The Missing Daughter

Princess Ileana of Romania sat at her desk and sighed. She glanced up and looked into the mirror. Her eyes were red from crying, though she had managed to go an hour without spilling a single tear. She still couldn't believe the news, though she had received it nearly a week ago.

Her mother was dead.

How was that even possible? Her mother, the strong and brave Queen Marie of Romania. She was gone. Ileana could only hope that her brother, Carol, would allow her to return to Romania for the funeral. It had been so many years she had set foot in the country of her birth.

Ileana held the tear stained letter and read the words again, the words her Mother had written on her deathbed. Ileana still hadn't decided if her Mother had gone crazy or not, in those finals moments. The topic of the letter was one Ileana couldn't believe was true.

Marie had had another daughter.

Now, Ileana knew her mother wasn't referring to her elder sisters, Elisabetta and Maria, no, the letter talked of another daughter, one born in 1897 in Coburg, Germany. A child who wasn't even Ileana's full sister.

Ileana stared at the letter and read through it one more time. Her mother must have gone crazy. Another daughter? The thought was absurd. How could a crown princess give birth to an unknown child. It didn't seem right.

Ileana read the letter again and again. Oh how she wished she had been there in her mother's final moments, to ask about this girl, who according to her mother, looked just like her.

Suddenly, the door burst open and Ileana heard two pairs of running feet. She looked up and saw six year old Stefan run in, his constant playmate, five year old Maria Ileana, run in behind, nearly slipping on the carpet.

"Mama, are you still sad about Grandmama?" Stefan asked running to her side. Maria Ileana followed and clambered onto her Mother's lap.

"Yes, meu dulce, Mama misses Grandmama very much," She said, starting to stroke Maria Ileana's hair.

"We made these to help you not feel so sad anymore," Maria Ileana said, sheepishly holding up drawing they had made.

"See, they show Grandmama up in heaven, just like Father Josef told us she would be. We wanted you to remember she was somewhere happy, and that she would want you to be happy," Stefan said, smilingly proudly.

"It was my idea!" Maria Ileana said, just as proud.

"Oh thank you dragele mele, they are lovely and I do feel a bit better." She gathered her two children up in her arms.

"Where did they go? Stefan! Maria Ileana! Where are you?" a voice from the hall called. Anton, Ileana's husband, entered the room, searching for his children. When he spotted them on their mother's lap he sighed.

"Stefan, Maria Ileana, I told you two to leave Mother alone."

"We wanted to show her our pictures!" Maria Ileana cried in protest.

"They're fine dear, they helped cheer me up actually. But now, comorile mele, it is time to go with Father." Maria Ileana hopped off her mother's lap and headed to her father's arm. Anton scooped her up and held her tightly in one arm, while taking Stefan's hand with the other.

"Give my love to Alexandra, and baby Dominic, tell them Mother will see them soon," Ileana said as Anton took the children away. Ileana sighed and cast her eyes back and forth between the pictures and the letter.

"If you do exist, sister of mine, I will find you. I will find you for my mother, our mother. Promit, I promise."