The Cat and the Agent

by Artful Doodler

Frank falls for Mrs. King's niece. But is she all that she seems? Rated T for language and M for violence, and some smutty scenes. Frank London/OC (Cover image is Jenny. Portrayed by Samata Angel)

56. Royal Rescue

(Jenny's POV)

The last thirty-six hours have been hectic.

All day Friday, all hands were on deck with the final preparations. The caterers arrived to make start on the cooking for the five hundred-plus guests that are coming. The decorators came to; of course, decorate the Great Hall – with Ophelia directing them as she had made a full recovery. Every servant in the castle had the place cleaned from top to bottom, leaving no speck of dust behind. And Astrid rehearsed from morning until night with her coronation – she had breaks, of course – making sure she didn't mess up or forgot what she had to say.

As for me, I made sure that nothing happened to the princess. Everywhere she went, I followed – even if it was to the bathroom! I knew that it was only a matter of time before Astrid's assassin struck again and I'm not taking any chances by letting the princess out of my sight. I also had to be cautious with myself. After my almost near-death experience, I have to keep my wits about me, my senses sharp, and try to find out who is after Astrid.

I also managed to find the perfect hiding place for the scrapbook of King Andreas. It's the one place I know the assassin will never find it… I hope.

On Saturday, Astrid's birthday and coronation, after everything had been finalized, Astrid and I head into Schonan to get ourselves pampered for tonight. Beauty and massage treatments and a little retail therapy – with no punk gangs in sight to kidnap anyone. It's also the last time Astrid will visit Schonan as a princess. In a few hours' time, she'll be Queen.

When we come back, we start to get ready – at the same time that the guests are arriving. As much as I wanted to be with Astrid, were put in separate rooms, with Astrid telling me that the stylists are trained martial artists and there are two guards standing outside each of our doors. I was reluctant, but I obliged.

The team of professionals working on my overall appearance, and they include hair and makeup experts as well as a photographer to take pictures of me while the assistants dress me, and do my hair and makeup. He even takes some shoots of me when I'm finished and says that he'll email me the pictures.

I step out the same time as Astrid – and she looks a vision of grace and glamour, wearing a strapless, aqua blue tulle and taffeta gown that feature rows of tiers, complete with elegant yet understated jewellery and short, white sheer gloves. She gracefully wears a crystal tiara inset with diamonds and pearls on her lovely updo.

"Oh, my gosh, Astrid," I say. "You look stunning."

"Thank you," she replies. "The same goes for you, too."

I smile in response. "How are you feeling?"

"Very nervous – but then again, it's only a birthday dinner… with foreign royalty, heads of state, and Members of Parliament. And then when the coronation happens, who knows how I'll be."

"Just remember to breathe and relax, OK? If you have any problems, Niklas, Ophelia or I will be there to help."

"Thank you, Jenny." There's a small pause. "Do you think the assassin will strike tonight?"

"They'll have to get past me – and all the guards in the castle. Remember that they're doing spot checks, so you have nothing to worry about. Besides, I'm sure MI9 have already found out who that person is and they'll be on their way to get her. Him. Or them."

Astrid gives a small nod. "You're right – I have nothing to worry about. So long as you're by my side, there's no way the assassin will try anything."

Just then, Niklas and two guards arrive and approach us. "Excuse me, Ma'am, but the last of the guest are arriving," he says. He turns to me. "I'm afraid you can't be with the princess when I announce her, Miss Brownstone. You'll have to be in the dining room with the other guests."

I nod. Then I give Astrid's hand a squeeze. "Remember, Astrid – deep breathes. Good luck."

I head down to the third floor and join the last remaining guests going into the dining hall mainly used for formal state, royal and private banquets. It's a large room with large windows that face the garden. There are two long tables filled with porcelain, crystal, silver and linens, with a fireplace to the western side, as well as a top table, where Astrid will sit. A red carpet decorates the checkered tile floors, while large paintings hang on the walls as well as the occasional pottery. There was a small stage in the far left corner with a smaller-sized orchestra of about fifty musicians or fewer.

I'm guided to my seat by one of the butlers, passing major dignitaries from other countries and other royalty who are already at their seats, dressed in white ties and ball gowns. I'm placed reasonably near Astrid. While I may not be seated at the top table, I'm placed somewhere where I have clear sightlines to the princess.

Once the guest have entered the room and have been seated, I spot Niklas coming in the dining hall.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please rise for the entrance of Her Royal Highness, the Crown Princess Astrid of Faärland."

We all raise from our seats at the same time the orchestra start to play the Royal Salute. A moment later, Astrid enters the room. All the men give a nod of the head with a slight leaning forward of the upper body, and the women – including myself – give a very slight bend of the knees as a curtsy when Astrid passes us.

When Astrid reaches her seat at the top table, we remain standing and pray silence for grace by the Patriarch of the Church of Faärland, who will be crowning Astrid in the coronation. After Astrid is seated, and the rest of us follow suit and we are served our meals.

While the guests make conversations with one another, I make discreet and brief glances in the dining hall for any potential suspects in wanting to eliminate Astrid. But it's difficult to find that person in a room filled with presidents and monarchs from across the globe. It's like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

But I need to find this person – and quick. I've only got a few hours until Astrid is crowned Queen.

xxoOoxx

Two hours and six course meals later, dinner is finished – and I feel full. We all stand as Astrid leaves the dining hall where she'll head upstairs to her room to get changed in her coronation dress. Meanwhile, the guests and I go down to the Great Hall where we will spend the next couple of hours relaxing with music and dancing – well, for the guests anyway. I don't have anyone to talk to, and I can't find Ophelia anywhere. So I go over to one of the benches and listen to the classical music being played while watching everyone mingle and dance.

But after spending half an hour people-watching, I find myself feeling bored – and lonely. I mean I did have people inviting me to dance – that's nineteen men and one woman! – but I have turned them all away. There's only one person I want to have a dance with – and he's not here.

"Excuse me," a voice says from my left side.

Great – another young aristocrat begging to invade my presence on the dance floor.

