“Well, there is?—”
My ears perk up, but the quiet voice stops when we’re all listening.
“What? Who spoke? Who was that?” My eyes scan the room.
There’s a heavy silence as we all wait for them to speak again.
“If you have an idea, then please share it!” I beg.
“Go on, spit it out,” someone grumbles. Turning to the bed, I see Dahlia poking the side of Fern, Father’s sixth daughter, while the trembling girl hides behind her pale blonde waves.
That’s funny… I didn’t even realise she was here. Not that that’s unusual at all. Fern’s always quiet. Still, it was as if there were only four girls on the bed until she spoke, and now there are five.
Bizarre.
“I… um.” Fern’s voice quivers. “Well, sometimes I…” Behind her long fringe, her green eyes dart around the room. “Sometimes… I sneak out of the palace and?—”
Her near-silent voice is drowned out by eleven gasps.
“You sneak out?” Blossom squeals. “Fern, how could you?”
“Did you never listen to Father’s lessons?” Heather cuts in. “We don’t leave the palace. Ever!”
“Stupid, stupid girl!” cries Camellia from across the room.
Other sisters soon join in, hurling insult after insult – each one making Fern shrink further into my bedsheets, until finally I hold up my hand and scream, “QUIET!”
Suddenly, it’s silent enough to hear our twelve racing hearts.
“Fern.” I turn to our cowering sister. “You know it is forbidden for us to go outside the palace walls, and you must promise us all that you’ll never do it again.”
Quickly, she nods as I let out a sigh. If Father were to hear about this…
“That being said,” I continue, “if you know someone who can help us, even if they are outside the palace,” I raise another hand to silence the second wave of gasps, “then please, tell us now.”
Fern whimpers, but eventually, after another nudge from Dahlia, she lifts her head.
“I-I don’t know who they are exactly,” she explains. “But it happened a few nights ago. I was in a tavern?—”
“I can’t believe you snuck out to a tavern,” Blossom mutters under her breath, but we all keep our eyes fixed on Fern.
“I overheard some men talking about a soldier they had some issues with.” She swallows. “The bartender told them that they should speak to the Scorpion, and thathewould sort them out. I don’t know what ‘sort them out’ means, but perhaps if we find this Scorpion man then he can sort out Prince Hugo too.” Her shy expression turns hopeful. “Maybe he can make it so we never have to see him again.”
“But where can we find this Scorpion?” I ask. ‘Sort him out’ meant nothing to me either, but if Fern was right – if it meant we’ll never have to see Hugo again… I’d give the Scorpion my entire jewellery collection.
“I’m not sure where he is.” Our sixth sister shrugs. “But I overheard them say something about a place called Night Alley. I bet we could find him there.”
“Tell me you’re not seriously considering this.” Blossom almost chokes. “I am not leaving this palace. Not under any circumstances.”
“Then don’t come with me,” I tell her. The skirt of my nightgown spins as I face the rest of the girls. “Does anyone know anything about this Night Alley place?”
“We could search the maps in the library!” Gilia suggests.
I nod. “That’s a good idea. We’ll start looking tomorrow. We’ll need as much information as we can get. We?—”
“Ami, no. This is foolish. You are not leaving the palace.” Blossom shoots up from my chaise longue. “This idea… it’s far too dangerous. Ridiculously so. Have you forgotten all our lessons? The ruffians out there? What the peasants will do to unsuspecting princesses?” Worry pools in her eyes as she shakes her head. “Ami, you can’t go.”
“Unless anyone has any better ideas, we don’t have a choice,” I say matter-of-factly. “That foul prince is going to marry one of us, and if there’s any chance we can stop this, then we have to try.” My pounding heart is louder than the crackling fireplace as my hands become fists. “Now, who’s coming with me?”
