Betrothed

Chapter Thirty-Eight: In Zymjai's Palace

It was early morning before Rupp and the Ladies could open the large iron door, and free the men from their shackles. By that time, there was no trace of Princess Audrianna. Neither was there any trace of where the king, the witch or Rolf escaped to. After searching the entire castle, Henry became panic-stricken. Audrianna was gone. Where did they take her? Which direction did they go? Was she safe? He was determined to track them down and rescue her, as 'she' had rescued 'them' from being executed.

On top of that, when the Ladies in Waiting returned to the room, they discovered the little Andjety girl missing as well. Either she had escaped on her own, or the witch had rescued her, too. The castle was in the hands of Nadeau, but with the king still alive and in partnership with the witch, the kingdom was still under Andjety control.

Henry was joined by Balen, Olivia, Mason and Rupp in the Royal Court council chambers. Along with the five of them, Audrianna's Ladies in Waiting also stood to the side, observing. While normally the Highness's Ladies were not at liberty to speak in Royal Court, Henry was more interested in rescuing his betrothed, than maintaining appropriate protocols.

The eight of them together attempted to figure out where the witch and the King escaped to, and why they might have taken the princess. On top of that, they needed to bring the king back to Nadeau, to stand before the people, and be tried for his treacherous activities.

"The king is at liberty to do as he wishes, and to enter into whatever treaty he desires," Rupp pointed out. "Just because the Andjety have been a sworn enemy of ours for decades, does not give us levity to undergo a takeover."

"Understood," Henry agreed. "However, we also need to consider the lives that were taken by the Andjety. Hundreds of Nadeau soldiers and guards were killed the night Ree and I fled. How can we allow the king to brush such atrocities aside as if their deaths are for a greater good?"

"Right," Balen answered. "Men and women who swore their lives to protect the king and royal family, only to be victims of a plot by the king, to senselessly have them all murdered."

"Why would the king do such a horrid thing," Rozelle asked. "Why not just establish a treaty with the Andjety without causing such bloodshed to Nadeau? He's the king after all."

"Because," Olivia answered, "according to Nadeau law, the king is required to abdicate his throne upon the prince's twenty-fifth birthday, and marriage. It wasn't enough for the king to gain another six years through Henry's betrothal to the princess."

"He wanted to remain king until his death," Henry replied, "and expand his kingdom to include all of the Andjety land, and who knows how much more."

"So, what's our next move, Your Majesty?" Rozelle asked. "How do we get Her Highness back?"

"We first need to figure out the king's true motive for taking the princess," Henry answered. "My father is not one to hold hostages just for collateral. He has another purpose in mind for capturing her."

"I'm sure he expects us to come looking for her," Balen remarked. "Perhaps he is using her as a bargaining tool."

"Right," Henry replied. "Holding her is his way of attempting to remain at an advantage. But something tells me that he's up to something bigger than that."

For the rest of the morning, the Crowned Prince and his most trusted friends discussed a multitude of ideas where the king, the witch, Rolf, and the Andjety girl could have escaped to.

"I believe there is a cave on the other side of the Andjety mountains," Balen informed Henry. "I have heard the witch has equipped it as a palace."

"Do you know how to get there?" Henry asked.

"No," Balen replied, "but I know someone who does."