beam at him, "Ahh... but Georgie can sing it better than I do, Right Georgie?"
"Yes," Georgie answered with a smile while nodding his head. When they all heard that Georgie knows the song they all sighed with relief and the burden in their hearts lifted for a while.
***
Eleanor went out of the throne room with her head held high. Everyone who is in the palace saw her walk out looking as regal as before. She doesn't seem baffled by the sudden appearance of her friend and her son declaring their claim to the throne. She is still as calm as the sea and her body still emitting confidence in every step that she takes.
Annie who went back to the palace as soon as she finished the task that the Queen Dowager gave her. She waited at the hall when she saw the Queen Dowager walking towards her, she bowed her head and greeted the Queen Dowager, "Your Grace,"
Eleanor stops in front of her one of her trusted ladies maid when she saw that Annie is hesitating if she should talk outside, she block the words that she was about to say, "the walls have ears it could wait," she said with a slight smile in her face. Annie understood and she bowed her head and when the Queen Dowager walked pass her and she followed after her.