43

43.
“So, what are you punks doing here?” Charlie asked, his eyes glinting in a way that suggested that he could very well get us into trouble.
“You tell me, what are you doing here?” I retorted drily, overcoming my shock and fear of having been discovered in the act of sneaking inside the queen’s chamber.
All color drained from Charlie’s face, and he clenched his fingers. “It’s none of your business. You should be worrying about what’s going to happen next.”
“Why would we be worried about the fact that we are going to strangle the living lights out of you, then throw you into a sack, and then dispose the sack in a trashcan…it all sounds fancy to me.” Sophia replied, blowing on her nails.
Charlie looked genuinely afraid. I didn’t blame him; even I believed Soph for a moment.
“I-I will get you all thrown into the d-dungeons.” Charlie attempted weakly.
Caleb suddenly started sniffing the air, “I smell muffins,” he muttered, then, his eyes darted towards a basket of muffins lying on the big round table in the lounge.
I face palmed along with Mia and Soph when Caleb started walking towards the table.
“Listen here, Charlie,” Caleb said on the way, with his eye fixed on the muffins, “you never saw us here, get it?”
Charlie, now seemingly more relaxed, folded his arms across his chest, “Oh?”
Caleb only gave a nod. “If you utter a word about seeing us here, I am going to expose you, and about your little night strolls around the palace.”
Sophia, Mia and I shared a confused look.
Charlie’s face paled. “W-what do y-you mean?”
Caleb had finally reached the table, and was reaching towards the basket. “Oh, do you think no one saw you during those hours of night when you were roaming around in the palace corridors, whispering in the guards’ ears, or when you were disabling all the cameras installed in the palace, or even when you were spying around from chamber to chamber, doing God knows what?”
Charlie’s face had turned completely ashen, while my mind was reeling. Charlie did all that? He was capable of that? More so, what was he up to? What was his grand scheme behind everything?
Mia gaped. “And, you are revealing all of this now, Caleb?”
“Oh, and don’t you think that I forgot about the night when you came into the kitchen and stole those apples. Apples from my secret stash,” Caleb continued, choosing to ignore our shocked gazes. “That is something I will never forgive, Charlie.”
“H-how do y-you know all t-this?” Charlie’s voice trembled.
Caleb took his time in chewing his muffin, before responding. “Did you think you were the only ones roaming these halls in the night?” then, he turned to wink and Mia and Soph.
“Technically, I was not roaming the halls, Caleb. I was roaming inside Willy’s room,” soph said, unabashedly.
Mia blushed, “I already told you, I was just-”
“Yeah, yeah, we know.” I cut in, rolling my eyes. “And, we totally believe you.”
All of a sudden, Charlie started laughing-a cruel, hateful laugh. “Okay, kids, who is going to believe everything you just said? What proof do you have?”
“Okay, pedo,” I bristled, “stop with your stupidity, before I decide to do something about the itch in my palms to slap you.”
Charlie frowned. “You all are getting on my nerves now. I should already have you thrown in the dungeons.”
“Dude, seriously, who do you think you are?” Soph asked, “What authority do you hold to ‘get us thrown in the dungeons?’”
“I know, right?!” Mia exclaimed. “Why the heck don’t you just get lost and leave it up to the queen, Charlie?”
Charlie laughed again. “Charles. My name is Charles. Or you can simply say, Prince Charles. Wait, King Charles would be better.”
“Wow, nowadays people really love hearing themselves talk,” Caleb muttered through a mouthful of muffins.

Charlie ignored him. “And, you punks are mistaken if you think I am a ‘nobody’ in this palace. The queen answers to me. She will listen to me.”
“Ew, stop,” Soph said disgustedly, then pointed towards the floor. “Your nonexistent brain is lying there, with all the screws loose and tossed around.”
“I mean, seriously Charlie,” I cringed, “make up something believable at least. I feel sorry for you.”
Charlie’s eyes were simmering now. “You think I am lying? Why do you think the queen is letting me court her daughter? And, why do you think Noah and Alice are betrothed?”
“Ugh, not with the bathrobe thing again,” I pressed my fingers against my forehead. “Charlie, you need help.”
“And, as for Quinn,” Mia said, “she has kicked your ass enough times for hounding her. Stop making a fool of yourself, dude.”
Charlie again started laughing, like the maniac he was. “Oh, you poor, little things. You have no idea, what plans I have in store for you all,” he then, turned to Mia, measuring her from head to toe. “I heard rumors that you and Tristan are a thing now.”
Mia winced, taking a step back. “I haven’t even known him for a week.”
“Okay, that’s enough, Charlie,” I came to stand in front of Mia. “Leave. Go wake up the queen. Do whatever you want. I am not going to stand and tolerate your crap.”
“Poor Annabeth,” Charlie continued mockingly, “she was the daughter I would have gone for, but, then, I found out that she is adopted. So, I decided to go for Quinn instead.”
What the- how did he even find out about Anna’s adoption?
“Ew, shut up, pedo! Just shut up!” Caleb finally said from his position on the table.
Charlie chose to ignore him and went on, “Then, I set up Anna with Tristan, because you know Tristan’s court is an ally of ours. But, now, you have come in between my plans,” Charlie sneered at Mia. “Leave Tristan alone, I will find you someone-”
I watched Charlie’s gaping mouth as I charged towards him with a vase in hand, before he could finish his sentence.
“You crossed a line this time, Charlie,” Caleb said quietly from the table. “Bye, bye.”
Before I could hit the vase on the target (target being Charlie’s head- not really, I was about to go for the element of fear and hit the wall beside his head instead) though, the room plunged into darkness and I couldn’t figure out my own hand.
“Stop wherever you are Chloe,” Soph’s voice traveled towards me, “we don’t want you hitting Caleb and dropping his muffins.”
“Looks like it’s a power cut,” Mia muttered under her breath.
“Hello? Flashlight, anyone?” I asked into the darkness.
And, flashlight I did receive, but, not from anyone in the lounge. No. it was the door that opened and the person that entered who had a flashlight in their hands.
The vase in my hand dropped to the ground, and I stared at the person like a deer caught in headlights.
“She was about to assassinate me,” I heard Charlie saying from beside me.