I turn to the man, ready to politely decline his invitation – but my jaw drops at the sight that greets me. No. It can't be. Can it? "Frank?"

A smile touches his sexy lips. "My pretty young princess," he says, "would you honour me with one dance?"

I can't move to save my life, even when I realize what an idiot I must look. I look Frank up and down, taking in every detail.

He isn't handsome – he is sinfully delicious. The epitome of exquisite white tie, Frank is wearing a sophisticated tuxedo. The beautifully tailored, single-breasted jacket features stylish peak lapels and a single vent. His crisp white shirt is worn with a white satin bow tie and a waistcoat. Gone are the glasses he wears when he's undercover as a caretaker, revealing his gorgeous blue eyes. His stubble is gone too, and his smooth skin glows with health. I find it difficult to look away.

Frank is the one to break the silence. "Miss? Did you hear me? I said would you care to dance?" he asks, extending his hand.

I find myself temporarily robbed of speech, so I nod yes.

I take his hand, and Frank gently pulls me to my feet and leads me to the dance floor arm in arm and we begin to waltz.

"Surprised to see me?" Frank asks me.

I swallow enough saliva to reply, "I'm more surprised that you look so exquisite in a tuxedo. I have a very good mind to rip it off and have my way with you right have in the presence of all these dignitaries." I gaze into his soft, blue eyes. "I've missed you."

Frank gazes back at me and smiles. "Missed you, too."

A tiny pause. "So, Frank…"

He shakes his head. "Not tonight. Tonight I'm" – he leans towards my ear – "Godalming Keaty Levans, the Duke of Framlingham."

"Good grief," I mutter. That has to be the most ridiculously poshest name I have ever heard. "So, Your Grace – have you come alone?"

"I came with a plus-one – Lord Archie Washington Micawber." Frank gives a nod. "There he is."

I glance over my shoulder and I have to bite the inside of my cheeks to stop myself from laughing when I see a terrified Stark being manhandled on the dance floor by a plump, older woman who seems to have a very keen eye on him.

Upon spotting us, Stark mouths, "Help me," – but he is quickly dragged away by the woman.

"It looks like Lord Micawber has got his hands full," I say, turning back to Frank. "But it's nice to see someone's taking an interest in him. That aside, I take it you have some information for me regarding the assassin?"

Frank nods. "When you sent us the photo, we ran a facial recognition. The woman in the picture is Shona Asher and the baby is her daughter, Ebony. After we found Mrs Asher's contact details, I volunteered to visit the address – but the news isn't a happy one. Her husband told me that Shona Asher died four years ago from cervical cancer."

"So she's not the one who's after Astrid," I muse. "It must be her daughter, Ebony."

"It is. But there's something you should know about her. When Mrs Asher's husband told me about his wife, I noticed a photograph of Ebony on the mantelpiece. It seems that she has the same odd-coloured eyes as King Andreas – one green, one blue. I wasn't sure until I ran a biometrics scan on both her and the late King, and my suspicions were confirmed."

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

Frank nods. "Ebony Asher is King Andreas' daughter."

I gasp. "Oh, my God," I say, stunned. "The King has two daughters?"

"Yes. It explains why she kept a scrapbook of him."

"But not why she wants Astrid dead. I mean she's her half-sister. For starters, where could she be? Unless… Oh no. I need to get to Astrid. She's in danger!"

I weave through the crowd and out of the Great Hall. I race up the stairs, with Frank tailing behind me.

When we reach the top of the stairs on Astrid's floor, Frank and I are confronted by Ebony coming towards us. She's dressed head to toe in a black ninja suit and she has Astrid over her shoulder in a fireman's carry.

"Hold it right there, Ebony!" I say.

Ebony skids to a halt. "If you know what's best for you, you better move out of my way."

"I'm afraid we can't do that," says Frank. "How about you make things easy for all of us and unhand the princess."

"How about you make me?"

"I'll be glad to," I say, and I charge at Ebony.

I react quickly, striking out with the heel of my right hand. But Ebony is quicker, despite the fact that she's carrying Astrid over her shoulder. She seems to shimmy to one side, and then her hand shoots out, the side of it driving into my throat. I gasp for breath but no breath comes. The ninja lashes out a second time. I try to avoid the blow, but Ebony's fist hits me square on the jaw. Then she takes a large step forward and delivers a series of kicks with incredible speed, then takes another step forward and delivers another flurry of kicks with her other leg. She takes one final step forward and delivers a roundhouse kick to my face. I stagger and lose my balance, and I find myself falling backwards – over the balcony…

But someone catches my wrist.

I look up. "Frank!" I croak. My throat is still sore.

"Hang on, Jen! I've got you!" he says.

As he strains to pull me up, I see Ebony standing behind Frank.

"Frank – behind you!" I cry.

Before Frank can glance over his shoulder, Ebony shoves him over the balcony and we both fall.

"AAAHH!" I scream as I fall while clinging tightly onto Frank. There's no way I'll be able to reach for my communicator, change into my spy suit and use my jet boots to stop us from falling. But it's nice to know that I'm about to die with someone I love.

Suddenly we come to a complete stop.

What's happened? Am I dead? What's going on?

I open my eyes and look up – and I find that I'm hanging mid-air… by a piece of rope?

"What?" I breathe. I turn to Frank – the only possible explanation as to why we're hanging mid-air. He has one hand holding onto the rope while the other is wrapped tightly around my waist.

"Like I said before, I've got you," he says, and he eases us down slowly and gently to the ground of the entrance hall. When I release myself from him, Frank pulls on the rope, and it detaches itself from where it was held and winds itself back into the belt buckle.

And it is then I knew. "The Grappling Belt," I murmur.

"Mm-hm," says Frank, closing the buckle. "You didn't think MI9 would send me out here empty-handed, did you? But you are OK, though, yeah?"

"Well, other than my face that's starting to swell up, I'm fine. Thanks for the save," I say. "Now let's find Ebony. She'll be easy to track since I sewed a tracker under Astrid's dress." I hitch up my skirt and take out my communicator from the holder strapped on my thigh. Strapping the communicator on my wrist, I turn on the GPS that reveals a red dot moving across the screen.

