A loud bell startled me awake and I sat up. I blinked at the bright sunlight and looked around at my unfamiliar surroundings. I had forgotten where I was and for a brief second I was scared. When I remembered, I lay back down and smiled. The bell rang in the background and I let out a long yawn and stretched. The secret door opened and Ceecee appeared.

"Oh your awake." She said with surprise.

"How can anyone sleep through that?" I asked looking out the small window that looked out to the river.

"You get used to it. Well that's what I've heard, I've never been able to sleep that late in the day."

"Late in the day? What is the time?" I asked, laying back in the bed and feeling the soft sheets with my hands.

"Almost lunch time miss."

"Lunch time!" I said and bolted up. I climbed out of bed and raced behind the changing screen. "I've never slept till lunch, even when I was sick." I said, feeling panicked. Ceecee chuckled.

"His highness never awakens before lunch, unless going hunting or visiting other palaces." She said.

"You serve the king?" I asked, sticking my head out to see her. She smiled at me and nodded.

"There are two of us that help him. Me, and a man named Jesse De Silva. Of course Jesse is the King's dearest friend, where as I am just his maid."

"I see." I stood completely frozen. She appeared beside me and smiled. I turned to her and she started tying up my corset. "So, you know them well?" I asked, trying my hardest to sound casual.

"I know Mr. De Silva well." She said and paused. As I waited for her to explain I could feel the jealousy grow within me as I started wondering how well they really knew each other. "With his highness, well I'm still learning."

"Oh do you know Mr. De Silva?" my voice was no louder than a peep.

"We were neighbours as children." She said shaking her head at me. "His parents lived next to mine until his father died and his mother fell in love with the Duke of Norfolk." She said. "They married when he was 6 and they moved away. That's how I got this job." She said smiling and holding up the white dress. "You should wear this one." Her eyes had a mischievous twinkle in them.

With little difficult I put on the dress and stepped out into the room. She smiled and said, "That dress is perfect." I narrowed my eyes at her and smiled.

"Why?"

"Here, I asked the king if I could use this in your room." She turned away and pulled a large mirror from off of the bed. I hadn't seen her carry it in so she must've brought it in after I started changing. She held the mirror towards me and I studied myself. The white dress fit my body perfectly. It flowed straight to the ground with short sleeves that had yellow flowers stitched onto them and a yellow beaded neckline that made my pale skin more inviting. The bottom of the dress had small yellow flowers sown all around the hem, along with the yellow beading. I smiled at her and she grinned back.

"Sit and I'll do your hair for you." She said placing the mirror back on the bed and pulling out a stool for me to sit at.

"You don't have to Ceecee, I don't mind." I said, but she pushed me into the seat and grabbed the brush on the vanity.

"Where did you think of that name? Ceecee?" She said as she gently brushed out the knots in my hair.

"I don't know…it's just easier to say." I said with a grin.

"I suppose, but its not like your name is so easy."

"My Mother used to call me Susie when I was a little girl."

"Susie?" She laughed. "That's cute."

"Yes well…I was little." I said, slightly embarrassed.

"I wont call you that, it makes you sound like a child." She said with a chuckle. "But I'll think up something creative, just wait." I laughed and shook my head. We were silent for a few minutes while she started pining my hair. It was more painful that I had expected, so I sat perfectly still and tried not to wince. When she was done she clapped her hands together and rushed to get the mirror. Looking at myself I was shocked. With my cap on, I was used to seeing my bare face. But the way that Ceecee had done my hair, it made my face more elegant. My hair was up; strands of hair were tucked neatly to make one giant bun on m head. She had stuck yellow beads in my hair and together with the dress I could hardly remember what I looked like in my old brown dress. I looked at Ceecee and grinned.

"Thank you!"

"Your welcome. It's so tending to a woman, rather than a man." She said with a smile. "Now, lunch is being served in the tea room, in the lower ward, by the chapel. If you get lost, just ask a guardsmen, and he'll show you the way." I nodded as she spoke. "Don't forget you are the same as these people. It's crucial to remember that, or they'll devour you." She said with a frown.

"Thanks again Ceecee." I said before she left through the door.

"Have fun." She said with a wink.

