**here you guys go. Hope this helps with some unanswered questions.**

Chapter 32

"Prince Tristran fell in love with a farm boy? That's his big secret?" Ari exclaimed. He seemed almost disappointed, as if he was expecting something more explosive.

"Wait, wait. I'm confused," said Aveline. "So all the times that you said Tristran ran away from home, he was with Jamie's brother?"

"Yes," Lyla confirmed. She nearly felt like laughing- maniacally, with tears flooding her cheeks- but laughing. She'd known Tristran's whereabouts the entire time; the answer was hidden in a memory, one she'd carefully hidden from months before. "So that's what he meant by ironic."

"What?"

"Ari, Aveline." Lyla turned to them eagerly. "I never told you this, but a little while ago I caught Tristran sneaking out of the palace. He was with a boy I had never seen before, and they were holding hands." She forced herself to slow down in her excitement. "Tristran made me promise to keep his secret, and I did."

She remembered the scene as clear as day; it was one of those many nights at the palace when she couldn't sleep. She'd been sitting on her favorite perch in the palace; a small marble ledge just perfect for someone her size to dangle her legs over and scan the kingdom at twilight, when the heat had cooled down and the small desert reptiles came out of hiding to scamper around the desert.

Hearing a noise down below, she'd scaled her way down the palace wall in a matter of seconds; only to find Prince Tristran mounting an unknown horse, clasping the rough hand of a boy she had never seen before.

"Promise me you won't say anything," he'd all but begged her, his face white and frantically pleading. "Promise me."

Perhaps that small, pivotal moment in time was why Lyla felt so connected to her royal cousin, why she'd searched for him so determinedly. That small weakness of his had shown her that there was someone else in the palace who didn't want to be there. Someone who longed for something more than the stiff rules they were wrestled into obeying. Someone else who felt... trapped.

"I never did tell anyone," she murmured, dragging herself back to the present.

Her companions were goggling at her with expressions of horror.
"The boy we saw just now," Ari spluttered, "Ben, or whatever... You've seen him with Tristran before? And you didn't think to tell us? Do you know how pertinent that would have been to the investigation?!"

"I know, but I promised him, Ari."

Ari didn't look convinced, so Lyla plowed on. "But, you see, the irony he was talking about in his letter— he meant that this is the second time he's gotten into trouble with that boy, and the second time I've been there to rescue him."

"Ben," Jamie corrected. "He and Tristran seemed happy together... and our parents were ecstatic, of course. This was the perfect scenario; they thought that Ben had somehow seduced the prince, and they would constantly dream up these schemes to live off of Tristran's generosity..." she shook her head. "Ben would have none of it. He didn't like taking Tristran to our village, and he was very secretive about their relationship. He knew that our families would take advantage."

Jamie frowned. "And then one day, Ben was acting strangely. I heard him arguing with our parents for a long time before he went to bed, but I couldn't tell what about. And when I asked him what was wrong, he told me that Tristran was in danger, and that mother and father were a part of it. He asked me to deliver a note to the Queen of Apreuna for him."

Lyla's jaw dropped. "You delivered the anonymous note."

"Ben wrote it. I didn't even know what was inside! I hadn't known it then, but... he was trying to warn her." Jamie looked up, and her eyes were pink and unhappy. "By the time I got back, Ben, everyone... was gone. And then the other royals went missing. I had no idea what was happening, but I knew they were somehow going to use Tristran."

"They sure did," Ari said, blankly. "They used him to kidnap fourteen other royals and now they're forcing them to marry their children."

"Then they're made royal by extension," Jamie added.

"So?" Lyla was puzzled. "The monarchies would never accept them. The Hapsburgs would be executed as soon as they came out of hiding." She couldn't imagine Queen Rowena ever allowing the people who kidnapped Tristran to take a single step into her palace, married or not.

"Not if they wait," Aveline said slowly.

"What?"

"I don't think the Hapsburgs were planning on coming out of hiding anytime soon. Tristran said it in his letter; they were planning on keeping them for a long time. I think... I think they were going to marry the royals off and then wait for them to reproduce." Aveline swallowed. "If the royals and the Hapsburgs have children, it changes everything. It legitimizes their mixed bloodlines. If they come out of hiding then, the monarchies will have no choice but to adopt the Hapsburgs into the royal line-"

"Because they'll share grandchildren," Lyla moaned. The ground suddenly seemed to be swaying beneath her feet. "Oh, no, their horrible plan might actually work."

"What are we going to do?!"

"There's movement from the tent," Eli reported. Everyone followed his gaze to where Ben's auburn head was peeking out from underneath the red flap. Jamie started to climb to her feet.

Finally Ben moved a little ways away from the hideout. He planting his hands on his hips and scanned the forest, his brows drawing together.

"Jamie?" He hissed. "Are you there?"

"I have to go to him," Jamie insisted. She lunged forward, but Ari caught her arm.

"If anyone sees us, we'll be shot," he reminded her sharply. Jamie twisted out of his grasp and cupped her hands to her mouth.

"Ben!" She whisper-yelled. Ben's head snapped in their direction and as he caught sight of his sister his face broke out into a small grin.

Lyla's companions shifted uncomfortably as Ben jogged over to them, casting surreptitious glances behind him to make sure he wasn't being watched.

"I think we can trust him," she assured Ari and Aveline.

Ben stopped short a few feet away from the cave, hesitance lacing his features.
Up close, Lyla could see how he had caught Prince Tristran's interest; his familiarly masculine appearance was easy and attractive. Thick brown waves shaded his arched eyebrows, his lips full and naturally tilting upwards. Curved muscles stuck out slightly underneath his tunic. His light, deep-set eyes were not unlike his sisters, but they crinkled at the corners, suggesting an openness about him that was unaffectedly appealing.

