Without Starlight

Never Underestimate Short People

~Chapter 10: Abagaila~

Abagaila was dragging by her dress fitting for the final ball. She'd hadn't slept the night before. Rynn and her had gone straight to the King after the Tragoons were in the garden. It had not gone well, to say the least. King Welheim had laughed at her, along with several of the Council members. Her blood boiled when they told her that she was worrying for nothing, that there had never been anything in the garden. They thought her the silly little girl that had ran after the boy that dumped her.

She stared at her face in the mirror, hollow and tired. The problem had escalated, and she didn't have the slightest idea on how she was going to fix it. The weight of failure clung to her like wet robes. War was the price if she failed. She sighed.

The seamstress looked up from her position fixing the intricate beading on the hem of her gold ball gown. "Are you well, Your Highness?"

"I am fine, just tired." She ran her hands over the soft silk, forcing a laugh. "It seems that all of these late nights are getting the better of me."

"It is not because of the man in black, then?" The seamstress went back to her work.

This caused Abagaila to laugh again. "Oh, goodness, no." She lied through her teeth. "I had already dismissed the scoundrel from my mind before you mentioned him."

"If you say so." A deep voice mumbled behind her. She smiled at Rynn in the mirror. He looked worse for wear then she did. "I need to speak to the Princess, alone."

The seamstress tied off the bead she was working on. "Yes, of course." She collected her things and went out the door.

When the door was closed, Rynn smiled. "I have good news."

"You've found Nicholas." Abagaila stepped off her stool.

Rynn shrugged. "More or less." He reached behind him to knock on the door. "Come on in Mikel." The door opened, and a young guard walked in. He bowed to the princess, his eyes on the floor. Rynn put his hand on the guard's shoulder. "This is Mikel, he's been a part of the Guard for over a year now. He was there when I met Nicholas."

Abagaila looked the anxious boy up and down. He also looked tired. "Why didn't you bring him here earlier?"

"I had a family emergency, You Highness." Mikel shuffled his feet. "I was off in the country taking care of my aunt."

"I see. What is your relation to Nicholas?" Abagaila stood before the guard, her hands held tight in front of her.

Mikel looked up and met her eye. "We grew up together, in the country north of the city. He was the son of Lord Lancer."

"Lord...Lancer?" Abagaila bit the inside of her cheek. The Hames boy that she had danced with the first ball was a Lancer. In all of his small talk with her, he hadn't mentioned a Nicholas.

"Yes, Your Highness." Mikel looked fearfully to Rynn. "What has Nicholas done?"

"Nothing." Rynn said in a comforting tone. "Something came up and we wanted to know where he was."

"He'd be in the kitchen of the Lancer Manor." Mikel's voice seemed to toughen.

"He's the son of a Lord, why would he be in the kitchen." Abagaila asked, sweetly. They'd found him.

"His step-family are down right evil." Mikel spat, then look aghast that he'd said that in front of the Princess. "They're running out of money and use him as a servant. I've told him to leave in the past, but he's so nice and stayed." He explained softly.

Rynn met Abagaila's eyes. "Has he done anything weird in the last couple days?" Rynn asked.

"Yeah, he asked me about identifying magical creatures." Mikel shook his head. "It was weird because he's the one with magic."