After checking if my brother and Dr. Smith had gone for lunch, I headed down to the tearoom. But along the way I got wrapped up in looking at the different tapestries that I got lost and found myself in the middle ward. I was walking along a brightly lit, curved hallway, like it was one big circle, with a room in the middle. When I came to two solid oak doors I stopped. I touched the cool iron handles and listened carefully. Slowly I pressed down the handle and listened to creaking of the old door along the cold floors. The room was dark, with a single square of light coming from window in the ceiling 50 feet above.

I blinked, as my eyes adjusted to the different lighting. Slowly I crept into the room and looked around for signs of anyone else. But there was no one. In the middle of the room was a round table, like King Arthur's legend. I smiled as I touched the solid wood on the table and walked along the edge. I looked at the different coat of arms hanging on the walls and felt completely at peace here.

I spotted where the King's seat at the far end of the table, furthest away from the door, and smiled. I looked back at the closed door and felt a nervous excitement coarse threw my body as I walked towards it. I pulled out the chair and felt the soft cushion of the seat. None of the other seats were like this. You could see the power just by looking at it. I looked back at the door nervously and took a deep breath before sitting in the seat. The power that the chair emitted raced through my veins.

In this chair, you sat 5 inches above everyone else, so everyone would look up to you. Next you had the most room to move around, which I discovered when I turned sideways to rest my elbow on the armrest. I imagined great kings sitting here, discussing plans of battle. I smiled as I realized how silly I felt and then the handle on the door clicked.

My heart stopped and I blanked as I heard the door open. I looked around for a way out, but found nothing. Then I noticed the table and dashed under it as more light filled the room. I quietly crawled to the middle of the table and sat with my arms wrapped around my knees, head bent, barely breathing.

"We can't go in here." A woman said.

"Shh…no one comes in here." A man replied. The door closed and the clicking of shoes filled the room, as she traced the table.

"What a waste of space." She said with a disapproving tone.

"The table could prove to be useful." The man said, his feet appearing a few feet in front of me.

"How so?" She asked appearing beside him. Without speaking he picked her up and placed her on the table, then his feet disappeared as he too, climbed onto the table. I shut my eyes and tried to tune out the sounds of lips touching lips, and giggling and then the sounds of loud grunts. She gasped as if in pain, but he kept grunting. The she let out a cry and they stopped moving. Both were breathing heavily and I heard the man lay on the table. Neither one spoke for a few seconds, but they just kept breathing heavily as I sat there trying not to vomit.

"What is the plan for this evening?" She asked. A shuffling sound was made and despite my urge to not picture anything going on, I imagined her resting her head on his chest.

"I've already told you three times." He said with exasperation.

"I just want to hear it again to know that it's real!" She said with a whine.

"Ok well, first we go to the coronation so that everyone can see that we're there." He said. "Then after the king is crowned their will be a feast, to which we will put the tablet into the kings drink."

"What will the tablet do?" She asked.

"The tablet will make the king become drowsy, which will make him irritable. Eventually he will get frustrated and leave the room, I imagine causing a big scene. To which I will leave the room and assist him up to his room, where he will be safe in bed when I leave." She giggled.

"The next part is my favourite." She said, and a kiss was shared.

"Next you and your husband will leave the party early, because you have a certain desire that only he can help you with. You have to make it obvious to him the whole night.

"I don't think that will be a problem although he wont be able to help me like you can." I gagged and shook my head.

"Once in your room, pour him a glass of wine and pour the toxin into it. Do not kiss him if he drinks the wine."

"That could be tricky."

"I would suggest offering the wine after the sex."

"I have to…I suppose your right."

"It's only one more time." He said encouraging her. She sighed. "What next?"

"The next morning we'll be awoken by horrible screams and shouts. The King is dead they will all say. And we'll rush with the crowds to find out that the king has hung himself out his bedroom window using the sheets from his bed. People will ask why, to which we will reply that he told us that he never wanted to be king that he hated his life and wished there was a way out." She giggled again and kisses were shared.

"For now my dear," He said sliding his feet appearing in front of me, with his tights around his ankles. He bent down and grabbed them and without seeing me pulled them up. "We must leave. For we've got a king to kill."

"We've got a kingdom awaiting us." She said her feet dangling in front of his. They kissed again, for what seemed like a long time before she hopped off of the table. Together they walked to the doorway, exchanging one more kiss before leaving. I checked to make sure that they were both gone before I crawled out from the table. I looked back at the table and shivered with disgust. Then I realized what I had just witness and felt myself start to panic.

