The Thorn in My Side

Part 3

The party continued late into the night. Sebastian and Rosa had left their spots at the front to mingle with their guests. Many of them gushed over their wonderful and handsome son. They received many marriage proposals, which were all rejected. At a quarter past eleven, the two made their way back to the front where they called all of the nobles' attention.

"I would like to first start off by thanking you all for coming to celebrate my son's day of birth." The crown erupted into applause before he calmed them back down again. "Before we end this night, Prince Alex has a few words to say. Alex?" He waited patiently for his son to pop up from the crowd. When he did not, Sebastian started to get nervous. He called for him once more before Rosa put a hand on his back.

"Did he ever come back inside? Let's send a guard out to find him." They waved off one of the guards beside the throne. The crowd began to whisper about the prince gone missing.

"Not to fear, I'm sure the boy just lost track of time and has his nose stuck in one of those books of his," Sebastian commented. There was a short burst of laughter. The mood was cut short however when the guard burst through the doors. Without the prince. The guard collected themselves before marching up to the king. He bowed deeply. The nervous energy around him told Sebastian and Rosa all they needed to know. They almost started freaking out right there. The tension in the room rose with every passing second of silence.

"U-uh, it seems that Prince Alex is not available at the moment. Maybe just a few too many drinks, if you know what I mean," Sebastian laughed nervously. Luckily the remark passed and everyone started laughing once more.

Once all the guests had left, the guard explained the situation.

"We checked his room, the library, and the stables but could not find him. We looked through every room and all around the grounds until we found this in the royal garden." They held up a small gold object. It was the medal that was clipped on his suit jacket. Rosa held her hand out for the guard to drop it in her hand. Her other hand was over her chest as she stared in horror before breaking down completely.

Sebastian comforted his wife, assuring her that they would find Alex. He turned to the guard. "I want this whole kingdom turned upside down, every cupboard door opened, every rock overturned and not a smidge of dirt unchecked," Sebastian ordered. The guard bowed stiffly before hurrying out of the ballroom, followed by the rest of the guards. The only sound that could be heard was Rosa's sobs and sniffles. Sebastian was silent as a tear rolled down his cheek.

A day and night had passed, and Alex was still nowhere to be seen. The kingdom had been fully searched twice and was in the process of a third time. Rosa and Sebastian were sitting at the dining table with bowls of pottage. Served alongside were platters of sugared almonds and freshly baked bread. Although none of it was touched. Their minds were stuck on repeat of the night they lost their son. The bags under both pairs of eyes portrayed the lack of sleep each had gotten the night before.

Tears started to slowly roll down Rosa's cheeks but she suffered in silence. It was only broken when a guard interrupted to hand them a letter. The signature on the front was large and printed neatly in fine penmanship.

Rosemary Woods of Shaiya

To, Griffins of Ezaelon

The queen of Shaiya, a good friend of the Griffins'. Sebastian ripped through the wax seal, not bothering with the letter opener placed in front of him. Rosa got up from her seat and stood behind Sabastian's chair, reading over his shoulder.

Dear Sabastian and Rosa,

I am so deeply sorry for what you two are going through at the moment. It must be heartbreaking with your only son missing. I am,in fact, writing to you about the matter. I just happen to know a very skilled individual who lives on the edge of my borders. I'm sure she can find your son easily enough. She has helped my family as well as others all over the kingdom with similar matters.

This huntress only responds to a specific style of request. To call for her, write her a letter stating your misfortune, seal the envelope with blue wax, and place it on the window closest to your main entrance just before twilight. From there, fate will take its turn.

I do hope you all are reunited soon. You have my condolences.

Regards,

Rosemary Woods

The couple read over the letter multiple times. A huntress? How have they not heard of her before? They shared a look before rushing to their study. It might be a slim chance that this huntress could help but it was a chance they were willing to take. They quickly wrote out the letter, signed it, and sealed the envelope with the brightest blue wax they could find.

It felt much longer than it took for night to start to fall. They followed the instructions and placed the letter in the window closest to the main entrance. Although they were very anxious for the huntress to arrive, they headed to bed to pass the time.