Once Upon a Princess by Christine Marciniak

Author:Christine Marciniak [Marciniak, Christine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781944821296
Publisher: CBAY Books

16

The stranger reaches out to steady me. “Do not be afraid, Your Royal Highness.” He speaks to me in German, the language of home, and I start to relax. “I am Felix Martel. A friend of your father’s. May I speak with you?”

A friend of Pap’s. I’m not about to be murdered. Instead, I’ve found help. I breathe a sigh of relief.

“Is Pap all right? Have you seen him?”

“I have. Let us walk and talk. I do not want to arouse suspicion.”

I walk with him in the opposite direction from our townhouse, heading to a part of town I have yet to explore, but I feel safe. He is a friend of Pap’s.

“Tell me,” I say, bouncing a little as I walk. “What has Pap said to you? Is he coming here? Does he want us to go home?”

“Hold on, little one,” Felix says. “Your father does not want you to go home yet. Things are still too unstable, but he did send me a gift to bring you.” He hands me the canvas bag he is carrying.

“What is it?” I ask, even as I open the bag and see Sir Fred, my old teddy bear, nestled inside. I pull him out and hold him close. No, I haven’t needed him since I was five, but boy is it nice to have this comforting bit of home back in my arms. “Pap sent this to me? You’ve seen him? He’s okay?”

“Things are not easy for him, Your Royal Highness. He misses you and your mother and sister.”

“Then we should go to him,” I say. All I want is to be home and back with Pap again.

“Nein. It is not time. Not yet.”

We stop at a traffic light, and I put the bear back in the bag. I may be delighted to have him back again, but that doesn’t mean I want to be seen hugging a teddy bear. I am twelve, after all.

“Come home with me,” I say, thinking of how much Mam would like seeing someone from Colsteinburg. Especially one of Pap’s friends. It will totally help draw her out of herself.

“Nein. It is better they do not know I am here.”

The light changes to green, and we cross, walking into a residential area with old houses and small front lawns. It isn’t really like Colsteinburg, where our houses in town are built very close together, and those in the country have lots of space around them, and they all have red tile roofs, and most have flower boxes at every window. I want to be back home.

“Why?”

“I am operating in secret. Working for your father.”

“But then you should want to see my mother and Henri.” Of course anyone who has any information about Pap should see Mam. That seems very clear to me.

“Henri,” Felix says with a nod. “He is not so discreet as I am. He will give away my plan. It is best he not know you saw me.”

“You don’t trust Henri?” I ask, feeling a flutter of doubt in my heart.

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