"There she is! She's on the second floor!" I say.

Frank and I race up the stairs for the second floor.

"She's in the library!" I say as we run through the corridors.

"We've got her cornered," says Frank.

"Not for long she isn't. Astrid told me that there's a secret passage in the library that leads to woods. It's located behind the fireplace."

We make it to the library. We burst open the doors but there is no-one here. Ebony must have already gone through the secret passageway. We head straight for the fireplace.

"There has to a switch or a button or something to open the secret entrance," I say, fiddling with the wall of the fireplace and pulling on the fire poker.

"What are you doing?" a voice asks.

Frank and I whirl around to find Niklas standing in the doorway.

"Niklas – there's no time to explain," I say. "But long story short, the assassin has Astrid and she escaped through the fireplace. We need to find the switch to open up the secret passage so I can go after the assassin and save Astrid."

For a couple of seconds Niklas doesn't say anything. Then he makes his way across the room to the fireplace, and he pushes down on a small passage on the plinth base. Slowly, the fireplace slides open.

"I trust you will have our future Queen returned to us safely," says Niklas.

"Don't worry, Niklas, I will," I say. I use my communicator to change into my spy suit. "You best stay here, Frank. You can explain to Niklas what has happened and alert the guards so they can be here to arrest Ebony."

Frank nods. "Good luck, Jen."

And with that I go through the fireplace. Inside it is pitch black – but not for long. The night vision feature on my Camera Contact Lens automatically activates and I take a look at my surroundings. I find myself standing on a small landing with a narrow, spiralling set of stairs. After a quick glance I start to make my way down the winding stairs.

Down and down and down I go, being extra careful not to slip and fall. Down and down and down and down. I swear to God if Ebony has touched one hair on Astrid's head, I will end her. Down and down. Hold on, Astrid – I'm coming.

Down and down and down and down – and then suddenly I'm on ground level, standing at the start of a long, gloomy stone tunnel. Not only is it cold and damp, but it's smelly and disgusting as there's grime and mildew covering at least ninety-five per cent of the walls. It's so gross – but I have to suck it up and get through this passageway if I want to save Astrid.

I make a break for it. I run. I run and run and run, my boots going clip-clacking on the stone ground. I don't stop – I can't stop, on and on and on, down the dingy tunnel. Oh God, I hope I don't arrive too late. I made a promise to Astrid that I'll keep her safe and stop the person from killing her, and that's exactly what I'm going to do.

I keep running until I see a wide staircase at the end of the tunnel. I climb up it and I'm in a small lobby area of a building and then go through the iron gates and out into the fresh air on the surface.

I'm now in the woods – as Astrid told me the tunnel would lead to. It's shadowy and creepy – even with night vision, but I have to keep on moving.

I look at my communicator for Astrid and Ebony's location. The red dot shows that they are somewhere in the middle of the woods. And that's where I'm going.

I take off running again. I push myself to keep on running, even though I'm starting to sweat and I'm beginning to feel a little breathless, I have to keep going. Hold on, Astrid. Just a few more minutes and I'll be there. I'll be there to stop your crazy half-sister and save you.

I run through the woods until I come upon the clearing and there is the hut where I found the scrapbook in all its coldness and bleakness. It looks about as inviting as the house in The Blair Witch Project.

Suddenly I hear a scream – Astrid's scream.

"Shut the hell up, you stupid bitch!" I hear Ebony telling the princess. "You're in the middle of the woods. Nobody can hear you!"

Their voices are coming from the other side of the hut. I forge forward, moving silently towards the hut. When I get there I keep to the edge and skirt around the side of the small building, legs still wobbling after all the running I did.

I peer out the side and see Ebony standing in front of Astrid, her back to me while Astrid is sitting on the ground, her wrists tied up.

"Why are you doing this?" Astrid demands, tears streaming down her face.

Ebony scoffs. "Do you know how whiny and pathetic you sound?" She mimics Astrid's voice with a high-pitched, whiny imitation. "Why are you doing this? Why d'you wanna hurt lil' ol' me?" Then she continues in her normal voice, "You sound like a bratty five-year-old. But, to answer your pitiful question as to why I'm doing this, the answer is simple: I hate you. No, not even hate – I despise you. You think you're Little Miss Perfect, aren't you? With your big fancy castle, your expensive jewellery and extensive wardrobe of gorgeous outfits, your blonde hair, and the fact that your beauty can shower you with sparkles and flowers, and make birds and small woodland creatures flock around you. And now… now you're gonna be Queen."

A small pause.

"That should be me!" Ebony screams. "I should be the one who should be crowned – not you! I spent weeks planning on ways of getting rid of you, and I executed every single one of them. But somehow, by amazing chance, you managed to escape every single one of them by the skin of your teeth, including the one with the poisoned dress – my most brilliant idea. But then she came along – the spy from London. Sticking her nose in where it's not wanted, ruining my plans, and escaping death. Well, maybe not the last one because right now she and her partner are lying dead with their blood, and probably their brain matter, spluttered all over the place. And now that she's out of the way, I will have the ultimate pleasure in getting rid of you."

Ebony pulls something out from the jacket of her suit, and Astrid's eyes go wide. It's a gun – a Glock 19. The ninja assassin cocks the gun and points it at the princess.

"Sweet dreams, little princess," says Ebony. "Tell Dad I said hi."

The time to attack is now.

"I don't think so, Ebony!" I exclaim, leaving my hiding place and charging towards the ninja.

Before she has time to register what is happening, I punch Ebony in the face that sends her skidding across the clearing. She lands on the ground with a thump, dropping the gun in the process.

She gets up and spins to face me. "You again!" she snarls. "Why are you still alive? Why can't you just die?"

"What can I say? I'm a hard person to kill," I retort.

"Well, that run of good luck ends tonight when I will be the one who will end you. Prepare to die, bitch!"

Ebony charges at me with deadly intent, ready to kick the shit out of me. As I already know, Ebony Asher is one hell of a martial artist. Fortunately, I am, too.

