Kingdoms - Book 6 - The Frencolian Chronicles (complete)

Chapter Four

Minette, rocking herself, sat on the edge of a couch, dabbing her red-rimmed eyes while Dorai paced back and forth. The couples' personal attendants stood conspicuously against the walls. Prince Dorai started as the door opened and he stepped over to his niece's side.

"Jobyna, you're here!" Stating the obvious, he hugged her, holding her close. Perceiving her uncle's disoriented state, Jobyna asked, "What has happened?"

Silence greeted her question; all eyes stared as though she had uttered something abhorrent. Dorai moved away and dropped to sit beside his wife with his head in his hands.

"Where are Luke and Konrad?" Jobyna questioned, turning to Minette. "There was no one in your room, Aunt Minette." Her relation's stricken tear-filled eyes stared, lingeringly. Jobyna saw that Minette trembled uncontrollably, shaking and crying. She sat beside her aunt.

"What is it?" Jobyna asked softly. Minette cried harder into the already saturated kerchief. Jobyna asked, "Where are the children?"

Minette, between sobs, managed to reply, "In... their... rooms now... all but... Maia. Oh, my poor Maia!" Her sobs grew louder and Jobyna put her arms around her, looking searchingly at her uncle for an answer. Jobyna tried to curtail her racing imagination. Facts; I need the facts, she told herself. Soberly quiet, she listened to Minette crying for some minutes before she pushed her gently away and stood to her feet.

"What happened?" Her voice was barely a whisper and she moved close to her uncle. He drew her to a couch in the corner of the large room and sat with her, recounting all they knew of Maia's abduction.

Jobyna asked, "Why aren't you out looking for Maia?"

"I want to be here with Minette when we get word."

"What are you expecting?" Jobyna whispered then regretted verbalizing such a question.

"A ransom note, for sure," Prince Dorai said with hope in his deep voice.

Jobyna asked, "Where are Luke and Konrad?"

"I think, I'm sure, they joined the search."

Almost drowning Minette's unrestrained sobbing, a crying, screaming, wailing sound resounded from the corridor. The somewhat artificial commotion grew louder as the offender drew closer and closer. A woman servant entered carrying the noisy culprit, Elissa. Charles and Doralin followed sheepishly behind their sister.

The woman curtsied. "I'm sorry Your Highness... Marm, the children would not sleep without seeing you, and..." her voice cut off as Elissa wriggled, struggling to free herself and succeeding.

"Maia!" Elissa screamed.

"Maia?" Doralin ran to Jobyna who stood, speechless, returning the hug Doralin's hug and extending one arm as Elissa arrived to join them. Doralin pushed herself away, "No, it's Jobyna, not Maia! Papa, where's Maia?" She began to wail, "I want Maia! I want Maia!"

Charles joined the chorus, "Have you found Maia yet, Father?"

Jobyna's eyes met her uncle's and she knew he had the same thought as she. His grim face was drawn, distressed. The girls, at first glance, had thought she was Maia! Jobyna did not like her assumptions and did not want these young children to hear them.

Turning to the children, she said brightly, "Luke and Prince Konrad and all the soldiers in Frencolia are out looking for Maia, and God will help them find her, I feel sure. Charles, please take me to your rooms. We'll have some stories while we wait. I have a surprise to share with you." She watched as the children kissed their parents. Elissa patting her mother's cheek, wiping tears with her forefinger, then the princess-cousin ascended the central stairs with the youngsters.