Two people were planning on killing the king and it was my duty to do something about it. I couldn't just let them kill him. I crept to the door and quietly opened it. I peeked outside and blinked at the harsh light. No one was there so I slipped out and raced down the hallway trying to figure out which way I came from. People stared as I raced by, I tried to slow down to a walking pace when I saw someone coming, but it made no difference anyways, they either laughed or stared at me with distaste.

I ran down the hallways and was lucky enough to find my way back to my room. As I reached the door Dr. Smith's door opened.

"Susanna?" He said with a shocked expression. "What happened?" He asked looking at my dress. I looked down and groaned as I noticed the dark dirt marks where I crawled out from under the table.

"I was…I got lost."

"Were you playing in dirt? Or running through a field?" He asked touching a strand of hair that had fallen out.

"I was running, yes." I said looking away. I heard him sigh and when I looked back at him he was smiling and shaking his head.

"You'll never lose that free spirit will you? Even here, in a castle you're still that country girl who does not care about what one thinks." He said it with a smile, so I tried hard not to take offense. I smiled and shrugged.

"Do you know where my brother is?" I asked, knowing that Jacob could help me save the king.

"I have no idea. I saw him at lunch but he went looking for you." He looked over my dress again and smiled.

"I…I guess I better change." I said smiling and turning away.

"We're heading down to the coronation in two hours." He said and I smiled and nodded. "I'll knock on your door when we're ready."

"Thank you." I said and curtsied as best as I could before going into my room and shutting the door. I looked around the room, desperate for an answer. I spotted the string hanging beside the bed and raced to it, pulling it desperately. I pulled it about 12 times before the door creaked open.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Ceecee said out of breath. She looked at me and gasped. "What have you done to your dress?"

"That's not important right now!"

"Of course it's important. That dress is ruined." She said pushing me to behind the curtain. "Take it off quickly so I can get it washed."

"No Ceecee, someone's-"

"Just hurry will you." She said irritated. I slipped out of the dress and passed it to her.

"Someone's going to kill the king." I said.

"Oh Susanna, everyone thinks that." She said studying the ruined dress.

"Cecily." I said and she looked at me. "I'm serious."

"How can you be sure?" She said.

"I was wandering around the Round Tower, don't ask how I got there because I have no idea. I was in the room with the Round Table-"

"You went in there?" She gasped.

"Yes, you can scold me after. I was in there…looking around when the door opened and I dashed under the table so no one would see me. A man and a woman came in and…well apart form doing unmentionable things, started discussing plans for the kings murder."

"Who was it?" She said.

"I have no idea, but they must be close to the king for he talked about assisting the king back to his room after."

"It could've been a servant."

"No, he said he had a throne to claim, or something along those lines."

"Paul, it must be him."

"Paul?"

"He's the king's cousin. If Adam were to die, Paul would be next in line, because Adam has no children. This coronation would be the opportune moment to kill the king."

"Well are you not going to go and tell him?" I asked, wondering why she was just pacing my room.

"I can't. He's out hunting and then requested that I stay here with you, Jesse will help him get ready." She sighed and rubbed her face. "How is he going to do it without it looking suspicious?"

"He said he's going to drop a tablet into the kings drink which will make him sleepy and that will irritate him. Then he'll get mad, leave the party and the man, Paul as you presume, will help him to his room where I imagine the king will fall asleep and Paul will tie the bed sheets together and hang him. Then the woman is planning on murdering her husband after she lures him to their room in hopes of intimacy with his wife. "

"We've got to do something." She said, a deep crease in her forehead appeared.

"Should I tell the guards?" I asked.

"No, we have no proof. We have to make it look like they set out to do this."

"How will we do that without making it looking suspicious?" I asked and sat on the bed.

"You'll have to watch Paul like a hawk. We might not be able to save the husband, but we can definitely save the king. You're going to have to let Paul drug the king."

"I can not sit back and watch."

"You'll have to Susanna. You watch him and when the king leaves, and Paul follows run as fast as you can to the nearest chamber. Go through the secret door and follow the hallway until you get to a spiraling staircase. Go up the stair case four flights, until you get to a hallway with 6 doors in it. I'll leave one slightly open for you to go through."

