Princess Thief: Stealing Your Heart (14 page)

Emilia
shifted her weight nervously from foot to foot.

“Well,
girl?  Spit it out,” Lady Olivia commanded.  “What did our girl do today?”

Emilia
was standing in the drawing room of Casa Amsel, the mansion where her father
was employed.  The room was dark, even with the curtains open; stained wooden
floors, wood paneled walls, a white animal fur sprawled out before a dormant
fireplace; the heads of various horned animals hung against plaques, their
glass eyes lifelessly watching over the room.  Four leather chairs were
situated around a coffee table; three of these chairs were occupied by Lady
Olivia, Lady Roslynne, and Countess Marie.

“Yes,
miss,” Emilia said, looking down at the tops of her shoes.  “Miss Juliette woke
up early and asked to see some law books about the coronation.  I wrote down
two of the titles,” she rummaged around in her pocket and produced a scrap of
yellow paper.  “’
The
Royal Laws
’
and ‘The History of the Monarchy of San Morrando,’” she read aloud.

“Go
on,” Lady Olivia ordered.

“Yes,
miss.  Miss Juliette then met with the Solicitor General for an hour.  In the
afternoon, Miss Juliette and Prince Guillermo went for a walk in the garden
together.  I was sent to run errands so I don’t know exactly what happened but
when I returned, I was told that there had been an argument and to stay clear
of Miss Juliette’s room for the time being.”

“Oh?”
Lady Olivia asked.  “Anything else?”

“No,
miss.  May I go now?”

Lady
Olivia nodded and shooed her away with the back of her hand. 
“Yes, you may
go.  You’re doing a wonderful job.  Keep helping your father.”

“Yes,
miss.  Thank you, miss.”  Emilia backed out of the room and closed the door. 
She walked to her car wiping away bitter tears with the back of her hand,
hating herself for feeling so dirty.

“Another
meaningless report,” Marie sighed.  “She sleeps, she studies, she eats, she has
a spat…”

“You’re
wasting your time with these daily updates, Olivia,” Roslynne agreed.

“On
the contrary, I found it
very
interesting,
” Olivia grinned
from ear to ear.

“What
is it, Olivia?” Marie asked.

“Don’t
you see?  The flower shop girl got cold feet.  The wedding is off!”  Olivia
clapped her hands with glee.

Marie
and Roslynne looked at each other, puzzled.

Olivia
leaned forward in her chair. 
“Oh, come on.  It’s obvious.  You saw how nervous
she was at our dinner last night, right?  She almost cracked under the pressure
right then and there.  My guess is that after the party last night, she
realized that she can’t possibly go through with the wedding.  She decided that
she wants to back out of the marriage but she doesn’t want to keep Guillermo
from being crowned the king.  So, she read those law books about the coronation
and met with the Solicitor General.

“Now,
we can assume that the Solicitor General told Juliette what the three of us
have known all along — that there
is no law
regarding
marriage before coronation.  Naturally, when she heard that-
”

“Oh! 
So then the fight-” Roslynne interrupted.

“Was
the break up!” Olivia finished the thought.  “Yes, I’m sure of it!”

The
three ladies sat in silence, letting the enormity of the revelation sink in.

“So,
Guillermo is single again, eh?” Roslynne finally spoke.  “What are you going to
do, Olivia?”

“Do?
 Why, marry Guillermo and become the princess, of course.”

“Oh! 
Congratulations, Olivia,” Marie chimed in.

“’Princess
Olivia,’” Roslynne spoke with admiration.  “I can’t believe this is finally
going to happen.”

Olivia
fell silent, her brow furrowed in thought.

“What
is it, Olivia?” Roslynne asked.

“Actually,
there might be a way to become the princess without having to marry Guillermo
at all…” she mumbled, then stood up, excited.  “Oh, this is too good.  Too
good!” she squealed.

“What
is?” Roslynne asked.

“Do
you know what a pincer movement is?” Olivia asked.  “It’s a tank formation from
World War II — oh, never mind.  I don’t have time to explain it.  We must act
quickly!  I must see Daddy immediately.  We can use this.  One way or another,
that crown will be mine!”

Olivia
threw open the door and marched into the hallway. 
“Daddy?! 
Daddy!”

Marie
looked at Roslynne, dumbfounded.  Roslynne simply shrugged her shoulders and
said,
“Who
knows?”

“Coming!”
Juliette repeated.  She faced the door, took a deep breath, squared her
shoulders, and turned the knob.

“Sofia?”

