Chapter Five-Amber Unmasked.
The Queen scowled when the spy came in. "First, take that pair of underpants off your head at once. Then give me your report and get out of here."
"Your Majesty, she...she referred to Grand Duke Lariton as her father and kissed him on both cheeks. And it was the Grand Duke who got her to ask that his former realm be restored to him." The spy faltered at the sight of the Queen's angry red face.
The Queen strode outside. "Guards, guards, arrest Duke Lariton at once and have him chained up in the torture chamber on a charge of High Treason. And tell my daughter that I want to see her right now."
When Amber arrived the Queen gave her a cold smile. "You're not my daughter. You may look like her, and you may have put on a clever act, but you are not her. Take off your bracelets."
Amber shuddered and did what she was told.A scab from a scratched bite came off and the Queen saw this. "My daughter was not a bite scratcher, but people can change." She smiled. "Do you remember that coup attempt seven years ago when a faction in the Palace Guards tried to kill us both?"
Amber nodded. "Seize her," snapped the Queen. "There was no coup attempt.My guards know the fate of traitors. Take those royal jewels away to my daughter's bedroom as she has no right to wear them. Take Amber to the torture chamber. I want to know where my real daughter is being held captive and who else is involved in this plot."
The guards frogmarched Amber to the iron door of the torture chamber and she saw her father chained up inside. It was not long before she was chained up next to him. The Queen spoke quietly. "I made you a Grand Duke, Lariton.I spared your country when I could have destroyed it. And how do you repay me? By kiddnapping my daughter and putting your own in her place. You will tell me who else was involved in this plot,and you will tell me where my real daughter is, or I will have Amber blinded." And she picked up a poker from a rack of torture tools.
The Queen scowled when the spy came in. "First, take that pair of underpants off your head at once. Then give me your report and get out of here."
"Your Majesty, she...she referred to Grand Duke Lariton as her father and kissed him on both cheeks. And it was the Grand Duke who got her to ask that his former realm be restored to him." The spy faltered at the sight of the Queen's angry red face.
The Queen strode outside. "Guards, guards, arrest Duke Lariton at once and have him chained up in the torture chamber on a charge of High Treason. And tell my daughter that I want to see her right now."
When Amber arrived the Queen gave her a cold smile. "You're not my daughter. You may look like her, and you may have put on a clever act, but you are not her. Take off your bracelets."
Amber shuddered and did what she was told.A scab from a scratched bite came off and the Queen saw this. "My daughter was not a bite scratcher, but people can change." She smiled. "Do you remember that coup attempt seven years ago when a faction in the Palace Guards tried to kill us both?"
Amber nodded. "Seize her," snapped the Queen. "There was no coup attempt.My guards know the fate of traitors. Take those royal jewels away to my daughter's bedroom as she has no right to wear them. Take Amber to the torture chamber. I want to know where my real daughter is being held captive and who else is involved in this plot."
The guards frogmarched Amber to the iron door of the torture chamber and she saw her father chained up inside. It was not long before she was chained up next to him. The Queen spoke quietly. "I made you a Grand Duke, Lariton.I spared your country when I could have destroyed it. And how do you repay me? By kiddnapping my daughter and putting your own in her place. You will tell me who else was involved in this plot,and you will tell me where my real daughter is, or I will have Amber blinded." And she picked up a poker from a rack of torture tools.
