Touched By A Dragon

Chapter 3: Back Home

When the king had heard of Lilliana’s disappearance he had cried aloud in pain and terror and had sent her sisters away, Clarrie to her cousins, and Asha to a neighbouring kinddom. Then he had ordered Mike to lead a search party with his best people and said that they could not come back until they were successful.
Mike fell into despair after a matter of weeks; he no longer had any hope. The very thing he loved had been taken from him. He stopped eating, drinking and sleeping. After four days of this, his mother came and took him from a small house where he had been staying. With the help of Mike’s sister, she was slowly making progress. Mikes father refused to see him until he was better. “Why would I want to see a boy that is not my son?” was all he said whenever anyone brought it up. After a few weeks of care, Mike started going out again, he started eating and drinking on his own accord. And after a few months, he was as close to himself as he was ever going to be again.
One night Mike was restless and unable to sleep, even after endless searching for the lost princess, so he lay in bed awake, staring at the straw-covered roof.
“This is all because of me,” He whispered to himself. “It’s my job to make sure she didn’t get hurt,” He said getting a little bit louder. “She was in danger and where was I?” I WAS TALKING TO THE KING ABOUT MONEY!!” He yelled angrily. 
“Um, Mike what's going on?” His older sister asked. “You shouldn't blame yourself for this; you are the bravest boy in the world, starting a job as a princess's guard at age 13, you've done better than all of us,” She continued trying to make him feel better. “Honestly I don't know how you've done it.”
“Yeah I guess,” he mumbled. “But I haven't done a very good job, have I?”
 Then he suddenly started crying again. His sister sighed and got up. She then sat down next to Mike on his bed, took him in her arms and hugged him until he ran out of tears.