Seeking Sky

by WorldsApartx

Everything has changed in Sky's life. As if finding out you have a long-lost grandfather isn't bad enough, she's sent to a top boarding school in England and then she finds out who her father is and it changes everything. Then there's Zed, the cute, school bad boy that seems to hate her guts. Will Sky's life ever be normal again?

21. Take back my life

I didn't eat that evening. Instead, I watched as the sun went down and the stars came out into the sky, acting as guides to us, lighting the way to what I hoped was freedom. As the villa became quiet, it was clear night had set in. A noise outside the door signalled the guards changing shift and it meant it was nearly time.

'Ferdig?' Seb asked in a whisper. It meant ready and for the next half an hour or so, we were going to be speaking Norwegian, incase anybody happened to be listening to our conversation.

I tied the shoelaces of the black boots, knowing they were the shows with the best grip. I wore them with a sundress with a corset tied top and a hooded cloak I had found deep inside the wardrobe. Seb too had a cloak and it was as if we were in some weird, messed-up fairytale adventure movie. I looked at the prince and nodded, my stomach in knots and words unable to leave my mouth as my heart raced. This was it. Freedom or death. And if they caught us, the latter was more than likely. He stood by the window we'd left open as he turned off the lights, leaving the room almost in darkness. I looked up at the full moon, shimmering over the water and giving us just the little light we would have. Seb went first; out of the window and down the cliff-face, hanging on tightly as he stepped carefully. I climbed after him, slowly, in contrast with my racing heart and quick breath. I stepped once and then twice, retracing the steps that Seb had taken. I followed him down the cliff-face, descending it carefully. My foot slipped and I gasped, trying not to scream...

Seb pushed my foot into a gap in the rocks, supporting it. I leaned against the cliff, feeling faint with nerves. I needed to get down from here. The sooner the better. It was terrifying.

'Du er ok.' Seb whispered. You're okay. I didn't reply. Instead I continued to follow him down the cliff-face slowly. We reached the ledge about half-way down and stopped for a few minutes, allowing me to catch my breath. I looked up at the building hung on the headland and released a deep breath. I'd done it. So far. Seb stood up and I knew we had to keep going. We had to get as far as we could before daytime. We had to put as much distance between us and them as we could. We continued down the cliff-face and, before long, we'd reached the rocks at the bottom. Waves splashed against them, dampening both of us, but we moved along them quickly, jumping from rock to rock, as close to the bottom of the cliff as we could. We rounded the headland, coming across some sand and I let out a sigh of relief as Seb helped me onto it. My feet sank into the sand and then we moved into a sprint, running as fast as we could, incase they checked our room for whatever reason and found out we weren't there. We continued across the sand and I spotted a few houses coming into view as the cliffs got lower and lower, sloping downwards towards the bay. Then Seb stopped in front of me and I realised what he was looking at.

'Is that-' I started to whisper.

'Mount Vesuvius.' He replied. The volcano. The one which had destroyed Pompeii. A cloud rose above it and you could see small splashes of orange out of the top. I didn't panic though. I knew from Geography classes that it often sent clouds of ashes across nearby cities and it often spurted lava. Seb looked around, squinting. 'I think we're on an island. We caught a ferry across, didn't we?'

I nodded as the pieces started to slot together in my head. I glanced at the headland across from us, to the left of Mount Vesuvius. Lights lit the headland, the tourist town. 'We're on Capri.' I whispered.

'Are you sure?'

I nodded. 'That's Sorrento.' I pointed at the headland. 'There must be a boat somewhere to get us there.'

'Then let's keep going.' He took my hand and we picked up pace, continuing to run along the coastline in the direction of Sorrento and the famous volcano.

We're on Capri. I said and winced at my aching head as I did so. I hoped Zed was paying attention. Capri is where we are being held hostage. We're going to try to get to Sorrento. I wiped the blood from under my nose before Seb could notice and I kept sprinting as fast as my short legs could carry me.

