“I think you’re mistaken. I’m Princess Liane. I was out overnight, but I’m back now. Surely Mother sent out a search for me…” unless Luzie hadn’t followed through on her threat and kept her leaving the palace a secret.
“I hadn’t heard of a missing princess, had you?” the man asked, scratching his chin.
“I didn’t.” The woman hadn’t taken her eyes off Liane and scanned her up and down, lingering on the too-short hem of her borrowed uniform. “Nor do I know princesses who pretend to be maids.”
Liane tugged subconsciously at the hem of her dress but quickly straightened her shoulders. She didn’t have time for this. She needed to get inside and get changed before her witness arrived.
“Who’s your superior officer?” Liane challenged, meeting their skeptical gazes with an arrogant tilt of her chin.
“Lieutenant Rothman.”
She recognized the name, as she did with most officers of the gate, and felt confident. He’d vouch for her.
“Bring him here.”
The woman nodded to the man, and he hurried inside in search of the lieutenant. A few seconds later, they returned with the ruddy-faced lieutenant in tow.
“Princess Liane!” he exclaimed. Then to his subordinates, “What are you doing? Let her majesty in.”
They fumbled over one another in their rush to step aside.
“I didn’t realize you were out in the city this morning, or I would have left word with the gate guard. Forgive me, Princess.”
“It’s fine. But why are the gates locked down?”
“Haven’t you heard—” he cut off as a unit of soldiers marched past. Midnight Guards. They were swarming the palace, patrolling all quarters. More than they’d been since the opera singer’s murder. A prickle ran down her spine. Had something else happened?
“We better get you inside,” the lieutenant said with a pitying look at her.
Liane’s stomach clenched as a thousand horrific scenarios played out in her mind. Were Mother or Father hurt? What about Aristea? By the stars, she’d never forgive herself if her family was harmed and she wasn’t there to protect them.
“What happened?” Liane asked.
He shook his head. “I shouldn’t say. I don’t truly know the details myself.”
“My family?”
“Safe and accounted for…” he trailed off. “Does the empress know you were outside the palace walls? Because by our report you were indoors at last check. Your maid assured us…”
Then Luzie had covered for her. She deserved all the gold in the royal vaults for being a steadfast friend.
“I won’t tell her if you won’t,” Liane said, trying to tamp down the fear churning in her gut.
The lieutenant visibly relaxed, but they walked the rest of the way back to her apartment in tense silence. When they arrived, her guards were surprised to see her on the wrong side of her door and stepped aside to let her in. Inside, Luzie was sobbing, and Liane rushed over to her, fearing she’d been injured. She turned to Liane with a tear-stained face, but seemingly unharmed.
“Oh, your majesty,” she wailed.
“Was someone hurt? The guards mentioned a lockdown, but they wouldn’t tell me why…”
“That’s not it.” She sniffled, dabbing at her running nose. “It’s Ludwig!” she cried harder. Her next words unintelligible.
A cold chill ran down Liane’s spine. “What about Ludwig, was he hurt?”
She grasped Luzie as shuddering sobs wracked her body and took a deep breath to calm herself as she waited for Luzie to collect herself enough to speak.
“He was arrested last night; they say he’ll be executed for treason. But Ludwig couldn’t do such a thing! He loves his empire; he wouldn’t plot treason.”
The statement struck Liane like a blow to the stomach. She’d doubted Ludwig, but she wasn’t willing to turn him over. Then who reported him? She stood to pace. With time and distance, she could see a bit clearer, and she was certain it was Heinrich’s doing. Somehow, he’d coerced Ludwig to work with him, to hurt Liane. And he must have been the one to turn him in for treason, perhaps to cover his own tracks.
