Page 4 of Prince of the Northwest Forest
“Well, where do you think he went, then? Icedonia?”
“I doubt it,” Father says. “And we need to not alert them that there is a problem, either. We need to proceed with more …discretion.”
“Where else could Mats be?” I ask. “The Naga Kingdom? The Coral Kingdom? There’s no way he went to the?—”
“Fae Realm?” Mother says.
We all wince. The advisors glance over at us, more than a few of the humans registering concern. The muskrat in charge of diplomacy flips his tail, his hair bristling.
“Mats would never be that foolish,” my father says.
He’d better not be that foolish.
Time passes differently in the Fae Realm. What feels like just a few moments there can be days in other realms. But Mats knows better than to deal with the fae. When he’s gone missing before, he’s always turned up relatively quickly.
Just … this time, he has a deadline.
“Perhaps we’re overthinking this,” I say. “Maybe he only went to Princedelphia.” The coastal Oregon city is a relatively short distance from the southern border of our realm, where we are now. “He could have checked into the Renversé Hotel. It’s infamous for being a crossroads for royalty on the run.Word gets around. I saw a flyer a week ago on the side of the Blazingstar Inn that said something like ‘Need to RUN away? Try the Renversé Hotel! Located near Café Magnifique.’ If I saw it, maybe Mats did, too.”
Hope blooms in my mother’s eyes. “Perhaps. Although I don’t know why going somewhere with more human interaction would help with his … issues.”
I rub my jaw. “Maybe he just needed to escape from the castle for a while. That’s why the hotel is so popular, I think. He is getting married, and that’s a big deal. Want me to go and check?”
“I doubt Mats will turn up there,” Mother says. “And even if he does, I imagine he would stay in his room, not wanting to be around anyone.”
My throat aches when I think about my poor middle brother. He just can’t catch a break.
“So I’ll stay a few days.” I bite my lip, a thrill running through me despite my concern about Mats. “Someone there is sure to have seen him. It’s where all the royals go. I’ve always wanted to find out more about that place. I could even get one of the jobs they’re so famous for.”
Mother waves a hand. “I’m sure you can pay for a hotel room?—”
“Of course, but if I’m trying not to raise suspicion,” I start, maintaining steady eye contact with Father. He gives me a slight nod, and a jolt passes through my body. Maybe I can finally get away and do something on my own, without oversight from the palace. Or, at least, with just a minimal entourage. “To be subtle, I should take part in the arrangement that they advertise. Let me do this. Let me try to find him.”
My father looks to my mother. “What do you say, Beatrice?”
“Kalle shouldn’t have to go,” she insists. She pinches the skin at her throat, and her gaze flits about the room.
I lean my hip against her throne. “No. But I want to.”
Mats isn’t the only one who wants to escape. I look at my parents pleadingly. I hate begging, but they don’t know how oppressive this place is.
Mother nods, and I exhale. “Then go, with our blessing. Bring your security with you. We will send for you if we find him.”
I glance outside. “I should go before the sun sets.” This time of year, near the solstice, the sun stays high in the sky until fairly late, but it’s perhaps two hours’ walk from here to the hotel, which is located at the edge of the woods. Not so far that I truly need to stay there overnight, but … it’s a good excuse to have extra freedom for a few days.
My mother kisses my cheek. “I hope you find him,” she whispers fervently.
“So do I,” I say.
My father shakes my hand. “Keep in good contact. Send word if you hear anything.”
“Yes, Father.”
Mats has done this before, which is why they’re not completely panicking. But that doesn’t stop them from worrying about him. Maybe he didn’t simply get lost in his head. Maybe something really did happen to him.
I grab a quick meal in the kitchen, then return to my quarters, where I pull out a satchel and begin to select clothing for the journey.
How many days should I plan for? I have no idea. I throw in a bit of everything and hope that the hotel has a laundry service.
