Kingdom of Secrets by Christyne Morrell
Author:Christyne Morrell [Morrell, Christyne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2021-08-03T00:00:00+00:00
âQueen Mama! Queen Mama!â chanted Cole. Though heâd cowered in her presence, he bounded around the workshop after she left, overjoyed at the prospect of a motherâand a queen, no less! Thankfully, he didnât seem to understand all the talk of kidnapping, murder, and war. Nor did he know that he was the rightful prince of Oren, next in line to be king.
âWhat will happen to Cole now?â I asked Halston. âI meanâ¦Toby. His Majesty.â
âDonât call him that!â snapped Halston. âAs far as anyone knows, heâs an orphaned boy named Cole. Heâs coming with me to the Thousand Spokes Inn, where heâll be met by the queenâs lady-in-waiting, Greta. Sheâs going to take Cole to the royal estate at Bellamy, where the king and queen spend the winter. Greta will claim Cole is her nephew whoâs been left in her care, the son of a recently deceased sister. That way, heâll remain close to the queen, without giving away his identity.â
âIs Greta one of us?â asked Abi. âCan we trust her?â
âYes. Greta has been with Queen Catherine since she was a princess. It was Greta who arranged for the queen to meet us here today. She can be trusted.â
âI donât want to go!â said Cole, his buoyant mood deflating.
I crouched beside him. âYouâre going to a wonderful place called Bellamy, where youâll eat the most scrumptious food and sleep in a big soft bed. And your mama will be there soon. Youâre going to have a grand adventure!â
âWill you come, too?â he asked me.
âNot right now,â I said. âBut Iâll visit you soon.â The words rang false in my ears. Iâd probably never see Cole again after today, unless he was on a platform and I in a crowd. But Iâd be his subject then, not his babysitter.
âWill Abi come?â
âSorry, kid,â said Abi, tousling his hair. She removed something from a hidden pocket of her skirt and handed it to him. âBut hereâs something to remember me by.â Cole smiled and stuck the jagged piece of peanut brittle into his mouth, sucking on it like a pacifier. It seemed to soothe him as Halston led him outside and lifted him onto the horse. Then Halston mounted behind him and gathered the reins to leave.
âWait!â cried Abi, casting a dark look at me before darting back into the workshop. She emerged with Halstonâs bulging satchel in her arms. She hoisted it up to him.
âThanks,â said Halston. âYou girls keep a low profile until you hear from me, got it? We donât need any undue attention before Saviorâs Day.â
âBut what about Father?â I said. âWeâve got to get him out of jail before the trial!â
Halston sighed. âIâm truly sorry we got your father into trouble, Prissy, but we canât do anything reckless right nowâcertainly not a jailbreak. Not with Saviorâs Day right around the corner.â
âBut we need his help with Goldilocks,â I said. âWith rescuing the queen from the Wall!â
âYou said it yourself, Prissyâyou can fly the balloon for us. Weâre counting on you, not your father.
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