~Malia~
The holding room where Daniel was handcuffed to the table in front of him reminded me of police questioning rooms on crime tv shows that I used to watch with my mom, and for a moment it brought me back to sitting on the couch in the living room with Robert just casually hanging out, before he had turned into a raging alcoholic monster.
Daniel's bruised lip and swollen black eye brought my attention back to his face and I felt a twinge of guilt and despair when I remembered what Louis had done to him, a self proclaimed attempt at protecting me when all he was really doing was adding insult to injury.
I tentatively approached the stainless steel table that was the focal point in the small room and noticed as his eyes finally flicked up from their resting place on his hands and latched onto mine, an action that almost stole my breath away.
He'd been crying, something the old Daniel had never dared to do in front of me. The red tint to the white of his eyes an afterthought, I almost rushed forward to place my arms around him and offer him some comfort-something he obviously hadn't had since being deployed on his assignment in the military all of those years ago.
But then I refrained, remembering the way he'd held me in that room with no escape, forcing me to resort to calling for help and trying to physically hurt him to finally get away.
I steeled my eyes and shut my emotions away, realizing that I would have to detach myself from my feelings for him in order to get through this unscathed.
"So they said you'd only talk to me..." I started, keenly aware of the two-way mirror behind me that allowed Louis and Gordon and whoever else wanted to watch a front row seat to our conversation.
He sniffed a bit and then rubbed his nose on his shoulder, his hands making the chains on his handcuffs rattle and the echo seemed a lot louder to my ears than it probably was.
A surge of pity crowded the other emotions out of my heart and I almost left to get him some tissues and water, but I needed to continue, I wasn't even more than one question in yet.
"Yeah. I figured you'd be a little less hostile. I'm sorry for what happened at the school, I just lost it I guess. I can't keep doing what they tell me to at the drop of a hat."
I took a few steps forward and rested my hands on the back of the chair facing him.
"You can't keep doing what who tells you to do? You never specified just exactly who 'they' were."
His eyes went down to his hands again and a tension ran through his body that hadn't been there before.
"The King's Horses. You have to know what they're up to...its Robert. He's here for you."
All of the air left my lungs and black spot dotted my vision. My grip on the back of the chair tightened and I could feel the lightheadedness taking over. It was not only my biggest fear, but something that I knew was inevitable. After that night, I knew he was capable of anything.
I grew the courage to continue speaking, although I didn't know where that courage had come from.
"How do you know he's here?"
Daniel leaned forward in his chair and I could see the frustration brewing in his hazel eyes.
"I saw him with my own eyes, Malia. Sitting with the leader."
My own eyes widened in surprise at his words. I knew Robert would have found a way to come for me, but this was just too much.
"Okay, why don't we just start from the beginning so I don't just keep asking a bunch of random follow up questions. You were recruited by an organization so secret they wouldn't even let you know their name for a year and a half, right?"
At the nod of his head, I continued.
"And then you found out it was the King's Horses, at which point you were assigned to be a bodyguard to a rich member, but the press outed you as still being alive and then they reassigned you to the U.K. because of your connection to me, right?"
"Yeah, and then we had our first in person meeting after I was assigned to find a bodyguard job within the royal family after Henry hired me. I can show you the exact location if you hand me back my phone, the coordinates are encrypted, but its basically underground in the sewers and you have to walk for miles to find it. They turned it into some evil lair or something, it was ridiculous. Whoever the leader is, they have to have some big time money."
The wheels began turning in my head, wondering where exactly Robert fit into the equation, so that's exactly what I asked next.
"So what about Robert? What's his plan?"
Daniel looked visibly uncomfortable at my question like he didn't want to answer but eventually caved.
"He wanted me to get in between your relationship with the Prince, to break you up I assume."
My eyebrows went up in surprise and I turned to look behind me in the two way mirror until I remembered that I couldn't see Louis through it, and abruptly turned my attention back to Daniel.
"Why did they ask you to do that?"
He sighed and rolled his neck in a circle, signs of fatigue showing in every inch on his face.
"I don't know, Malia, it's not like they laid out their entire evil plan in front of me just for shits and giggles."
I sighed and dropped my face in my hands as I pulled the chair out and took a seat, the emotional distress from what he was telling me finally getting to me.
"What would they accomplish by splitting up me and Louis..."
"Well isn't it obvious?"
I gave him a blank stare, no response enough of an answer for him.
"Henry kept going on and on about how you two would be the biggest power couple in all of history because your family has claims to the throne without needing the actual royal blood."
"What? I didn't know that...I just thought my family was wealthy."
