It’s June! Summer is only three weeks away, and while the weather continues to be erratic this year, we have had enough nice days for me to plant my flowers. This week, the authors from Tuesday Tales are crafting scenes in their WIP to the word prompt sugar. I’ve used a form of the word. This is the last post from The Case of the Missing Prince, since the book goes to the editor this week. Hope I’ve left you wanting more.
“The newspaper editor, a member of the anti-royalist coalition, claims the king has been hiding the information so as to influence the upcoming elections.”
“How could knowing whether or not the prince was alive do that?”
“It all goes to trust,” Petrov admitted. “When questioned about the fact that the prince was in Canada to sign treaties to bring nuclear energy to Zobora—a rather specific concern if you ask me—the energy minister denied all knowledge of such, and as for the prince being dead, he reminded the reporter that the prince had long been a fan of green energy initiatives of all kinds. Crown Prince Stanislav was expected back in Zobora in October to take over the reins at Zobora Copper and Fine Metals and could answer their questions himself.”
“And did it help.”
“Perhaps it buys us a little more than a week to show proof of life. The king addressed the nation three hours later, denied the allegations concerning the prince’s death, telling them that he and the queen have been in contact with their son and that they look forward to his return before his birthday on October 23. He stressed that Stanislav wasn’t in Canada to sign any agreements, but to gather information and start a dialogue on the issue. He added that the prince will share his vision for the country at his birthday party, well ahead of the election.”
I let out a slow breath. Everything had just changed and not for the prince’s benefit. Once his picture started to circulate, someone was bound to recognize him. Knowing the tabloids, one of them would probably offer a reward to anyone who could point them to a living prince or his remains. It was far from an ideal situation, and if the people searching for the prince were to offer to foot the bill, Prince Stan could be in far more trouble than he thought. I had to get to him first.
“And you’re sure all of this is legit? Not some AI fabrication meant to deceive and confuse?
“Completely legit as you say. To use one of your expressions, there’s no need to sugarcoat it. The article contained details only someone close to the prince would know.”
“Or a damn good spy. So, who is it? Anton, Zandro, Emile, Jacob, or a spy in the palace? Let’s be practical here. Other than those directly involved and the immediate royal family, who else knows the truth?”
Don’t forget to check out the other Tuesday Tales.
Living the Dream 