Greenhorn: The Judge

Chapter 7: Dark Fairy-Tale

It was early morning by the time Rita had been given any information. She had fallen asleep against the post of Isla's bed. She'd dreamed Isla had woken her up, and they had stayed up the rest of the night talking and giggling. She dreamt of dark hair and starry eyes watching them. Then the dream twisted and Isla was there again, in Rita's arms. Isla was crying, weeping, sobbing, wailing in agony, but she isn't injured, no part of her is broken or cut. Rita's chest tightened at the thought of it, she knew what night it was.

It had happened in the afternoon and by the next morning Isla was alone in the world, with only Rita to be with her. She held her friend close, heart aching having to watch her be in so much pain. Rita delicately brushed Isla's hair, lightly humming some tune she couldn't remember fully. She kept whispering "sleep", willing her friend to close her eyes and drift away, until eventually she did. Rita always felt great sadness and guilt towards that night; the sadness of her friend's loss and the guilt of what that loss would mean for her.

"Rita?" she heard through the haze, as someone shook her lightly. Her eyes fluttered open, and she quickly sat up straight.

She looked into the sad eyes of her father. "Have you heard anything? Did they find her?" she asked, throat dry and cracked.

Peter looked down, not willing to tell her what she didn't want to hear. But the longer her father said nothing, the more Rita realized it to be true. Isla was gone, she wasn't hiding somewhere in the castle, she was simply gone. Not just gone, taken.

"Why would she leave with a stranger? Why would she do that" Rita asked, tightening her fists and shaking her head.

Peter sat down beside her, hand resting on her shoulder, knowing there was not much he could do to comfort her.

"You know Isla, you know how impulsive she can be. She was probably too enticed to say no. I remember when she left the waterpark because someone promised her a rocket pop. Some people are just... who they are," Peter said, staring at the furrowing in Rita's brows as she looked ahead blankly. "Some witnesses say that they saw Queen Lidiya's nephew, Lucius, with them."

"Lucius?" Rita asked, shifting so her legs dangled off the bed. "Dumb name."

"Grand Prince of Banwood, the heir to the throne," Peter said, taking his hand away.

"What does that have to do with anything? Where is she?" Rita demanded, her legs tapping rapidly.

"The most likely place is Lidiya's palace, Scath," he said, rubbing his hands over his brows. "The place we first suspected. She has no reason to take her anywhere else, it's deep within the desert, in the middle of her country. Our sources tell us that her gift could easily get them there within a couple hours."

"I have to go get her," Rita said with a sharp breath, her voice dull and robotic. She had forgotten she was still in her evening dress once she stood up, she quickly moved for the wardrobe. But her father was faster.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her back. "You can't do that Rita. I made the oath, I'm responsible. I was lax and I didn't keep an eye on her. If it was anywhere else, I would go myself, but no one in the family can go. I'll send people to get Isla back," Peter said, chest aching at the helplessness he felt and the fear he felt because of the look burning in Rita's eyes.

"What are you talking about? I have to go get her," she said, yanking her arm away. Rita's father had told her about the Crawe's through brief tales about the world he'd told her and her siblings when they were little. She didn't know much, only the sensation that they had never been seen as the 'good guys'.

"No, you won't. The timing is too convenient. Hun, there is no way in hell I'm letting you go to Dorchwood. That's why we think she took Isla. When she saw the two of you, she must have decided to take her to lure you in, or at least get one of us to go looking. They've tried it before. They should have never let her come, I don't know what your grandparents were thinking," Peter stated firmly.