"No, Malia, you are descended from Sophia of Hanover. I don't know all the specifics because I didn't pay much attention in history class, but apparently when the Protestants wanted to keep the Roman Catholics off of the throne for good and there weren't any Protestant heir apparent's, or direct blood descendants that were Protestant, she was chosen by Parliament as the heir presumptive in the Act of Settlement in the 1700's. And considering you aren't Roman Catholic, it still pertains to you. Your family is the only family with direct ties and rights to the royal throne without being directly descended by the current ruling family, Louis' family. Henry wouldn't shut up about how powerful you were even on your own, but with Louis? You'd be an unstoppable power couple."
My head was spinning with the knowledge Daniel had just dumped on me.
"But Louis would still become King one day, what do I have to do with any of this other than making a 'power couple'?"
"Henry kept saying how the public would turn on Louis eventually and the social pressure would force his family to make him give up his position and then the crown would go to Henry, but if the public saw Louis settling down with you, someone with power in her own right, then they would rally behind the both of you and then Henry will have lost his chance to become King in the future."
"It makes sense, more than I care to admit."
Louis' voice from behind me startled me out of my swimming head and I turned to see him leaned against the entrance to the room.
"But I don't get it. Your parents basically treated me like crap and the press has been all over me, it doesn't seem like they would 'rally' behind us as a couple."
Louis strode towards us and came to rest at the front of the table, a set of keys in his hands clinking over and over as he kept twirling them around in his fingers.
"My parents are strange. They've been pressuring me to spend almost all of my time with you since you arrived. When you first met, they wanted to challenge you and see if you could handle their pressure and were pleased at what they saw. The press will always be vicious, whether they support someone or not, and Daniel being alive was yet another thing they could use against you, but I already had my publicists clear everything up with the main news outlets so the gossip will stop there after I gave them an exclusive."
"Oh."
"What I'm most interested is in the fact that Daniel said he met the leader of the most ruthless gang in all of Great Britain and he still hasn't told us who they are," Louis pressed, his muscles flexing through his long sleeve button up.
I bit my lip and turned my head down to keep myself from staring.
"That's because he was wearing that stupid horse skull mask like he does in every interview. He never takes that damn thing off."
The venom in Daniel's voice was surprising, the look of agitation growing across his features.
"So, why do they want Henry to take power instead of Louis?"
They both whipped their heads toward me, letting me know that my conclusion obviously hadn't crossed their minds.
"Well, if they wanted Daniel to get in between our relationship and break us up, then they didn't want the press to 'rally' behind us, which then means that they support Henry getting the crown when the social pressures Louis to give it up."
"So the leader wants Henry on the throne, but that won't happen for at least forty more years, after Louis' father either passes away or abdicates because Louis' grandfather, the current King, is already in talks about abdicating in his old age to pass it down to his son. Usually plots like these don't span decades..."
Daniel's words did make a lot of sense.
"So you think they're planning on...doing something to Louis' dad?"
My voice came out uncertain and small, not wanting to upset Louis, even though the set jaw and steely eyes already told me was beyond angry.
"It wouldn't be until after Louis gives up his claim to the throne and his power then passes down to Henry since he's next in line. They might try to kill Louis' dad to speed up Henry's ascent to the throne."
"We have to find out why they want this, and who is behind this. Are you still in good standing with the King's Horses?"
We looked to Daniel for his answer. He ground his teeth together and averted his eyes before answering.
"I was before I got the shit kicked out of me and dragged out of the school by you."
"They'll probably hear about it and most likely send someone to speak to you about what happened. You'll say you were trying to break us up when you locked her in that classroom by trying to seduce her or something and then I found out and came and got her and when we took you into custody you didn't say anything about the gang, just that you wanted Malia back. We've been questioning your buddy, Matt, and we've been making it seem as if you haven't told us anything, making it look like you're still following the gang's orders."
"I came to you because I wanted out, not because I wanted to go undercover for you! If they find out I-"
"We can promise protection not only for Malia obviously but for your entire family back in the U.S. Can they say the same thing?"
Daniel pondered Louis' words for a moment and we all waited with bated breath until he finally relented.
"What's the plan?"
*******
Author's Note:
So what did you guys think?
What do you think will happen next?
What do you WANT to happen next?
What have you been doing during the QUARANTINE?!
Where do all my readers live and what's the situation in your country??
Favorite music you've been listening to? Mine is 'I Love Me' by Demi Lovato right now!!!!
Stay safe out there and stay inside and READ!!! I have a bunch of other stories on my profile if you're bored! ;)
Until next time my lovely readers,
Kristen :)