About an hour later, after we'd moved inland to walk alongside a road, dipping into the trees everytime a car passed, and we found ourselves following the sloped road towards a marina. The area was lit now and it made me panic; had they realised we were gone and come here looking for us? It was the only way off of the island afterall. We cut down alleyways, hiding from cars that passed, as a few people stumbled into a hotel nearby, music pouring out of it despite the lateness. We pulled the hoods of our cloaks up and Seb took my hand, leading me down towards the marina, the smell of fish strong in the air. Eventually, we found ourselves looking at covered yachts, some clearly expensive, and we searched the docks looking for something that would soon be leaving, something we could escape on.

'Oh, dritt.' Seb swore in his own language and I looked across at him, from where we hid behind a boat.

'What?' I asked in a whisper.

'The ferries don't start until 6am.' He replied. He looked over at the horizon. 'That must be a good few hours away.'

'We can't wait that long.'

'I know.' He sighed. A plane flew overhead and I looked up, almost hoping that it was someone looking for us. Wishful thinking. He squeezed my hand as his eyes scanned the area for another option. They focussed on something across the port and he turned to me. 'How do you feel about cargo?' He pulled me towards the large cargo ship, where workers were busy filling it with boxes and crates, most of which seemed empty. It was obviously how the one hotel, the villagers and the restaurants got their stock from the mainland. The crates were thrown onto the boat and a few men spoke in Italian as they loaded it.

'How are we going to get on unnoticed?' I asked Seb in a whisper from where we hid watching the loading.

'I'm not sure.'

A car down slammed nearby and I froze, ducking further behind the boat we were using as a shield. 'They must be here, where else could they have gone?'

Shit. My heart sank. Were they going to find us? And what were they going to do when they did? Seb tried to look calm but his eyes said otherwise. He reached for my hand, pulling me into him as the guards that worked for Ezra passed us, questionning a few workers in the port. Seb pulled me towards the cargo ship and we paused to duck behind boats as we did so. I moved willingly, although my body just wanted to freeze in panic. Then, Seb had us round the back of the cargo ship and he jumped on up, before pulling me up. He found the lifeboats, covered with plastic covering, and he pulled me inside one with him.

'Check the boat. They leave in ten and I'd bet they're on it.' Ezra's voice. I winced as Seb held me to him, trying to reassure me as he gently stroked my hair. We heard footsteps outside of the lifeboat and I held my breath as they moved past. But they didn't check the boat. I heard crates being open and questions being asked in Italian as the engine of the boat started up. Then the footsteps passed us again before a large bang, the sound of a crate being put down beside the lifeboat, sounded out.

'Andiamo! Andiamo! Let's go!' Someone with an Italian accent called out and I relaxed. We were going.

The journey to Sorrento must have taken about thirty minutes and Seb and I laid there quietly, listening to the sounds of the boat and the workers talking on our journey. The boat juttered to a stop and the engine turned off, signalling our arrival, and footsteps once again sounded by our boat. Seb, in the darkness, held up a hand to show we were going to wait for a bit. And we did. Almost an hour had passed by the time it was quiet again and the tiredness was starting to kick in, as was the hunger. Seb moved first, checking our surroundings before pulling me out of the lifeboat and lifting me down onto the deck. Despite being heavy-footed in our boots, we tried our best to move quietly across the boat deck, until we were able to slide off and onto the deck, hiding behind cargo as we made our way across the port and onto the main land.

'Where are we going?' I asked Seb as we reached the town of Sorrento, which looked beautiful even in the middle of the night.

'We need to find somewhere with a phone and somewhere to rest.' He said, pausing and looking around. We walked along the cobbled street, past a few rushing people, and up some steps, onto the cliff that housed some buildings. A few cars passed by, whizzing down the winding hillside road as we walked, our identities concealed under the cloaks that should have stopped being worn about one hundred years ago. 'We need a police station.' Seb whispered, holding my hand tightly in his. Then he paused when we found ourselves outside a beautiful lit building with arches and flowers and shrubbery wound around it. He squinted at the sign and smiled. 'It's a monastery.' He squeezed my hand. 'Come on, they'll help us.' He walked up to the door and knocked it carefully, taking down his hood so that his face was once again recognisable.

A man appeared in the doorway, a monk. 'Ciao. Posso aiutarti?'

