Chapter 531

() +15 BONUS Chapter 0531 Nicholas, Julian, and I walked to the base of the stairs. There, we stood calmly, while peering around, waiting for all the servants in sight to go elsewhere to attend to their duties.

Then, with Julian being the boldest and first of us, we sneaked through the servants’ door and into the servants’ quarters.

Unlike the main building, the servant’s quarters were not as brightly decorated. Though the walls were painted and clean, they had no paintings or decorations of any kind.

The quarters were simply a long, barren hallway of doors on either side, with a potted plant at the very end.

My nerves itched. If someone were to come into this hallway, they would see us at once. He had to be quick and careful.

“Which door is hers?” T asked. None of the doors were marked.

rr 2) Oo +15 BONUS Julian sighed. “Guess we have to do this the hard way.” Slowly, we tried each door one at a time, bracing ourselves each time for what might be inside. What we found, one after the next, were clean, sparse rooms, with made beds. Most had a desk or a chair and a few personal items. When we saw the room was empty, we didn’t linger long enough to see more.

We tried so many doors with no luck that I was beginning to feel nervous.

Perhaps Charlotte wasn’t here at all? But how could that be? Where else would they keep her? Nicholas wore a frowning, serious expression that did not change the longer this went on. Julian, however, seemed to grow more hopeful.

“We should have started in the back,” he grumbled to himself, though he was smiling. “Of course they’d give the new person the worst room.” The door on the left in the back of the

(_) +15 BONUS hallway led to an entirely bare room.

The bed was there, but it had no sheets. No personal items were I anywhere, and the desk had a thin layer of dust on top of it.

She wasn’t there. That left one last room. We all turned around.

“This must be it,” Julian said, his brightness unshakeable. He walked up to the door, grabbed the handle, and tried to turn. The doorknob rattled, but would not open. It was locked.

~~ Hope lifted my heart as much as dread pulled it down. Charlotte must be in there, but would they really lock her in? Why? Surely the quarantine restrictions wouldn’t be that strict? I stepped closer to the door.

Charlotte?” I whisper-velled, then listen. Someone was moving around inside, but they hadn’t said anything yet. I tried again, speaking up, “ Charlotte?” “Piper?” came Charlotte’s voice, right from the other side of the door.

(w] +15 BONUS She didn’t sound sick. “What are you doing here?” “Looking for you. Are you okay? They said you had some kind of illness?” “What illness,” Charlotte said. “T feel fine. Other than being locked in this room.” “Not sick then,” Nicholas said.

“Foul play,” Julian replied.

The two brothers shared a dire look between them before Julian turned back to the door and dropped to his knees beside the doorknob. He took out his lockpicking tools from his pocket. I wondered if he always carried those around. Regardless, I was glad of it now.

“I woke up yesterday, dressed and went to the door only to find it locked,” Charlotte said. “They bring me meals but don’t open the door more than a.crack. I’ve tried the window, but even that seems to be \ bolted down. I’ve thought about 4

() +15 BONUS breaking it, but... I don’t know what’s going on, Piper.” “It’s okay, Charlotte,” I said. I could hear a hint of fear in her voice. “We'll figure it out together.” Julian unlocked the door in a flash, and then the three of us sneaked inside. Julian closed the door silently behind us.

I immediately went to Charlotte and pulled her into a hug. She seemed okay, just a little shaken. Guilt speared through me. I should have looked for her sooner. But, no, I had to push those pointless thoughts to the side. I was here now, and we were going to figure this out.

“Who locked you in here?” I asked, feeling like I might already know the answer.

Charlotte confirmed that I did.

Selma. I asked her why, but she wouldn’t answer. She’s barely said anything to me, other than to tell me it’s time to eat.”

4 hd () +15 BONUS Nicholas made a thoughtful hum. “ Selma is unfailingly loyal to the crown.

She wouldn't act out of turn like this.” Charlotte was telling the truth, of that I was certain.

“Unless she was taking orders,” Julian said.

The brothers looked at each other again. I didn’t need to be part of it to know what they were thinking this time.

“Why would your parents want to lock up Charlotte?” I asked.

“The King ordered this?” Charlotte said, shock in her voice. She placed a hand to her heart.

“Charlotte doesn’t know how you were sabotaged yesterday,” Julian said, and then proceeded to fill Charlotte in on all from the missing swimsuits to the turned-off alarm.

Charlotte turned to me and bowed in Ee apology. “Forgive me, Piper. I was id

(# ] +15 BONUS coming to check on you and Elva, but the door —” I waved off her apology. “There is no need to be sorry, Charlotte. This was not your fault. But I still don’t understand...” Nicholas touched my shoulder, turning my attention to him. “Piper,” he said, and I saw the certainty in his eyes. “For Selma to have done this, the King must have told her to. Which means...” Julian stepped closer to me. “The King’s the one who wanted you sabotaged.” ““He’s likely responsible for your initial ruined luggage, as well,” Nicholas added.

The room seemed to close in around me, as the words took root. Why in the world would the King want to sabotage me, someone who clearly had no actual chance of winning? “Our parents love to pull all the 4

wr () +15 BONUS strings,” Julian said. “You’ve always been a wildcard. They must be trying to bring you in line.” That still didn’t make sense. Ever since Bridget’s arrival, I hadn’t even been the public’s favorite anymore.

I opened my mouth to argue my point, when the sound of footsteps echoed in the hallway just outside the door. I quickly snapped my mouth closed, afraid of making a sound. I The footsteps drew closer. All of our eyes searched around the room, but there weren’t many places to hide.

Maybe we wouldn’t have to. After all, Charlotte did say they only opened the door a crack to leave the food. Likely no one would come in. We just needed to stay out of sight.

Regardless, Julian dove, quickly and quietly, and quite acrobatically, pulled himself under Charlotte’s bed.

A knock sounded on the door. A key slid into the lock.

id

“Charlotte?” came Selma’s voice from the other side of the door. gi) i 11] coming in. I have your breakfast and we need to discuss your travel plans.” Nicholas grabbed me around he waist just as the door opened, and yanked me into the space behind the door. The door opened so widely it concealedus. RR With my face pressed up against Nicholas’s chest, I closed my eyes and hoped to God that Selma didn’t want to have this conversation with the door closed.

5 u i COMMENTS SUPPORT uf