Not me testing if the busted site will post this chapter properly. (Unironically, the moment I finished writing this chapter, my updates for my other stories showed up so this story's got some powerful magic, but they've vanished again so I don't know.) But it's another update within a month so good for me.
We haven't seen one of my sneak peek chapters in a while because I've filtered through all my remaining chapter ideas and scrapped a lot of them. This idea is a keeper. As usual, all the information about the story itself will be at the end.
Photo #127: Schreave & Schreave
People would think that with so many workers in the palace, especially those whose job was to keep a sharp eye out for anything odd. In a day's work, they would walk around the halls, spend time in the same rooms and walk down the same hallways. Maybe it was because if nothing is a blatant attack or disaster, they wouldn't notice. Things in peripheral vision tend to be disregarded.
It's how Osten and Kaden got away with their biggest stunt yet. If something looked like it belonged there, nobody would give it a second look.
And nobody did … for a bit.
To be fair, Eadlyn didn't even notice it till a week later and it took her parents and the palace staff a month. To this day, it's still there. The photo of it on the wall serves as evidence for a classic Schreave & Schreave heist.
-o-
Osten and Kaden didn't have much to do in the day. They weren't the heir like Eadlyn or the second-in-line like Ahren. After their schooling, if they weren't asked to do anything, they took the day into their hands. It was more fun when they were older, or at least old enough to watch each other instead of having a nanny. Most days, they played outside, sometimes getting Kile or Josie if they were around, any of the guards who were off shift and willing, or any of the staff's kids who joined their parents.
Except for today.
It's only them.
Big mistake.
The weather was gloomy so they stayed inside. After sitting all day and learning, they wanted to do something physical.
Playing hockey in a hallway was a good idea until they lost control of the ball and they had to crouch in fetal positions and cover their heads as the ball bounced around. Once it was quiet, Osten and Kaden slowly unravelled, peering out before opening it completely.
They lost the ball and the vases on tables by the walls weren't harmed, but there was a dent on the wall. They only noticed it because it was that deep. The wall wasn't broken through, but it's evident something happened there that wasn't there before.
"Um," Osten says, pointing at it.
"We have to cover that up," Kaden responds, looking both ways to make sure no palace staff or worse, their parents, walk by and see this.
"First things first."
Osten grabs their sticks and throws them in the nearest linen closet. Kaden pulls a side table, wary of the vase on it, to cover the dent. They didn't need to deal with a broken vase and a dented wall, but the vase could be a distraction from the wall. It's tempting and an option they'll save if they run out of options. But there's the chance they could blame the wall incident on the vase when it fell.
But no. They had to be clever.
They flee the scene of the crime and ran downstairs. Nobody questioned them running around since this was normal.
Osten and Kaden weren't sure who came up with the plan but it came from them bantering ideas. They run to the basement of the palace and walk into the extra storage in the castle. A former staff member told them about it once when they were bored. There was one unit full of items to be repurposed or sent elsewhere. There would be paintings that would be given to art galleries or furniture to be sent to museums, embassies, or high-class families.
But they were more interested in the paintings.
Nobody was around when Osten and Kaden walked into the storage unit. It was less dusty than they thought. Mismatched chairs and tables were in rows throughout the rooms. They climb over them to get to the line of pictures in the back. Stacks upon stacks of framed photos pile before them, leaning against the wall. They leaf through them, finding the perfect frame, whatever that meant. It didn't matter, but they find a dark matte grey one. Nothing flashy to draw attention. Kaden carefully takes out the painting and rolls it up, placing it on top of a pile of paintings that were in the same shape.
They run out of the storage unit, making sure everything else was left behind as when they came in.
Kaden ran back up to the scene of the crime. Osten joined five minutes later with a hammer and a nail. They only have one chance at doing this right. If they poke a hole and crack the wall, then the dent would be the least of their problems.
Osten played lookout while Kaden hammered the nail. He had to get it in the wall without drawing attention. There were moments when he wasn't sure if he hit the nail or there were upcoming footsteps. He held his breath until the nail was in the wall crack-free. Then he hangs up the frame and levels it to the best of his ability as Osten pushes back the table with the vase to its original place. When Kaden steps back to examine his and Osten's work, he notices his brother nodding proudly.
"This should work," Osten says.
"It'll be abstract art," Kaden responds before seeing Osten holding up their father's camera. "What's that for?"
"So Dad thinks he got it at some abstract art show and wanted to remember when he sees the photo. It'll be a memory he never had."
"Genius."
Osten evilly grins as he takes the photo. The framed dent on the wall made to look like a painting? Nobody will notice.
And now, for the story that's already out:
Blondie & Eugene - Flynn has one more pitstop - or heist - to make before taking Rapunzel to see the lights. He wanted her to wait outside but she insisted on helping him which, to his surprise, works in his favour. (Rapunzel x Flynn OS)