My italian wasn't great and I gave a puzzled look to Seb.

Then I heard a gunshot and Seb pushed me aside, shielding my small body. They'd found us. Another gunshot. And then someone called out, 'I've found them!'

'Entrare, entrare!' The monk pulled us inside, closing the heavy door behind him and locking it securely. 'You were shot.' He looked at Seb and I winced when I saw the blood seeping from his shoulder, soaking his shirt under his cloak.

'Oh, Seb!' Tears brimmed in my eyes as my heart hammered.

'Come with me.' The monk said. 'They cannot enter a holy place. It is forbidden.' We followed him up the corridor and I held Seb, guilt filling my stomach. He led us to an infirmary, where another monk seated Seb on a cot bed and tore open his shirt, cleaning the wound straight away.

'Why were they after you?' The original monk asked.

Seb winced at the sting of the cut. 'You must help us, kind sir. We need a phone. You may not recognise us, but I am Prince Sebastien, heir to the Norwegian throne, and this is Princess Sky of England.'

The monk gave us each the once over and then moved to the desk in the corner of the room. He picked it up and scanned the front page. Seb and I were on the front, a picture of us laughing at the ball and the headline read; Prince and Princess Kidnapped in bomb blast. His eyes moved back to us and it was clear he was checking us against the picture. Then he gave a small smile. 'You're safe now, your highnesses.'

'Your highness, I'm going to have to remove the bullet. It's not too far under the skin, I can see it.' The monk, who was clearly a doctor, said from beside Seb. He visibly tensed and so did I. But then we both knew that the bullet needed removing before his skin healed, which wouldn't be long with his ability.

'Please go ahead.' Seb said, his voice pained. 'And then we need to get hold of the palace.'

I couldn't watch as the bullet was removed and Seb's sharp breaths told me it was painful. The cloths also showed me that there was a lot of blood too and it made my stomach churn. The monks moved around, wrapping his shoulder in a bandage after stitching Seb up and only then did I turn to look at him, his wound hidden beneath a dressing and bandage.

'Do you know the number for the palace?' Seb asked me and I shook my head, frowning. It was something worth knowing, something that would have been useful. 'It's okay.' He said, sensing my embarassment. 'We'll call Oslo.' The monks led us to an office where there was a phone and Seb and I sank onto a comfy, old sofa, where he dialled a number after thanking the monks for their kindness. After a few moments, someone must have answered because he started to speak. 'Hallo? Dette er Prince Sebastien . Ja , jeg er i live og vel som er Princess Sky . Vi er i Sorrento i fransiskanerkloster. Væpnede menn var utenfor. Vennligst send noen så snart som mulig . Greit. Greit. Ja takk.' He turned to face me, a smile on his face. 'There are security and police already in Italy not far from here. They'll be with us soon.'

They arrived about an hour later, when I was dosing against Seb's unwounded shoulder in the infirmary. Unfortunately, the noise that told us they were here was the sound of gunshots. Seb and I sat nervously, our bodies stiff as we heard the gunshots outside and then the sirens of police, who the monks had called. I hoped and prayed that no one was injured, that mine or Seb's men, whoever's men they were, were able to get us out of there safely. A knock on the door made us all wary, but the monk that had allowed us in, allowed us into their place of safety, answered the door anyway. And, thankfully, when he returned, officers in Norwegian uniforms walked in, guns in their hands, but relieved looks on their faces.

The five men bowed and greeted us. 'Prince Sebastien , din høyhet . Det er godt å se deg.' One said with a smile. 'And Princess Sky, an honor to be of service.' I reached up to touch my hair, touching the stitches on my forehead by accident and frowning at the still-present sting. They caught sight of Sebastien's torn shirt and bandage. 'Your highness, you are injured. Are you well enough to travel?'

'Of course, Alarik. Now please kindly get us out of here.' Prince Sebastien was back, his voice commanding and his face serious. He turned back to the monks who had taken us in. 'Thank you so much for your kindness.'

'It is the right thing to do.' The monk nodded. 'Peace be with you.'