Time for round two.

Ebony throws a series of incredible techniques. I avoid them easily. Twice more the ninja attacks, looking like a world beater. I block and retreat. A moment later Ebony throws a big technique. Instead of blocking I spin, dropping the ninja with a back kick. Ebony crashes to the ground, writhing – but she gets to her feet, still defiant.

"Grrr… You will pay for this, Brownstone!" she cries.

Ebony attacks, and in our first series of blows, she seems to have the upper hand, but I rally hard. Then the ninja surprises me with a floor-sweeping kick, knocking me down.

Ebony looks down at me with a smirk. "Every spy reaches the end of their journey," she says, lifting her leg over her head, preparing to drop her foot of death on my head. "Some sooner than others."

"Well, that's where you're wrong," I mutter under my breath, my hand clenching into a tight fist at my side.

As Ebony's leg descends, I shoot up with my fist and punch the back of the Ebony's knee.

"AARGH!" she cries in pain.

I roll to the side as the ninja falls, still in the splits, cursing out loud while grabbing the back of her knee.

I get up. "It's over, Ebony," I say. "Now let's see what you look like under that mask so I can take a picture of your defeated face and use it as a profile pic."

I remove the hood and pull the mask off…

I gasp as the face underneath is revealed. "No – no, it can't be," I whisper.

"Oh, but it is," says Ebony, staggering to her feet. "You thought the assassin was one of the staff at the castle. But not once did you think it would be the princess' lady-in-waiting."

I drop the mask. I'm too shocked to speak.

"O-Ophelia?" A familiar voice startles me and the ninja. We turn to find Astrid still sitting in the same spot. I forgot she was there.

"Took you long enough, blondie," says Ebony. She turns to me. "But I'm most disappointed with you, Brownstone. I thought you were one of the best spies in MI9."

"But, I – I don't understand!" I say. "You're the one who being trying to kill Astrid? But she's…"

"I know who she is. And I know who my father is – my real father. My mother told me in the days leading up to her death. It was no surprise – I kind of figured that the man she married was not my father, considering that he's a Caucasian and no relatives on his or my mother's side has the honey skin tone that I've got. Or the odd-coloured eyes that I possess. She told me how she met Andreas on a night out, in central London."

"Central London…" I murmur. Then I remember. "The night he snuck out of Buckingham Palace when he was on a state visit."

"That's the one. He wandered into some club, saw my mother and they got chatting. Cocktails were drunk, flirty talks were exchanged, they went to a hotel. One thing led to another, and then…" Ebony claps her hands together, "bam! Nine months later, I came along."

"You… You mean… you're my sister?" Astrid says in a small voice.

"Half-sister," Ebony corrects the princess, stressing on the word 'half'. She continues, "Anyway, after finding out that bombshell, I set out to meet him. But, of course, there was the matter of how I would meet him – I mean he was the King of Faärland. I couldn't just walk to his front door and blurt out that I was his daughter, can I? So I went for a different approach – I applied for a job at the castle. I thought maid, but I didn't want to spend seventeen hours a day cleaning. I like my nails to be clean. So I decided to apply to be the lady-in-waiting of the King's daughter – my half-sister." She turns to Astrid upon saying those words. Then she turns back to me. "Now usually ladies-in-waiting came from families that were highly thought of in good society; the nobility, court officials, knights and military officers, or trusted provincial supporters of the dynasty, yada-yada-yada. So what could I do to make them believe that I was a girl from a high class family? Answer: I make a fake CV. And I didn't just tell harmful fibs – I told a great, big fat whopper of lies. Where I lived, what school I went to, who I worked for – everything! I also had to disguise myself – the eye patch. I didn't want the king to know who I was just yet, so I told everyone that there was something wrong with my eye. And of course along with the fake life I came up with, I thought, why not have a fake name to go with it? And that's how Ophelia Ingebreston came to be."

"So you lied and cheated your way into the Royal Family," I say.

"I wanted to learn more about my real father. Who he really was behind closed doors. I saw that he was kind, loving and supportive. It was all going so well… until he found out I wasn't who I was supposed to be. Apparently, that brown-nosing lapdog, Niklas, overheard a telephone conversation I was having – and I used my British accent rather than my Faärlandic one, and he told Andreas. I was summoned to his office and he confronted me. It was then I had to tell him the truth. Who I really was, why I lied, and finally telling him that I… I was his daughter. At first he didn't believe me. He thought I was trying to scam him off – until I whipped off the eye patch. When he saw that I had the same shade of eye colours as his, he realized that I was telling the truth. I thought he would be happy – that he would welcome me into his arms and we could be a family. But he didn't do that. He didn't do that at all. Instead, he… he told that I couldn't be part of his family. I couldn't be next in line for the throne. He said that the media would have a field day if they found out that he had a one-night stand all those years ago – that I was born out of wedlock. So he wrote me a cheque – which I refused to take – and he told me to pack my bags and leave.

"I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that my father, the King of Faärland, would reject me – turn me away. He cared more about his reputation than a reunion with his daughter. So I decided he had to be punished."

"What… What are you talking about?" Astrid asks.

"It was three in the morning. I snuck into his room. Luckily he's a heavy sleeper. I saw how peaceful he looked. He was like a baby. I watched him for about half an hour before I made my move."

"Ebony… what did you do?" I ask.

"I got it from someone in Schonan after my dismissal from Andreas. It can induce heart attacks and it's virtually untraceable. After saying a silent pray for forgiveness, I administered the substance… and I watched him. It only took a minute as I watched him stop moving, stop breathing, stop… being."

"Oh, my God," I whisper. "You mean you…"

"You killed my father?" Astrid finishes. "You murdered him?"

She crumbles. The tears run down Astrid's cheeks and she begins to sob, her slender shoulders heaving up and down. "You monster!" Astrid blubbers through her sobs. "You malicious, spiteful she-devil! How could you do this?! How could you take my father away from me?"

