A Lost Princess (Belles & Bullets Book 2) Read online

  A LOST PRINCESS

  Caylen McQueen

  ©Copyright 2017 Caylen McQueen

  1

  Princess Lyneah failed to dodge yet another puddle, but it didn't matter. Her slippers were already soaked, through and through. The Lundun streets were littered with puddles, which made it nearly impossible to avoid them. Her feet were wet and chilled to the bone, and an angry red blister was forming on her heel.

  Lyneah fled from the castle three weeks ago, but she had enough money to survive for six months—assuming she didn't stay in expensive hotels. Her current place of residence was a dingy hole, barely suitable for rats, and even less suitable for a princess. But as long as the inn was cheap, she didn't care. A few cockroaches and tattered bed sheets wouldn't deter her from her goal.

  She tried to blend in with the common folk, but it was difficult, if not impossible, when even her worst dress was fancier than the average peasant's attire. Everywhere she went, Lyneah attracted stares from curious passersby. They knew she was out of place. She even tried to put soot on her cheek once, hoping it made her look less regal, but she couldn't bear to have a filthy face. As soon as she had a chance, she scrubbed off the hideous smudge.

  When she wandered into one of the more dodgy areas of Lundun, Lyneah always kept her hand on her gun. The pub she ventured into today was no exception. The shouts of rowdy men and bad piano music assaulted her ears when she stepped inside. Lyneah kept her head down as she approached the bar, making eye contact with as few people as possible. She carried a lot of money with her, and she didn't want to get robbed.

  Lyneah needed information, but she didn't know who to ask. She had already tracked her target from Lester City to Lundun, at which time his trail went cold. After a week in the big city, she was starting to get discouraged. What if no one knew where to find the notorious rebel? What if her search never turned up anything? After a week without a lead, imminent failure was something she had to consider. But she had to keep trying. She needed him.

  “The sooner I can get out of this town, the better,” Lyneah whispered to herself. There were so many steam engines chugging all over the city that her hair always smelled like smoke and metal. It was unpleasant, to say the least.

  The first person she approached was a white-haired, thin-lipped man drinking shots at the bar. With her hand secretly positioned over her gun, she sat beside him and ordered a drink of her own. After she paid, and her drink was poured, Lyneah turned to the white-haired man and greeted him with a polite, “Hello there. Might I ask you a question, sir?”

  When the man turned in her direction, he looked a bit surprised to see a well-dressed beauty at his side. “Oh, aye,” he answered quietly. “Anythin' for a lovely lady such as yerself.”

  “You see, I'm looking for someone...” Lyneah started twirling her hair around two fingers. It was a decidedly flirty gesture, and it was absolutely intentional. As long as she flirted with men, she held their attention longer. “I was wondering if you could help me find him?”

  “Who are you lookin for, love?” the man slurred, likely because he had been drinking for some time already.

  “I'm looking for a man named Rory McCray,” she casually told him. “Have you heard of him?”

  “Aye,” the man answered affirmatively. “Everyone with ears has heard of Rory. But what would you want with a bloke like him?”

  “Sorry, but I'd rather not reveal my intentions.”

  The man's brow was pinched with concern. “I hope you're not putting yourself in danger, love.”

  “I appreciate your concern, but I don't shy away from danger,” she told him. “Now... I need to find Rory. I've heard he's in Lundun. Do you have any idea where he might be?”

  “Sorry, but I can't help you there.” As he watched her fingers weave around her hair, he grinned like a smitten fool. “But if you'd let me buy you a drink...”

  “Thank you, but I really must be going.” Lyneah drained her glass and rose from her stool. “Farewell.”

  When she left the bar, Lyneah briefly glanced over her shoulder. She caught the white-haired man licking his lips as he watched her go. “Men...” she whispered under her breath. “You give them a bit of attention, and they're so easy to manipulate.”

  Lyneah approached a second man: a bearded, girthy vagabond who burped when she came near.

  “Um... excuse me, sir.” When she had his attention, Lyneah flashed her sweetest smile. “May I have a moment of your time?”

