Justice for the Forest-Beasts

Chapter Twenty-Two - In Which there is a Search

Everyone was confused, but they hardly hesitated to start scrambling out the door. Lorelei was waiting for them in the hallway. She'd already put the ladder for the attic down, gesturing for Rain to climb up.

"I'll stay with xem in the attic," Estelle volunteered, quickly following Rain and Colette to the ladder. Lucian and Petra hesitantly followed, as well.

"No, that's too dangerous," Colette said.

"What's even happening?" Estelle asked.

"The Royal Guards are searching door-to-door for Rain," Colette said.

Estelle looked over at Rain. Confusion and fear were clear in xyr eyes, and xe almost looked as if xe might cry. Estelle hesitated, unsure what to even say. "I'm sorry, Rain. It won't be long, but you'll be safer up there. Stay quiet, and stay away from the windows. We'll get you out soon, I promise," Estelle said sincerely.

Rain couldn't find anything to say. Xe hesitated to climb up the ladder, and xe waved goodbye to the twins as Lorelei folded up the ladder and closed the door. She locked it with a key, which she then slid into her pocket.

"Should we return to the castle?" Estelle asked Colette and Lorelei. She didn't want to go back, but she didn't know what else to do or say.

"No, you can stay," Colette said, "But, when the Guards arrive, we shouldn't all be so casual. Come downstairs, I'll fix you some tea, and we can pretend we were having a formal visit."

Colette, Lorelei, Petra, and the twins all went downstairs together, where they sat on the couches while Colette put a teapot on the stove to boil. Acting formally came naturally to Estelle, even when she usually acted far more casually inside the Inorlans' house.

Before long, there was a knock on the door. Estelle managed to remain calm, but she could see Lucian tense up with fear.

Lorelei answered the front door. There were two Royal Guards, which Estelle turned towards, in order to get a good look at them both. She didn't recognize either of them, so she figured they were low-ranking members.

"Hello, ma'am," one of the Guards said, "We are Thomas and Edward, members of the Royal Guard. King Halloran is conducting a city-wide search for somebody, although we are not authorized to tell you who it is. Do you mind if we search your home?"

"No, of course not," Lorelei said, "Come on in. Would you like some tea? Our other guests just arrived, so we already have water boiling on the stove."

"No thank you, but it is much obliged," the first Royal Guard said. Estelle wasn't sure which one was Thomas and which one was Edward, but she liked to think that that one was Thomas, and the one beside him was Edward.

"Of course," Lorelei said as the Guards entered the house, without even stomping the snow off their boots. They took a look at who was in the living room, and had no reaction to seeing the prince and princess. Everyone sat awkwardly in the living room, too nervous to start up a conversation while the Guards were searching through everything. They didn't even care enough to fix fallen piles or to return books, food, and spices to their shelves. Everywhere they went, they left a trail of objects strewn about messily. When they were done with the first floor, they moved onto the second. The guards were doing their best to hurry through the whole house. Surely, their job was not a fun one.

After a minute or two, Colette filled everyone's cups with tea, then handed them out to each of her guests. Just then, Thomas came downstairs to say, "Excuse me, but the door to the attic is locked. Would any of you happen to have the key? It is legally required that we search all of the rooms in your house."

Colette chuckled nervously, "Oh, no, sorry. We lost the key to that door ages ago. Haven't been up there since."

That didn't convince Thomas, and he pushed further, "If we aren't given the key, we will have to force our way in," he told Colette, "And we will not be held responsible for repairs. I recommend that you cooperate and give me the key."

"But I can't. Like I said, we don't have it," Colette said, doing a very good job of acting innocent. "That doesn't seem very fair, but I suppose this isn't my place to say so."

"Very well." Thomas returned upstairs, while Colette flashed Estelle an unsure, nervous smile.

Estelle listened nervously to the sound of Thomas and Edward breaking the attic door's lock and climbing up the ladder. She knew there was nothing she could do—Rain would be found, and that'd be it for all of them. She was no match for two Royal Guards, and she knew it. Estelle, Lucian, Petra, Colette, and Lorelei all knew it. Even Rain probably knew it. Surely, xe was panicking now, hearing the men force their way up.

There was a moment of silence, while the Royal Guards searched for Rain in the attic. Then, Estelle could hear it—Rain screeching and scratching, trying to escape the hold of the Royal Guards when they found xem. The Guards sounded like they were struggling, trying to get Rain to be still enough to handcuff and bind. After what felt like an eternity to Estelle, the three became quiet.

The Royal Guards returned, coming down the staircase with Rain unconscious and restrained in Edward's arms. He exited the house without a word, while Thomas stopped to tell everyone, "We have not been authorized to punish you for housing the criminal, but do know that you are also not completely off the hook. If I were you, I would expect a Royal Guard at your door in the next week or so. Good day." And without a response, he took his leave.

"Do you think we should follow them?" Estelle asked Lucian, though she was really accepting an answer from anyone in the room.

Lucian shrugged, unsure and nervous.

"Your Royal Highness, I think it's safer for you to stay here," Colette said, "I know you are very close to the beast, but you need to remember the difference between you two and xem. It just isn't worth it, putting yourself in danger and getting hurt."

"You should go," Petra said, raising her voice above her mother's, "Find out where xe's being taken."

Estelle hesitated before standing up and signing to Lucian, "Come on, let's go."

Lucian stood and followed right after Estelle as she hurried to put on her boots and rush out the front door. "Thank you for the tea!" Estelle called back to the Inorlans before Lucian shut the door after them. She looked up and down the street, but she had no idea where the Royal Guards had gone. "Let's go to the castle," she told Lucian, "We should talk to Dad."