The guards led us both towards the back of the monastery, and we kept as close to them as possible, from the safety of the middle of the formation they walked in, their guys ready to be fired if need be. Seb held his shoulder, supporting it, although I wondered how long it would be before it would be fine again. Outside a helicopter waited for us and we all filed inside and as soon as we were in the air, I fell asleep.

When I woke up, we were on a small plane, one that was clearly private. I was sat in a comfy leather chair, Seb beside me and my head resting on his shoulder. I sat up and looked around; there were six other chairs beside ours and a large royal crest on the wall of the plane that I did not recognise. Seb's eyes opened beside me and he looked down at me, sat in a fresh shirt, jeans and polished brown leather shoes. 'Did you sleep okay?' He asked, his voice full of sleep.

I nodded. 'Is this your plane?'

He nodded back at me. 'Yes, welcome aboard the Crown Prince's jet.' He rolled his eyes and I smiled.

'Many girls would love to be on this I'm sure.'

'Perhaps, but I'm glad it's you.' He whispered. 'There's some of Lolly's clothes in the bedroom out of the back if you'd like to get changed into something more comfortable. We'll be landing in Oslo in about twenty minutes.'

My eyes widened. 'Oslo?'

'Our families will be waiting there.' He gave a small smile and I unbuckled my seatbelt, standing up. My legs shook a little and I realised it was the adrenaline that had been in my body, sat there for about a week perhaps. In the bedroom at the back of the plane, the bedroom with the royal crest marked on the sheets, I quickly washed myself in the bathroom and then slipped into a pair of jeans and a warm fairisle jumper that must have been Lolly's. I found a hairtie and I pulled my matted hair up into a bun, managing to make myself look a little more human again before the seatbelt sign came on.

We landed in a private part of the airport and Norwegian police and a large security team in suits stood ready to greet us at the bottom of the stairs. Seb pulled on a thick wool coat and a scarf, and he passed me some gloves, a scarf and a pink coat. 'You're going to need these.' He was right. Even wrapped up, wearing Lolly's clothes and boots, it was bitterly cold, definitely in the minuses. A blacked out car with blacked out windows stood at the end of the path, the path surrounded by security and police, and each of them bowed as we passed, before climbing into the car. Then, we headed off to the city in the mid-morning sunlight.

A police escort led the way for our blacked-out car and one followed behind us as we sped along the main road towards the city. I looked out of the window and the snow-covered fir trees and I felt my body relax, knowing that we were safe. Seb's warm fingers wrapped themselves around mine as we moved along, passing over rivers, Norway's beauty drawing me in. And then we reached the city and the crown prince started to point out the sights in his homeland; the Opera house. The Akershus Fortress with its fairytale-like towers and cobbled streets. The Museum of the Nobel Peace Prize with its plaza outside, filled with tourists and locals who turned our way as we passed. Then we turned into a road filled with tourists walking alongside it. I saw why. At the end of the road stood the Royal Palace. I recognised it from a few photos, but it was more beautiful then I'd imagined. We passed a security box and they sent us through straight away.

'I'm glad we're in this car.' Seb sighed. 'I don't think I want the public to see me like this.' He still looked handsome but we both looked exhausted. I understood his exact thoughts. He didn't look like the strong future King that Norway probably knew so well. We reached a fork in the road and I looked up at the grand palace with its pillars , statue and many windows. The flag flew high, signalling royalty were at home. Flowers were around the bottom of the statue, a tribute perhaps to the missing prince, but visitors stared at the car excitedly and some cheered as we passed, as if knowing that the prince was inside. That he'd been returned safely. The car drove us around the back of the palace, through the private grand gates and gardens and into an enclosed courtyard, where the gate was firmly shut behind us. Then the car door was being opened for us by the driver.

'Din høyhet.' The driver bowed for Seb as he got out of the car and so did the other people stood, waiting to greet us. Then I saw the two royal families ready to greet us.

'Thank god!' Lolly ran with her mother, embracing Seb, all formalities gone as they held him and kissed him.

Phillip pulled me into a hug and then my father and the Queen were at my side, hugging me too. The reunions were kind and tender, and it even seemed like my father had missed me. Perhaps.

