Stealing the Crown

“You don’t have to do this,” Kela said, bundled up by the fire. Her face was hollow and pale, the only sign that she was slowly dying.

“I’ll be fine,” Jasper fibbed, adjusting his tie. The suit was ‘borrowed’ from the tailor shop where he worked, and he was hoping he wouldn’t run into his boss at the ball. Or rip the suit before he could return it.

Jasper grabbed a pocket sewing kit, just in case. “I’ll go in, fake flirt with the princess, and nip into the royal vault while everyone is distracted.”

Kela bit her lip, eyes hiding all the worries she wasn’t saying. “You’re an honest man.”

Jasper gave her an amused look; one he hadn’t been able to make in the past six months. “Yeah, now.”

“We can find another way.” Kela grabbed Jasper’s hand as he reached for the royal invitation sitting on the dining table next to her.

Their wedding bands glinted in the low light and Kela stared at them as she continued, “It’s not worth your life.”

“We don’t have time for another way,” Jasper said, squeezing her hand. “And it’s worth yours.” He let go of her hand to slip the invite into his pocket. “Besides, it’s been a while since I’ve gotten to lift something.”

Kela rolled her eyes fondly. She drew herself up, Jasper recognizing the tick from when they first met. She would always fix her posture into the ‘perfect lady’ whenever she felt like she was on unsteady ground.

It triggered a coughing fit, and Jasper felt each cough in his chest as he handed her the handkerchief from the suit. She held it to her mouth, struggling to get the fit under control.

Jasper exhaled quietly when she set the handkerchief down and he didn’t see any blood. She still had time. Once she started coughing blood, it would be too late for the treatment.

“Well then, Mr. Banning, I expect you not to flirt with anyone unless absolutely necessary,” Kela said weakly, trying to force back her proper lady attitude.

Jasper had to smile as he bowed dramatically. “Of course, Mrs. Banning.”

Glancing at the clock, Jasper planted a kiss on her forehead. She felt cold and clammy, but Jasper put the thought out of his head.

“Only if necessary,” Jasper repeated. “I love you.”

“I love you,” Kela said, reaching for her tea with a shaking hand.

Jasper stepped outside their house in the lower sector. It wasn’t far from the palace, which Jasper had never cared about until now. Clouds had gathered overhead, and the last thing Jasper needed was to clearly stand out as a commoner who couldn’t afford a carriage ride.

He went over the plan in his head.

One, borrow a suit and his boss’s invitation.

Mr. Hanson didn’t even know he had received one. His daughter was getting married, and he had been so busy making her dress that he had ordered Jasper to handle all the mail deliveries.

Two, waltz into the palace like he belonged there, lift the key from the princess, and wait for the king to give his speech on the glory of the Perrin.

Jasper glanced at a graffitied insult to the royal family on the side of a wall he passed. Despite most of the kingdom’s unrest with the royal family, Jasper knew the king was good for making longwinded speeches.

And three, steal the queen’s crown, the most priceless artifact in the kingdom, and deliver it to his old fence at midnight. If he was late by even a minute the deal was off.

It wasn’t ideal, but Kela was getting worse and she wasn’t moving up the waitlist. Paying for the treatment themselves was the only way to save her now.

Jasper swallowed, clenching his fists as he approached the busy front gate.

The guardsmen on duty looked bored as Jasper finally made it to the front of the line. The guard’s red hair was smushed under his hat, and he glanced at the invitation for half a second. “Where’s the missus?”

Jasper floundered for a second before realizing the invitation had Mr. and Mrs. Hanson listed.

“She’s unwell,” Jasper said shortly, “on the waitlist.”

The guard cringed, quickly marking down ‘Mr. Hanson’s’ attendance.

“Enjoy the party,” the guard said. “And, uh, I hope your wife reaches the top of the list soon.”

Jasper forced a smile, nodding as he hurried onto the palace grounds. He was surprised the guard hadn’t spat one of the rehearsed lines at him, invented by the royal family to ‘ease people’s pain.’ The guard’s words seemed almost genuine, unlike their rulers’ practiced spiels.

Jasper looked down to keep his face in shadow as he joined the crowd entering the palace. The king and queen could put their resources into helping their people, instead of throwing extravagant balls for foreign dignitaries and giving their guards fake sympathy to toss around.

Jasper lifted his head as he entered the hall, taking in the priceless artwork on the walls. Any one of them could pay for Kela’s treatment.

Any reservations in his stomach melted away, and Jasper pulled his shoulders back, slipping back into the persona he swore to bury once he and Kela married.

Was it really stealing if it was for one of the kingdom’s citizens?

“Is it really stealing if it’s for the kingdom’s people?” Reya asked, giving Conner a challenging look.

Conner raised his hands, never one to argue. He had already jammed his guard’s hat onto his crimson hair, ready to clock in for the party.

“I’m just pointing out that this is going to start a war between us and them,” Conner said. “Are we ready for that?”

