He nodded his head, and I spun on my heel and left the sitting area behind, pushing through the double doors into the bedroom.
“Do not—" he called as I pushed them closed.
“I have not locked them, but I would prefer a tiny amount of privacy,” I called through the wood.
I waited, narrowing my eyes as I listened for the footsteps I expected would come my way. Sure enough, the soft thud of his shoes against the parquet flooring met my ears just before the knobs turned, and Stefan poked his head inside.
He glanced around the room before he nodded. “Do not lock this door.”
I lifted my shoulders in shrug. “Of course, not.”
He pulled the door closed with a soft thud. It set my heart racing faster as I forced myself to wait a few moments. Stefan had a glorious way of ruining my plans. He’d spent far too long protecting me and knew most of my tricks.
Happily, he did not know this one.
I held my breath as I waited until I was certain he had settled back into the armchair. Then, I grabbed a flashlight and crept across the room. With a wince, I eased the sconce sideways, activating a secret panel in the wall.
Toggling on my flashlight, I slipped inside and pushed it closed. One perk of living in a centuries-old castle was the ability to navigate behind the walls.
I hurried through the dark passages toward my destination. The tricky latch forced a cursed below my breath before it gave way. I slipped into the empty bedroom, scanning the space.
Voices came from beyond the doors.
A smile played on my lips as I crossed the room and eased one door open, peering into the sitting area.
Kyle spotted me first, his eyes widening as he bolted from the chair. “Nattie? Uhhh, sorry, uhh, Natasha. Wait, what do I call you?”
I grinned at him. He really was so sweet and endearing. I couldn’t imagine him working with my brother. “Nattie is just fine.”
“Really? I feel like someone is going to tell me that’s not proper or something.”
“Never mind what the others say. I’m telling you can call me Nattie.”
“Does that go for us, too, or should we call you My Lady or something?” Alex asked.
“You can both called me Nattie. Also, My Lady is incorrect. It would be Your Majesty if you were to address me formally. And if I am no longer Queen Regent and never become Queen, then it would be Your Highness when I’m a princess.”
Alex puffed out his cheeks. “Maybe we could just give you a super cool nickname like we did with Doc.”
I arched my eyebrow, a little curious.
“Or not,” he said.
“I’d like to hear my options,” I answered. No one had ever given me a nickname like this. Natashka was the extent of my nicknames, and it just referred to me being the weaker sister.
“Crown Jewel, Sparkle, Starlight, Crownie, take your pick,” he said with a shrug.
“Sparkle’s sort of close to Sparky,” Ava answered. “May get confusing.”
I poked a finger at her. “Are you Sparky?”
She lifted her chin. “I am.”
“Goldie,” Alex answered with a nod. “Simple, regal, not too close to Sparky.”
I narrowed my eyes before I nodded. “I like it. Thank you.”
He poked a finger at me. “Sure thing. You’re Nat-your average girl, Goldie.”
