Part 2: Rosie-

Chapter 7~

"What's our mission?" I quiz Ed as I secure the tranquilizer dart shooters concealed in the long gold sleeves of the dress Mr. Elegante designed for me to wear to Princess Megrin's birthday party.

"Get in, blend in, get princess, get out," Ed quotes.

"Perfect," I reply. "Now, let's test the watch cam."

Ed punches a button on his Rolex wrist watch and my face pops up in place of the time.

"All systems are a go," Ed reports.

I've been a queen for roughly six months, but I've been royal my entire life. I've attended a million events like tonight's, dances honoring people I barely know or have never met. It's part of the job. But tonight feels different and not just because Ed looks like a giant American James Bond as he adjusts his bow tie in the hotel mirror. Tonight's not just about networking and preserving alliances. Tonight if I fail, someone will die.

I take one last look in the mirror, making sure all of the weapons on my person are completely out of sight. Mr. Elegante really outdid himself with this dress, especially considering he had about four hours to design and manufacture it and Carter's.

The floor length skirt is a dark cranberry with gold detailing and a wide gold trim around the bottom that coordinates with the gold of the bodice and sleeves. The off-shoulder neckline shows off my pearl necklace nicely. Mother loaned me her gold tiara, the one with the rubies, to go with my dress. I adjust my gold mask one more time, thinking about the last time I wore a mask – Carter's homecoming, where she used the advantage of the disguise to pose as me and save my country. So much has changed since then.

My eyes shift in the mirror and lock with the reflection of Ed's.

He smiles. "You look really pretty, Rosie."

"Thank you." I smile back before adding shyly, "You don't look too bad yourself."

"Thanks." Ed adjust the labels on his suit jacket and pulls down the white mask that does unfortunately make him look a little bit like the phantom of the opera. "It's not every day I get to help out on an international top secret rescue mission."

I laugh and for a moment, I really do believe that everything is going to be fine tonight. But that's before Carter stops in the doorway between our rooms, puts her hand on her hip in her slinky gown and navy blue mask and says, "Can we go now?"

It doesn't take a genius to figure out why the PPP thinks the kidnapping will take place tonight. A giant ballroom filled with hundreds of people, all wearing masks. At least twenty of them could disappear and no one would notice.

A doorman wearing a traditional Bellismarian military uniform asks for our names and I reply, "Queen Rosalinda Marie Montoya Fiore of Costa Luna and my guests, Miss Carter Mason and Mr. Edwin Braun."

The doorman glances at the guest list, then nods and lets us through. I'm sure everyone else has been on that list for months and we were added yesterday, but it doesn't matter. The PPP is just that good. Step One: complete. We're in.

Carter, Ed and I walk down a corridor and down a long, spiraling, carpeted staircase. The ballroom looks like a mix between a giant quinceañera and a wedding reception. The lights are dim and there are balloons everywhere, littering the smooth stone floor and hanging in nets from the murals on the ceiling two stories up. A full band plays a traditional Italian waltz, while young members of royal families from around the globe do their best to mingle.

"We have to wait until after midnight," I whisper. "If the princess goes missing before her speech, we'll never make it out of the country undetected."

"We've got three hours until midnight," Carter complains. "What are we supposed to do until then?"

I grab a goblet of wine from a waiter walking past, "Blend in."

It's been an hour and seventeen minutes. I've danced with nine princes, met fifteen princesses, waltzed with a duke, foxtrotted with a future czar and kept my eye on Princess Megrin the entire time.

The princess wasn't hard to spot. She's wearing the fanciest gown, the highest heels and the largest crown. She's in the center of every crowd, tossing her long blond hair and laughing too loud.

"Do you have a map?" A male voice crackles in my ear via the communication unit installed in my masquerade mask. "I'm getting lost in your eyes."

I scan the ballroom to find Carter conversing with a tall young man with blond hair wearing a black mask. I'm guess from the giant crown on his head that he's a prince.

"Charming." I can imagine Carter faking a smile. "Do cheesy pick-up lines usually score you a dance or were you just hoping I was desperate enough to jump at the chance to dance with a royal?"

The last thing we need to do right now is draw attention to ourselves. I hiss into my comms unit, "Carter, blend!" and then make my way towards Princess Megrin. The princess is on her way to the banquet table for another glass of wine. I do my best to casually intercept her.

"Principessa Megrin!" I exclaim with the biggest smile I can muster. "Tanti auguri!" A traditional Italian birthday greeting.

I kiss both of her cheeks and she does the same.

"Mi chiamo Regina Rosalinda da Costa Luna," I introduce myself.

"Piacere di conoscerla," she replies. Pleased to meet you.

"It's a beautiful party," I continue in Italian.

"Gratzi," she replies, then adds in Italian, "If you think this is pretty, just wait until our coronation next week."

"Our?" I question.

"My twin brother Petros and I," Princess Megrin looks shocked that I don't already know, which she should be.

I continue chatting with her in Italian, while my mind is racing to put together the pieces. This isn't just a mission to rescue a princess. There's a prince in the equation too, a fact conveniently left out of the PPP mission briefing. There's no way Bellisimare's regent leaders would kill Megrin and not Petros. We have to take them both.