“We have to be,” Reya said, looking out the window of the cramped apartment she had rented just for this. The sun had gone down, and the gates would be opening soon to admit the highest society of the kingdom. Everyone that refused to see how broken the royal family had made the kingdom.

Reya was going to change that. Starting with stealing the Queen’s crown before her cousin could be crowned.

“Is your dress ready?” Conner asked, sitting on the squeaky bed.

“It is. Are you ready?” Reya asked, looking at her oldest -and only- friend.

Conner smirked. “You know I never wanted to be a guard. Might as well go out with a legendary theft.”

“It’ll only be legendary if we pull it off,” Reya muttered, stepping over to go through the bag she was going to hide under her dress. She expected a cocky remark from Conner, but he just nodded silently.

They both knew what they were risking by sneaking into the palace with only each other as backup.

But the lunar eclipse was that night, and as much as the people of Perrin hated Helen, Sven, and their daughter, Helena, their superstition outweighed their hatred. Legend said that whoever was crowned during a lunar eclipse was the true queen. Reya would never be able to free her kingdom from Helena’s tyranny if that happened.

“I’ll see you there,” Conner said, standing up and stretching.

Reya nodded. She wanted to say something heroic, like in the stories her parents used to tell her before they were killed when she was ten. Something that would reassure Conner that he had made the right choice in following her.

But Reya wasn’t a hero like in those stories, so all she said was, “Don’t do anything dumb.”

“Me? Never,” Conner said, winking as he stepped out of the room.

Reya shook her head, smiling as she walked over to her travel bag. If this- When this worked, she and Conner would have to get somewhere safe to plan the next move.

Conner’s family had owned the old train station before the royal family had built a new one, and Reya had already moved what they would need to the old, abandoned building. The only thing she had to take now was the bag with her father’s journal, and all the money to her name. Just enough for two train tickets to Marcell, a city to the south of them. Back when she had first escaped the palace after her aunt had killed her parents, she had set her eyes on the coastal city. She had saved almost every penny she earned to be able to escape her kingdom.

But her Aunt Helen and Uncle Sven were abusing their power, letting people in Perrin starve. Her cousin, Helena, was just as bad, and Reya couldn’t ignore her people’s suffering anymore.

Perrin may have thought that she was killed with her parents, but it was her duty to help her people.

Grabbing her garment bag, Reya gently took out the dark blue dress she had rented from Mr. Hanson’s shop. Pulling it on, Reya looked at herself in the full-length mirror as she tightened the corset. She stared at herself, realizing even her parents probably wouldn’t have recognized her with her blond hair dyed black.

Reya inhaled deeply and turned to grab her bag. It would only take her a few minutes to get to the palace and she wanted to time her arrival after the first rush of guests.

The crowd moving toward the palace was still thick when she stepped onto the street, mostly carriages with a few lower ranking couples walking. Reya fell into step with them, glancing up to keep her gaze off the palace. The clouds overhead gave her hope it would rain later to help cover her and Conner’s escape through the servants’ entrance to the garden.

Conner was the one checking people in, and he barely looked at her invitation or her as he waved her through. Reya pulled her shoulders back, looking around as she followed the crowd into the ballroom.

It was the picture-perfect sight of a ball. A giant crystal chandelier cast faint rainbows over the socialites as they spun to the orchestra.

Queen Helen and King Sven were sitting on their thrones, observing the festivities with smug smiles.

Reya ignored them, turning to look for her cousin. Tradition dictated that Princess Helena held the key for her crown. Find the Princess, steal the key, get out of this circus.

It took Reya longer than she wanted to find the princess. Helena was standing by the table filled with expensive delicacies, flirting with a man with curly brown hair and an expensive suit. Reya gave him only half a glance, noting the wedding band on his hand. She filled a cup of punch as she rolled her eyes at the audacity of someone not even taking their ring off to cheat on their wives.

The key was hanging of the princess’s belt on rope, and Reya moved closer, pulling a small dagger out of her pocket as she feigned surveying the options of the food and set the punch down. Keeping the knife hidden in her hand, Reya pretended to trip, crashing into the princess and slicing the rope.

“Whoa!” the man said.

Helena gave a squeak of outrage.

Reya stepped back as she straightened. She brushed off her dress, sliding the knife and key into a pocket in the skirt.

“I’m so sorry,” Reya said, mimicking Conner’s slight Marcell accent. “My apologies, your highness.”

“Whatever,” Helena said, forcing a smile as she turned back to the man.

Reya curtsied quickly, then hurried off toward the other side of the room. There wasn’t a hint of recognition on Helena’s face, but Reya didn’t feel like playing with fire any more than she had to. She hid over by the entrance, swaying to the music to look like she belonged.

“Fancy seeing you here,” Conner said, appearing at her side.

Reya gave him a smile. “Isn’t it against protocol for a guard to talk to a guest?”

“Only if my boss is watching,” Conner said, gesturing with his chin to where the captain of the guard was clearly indulging in his drink.

“My father is probably rolling in his grave,” Reya noted, shaking her head.

