"Mum!" I was out of my seat in an instant. Tea splashed out of my cup as I thrust it onto the tea tray. Ignoring the startled exclamations that rang out, I ran across the room. I wrapped my arms around Mum's waist as she wrapped her arms around me. "You're safe!"

"Oh, my darling girl," Mum said, holding me tight. "I've been so worried about you."
I was so happy, tears welled up in my eyes. Mum didn't smell very well, but it didn't matter.

Someone coughed in the hallway. "Pardon me, ma'am," an unfamiliar voice said. "Can you allow us in?"

Us? I peered over Mum's shoulder. There was an unfamiliar man in a police uniform and beside him was... "Papa!" His face was bruised, and he looked just as dirty as Mum smelled, but he never looked better to me.

He moved around the inspector to join Mum and me. "Hello, dearest," he said, leaning to kiss my forehead. His mustache, unkempt as it was, tickled my forehead. "Are you all right?"

"Better now that I've seen you," I said honestly.

Mum finally let go of me to put her hands on my face. "There is so much we should have told you," she said. Her gaze shifted beyond me. "Wilhelm."

Of course Mum would be so familiar with a king. I turned, reaching my hand back. I was reassured when Papa grasped my fingers tightly. "Excuse me," the inspector said impatiently. "Mr. Holmes?"

"Do let the inspector in," Mr. Holmes requested, sounding amused. "He has had a rather difficult morning."

Mum and I shifted to the side and the inspector squeezed his way into the room. It was becoming crowded with so many people inside. There were not enough chairs for us all to sit. All the men, save for Herr Meyer, were on their feet.

It was difficult to tell who was more shocked, King Wilhelm or Herr Meyer. "Irene!" the king exclaimed. "This is...you are here!"

"So you see," Mum said, her tone cool. She studied him for just a moment, no doubt taking in his thick waist and the silver threads of gray hair in his blonde hair. She then shifted to the consulting detective in the room. "Mr. Holmes. We meet face-to-face at long last."

"Madame, it is a pleasure, despite the circumstances," Mr. Holmes said, offering a courtly bow. "Would you care to sit down so that we may discuss this comfortably? You have had a trying few weeks, I understand."

"Thank you, but only if Aida is next to me," Mum said, putting her arm around my shoulders. "I do not want her out of my sight."

"An understandable sentiment."

Mr. Holmes arranged three chairs together. Mum took one end, I sat in the middle, and then Papa was on my other side. Neither of my parents let go of my hands. "I found them just as you said I would, Mr. Holmes," Inspector Gregson said, his tone serious. "Tied up in the warehouse down by the Thames. I have three people in custody."

"Very good, inspector," Mr. Holmes said. "You didn't have too much trouble, did you?"

"They put up a good fight but nothing we couldn't handle," the inspector said with no little pride. "If there were more involved, we'll soon know it once we begin to question them."

Visibly, Mr. Ware flinched. "Thank you, Inspector," Mr. Holmes said again. He turned his attention to the king. "Your majesty, should we continue this conversation with the inspector with us or would you prefer a more private setting?"

"Privacy, Mr. Holmes," the king said quickly. "There has been a misunderstanding, it is clear. Such a thing does not require the assistance of the police. Not when there are more serious issues at hand."

Was the king trying to flatter the inspector? Inspector Gregson eyed the man with suspicion. "Perhaps if you were to go down to Mrs. Hudson's kitchen," Mr. Holmes said to the man. "I feel we may have need of your services sooner rather than later."

Reluctantly, the inspector withdrew from the room. I couldn't help but wonder what Mr. Holmes expected to happen that would need a police inspector. "Now, your majesty," the detective said, "shall we begin again?"

"You cannot mean to put the blame on us!" Mr. Ware exclaimed. "There is no proof!"

"Proof?" Papa repeated, leaning forward. "It was your letter that drew me to London and you I saw before I was attacked. I may not have it still but I can still swear to its existence. If we were to find my wife's personal maid, I have no doubt she would admit to being bribed to revealing information about my family."

