Chapter 7

Prince Stephen and his horse Max were greeted by the palace guards upon arriving and they opened the gates for them. He slowed Max down and took him to the stables, giving him a few pats before going inside the palace.

Meanwhile, in the drawing-room, King Cedric and Duchess Catherine were having a conversation about serious matters regarding the princes.

"We'll start the tutoring by tomorrow. Will that be fine, Catherine?"

"Absolutely, your Majesty."

"Then it's settled. I trust you in tutoring my sons. It's a little difficult to put these boys to where they need to be. They need to be disciplined."

"I'm sure I'll handle them quite well."

Stephen arrives at the drawing-room just as the two had ended their conversation.

"Ah. Stephen is finally here."

"Is there something wrong?" Stephen asked with concern.

"Nothing, son. But I do need to tell you that you and your brothers will start your lessons with Duchess Catherine."

"Alright, Father."

"Now I trust that you tell Charles and David. I have told Alexander already while he was here earlier."

"Before that, Father, can I talk to you about something?"

Cedric looks at Catherine. "If you'll excuse us."

Catherine bows before leaving the room and decides to find her daughter somewhere in the palace. Stephen greeted a 'good day' to Catherine, but all he got was a hum. He chose to ignore it with a shrug while Cedric takes himself and his son to the couches and the servants bring Stephen tea.

"What is it, Stephen?"

The prince leaned forward and pressed his hands together. "Father, I saw a girl at the Central, and she looked so much like Mother. She mentioned she's an orphan, and she didn't remember her family. She was lost when she was a baby when she survived an accident."

Cedric furrowed his eyebrows in concern. "That must be miserable for her. Losing her family and all. Did she mention if her family survived?"

"She didn't. She barely remembered anything about her family at all."

"You said she resembled your mother."

Stephen's eyebrows rose. "Oh, yes. I was wondering if Mother has relatives outside Crystalia who could have lost a daughter years ago."

"How about you ask her tomorrow morning, at breakfast. Duchess Catherine and Lady Charlene will be joining us as well."

Stephen nods before taking a sip of the warm tea.

Cedric saw the book that Stephen was holding. "Where did you get the book?"

"I borrowed it from the library in the West Village. The girl works there. Alexa is her name."

This name rang a bell to Cedric, and he was reminded of Alexandra. For some reason, he thought maybe the girl could be her. But then, it was twenty years ago. It's impossible, after hearing the news that there was no sight of Alexandra or Amelia in that carriage. It may have been two decades since that incident, but the memory is still fresh. And besides, Alexa is a common name. Either a girl has that real name Alexa, or her real name is Alexandra and people liked to shorten it out for her nickname.

Cedric nodded while watching Stephen look out the window.

It's been a long, long while since that cruel memory dawned on him. It may have seemed he succeeded in forgetting that night, but with just mentioning the royal ball for the birth of the two princesses, it all comes back to him. Midas. Red smoke. A rainy night. A dark past.

That was why he never permitted any ball to occur in his palace. Just the thought of a ball was painful to him. Paranoia, maybe, or trauma, caused him to make that decision.

~~~

The princes walked into the dining room, where the king, the queen, the duchess, and the lady sat waiting for them. They greet each other good morning and sat in their seats, with the servants serving their breakfast. They start their conversations in their own groups, with Cedric, Catherine, and Adela having their own conversation, Charlene actively listening to the adults, and the princes with their own conversation as well.

In the middle of their talk, Cedric remembers his talk with Stephen yesterday, and he clears his throat.

"Stephen, I believe you have something to ask your mother."

Stephen looks at him for a second with a confused look before understanding his father's words. "Ah, yes. Mother?"

Adela replies with a concerned look. "Yes, Stephen?"

"Do we happen to have any relatives who possibly had a child that went missing years ago?"

The queen furrowed her eyebrows in her son's question. This truly confused her as to why he would ask her that.

"I can't remember any news from my cousins regarding that matter. Why did you ask?"

"Yesterday, while I was out at the Central, I went into this small library and saw an orphaned young lady working there. She resembled a lot like you, so it came to me that maybe we have cousins who could be her family. She said she couldn't remember her family because she got lost when she was a baby."

"Oh my. That poor girl," Adela spoke softly. "Where does she live? And how old is she?"

"At an orphanage in the West Village. The library she works in is also in the West Village. She must be around 20 years old."

"That is so sad. No one is adopting her?" Catherine asks, which is the first time since their arrival that she asked a question or had a conversation with one of the princes.

"No one came to adopt her for years," Stephen replied with a sad voice. For some reason, he felt sad for Alexa that she had to experience that, that she had to have these neverending questions about her family. He was convinced he could help her if his family would let him.

"Poor girl," Stephen heard Catherine whisper by herself in that voice, but he chose to ignore it again. It may sound rude, but Catherine has to mind her own business if she wouldn't comment nicely about anything at all.

He had to say what he had in mind. He really needed--badly needed--to help Alexa, and what he had in his mind may raise a commotion, knowing how strict his father is into the idea of letting commoners live in the palace, let alone inside the palace. He simply wouldn't allow it. But his mercy for the poor young lady is pushing him into this idea. It's as if fate, or destiny, or whatever this is called, is calling him to do this. And he was ready to convince them.

"I was wondering if we could let her stay here in the palace while we look for her family."