"You'll be in there then?"

"Once the coronation starts, I'll excuse myself and stay in there the whole night, making it look like I'm cleaning up." I nodded. "If we can save the husband than we will, but don't count on it." She said looking at me seriously. "You'll have to remain calm and not tell anyone, not even your brother because one false move and the king could really end up dead." She sighed, placed her hands on her hip and looked around the room. "You need to get ready. Which dress are you wearing?"

"I couldn't possibly think about that now." I said shaking my head.

"You have to Susanna."

"I don't even know what Paul looks like." I said feeling anxiety take over my whole body.

"He's tall, blonde, green eyes, very handsome and will most likely wear a blue tunic because blue is his family colour." I sighed. "Now which dress are you wearing?"

"The red one." I said remember the colours Gina had told me to wear to the ball. Ceecee pulled out the red dress and smiled.

"This one's beautiful. Here." She passed it to me and pushed me behind the screen. She tied my corset within two minutes and I stepped into the dress. Tying he dress was harder than we thought and took almost 15 minutes to lace up. When it was done I looked in the mirror and nodded. This was a great dress.

The dress was more elegant than any of the others. This dress made of satin was a dark red and had short sleeves and sat off my shoulders. It had black lace along the sleeves and neckline and flowed open to more dark red material traced with black lace. The dress clung to my rib cage but expanded in the back due to the wire underneath. The back was trimmed with black lace and dark red bows. It swished when I walked and made me feel like I had an extremely large bottom, but I loved it. There were a pair of red gloves that went past my elbows and a red beaded diadem that would fit in my hair.

Without even saying a word I sat on the stool and Ceecee tutted as she undid the mess that my hair was in. She mumbled to herself words that I couldn't understand and fixed my hair. I closed my eyes and told myself to breath. I could never act normal if I didn't get my nerves under control.

An hour later I was dressed, primped and ready for the ball. I stood at the window and watched as the cold water rushed through the lake, splashing onto the sparkling banks. I shivered as I thought of how cold it was out there.

At the sound of three rapid knocks on my door I jumped. I placed my hand over my heart to steady it before I opened the door. Dr Smith and Jacob stood in front of me.

"You look beautiful." Dr Smith said as he looked over my whole outfit.

"Thank you." I said nodding my head and trying not to blush. Jacob smiled at me and held out his arm for me to take.

"My lady." He said and I laughed.

"If Papa could see us now!" I said smiling at the green tunic that Jacob was wearing. "Where did you get this?"

"My…servant…he said he wore it on his wedding day and I could wear it if I liked."

"That was generous of him." I said.

"My servant scowls every time he sees me." Dr. smith frowned. I looked at Jacob and we burst into laughter. Dr. Smith couldn't help but smile too. The chapel doors came into view and I felt my heart drop into my stomach and had the sudden urge to throw up.

"Are you nervous dear sister?" Jacob said quietly.

"No why?"

"You're shaking as if you've spent the afternoon in the river."

"I-I'm just excited Jacob that's all." I lied, but I was convincing enough for he smiled and patted my hand as if I was a child.

Two male guards stood on either sides of the solid oak doors and two male attendants had the unfortunate job to open the door for everyone. I nodded a thank you, which seemed to shock them, before we walked into the chapel. It wasn't as big as the Kingsbridge cathedral but it was large enough to fit everyone into it. The room was already starting to become crowded and we took a spot half way through the chapel.

The people were dressed in all sorts of colours. Different shades of reds, greens, yellows, blues, purple, pinks. There were young men, old men, blonde women, brunette women, men with long beards and men with no beards. I smiled to a young blonde girl as she appeared beside me. She wore a light blue dress that puffed out like mine, but was not made of satin but cotton and a tall white collar that opened in the front to reveal a lot of cleavage but in the back just reached the baton of the bun in her hair. Her eyes were dark blue and the way she looked at you was fierce and powerful.

Her husband was followed close behind her. He was an older man with a pointy white beard and sad blue eyes. He, like his wife wore a pale blue tunic that was very snug around his large belly. His grey curly hair was somewhat covered by a blue jeweled hat along with a long blue feather.

"So exciting these parties." She whispered to me and I smiled.

