Kingdom of Secrets by Christyne Morrell

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


“Queen Mama! Queen Mama!” chanted Cole. Though he’d cowered in her presence, he bounded around the workshop after she left, overjoyed at the prospect of a mother—and a queen, no less! Thankfully, he didn’t 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.

“What will happen to Cole now?” I asked Halston. “I mean…Toby. His Majesty.”

“Don’t call him that!” snapped Halston. “As far as anyone knows, he’s an orphaned boy named Cole. He’s coming with me to the Thousand Spokes Inn, where he’ll be met by the queen’s lady-in-waiting, Greta. She’s 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 who’s been left in her care, the son of a recently deceased sister. That way, he’ll remain close to the queen, without giving away his identity.”

“Is Greta one of us?” asked Abi. “Can we trust her?”

“Yes. 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.”

“I don’t want to go!” said Cole, his buoyant mood deflating.

I crouched beside him. “You’re going to a wonderful place called Bellamy, where you’ll eat the most scrumptious food and sleep in a big soft bed. And your mama will be there soon. You’re going to have a grand adventure!”

“Will you come, too?” he asked me.

“Not right now,” I said. “But I’ll visit you soon.” The words rang false in my ears. I’d probably never see Cole again after today, unless he was on a platform and I in a crowd. But I’d be his subject then, not his babysitter.

“Will Abi come?”

“Sorry, kid,” said Abi, tousling his hair. She removed something from a hidden pocket of her skirt and handed it to him. “But here’s something to remember me by.” 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.

“Wait!” cried Abi, casting a dark look at me before darting back into the workshop. She emerged with Halston’s bulging satchel in her arms. She hoisted it up to him.

“Thanks,” said Halston. “You girls keep a low profile until you hear from me, got it? We don’t need any undue attention before Savior’s Day.”

“But what about Father?” I said. “We’ve got to get him out of jail before the trial!”

Halston sighed. “I’m truly sorry we got your father into trouble, Prissy, but we can’t do anything reckless right now—certainly not a jailbreak. Not with Savior’s Day right around the corner.”

“But we need his help with Goldilocks,” I said. “With rescuing the queen from the Wall!”

“You said it yourself, Prissy—you can fly the balloon for us. We’re counting on you, not your father.



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