Ware leveled a glare at us for a moment. "And you, Madame?" Mr. Holmes asked, turning back to Mum. "How were you drawn into these men's grasp?"

Mum somehow managed to look down her nose at Herr Meyer and Mr. Ware. "A letter was left for me," she said. "They claimed to have my husband, and the lock of hair they included convinced me. They also said they had Aida in their power, so I left Lynbrook Manor. I now regret such a foolish decision."

"An understandable decision," Mr. Holmes said graciously. "You had no reason not to believe they had your daughter when they'd already proved they had Mr. Norton. They no doubt believed Miss Aida would be the easiest one of you to capture."

And I had given them the most trouble. A rush of pleasure rushed through me as I held back a smirk.I glanced over at Papa's face. Or maybe not.

"It does seem as if there have been many crimes committed against this family," Mr. Holmes said, his tone becoming contemplative. "It would not be hard to prove and I'm sure a jury would take pity on all that they have endured. Especially young Miss Aida."

Perhaps that was my cue to appear small and young and vulnerable. I couldn't manage that at the moment, so I simply smiled at the gathered men. "Miss Hunter will remember Mr. Keene and his friend coming to get me with a forged letter from my father," I said helpfully.

"Ah, Mr. Keene, yes," Mr. Holmes said, turning his gaze on the lackey. "I'm sure the inspector will have a lot of questions for him about his involvement in this."

Keene's face paled at the sudden scrutiny. "I was only doing as I was told," he muttered. "How was I to know the letter wasn't true?"

"That's enough!" Mr. Ware exclaimed. "He has nothing, Keene. Don't give yourself away so easily."

Mr. Holmes' smile became pleased. The group was not as unified as they might hope to appear. It would not take long to have them at each other's throats. Once that happened, it would be easy enough to get the truth from them.

King Wilhelm spoke to Mum in the harsh guttural words of didn't seem to be paying any attention to Mr. Holmes. When Mum didn't respond, he said in English, "The years have been kinder to you than they have to me."

"I would have to agree. And is your queen well?" Mum said, barely glancing at him.

The king's face reddened. "Indeed," he said stiffly. "She is not aware of this situation."

"I am not surprised to hear it." I think, if we had been in the middle of an opera, Mum would have had a magnificent aria to convey her disdain. As it was, she did an admirable job of infusing her words and tone with the feeling. "Though by now, she must be accustomed to the secrets you keep from her."

I couldn't describe the shade of red that took over the king's face. It had purple tones and didn't look healthy at all. There must be few people who were willing to tell him the truth for he seemed unaccustomed to the situation.

"It seems to me we must settle this matter before we continue on," Mr. Holmes said, raising his voice to take control of the room once again. "Madame, is Miss Aida the king's daughter?"

The question was unexpected, to say the least. Papa's fingers tightened around my own. My heart skipped a beat and I turned towards Mum. Unruffled, she shook her head. "She is not," she said.

"But the evidence!" Herr Meyer exclaimed in disbelief. "She is fourteen!"

"Herr Meyer, I am astonished you think you know better than myself," Mum said, her tone as icy as the middle of winter. "Were you present at the time and did not make yourself known to my husband and myself?"

If I'd thought the king's face was red, I was taken aback by the hue Herr Meyer's face took on. Mum shifted her gaze to the king. "I hope I have made myself clear," she said. "Aida is not your daughter. You cannot have her."

"The law," the king said weakly. "She was born while we are married and the timing—"

"And who's fault is that?" Mum demanded. "You ought to have handled that years ago. I had no reason to believe that you did not when you married the princess. First you chase me down when I leave Bohemia, to take something that belonged to me and now you do so again! Have you no shame?"

"I have had no choice!"

"There is always a choice, Wilhelm. You had a choice when you asked me to marry you in secret. You had a choice when you said it was no longer valid. You had a choice when you sent your goons after me fourteen years ago. You had a choice when you sent these men after me this time. Am I to be blamed when the choices you make are idiotic?"

Dr. Watson made a sound like he was choking.

"I did what I had to do!" The king protested, trying to sound haughty. "I have a country to think of."