"Because he was selfish!" Ebony cries. "He was a self-centred and thoughtless man who was concerned with his own interests and showed no consideration for other people, i.e. me! I'm glad that bastard is dead! And with him dead, you acceded to the throne – you were proclaimed queen. But I couldn't have that. I couldn't let you get your hands on the one thing that our dear, sweet, dead father denied me to have. So I began to plot. Figure out ways in killing you before the crown could be placed on your head. I could've offed you there and then, immediately after I killed Andreas. But I couldn't risked been a suspect of a conspiracy to kill the future queen – and you were in deep mourning. So I waited. I waited until it was time for me to strike."

"So, all the attempts on her life… you were the one responsible?" I say. "The poisoned dress, the hiring of the punk gang in Schonan, the day you tried to take a shot at Astrid when we were in the garden and missed."

"What?!" Astrid cries, shocked.

"You even went as far as poisoning yourself to let us think that the assassin targeted the wrong person."

"Again, another one of my finest ideas," says Ebony. "Lactarius torminosus, commonly known as the woolly milkcap or the bearded milkcap, is a large agaric fungus. They are pickled and eaten in Scandinavia. Though, they are highly irritating to the digestive system when eaten raw."

"You're also the one who planted the bug in my room and swapped my glass of water with hydrochloric acid!"

"Maybe if you weren't such a clumsy bitch and knocked the glass over, you would be dead! But I'm glad that you didn't drink the acid – because now I get to personally beat your arse!"

Ebony throws a scorpion kick at my face that sends me crashing against the rough exterior of the hut. Then with blinding speed, Ebony slips her belt off and whips a razor sharp crescent-blade at me! I cartwheel as the blade sails between my legs and smashes into one of the windows. I recover and charge towards Ebony. But the ninja performs a very high spinning jump, turning upside-down near the apex as I swing my arm at her. I punch thin air, stumble and very nearly falling over. I turn around just in time to see Ebony's deadly belt sailing towards me. I block with my arm. The belt wraps around it. Ebony rushes towards me, lunge punching for my face. At the last moment, I perform the splits, grab the ninja by the legs, and then turn around while still doing the splits and throw her.

Ebony crashes against one of the trees. As she recovers, I use my Feline Fight Claws to free myself from the belt wrapped around my arm. I climb to my feet – so does Ebony.

"You think you got me on the ropes, Brownstone. Well, you're wrong," she says. "This ought to finish you!"

Ebony charges at me. She jumps high in the air, appearing to throw a flying sidekick. Instinctively, I raise my hands, but instead of kicking out, Ebony drops and pushes the blade of her foot into my knee, the full weight of her body behind it. A sickening crack fills the air.

"GYAAAH!" I scream. I collapse, grabbing my knee, feeling more pain than I have ever known.

"Jenny!" Astrid cries.

"And that's a wrap!" Ebony says with a smirk. "And now that you've been taken care of, there's the matter of disposing a certain blonde-haired nuisance."

She turns her attentions to Astrid and makes her way over to her. Along the way, Ebony picks up the Glock that she dropped. Astrid panics and scoots backwards – only for her to back into a tree. Ebony cocks the gun and points it at the princess. I can't do anything to stop her.

I've failed.

"Long live the Queen," says Ebony.

Astrid's eyes meet mine. "Jen–"

Two explosive cracks go off.

"No-o-o-o-o-o-o!" I shrill.

Astrid sits very sit, her mouth gaping open, her eyes wide, unmoving, still staring straight at me. There are two gaping holes in her chest.

I can't believe Ebony shot the princess. She killed her half-sister.

Ebony lowers the gun and lets out a deep sigh. "You have… no idea… how good… that felt," she says. Then she turns to me. "And now that she's gone… I can finally put an end to you. This is where you die!"

She walks to me and points the gun to my head. "Any last words before I put a bullet in your head?" she asks.

There are no words that can save me. But a thought does come to me.

"There is one thing," I say. "You do realize that by killing Astrid, Prince Regent Sigurðr becomes King of Faärland."

"Oh, per-lease!" says Ebony. "That old geezer is rotting away in the dungeons, with no food or water. That's what happens when you stumble upon my plans. He's probably dead for all I care – which I don't."

"So with the Astrid and her uncle dead, and with no surviving heirs to take the crown, the monarchy ceases to exist. It will be abolished."

"The ultimate revenge. Now that I've answered your questions, it's time for you to join my darling, dead half-sister."

"Are you sure about that? Because from where I'm lying, she doesn't look dead to me."

At Ebony's confusing look, I nod to the figure behind her. Ebony turns and lets out a scream. Standing before us is Astrid – alive and well, even with two holes in her chest.

"But… but, but… how are you… How are you still alive?" Ebony cries. "I killed you! I shot you – twice! You should be dead!"

Astrid says nothing. Her eyes narrow as they glare at Ebony. Her lips are pursed, her expression set as if chiselled in cold stone.

The ninja points the Glock at the princess. "Damn you, Astrid, die!"

"Get her, Astrid!" I command.

Astrid makes a high-speed dash to Ebony which briefly leaves behind an afterimage. Before Ebony has time to pull the trigger, Astrid swipes the gun out of the ninja's hand and tosses it away. Then Astrid quickly ducks down and performs a high kick that launches Ebony into the air. Astrid jumps after the ninja with her fists held over her head and hits Ebony's head. As the ninja hits the ground, the princess lands feet-first on Ebony's body and jumps off.

"And that's a wrap." I take out a Tangled Net Grenade from my utility belt and toss it at Ebony. The wire net ensnares the ninja, capturing her. "Literally. Help me up, Astrid."

The princess gently pulls me to my feet. I limp over to Ebony, groaning at every step.

Ebony cranes her neck up at me. "But, how… How is this possible?" she asks. "How did she survive getting shot?"

"It's simple." I tuck my hair behind my ear and tug on my earring. Suddenly (though briefly) Astrid pixelates into a version of myself and disappears. "She's a hologram."

Ebony's eyes widen in shock. "What?" she gasps.

"I mean, seriously – you didn't expect me to let the real Princess Astrid get kidnapped, did you? And FYI, I'm not just one of the best spies in MI9. I'm the best spy in MI9."

