By the time we had reached my home, sunset had already begun. I prayed beyond hope that the outer entourage would have some leads on our case, but so far, they had not caught up with us, and with the Lagos family themselves having no recollection of the girl I was seeking, I doubted anyone else would.

"Home sweet home, right lads?" Rafael said, chugging back the last of his water flask. Emiliano and Zolin seemed to be tired by that point, having spoken about war history and the limitations imposed on the army the entire way back. Emiliano just seemed to have an engaging way to talk about such things so fluently, but I was too lost in my own thoughts to catch the entirety of it.

"What's the plan for tomorrow, your highness?" Zolin eventually asked. I had questioned the same thing myself for nearly the whole journey back.

"I still think it's worth searching Mendessa City, on a wider scale. We'll send people to question locals."

"We will have to be careful," Emiliano said, "there are plenty of nobles within the city who attended the ball, and will say anything to pass themselves off as the maiden we seek."

He was right, as usual.

"Suppose we say it's unrelated to the matter. If we just send guards and soldiers, there's no guarantee they'll be asking about her specifically."

"You may be correct, your highness," Emiliano smiled beneath his moustache, "but we also don't want the lady to be too frightened to come forward. It is a rather troublesome situation to navigate."

The four of us parted in the very same room where the ball took place. We wearily bid each other good evening, and resolved to meet again early the next morning. By then, I would have to figure out exactly how to proceed.

I had been almost certain that the glassblowers would have some answers. I was stuck with very little - if anything at all - to go off of. Questioning everyone in Mendessa City could have taken weeks, and even then it was unlikely we would get any genuine leads. And it was possible that the girl I was looking for didn't even want to be found, and could deliberately lie to hide herself. The heavy weight in my stomach was made of pure hopelessness, dragging me around the palace with every step. I knew there was no use doting on it, but at that moment, I could not do anything else.

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I snaked around the hallways, passing by guard after guard standing as still as statues, waiting for something to happen. I suppose I related to them in that regard.

But when I reached the spiralling stairs up to the library, my train of thought was finally interrupted.

"Andres. You're home."

My mother smiled warmly and walked slowly towards me. "How was it out there?"

Suddenly, all the initial wonder of taking in the city came flooding back.

"It was good," I said, but my voice didn't exactly reflect the excitement, "we didn't… find anything, though."

She sighed a little, noticing the sadness in my eyes.

"There is always tomorrow."

I nodded weakly, the message not going in. How many tomorrow's would I have to suffer in that place? How long before father grew impatient and made me marry someone else?

I began up the stairs.

"Oh, Andres?"

I stopped for a moment. "I hope you have not forgotten, given your predicament. King Cedric and Queen Rosaline of the United Realms will be visiting us shortly. Their boat has just arrived in Castillon."

It took everything in me to not groan. The visit had been scheduled weeks in advance, and I hadn't realised it was so soon. The last thing I wanted was to endure a royal visit in the midst of everything.

"Please clean yourself up and join us for dinner."

I wanted nothing more than to tend to my books. But whatever my mother said was final.

I did as I was told - bathed, changed into a fresh shirt and waistcoat, and combed back my hair, but as always, the one particularly stubborn strand refused to stay back. From outside, I could hear the clattering of hooves, and I knew that it was time that they arrived. When I passed the hallway where the spiral staircase was, I gave it one last, longing look, and vowed to myself that I would sneak away to read whenever possible. I needed something to get my mind away from my stresses, and it seems a fable would be the only remedy.

I returned to the grand hall just in time for the giant doors to open. I stood beside my mother, avoiding my father in case he inquired about the day's failure with great satisfaction.

Once the doors opened, I was reminded of the ball once again. But instead of floods of women and their wealthy families, I was greeted by only six men, surrounding the king and queen until they were certain to be welcomed to our home safely.

Queen Rosaline was the one I noticed instantly. She had lengthy mahogany hair that twisted like branches down her flower-adorned dress.

"Your majesty," I bowed, trying hard to keep my balance. She curtsied back, perfectly poised as a queen should be.

"Your highness," she returned, "it is wonderful to see you again."