'Are you hurt?' Father asked, his voice concerned.

'I'm fine.' I replied as he reached up to touch my head.

'We'll get this checked inside.' He said and I nodded, mutely.

'You will both be examined. We want to ensure you are both completely fine.' The King of Norway's booming voice said in his thick accent. Seb and I both nodded, knowing that they needed the reassurance.

Other than losing some wait, Seb and I were cleared as being well and I didn't even bat an eyelid when they checked his shoulder, finding that there was no wound. I'd expected as much. My stitches were removed allowing my head to heal properly, and I pulled my side-fringe down over it, covering the ugly thing. We were both sent to our rooms to have warm baths and to get changed and then we had lunch with our families before being sent to answer the questions from the policeforce. My heart ached when I found out that they'd been to the villa in Capri, but Ezra and his men were nowhere to be seen. And they hadn't been killed outside the monastery either, but two of his other men had.

I retired to my guest room early that night, sinking into the comfy bed, which was tucked under a velvet canopy in a grand room that reminded me very much of the palace back home. I stared up at the canopy for a while, in the satin deep pink and light pink pyjama set that reminded me of Victoria's Secret, but my mind just wouldn't switch off. I walked over to the french doors that led to a small private balcony and I opened them, not caring about the cold air. I stepped out onto the balcony and looked at the snow-sprinkled grounds of the palace; the fountain that was trickling, the frozen trees, the frost-covered bushes of the maze. Then there was the night-sky in front of me, less stars visible because of the city lights. I was safe, but why couldn't I sleep? Part of me worried about Ezra still being out there. Was that it? Was it the worry that he'd come back for me? A knock at the door made me jump and I turned on the balcony to see who it was. 'Come in.'

The door opened and Seb walked in, in plaid pyjama bottoms and a dressing gown. 'Sorry to bother you so late. Should I go?'

'No it's fine.' I replied with a small smile.

He closed the door behind him and walked over to me. 'What are you doing out there? You'll freeze!'

'It's a bit of a contrast to the weather we've had the past week.' I said, curling my toes inside of the fluffy white slippers. 'Maybe that's why it's somewhat refreshing.'

He gave me a nod of understanding. 'I wanted to check you were okay.'

'He's still out there.' I said, sadly, meeting his eyes. 'What if he comes for me again?'

'That won't happen.'

'How do you know?'

'Because I'm going to keep you safe.' His voice was sincere as he looked at my worried eyes.

'You can't keep me safe forever.' I sighed, running a hand through my hair. 'We're going to be going back to London soon, I'm sure of it.'

'Father wants you to stay for a while.' Seb whispered. 'Your father has a lot of errands to run and he's expected to travel to Australia next week with the Queen. Unfortunately his busy schedule can't be postponed... my father wants you and your brother to stay here where you are safe. Our security is excellent and Ezra is far less likely to come here for you.'

'But what about school?' I should already have been back at school. 'And my father? Has he agreed to this?'

'He doesn't know yet, but I'm sure he will do whatever is best for you.' He gave a small smile and then I shivered, the cold getting to me. 'Come on, let's go inside where it's warm.' He led me back into my room and closed and locked the doors behind me as I climbed under the duvet, warming my fingers and toes. 'I'll let you get some sleep.' He headed towards the door.

'Seb?' He paused at my voice.

'Yes?' His tired eyes met mine.

'I know it's not the done thing or whatever...' I wrinkled my nose and he chuckled softly. 'And I know it's not the Royal thing to do, the honorable thing... or whatever Mr Darcy says.' He chuckled again. 'But will you stay? Just for tonight? I just don't feel... safe.'

His eyes flicked to the bedroom door and then back to mine. I knew what he was thinking; what would our parents say? The Crown Prince of Norway spending the night with the English princess. It would be frowned upon, even if it was completely innocent. Then he let go of our titles and nodded. 'Of course.' He walked over and sat down on the bed beside me, shrugging out of his robe and revealing his bare chest. It wasn't as muscular as Zed's, but muscles were still there, visible in the dim light of the table lamp on my beside table. He turned to me and I looked at the shoulder that had been shot. The skin was perfect, flawless. I wished I could have said the same about my forehead. Then he slid under the duvet cover beside me and turned off the light, as he gently stroked my hair. 'Goodnight Sky.' And then with a gentle kiss on the forehead, where my cut was, I fell asleep.