“For sure,” Conner said, eyes tracking the movement of the guests. “Though he would probably be more concerned that his daughter was attending a ball with the man that tried to kill her once.”

“I think he would like you,” Reya said.

Ten years before, fourteen-year-old Conner had refused to follow Helen’s orders to kill Reya and lied to the queen to make sure Reya got away safe. “For one, you didn’t kill me.”

Conner shrugged, sucking in a breath when King Sven stood up, tapping his glass with a spoon.

Reya and Conner exchanged a look. They slipped out of the room.

Reya knew the path to the vault without hesitation, but she stopped before the turn, grabbing Conner’s arm.

“There’s a guard around this corner,” she whispered.

Conner nodded, setting his hand on his sword as he stepped around the corner first. He stopped and tilted his head in confusion.

Reya swore in her head as she joined him.

What she expected wasn’t spotting the guard knocked out and the door to the vault slightly open.

Reya swore out loud and raced toward the vault. Pushing the door fully open, she glanced back and saw Conner checking on the guard.

Together, they raced down the stairs to the vault.

Reya felt her heart sinking in her chest. All of their planning, their risk, and some other thief had beaten them there. A scream built in the back of her throat, but she swallowed it.

The crown was in a case in the middle of the room. The man that had been flirting with Helena was tinkering with the lock. He looked up in alarm when Reya and Conner entered.

“Step away from the crown,” Reya said.

The man stepped back, emotions Reya couldn’t decipher flashing across his face.

“Mr. Hanson?” Conner asked.

“That’s not Mr. Hanson,” Reya said, remembering the elderly man from whom she had gotten her dress.

“I’m not. My name’s Jasper,” the man said. “But I’m taking the crown.”

“I’m not negotiating with a thief,” Reya said haughtily. Maybe she could convince him she was some kind of dignitary and Conner could tie him up.

Jasper just raised an eyebrow and gestured at her skirt. “Oh, so the princess knows that you stole her key?”

Reya shifted.

“It was a half-decent lift,” Jasper said. “But I used to be a thief. And I need this crown to save someone’s life.”

“I need the crown to save the kingdom,” Reya said, stepping forward. “Besides, you can’t unlock the case.”

Jasper held up two sewing needles. “You’d be surprised how far you can get with these. A woman’s life is at stake.”

“Everyone’s life is at stake if Helena is crowned queen tonight,” Reya said.

Conner unsheathed his sword. “Back off.”

Jasper clenched his jaw but tucked the needles into his pocket. He raised his fists. “Kela is going to die before she gets to the top of the waitlist. That crown will pay for the treatment. I’m not leaving without it.”

Reya’s stomach twisted. “The kingdom will not survive if Helena is crowned queen. I’m sorry, but one person isn’t worth sentencing the entire kingdom to death.”

“She’s worth it to me,” Jasper said.

“We’re running out of time,” Conner said under his breath to Reya.

“Then let’s settle this,” Jasper said, raising his fists again.

Conner sheathed his sword, raising his fists.

Normally Reya would bet on Conner every time, but Jasper was a few years older and clearly didn’t just sit around sewing all day. And the longer they fought, the higher chance none of them would get out of there.

“Wait!” Reya said, before either man could throw the first punch. Her throat felt tight, but she still forced herself to speak. “The treatments are cheaper in Marcell. The royal family there will make sure she gets help.”

“We can’t afford to go to Marcell,” Jasper said, his face clearly stating they had already thought of that.

“You can with this.” Reya hiked the side of her skirt up, pulling out the small pouch with her money. She heard Conner inhale in surprise, but he didn’t say anything as she offered the pouch to Jasper. “Enough for two train tickets. It’s the best I can do. But I’m not letting you take the crown.”

Jasper lowered his fists, then took the pouch.

Reya forced herself not to grab the pouch back. The hollow feeling in her chest seemed to stretch.

Jasper looked at the contents, then nodded, looking up. He had a glimmer of tears in his eyes. “Thank you.”

Reya nodded.

Jasper left without another word, cradling the pouch.

Reya exhaled shakily, then pulled the key out and unlocked the case. She gently lifted the crown out, the rubies inlayed in the crown catching the low light.

Conner whistled softly. “Time to go, Reya.”

Reya stared at the train leaving for Marcell from the second floor of the abandoned station. One hour had passed since they had slipped out of the palace through the servant entrance. The crown had been discovered missing, if all the alarms going off around the kingdom was any indication.

“You should sleep,” Conner said, leaning next to her on the windowsill. “Bringing you back from the dead won’t be easy.”

Reya nodded, watching as a man helped his unsteady wife onto the train. Was it her wishful imagination, or was it really Jasper?

The man looked toward Perrin, the light illuminating Jasper’s face as the train started to pull out.

“There’s still time to bail, Conner.”

“Nope.” Conner pulled her back from the window and set the crown on her head.

It was heavy, but nothing she couldn’t handle.

Conner smiled. “I’ll follow you to the end, my queen.”

Reya smiled and looked out as the cloud cover shifted, exposing the red moon of the eclipse.