"Jamie," he addressed her with a sad smile, "You found us. I knew you would."

Jamie, understandably, seemed to be fighting back tears. "Where does everyone think I am?"

"I told them you were traveling. Frankly, Father was too preoccupied to question my weak excuse."

She sniffed and scuffed her boot in the dirt. "I delivered the notes, Ben, just as you asked. But I was too late."

"It's not your fault. I only have myself to blame for this whole mess." Ben's hands found his way into his pockets. "I'm sorry I ran earlier," he apologized. "We didn't want to lead you here personally in case someone was watching. But you heard our conversation?"

"We heard enough."
His mouth set grimly. "They've really done it this time."

Lyla couldn't help herself. "Where is Tristran?" She blurted.

Ben's eyes rested calmly on her, recognition dawning on his features. "Lady Lyla, is it?"

"Just Lyla."

"Tristran- the prince, that is... he isn't permitted outside without an escort. None of them are. I had to beg just to be allowed take him to the marketplace." His head dipped, as if he was ashamed. "We have met before, Lyla. I'm sorry we haven't been properly introduced, circumstances being as they are." The sorrow in his expression deepened, and Lyla understood that he was apologizing for much more.

She had no idea what to say. She settled for a flustered nod.

Ben addressed Jamie once more. "I'd hoped you'd make it here, though from the looks of it, you didn't do it on your own," he continued, his gaze landing with interest on the ragtag little group who had stood up behind her.

"I'm Eli," said Eli, sticking out his hand. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Oh," Jamie exclaimed, flustered as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "These are my... they were hired to rescue the royals."

Had she almost said, friends? That was a bit of an odd thought. Were they friends?
That wasn't the point.

Ari folded his arms. "You're the one who left us those clues?"

Ben shrugged modestly. "Tristran and I, yes."

"I've told them all I know, which isn't much," Jamie told him. "Ben, what happened?!"

Ben sighed, playing his fingers on his thighs.

"I met Tristran for the first time in a field next to the Apreuna palace." He cleared his throat. "He had left in a hurry, angry from an argument he'd had with his mother, and I was working the fields. I'm afraid I might have spooked his horse. He was thrown from the saddle, cursing like a madman the whole way to the ground." A ghost of a smile flashed on his face. "I had no idea who he was, at first. I apologized, extended a hand to help him up, and he stopped and just.. looked at me." Ben's voice grew quiet. "He wasn't rude, or indignant that I didn't recognize him. He just looked surprised."

"He was the most beautiful person I had ever seen."

"I had no idea how dangerous it was, at the time. I had never been in love before, so I was careless." Ben's expression changed, then.

"And then when everyone found out I seeing the prince, they dreamt up these schemes to marry me off... I suppose they eventually decided that all of the cousins needed to marry a royal. They've gone off the rails, Jamie."
His voice shortened, desperation tinging his tone. "They hired someone to kidnap Tristran while he was on his way to visit me. Auntie threatened to hurt me if he didn't comply with them. Then they forced him to lead the rest of the royals into their trap, one by one."

Ben squeezed his eyes shut, likely trying to hide the tears that clung to his eyelashes. "I knew I had to do something. I thought if I sent you away, Jamie, I could warn the queen and keep you safe at the same time. Tristran and I started leaving clues behind, hoping someone would catch on."

Lyla could hardly believe her ears. At first, she'd almost felt sympathy for the Hapsburgs, who had lost their kingdom so quickly. Now all she felt was anger and fear.

She swallowed. "What about the rest of your cousins? Do they realize they're marrying without the consent of their partners?"

"No, no, they don't know anything." Ben ran a tired hand over the side of his face. "Most of us think the traditions of our parents are stupid. We don't even believe in that old story of our birthright, anyway. Or if it is true, it doesn't really matter anymore. We're poor, and we've accepted that. My cousins are at home, oblivious, and they will remain there until the wedding..." He took a breath. "Which is is next week. All of the women are expected to conceive within the next year."

Lyla felt like throwing up. She stifled her gasp with a hand over her mouth.

Ben shuddered. "I'm sorry," he forced out, unable to look up from the ground, and it almost sounded for a moment as if he was choking on a sob. "I didn't want to hurt anyone. But I failed, and I put the people I care about the most in danger, not to mention dozens of innocent royals. This is all my fault."

Jamie reached out to comfort her brother, but strangely enough, Ari was the one to speak up.

"It's not your fault that your family is insane," he said simply, surprising Lyla for a moment.

"But I knew," Ben sniffled. "I knew what they were capable of, and I continued to see Tristran anyway." He finally looked up, quickly wiping his cheeks. He resembled a miserable little boy just then, hastily trying to hide his tears, and Lyla glanced away, feeling uncomfortable as if she was invading on his vulnerability.

Finally Ben straightened. "I've been gone too long, I have to go. You should leave too, before someone finds you."

"I don't want to leave you here," Jamie told him, and Lyla silently agreed with her. They'd only just found the royals, and she was reluctant to abandon them already, especially now that she knew the fate that awaited them.

Ben gave a wry smile. "I'll take care of them, don't worry." He took hold of Jamie's hand and pressed it gently. "Next Wednesday, at sunset. Be here. With help. Please."

Jamie's brother pulled away, disappearing into the trees in a matter of seconds, leaving his audience stunned into silence and alone in a secluded forest that held far too many secrets.