'Sky! Seb!' A loud whisper made me stir the next morning and I opened my eyes, warily, hoping we hadn't been caught. Seb stretched out beside me and I spotted Lolly stood, watching us with an over-enthusiastic grin on her face. 'Good morning!' She said, cheerily and Seb groaned beside me as I moved my head off of his shoulder.

'Sister, you should know to knock.' Seb said, showing me that he was not a morning person. He ran a hand through his messy blonde hair and slipped out of the covers, grabbing his robe.

'Better me finding you than mother or father.' Lolly replied. 'Or King Edward.'

Seb swallowed, nervously, and I knew she was right. It was better for her to find her. He turned to face me. 'I'd better get back to my room before anyone realises my bed hasn't been slept in.' He gave us a cheeky smile before disappearing out of the door, past the guards who would never tell of what they had seen.

'Breakfast is in half an hour.' Lolly told me, tying back her hair into a ponytail. 'You'd better get dressed.' I looked at the wardrobe and she smiled. 'There's a few things of mine in there, but we're sending out the handmaidens to get you some clothes today. They'll fit you after breakfast. You need a nice dress for the press release this afternoon.'

'Press release?' I rubbed my forehead and frowned. We'd only been back just shy of twenty-four hours. All I wanted was to relax.

'Our fathers think it would be best to show the public you're alive and well. A written announcement is one thing, but they will want to see your faces.' She made a face and I giggled. 'Except it's going to be sent out worldwide at the same time so that nobody knows your location. As of yet, we don't want anyone to know you are in Oslo.'

'Until it's safe.' I said, sadly, and she nodded. 'Well then, what do you suggest I wear?'

Breakfast with the two royal families was interesting. We ate in the main dining hall, the walls decorated with portraits from past and present and a grand chandelier hanging over our heads. I sat quietly, listening to the conversations flowing, whilst glaring at my brother when he silently threatened to throw fruit or cheerios by way. We didn't want an internation incident on our hands.

'King Edward, my wife and I have been speaking about your upcoming visit to Australia.' King Aleksander said, closing his knife and fork on his empty plate.

'It will be a good trip.' My father replied with a nod. He finished his toast and set down his empty plate. 'I would like to take Sky and Phillip with me, but it will be difficult to keep them safe when our location is being publicised every single day of the trip.'

'But will they be safe back in London?' Queen Roseanna looked at her husband, her eyes troubled as I munched on my food. I wondered at what point King Aleksander was going to intervene as Seb had said the previous night.

'We have hired more security guards for the palace and for now, Sky won't be going back to school because I can't guarantee her safety there.'

'What?' I frowned as I looked at my father. 'But my friends... my studies...'

'I'd rather you were safe at present. Your friends can visit you at the palace.'

But Zed couldn't. Because we weren't allowed to see each other. 'And my studies?'

'Edward, forgive me for interrupting, but I might have a solution.' King Aleksander spoke up and Seb's eyes met mine from the seat beside my brother. 'You are worried about the safety of your daughter, understandably. I worry about Sebastien and Laura's safety too.' He clasped his hands together on the table, a friendly smile on his face. 'I propose that you allow Sky and Phillip to stay here with us whilst on your month tour of Australia. Our security is tight and I believe that the captors won't look for them here. In addition, our children are home-schooled by excellent tutors and I am sure they would be willing to take on Sky.'

My father looked surprised, taken aback almost, but Queen Roseanna simply smiled. 'What a lovely, kind offer.'

'Forgive me, Aleksander, but I am sure you understand my concerns with leaving my children in a foreign country they are not familiar with.'

'Father, we've holidayed here before.' Phillip spoke up this time. 'For a week on two occasions. My Norwegian is poor, but I'm sure Sky and I could learn and perhaps it would be safer than London after what happened just over a week ago.'

