Page 63 of The Heart of the King

22

When they reached the dock, the yacht was immediately swarmed by armed security personnel. At the same time, all four monarchs, plus Astrid and Sofia as heirs, were rushed off into separate vehicles while the rest of the passengers were taken off a bit more slowly, but also loaded into separate SUVs.

Jasmine stayed with Zellie, her arm around the little girl as often as she could and holding her hand when she couldn’t.

Hazel hadn’t said much of anything except she was sorry for running off. Jasmine had hugged her harder.

The truth was that if Hazel hadn’t run off, the odds of the bomb being found were slim to none. If the bomb hadn’t been found...

Well, Jasmine didn’t want to think about that.

When they reached the Monarch’s Quarters, Jasmine took Hazel to her room.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, sweet girl.”

Hazel simply nodded.

Jasmine, still wearing her evening gown, helped Hazel out of her dress and one sparkly shoe that remained. The other must have been left behind in the mechanical room on the yacht.

As she washed Hazel’s hair in the bathtub, a tired looking Mrs. Sneedly walked in. “Allow me, ma’am.”

Jasmine shook her head. “I’ve got it, Mrs. Sneedly. Go get some rest. You’ve had a long night, too.”

Mrs. Sneedly left the bathroom, but it only took Jasmine a few minutes to realize that all she’d done was acquiesce to Jasmine’s help getting Hazel ready for bed.

They worked together without saying much until Hazel’s hair was braided and her pajamas were on.

“Jazzy, can I sleep with you tonight?” Hazel’s voice nearly broke Jazz’s heart.

Before she could agree, Mrs. Sneedly replied. “Would you like me to stay here with you, Miss Hazel? The queen needs to get her own clothes changed and take a shower. She may have meetings to attend tonight with the security teams. I know she’d gladly let you sleep with her, but it might be several hours before she gets to lie down.”

Zellie nodded. “Okay.”

Jazz tilted her head toward the door. “I need to talk to Mrs. Sneedly for a moment. She’ll be right back, and I’ll come check on you when I can.”

“Thanks, Jazzy.”

When they were at the door, a dozen or more feet away from the bed Hazel had crawled into, Jazz spoke in a whisper. “You need a shower and a change of clothes, too, Mrs. Sneedly.”

The older woman shook her head. “I have a change of clothes, including something to sleep in, already in the closet. I’ll change, but I don’t need a shower right now. I’ll be all right until morning. I was already dressed much more comfortably than the rest of you.”

Jazz nodded. “Thank you for your help.”

“It’s truly my pleasure, ma’am. I am sorry they were able to get out of my sight and will understand whatever consequences come from that action.”

With a sigh borne of carrying a weight she wasn’t used to, Jazz shook her head. “There won’t be any if it’s up to me. Things happen. They convinced you to go get them a snack. You had no idea they’d run off. Sofia definitely knew better. Hazel should have, though it’s not surprising she’s more likely to push her boundaries. If they hadn’t run off, if Hazel hadn’t been stuck, what would have happened?”

Mrs. Sneedly simply nodded.

“Just don’t let it happen again.” That was the end of it as far as Jazz was concerned. “I’ll tell David that’s how I feel, too.”

She curtsied. “Thank you, ma’am.”

With a weary nod, Jazz left to go into her own room. There she managed to get out of her evening gown and into the shower. Her wet hair went into a bun while she dressed in slacks and a blouse rather than the flannel pajamas she would have preferred.

Wearing a pair of ballet flats, a close second in comfort to her Converse, she headed downstairs to the offices to see if she was needed anywhere.

Jazz found her husband at his conference table with Stewart and several members of security.

---