Princess
Sofia was standing in the hallway with a sheepish look on her face. 
“Can we talk?”

“O-Of
course,” Juliette ushered the princess into the room.  “I was expecting… it
doesn’t matter.”  Once she closed the door and took a look at Sofia — those
kind blue eyes filled with concern, her exquisite beauty like a porcelain doll
even in a simple t-shirt and jeans, her naive expression — the tears returned
and she instinctively pulled the princess close.

“So
something did happen,” Sofia muttered.

Juliette
nodded. 
“It’s
over.”  She sniffed.  “It’s all over.”

“Can
you tell me about it?”

Juliette
gazed at her, hesitated, then realized that there really was no way to tell
Sofia the whole story without hurting her.  She could imagine Sofia saying,
“Why don’t you
think I’d be a good queen?” — or words to that effect.  Better to leave things
unsaid.  “We had a fight, that’s all.  I’m going to be leaving soon.  I don’t
know when we’ll see each other again, but I want you to-”

“Leaving?!”
Sofia rolled her eyes and groaned.  “You are not leaving.”

Juliette
nodded sadly. 
“I’m
afraid I am.”

A
glint came to Sofia
’s
eye.  “Over my dead body.  Listen, Juliette, don’t do anything rash until I’ve
had time to sort this out.”

“What
are you going to do?”

“Beat
him with a stick if I have to,” Sofia seethed.

“No,
Sofia,” Juliette shook her head.  “I don’t want you to get involved.”  She
couldn’t stand the thought that her argument with Guillermo might damage the
relationship that Sofia had with her brother.

“Oh
my God —
both
of you are so
stubborn!  You
’re
perfect for each other!”  Sofia threw her hands in the air and headed for the
door.  She paused, then turned to face Juliette again.  “Please, don’t give up
on him.  I know that he can be pig-headed and dense sometimes.  But he needs
you.  Please, give him a second chance.”

“Oh,
Sofia, I-”

Sofia
held up her hand. 
“That’s
an order as your royal sovereign,” she grinned.

Juliette
giggled through her tears. 
“Well, when you put it like that…”

Sofia
grabbed Juliette
’s
hands in hers and squeezed.  “Don’t do anything foolish, okay?”

Juliette
nodded.

The
glint returned to Sofia
’s
eye.  “Now, where is my idiot brother?”

Guillermo
sat alone in the King
’s
Study, brooding.  He rested his head against the high-backed leather chair and
stared absently out the window towards the royal stables.

I
was a fool and I got what I deserved.  Why did I trust a thief?  Am I really
that desperate?

“You
asked to see me, sir?” Armand entered the King’s Study and closed the door
behind him.

“Ah,
Armand,” Guillermo snapped out of his daydream.  “The deal is off.  We won’t be
using Juliette any more.  I’ve asked her to leave the castle.”

“Oh,
I am sorry, sir.  Might I inquire as to why?”

Guillermo
waved his hand,
“In
a word, ‘greed.’  The same thing that has happened with every woman I know. 
They get a taste of Palais d’Or and they don’t want to let it go.”

“Really,
sir?” Armand raised an eyebrow.  “I would never have guessed Miss Juliette would
behave that way.”

“Yes,
well, anyway, it’s over.  We’ll just have to go with Plan B.”

“Yes,
sir,” Armand replied, disappointment obvious in his voice.

“See
that she’s paid for her trouble — whatever you think is fair.  Give her all the
time she needs to pack and go.”

“Very
good, sir.”

“Now,
we’ll need to fabricate some sort of press release for the morning, something
to explain her sudden departure.  Maybe a sick relative-”

Suddenly,
the door swung open with so much force that it banged against the wall.  Sofia
stood in the doorway, her eyes burning with rage.

“Armand. 
Leave us,” she barked.

“Yes,
miss.”  Armand stifled a smile and bowed, then quickly left the room, pulling
the door closed behind him.

Sofia
stood, hands on hips, towering over her seated brother, and yelled,
“What the hell
did you say to Juliette?”

“It’s
none of your business, Sofia.”

“That
girl is up there crying her eyes out.  Now, you get up there and apologize this
instant.”

“There’s
no need,” Guillermo replied.  “There’s nothing to apologize for.  We’ve decided
to go our separate ways.”

“’We’
decided?  Don’t you mean that
you
decided?
”

“Sofia,
you’re too young to understand-”

“Oh,
I understand.  I understand perfectly.  That woman is the best thing to happen
to you in years.  You need to fix this.  Now.”

“Oh?” 
Guillermo grew defensive.  “And just what do you know about Juliette?”

