42

42.
Yes_you_suck
Caleb…what is this?
Cereal_killer
GOOD TO SEE THE USERNAME IS BACK, MIA.
ALSO, THIS IS OUR SERET HIDEOUT: FOR ME, CHLOE, SOPH AND YOU.
TO SPILL ALL THE TEA YOU ARE HIDING.
I_pooped
EW, STOP.
Noah’s_wifey
We are not hiding anything…
Cereal_killer
Yeah, sure, and I hate food.
Now, come on, one by one, start spilling.
Noah’s_wifey
…
Yes_you_suck
…
I_pooped
…
IF THAT’S THE CASE, YOU GO FIRST, CAL.
Cereal_killer
…
FINEEE. SO, I MAY HAVE RAIDED THE ROYAL KITCHEN.
THRICE, SINCE WE ARRIVED-
Noah’s_wifey
…
Cereal_killer
IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
Yes_you_suck
Caleb, I-
Cereal_killer
AND, I HAVE HIDDEN THE STASH OF FOOD SUPPLIES IN-
Noah’s_wifey
?
Cereal_killer
HA, AS IF I AM TELLING YA!
Yes_you_suck
CALEB, SERIOUSLY?! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?
I_pooped
GO CALEB!
Noah’s_wifey
CALEB, YOU BOTTOMLESS PIT!
Cereal_killer
HEY! IT’S THE LEAST I COULD DO TO RETURN THE QUEEN’S FAVOR.
NOW, CHLOE’S TURN.
Noah’s_wifey
WHAT? WHY ME?
Cereal_killer
BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE SPICIEST, BOILING HOT TEA-
Noah’s_wifey
…
Caleb, what are you talking about?
Cereal_killer
Oh come on, I am not a fool. The queen is the not the only reason you are staying here.
Noah’s_wifey
Well, she is a part of the reason…and she might as well be the other part.
I_pooped
What do you mean?
Noah’s_wifey
I received an anonymous tip that Noah’s father was murdered.
I_pooped
OH MY GOD.
Yes_you_suck
WHAT THE-
Cereal_killer
YOU GUMMY? YOU BELIEVED IT?!
Noah’s_wifey
What? No-
I mean…I had to look deep into the matter…
I_pooped
Damnit! Did you talk to Noah?
Noah’s_wifey
NO!
Yes_you_suck
BUT, WHY?! HE IS THE FIRST PERSON YOU SHOULD BE TELLING THIS TO!
Noah’s_wifey
YEAH, BUT, NOT UNTIL I AM SURE ABOUT EVERYTHING…
Cereal_killer
CHLOE, SERIOUSLY, WHAT ARE YOU UPTO?
Noah’s_wifey
I JUST WANT TO…WANT TO MAKE SURE OF A FEW THINGS FIRST.
DO YOU GUYS REALIZE THAT THE MURDERER COULD BE ANYONE? AND, BY ANYONE I MEAN, PEOPLE CLOSE TO NOAH.
I_pooped
CHLOE, STOP!
I KNOW WILLY BOY WAS SHADY AT FIRST, BUT, HE IS A GOOD GUY, I SWEAR.
Noah’s_wifey
SOPH, I-
I_pooped
AND, HE IS LEARNING, I PROMISE.
HE BEHAVES NICELY NOW!
I DON’T THINK HE IS CAPABLE OF MURDERING EVEN A FLY, LET ALONE HIS OWN DAD.
Noah’s_wifey
SOPH-
Cereal_killer
YES, SOPH, SPILL ALL THE TEA.
I_pooped
AND, HE MAY TRY TO LOOK INTIMIDATING OR LIKE HE DOESN’T CARE, BUT HE IS A TEDDY BEAR AT HEART.
HECK, I THINK I SAW HIM CUDDLING WITH A TEDDY BEAR ONE NIGHT.
Yes_you_suck
…
Cereal_killer
…
Noah’s_wifey
SOPH…what were you doing in Will’s room?
I_pooped
I…I…um…he…
Yes! I was following Mia! You know, to keep an eye on her.
Yes_you_suck
…
Soph, wtf?
I_pooped
Yes, don’t deny it! You were going somewhere on the third night after that party with Tristan and everything!
Yes_you_suck
I…I WAS SLEEPWALKING!
YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO FOLLOW ME!
Cereal_killer
WOW, THIS FRIENDSHIP IS TOXIC.
I_pooped
SHUT UP, CAL.
MIA, I WAS LOOKING OUT FOR YOU. I THOUGHT YOU WERE…
Yes_you_suck
I WAS WHAT?
I_pooped
NEVER MIND. BUT, THE FACT IS, I DID FOLLOW YOU, BUT, I TECHNICALLY DIDN’T. BECAUSE, I CAME ACROSS WILLY’S ROOM AND…AND, THEN, I TURNED BACK.
Cereal_killer
YOU MEAN TO SAY, YOU GOT DISTRACTED AND ENTERED WILLY’S ROOM INSTEAD?
Noah’s_wifey
SOPH, YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE ENTERED HIS ROOM LIKE THIS…IT’S A VIOLATION OF PRIVACY.
I_pooped
OH PLEASE, HE WASN’T SLEEPING. IN FACT, ALL NIGHT, WE TALKED AND…
YEAH, THAT’S IT.
Cereal_killer
OH YEAH, WE TOTALLY BELIEVE THAT YOU JUST TALKED, YOU LYING PEASANT.