Ebony bows her head in defeat. It's over.

I tug my earring again and three holographic images of me appear: one to carry Ebony and the other two to support me.

We all make our way back to the castle: stumbling through the woods until we reach the small, concrete pillbox building that we came out of. We go through the tunnel and up the winding stairs – though it proved to be a bit of a challenge. When we finally reach the top, I knock on the wall, and the fireplace slides open.

The two holograms and I go through first where Frank, Niklas and several Royal guards are waiting. "Gentlemen – I give you Ebony Asher, a.k.a. Ophelia Ingebreston," I say, just as the hologram brings in Ebony.

The hologram removes Ebony from her shoulder and hands her over to the guards. As they take Ebony away, I tug my earring and the holograms disappear. Then I collapse on one of the chairs and let out a sigh of exhaustion.

"Jen!" Frank is by my side. He takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. "Oh, Jen, well done. You caught the assassin."

"All in a day's work," I reply, resting my head against his shoulder. "Or in this case a week."

"We saw everything on the Spy-Pod through your Camera Contact Lens, and we sent the guards down to the dungeon to free Prince Regent Sigurðr. The paramedics have taken him to the hospital."

I nod into Frank's shoulder. "Good. That's good."

"And that was genius using a hologram to take the place of the real princess."

"Thanks."

"Which begs the question, where is the real Princess Astrid?" Niklas says.

"She's hiding in the one place no-one would ever think to look. Let me take you to her."

Frank pulls me to my feet and the three of us head out of the library and use the elevator to go up to the sixth floor of the castle. Then we go up the stairs, approaching the portrait of the girl with the flowers. I pull the portrait, revealing the secret compartment and we head inside. Since the steps are steep and a long way up, I have to piggyback on Frank and he takes me up to the secret room, where Astrid is sitting comfortably on the sofa, reading a book. She's been hiding up here since we came back from Schonan this afternoon since I'd figured that the assassin will strike before the coronation. So I let a hologram take her place in order to catch the killer – and, of course, it worked!

"Hey, Astrid," I say, startling her.

"Jenny," she says. She closes her book and walks over to me. "Is it over? Have you caught the person who's being trying to kill me?"

I nod yes, and Astrid breaks down in tears, happy that her ordeal is over. Frank sets me down and I take the princess into my arms.

"It's all right." I hug her. "Everything's gonna be all right. No-one's gonna hurt you anymore."

"Oh, Jenny, thank you," Astrid sobs. "Thank you so much for everything. Stopping the assassin and keeping me safe. I am indebted to you."

"You don't owe me anything – I was simply doing my job. And speaking of which, you're about to start yours tonight. So we need to get you cleaned up and ready for this coronation."

Astrid pulls away and nods. "You're right. It's time for me to lead this nation. Let's do this."

I nod – and then I remember! "Just a sec." I limp over to a section of the bookshelf and take a book from it. It's a black leather book. The King Andreas scrapbook – kept in the one place in the castle that Ebony would never look. I snuck the book out of Astrid's room and took it up here during one of the rehearsal breaks on Friday – using my cloaking device so I couldn't be followed.

"OK, I'm ready!" I say. "Let's go."

Frank, Astrid and I head down the stairs where we meet up with Niklas. After Niklas and Astrid share a hug and a few tears, we head back down. Niklas takes Astrid to her room and Frank takes me down to the paramedics who are waiting outside. I'm given an ice pack for the knee to reduce the swelling, painkillers to relieve the pain, a pair of crutches as a mobility aid and advice for plenty of rest until the knee heals. That means no spy work for the next few weeks, which is good because now I'll be able to concentre on the wedding.

After the paramedics leave, I change back into my ball gown, and Frank and I head back inside the castle.

xxoOoxx

Nearly an hour later, the time has come for Astrid to be crowned Queen of Faärland.

The guests have gathered in the chapel where the ceremony will take place (Though I should point out that the chapel is a bit like the TARDIS – it's much bigger on the inside!)

I have the best seat in the chapel – not only am I sitting at the very front where I have a clear view of the ceremony, but I'm sitting next to the Queen and Prince Phillip. Minus the knee injury, this is the best day of my life!

And I bet Astrid is thinking the same thing. I wonder how she is at the moment. Nervous? Excited? Somewhere in-between? All in all, she is going to be an amazing queen. And as I told Astrid at the start of my mission, her parents will be looking down at her, and they'll be very proud.

Just then the fanfare is trumpeted and everyone rises. The ceremony is about to start!

Preceding Astrid into the chapel is the coronation crown – a golden headpiece with colourful jewel shapes around it – carried by the Patriarch, who is flanked by two other peers, while the Bishops carries in the religious paraphernalia – the bible, paten, and chalice – and the peers hold the coronation regalia as the choir sings. Finally, Astrid enters the chapel with two attendant clergies – and she is a breathtaking vision. The empire-style gown which consists of a sleeveless, fitted top is made of satin, embellished with a golden braid and hemmed with a golden fringe. The jewellery suite includes pearl earrings, two double strand bracelets, and pearl necklace further accented with crystals.

Astrid is greeted at the altar by the Bishops with the words: "The Lord bless your going out and your coming in now and forevermore."

Afterwards, Astrid sits herself upon the canopied throne in the choir, and everyone in the chapel sits back down. And with that the ceremony begins.

After these last few weeks for rehearsals and cheating death, it finally comes down to this. Astrid does everything perfectly – no stumbling or stuttering.

And after nearly an hour, it's the moment everyone has been waiting for – the anointing and crowning. As the choir next sang the first part of the Faärlandic National Anthem, Astrid proceeds to a throne set up for her on a dais before the altar, with the Royal Standard being held at her right. She removes the mantle she worn during the procession into the church, and it is laid on the altar as the royal mantle is taken from the altar and placed over her shoulders by one of the Bishops and the Chief Justice.

After receiving her royal mantle – a rich red, velvet robe is beautifully embroidered and is lined with ermine – Astrid kneels before the altar as another Bishop anoints her right forearm and forehead with holy oil using a formula unique to the Faärlandic rite. Following this, Astrid sits herself upon her throne and the Patriarch stands before her with the coronation crown.