  “Girl, you can have more than a moment!” The bearded rogue patted the chair beside him. “I'd be happy to give you all the time in the world!”

  Lyneah meant to look as friendly as possible, but an accidental sneer appeared on her nose when she sat beside him. As she smoothed her hands over her dress, she said, “I'm looking for someone.”

  “I hope you're looking for me,” the man said with a chuckle. “That'd really make my day!”

  Lyneah watched him raise a frothy mug to his mouth and noisily slurp it. Copious amounts of foam seeped into his beard as he drank. In her gut, Lyneah already knew he wasn't going to be much help. “I'm looking for a man named Rory McCray. Do you have any idea where I might find him?”

  “No, but if I knew where he was, I'd shake his hand and offer to buy 'im a drink. The man's a bloody hero, he is!”

  Lyneah's eyebrows shot up at his comment. “Is that so?”

  “Aye. The royal family's been making too many shit decisions. We're being severely overtaxed by those tyrants. Our once-great country's on the road to ruin because o' them!”

  Though she was part of the “tyrannical” royal family herself, Lyneah was fascinated by his opinion. “And you really think Rory can save us?” she asked.

  “Rory bloody McCray is raising an army, god bless 'im. He's the only one who's hitting back against those royals. Mark my words, he's gonna set things right!”

  “But it's really only the queen who's corrupt,” Lyneah tried to argue. “If the country's been led astray, it's solely because of her.”

  “Nah. The whole family is rotten to the core. The queen, the princess, the king. I hope they all go down in flames.”

  Lyneah suddenly felt exceedingly uncomfortable. If his opinions were commonplace, she was glad no one recognized her.

  “Why don't I buy you a drink, beautiful?” the bearded man offered. “We can toast to Rory McCray. We can toast to revolutions!”

  “I appreciate the offer, but I'm afraid I must pass.” Lyneah rose from her hair with a sigh. She could tell she was already on the verge of another hopelessly fruitless day. “Thank you for your insight.”

  She left his table and drifted to another, and then another. She asked five different people if they knew anything about Rory McCray, but no one had even a kernel of information to impart. If not for her tenacious spirit, she might have given up her search—but Princess Lyneah wasn't one to give up quickly. She was determined to find Rory, one way or another.

  “I'll try again tomorrow,” Lyneah told herself as she exited the pub. “And then the next day, and the next day. Whatever it takes.”

  When Lyneah realized she was talking to herself, she groaned. She had been on her own for so long, talking to herself was becoming a common occurrence. “Maybe I'm going mad,” she whispered aloud. Many times, she wished she had brought a companion from the castle. More specifically, she wished she had brought Roderick with her. She missed her beau more than anyone, and it would have been comforting to have him at her side, but there was a reason she didn't take him with her. If she dragged him all over the country on a wild-goose chase, he would have certainly lost his job. Not only that, she wasn't entirel
y sure she could trust him.

  Besides, it was better to go alone. She did not want to risk her anonymity by having anyone with her. Lyneah could only rely on herself to be completely discreet.

  When she left the pub and headed back to the inn, the street was surprisingly empty. Lyneah's fingers curled around her gun as she marched forward. She could never be too careful. A deserted street was a prime place for a bandit to attack her.

  But it was the last place she expected to be ambushed with a hug.

  “Kitt!” the young man shrieked. He practically came out of nowhere, capturing her in his arms like a tidal wave. “K-K-Kitt! I-I-I've been worried sick! Thank God you're alright! Where in the world have you been?

  2

  Though Lyneah allowed him to hug her, she was thoroughly confused. He was clearly mistaking her for someone else, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, Lyneah could see how his error could prove beneficial. Pretending to be someone else, if done carefully, could help her conceal her identity.

  “Honestly, Kitt!” The young man cupped her cheeks in his hands as he stared into her eyes. He examined her closely, and yet he still thought she was someone else. Kitt. He thought she was someone named Kitt. Lyneah was intrigued to know she looked so much like a peasant girl. “Where have you been hiding?”

