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Queen Georgiana had spent a surprisingly delightful afternoon with the Prime Minister of Samoa. The man told completely inappropriate jokes that she found hilariously funny and he adored Archie and Petunia, who almost licked him to death. He was also a serious follower of rugby – a sport Her Majesty was keen on as well.

‘If you’ll excuse me, Prime Minister, I’d like to check on my young guests and give you time to freshen up before dinner,’ the woman said.

‘Your Majesty, you have been so utterly generous with your time. I will take my leave and allow you to get on with far more important things than entertaining a silly old man.’

Queen Georgiana chortled. ‘Oh, you do make me laugh, Tuitua. I’m looking forward to our evening.’

The Prime Minister exited the room through the main doors. Queen Georgiana waited a few moments before she left through a side door that directly accessed her study. She almost walked straight into Thornton Thripp. Marjorie Plunkett was standing by the window with a face as pale as a pint of milk.

‘What’s the matter?’ Her Majesty demanded, dread filling her stomach. ‘Where are the children?’

‘Gone,’ Marjorie whispered. She handed Her Majesty a piece of paper in a plastic sleeve.

‘What do you mean they’re gone? Isn’t Bunyan with them? And what’s this?’ Queen Georgiana’s hand began to tremble.

‘Bunyan accompanied them on their way to the tower but the children raced ahead, and when he arrived there was no sign of them,’ Marjorie explained. ‘The place is locked up tight and all of the windows are nailed shut. He’s searched everywhere.’

‘Well, that doesn’t mean anything,’ Her Majesty said. ‘They could be playing hide-and-seek for all we know … right?’

‘We hoped that was the case but I think you’ll agree that this confirms our worst fears.’ Marjorie handed over a grainy photograph of the children standing together in a bare room. There was no furniture and scrawled on the wall behind them in large letters was the word ‘help’.

‘Oh, good heavens! Where are they?’ Queen Georgiana’s breath caught in her throat. ‘How do we even know that this photograph is real? It could have been tampered with.’

‘I’m afraid not, Ma’am,’ Marjorie said, shaking her head.

‘Do we know what they want? I’ll pay whatever they’re asking.’ The Queen wrung her hands together.

‘Would you give up your crown?’ Thripp asked, his voice wavering.

‘My crown? Is this a joke?’ Queen Georgiana demanded.

Marjorie shook her head. She pulled out a page with the same cut-out letters as the ones they’d received before.

With an unsteady hand, Queen Georgiana took the ransom note and read it aloud.

Ring-a-ding-ding, no Freddy the King!

Your line is a lie, now’s time to fly,

A Lancaster-Brown should be wearing the crown,

But he must take a bride, for family pride.

The papers are clear – do the right thing, old dear.

Abdicate tonight, and all will be right;

Stay in your place, and I’ll show them no grace.

‘What’s all this rubbish?’ Georgiana asked, confused. ‘Of course we’re the rightful heirs – Lloyd’s grandfather abdicated. And why does Lloyd have to be married now?’ Her Majesty stared at Marjorie.

‘I knew you were ambitious, Marjorie, but this is a little extreme, don’t you think?’ Thornton glared at her from under his bushy eyebrows.

Marjorie Plunkett recoiled. ‘You can’t think I had anything to do with this?’ she protested.

Queen Georgiana had been wondering the same thing. ‘Well, the whole thing is ludicrous.’

Thornton Thripp handed Her Majesty another document. ‘This came with the letter.’

Queen Georgiana scanned the piece of paper and huffed loudly. ‘What does this prove? It’s the abdication document. It’s all there in black and white.’

Marjorie shook her head. ‘Take a look where the second signature should be, Ma’am.’

‘It was probably just an early draft,’ the Queen said.

‘I’m afraid not, Your Majesty. Fiona has authenticated it,’ Marjorie confirmed.

The woman stumbled backwards. ‘Good heavens, my whole life has been based on a lie.’

‘Your Majesty, please sit down.’ Marjorie rushed around and pulled out a chair. ‘I’m sorry to say it but there’s more.’

‘More! Could it get any worse?’

‘It depends which way you look at it,’ Thripp said, his lip curling in Marjorie’s direction. He pulled out another sheet of paper. This time it was as if the perpetrators didn’t have time to think up more of their silly rhymes.

