Till: Chapters 1-...

Prologue
The death of Queen Elizabeth II came as a shock to the world. We all expected her to live till she was a hundred ten or more. She lasted so long. But it happened. She was taken into the hospital for a heart attack. A few days later she passed away. The public mourned. But moved on.
Two months later a college professor writes a thesis that the death might've not been natural causes. It could've been murder...

Chapter One
Julie Patterson looked at the figurine in her hand. It was a prince riding on a white horse. The blonde hair and the arrogant attitude he emitted reminded her of Prince William. The grandson of late Queen Elizabeth II and who most of her friends had crushes on. He held no charm for her though. She examined the figurine again. She hoped it was the one her mother wanted. If it wasn't she would just have to take it back. No biggie. She adjusted her shoulder bag and her eyes fell on the manila envelope marked CONFIDENTIAL which her father asked her to pick up from the university his colleague worked at. They didn't trust computers. Nor did they trust London's mailing system so her father sent her. He could've gone himself but he told Julie that it looked less suspicious if she went instead. She shrugged. She was used to her father's odd requests. He was a genius afterall. And in his line of work she expected it. She looked up from the statuette. She felt eyes on her. She turned and looked out the picture window which faced the city street. She laughed. "You're getting over paranoid," she muttered to herself. She tossed the feeling away and approached the cashier with her purchase.

"Think she saw us?" Prince William asked his companion as they sat in the car parked across the street. When the girl looked up William felt something indescribable, positive that she had seen him, them. They had been tailing her since this morning. Followed when she took that first step out of her apartment. She had made a few stops: a diner for brunch, the mailing office, a bakery for freshly-made muffins, and then the university. Staying twenty paces behind, they observed as she made her way through the large campus, into the Political Sciences building where the professor was waiting for her in his office. She greeted him as an old friend, handed him the muffins as a present, chatted a little and took the envelope with only one flicker of uncertainty on her face as it was being handed down into her care. After the university she consulted the schedule book from her bag and proceeded to the shop. William looked to the man at his side. Binoculars! Can the guy be more obvious? he thought. He turned his attention back to the girl. "Think she knows the exact value of what she's carrying?" William wondered outloud, looking pass the rows and rows of glass figures to where she was standing in line. He craned his neck for a better look.
"Not a clue, Your Highness." was the reply.
"Good. Cause, I don't either," he said as he stepped out of the car. He walked torwards the yiny shop purposefully. Stop look and listen. Check both ways for incoming traffic. Crossed the street. For the fifty-second time since he'd been informed of it, William wondered why his father, King, and Tony Blair, Prime Minister of England, chose to include him in the mission. He had asked them straight out too.
Mr. Blair had looked at him plainly as he replied, "We trust you."
"They need your natural charm and charisma to defeat this girl's defenses," John, the bodyguard who was chosen to accompany him, half-jokingly remarked as they had driven to her house that morning.
Remembering what they said did nothing to ease the confusion as that he felt now as he walked over the sidewalk. His task was simple. Bring the girl to the Palace. And then what will they do to her? He wondered. He shook his head. What concern was that of his? It was out of his hands. He looked on the bright side: it gave him an excuse to get out of Eton.

"Thanks," Julie told the lady politely as she left the counter. She opened the door.
"Owph!" a guy exclaimed as the door slammed against his face.
Julie's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, I'm so sorry-" a thousand apologies on her lips. "Here let me look." She reached to bring his arm down. When he looked at her... Prince William? She felt her stomach freeze. She wasn't crsuhing on him but he was still was one of future kings of Engalnd.
"A little bruised," he replied nasally as he pinched his hurting nose. He waited a moment for the pain to stop. "But yes. I am he." He had lost the advantage a flawless executed entrance might've given him. "Will you come with me to the Palace?" he asked.
An invitation to the Palace? Sounded like a date. Too good to be true. She lifted her shoulders, "Why ?"
William was taken back. What happened to the immediate yes he had expected? Unfailingly his voice responded, "Because I asked you to."
Julie squinted from the afternoon sun. Her attention went back to the prince in front of her. Hmmm... something wasn't right with this picture. "Am supposed to say yes?"
"That's the usual answer."
She could've easily have said yes. Wouldn't the experience make all her friends jealous? But she had a feeling in her gut. She looked into William's eyes. He had an unterior motive. "No."
What? The only people who denied him anything was his family and his teachers. And what about that charm he was so good at? "What do you mean no?"
"Which part didn't you understand?" Julie asked. "N-O. No."
William felt his patience on end but hid it. "Anything I can do to change your mind?" he drawled.
"You could try saying please..." Julie said sweetly.
William gritted his teeth, knowing that she was mocking him. "Please..."
Julie thought this over. "No."
Get it in any way you can, came the voice of his father. All right time for physical force! "Come here!" William grabbed her.
But Julie was quick and dodged him. What a bully! Why didn't the tabloids print this side of him? She ran.
William watched her go and was prepared to return to Buckingham to tell his father he failed. He saw a omnious signal from the guards. "Look out!" he screamed.
Bullets were from no where.
Shrieks were heard.
Amidst everyone else's confusion and panic William ran to her. It was a blur. Julie didn't have time to blink as William pushed her down on the pavement. "Get down!" was the harsh order. Julie could feel his weight crushing her as the prince protected her.
William watched as a speeding car shotgunned down the street and rounded a corner out of sight.
Julie breathed hard. William didn't even allow her to look up till the echoes of the gunshots were gone.
William looked at her. She was shaking and she was pale. "Are you hurt?"
She nodded numbly, bringing herself up. She brushed the rabble off her clothes. A police siren wailed, the car pursuing the outlaws. She looked into her shoulderbag to make sure nothing had broken. The envelope was there. The figurine had survived somehow. All that cracked was a compact's mirror.
The guards came. "Are both of you all right."
"We're alive." William answered for both of them. "I don't know what's going on. But if you come with me to the Palace I swear it will all straighten o-" He turned to the girl. But she had disappaered.