My father looked at me this time. 'Sky, you have been through a lot. Wouldn't you prefer to return home to places you're familiar with? To Sally and Simon?'

'Sky's adoptive parents are welcome here at any time.' Aleksander said, giving me a cheerful smile.

I put down the toast I had been eating and wiped my hands carefully on the napkin. 'Maybe a change of scenery might do me some good, but only if Sally and Simon can come and stay when they can take time off work?'

'Any family or friends of yours are welcome here Sky.'

My father cleared his throat and looked at my brother and I. 'The choice is yours children. You are welcome to stay here or we can organise arrangements for you to travel back to England.'

My brother looked at me from across the table and smiled. 'I think we'll stay father.'

'Okay.' The King of England nodded. 'But I will send some of our security over to join your teams, Aleksander. And Sky is to continue her studies whilst here.' He stood up. 'Now if you'll excuse me, I need to make some calls if my wife and I are to catch our flight tonight as planned.'

'We're going to have such fun together!' Lolly said, excitedly, as I was readied for the press release that afternoon. I wore a simple red bodycon-fitted dress with long sleeves and a skirt that fell just above the knees with a statement pearl necklace, my hair down in loose curls.

'I've still got to study, remember.' I reminded my friend as the palace beauticians applied make-up to my face, gently dabbing foundation over the cut on my forehead that was scabby where it was healing.

'Yes, but you'll be studying with me so it will almost be bearable!' She grinned, patting her hands on the jeans. Why didn't I get to wear jeans? Because of some stupid broadcast, I reminded myself.

There was a knock at the door and the handmaidens walked in, curtsying. 'Din høyhet.' They said, a term I was becoming familiar with; your highness. They held many shopping bags in their hands and boxes too, all six of them completely loaded with items of clothing. 'We bring you clothes in your sizes.' One of them said in broken English. 'We try to make them like clothes you wear at home. We want you to be welcome.'

'Thank you, that's very kind.' I said with a smile as the beauticians stepped away from me, checking my make-up. They curtsied and dismissed themselves, leaving me with my friend and the handmaidens.

'If you no like anything, please let me know.' The women got to work, hanging up clothing and filling the wardrobe and dresser with shoes, knitwear, dresses, skirts and underwear. Thankfully, I saw two pairs of jeans be put away and a pair of leggings. I let out a sigh of relief.

'I brought you something.' Lolly reached for the bag she'd brought in and pulled out a laptop and charger. 'I thought you might want to catch up with your friends.'

'Thank you.' I said with a grateful smile.

There was another knock at the door and in walked Queen Roseanna. My friend curtsied and then excused herself, as did the other women working away in the guestroom, leaving me alone with my stepmother.

'How are you, my dear?' She asked with her soft voice as she pulled me into a hug. She examined the cut on my head and frowned.

'I'm okay.' I replied, honestly.

'Are you unhappy about staying here?' She looked concerned. 'Because we can send you back to England this evening if you'd prefer.'

I thought of my friends, Sally, Simon and then I thought of Zed. I still wasn't sure what I wanted but above all, I wanted to be safe. And Seb made me feel safe. 'No, it's fine.' I told her.

'I'm glad your safe.' She whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. 'And so is your father.' I smiled and she squeezed my hand. 'Come on, I believe the public will be happy too.'

We were seated in a reception room that wasn't usually used for television appearances, seated in front of a blank wall to keep the location of us secret. We sat on chairs, side-by-side as the camera crew set up, adjusting the lighting and prepping the cameras. Seb had written a speech and he rehearsed it under his breath as he sat beside me. But I wasn't prepared. What would I say? I swallowed, nervously as the camera crew counted down in Norwegian, the numbers familiar from when Seb had taught me in Capri. Then they were rolling.

