Love of the Lost Ones

Part 14

She was in love with Lucian. And she needed to tell him. She went back to the inn to ask the bartender.

"Excuse me? Have you seen a man that just left? Tall, brown eyes, brown hair, broad shoulders?" The bartender shook her head. "No? Damn it." Verena ran outside, thinking of where to search first. The shore! She ran down to the lake, looking through the many faces of people for Lucian, but he wasn't there. She asked more people if they had seen him, but all of them were clueless. She went around to the place they first met, but it was empty.

She looked until the sun came up, but Lucian was nowhere. Maybe he had left town. Maybe he had given up on her, on them. At this point Verena didn't know what to think. She just wanted to find Lucian and tell him how she felt. It had been almost fifteen hours that Verena spent looking for him. And it was all for nothing. She went back to the inn and ordered a beer. The innkeeper must have noticed how tired she was because he said it was on the house. She chugged it, thanked him, and ran down to the docks, hoping that the king was back.

"Will you please, please tell me that the king is back?" The guard nodded. She sighed. "Okay good, lets go." As she tried to get on the boat, the guard held up a hand, stopping her.

"What?" She asked. He held out his hand, asking for money.

"Yeah I know but I don't have any money and this is urgent." The guard put his hand down and blocked the boat. "I'm telling you this is urgent! Let me see the king!" She pushed the guard aside, but he threw her back, taking out his sword. She took the pistol from her belt and shot him.

He fell back against the wood railing of the dock, falling into the water. She took the paddle and rowed the boat across the river, going as fast as she could. When she reached the shore, there were two other guards there. They drew their weapons when they noticed that there was no guard with her. She held up her hands.

"Please! Help! He fell into the lake! I think he had a stroke or a heart attack of some sort! I didn't know what to do!" They turned to the boat and immediately got in, rowing out to the water. She laughed. For the king's guards they sure were gullible. She sprinted up to the doors and knocked. The man that had greeted her earlier opened the small latch.

"What d'you want lassie?" He said.

"I would like to see the king." He turned and unlocked the door. "Come on in. He's busy right now so you might have to wait a bit." Verena went to the king's chambers and knocked.

"He's not in there dear, he's in the dungeons." A maid said.

"Oh, and where is that?" She asked her. The maid led her down into the cold bricked basement that was the dungeon.

"I'll fetch him for you dearie." Verena nodded and smiled. She heard muffled talking that must have been between the king and the maid.

"Ah! Just the person I wanted to see." The king said with a smile on his face as he walked up the dungeon stairs. Verena stood up almost immediately.

"We need to talk sire."

"Oh yes we do! I have a surprise for you." Verena looked at him in confusion. "Come with me, I'll show you."

"In the dungeon? Okay wait," She said, stopping the king in his tracks. "I couldn't find Lucian anywhere, and I know you will be furious with me but I can't—" The king cut her off.

"No, no. Don't feel bad, that is in the past. I have taken care of that myself." The king said, continuing to walk.

"Oh. Wait, what do you mean you took care of it yourself?"