Rose's body was only slightly narrower than the beam on which she was crawling. She had barely been able to turn around to close the door, and that was only because of the wider metal supports attaching the beam to the wall.
As soon as she scooted out on the beam, there would be no turning around until she reached the center of the hall where multiple beams converged on a circular platform above an ornate chandelier.
In order to get back to the door when she was done spying, Rose would either have to back up carefully or travel to the center of the room.
'Not ideal.'
Added to that was her sudden dizziness. A wiser person would have bowed out gracefully and looked for a different way.
'That will take too long. I have to know what is happening.'
The princess inched slowly forward on her hands and knees, barely able to keep her more rational side at bay. Once she was out far enough, her body would have to comply with continuing the journey or else.
As soon as she was able to see the floor below, Rose distracted herself by scanning the crowd for familiar faces.
The first one she recognized was the last person she expected to see.
Sir Nuall.
'Isn't he supposed to be patrolling the border?'
Yes, she knew for a fact he was. He had been quietly relocated after his run-in with Ethyn and was not due to return for many, many months.
Yet here he was. The man seemed to be innocently milling about the crowd, looking just as confused and interested as the rest of the crowd.
'There is no way he is here by chance. He must be helping Borit in this whole plot. Nuall only has two looks: smug and arrogant. Surely no one is buying this act!'
But it seemed those around the knight were too absorbed in their own intrigue to note the young man at all. So he was free to quietly observe and note everything going on while being above suspicion.
The princess wondered if the pretentious knight had been involved in the plot to frame Ethyn and Silver. She would not be one bit surprised.
Rose tore her gaze away from the despicable creature to search for the people she had actually come to see.
No one was yet sitting on the throne, so the princess guessed that her father was being held elsewhere.
As for Caitlyn, the lovely lady was huddled deep in the servants, clinging close to the wall. It was weird to see her be such a wall-flower.
But as the servants and members of the court had each taken their own places in the front and back of the throne room, Caitlyn was cleverly using the palace staff as a human barrier from being recognized.
The lady was safe, for now. Should any of the nobility recognize her and start questioning her, the soldiers might catch wind of her real identity. So the beautiful brunette minded her own business and kept to herself as much as possible.
'Alright but where's…'
Her thought was not complete when the glint off of a helmet caught her attention. Only one knight would be wearing a helmet indoors just now.
Unlike Caitlyn, Ethyn was blending in by blustering. His chest was puffed out as he marched proudly through the court.
Because he seemed like he wanted attention, he was largely ignored.
'Oh the irony…'
There was one thing that Ethyn was doing remarkably well. That was avoiding crossing paths with Nuall. Although the redheaded knight's movements seemed casual and meaningless, he was really weaving an intricate dance to avoid being noticed by his pompous adversary.
Rose couldn't help but smile. Even from this height, Ethyn's helmet was clearly not on correctly. The more she studied him, the more she wondered how he could see at all. Maybe it was just her angle. The people on the ground did not seem to be taking note of the oddity.
Having found two of the people she came for, Rose decided her time in the rafters was through. A new wave of panic and nausea came over her when her body realized what she was asking it to do.
The princess had to go a long way forward to the large, round platform that supported the posts of the chandelier. There she could easily turn around and return from the way she came without backing up.
'Go!' Rose tried to crawl forward, but her elbows locked in place. Her knees began to quiver against the beam. 'Stop it. Don't you dare fall!'
Rose tried to order her body into submission, but she could feel herself losing control. If she fell, she would probably die. The stone floor would be very unforgiving from this height.
Even over the din of the crowd below, Rose heard the door to the rafters click softly. Something or someone had opened it. The soldiers must have found the hatch after all!
Were they small enough to fit through? Rose wasn't sure. It would be a challenge for a grown man but not impossible.
The new, more imminent danger allowed the princess to regain control of her limbs. She went from not moving to racing toward the center landing at breakneck speed.
Her sudden change was unwise. The old rafters were quite smooth and worn. Rose had almost reached the place where she could see her enemy when her knee slipped off of the wooden surface.
She yelped lightly and wrapped her arms around the beam. while her upper body remained somewhat in place, her waist and legs slid until they were dangling like cobwebs from the ceiling. Rose's skirts wrapped and twisted around her ankles, further frustrating her efforts to right herself.
Struggling against the cloth, Rose pulled one knee up but could gain no purchase. Her arms were slowly releasing their hold.
The princess glimpsed the outline of someone race toward her along the beam. Her worst fears were coming true.
Danger was quickly nearing from above and below. Rose needed to get out of there quickly.
But it was too late.
And arm wrapped around her torso and scooped her back onto the beam. Rose was grateful for the assist until she realized the soldier had reached her much faster than expected.
If he had been smart, the man would have just finished her off and let her fall. But it seemed he wanted answers beyond just completing his mission.
That was Rose's saving grace.
'Get your hands off me!'
As soon as the princess was stable again, she kicked her foot behind her at the man. He grunted in pain, and the pressure on Rose's body disappeared. She scurried forward even faster than before like a mouse desperately trying to escape a cat.
But the 'cat' did not have skirts to slow him down. When Rose got to the wide platform, she was immediately tackled to the wooden surface.
The princess let out a muffled cry, but that only encouraged the assailant to grab her wrists and force them behind her back. His deft movements had her pinned in the blink of an eye.
"Thief!" A voice hissed in her ear. "You should know better than to steal from a Guardian."
Rose went completely still. Despite her physical discomfort, a smile bloomed on her face.
"A thief, you say? Thievery runs in the family, I'm afraid…"