Chapter Two
Julie ran up the steps of her London apartment that she was surprised to see William there.
"Move out of the way!" she ordered him.
"You need to come with me to the Palace right now," he matched her tone.
"Tscha!" she replied, moving past him with her key.
"Listen to me-" he grabbed her by the upper arm.
"Why should I!" she snapped, wrestling out of his grasp.
A confused look passed on his face. "I-I don't know."
She snorted. She pushed the key in. "Damn!" she cursed as she struggled to fit the key, but failed everytime.
William placed his hand over her jittery one, to settle it, and opened the lock door.
Julie glared at him. She attempted to shut the door on him but he blocked it with his foot. Reluctantly she let him in.
"So, is the boyfriend expecting me," he tried light chatter as he walked into the darken room.
"I wasn't expecting you," she reminded him setting her things on the kitchen counter.
"Just a little humor..."
"You're bad at it," she flipped on the switch. "I don't like getting shot at!" she informed him.
William wanted to laugh. As if he did? But all desire to left him when the light flooded the room.
Julie gasped.
The room was a wreck. The windows were smashed. The frilled curtain torn and skewd on its hanging pole. Red graffiti paint had been sprayed in lewd words all over the white walls. The coffee table fractured. The couch had been overturned and its stuffing gapped out of the slashed gashes. Figurines, photo frames, littered everywhere. All the lightbulbs were smashed, save one.
Julie looked at this with wide eyes. Who'd do such a-
William watched her reaction. "I'm sor-" he placed a hand on her shoulder.
She turned an vomitted into the sink. He was sorry? The thought resounded in her. He was sorry? She wiped the spit with the back of her hand, then with a towel William found and handed to her. She dialed the police. No surprise. They damaged the phone as well. She threw the towel away. "I-I have to go see what they did to the bedroom."
William stopped her.
"Hey!-"
He silenced her with a held up hand. "What's that smell?"
"I don't smell any-" she began. But the scent soon stung her nostrils as well. Gas?!?!
William muttered a curse under his breath. He yanked her out the apartment. "Move! Move!" he ordered when she was tempted to look back. With quick feet, he replayed the day's earlier scene and pushed her down on the middle of the opposite sidewalk, protecting her with his body.
Splintering glass was heard as the building exploded.

