25. Alfred

Chapter twenty-five

Alfred

I t had been two days since Isabel's disappearance, and no one had seen nor heard from her. I was beside myself with anger and fear.

She would never admit it, but I knew Isabel and Jess were cut from the same stubborn cloth. Isabel wanted to think Jess was the unruly child rebelling against her righteous and caring parents. The truth, at least as I saw it, was that Isabel got the daughter she raised—and Jess was the spitting image of her mother.

But the same frustrating qualities that drove me into my cups were also those that I cherished the most. Isabel was brilliant and savvy. She spoke her mind and rarely feared ruffling feathers. She understood the games the nobles played far better than any of them. Sometimes, I pitied the poor men and women as they plotted and schemed, only to have their pieces swept off the board with a wave of Isabel's hand. And her unyielding backbone—the thing that got her into more trouble than anything—was one of the things that had made me fall for her in the first place.

Everyone had known I would be King one day. I was the heir. They bowed and scraped, telling me only what they thought I wanted to hear, complimenting my every word or deed as though I was some dolt who was blind to their pedantry. I had grown into the crown and its unique challenges; but back when I was new to it all, petty games of court sickened me.

Isabel—fiery, infuriating, beautiful Isabel—said exactly what she thought, damn the consequences. The day we met, she insulted the doublet I was wearing, causing ripples in the rings of courtiers that tutted about us. Tongues wagged for weeks about the girl who pissed all over the Prince.

I fell in love on the spot.

And her strength, sweet Spirits, I couldn't count the number of times she'd lent me her resilience, helping me through a difficult negotiation or political conundrum. She never wavered in her support for me or the Crown. Her voice was as strong as her backbone. When she committed to a course, she followed it to the end, no matter what.

I knew that knife cut both ways, and that her strength, taken to excess, was a hindrance, but everyone had blind spots. I needed her. More than that, I loved her in a way only twenty years of marriage allowed .

Then there was our daughter.

Jess was the one person in the entire Kingdom who could turn me into a blubbering puddle of mush. Every time I thought of her, my mind flashed to holding her in my arms, watching her tiny toes curl, then release. I could still see her toddling about the Palace, terrorizing the family's bulldogs, who'd wanted nothing more than to nap by the fire.

Why did the simplest memories captivate me so?

From the moment she drew breath, Jess was a handful. She refused to feed from her mother's breast, refused to sit while her parents tried eating in peace, refused the fineries of a princess, begging instead for wild adventures in the woods. Her whole life was one rebellion after another, most aimed at her mother.

I chuckled at that thought.

They were cut from exactly the same cloth.

And here I was, King of the largest nation in the world, surrounded by the most powerful army ever assembled, helpless to protect either of them.

I struggled to focus.

My mind was a swirl of trepidation and concern.

Yet, the Crown had no patience for the tribulations of a king.

I stormed out of my room and into the inn's common area .

Two guards stood near the door. The High Sheriff sat at a table, sifting through papers. The large chamber was otherwise unoccupied.

"What have you got?" I asked as I stormed through the sea of tables to stand before the one where Sebastiano sat.

"Alfred . . . Your Majesty . . . we've only begun looking for the Queen. Our Constables in Rutin and the surrounding towns haven't had time to report. As soon as we know something—"

"What the hell do you mean you don't know anything, Wilfred? It's your job to know what's going on. At least it is for the moment . Find my wife and daughter, or start planning for your retirement," I groused as I stalked the room like a caged beast.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The High Sheriff—my oldest friend—bowed and began to back out of the room.

I stopped him with a raised hand. "Sebastiano, forgive me. It's been a tough few weeks. Just bring them back to me, please."

Wilfred eyed me, then spoke quietly so only I could hear. "Alfred, I would give my life for theirs. I love them both. You know that. We'll do all we can to bring them home."

He gave another bow and walked out.

The moment the door closed, I unfastened my cloak and hurled it across the room. A man I hadn't seen standing against the far wall moved to dodge my throw.

"? What are you doing over there?"

The Chancellor emerged from the shadows, taking only a step from the wall.

"The Sheriff and I were collaborating. Between my spies and his Constables, we should be able to learn a great deal."

"What do you know?" I could feel the man was hiding something. His eyes screamed a hidden agenda. "You must know something ."

remained still, back stiff. "Unfortunately, sire, you know everything I do. Her Majesty vanished. No one saw her leave, and she hasn't been heard from since. None of our men on the roads have seen or heard anything."

"If those bastards harm my Queen, I'll burn their country to the ground."

"Your Majesty." hesitated. "Have you considered the possibility that the Queen wasn't kidnapped? That she left . . . on her own?"

