Rachelle McCalla - Royal Heist

Just friends had never looked so difficult.

* * *

Ruby felt her heart heave a sigh of relief at the sight of Galen. His face was starting to heal. She felt bad about his injuries.

More than that, she was relieved that he’d arrived to escort her to Stasi’s studio. The more she’d thought about the possibility of someone breaking into the studio, the more she feared she’d left too much information within easy reach of a thief. Papers she still needed could be filed away in locked cabinets. She’d shred anything that was no longer necessary.

The future of Tate Jewelry rested on the success of her royal jewel replicas. If thieves got their hands on that information ahead of time, Ruby didn’t know how she’d salvage her family’s stores. Everything her parents had worked so hard for all their lives would be lost. How would she earn back their respect then?

“Thanks for helping me today,” Ruby said with sincerity as she pulled her apartment door closed behind her.

“No problem.”

But Ruby suspected it might be a problem. “You’re not in uniform.” She’d immediately noticed his green polo shirt and blue jeans. As they trailed through the hall and down the stairs to the door that led out through the back palace wall, she asked, “Are you off duty?”

“Technically I’m supposed to be off today—”

“I can’t impose on your personal time.” Ruby slipped in front of him as he reached for the door handle, as if she could physically block him from heading outside with her. She had enough reservations about spending so much time around him. Certainly she shouldn’t infringe on his personal time.

“It’s fine.” Galen grinned one of his half smiles that was almost a smirk. “Captain Selini didn’t have any qualms about calling me in today. He’s working on his day off, too. Besides, securing these papers is important, right? I’d never forgive myself if anything happened to them. Or to you.” As he spoke, he reached past her for the door handle, his last three words softer than the rest, as though he’d realized at the last second he shouldn’t speak them aloud, but by then they were already spoken.

Ruby’s heart gave a crazy leap, but her feet froze in place. Too late, she stepped away so he could reach the door. His hand brushed her arm, and she felt an embarrassed flush rise through her. “Oh!” She ought to protest further, but words failed her. She had to focus all her suddenly depleted brainpower on stepping out of the way of the door as he opened it for her.

She ducked around his arms, met his eyes briefly and blushed deeper. “Warm day today.” She fanned herself as she stepped outside, hoping he’d attribute her sudden color to the heat of the mid-September weather.

“A beautiful day,” Galen observed once he’d pulled the door securely closed behind them. When making their plans the previous evening, they’d debated whether to walk or take a car. Given the lack of parking, taking a car created more difficulties than it solved, taking them far out of range of the palace and the helpful presence of the nearby royal guard—and also introduced the possibility that Ruby’s attacker might lie in wait behind the car, if he decided to show up at all. Since the man had only appeared at dusk before, they could assume Ruby would be safest on foot in the bright light of day.

As they started down the cobbled street toward Stasi’s studio, Ruby tried frantically to think of something to say to Galen to break the awkward silence. They’d had no trouble chatting over supper last night, but Kirk and Stasi had been with them then. Kirk had told stories about Galen, of the time he’d helped him change a flat tire, and how Galen had been sent by the old, corrupt head of the guard to intercept Kirk and Stasi as they’d tried to escape from the insurgents following the coup against the monarchy earlier that summer.

Rather than stop them, Galen had told Kirk to give him a black eye. Galen had used the injury as an excuse, claiming Kirk had overpowered him.

Galen had turned red at the story and insisted his actions hardly made him a hero, though Kirk and Stasi both insisted that he’d saved their lives and quite possibly the crown. As far as Ruby was concerned, Galen was a hero.

Given the time they would be spending together, she felt she ought to clarify her statements from the summer before, and apologize for the harsh way her words had come out. But the mere thought of that encounter sent embarrassment through her all the way to her toes. She couldn’t bring herself to raise the subject.

To her relief, Galen picked a different topic to discuss.

“I don’t know a whole lot about jewelry,” he confessed as they walked along the street at a leisurely pace. “The princess’s designs must be something special though if these guys are after them.”

“Oh, they are.” Ruby felt a rush of relief. She could talk about jewelry all day. “Stasi’s always been a talented designer. Her pieces were selling extremely well, even before she let her name be attached to them. Now that people know they’re designed by a princess, they’re even more popular.”

“But I don’t understand when she says she’s designing the royal jewels. I thought all the crown jewels already existed.”

“The ancient crown jewels are hidden in a secret vault,” Ruby related. “Stasi uses them as inspiration for her own pieces, and since I’m her assistant, I have access to the vault. The way I understand it, every member of the royal family has their own jewels. The reigning king is crowned with the same crown worn by his ancestors, but other members of the royal family have jewels designed for them personally, and each king throughout history has had his own personal jewelry, including a unique signet ring.”

“So Princess Stasi’s designs don’t replace the ones in the secret vault?”

“No, but most of them will probably end up in the vault. It’s loaded with jewelry from the Lydian royalty of the past twenty centuries.”

Galen let out a low whistle. “Would I love to see that. I’ve studied the history of the monarchy—royal guards are required to memorize the list of kings and queens, along with the dates of their coronations.”

“That must be quite a list. Lydia has a long history.”

“It is a long list, but I’m glad we’re required to learn it. I think it gives us a better appreciation of what we’re guarding. Not just a building. Not just people, but a long legacy of faithful leaders who’ve given their lives to the glory of God and the welfare of the Lydian people.”

Ruby’s heart swelled as Galen spoke. She heard the note of awe, the trial-tested devotion he felt toward the land that he loved. It left her at a loss for words. He’d always had that love for his country—a love that reminded her why she and Galen could never be together.

He loved the kingdom of Lydia. She loved the tiny kingdom, too, and found it increasingly difficult to leave at the end of each summer visit, but she didn’t belong in Lydia. Her place was back in the United States, running Tate Jewelry at her parents’ side. It was her duty. Until she repaid her parents for her betrayal years before, she’d always be bound by her responsibility to the family business.

Ruby tried to focus on that goal. She looked ahead of them toward the corner they’d turn to reach Stasi’s studio.

A burly figure hurried across the street, glancing briefly their way before disappearing in the direction of Stasi’s studio.

With a gasp, Ruby grabbed Galen’s arm.

“What is it?”

“Did you see that guy?”

“The bald man?”

“With the tattoo of the eagle on his arm?”

“Was it an eagle?” Galen increased his pace to match Ruby’s as she hurried toward the corner. “I couldn’t see the whole thing. His sleeve covered part of it.”