PS. You have until nine o’clock tonight. Call a press conference to make the announcement and I will set the children free. If not, you won’t see them anytime soon.

‘Are you behind all this, Marjorie?’ Her Majesty searched the woman’s face. ‘I knew you were keen to be part of the family but I didn’t think you’d take things this far. Lloyd has never expressed any interest whatsoever in being King.’

‘Your Majesty, how could you even suggest such a thing? I don’t want this to happen any more than you do. I’m not cut out to be Queen.’

The Queen sighed and put her head in her hands. ‘What am I talking about? I’m sorry, Marjorie. I don’t know why I said that. You’ve been a loyal servant of the Crown for many years and that was a dreadful slight. I’m just dumbfounded.’

‘Ma’am, you can’t really be considering this,’ Marjorie said, suddenly afraid.

Queen Georgiana swallowed hard. ‘I don’t see what other choice we have. I’m not letting these monsters harm one hair on any of those children’s heads. We need to get Lloyd over here immediately.’

‘What about Freddy, Ma’am?’ Thripp asked.

‘What about Freddy? I think the less he knows the better, don’t you? I can’t let him stop me, so let’s leave it at that, shall we?’

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‘Don’t you think it’s strange that Bunyan hasn’t come to find us yet?’ Millie said to Alice-Miranda and Sloane. The three girls had taken up residence in what was once a sitting room. At least there were some armchairs, even if they were threadbare.

Alice-Miranda frowned. ‘I wonder if something’s happened to him.’

Back in their workshop, Louis was showing Sep, Jacinta, Caprice and Lucas some electromagnets.

‘Is there a cellar?’ Sep asked, wondering if perhaps there might be a way out from there. ‘Sometimes there are tunnels in old places like this. We found one not so long ago when we were on camp at Pelham Park.’

Louis shook his head. ‘There’s a cellar but we’ve never found any tunnels.’

‘I’m bored!’ Caprice huffed. ‘Surely there’s a way out of this dump. I’ll look in the cellar.’

‘I’ll come with you,’ Jacinta said, jumping at the chance to do something other than sitting around. ‘But I think we’ll need a torch.’

Fortunately, the twins had several of them. ‘You can take this,’ Edgar said, offering her one.

‘Whatever.’ Caprice grabbed it and charged off.

Alice-Miranda, Millie and Sloane heard the thumping footsteps and went to investigate.

‘Where are you going?’ Millie called out to Jacinta, who was heading down the spiral staircase.

‘Caprice says we should try to find a way out through the cellar,’ Jacinta replied.

‘We’ll come.’ Millie rushed after her, with Alice-Miranda and Sloane on her heels.

Caprice opened a small door on the ground floor and the children scrambled down a small set of steps to what seemed more like a half-height storeroom than a proper cellar.

‘What are we looking for, exactly?’ Jacinta asked.

‘You know – trapdoors, sliding walls, the usual stuff you’d find in scary old buildings like this,’ Caprice said.

‘Sometimes there are bodies buried in cellars,’ Millie whispered.

Sloane shuddered.

Alice-Miranda noticed the girl’s discomfort and took her friend’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. ‘Millie, I’m sure that’s not the case,’ she said, though truthfully she couldn’t be sure at all. Especially not at a palace where there might even have been a battle or two over the centuries.

The girls spent the next half an hour scouring the walls and floors, looking for anything that might lead them outside. But there was nothing – not even a loose flagstone.

Upstairs, Sep and Lucas left the twins to their fiddling and went to explore the sitting room where Alice-Miranda and the girls had been earlier.

‘What do you make of this beast?’ Sep asked. The boy walked over and stood inside the hearth of the enormous fireplace.

Lucas looked at the stone surrounds. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Do you remember seeing any chimneys?’ Sep asked.

‘Mmm, no, just those four turrets,’ Lucas replied.

Sep looked up. ‘That’s weird. It seems the fireplace is just for decoration.’

‘Maybe the chimney’s been blocked up to keep animals out,’ Lucas suggested.

‘Who knows? These buildings have probably been changed a zillion times over the years.’ Sep kicked his foot against a loose stone. A horrible grating sound of stone on stone assaulted the boys’ ears.

‘What’s that?’ Lucas rushed forward. The entire side of the fireplace had disappeared, revealing the narrowest of staircases. ‘How …?’

‘Quick,’ Sep said. ‘Get the others. There may be a way out of here after all.’