"This crown represents the laurel wreath of honour and victory worn by the ancients. It is made of precious metal to remind you of the price you have paid for the honour bestowed upon you this eve. Its weight upon your brow represents the burden of power, the responsibility of decision making and the encumbrance of leadership," he says. "Do you accept this symbol of honour and responsibility?"

"I do," Astrid replies.

Placing the crown on Astrid's head, the Patriarch says, "May you wear this crown with honour and integrity worthy of your people."

Then the bishop and the foreign minister hand Astrid the sceptre; followed by the orb, which is handed to her by the bishop and a Councillor of State. The bishop and another Councillor of State next hand Astrid the royal sword. Each item of the regalia is presented using a uniquely Faärlandic formula. Once all of the crown jewels have been given to the sovereign, the choir sing the second part of the Anthem and a part of another hymn, after which the bishop says a prayer for the newly crowned queen and gives her his blessing. Astrid returns to her throne in the choir wearing her crown and bearing her sceptre and orb.

"You are the new head of the family of Faärland, her new mother. She has given you her utmost treasures, the regalia of office. Represent her well. Protect her well. Lead her well. May the Grace of God be with you," the Patriarch says to Astrid. He turns to us. "All rise and pay homage to the Queen of Faärland!"

Everyone in the chapel rises.

"Long live the Queen of Faärland!" says the Patriarch.

"Long live the Queen of Faärland!" we cry out.

Following this, two verses of the hymn 'God bless our dear Fatherland' is sung, and then the third part of the Anthem is sung by the choir while the bishops and clergy leave the sanctuary. Astrid then proceeds out of the chapel wearing her coronation mantle and regalia, thus concluding the ceremony.

I'm so happy for Astrid. A vision of grace, beauty, wisdom and strength of character, she'll be fiercely dedicated to the well-being of her kingdom, and she'll carry the weight of the kingdom on her shoulders through diplomacy.

After the guests and I leave the chapel, we are lead out into the garden where we are greeted by a fireworks display. I catch up with Frank, and together we enjoy the rest of the festivity. We dance all night and have a spectacular time.

By the time the party is over, it's two in the morning. All the guests have gone home and Astrid has gone to bed, leaving only me, Frank, Niklas and the staff who are cleaning up the Great Hall who are still up.

"That was one heck of a party," I say with a wide yawn when we come out of the Great Hall. "And the way Barack Obama was tearing up the floor with those break-dancing moves – I shall treasure that forever."

"Well, I'm glad that Princess Astrid is now Queen Astrid, and you caught the person plotting to kill her," says Frank.

"Hm. I'll have to tell her in the morning who that person was – and it's not gonna be easy. I mean, how do you tell someone that the person you have trusted is not only the assassin, but she's also her half-sister?"

"I'm sure you'll find a way. Anyway, I better be off. I'll see you back in the UK."

He's about to head for the door, but I catch him by his hand.

"Hey – why don't you stay here tonight?" I suggest. "I mean, it's really late and I highly doubt there's a cab that's willing to come this far out to drop you off at the airport."

"I can stay here? Are you sure it's OK?" Frank asks. "Shouldn't we ask permission?"

"There is no reason to," says a familiar voice, and we turn to see Niklas approaching us. "You are more than welcome to stay here. As Miss Brownstone said, it is rather late; and we have plenty of room. Think of it as a mark of gratitude for saving our newly crowned queen and her uncle. Follow me."

Niklas leads me and Frank up the stairs to the royal guest rooms. When we enter the room, my bags from the last room are lying on the bed.

"There are some clothes to change into in the wardrobe and spare toiletries in the bathroom," Niklas tells Frank. "Goodnight and I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Niklas," Frank and I say, and the short man leaves the room, closing the door behind me.

Frank goes to the wardrobe to get some pyjamas while I go to the bed to get mine from my bag. I take out my Camera Contact Lens and begin to undress. I change into an oversized T-shirt as putting on my pyjama bottoms will cause havoc to my knee. I hang the dress up and place my bags on the floor before climbing into bed with Frank. As soon as we're under the covers, Frank pulls me into his arms.

"You have no idea how much I missed this," he says, hugging me against him.

"Me too," I sigh. "But not as much as I'll miss the castle, the cosy goose-feathered bedding and Jonathan's cooking – I'm gonna miss that most of all. I wonder if we can take him with us."

Frank chuckles. "Only if you ask Queen Astrid nicely. Though I doubt she'll say yes. Anyway" – he presses a tender kiss on my head – "goodnight, Jen."

"Goodnight." I snuggle against Frank and fall fast asleep, feeling warm and content.

xxoOoxx

The following morning, Niklas takes me and Frank down to the dining room for breakfast. Astrid is already there, looking like a ray of sunshine.

"Good morning!" she beams.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," I say with a curtsy.

"It's still Astrid. I may have a new title, but I'm still the same Astrid. So who's your friend?"

"This, Astrid, is my lovely MI9 fiancé, Frank London."

"How do you do," he says, giving a nod from the head.

"How do you do," Astrid responds. "Jenny has told me about you. And she was right when she said that you are ridiculously handsome."

I giggle as a red stain seeps across Frank's cheeks. "Yes, well…"

"I would also like to thank you for saving my Uncle Sigurðr. Niklas told me. I am forever grateful."

"Well, you have Jen to thank for that. She made the assassin tell her where the Prince Regent was being held prisoner."

"Again, I thank you. By the way, do you know who the assassin is?"

Frank and I glance at each other before turning to Astrid. "Astrid…" I start, "this is not going to be easy when I tell you this, but… the assassin is someone you didn't expect."

I sit down across Astrid and explain to her that her assassin is her former lady-in-waiting Ophelia Ingebreston, who is actually Ebony Asher – her half-sister. Then Frank and I take it in turns explaining to Astrid how Ebony is a relation to her, why she tried to kill her and finally telling her that she murdered King Andreas out of rejection and spite.