“I
know that you need her.  I know that you love her.  I know that she’s
completely different to the stuck up bitches who usually wander these halls.”

Guillermo
showed her an ugly smile, one without any humor. 
“Oh?  You think
you know Juliette, do you?  What if I told you I caught your precious Juliette
stealing our mother’s-”

Sofia
hauled back and slapped Memo with all of her might.  She shook her index finger
in his face. 
“Not. 
Another.  Word.”

Guillermo
gazed in shock at his little sister.

When
Sofia spoke again, her voice was quiet, almost monotone. 
“I don’t know
where Juliette came from.  I don’t know what awful things she had to do to
survive — and I don’t care.  I don’t know what ridiculous scheme you concocted
to get her to agree to all of this. 

“All
I know is that you’ve been given the most wonderful gift in the world: a real
woman.  Not some fake robot who agrees with every word you say and worships you
like a bronze idol.  A real flesh-and-blood woman with opinions and feelings
and intelligence and inner strength.”

She
took a breath; tears of frustration began to flow down her cheeks. 
“And if you
don’t get up there and apologize right now, you’re going to regret it for the
rest of your life.”

Sofia
abruptly turned around, flung the door open and stormed out, leaving the door
swinging slowly back and forth on its hinges.

Guillermo
sat motionless, mouth agape, and stared blankly into the foyer.

Eventually,
Armand appeared in the doorway. 
“Sir?”

“Armand.” 
Guillermo gazed at his valet.  “Sofia thinks I’m making a mistake.”

“Yes,
sir.”

“She
thinks I’m in love.”

“Yes,
sir.”

“With
Juliette.”

“That
would be my assumption, sir.”

“Maybe
I…  I’m not saying I
did
make a mistake,
of course, but
… 
Is it possible I misread things?”

“The
universe is filled with endless possibilities, sir.”

“Could
Juliette be right?  Would I be the better monarch?  Am I just shoving my
problems onto Sofia?”

“It
does seem rather rushed, sir.”

Guillermo
got a faraway look in his eyes. 
“It sounds crazy, Armand, but for a
brief moment, when Juliette and I were talking in the garden, I had this…
glimpse of what my life would be like as king… and it seemed quite fulfilling,
actually, as if I could truly make a difference to the people of San Morrando.”

“Yes,
sir.”

“Then
she called me a selfish jackass and ran off.”

“Yes,
sir.  I’m sure that’s exactly how it happened, sir.”

Guillermo
ran his hand through his jet black hair. 
“I…  I need to think more about this. 
Perhaps… perhaps remaining on as king wouldn’t be such a bad idea.”

“Very
good, sir,” Armand beamed.  “About Miss Juliette, sir.”

“Oh! 
Yes.  I must…  Something must be done.”

“Perhaps
a note, sir?”

“Yes. 
A note.  Good idea.”  Guillermo grabbed a legal pad and a pen and began
scribbling.  “No.  Wait.  What am I doing?  A note won’t fix this.  I need
something grandiose, Armand.”

“As
you wish, sir.  However, might I suggest a brief note to allay her fears?  She
must still think that you want her to move out of the castle.”

“Oh! 
Yes, of course.”  Guillermo tore off a fresh sheet of paper and scribbled a few
lines, then folded the paper in half and handed it to Armand.  “Take that to
her right away, will you, Armand?”

“Yes,
sir.  Right away, sir.”

“And
then come right back.  We have some planning to do.”

Juliette
stood in the castle foyer and took one last look at Guillermo
’s note:

“I’m
sorry.  Please let me apologize.  Meet me in the garden at 8PM.”

She
folded up the paper and stuck it into her pocket. 

Why
am I doing this?  I hope this isn
’t a trick.  I’m not sure I can handle
another argument.  Maybe I should just go.

She
took a deep, centering breath in through her nose and exhaled slowly through
pursed lips.

Focus,
Juliette.  Relax.

She
bravely stepped out the front door and headed towards the Royal Garden.

As
she approached the garden path, dramatically, the floodlights turned on,
illuminating the entire garden in white light.  To her left, a string quartet
dressed in black tuxedos began to play.  Directly in front of her stood
Guillermo wearing a white tuxedo with white pants, a black vest, and a black
bow tie.  He was holding a long stemmed red rose which he offered to her with a
confident smile.

“I
may have overreacted,” he said.

Juliette
laughed and accepted the rose. 
“Thank you.”

“May
I have this dance?”