'God ettermiddag or good afternoon. This is His Royal Highness, Prince Sebastien of Norway and beside me is her Royal Highness Princess Sky of England. We are here today to let you know that despite being kidnapped on February 13th, we are alive and well.' He paused for a moment before continuing. 'As I am sure you have all heard, we were kidnapped during the bomb blasts in London on the 13th February, the bomb blasts which killed many innocent people including our good friends and colleagues, Ciara Thompson and Nikolai Hansen. First of all, I would like to offer our condolences to those who lost their loved ones in the blast and to those who were injured. Losing someone you love is heartbreaking and I know that there is nothing that can be done to heal that pain so for that, I am truly sorry.' He paused again, his voice thick with emotion. 'And secondly, I would like to thank those involved in our rescue mission and those who have done everything they can to keep us safe. Understandably, we will both be taking this time out of the spotlight so please allow us time to do so.' Aleksander pointed at me from behind the camera and I realised he wanted me to say something. I felt warm and I felt the blood rushing to my cheeks as I thought of something I could say.

'Thank you for all of your kind words and support to us and to our families over the past several days.' I found myself saying, almost automatically. 'I know that on occasion people have doubted me and wondered whether or not I should really be a princess and the truth is, I have wondered that too. The man who kidnapped us believed the very same; that I had no right to be princess and his opinion fuelled his attack and made me doubt myself.' I felt tears filling my eyes and I swallowed as Seb slipped his hand into mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze. 'No one should feel the way I did and I would like to say that whoever you are, whatever your position, please do not allow people to make decisions or to make you change your opinion of yourselves. Each and every person has the right to be happy and to feel safe and that is why I want to be princess... to make a difference and help those who are struggling.' I surprised myself by saying it. 'England, I would like to be your princess if you would let me.'

Seb smiled a genuine smile beside me and my father nodded as Phillip gave me a thumbs up and Roseanna gave me a proud smile. Seb took over speaking, not letting go of my hands. 'People of the world, tomorrow will be a day of freedom. Tomorrow I hope you celebrate freedom and your lives and well as remember those who have fallen. Thank you and good night.' The cameras cut out and a few people applauded as we stood up. Seb simply turned to me and smiled. 'So it took being kidnapped for you to realise that perhaps you could be a princess after all?'

I bit my lip as I looked up at him. 'I guess so.'

I couldn't sleep that night again. My father and the Queen had left, ready to head to Australia for their tour there, and Phillip had joined Seb and the king for after dinner drinks. Lolly had wanted a girly night, but I was tired, even if I couldn't sleep, so I'd made my excuses and I'd aimed for an early night. I tossed and turned in my bed, but then I gave up, turning on the laptop Lolly had given me and signing into my Facebook account. I had many notifications, many people who had messaged or posted on my Facebook wall, glad that I was safe. I opened up a chat message and added Lucy, Zoe and Tina.

Hi girls,

So I'm okay, which is good, but I'm not going to be at school for at least a month, which will be weird. Hopefully I will see you all soon! Miss you xxx

Straight away, the replies came in and I remembered that in England they were one hour behind; 10pm.

Lucy: You're not at school for a month?! Where are you?

Zoe: Oh god, are you okay?

Tina: But what about all these stupid assignments?!

Me: Girls, don't tell anyone because it's life or death or whatever, but I'm in Norway with Seb and Lolly's family and Phillip. My dad thought it would be the safest option as then people don't know where we are and Norway tend to stay out of all the drama. And Tina- don't worry, I'm being taught at the palace so plenty of assignments to be doing! Ick!

Tina: Wait, so you get to spend an extra month with prince yummy pants? How is that fair?

Zoe: Omg you're like Anna and Elsa! That was Norway right?

Me: Yes, but I don't think Arundelle is real, Zo.

Lucy: Going to miss you loads.

Me: Well maybe you can all come and visit one weekend? I'll speak to King Aleksander when I can.

Tina: AWESOME! BTW, in your announcement, was Prince yummy pants holding your hand?

My mind flitted to Zed. If they'd seen then he had too. I clicked on his Facebook page and wished I hadn't. There were photos of him and Savannah clogging up his timeline. And in the most recent, he was kissing her cheek. I frowned. It still said he was single, but it seemed that he'd been busy whilst I was away. I googled his name and sure enough, article after article came up about his appearances and dinner dates with Savannah. And numerous other girls. There were photos of him the previous night leaving a club, drunk. Underage. I winced. Zed Benedict, what the hell were you doing?