Matthew's POV

One would think that after an assassination and a funeral that everything would be in disarray.

This sure as hell is not disarray. In fact, France is almost happy their former ruler is no longer on the throne. It turns out Queen Francena loves her people more than Henry ever did. France is rejoicing and happy with Alexa and Alex's marriage in place. The French also happen to love Illéa now, what with the new trade system we have with them.

Then again, there always has to be something that goes wrong.

The rebel alarm wails in desperation, and I grab Xander's hand as we run out of the music room, the piano bench falling hopelessly. The mental map of the palace lays out in my mind, and I'm guessing the same thing is happening in Xander's mind. We both know exactly which way to go to get to the main family safe room.

When we reach the room, my heart is pounding in my ears. Anxiety and dread mix together to make an indomitable feeling in me. Where is Tess?

Mother's eyes meet mine and beckons me. I'm not used to the room being two people short. Alexa isn't here, and Tess is nowhere to be seen. She told me that she'd work out for a bit, and I wish Jerome was still here to train her, but he's back in Swendway.

"Everyone's here," Mother says, "except for—"

I run a hand through my hair. "I know. I was with Xander in the music room, and Tess was in the training room."

She waves it aside. "She's a smart girl. I'm sure she'll get here or find another safe room."

But ten minutes later, the room remains Tess-less. This must be the shortest rebel attack in the history of Illéa.

A guard announces that it's all clear. I look around when I get upstairs. It's not a Southern rebel attack, and there isn't a mess either. I thought Luke was done with his shenanigans. But apparently this isn't the case.

"What happened?" I ask the guard.

He shrugs. "Some idiot accidentally pulled the rebel alarm, Your Majesty."

I frown, then deadpan, "Are you kidding me?"

"Not at all, Your Majesty."

"So everything is completely untouched? Nothing is wrong?"

"No, Your Majesty. You may go check yourself."

"Where's Tess?" I ask, walking a bit faster, and the guard has to quicken his pace.

"I saw the princess in the east wing last."

I nod and break into a run, not caring about my faulty heart. The east wing is void of any princess, and I can feel my heart simply beating faster, and it's not the sprinting. Where the hell is she? I swear, if that Luke douche has her...

There's a frantic scream coming from upstairs. I run to the sound, and it's emanating from Tess's room. My eyes widen and my hand shakes with fear as I open the door.

Tess is hyperventilating, and I want to make sure she's unscathed. "Love," I say, rushing to her. "Love, are you alright?"

She looks at me, and the face that greets me does not belong to the usual happy Tess I know. Her hair is falling out of her ponytail, and the curls are wild around her frightened face. Her cheeks are red and so are her eyes. She wipes tears on her cheeks, but they keep falling.

I take her face in my hands to console her. "Tess, look at me. Look at me."

Her breathing slows a bit, and her eyes look at mine for a moment before flitting to different parts of the room. She holds my forearms tightly, and she whimpers. "Matthew."

"Love, please tell me what is going on."

"It's not here," she whispers, horrified.

"What's not here?"

"It's not here, Matt," she says, her voice rising in tone and decibel with every word. "It's gone, someone took it. Why the hell is it not here?"

"What's not here?" I repeat patiently.

"The guitar Michael gave me!" she squeaks, holding my arms tighter. "Someone took it and it's not here!" She leaves me to search every crevice in the room, breathing deeply and frenetically. I don't bother looking; I know that whoever took it wouldn't hide it anywhere in the room.

Tess starts crying again and returns to me. I hold her to my chest as she weeps. "Love, it's alright," I say. "I'll get you a new one."

"It was the last piece I had of him," she says, her voice muffled but the pain is evident. "It was the only thing I had from him. And now he's gone, and now it's gone, and now..." She trails off, clutching the back of my shirt.

Oh.

"Tess..." I don't quite know what to say. I can't lie to her and say I'll find it, but I can assure her that I'll try.

Before I start my words of commiseration, there's a sharp knock on the door. The guest doesn't bother waiting for a response, and I think it's rather rude.