I_pooped
HEY, MIA IS THE ONE LYING HERE! ASK HER WHOM DID SHE GO TO MEET THAT NIGHT!
Yes_you_suck
OMG, IT WAS NO ONE! I WAS SLEEPWALKING!
Noah’s_wifey
PFFT, SURE. AND, HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU WERE SLEEPWALKING.
Yes_you_suck
I-
Cereal_killer
COME ON MIA, IT’S YOUR TURN, ANYWAY.
Yes_you_suck
FINE!
IWENTTOMEETTRISTAN!
Noah’s_wifey
WHAT WAS THAT?
Yes_you_suck
I.WENT.TO.MEET.TRISTAN.
I_pooped
YES! I KNEW IT!
Yes_you_suck
DON’T GET TOO EXCITED.
I JUST HAD TO RETURN HIS HANDKERCHIEF!
I_pooped
THE ONE WITH WHICH LOVER BOY WIPED YOUR TEARS?
Yes_you_suck
SOPH, HE IS WITH ANNA…
Cereal_killer
SURE, WE WILL SEE ABOUT THAT TOO.
Noah’s_wifey
I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT THESE THINGS GO ON IN THE PALACE WHEN IT’S DARK.
BUT, THEN, WITH YOU GUYS, WHAT ELSE WAS I EXPECTING…
Cereal_killer
NO, CHLOE, I SWEAR, IT WAS ONLY THRICE THAT I STOLE THE FOOD.
I_pooped
AND, I SWEAR, WILLY BOY DIDN’T MIND HAVING ME IN HIS ROOM.
Yes_you_suck
AND, I SWEAR, TRISTAN WAS THE ONE WHO FIXED THE MEETING.
Noah’s_wifey
…
OKAY, WHAT’S YOUR PLAN FOR TONIGHT?
Cereal_killer
DAMN IT! IT’S 2 A.M. I AM LATE. THE KITCHEN GUARDS WILL CHANGE SHIFTS IN HALF AN HOUR.
I_pooped
OH CRAP! WILLY MUST HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP!
Yes_you_suck
OH…UM…I WAS SUPPOSED TO MEET TRISTAN HALF AN HOUR AGO.
Noah’s_wifey
GOOD, NOW DROP YOUR PLANS, BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE COMING WITH ME.
Yes_you_suck
WHAT…?
Noah’s_wifey
IT’S TIME TO PUT YOUR STALKING, STEALING AND NAVIGATING SKILLS TO USE.
WE ARE GOING TO PAY A VISIT TO THE QUEEN’S CHAMBER.
***
I had underestimated the skills of my friends. Caleb had made a digital map of the whole palace, with every nook and corner marked precisely. Heck, even the pillars and chandeliers were marked on his map.
“It took me three days and two nights to complete this map,” Caleb proclaimed proudly. “But, in the end it was worth it. It will notify us whenever it’s time for the guards to change shifts.”
“Wow, Cal, there’s more to you than the bottomless pit you call stomach.” Sophia teased.
Caleb merely rolled his eyes and started showing us the direction to the queen’s wing.
“Just so you guys know, even Noah can’t save us if we are caught breaking into the queen’s wings,” Mia muttered. “It’s a one way ticket to the dungeons.”
“Oh, don’t you worry, I will bring Annabelle, the doll to keep us company there.” Caleb quipped, earning a shove from Mia.
“Your obsession with that doll is scarier than the actual doll itself,” I told Caleb.
Caleb grinned. “What can I say? That doll keeps makes me laugh, so, I keep it close. Not to mention, it acts as a good Alice repellent.”
I sighed, realizing that Caleb was a hopeless case.
“There it is!” Soph suddenly exclaimed, pointing ahead.
Sure enough, we were standing in front of the queen’s wing. It was actually half of the third floor draped in exotic, expensive and beautiful decorations.
Caleb released a breath, “Since I have never been inside, obviously, I don’t have a map for the inside of the wing. We are on our own now.”
“The guards are sleeping,” Mia pointed towards the guards whose heads were lolling on the side of their chairs, “typical. Doesn’t it look too easy?”
“Well, that’s half of our battle won so who is complaining?” Soph said, walking toward the curtains that were shielding the entrance of the wing. We followed after her.
The curtains were so huge and heavy, that it took the strength of the four of us to part them. Surprisingly enough, the gates were unlocked too.
Mia was right, this was too easy-
Before I could voice my thoughts, my friends were already inside the gates. I had to hastily follow after them. I slammed into sophia’s back. Cursing under my breath, and squinting in the darkness, I turned towards my friends. They had all gone completely still, staring at something ahead of them.
I followed their gazes, to directly meet the eyes of…Charlie, the creep.
Charlie seemed as shocked to see us, but, he soon recovered and gave us a cruel smile. “well, hello there.”
Looked like, that one way ticket to the dungeons made its appearance sooner than I was expecting.
A/N: I am super late, and I am sorry. My study load is harder than ever. And, on top of that there are co-curricular activities this semester. I leave my home at eight in the morning and come back at six in the evening. And, after that I operate on zombie mode. Fml. So yeah…but, don’t worry, wattpad is always on my mind. I will soon fall into a routine and hopefully, my updates will be more regular then. And, not many chapters are left with this book. I am currently more excited about my upcoming book, for which I am doing extensive research :) I will give you guys the details soon.