  It might have been cruel, but Lyneah decided to play along. Fortunately for her, he had just left work and was still wearing a name tag. Tobias. The young man's name was Tobias. “It's good to see you, Tobias,” Lyneah pulled him into another hug and cradled his head to her shoulder. “I'm sorry if I've worried you.”

  “I was m-m-more than worried! I was gutted!” When Tobias lifted his head, his brow was knit. “And you still haven't answered my q-q-question, Kitt! You've been gone for days! Where does someone go to disappear for so long?”

  “I'm sorry,” Lyneah repeated her apology. “I just needed to get away, I suppose.”

  “From your stepmother?”

  If he was going to give her a reason, Lyneah was going to take it. “Yes.”

  “If Raine bothers you that much, I would have let you stay with me!” Tobias' lower lip slipped into a pout. “I know my flat is tiny, but I would've let you stay with me as long as you wanted to! I would have even given you my bed!”

  At first, she thought Tobias was a lover of Kitt's. But if he was giving up his bed for her, Lyneah's theory dissipated. “I really don't want to inconvenience you, though.” Lyneah wished she knew more about Kitt, then she could play the role more convincingly.

  “You could never inconvenience me. Never ever.” Tobias pulled her into yet another hug. “I-I-I'm sorry. I don't mean to sm-smother you with hugs, I just feel so relieved. When you were missing, I thought something terrible must have happened to you.”

  “No. I'm okay.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Lyneah smiled at him. She felt another twinge of guilt in her chest as she studied his face. He desperately wanted to find this girl named Kitt, and it was probably wicked to trick him. “Yes. I'm absolutely fine.”

  “What have you done with your hair?” Tobias lightly touched the ends of her red locks, which fell well below her shoulders. “It's so long!”

  “It's a... a wig,” Lyneah answered quickly.

  “And you're wearing a dress.” Tobias' nose wrinkled at her choice of clothing. “That's odd.”

  Lyneah didn't quite know how to talk her way out of that one, so she simply shrugged.

  “Well... it doesn't matter. I'm just glad to have you back!” Tobias leaned forward, as if he was thinking about kissing her forehead. But then he changed his mind and pulled back before his lips touched her head. “W-What are you going to do now?”

  “I guess I should probably go home.” Of course, Lyneah didn't know where home was, so she needed his assistance. “Will you walk me home? Please?”

  “Of course!” Tobias took her arm and led her toward the train station. “But if you don't want to go back home... if your stepmother's too overbearing... you always have a place with me!”

  “Thanks. I'll be okay.” After dealing with her own mother her entire life, Lyneah could handle anything and anyone. She wasn't deterred by Kitt's stepmother in the slightest.

  “You know, believe it or not, even Lucky was worried about you!” Tobias exclaimed.

  “Oh... is that so?” Of course, she had no idea who Lucky was, so she simply nodded and pretended to look surprised.

  “Yeah. He acts tough, but I really do think he cares. He'll be glad to know you're okay.” Together, they stepped up to the platform and waited for their train to arrive. They could hear the whistle blowing in the distance, letting them know they wouldn't have long to wait. “P-P-Please don't scare me like that again, Kitt. You're my b-b-best friend. If anything happened to you, I don't think I could recover.”

  Lyneah didn't say anything. She just pressed her lips together and waited for the train to approach. Tobias seemed like a decent young man, and her deception made her feel like a fiend. At some point, she would have to tell him his friend was still missing. She hadn't known him long, but she could already imagine how devastated he would be.

  Tobias and Lyneah climbed aboard the train and sat at a table across from each other. He couldn't stop staring at her. From ear-to-ear, his smile was brimming with joy.

  “Tobias... thanks for being so kind to me.” Lyneah's gratitude was genuine. She had been alone for so long, she was desperate for human interaction. The kind words of a stranger—even a stranger who thought she was someone else—were invaluable to her.

