FF PRIDE and PREJUDICEAU NOT Cannon

Check-Mate

I do not own the copy rights to the book, or bbc special, Pride and Prejudice

Caught red-handed (*Promise Thomas Bennet and the rest are back next chapter)

Ch. 13

I don't know what to expect upon arrival home. Maynor relieved to see me? Probably. Bryant pretending to be overjoyed but seething inside...most likely. But silence in the palace...no. It sounded like a tomb even when people walked by us. They did not speak and hurry past us - as if we had the plague. I turned to Raven and Quinton with a worried tone in my voice. "What is going on?"

"No idea." Both men were just as baffled.

We continued walking down halls towards my brother's solar room. We passed no more people. "If we don't hear something soon, I'm going to think we're in a graveyard." I speak the words as we've entered the solar room. Maynar is there only he does not talk. He simply stares at a piece of paper he is holding in his hands.

"Your majesty." Quinton starts to speak only to have Maynar raise his hand as if to halt him.

I know Maynar. He's got a clear mind. He's always had one except for the short time Bryant had more control of him than he should. Had Maynar fallen back into that place? I go to speak only he beats me to it.

"You found Joy?" He is not looking at the men, only me - and they know it.

"We think." I sit down and explain about the body behind the rocks. "It looked like her; Raven called the law."

"Had to, there was a boat going by. If I hadn't, it would have appeared we were attempting to cover something up." Raven answered the questioning look in Maynar's eye.

"Okay, what have I supposed to be guilty of now?" I speak again. "You all never were clear on what I was supposed to have done - except for the cash in my pocket. You said I wasn't going to come back, and I told you not to send for me. A promise is promise only Raven convinced me it was very important I come so…" I lean back just a little. "Tell me what has happened, other than us apparently finding Joy." I hold up my hand when my brother goes to speak. "Until we get word for sure it was her, I will use the word apparently and no…" I shoot a glare towards a side door half thinking Bryant might be behind it and back to Maynor. "I didn't do it, so quit looking at me like that." Just then a messenger came in and handed the king a note.

"Sorry, sis." Maynor put the paper down and breathed a sigh of relief. "Rumors have been circulating she was dead, and it was by your hand. I didn't believe it but needed proof. This…" he held up the paper proves your innocence."

"You've got to be kidding me." I let my hands fly up in disbelief. "I don't deny I helped her get out of here, but she was very much breathing last time I saw her." 'Petrified of the idea of Bryant finding her, but breathing nonetheless' I go to say more only Erick comes barging in. I expect him to go to Maynar and am shocked when he rushes over to me, thrusts a book in my hand, and clings to me just as Bryant rushes in. My younger brother comes to a screeching halt when he sees we have already returned and what I hold in my hand.

"That is mine." He starts towards me and Erick, to everyone's shock, gets between me and Bryant.

"No, it's not! It's my old governess'! And you let me believe it was my fault our sister left!" Erick doesn't say what Bryant had told him but tells me to read the book. "I may not understand everything like I should, only I know I don't like the way he plays chess. He uses too many as pawns and the rest ignored - my governess said so. Read it sis, put him in checkmate." I would have grinned, or laughed, if the situation wasn't so serious. I open the book with Raven, Connor, and Quinton all blocking Bryant from getting to Erick and me. The man's face is so red he might as well have smoke coming out every other hole in his face.

"So, this is why you have been throwing out dirt onto my name -even though all you had were flimsy accusations with nothing serious pinned down." I walk up to Maynar's desk as I ask how many attempts had been made on his life since I was gone, reading what is written out loud would be pointless.

"A couple." Maynar had been leaning back but now he sat straight up as I had him the book. He quickly began reading. As he did do, he was shocked and appalled. There was a list of suspected traitors names and other information - information she could have only gotten from Maynar or Bryant, and it certainly wasn't the former.

"Erick, Abigail can't put Bryant into checkmate." Maynar 's serious voice was pretended I could tell; my baby brother could not.

"Why? Bryant's a bad man." Erick's lips turned down. "He thinks all of this is a game. Even I know it's not."

"Yes, he is and, no, it's not." Maynar nodded. "But she can't because…" his smile grew extremely visible. "You just did." We all grinned- Erick's is the largest. Well, all but Bryant are happy. Naturally, my nut-job of a brother is scowling. Our king then faced Raven and Connor. "Take him to prison." No one argued while Erick grinned even wider as our eldest brother tossed him a chess piece-the queen - and told him to catch.

"You want to go back, don't you?" Maynar quit laughing once Erick left the room. He- like Raven and Quinton - read me too well.

"Yes, but it would do me no good. We sealed the door shut. Didn't dare leave it open out of concern Bryant, or one of his men might show back up." I set down while sighing and letting me shoulders drop.

"Sire…" Quinton, who had started to leave with the others, but had opted not to spoke up. "There might be a way...if you don't mind not seeing your sister again."

"Not see her again? I can visit England easy enough I dare say."

"She was in England but wasn't." Quinton told him.

"What in the world is that supposed to mean?" Maynar was confused and didn't like it.

"It's like this." Quinton explained about the house and the doors, I did a double take at him mentioning the one in Jasmine's room. I hadn't a clue it existed. "We should have sealed it like we did the library... " He shook his head, "But when Raven showed up with Abigail all we could think of was closing off the library's door and getting her back her to stop Bryant." Quinton shook his head, "I'm embarrassed to admit I forgot. Also, I admit I never told Raven the real reason I had us turn around. That was mostly for the sake of not taking a risk of whether or not he'd believe me, and we didn't have time to waste." Looking at my brother he shrugged his shoulder. "We shut the door in Jasmine's room...it was barely open the first time, probably why Mr. Hughes never caught it. However, we never sealed it; everything in me says it would lead her back to Joy."

"I can go back?" My heart raced, and I bit my lip - ignoring his use of Tamara's old name. I look at my brother and plead with him not to fight me going back to Longbourn. "You're on the throne not me. Our sister is married and is older than Bryant. And, even if he hadn't just landed himself into prison, I'm sure they'd let her rule if something happened to you because she'd married. Please? People wouldn't be shocked, not with my earlier vows. And now? They'd most likely chalk it up to hard feelings against Bryant. They're probably expecting it anyway."

"Her heart is there, Maynar. Raven says a gentleman there has her heart in his hands. Says the gentleman's nowhere near royalty and quite strapped for cash, but that's not the point." Quinton speaks softly only i still hear him. I am not surprised to hear about Raven, though how he knew about Thomas' money - or lack of it- is beyond me. Of course, I suppose, anyone could have dropped any of it into his ear while looking for me.

"I'll think about it." He finally says after a moment of silence. I did not argue. I simply turn and leave unsure whether or not Maynar will give me a fight on returning to a man he knows nothing about.