A/N Please comment! I love seeing who's reading my book! Thanks and enjoy the chapter!

"Cream ball?" James asked.

"Always," I replied, grabbing the golden sphere from his outstretched hand.

He laughed and grabbed one for himself.

Though it taken him an hour, James had showered and changed to meet me in the kitchen.  I had teased him on how long it had took, and how many hair products he probably used.  

Now that I think about it, he hadn't denied it.  

And to think I hadn't even showered that morning.

I took a bite of the golden deliciousness.  It melted in my mouth and filled me with warmth. "I could never get tired of these. They must be the most amazing food ever created."

James laughed. "I guess you've never tried Chef Flay's chocolate cake. It is delicious."

"Better than his cream balls?"

"I don't know. But pretty close."

"Maybe I'll be able to try it one day--if we survive."

"We will."

"Over-confidence is dangerous."

"You're right," he said with a frown. "Being a prince has made me an over confident person."

"With a big ego," I replied.

He rolled his eyes.  

"We should probably get started," I said. "Where are we going to lay out our plans?"

"In my father's office. It's large enough for everyone to sit comfortably."

"I have no doubt." 

The king was rich beyond belief.  Another reason why I didn't like him.  While his people starved, he got to sit in his room made for twenty--and that was just his office.  I didn't want to see the royal treasury...

"I'm sure my father's up by now," James said. 

"After how long it took you to get ready? I'm sure the whole kingdom's awake." 

"Ha, ha," James laughed sarcastically.

"Alright then. Lead the way."

I followed him down the long hallways until we finally reached a large door with delicate symbols engraved in the wood.  

"Wait, there's no handle," I commented.

"It's for security," James replied. "Only the king knows how to get in."

"Wow, so the hundreds of guards aren't enough?"

"I always thought it was for infiltration from the inside."

"Always smart to be prepared for a traitor. Does the royal adviser have access?"

James nodded.

"Wow, your father really trusts that guy."

"Even more than me--his own son."

"Hm," I mumbled thoughtfully. 

"You keep doing that," James said suddenly. "And it's starting to scare me."

"Doing what?"

"You get this thoughtful look on your face, and you like go into a zone."

"I'm just thinking."

"About the book?" James asked, a cloud of fear coming over him.

"About a lot of things. Now, are we supposed to knock or something?"

"Uh, yeah," James replied, snapping out of his stupor.

I knocked three times and then waited.  

"You sure he could hear us in there?" I asked.  "The door seems pretty thick." I put a hand on it and pushed a little.  The door pushed forward a little under the pressure.  I looked back at James with a confused look.

"It should be closed..." James began.

I heard muffled voices coming from within.  I opened the door a little more and peeked inside.  A large desk made up most of the room, but there was still plenty of open space.  The wood floor had a beautiful rug covering most of it.  Bookshelves lined the circular room.

Two men stood near the desk, talking in hushed voices.  One I recognized as the king's royal adviser, but I didn't recognize the other one.  I could barely make out their conversation.

"At sunset," the king's adviser whispered.

"The prisoner is bellow deck near the back," the other man whispered back. "You'll know when it's him. He's the only prisoner."

I held back a gasp.

They must be talking about the man with the map in his head.

But why?

"This is the list of supplies on the ship," the man I didn't recognize continued. "Make sure to do your part, and you'll get your reward."

"The king doesn't suspect a thing," the royal adviser replied. "Everything is going exactly to plan."

"What about the girl?"

"A minor problem. But I know how to deal with her."

I bit my lip.  

They turned around and started walking toward the door, talking.  But I wasn't listening anymore. 

I grabbed James' wrist and pulled him into the next room.  I put a finger to his lips and stood silently in the dark until the footsteps faded away.

"What was that?" James asked. "I only got bits and pieces."

I breathed out. "I think the king's royal adviser...is a traitor."