  “Why would you think I'd be anything but kind?” he asked. “As I said, you're my best friend. I'm a little disappointed that you d-d-disappeared, but I'm not going to berate you for it. Right now, I'm just glad to know you're safe.”

  Lyneah's smile was nearly as wide as his. Tobias really was adorable. His blonde locks were curly and fluffy, like the hair of a cherub. His freckles reminded her of Roderick, and his stammer was strangely endearing. Lyneah was determined to keep him close as she continued her search for Rory—at least while she was in Lundun.

  “You know...” When Tobias started speaking, his eyes looked sad. “For awhile, I thought you were trying to get away from m-me. I thought I scared you away when I said I wanted to m-ma-marry you.”

  Lyneah's eyes widened. So they weren't lovers, but Tobias was hoping for something more? Lyneah felt like she had learned a lot in just a short amount of time. “No, Tobias. It wasn't you. You never scared me away,” she told him.

  “G-Good...” His dissipating smile slowly returned.

  When Lyneah peered out the filthy train window, her thoughts drifted to her own life. Had she stayed in the castle, she would have met Prince Malik by now. Avoiding her fiance was one of the many perks of having escaped the castle. Even though her mother was determined to force the union, Lyneah didn't want to marry Prince Malik. Not now. Not ever.

  “We're almost there,” Tobias said. “Are you nervous about seeing Raine again?”

  Lyneah shrugged and sighed. “Not really.”

  The train ground to a halt, Tobias and Lyneah disembarked, and they headed toward Kitt's house. Lyneah caught herself sneering as she observed her surroundings. They were in one of the poorest parts of Lundun. The air was dense with smog, the street was a blanket of filth, and the houses were dilapidated hovels. By pretending to be Kitt, Lyneah was hoping for free room and board. But she couldn't imagine living in a slum like this, not even for a day.

  “Well, here we are,” Tobias announced, stopping in front of one of the hovels. He started to rap on the door, then he slowly withdrew his hand. “Are you ready?”

  “Of course.” He might've been afraid to knock, but Lyneah feared no one. Her knuckle fearlessly hammered the door. “I suppose my stepmother might be angry about my prolonged absence, but what's the worst that could happen?”

  When Raine answered the door, Lyneah realized the stepmother was much younger than
expected. She was in her mid-thirties, and her hair was wound into curlers. Her full lips were dipping into a disapproving frown, and there was a cavernous wrinkle between her eyes as she glowered.

  “Kitt!” Raine shrieked. “My goodness, I never thought I'd see the day! You actually came back?”

  “Yes.” Lyneah brushed past the stepmother and forced her way into the tiny house. “I've returned.”

  “Were you cavorting with Tobias?” After she asked the question, Raine slammed the door in the young man's face. “I bet you were! You know I wouldn't approve!”

  Lyneah halted in front of a cracked looking glass and observed her reflection. Her similarities to Kitt must have been so great that seeing her would be like seeing a mirror image. “So what if I was?” Lyneah asked. She didn't want to get Tobias into trouble, but she didn't appreciate the woman's accusatory tone.

  “So you were with him! And I always thought Tobey was such a nice boy! A sweet boy! Now I know he's just a rapscallion like all the rest!” As Lyneah explored the house, Raine followed closely, shrieking like a harpy. “Tell me... did you give yourself to him?”

  Lyneah looked back at Raine and rolled her eyes. In her opinion, Kitt's exploits were not the stepmother's business.

  “Please tell me you're still chaste!” Raine gasped. “I had always hoped to marry you off to a rich gentleman, but no proper gentleman would want a lady who is used goods!”

  “Used goods?” the princess shrieked. As an unmarried woman who had bedded a few men herself, Lyneah found the term insulting. “How dare you say that!”

  “Oh god...” Raine clapped a hand over her heart and sank into a nearby chair. “If you are used goods, don't tell your father. Don't tell anyone! We must keep this a secret. But I want you to know, I am deeply, deeply ashamed of you!”

  “Well, you don't need to be.” Lyneah crossed her arms as she studied the stepmother. “I haven't actually confirmed your fears, have I?”