Deafining silence filled the room.

"W-what do you mean she's missing?" Stammered the queen.

"I went to her room with breakfast like I usially do and she was gone, her bed was still undisturbed from yesterday."

The king looked furious, his face turned a deep shade of red.

"YOU INSOLETE WELP!" He screamed at me as he charged in my direction, before I knew what was happening I felt the sting of his hand meeting my cheek. I fell to the floor stunned by the pain exploding on my face. With a trembling hand I brushed my face, blood trickled from my lip. The king stood over me still fuming.

"What have you done with my daughter?!"

"I-I-I haven't done anything," Tears welled up in my eyes as I spoke "She was just gone. I ran here as soon as I discovered she was missing."

"Howard..." The queen whispered touching his shoulder, trying to appease the storm that is his majesty, "Let me talk to her, she won't be able to tell us anything if you beat her to death."

The king growled as he ripped himself from her touch and stormed out of the throne room.

"Now Ellie let's find out what happened to her, okay?" She sweetly talked to me as she knelt down and dabbed my bleeding lip.

"O-okay." I whimpered back.

The queen and I made our way to the princesses chambers to see if there was any sign of where Flora could have gone.

"Um...I don't know if it would help but yesterday the princess said she had no interest in marriage while I was fitting her dress."

"Sigh...of course she did." the queen pinched the bridge of her nose as if suppressing a headache. "Well, you keep looking I'll go talk to Howard and see what we should do."

"Thank you your highness"

She smiled with a look of worry at me before leaving me alone.

Where could the princess have gone? She had no survival skills that I was aware of. I sifted through the maps on her desk. Let's see, if I were plotting my escape where would I hide my plans? I tapped my chin as I leaned on her bed post. ssccccrrrrrraaaappppppeeeeee...the bed slid across the marble floor against my weight. Glancing down I noticed a hole in the wall adjacent to the floor where the bed had just been. Getting down on all fours I reached into the wall suppressing my fears of rats, spiders , and anything else that may be hiding in there. When I removed my hand I found I was holding a small leather bound journal. Unwrapping the leather cord the journal plopped open.

"I know where she's going!" I gasped to myself and ran out of the room journal in hand.