Fairy Tale Treasure (Book Two: The Road to Ever After)

Chapter Twenty-Four

The cascades of sunlight with its dancing specks of dust seemed completely out of place in the throne room of Once-upon-a Time. Every one of the ceiling to floor windows were open, in hopes the slightest murmur of news might be caught with its first wafting. The palace was lit up every night as a beacon to guide the lost princess home. There was a feel of the nightwatchman about the palace. Sunlight was a taunt upon the royal family's sorrow.

King Darrick, Queen Eudora, Princess Bridgette, Prince Daniel and Jarryd rushed to Once-upon-a Time as soon as ravens reached them with the shocking bulletin - Princess Sarah had vanished, along with the ancient treasure map. All of her oldest friends hurried to Queen Adeline's side in this dark, dejavu-esque hour.

Thus, they were all assembled to pass another long day in the throne room. Queen Adeline had not slept for three days, scared to the point of collapse to leave the chamber's domain. The powerless mother drew a sense of strength by remaining in the presence of her throne. She was not like other mothers, for she was a queen with abundant resources to search out her child. Though her heart was breaking, she had to maintain some kind of dignity. She could not let her people see her falter into emotional despair. Her every gesture had to assure Once-upon-a Timeans Princess Sarah would come home. She had to.

King Gillroy acted as his wife's constant support. Their hands were inseparable since Robert cautiously broke the news to them. The king felt awful that his comfort went exclusively to Adeline, for his paternal instinct told him his son felt Sarah's loss much more deeply this time around. Gillroy caught odd sideways glances from Robert that reminded him of the boy's sheepish eyes when he misbehaved as a child. Robert felt guilty about something in connection with Sarah's disappearance, but his father could not determine what cause his son had for blame.

King Darrick, to no one's surprise, confidently rained down blame from pretty much the first minute of his arrival. He hugged Adeline, kissed her cheek and then blurted out, "I think you're going to have to behead that Pirate King this time. Seriously, this is getting ridiculous."

"Darrick!" Eudora cringed with her emerald eyes blushing in embarrassment, "Nobody knows for sure it was the pirates..."

"Well, okay then," her husband shrugged. He shook Gillroy's hand without really acknowledging there was another, hurting person on the end of it. "It's time you take this thing to the source. Lock Sarah up in a tower or something. Didn't any of those nannies or tutors teach her the 'cry wolf' story? It's not interesting anymore, or am I the only one who thinks this?"

"After all this time, Darrick darling," Eudora shoved him away from the royal couple stunned in sorrow, "You should know you are always the only one thinking whatever insanity is pumping out of your twisted brain."

The truth was, Darrick was only verbalizing what they all were thinking. There could only be two explanations for Sarah's disappearance. Either the Pirate King and his buccaneers had struck again, or...Sarah betrayed everyone she loved to escape a life of matrimony and public service. It was the least happy option for a parent to consider, yet Gillroy and Adeline knew their daughter and her thirst for freedom. She might have done the math in her head - a treasure map leads to treasure and treasure to independence. It was possible.

Prince Robert sighed at the window seat where he gazed out at the gorgeous day. He knew of another explanation for his sister's flight. With his chin cradled in his palm, the prince of Delight relived his last chat with Sarah in the kitchen that night right before her departure. There was a sinking feeling telling him the betrayal everyone should despise was his.

Robert felt a hand upon his knee. He turned his head to smile at Princess Bridgette and her petite, sympathetic face. She scooted a few inches closer to him after glancing over her shoulder to make sure no parents were watching. Thankfully, the adults were all too preoccupied to notice their present offspring; so, Robert and Bridgette could whisper without suspicion.