The Princess's Servant

30. The Guest

Sybil flopped backward onto her bed of silk and feathers. Her mud-covered clothes had been left in a pile on the floor, and she wore naught but a cotton underdress. She felt like falling asleep or maybe dying. Dying sounded nice. That was the one where you never woke up, wasn't it? The one with no responsibilities, no future, no success or failure? If it was, then that was just what the doctor had ordered.

Sybil rolled the top of her head back to peer out her arch-tipped window. She felt the dawning sunlight on her cheeks like warmth of a blush and squinted as the amber glow filled her eyes. Maybe she shouldn't have paid those bandits to attack her sister's little town. It wasn't like the half a gold pouch was a loss to her. But then Eris had taken what was rightfully hers. Sybil closed her eyes. Yes, she had made the right call. And she'd make it again in the morning, as soon as she got just a little bit of rest...

"Your Highness! The Queen requests your presence!"

Of all the ways to wake, this was Sybil's third least favorite — topped only by 'THE PLAGUE IS UPON US!' and a bucket of sloppy tavern water to the face.

Sybil stood in the open courtroom before her mother and some... man. She was dressed in her usual frillery: a pale blue gown that puffed out like a cloche, and white tippy tap shoes that her mother had gifted her after a particularly egregious eavesdropping session. But Sybil did not feel at all like Pretty Princess, Hope of Lailoy, Polite in the Courtroom Sybil. Her body was far too exhausted — her soul too empty — to be her. She hoped her mother would see the hollowness in her eyes and send her back to bed before she embarrassed them, but the queen did no such thing.

"Good morning, daughter," her queen addressed.

"Good morning, mother," Sybil replied without moving her eyes from where rug met wall. "I was told you requested my presence."

"Yes, well," her mother said. "This is Sebastian of Ward, servant to Prince Thomas. He has come here in search of Prince Holden. I don't suppose you've seen him? Here or in any taverns?"

"He is a big fan of taverns," Sebastian added helpfully. When Sybil didn't so much as smile at his reply, he cleared his throat. "We haven't seen him in a few days," he said. "I don't suppose you know where he is, your highness?"

Sybil resisted the screaming urge to rub her eyes. "I received a letter from him two days ago, stating that he intended to meet me. He never showed." She heard the words come automatically from her mouth but could not place who said them. Her eyes begged to shut and her body longed to sway as loose and free as a willow. But she stayed rigged and still and awake, as her mother had taught her.

"Oh?" Sebastian asked. "Did it say in the letter where he was thinking about staying while he met with you?"

Sybil blinked as the rug and the wall blurred together. She caught herself about to sway.

"Your Highness?" Sebastian asked again, and Sybil snapped to it.

"Forgive me," she shook her head to clear the fog, but the fog crept back in. "I'm not my usual self. Last night I lost a very dear servant and I was up all evening looking for him. You'll have to excuse my behavior."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Sebastian tone indicated a genuine sympathy while Sybil could feel her mother tense with disappointment.

"He didn't mention any places in his letter," Sybil continued. "Only that he would arrive soon and that he 'looked exceedingly forward to meeting the woman he'd so long dreamed of.'"

"Oh," Sebastian said again, a note of disgust in his voice this time. "My apologies then, for wasting your time. Your Highness. Your Majesty." Sebastian bowed.

"Wait!" Sybil said, and she knew her mother was sighing loudly in her heart. "You said you were from Ward?"

Sebastian blinked a few times. "Yes," he said.

"And you're from the royal Wardian palace, with Prince Thomas and Prince Holden?"

Sebastian nodded once, an uncertain smile crossing his face. "Yes, of course, your highness."

"I can offer you free lodging and a sizable investigative team to help you with your worries if you were to agree to help me with mine."

"Sybil!" Her mother protested.

"That's perfect! Deal!" Sebastian agreed, and the two smiled and shook hands.

The queen wore a surly scowl, and the blinding gold of her long robes seemed to dim with her damp mood.

Sybil wore a smile like a mask's. "What's wrong, mother?" She asked. "Surely you of all people should want to find the bachelor prince."

The queen stayed stony still, but Sybil could feel her emotions jumping to leap from her chest. "Fine," the queen agreed, and Sybil happily noted that this was a much less elegant response than the queen typically gave. "You may have your little search party. But I'll allow you only until dusk to find your lost playmate before requiring your assistance with the real emergency at hand. Are we agreed?"

"Agreed," Sybil nodded, and Sebastian shared a smile with her. "In that case, Ivanson — inform the guards of the missing servant. Tell the townsfolk there's a thousand krones in it for anyone who delivers me the boy alive. Have Richardson man my telescope and have Gerald describe his features to a sketch artist so we can get flyers printed. In the meantime, saddle up two horses. Sebastian and I are going hunting."

A/N: Here's the chapter a little early! Please remember to vote! :)