queen of anything unless you start talking in the next two seconds,” Frank whispered into her face, letting the full force of his anger show in the eyes that met hers.
“Oh my god,” Cindy said, her tears drying instantly. “Talk. Now. Fast.”
“The prince— I mean, King Robert, my husband, he’s in love with Edna, or in lust with her anyway,” she said, continuing when Frank gave her a slight shake. “He started writing her those letters, but I didn’t know. When I heard about the stalker I really just thought Edna was in trouble, and I wanted to help. I thought maybe we could try to be friends, but when the guards brought in the picture they took yesterday, I saw the coat I’d given him. I had it handmade by the lady who used to sew his mom’s clothes, so I knew it had to be him.”
“Oh my god, you’re serious,” Edna said, sitting down on the red couch with an absolutely horrified look.
Good, she should be horrified by the thought of any man but me wanting to touch her. The thought flew through Frank’s mind before he had the chance to consider what little right he had to stake claim to Edna’s body or heart. Still, the king certainly had no right either, and if what Cynthia was saying was the truth, their entire kingdom was getting ready to be turned upside-down. Not even a monarch could get away with terrorizing dozens of sex workers. They were his subjects, and Parliament wouldn’t stand for it.
“Is there anything else we should know, Cynthia? Quickly, we’re almost out of time,” Frank urged, his tone gentling slightly. She was talking, no need to scare her into another round of tears.
“I searched his room and found his journal. He did the red light stalker thing to cover his tracks. He’s going to kidnap Edna and make it look like she was murdered. Then he’s going to take her back to the castle and keep her there. He has a secret room in the west wing all ready for her. I found the key. He’s going to keep her there and have sex with her! In my own house! My stepmother !” Cindy finished with a horrified gasp. Then she started crying again, obviously feeling as sorry for herself as Edna, the woman who would have become the prince’s unwilling sex slave. The girl was a piece of work, no doubt about it.
“Do you still have the journal?” Frank asked.
“Yeah, it’s in my coat in the dressing room.” Cindy sniffed mightily and tried to look helpful. “I can go get it if you want.”
“Captain?” Nate whispered urgently, sticking his head out from the door of the dressing room.
“We’ll get it later. Take her,” Frank whispered, shoving Cynthia toward the door. “The queen?” Nate asked, looking uncertainly from Frank to Cynthia and back
again, clearly torn about where his duty now lay.
“Keep her in there and don’t take your eyes off her. Don’t let her scream or talk or cry. Gag her if you have to. She’s in the custody of the state until Parliament decides her guilt or innocence in this matter,” Frank ordered, his eyes holding those of his subordinate until he knew that Nate would obey him.
“Where will you be?” Nate asked, gently but firmly taking Cynthia by the upper arm.
“I’ll be right here,” Frank said, crossing to Edna. “If what Cynthia is saying is the truth, we have enough evidence. We’ll let him walk in here and I’ll take care of him myself. Edna, you go with Nate.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” “Yes, you are. I’m telling you—”
“Frank, we don’t know if Cindy is telling the truth, if there really is a journal or what exactly it says. I don’t want to take the risk that one or both of them might get away with this,” she said, her eyes pleading with him to understand.
“I don’t want you getting hurt,” Frank protested, even though he knew she was right. It was exactly what he would have said himself if he were thinking with his mind.
But he wasn’t, he was acting on raw emotion, wondering how he could allow
“Oh my god,” Cindy said, her tears drying instantly. “Talk. Now. Fast.”
“The prince— I mean, King Robert, my husband, he’s in love with Edna, or in lust with her anyway,” she said, continuing when Frank gave her a slight shake. “He started writing her those letters, but I didn’t know. When I heard about the stalker I really just thought Edna was in trouble, and I wanted to help. I thought maybe we could try to be friends, but when the guards brought in the picture they took yesterday, I saw the coat I’d given him. I had it handmade by the lady who used to sew his mom’s clothes, so I knew it had to be him.”
“Oh my god, you’re serious,” Edna said, sitting down on the red couch with an absolutely horrified look.
Good, she should be horrified by the thought of any man but me wanting to touch her. The thought flew through Frank’s mind before he had the chance to consider what little right he had to stake claim to Edna’s body or heart. Still, the king certainly had no right either, and if what Cynthia was saying was the truth, their entire kingdom was getting ready to be turned upside-down. Not even a monarch could get away with terrorizing dozens of sex workers. They were his subjects, and Parliament wouldn’t stand for it.
“Is there anything else we should know, Cynthia? Quickly, we’re almost out of time,” Frank urged, his tone gentling slightly. She was talking, no need to scare her into another round of tears.
“I searched his room and found his journal. He did the red light stalker thing to cover his tracks. He’s going to kidnap Edna and make it look like she was murdered. Then he’s going to take her back to the castle and keep her there. He has a secret room in the west wing all ready for her. I found the key. He’s going to keep her there and have sex with her! In my own house! My stepmother !” Cindy finished with a horrified gasp. Then she started crying again, obviously feeling as sorry for herself as Edna, the woman who would have become the prince’s unwilling sex slave. The girl was a piece of work, no doubt about it.
“Do you still have the journal?” Frank asked.
“Yeah, it’s in my coat in the dressing room.” Cindy sniffed mightily and tried to look helpful. “I can go get it if you want.”
“Captain?” Nate whispered urgently, sticking his head out from the door of the dressing room.
“We’ll get it later. Take her,” Frank whispered, shoving Cynthia toward the door. “The queen?” Nate asked, looking uncertainly from Frank to Cynthia and back
again, clearly torn about where his duty now lay.
“Keep her in there and don’t take your eyes off her. Don’t let her scream or talk or cry. Gag her if you have to. She’s in the custody of the state until Parliament decides her guilt or innocence in this matter,” Frank ordered, his eyes holding those of his subordinate until he knew that Nate would obey him.
“Where will you be?” Nate asked, gently but firmly taking Cynthia by the upper arm.
“I’ll be right here,” Frank said, crossing to Edna. “If what Cynthia is saying is the truth, we have enough evidence. We’ll let him walk in here and I’ll take care of him myself. Edna, you go with Nate.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” “Yes, you are. I’m telling you—”
“Frank, we don’t know if Cindy is telling the truth, if there really is a journal or what exactly it says. I don’t want to take the risk that one or both of them might get away with this,” she said, her eyes pleading with him to understand.
“I don’t want you getting hurt,” Frank protested, even though he knew she was right. It was exactly what he would have said himself if he were thinking with his mind.
But he wasn’t, he was acting on raw emotion, wondering how he could allow
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