(no subject)
"What do you mean, they're missing?" Amy demands. "How is that possible, Lord Stefan? They were guarded by someone you assured me was trustworthy."
She's pacing her study, where she's been all day, meeting with various ministers and messengers, with Lord Stefan always on guard at the door.
Fifteen minutes ago, however, one of the palace guards arrived and asked to speak to Lord Stefan. There was a rushed and whispered conference at the door, and then Lord Stefan informed Amy that Logan and Meg were missing.
"Your Majesty," Lord Stefan says, but that's as far as he gets before Amy cuts him off again.
"Personal friends of mine have somehow vanished, without a trace, from a room in the middle of my own palace."
"I am aware of that fact, Your Majesty," Lord Stefan says.
"How did this happen?"
"The guard went to help the maid who brought them tea. When he came back, they were gone."
"And your perfectly trustworthy guard--"
"Will be dealt with. You have my personal assurances. But I do not believe he did anything with the intention of allowing any harm to befall his charges. We've all been rather . . . well, security in the palace has not truly been a concern. The guards should not step away from their posts, Your Majesty, but they do, if someone needs help with something. I think he simply forgot that circumstances were--"
"He forgot? That the King had been kidnapped?"
"Amy, please," Lord Stefan says. "Your anger is both reasonable and warranted, but--"
"I know, Stefan," Amy says. "But it doesn't solve anything." Amy takes a breath, holds it for a moment, and tries to calm down. "Is there any chance they left or were taken from the palace?"
"No. All the entrances to palace itself and to the grounds are guarded. All with at least three guards. No one gets in or out without authorization. They have not left."
"So they're in the palace somewhere."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"I want every inch of this building searched. Every corner, every closet, every inch, Stefan. The search does not stop until they are found."
"Of course. I'll order it immediately."
He steps into the hallway, though the door is open and even as he speaks to the guards posted there, he never takes his eyes off Amy.
Amy sits down at her desk, and tries to focus on reading over the latest reports coming in from around the kingdom -- about who saw what, about what stories are circulating, about the mood of the people, dozens and dozens of odds and ends.
There's nothing that could be called definitive.
There's been no further word from Maximilian.
Logan and Meg are missing.
"God, Perry, I need you right now," Amy says, under her breath.
"Majesty?" Lord Stefan asks, coming back into the room. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear."
"Nothing," Amy says. "I'll want regular reports on their progress."
"Of course," Lord Stefan says. "We will find them, Amy."
"You'd better, Stefan," Amy says, and goes back to her reading.
She's pacing her study, where she's been all day, meeting with various ministers and messengers, with Lord Stefan always on guard at the door.
Fifteen minutes ago, however, one of the palace guards arrived and asked to speak to Lord Stefan. There was a rushed and whispered conference at the door, and then Lord Stefan informed Amy that Logan and Meg were missing.
"Your Majesty," Lord Stefan says, but that's as far as he gets before Amy cuts him off again.
"Personal friends of mine have somehow vanished, without a trace, from a room in the middle of my own palace."
"I am aware of that fact, Your Majesty," Lord Stefan says.
"How did this happen?"
"The guard went to help the maid who brought them tea. When he came back, they were gone."
"And your perfectly trustworthy guard--"
"Will be dealt with. You have my personal assurances. But I do not believe he did anything with the intention of allowing any harm to befall his charges. We've all been rather . . . well, security in the palace has not truly been a concern. The guards should not step away from their posts, Your Majesty, but they do, if someone needs help with something. I think he simply forgot that circumstances were--"
"He forgot? That the King had been kidnapped?"
"Amy, please," Lord Stefan says. "Your anger is both reasonable and warranted, but--"
"I know, Stefan," Amy says. "But it doesn't solve anything." Amy takes a breath, holds it for a moment, and tries to calm down. "Is there any chance they left or were taken from the palace?"
"No. All the entrances to palace itself and to the grounds are guarded. All with at least three guards. No one gets in or out without authorization. They have not left."
"So they're in the palace somewhere."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"I want every inch of this building searched. Every corner, every closet, every inch, Stefan. The search does not stop until they are found."
"Of course. I'll order it immediately."
He steps into the hallway, though the door is open and even as he speaks to the guards posted there, he never takes his eyes off Amy.
Amy sits down at her desk, and tries to focus on reading over the latest reports coming in from around the kingdom -- about who saw what, about what stories are circulating, about the mood of the people, dozens and dozens of odds and ends.
There's nothing that could be called definitive.
There's been no further word from Maximilian.
Logan and Meg are missing.
"God, Perry, I need you right now," Amy says, under her breath.
"Majesty?" Lord Stefan asks, coming back into the room. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear."
"Nothing," Amy says. "I'll want regular reports on their progress."
"Of course," Lord Stefan says. "We will find them, Amy."
"You'd better, Stefan," Amy says, and goes back to her reading.