A guard pokes his head around the door, and it turns out to be Luke. Tess and I face him, my arms wrapped around Tess even tighter now. I scowl. "What do you want?"

He blinks, unfazed. The rebel leader steps inside the room, extending his arm. Everyone's eyes drift to the blue acoustic guitar in his hand. "I found this in the hands of another man."

Tess gasps and rushes to him. She gives him a tight and quick hug, and I want to just kill the world. She takes the guitar and observes it for any scratches. "Thank you," she says, emotion seeping in her voice. "Luke, I can't thank you enough."

He smiles, rubbing the back of his neck. I want to kill him. It's a façade; I can see the hidden complacency in his eyes, and Tess doesn't notice it. All she sees is the blue-eyed bashful friend from her past.

"I have to go do my rounds," he says, sounding like we would feel disappointed without his presence. "I'll see you around, Tess." His eyes flick to mine, like he has just noticed me. "Your Majesty," he mumbles.

Luke closes the door behind him, and only then do I release a tense breath. Tess is smiling, and she hangs up the guitar back on her wall. It hurts knowing that I'm not the man that's making her smile right now. I wish I found that guitar. I'm pretty sure I would have been able to beat up the guy that took the guitar.

Still, something doesn't sit right. There is a fifteen-minute rebel attack that is supposedly an accident, yet something is stolen from Tess's room, of all places. And it's a guitar from Michael, the late crown prince, no less.

It's just not logical.

But Tess is happy now, so I guess there's nothing to worry and complain about.


Luke Danielson's POV

I know I'm not an idiot, and I have to say, that little hoax about "accidentally" pulling the alarm is a stroke of genius.

The alarm is still going off, and it's probably one of my least favorite sounds. Nonetheless, I go to Tess's room and find something of monetary and/or sentimental value. I have to admit my motives for being here are a bit vindictive, if not selfish. But seeing her with that stupid, God-awful prince makes me want to tear his head off.

There's a hint of Tess that clings in the air. Her bed is made, and it looks like she hasn't touched it in weeks.

Another reason why I hate the prince.

I'm trying to look for that necklace she always wears, but I know it's always on her. Her ring would've been more convenient, but I won't be able to obtain it for the same reason. The framed pictures on her wall can be easily replaced, so that won't work either.

I'm about to leave the room and maybe try the prince's when I see a bright blue object on the wall. A guitar. That's perfect. Tess loves music, and every instrument of hers is treated like her own child. I take it off its mount and give it a once-over. So small I can barely see it, there is a marking on the neck of the guitar. From Michael.

From the dead prince? Even better.

I take it and run out the door to hide in a deserted room. About five minutes later, I hear rushed footsteps pass me. For a second I think the person will enter this room, but no one turns the doorknob. I do hear a lot of scuffling from the next room, so I'm guessing that's Tess panicking. I start to get up, my hand already on the doorknob, but I hear another voice join her panicked one.

Oh, the prince is there. Even better.

There's silence for a bit, so this might be a good entrance as any. I knock on the door and open the door. The Tess I know wouldn't mind if I invited myself in.

But this isn't the Tess I know.

She and the prince are embracing, and my stomach churns in disgust. The prince makes no effort to hide the scowl on his face, and Tess looks at me, confused, even with her tear-streaked face.

"What do you want?" Prince Matthew says abrasively.

My grip on the guitar tightens as I walk inside the room and present the instrument. "I found this in the hands of another man."

Tess's eyes light up, as if someone turned on a light inside her head. She rushes to me, leaving the prince shocked and a bit pained. Tess gives me a tight but rushed hug. I remember how she felt in my arms. I like how I feel much taller than her.

"Thank you," she says, and I give the guitar back to her. She holds it, and it looks so right when she's holding it. "Luke, I can't thank you enough."

I feel a smile tugging my mouth. "I have to go do my rounds," I say, feeling like I've done enough. Besides, the prince's eyes are boring a hole in my head. "I'll see you around, Tess." I have to at least acknowledge the guy so I slightly nod. "Your Majesty," I mutter under my breath.

His scowl deepens the repulsed look on his face. I'm smiling inside, and I leave the room.