"Then, you ought to have thought of it before you decided to risk scandal by chasing after me. Even better, you should have dealt with our unfortunate and ill-advised marriage before you married someone else."

If that didn't serve to chasten the man, I didn't know what would. He dropped his gaze and scuffed one shoe against the floor, much like a child would do. "It isn't as simple as that," he muttered. "The scandal!"

"Many a noble name has behaved illogically to prevent scandal," Mr. Holmes commented. "So, does the lady have your word, Your Majesty? Shall we hear no more of this matter?"

"And what price will the king be forced to pay?" Herr Meyer demanded. "Everyone knows an actress is never content with someone's word. They must be paid!"

Mr. Holmes' eyes narrowed. "Has Madame made such demands in the past fourteen years? At any point as she asked for money from His Majesty?"

"She has not," King Wilhem admitted, his tone sheepish. "She gave her word and she has kept it. Just as any man would."

"Then, you shall give your word and we can be done with this matter," Mr. Holmes said. "You both are capable of keeping your word, are you not?"

Papa shifted in his seat and muttered something under his breath.

"I am a king," Wilhelm said, his tone becoming offended. "Of course I keep my word."

"Then, that is the end of it." Mr. Holmes turned his attention to Herr Meyer and Mr. Ware. "Although, there is the unfortunate matter of the crimes committed on English soil. I'm afraid they cannot be so lightly forgotten."

Herr Meyer shook his head. "I am a representative of the kingdom of Bohemia," he said. "I cannot be accused of a crime, Mr. Holmes. I would expect you to be aware of this."

"As long as you remain a representative of Bohemia," Mr. Holmes countered.

The king cleared his throat and shook his head "You said yourself that ties must remain open between Bohemia and Britain," he said to his counselor. "And you did take matters too far without my permission."

"You cannot be serious!" Herr Meyer exclaimed. "I have served you loyally for decades! And this is how I am to be treated?"

"You tried to kill my daughter!" Mum said sharply. "Do you think such actions should go unpunished? Such is not just, and has not Bohemia been an advocate for justice for generations?"

Without waiting for the man's response, Mum stood up, though she kept a grip on my hand. "Gentlemen, I have been kept against my will in a dirty warehouse for several weeks. While this has been an enlightening conversation, I would like to be allowed to return to my home."

Releasing my hand, Papa was out of his seat immediately. "I trust Briony Lodge was not completely destroyed?" he asked.

"I'm afraid there was some damage," Mr. Holmes said. "Mr. Ware and his associates were zealous in their search for Madame's important papers that she hid." He made a slight bow to my mother. "Your hiding place was excellent. I do believe it was happenstance that Miss Aida and I found them."

Mum's lips had pressed into a thin line. "Wilhelm," she said, turning a glare on the king.

I hadn't thought it possible for the king's face any more red, but it happened. "It is regrettable that we must repair my wife's London house," Papa said, his tone annoyed. "Again? Must we accustom ourselves to this inconvenience?"

"I'm sure the king will be more than happy to cover the expenses," Mr. Holmes said, raising his eyebrow at the royal man

"Yes, yes. Naturally," the king said, his tone petulant.

It was then that I realized I had left my gloves on the other side of the room. As quietly and unobtrusively as possible, I pulled free of Mum's hand and stood up.

"You cannot simply walk away!" Herr Meyer exclaimed, jumping up from his seat. "Act as if nothing has happened? Bah! Impossible!"

"It was not impossible for the king to do so fourteen years ago," Mr. Holmes said evenly. "When his men broke into Briony Lodge in search of the photograph, he was not made to compensate her for the damage. Not to mention when his men stole her luggage on her journey. Mr. Norton is being generous in letting the matter rest. Would you prefer the scandal of a lawsuit?"

"No!" the king exclaimed. "No scandal! It would ruin the reputation of my country."

Slowly, I sidled along the room for my gloves. In all honesty, the conversation had become tedious and I was ready to have a long, private conversation with my mother. Just as I reached the tea tray, matters became interesting once again.

Herr Meyer pulled out a gun.