"You're not from around here are you?" She whispered again, looking around carefully. "Don't worry I'm not either."

"Is it very obvious?" I asked feeling my face heat up.

"I saw you running through the halls today, covered in dirt. It reminded me of my days at home in Sussex." She said as she clearly was remembering her days in the country.

"I'm from Worcester." I said smiling slightly.

"Beautiful place, Worcester." Her husband spoke with a deep, rusty voice. His wife smiled at him and nodded.

"We love it there." She said, looking at him fondly.

"Where abouts do you live?" Her husband asked and I blanked. Was I supposed to admit to our poor family conditions?

"Dear, that is too personal for us to know." She said smiling at me. I silently thanked her for saving my grace.

"We live in Cumberland." She said smiling. "You should come and visit us." She said with a bright smile.

"I'm afraid that I don't even know your names." I said with a smile and she laughed.

"My name is Maria McDonald and this is my husband Spencer." He smiled and kissed my hand.

"Susannah Simon." I said.

"Well Susannah, stay close to us and we'll show you the ropes of these events. I assume you'll be coming to more?" Maria said to me.

"I…I don't know." My words were drowned out by the sounds of trumpets.

"Make way for Prince Adam, future king of England." A man shouted and the whole room went quiet. Everyone strained their necks to get a glance at the king. I spotted a white hat floating threw the air with large white feathers sticking out of it. As it began to move down the aisle in the church everyone bowed down, side glancing at the future king. As the king took his spot at the altar everyone rose and stared at him. He looked handsome, dressed completely in white and gold. He stood with confidence yet his hands were clasped behind his back to hide his shaking hands. His eyes roamed the guests with a certain ferocity.

"That man, beside the king is Jesse De Silva." Maria explained. "He came from no money. But like I did, his mother fell in love with a duke and they were whisked out of poverty." She said with a smile. I studied Jesse's face, and felt my heart quicken slightly. He was wearing a blue tunic, with white gems on it. He smiled at the girl standing next to him and whispered something in her ear. I frowned at it, trying to not feel so jealous and studied the rest of the king's entourage.

"Maria, who is that?" I asked pointing to the tall man beside the king.

"That is the kings cousin Paul." She said. "Handsome devil and quite the lady's man." I nodded and studied his face. He, like Adam, held themselves with great power and confidence. He had Adam's hair colour and strong jaw but his kindness never reached his eyes and he looked a lot tougher than Adam did. Like Ceecee had said, he too was wearing a blue tunic with white beads. He looked at Adam and a quick smile flitted over his face, before his eyes darted through the crowd. His eyes landed on me and he smiled and nodded. I blinked at him and wasn't sure what to do next. Then he bit his lip and I heard a giggle from behind me. I turned slightly, as if I was going to talk to Jacob and glanced at the woman behind me. She wore a bright pink dress with white lace and her blonde hair was down like mine, only hers lacked the natural curl that mine had. She winked at Paul and I almost puked. These were the two that were scheming against the king.

As Fr. Dominic appeared on the altar I suddenly felt very faint. I blinked at the altar and told myself to take deep breaths. But the weight of what might happened made my breathing short and quick. I looked around and shook my head.

"Susannah? What's wrong?" Jacob whispered furiously in my ear.

"Nothing I'm fine." I said as his arm grabbed onto my upper arm.

"Are you feeling alright? You're very pale…and swaying."

"I just need some…air." I said.

"You can't leave now!" He hissed at me.

"Don't worry. The king won't mind. I'll take her outside." Maria spoke with a soft voice and wrapped a hand around my wrist. We quietly slipped through the crowd as Fr. Dominic started the ceremony. "This way." She whispered and we went through a small door that was located at the side of the building. It went down a long dark tunnel and opened up to the cold winter air.

I gulped in the cool air and felt myself relax. The sun was starting to set and everything seemed so peaceful in this blocked off area. You could run for miles before you would reach the stonewalls at the other end.

As I stood in the snow, Maria said nothing. She just let me catch my breath. When I started shivering she touched my shoulder and looked at me with sharp eyes.

"Are you ready to go back?" She asked.

"I think so." I said and she smiled at me.

"Come on, it might be done by now." She chuckled as she wrapped an arm around my shoulder and we walked back into the chapel.