Chapter Three
William and Julie looked at each other.
Julie looked at her former residence. "Okay..." she breathed, getting up. She might've broken a few bones on that last push William gave her.
"Are you-" he reached for her.
"Don't touch me!" she growled. She looked back at the destroyed structure and wiped the dirt from her face with one hand. A childhood thought of wisdom coursed through her. "I have to get to my Dad," she announced walking to her car.
"No! You need to come with me to the Palace!" William chased her.
"Boy, you just don't give up do you?" She asked him.
William rolled his eyes. She thought this was love pursuit? Is that what she thought he was doing? "My father will-"
All of a sudden bullets came at them.
"I have body guards!" he bargained.
Considering the bullets being shot were numerous and headed in thier direction Julie assumed their bodies needed guarding PRONTO! "Fine!" she agreed, following him.
He opened the car door. "(curse word) (curse word) and (curse word)!!!!!"
Julie turned her face away from the sight. Disbelief caused her to look again. "You were saying?"
They were dead. The quarter sized holes in the center of thier foreheads were telltale marks as to how. Professionally done.
The sound of gunshots told them not to dwell on the moment.
"Considering this car is full of corpses I suggest we take my car," Julie squaeked.
William nodded. He took one last look at the men whose lives were sworn to protect his, then went after Julie.
He got into the driver's seat.
"You're driving?" Julie accused.
A bullet could've gotten him if he didn't duck. "You wanna stay here and argue?" he demanded.
Julie threw him the keys.
"Start. Start." he pleaded. "Is this thing actually working?" As he said the words the engine came to life.
"Can we move it along?" Julie told him, worriedly glancing at the gunmen behind them.
He pulled out of parallel park and drove off.
His destination was Buckingham. He was surprised to see crowds of people surrounding the place. Trying to act casual and trying to keep calm he pulled up to an officer. "What's going on?"
"Haven't you heard? The king has died." the man in uniform addressed him.
"What?" Julie said from her place in the pasengeer seat. All blood drained from William's face.
The officer peeked into the car for a closer look at its passengers. He looked at William. "Hey, aren't you-"
William immediately switched gears and drove off.
After thirty minutes when they were on a deserted highway winding in the mountains and Julie was convinced they had lost thier assassins, she sat back with a sigh on her chair. "Where are we going?"
"I don't know," William's voice had a dangerous edge of calm to it. His hands gripped tightly on the steering wheel.
Julie allowed a moment to pass before saying, "You're crying."
"I'm not crying!" But the tear streaks on his face betrayed him. He wiped them with his shirt sleeve.
Julie curled into the corner.
"We're going to your father's," he announced." Maybe when we reach there we can find out what the HELL is going on!"
"How do you know where my father lives?" she asked.
William couldn't answer. He just knew. It was information that had been handed down to him from Mr. Blair. William gestured to the bag in her lap.
"Open the envelope." he commanded.
"What?"
"You heard me," his eyes were on the road. "Open it."
She took it out of the bag. "It's classified. Do you know what that means?" she continued when he said nothing. "It means if some unathorized person opens it, that person could get ki-"
"We're already getting killed or haven't you noticed!"
Julie looked at the envelope. It was just paper, she could rip into it easily. Her father alwasy said that she shouldn't pry into his work. He didn't want her to get i nvolved. I'm getting shot at, Dad! I'd say I'm already involved. After the day she had she didn't care anymore. She tore the top off. A computer disc.
William cursed.
"We'll find out what's on it when we reach my parent's."
William said nothing.
Julie looked outside the window. The afternoon sun was placed just so on the clear cloudless blue sky. Burning bright yellow, its rays extending far and hot. Below it, the sea reflected the shine in its ripples and waves. The water crashed against the jagged rocks that formed the mountain side. It would've been a pretty sight..... To someone who wasn't running scared for his or her life.
"I just realized something," she murmured, lazily. "With Charles gone... you're the king."
"Thanks for the insight." No emotion in his voice.
They began to decend down the steep, winding road.
"Slowing down would be a good idea..." she suggested in a sing song voice.
"I would if I could..." he imitated her.
"Meaning?"
He looked at her. "The brakes don't work." he informed as he pumped them.
"The what?"
"Brakes (pause) don't (pause) work." he repeated.
Julie looked at the sharp turn ahead as the red speed arrow wobbled unsteadiy on the dial. This didn't look good. "William do something!"
The car went over the cliff.

Chapter Four
The car plunged into the ocean's depths, splashing loudly, and sinking to the bottom of the ocean. White icecaps washed against the cliff wall.
"Don't look down," was William's advice as he clung to the cliff's edge by his fingertips.
At the last minute they both jumped out of the car and lept for the cliff. Close to impossible but William managed to do it! Yay! He is sooooo good. One hand was gripping the cliff, his other was held tightly by Julie.
Julie looked down then immediately regretted doing so. "Don't drop me!"
Don't tempt me... William thought feeling the strain on both his arms. "Don't drop that disc!"
Julie looked at her shoulder bag. It was still with her. The disc was in it.
William took a deep breath. Sweat forming on his brow. "I'm going to let go of you."
"What?!?!" she screamed.
"Let go of my right hand and grab my leg," he instructed.
Julie let out a strangled cry.
"It's going to be all right," William assured her. He wondered if he knew what he was talking about. "Do it when I tell you to, okay?"
Julie nodded not trusting herself to speak.
"Okay..." William waited for the right moment. "Now!"
William let go.
Julie slid down a notch and quickly grabbed hold of his leg (he has such nice strong legs!).
William held onto the cliff with both his hands.
"What now?" Julie asked.
William wished he knew. "I'm going to try to lift us up," he told her. How he was going to do it was another question. The pain shooting up and down his arms told him he didn't have the luxury of time. He thought of those chin-ups the couch at Eton made him do at gym.
"William..." her grip on his pants were slipping. If she died that day her last vision would be the prince's boxers... What lovely way to go.
William pushed himself up with a major effort. He brought his left leg up (the one Julie wasn't clinging too) and transferred his weight onto the cliff. Acting swiftly, he brought Julie up next to him (sigh! her hero!).
The bomb in the car went off (it's a late bomb if you think about it) causing a humungous water bubble to form. It grew higher and higher. Higher than the cliff itself and when it came down (what goes up must come down) it dropped a load of salt water on William and Julie, drenching them.
Julie spat out the salt taste, turning to the side to look at William. For a while she said nothing. Finally she commented. "Next time... I'm driving."