When we're finished, Astrid turns away and sits in silence. I have no idea what she's thinking. Is she upset? Is she pissed off? How is she feeling right now?

After about five minutes, I can't take much more silence.

"Astrid? Are you OK?"

She shuts her eyes and keeps them shut for a moment. Then she turns back to me. "I'm disappointed."

This is not the reaction I was hoping for.

"Disappointed?" I repeat.

"If Ophelia or Ebony or whatever her name is told me from the very start who she really was, I would have persuaded Father to let her be part of our family. Yes, the media would have torn my father apart for what he did, but we would have gotten past it somehow and got to know more about her. Instead, she lied and… killed my father. Part of me wants to scream and shout, while another part wants to punish Ophelia for snatching my father away from me. But I know neither of those options is going to be helpful to me."

"Listen to your heart. What is it telling you to do?" Frank asks.

Astrid sighs. "It's telling me to forgive Ophelia. I know it sounds crazy, but at the same time it's the right thing to do. That's what my father would say. There was also something else he told me that my mother once said: "Forgiveness does not mean we must forever act as though the incident never happened. Forgiveness demands that we act as though the offense did happen and that we chose to forgive the person." Even though what my father did was sinful, I decide to forgive him because I love him – and I'm sure my mother has, too. And as I came to love Ophelia like a sister when she acted as my assistant… I choose to forgive her, too."

I reach out and take Astrid's hand. "You're a very kind-hearted person, Astrid," I say. "You've shown compassion towards the person who did these horrendous acts to your family, proving that your kindness and pleasant aura will make you a beloved figure."

Astrid smiles in response.

"If you want, I could call my superior and have her arrange for Ebony to be transferred to a prison here in Faärland rather than in the UK, so you'll be able to visit her," Frank suggests.

Astrid nods. "I would like that very much. Thank you," she replies. "Anyway, let's dig into this fine breakfast Jonathan made for us. We all have a busy schedule today."

xxoOoxx

After breakfast, I return to my room and pack my bags. As much as I'll miss Harvonia Castle and all the perks, I missed London and my family much more, and I can't wait to get back.

Twenty minutes later and I'm ready to go. I take one last look at the luxurious room that I have spent nearly a week in, and leave. Niklas is waiting for me. He takes my bags and together we go downstairs to the entrance hall where Astrid and Frank are waiting for me.

"So this is it," says Astrid.

"Yeah – it is," I respond.

"I wish you could stay – but I know how much MI9 need you."

"I wish I could take Jonathan with me. But I know his place is here with you."

Astrid smiles at my comment. "I know I've already said this, but thank you, Jenny, for everything. You have no idea how grateful I am to you and MI9. And to show my gratitude, there's something I want you to have."

She hands me a small, black, square-shaped box. I open the box, and inside is a gold medal, about forty-three millimetres in diameter, with diamonds, suspended from a chain of gold. "It's pretty," I breathe.

"It's the HM The Queen's Medal, formerly the HM The King's Medal," says Astrid. "It is the highest award given to the Faärlandic and foreign citizens for special merits – in your case, Jenny, saving the Royal Family."

For a moment, I'm speechless. "Wow, Astrid. I-I don't what to…" I pause. "Thank you. It's a really beautiful gift."

"You deserve it."

Just then, the doorbell rings. Niklas answers the door and lets out a cry: "Herregud!"

"Niklas? What's wrong?" Astrid asks. We go over to the door, and Astrid lets out a startled gasp. "Oh my!"

Standing in the doorway is an android. And the android looks exactly like me.

"But she… She looks like…" Astrid stammers. "She's you!"

"Indeed she is," I say. "Astrid, I would like to introduce you to the Jen-Droid – a mechanical android duplicate of me designed to act as friend and protector."

"What? But I don't understand."

"I'd figured that you enjoyed my company for so much that you'll be upset to see me go. So I made a call before breakfast and had a friend send the Jen-Droid to you. As well as looking like me, she sounds exactly like me and has the same mannerisms. The only difference is she can't grow or physically change on her own accord due to her robot body. So what do you think?"

Like me with my medal, Astrid is at loss with words. For the second time today, I've made her speechless.

"Your Majesty? Are you all right?" Frank asks.

"Yeah, Astrid – say something," I say.

Another moment of silence passes…

And Astrid throws her arms around me and hugs me hard.

"Oh, Jenny, thank you!" she cries. "I absolutely love it!"

"You're welcome," I reply, hugging back. "Now I know that no machine can ever replace me, so if you ever want to call – to that real me – I'll answer. Whether it's to talk or if you come to London on a state visit, just call, and you and I will have a night out on the town."

Astrid laughs. "You bet."

A black luxury car pulls up at the steps of the castle.

"Well, that's my ride," I say. "Goodbye, Astrid. Take care of yourself."

"Likewise, Jenny," she replies.

"Niklas – it's been a pleasure. Take care of yourself and keep up at what you do."

"I shall, Miss Brownstone," he says.

Frank and I go down the steps to the car. The driver holds the door open and we climb in. As soon as our bags are in the truck and the driver enters the car, he starts the engine and pulls away. Astrid and I wave at each other as the car drives further and further away from Harvonia Castle until I can no longer see her or the castle. I settle back in my seat and stare out of the window.

"Hey?" I turn to Frank. "Are you all right?"

I smile in response. "Yeah," I say. I'm fine."

"You know that was very generous of you to give Queen Astrid that android."

"Thanks. And that was only one of the two presents I gave her."

"Oh? What's the other present?"

"The scrapbook of her father Ebony kept in the woods. I left it on the bed of her new room. I'd figured that she needed it more than MI9 did. And I know what the King did was wrong, but I want the scrapbook to remind Astrid that her father was still the kind and caring father she loved dearly before he died."

"Well, I think that's a lovely idea. And I'm sure, like her father, Queen Astrid will be a humble figure, and will remain kind-hearted and self-loving, not allowing the bitterness of Ebony's horrific acts to overtake her and morph her into someone like her half-sister."

"I believe that, too, Frank." I lean against him. "I believe that, too."

We remain silent as the driver takes us to the airport.