Maybe that was to spite the prince, but I wanted to get on good terms with Tess.

And I think I've done exactly that.


The Luke POV is a one-time thing, and that's it. I just needed you to understand what happened from his point of view. It's hard because I don't quite understand the way his mind works. I hope you liked that little perspective.

Oh, school. Sorry about this late update. I have to write an essay and it's already kicking my ass. I have a B+ in geometry, and like, what the heck? I cannot. Ughhh this is literally my third week in and I feel like I'm already dying. Tell me I'm overreacting.

OH! The other fanfics I'm working on—THANK YOU GUYS SOOOO MUCH! The stories have reviews, and I couldn't be more grateful.

QOTD: If the songs written in this story are actual songs with an actual melody, would you guys actually want to hear it? :P Crappy question. Oh, favorite music video ever? (The VMAs are tonight!)

Answer to previous QOTD: I'm super excited for everything, and all for different reasons. The Favorite because I want to know what happened between Carter and Marlee before shit happened. The Queen because I want to see how much of an asshole Clarkson was. The Heir because, come on, it will be like everyone's OC fanfictions becoming a legitimate thing. Soooo excited!

Thanks for the reviews!

The responses for these reviews are just for the previous chapter BTW. I don't think I could respond to so many thoughts at once, and that is so...I don't remember the word for it. Unparalleled, maybe.

Athenachild101- I loved the first 3 chapters too! And The Heir? Sooo pumped! Thanks so much!

ReadLikeYouMeanIt- Haha same here! I was screaming and my mom was like "...". Yeah, so there was that :) Thanks so much!

magicalnerd123- Right?! Kiera Cass is my favorite author alongside John Green. Ahhhh! Thanks so much!

Guest- Thank you so much for the review!

Kiren- Nah, just school, so it might as well be the same thing :) Thanks so much!

SJWrites2014- How do you come up with titles so poetic and poignant? And yass you must update :) But yeah, school is not a swamp, it's a dump, a muggy, humid, suffocating jungle. Sigh. Thank you so much!

Maria- Thank you soooo much!

eruditedemigod- Glad you love it! Thanks so much!

Blondie115- Awww thank you so much! That is so sweet I can't handle it *happy squeal*

Please-and-Thankyou's- Lol haha funky's such a good word :P Thank you so much!

WinteryRose- That's what I was thinking! Legitimate fanfictions! Ahhh! Thanks so much!

fantasybookgirl- My school is legit a campus. My classes are in three different buildings. It's soooo fun, though! Lunch time is definitely my favorite part of the day. I always get iced tea :) Unsweetened :) Thank you so much!

prnamber3909- #IFeelYa I'm always super worried if I'm sitting in the wrong class :P My schedule rotates everyday, so yeeeah. Thanks so much!

winterprincess- Haha I'm all good :) Yeah, Queen Francena is a bitch to her husband, but the people love her :) SOOOO excited for the new books! Thanks so much!

Theoneforever- I need The Heir like I need Air. Ahhh! Thanks so much!

PokemonLuver151- Glad you liked it! So excited too! Thank you!

lilythemermaid- (I feel like this chapter was a big middle finger to Lucas :P ) MAXERICA BABIES! Cute little blue-eyed blond kids/redheaded brown-eyed ragamuffins? Sooo excited! Girl, we really need to update The Fangirls. We have 13 reviews though! Like, what even? HOW even?! Thanks so muuuuch :3 Luv ya, O! LALOL

KhrystineR- Uh, I've read EVERYTHING in like a span of thirty minutes. And it's good to be excited! I'm sooo excited! Ahhh! Thank you so much!

azure blue espeon- New reviewer! :) I'm aware. I'm sooo glad you liked my other stories too! Super excited for the new installments :D Thank you so much!

LittleMissTori- Glad you loved the chapter :) Ooh cheer try-outs. Tell me how that goes. Good luck! Yeah, I'm really loving the no-boys thing. And don't worry; I'm sure you'll make friends. Thanks so much!

miaforevez- Haha wifey. Who made you cry? Me? Haha...*awkward silence* Thanks so much!

Love ya!- AcademicGirl