Juliette
nodded and took his hand.  They danced together under the stars, gazing into
each others
’
eyes.  Juliette would look up at him standing so tall and proud and handsome
and feel her cheeks getting flushed.  Guillermo beamed at her, happy to have
such a wonderful woman in his arms.

The
first piece ended and the string quartet switched to a slow, sensual song. 
Guillermo pulled Juliette close while they danced, their bodies pressed
together.  Juliette
’s
heart pounded; she pressed her cheek against his chest and matched his rhythm;
her thoughts were instantly forgotten, enjoying the dance, just
being
with this man.

When
the piece ended, the string quartet began a lively, fun jig.  Juliette pulled
away, obviously flustered, and ran a hand through her hair while she caught her
breath.  Guillermo cheerfully held out his arm; she took it; and he led her
into the garden.

“I’ve
been thinking about what you said,” Guillermo spoke.  “And I think that you may
be right.”

Juliette
looked up at him. 
“Really? 
So you’re going to stay on as king after the year is over?”

Guillermo
grimaced,
“Well,
I can’t say that I’ve made up my mind completely yet-”

“Oh,
that’s wonderful!” Juliette hopped up and down with joy, tugging on his arm.

“Yes,
well, there are still some details to work out-”

“Oh,
this is just fantastic news,” Juliette beamed.  “Have you told Sofia yet?  You
should really tell her.  I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to hear.”

“Not
yet-”

“Well,
we’ll tell her later.  You’re going to be a great king.  You’ll see.”

“Why,
thank you-”

“Oh,
I’m so happy.  Let’s dance!”  Juliette grabbed Guillermo’s hand and they danced
right there in the middle of the garden, laughing and kicking their heels.

After
two dances, Juliette waved,
“no more.”  She put hands on her knees, out of
breath, hair hanging down over her face, laughing.  Guillermo stood panting,
sweat glistening on his forehead, smiling with joy.  “You really are
something,” he said.

The
string quartet began a peaceful, serene piece at a much slower tempo.  After
they caught their breath, Guillermo once again offered his hand, she accepted
and he pulled her to him.  They danced in a half-embrace, barely moving,
Juliette
’s
cheek pressed against his chest.  Finally, Guillermo dropped his other hand to
the small of her back; now both of his hands were pulling her close to him.  He
stopped any pretense of dancing and whispered her name.

Juliette
refused to look up at him, resting her forehead on his chest. 
“Don’t,” she
whispered.  “I can’t.”

“You
can’t what?” he replied in a deep husky voice.

“Being
around you is dangerous.  I forget where I am, who I am.  It’s like a dream.  I
can’t think when you hold me like this.”

Guillermo
gently lifted her chin with his right hand, tilting her head up.  Their eyes
met.

“Thinking
is overrated,” he said, leaning down.

She
could feel his warm breath on her face; she closed her eyes-

“Prince
Guillermo!  Prince Guillermo!  Sir!”

Juliette
opened her eyes and looked to her left.  Armand was running down the garden
path. 
“Sir! 
I do apologize.”

“What
is it, Armand?” Guillermo snapped.  “We are a little busy-”

“Sir,”
Armand interrupted gravely.  “We have a situation.”

“In
here, sir.  Miss.”

Armand
motioned them into the servants
’ lounge on the west side of the building.  It was a
small room, painted yellow, with two couches pushed against the walls at a 90
degree angle.  Situated between the two was a coffee table with a half dozen
soda cans and an empty candy bar wrapper.  In the corner opposite the couches
was a television.

Three
maids were seated on each couch — six maids total — and two of the male kitchen
staff were leaning against one of the walls.

“What
is that man up to?” one of the maids said.

“I
never trusted him,” said another, shaking her head.  “Never, never.”

“Pardon
the intrusion,” Guillermo announced from the doorway.  “Please — don’t get up.”

Guillermo,
Juliette, and Armand all pushed their way inside so they could see the TV.

“Alicia,”
Armand ordered.  “Hit rewind.  We need to see this from the beginning.”

“Yes,
sir,” Alicia replied from the couch, pressing a button on the remote for a
moment, then pressing pressing Play.

“-allegations
of misconduct from the Senior Senator for the Parliament tonight-”

Juliette
realized it was a newscast.

“-take
you now to the steps of the Parliament building.”

An
older man with gray hair and a gray mustache stood in front of a bank of
microphones.

“Baron
Amsel,” Guillermo muttered.

“My
fellow citizens of San Morrando.  I come to you tonight, heavy of heart,
furrowed of brow, and stridently humble because I am bearing a great weight; a
weight as large as the very country itself.”