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Chapter fourteen.

Estrella and Jackson were putting the horses back into the stables when they heard it. The loud, blaring alarm that made Estrella's ears throb and her heart pound.

"What is that, Your Majesty?" Jackson yelled over the siren's warning wails. She could barely hear him. She could barely hear herself think.

She grabbed his hand, then dove behind a large pile of hay. She knew that it wouldn't hide them well, but it was better than standing out in the open. "The rebels are here," she said in his ear. She felt him tense as he wrapped his arms around her and buried them farther into the hay.

"I'll keep you safe, Your Majesty," he whispered into her hair, but it was hardly noticeable over the sirens and the sounds of guards shouting. She hoped everyone got to safety. The last thing she needed was another death.

She found her hands flying to her flat stomach, as if to shield her unborn heir from any rebels who found them. She could hear their footsteps if focused hard enough. She could hear a lot of different things, Jackson's ragged breathing being another one.

Her heart pounded as she kept herself pressed against Jackson. Would this be the end? Would they find her?

"Any luck on finding them?"

She couldn't keep back her gasp, even after Jackson pressed his hand against her mouth. "Your Majesty, we have to be quiet," he whispered to her. But she couldn't register the words. Josef was right there. The man who had killed her father. She could feel her chest start to bubble with anger as she teared up. She wanted to make him pay.

"We have been unsuccessful in finding Princess Estrella," another voice spoke, "Brooke said she would be out with one of the selected today."

Estrella curled closer to Jackson as she heard someone bang their fist against something. The sound echoed for what seemed like forever, then Josef spoke again.

"Do we know where Brooke is?" His voice was deep and calm, but it wasn't hard to tell how angry he was. It scared her.

"No, not yet."

"Get out of here and find Brooke and the damn Princess!" He yelled. Estrella to jumped and Jackson tightened his hold protectively.

"Who's Brooke?" Jackson whispered to Estrella, his warm, moist breath tickling her neck.

She shrugged. She had no idea who Brooke was, she couldn't even remember the last time a Brooke had even been in the castle.

"I have no idea," she whispered back, then laid her head on his shoulder. She could feel the adrenalin rush beginning to wear off, and it was leaving her exhausted.

"You should rest, Your Majesty," he said, then shifted as if to make her more comfortable. Though there was nothing he could do that would make the sharp hay more comfortable. "I'll keep watch."

She nodded and yawned. "Thank you," she told him, then drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

•••

"Ella!"

Estrella startled awake at the sound of her name being called. How long had she been asleep? And was that Nick calling her? Because if he was, she would politely pass on spending time with him.

She looked over at Jackson, who's eyes were closed and was softly snoring. There was hay in his hair, poking out at random spots and giving his hair a messy, bed-headed look. "Jackson, wake up," she said as she gently shook his arm.

Jackson rubbed his eyes, then opened them wide and look around in panic. "Are you okay? What's going on?" He asked in a hushed whisper.

"Ella! It's safe!" Nick called, his voice louder than the first time. It sounded almost desperate, like he needed to find her.

"Oh," Jackson said, then stood up and stretched, "let's get out of here."

Estrella grabbed his hand and pulled him back down to the floor. "Are you crazy?" She hissed angrily in his ear. "What about the rebels?" The rebels could be using Nick as bait, everyone in Illéa knew that the two of them were friends, or had been friends.

Jackson's eyes widened as he paled. "But he said it was safe!" He squeaked as he looked around.

"Shh!" She snapped. "Didn't you hear what the rebels wanted? They wanted me. They know that Nick is one of my friends and would have no-"

"Hey, guys!" Nick greeted, then jumped off the pile of hay, his sudden words making Estrella and Jackson jump as the hay fell on their heads and into their hair. "You two really should work on your whispering skills. What if I had been a rebel? I could hear you from the stable entrance."

Estrella rolled her eyes. "Let's just get back to the castle," she said, then stood up and started walking in the direction of the castle. She wanted to avoid Nick for as long as possible.

"Estrella, there's more," Nick said as he sprinted a few steps to catch up with her. Why wouldn't he leave her alone?

"What is it, Nicholas?" She shouted at him, and Jackson took a step back. She was so tired, every part of her body hurt, she wanted her dad. But no, she was stuck with Nick. She was stuck with the boy who kissed her. She was stuck with the boy she used to call her best friend. And she hated every moment of it.

Nick bit his lip, then sighed. He didn't make eye contact with Estrella, not that she cared. "A few of the selected are unaccounted for."

Estrella turned around, her heart pounding as she tried to register Nick's words. The rebels had gotten to the selected? "What?" She asked.

"Who's missing?" Jackson asked as he watched the exchange from a few steps away.

Nick looked over at him, then sighed. "Gillian Dukes, Marvel DeCarte, and Ethan Janssen," he told them. "The guards are going around and looking for them in the safe rooms, but we think that the rebels got them."

She nodded, trying to calm herself. Stress wasn't good for the baby. "Is that all?" She asked. She needed to talk to her mother about all of this. She needed to ask who Brooke was.

"Well... No," he began, then scratched the back of his head. "Queen Kiara is missing too."

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