"Don't play your Spirits-damned games with me, . Not now !"

bowed his head. I was practically a priest, never allowing cursing or even rude language at court. "Sire, I . . . it's just that . . . she spoke once about using an Enchanted item to Travel. It was some time ago and had nothing to do with our current . . . situation. Still . . ."

I froze, and my eyes snapped to 's. "She wouldn't dare."

raised a brow.

"Right. She absolutely would," I admitted.

"I have no evidence to say she did, sire, but it remains a possibility until we can prove otherwise."

"We need to be certain. Is there something your Mages can do to test this theory? A spell? A charm? Anything?" I sat at a table and stared at my shoes. "She was desperate to help find Jess, and I hate to admit it, but what you say makes sense. I can see her ignoring all of us and taking off."

"She was quite desperate to find the Princess, sire. That's very true."

Something odd in 's voice made me glance up. His mouth was set in a firm line, but his eyes . . . something felt out of place. I knew the man schemed more than most, but that was his role, especially where spies were concerned.

Perhaps I see shadows where none exist.

"Thank you, Danai." I paused. "Would you send Justin to me, please?"

"Of course, sire." bowed again and backed out of the room, leaving me emotionally wounded and alone.

How had it all come to this?

My daughter kidnapped.

My wife missing.

My kingdom on the brink of war.

I missed the days, not so long ago, when our greatest worry was who Jess would marry. Everything had fallen into chaos since, and I didn't know how to restore peace and order .

Unable to solve the riddle that was Isabel, I focused on the greater problem at hand: Melucia.

Despite the mounting evidence provided by my advisors, I couldn't understand why the Triad had turned on us so quickly. The Kingdom had been a loyal friend to Melucia for centuries. The magical disparity was a fair point, something I would have to address, but to kidnap Gifted? To attack the royal house itself?

The Kingdom's army was ten times anything Melucia could muster. Even if magic did thrive in their gene pool, surely, they understood war would be inevitable with such provocation.

Why? Why do it?

Something felt wrong .

A soft knock at the door interrupted my thinking. "Come in."

Justin's eyes and nose peeked around the door. "Father? You okay?"

"Come here, son." I looked up and motioned for my boy to join me.

Justin stepped into the room, closed the door behind him, then shuffled over to me. I grabbed a chair and pulled it next to mine. When he sat, I reached around him with one arm and drew him close.

Justin eyed me, teenage suspicion alight in his gaze.

At fifteen, it had been years since I had held him. That shame fell on my shoulders alone .

"I need to tell you some things—things that will be difficult to hear." I drew a deep breath.

"Father, you're scaring me. I could hear you yelling all the way down the hall. What's going on?"

I pulled away and faced my son. "We still have no word on Jess. There've been no sightings, not even a rumor vibrating in 's web."

"You have the whole country looking for her and Danym. They'll find them. Right?"

"Son, as a father, I want that more than anything in this world. My heart breaks thinking of her . . . of what she might be going through. We are doing everything we can, including turning Mages into investigators, but nothing has worked, and it has been over a week.

"As a father, I could never give up hope, but as a king, as the King, I have to plan for the future of the Kingdom." I met my son's eyes and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know you never wanted to be my heir, never planned for that life, but if we . . . if we can't find Jess, you will have to start preparing to wear the crown."

"Father, stop it. She's okay. She has to be okay!" Tears welled in the boy's eyes.

I gripped him by both shoulders. "Listen to me, Justin. The Kingdom must have an heir. Our duty— your duty—is to our people above all else. I need to know that you will step up, that you will be ready should that day come. Can I count on you, son? "

Justin tried to speak, mouth opening and closing again. In the end, all he did was nod.

"Good." I held my grip. "I'm sorry, but there's more."

Justin's watery eyes snapped up.

"You already know your mother is missing."

"What now?" Justin's gaze fell to the floor. "Do you think they have her, too?"

We had not told Justin of 's suspicions of the Children's involvement in Jess's capture. Who he thought "they" were was intriguing, but I decided to remain focused on delivering my news.

"We cannot rule it out, but thinks she might've used magic to Travel somewhere to find Jess. She has not been herself since your sister's kidnapping. She was desperate to do something." My voice broke as I released Justin's shoulders and sat back. "We all are so desperate to do something."

Justin's voice was a whisper when he spoke. "I'm not ready, Father—for any of this."

"I'll let you in on a secret: Nobody's ever ready, son. Not for what we're facing with your mother and Jess, and certainly not to wear the crown." I smiled. "I pray we find your sister and mother, and you can live the life you choose, but Justin, if you must become the heir, take some comfort in what my father told me when I was your age. ‘The crown never fits when first placed on your head, but you will grow into it.'"