Chapter 22
Maximus POV.
"Where is she?" I demanded, my voice laced with anger. "It's been months, and Felicity is still missing. Why have we not found her yet?"
"We're doing everything we can, Your Highness," one of my advisors responded in a calm tone. "We've deployed all our resources and sent scouts to every corner of the kingdom." "But it's not enough," I growled, feeling the frustration boiling inside me. "How could she have disappeared without a trace? This is unacceptable."
"Perhaps she's hiding in a nearby village or town," suggested another advisor.
"That's impossible!" I snapped back. "She wouldn't be able to hide for this long without being discovered. Someone must be helping her."
"Your Majesty, we need to consider the possibility that she's left the kingdom altogether," said a guard who had been silent until now. "We should start looking beyond our borders." "Absolutely not," I declared, my eyes narrowing. "We cannot let her escape without facing the consequences of her actions. We must find her and bring her back to face trial."
"We understand your position, Your Highness," said Marcus, "but perhaps it's time to consider other options, such as negotiating a peaceful resolution." Marcus said.
"Peaceful resolution?" I scoffed. "After what she's done? She broke the law and abandoned her duties. She must be punished accordingly, and the only way she'll face justice is if we find her." "But at what cost, Your Majesty?" asked my chief advisor. "We cannot risk the safety and unity of our kingdom in pursuit of revenge."
"I will not rest until Felicity is brought back to face justice," I declared firmly. "I will use whatever means necessary to track her down, even if it means turning this kingdom upside down."
"Our loyalty lies with you, Your Majesty," said the guard, bowing respectfully. "We will do everything in our power to assist you in finding her."
"Good," I said, my anger subsiding slightly. "But be warned, if anyone is found to be aiding her, they will suffer the consequences as well. Felicity will not get away with this."
My days were consumed with the search for Felicity, and I became more unhinged by the day. One morning, I called in all of my advisors to discuss our next move. "I have had enough of this!" I yelled. "We need a new strategy. Something that will bring her out of hiding."
One of my advisors tentatively spoke up. "Your Highness, what if we offered a reward for information on Princess Felicity's whereabouts? Perhaps someone will come forward with information."
I sneered. "And what, offer them a handful of gold coins for her capture? No! I want her brought to me, alive not dead, and I will not settle for anything less."
Another advisor cleared his throat. "Your Highness, what if we send out a search party to cover more ground and gather more information?"
I jumped at the idea. "Yes, that's it! We'll send out search parties. Cover every inch of the kingdom, leave no stone unturned. And if anyone resists or withholds information, they will answer to me."
As the search parties went out, I waited anxiously for any news of Felicity's whereabouts. Days turned into weeks, and still, there was no news. My desperation grew with each passing day, until one afternoon, a messenger arrived with a note.
"What is it?" I demanded, snatching the note from the messenger's hand.
"It's a message from one of the search parties," the messenger said. "They've found something."
I raced to my chambers, tearing open the note. The message was vague, but it mentioned a small village on the outskirts of the kingdom.
"Send more troops," I commanded, "and bring me any information they can find. We may finally have a lead."
The soldiers returned from the village with news that Felicity had fled to a neighboring kingdom. I seethed with anger. How dare she betray me like that?
"Send a delegation," I ordered. "We will demand her extradition back to our kingdom. And if they refuse, we will wage war."
Days turned into weeks, and my obsession with finding Felicity consumed me entirely. I ordered my soldiers to increase their patrols and search more thoroughly, but still, she remained beyond our grasp. My advisors and guards became increasingly wary of me, and I could sense their fear as I paced back and forth in my throne room.
As time went on, my desperation turned to paranoia. "Who can I trust?" I muttered to myself. "Does anyone truly have my back?"
"I do, Your Highness," my most trusted advisor, Marcus, spoke. "But we need to approach this situation logically and with caution."
"I am being logical and cautious!" I barked back. "I have spies planted everywhere, and I'm questioning every citizen. I won't let anyone slip through my fingers again!"
My advisors exchanged worried glances before one spoke up. "Your Highness, perhaps we should focus on finding Felicity instead of focusing all our resources on suspicion."
I spun around to face him, glaring. "You want to give up? You want to let her get away? No! We need to find her and make an example out of her!"
My once loyal advisors began to distance themselves from me. I could see the fear in their eyes, and it only made me more paranoid. "Are you all betraying me? Are you helping Felicity?"
"No, Your Highness," one of them said, shaking his head. "But we fear for your mental wellbeing. We need to find a way to stop this madness."
Their words only fueled my anger. How dare they question my mental wellbeing? I am the ruler of this kingdom, and I demand respect and obedience!
"You dare question me?" I hissed. " we will not stop until we find Felicity and whoever helped her escape. And if anyone betrays me, they will face the consequences."
I felt anger boiling up inside me.
"You are all replaceable. I will find Felicity on my own if I have to!"
With that, I dismissed them and stormed off to my chambers. As I sat on my throne, the weight of my actions began to sink in. Had I become a tyrant? Had my paranoia turned me into a monster? But I couldn't let these thoughts consume me. I had to find Felicity and restore order to my kingdom. Nothing else mattered. And if anyone stood in my way, they would suffer the consequences.