45

45.
“My hands won’t stop shaking,” Mia whispered to me. Even her voice was trembling.
I didn’t blame her hands for shaking. My own skin was crawling under the intense scrutinizing gaze of the queen.
“Looks like even your prince charming is helpless today, Chloe,” Sophia muttered, glancing at Noah’s pursed lips and still form.
I swallowed, meeting Noah’s eyes. There was accusation and fear in those eyes for a second, before his face became a blank mask.
Okay, so he too, believed we were the culprits?
“I hope you all know why we are assembled here,” the queen announced to her…court.
Yup, we were currently in the royal court…with few men-who looked like someone had peed in their fruit loops (not that these royals had fruit loops for breakfast)- surrounding us.
A movement in the corner of my eye caught my attention, and I saw Caleb reaching over to Mia, and placing his hand on top of hers, to stabilize her. Then, he opened his mouth….oh, no…
“Look, if this is about the muffins,” he began, meeting everyone’s gaze unflinchingly, “then, you are wrong if you think we will accept all the blame. I mean, she-” he pointed a finger at Alice, “wasted so many of my muffins that I am going to have nightmares for the rest of my life.”
Alice, who was sitting demurely in a cushioned chair, like the picture of a perfect victim, raised her head up to glare at Caleb. “You liar! It was only two muffins you used on me!”
“Alice,” Charlie warned, probably to ask her to keep her mouth shut and not destroy their act.
“So, the charges you are facing are,” the queen continued, ignoring everyone, “breaking into my chambers, disabling all the cameras in the palace, dodging the security guards, threatening and tying up Alice and Charles.”
I watched as Noah’s eyes went wide and everyone shook their heads in disappointment.
“Woah, woah, woah!”
All of us turned to the source of this voice, and beheld a very baffled looking Will entering the court.
“Will,” the queen bit out icily, “what kind of language are you using? I expected better from you, at least,” she cast a disdainful glance at Noah, with her last words.
“Woah!” Soph exclaimed this time, “he literally just- he just used the common English exclamation! What else did you expect? Some medieval dramatic entry crap? Seriously?! I, now, know who is responsible for Willy’s lack of vocabulary.”
“You will not talk to me like that,” was the queen’s only reply to Sophia.
Sophia opened her mouth to retort, but, before the situation could get too out of control, I jumped in, “Am I allowed to say something in regard to the accusations made on us?”
Charlie sneered, “What’s there to say? You all were caught red handed and if you think-”
The cold glare Noah was giving Charlie was enough to make him stop midway through his sentence and squirm in his seat.
“Chloe,” Noah said in a quiet voice, sending chills down my spine. “Speak.”
Noah was mad at me, that too real bad…but, ugh, it was his right to be mad, seeing as I had lied to him and I hadn’t informed him about our “midnight venture.”
“Noah, do you really trust this girl after all this time?” Alice started whining before I could begin saying anything. “Didn’t you see what a big liar she is? I told you Noah, didn’t I? All these commoners are same. They come into the life of royals with only one intention- to lie, cheat and deceive them. You, of all people should be very well aware of this, because if you have forgotten, then, I might have to make you remember about your dad-”
“That’s enough.” Noah bit out through gritted teeth.
I had to clench my fists to keep myself from lunging at Alice and knock her out. This stupid, brainless, dim-witted, idiot, moronic girl was crossing all boundaries-
“Oh, please Noah!” Charlie rolled his eyes, “you know what my sister is saying is true. And, I am pretty sure that this so called girlfriend of yours is cheating on you-”
“I said, that’s enough!” Noah snarled at Charlie. “Shut your stupid mouth right this instant or else I will throw both of you,” he pointed a finger at Charlie and Alice, “in the dungeons, with or without any kind of court hearing.”
If I was Charlie, then, I would have turned into stone and crumpled into a thousand pieces on spot. But, alas, Charlie was Charlie.
“You can’t do that,” Charlie replied in a small voice, his face deathly pale. Everyone else, including the queen, knew better than to say anything in this…super stormy atmosphere.
Noah tilted his head to the side, with no emotion whatsoever on his face. “Try me, Charlie.”
“It’s Charles,” Charlie corrected, in a smaller voice. Boy had guts-
“This is your last warning, Charlie.” Noah continued, ignoring him. “Speak only when you are asked to.” then, Noah turned to meet my eyes, and I had to keep myself from swallowing. “Chloe, proceed. I expect the truth from you.”
Was it just me or had Noah’s voice turned hoarse when he said the last part?
“Aw, man,” Soph whispered beside, “Chloe, he loves you. He trusts you so much, and is so afraid to lose you. I will kick your ass to moon if you ever hurt him or let him go.”
Wait a second, what…
“Chloe,” Will’s voice urging me to speak, brought me back from Soph’s distraction and I cleared my throat.
“So, basically, we broke into the queen’s chambers,” I gulped, “but…we had our reasons.”
“What reasons?” the queens asked.
To find out whether you murdered your own husband or not.
But, of course, I couldn’t reveal that to them yet, so I said the next best thing that came to my mind.
“We…we suspected Charlie was up to something, because Caleb saw him disabling the cameras around palace, and talking to security guards.” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.
“Not to mention, stealing food from the kitchen,” Caleb added.
“Everything that he accused us of,” I pointed a finger at Charlie, “are lies. He is guilty of those accusations himself. He was threatening us, that’s why we had to tie him up, and that’s when…when you found us.”
“Liar!” Charlie leaped up from his seat, then, turned to the whole court. “They are lying. They are trying to frame me. What proof do they have?”
“You want proof?” Caleb suddenly spoke up, “I will give you proof.”
Oh, no…he better not say or do something stupid…
Caleb clapped his hands and a guy entered through the doors of the court. A guy, who I recognized very well.
“This is my pizza delivery guy aka my personal spy,” Caleb announced to everyone.