Missing Prince

Garden Embers, Imperial Palace Grounds….

A warm golden glow of the mid-morning sun filtered through the leaves of cherry blossom trees, giving birth to a scene of serene elegance. A gentle breeze rustled through the tree head, showering delicate petals on the ground. The sweet fragrance of the myriads of blooming flowers lingered in the air.

In the heart of this enchanting oasis, stood a meticulously designed tea pavilion. Its traditional architecture, adorned with intricate carvings and vibrant red accents, formed a perfect harmony with its natural surroundings. A small stoney path was carved, flanked by meticulously pruned tangerine trees, that lead to the entrance of the pavilion.

Seated inside, surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows that offer a panoramic view of the garden, was Princess Scarlett, the epitome of grace and refinement. Dressed in an exquisite imperial garment with delicate embroidery and adorned with a regal sash, she depicted a picture of timeless beauty.

A low lacquered table rested before her, bedecked with an array of neatly arranged teaware— a delicate porcelain teapot, dainty teacups, and a variety of aromatic teas. Scarlett rested on the plush cushions as she greeted her guest.

Etching the breathtaking beauty of the princess into his mind, Anvil was at a loss for words. Remembering his noble etiquettes, he composed himself and presented her with a bouquet of freshly picked red roses that matched her silken-like crimson hair.

"Your Highness, it is an honour to be in your radiant presence."

The smooth and suave voice of Anvil Brownheart made Scarlett take a good look at him. He had long flowing brown hair and oceanic blue eyes. Young maidens swooned with lovesickness upon gazing into his devilishly handsome face. A long sword hung loosely by his black trousers made of imported clothes. His overall appearance resembled that of an exquisitely crafted knife which made him stand out like a prince charming among throngs of noble lordlings.

Unfortunately, he was the textbook example of everything Scarlett hated. She knew of his playboy-like tendencies that had already birthed over a dozen of bastard children in his name, all of them were abandoned to keep his appearance of a kindhearted and righteous nobleman.

Scarlett had every intention to smack the bouquet into his face but she held back for her mother's sake and graced him with her go-to fake smile for entertaining self-entitled noble house lords.

Offering a piping hot tea to her cousin, more precisely her mother's nephew and heir to the dukedom of Brownhearts, Scarlett invited him to take a seat.

"Dear cousin, no need to be so formal with me, we are family after all."

If her voice wasn't so regal and refined then Anvil would have noticed the barely concealed warning in her tone. It wasn't the first time where he was using her mother's name to get closer to her. And Scarlett knew it wouldn't be the last time either.

'If only my mother could see through his facade…'

Scarlett groaned in her head. Her mother wanted her to keep a healthy relationship with the Brownhearts, as such she was tasked with entertaining the young lord of their house.

"Then will you do me the honour of cheering for me during the Phoenix festival, Your Highness?"

Anvil asked with surging confidence. He was glad of the fact that she recognised their familial ties.

"That depends on your performance, dear cousin. If not, people will blame me for being partial."

Scarlett lied, she would never cheer for him. She had seen how he fought during the last festival. She was utterly disappointed by it, he didn't even get close to his opponents, and not a drop of blood stained his clothes.

What kind of a fight was that? Standing miles away from your opponents and throwing spells at them. It was the most boring and ridiculous fight she had ever seen. There was not a hint of thrill and danger in that fight.

Her eyes involuntarily landed on the sword he was carrying. It was a shame that such an exquisite sword was being wasted upon this showoff.

'Why the fuck do you carry a sword if you're not going to use it?'

She wanted to scream in his ears.

Doing a mock bow, Anvil added:

"Don't worry, Your Highness. I will not disappoint you. I will put on a performance that is worthy of your support!"

Scarlett giggled bringing a hand to her mouth, to be exact she giggled and tried to play along with him. After all, she knew what kind of performance he was going to showcase.

Their conversation was cut short as a series of footsteps sounded against the stone path. A guard adorned in golden armour knelt outside the pavilion, his booming voice shattering the tranquillity of the garden.

"Your Highness, I have urgent news to report that needs your immediate attention!"

Taking his cues to leave, Anvil stood up and bid his goodbyes to Scarlett not before asking her to cheer for him.

'Like hell, I will do it!'

*******

"Your Highness, the Third Prince has gone missing!"

The guard spoke urgently with his gruff voice, bringing Scarlett back to attention.

"What?! Be quick! Tell me what happened?"

Scarlett was flustered by the news. Her third brother rarely left his residence, so, how come he was missing?

"Your Highness, the Third Prince was tasked with collecting this year's tax by His Majesty." The guard replied hurriedly. "The Third Prince should have been back by yesterday, that's why we sent a squad of Imperial Guards to check up on him.

"Today, they have discovered a destroyed carriage and a few dead bodies of the guards that were escorting the Third Prince, a few miles away from the Capital and…and there was no sign of the Third Prince."

-Bang!

Scarlett banged her fist on the tea table causing it to collapse on the ground. She bellowed in a furious voice:

"Don't tell me, someone abducted him!"

"Your Highness, th-that appears to be the case…"

"Is His Majesty aware of this news?"

She questioned trying to calm her raging nerves. Whoever dared to kidnap their family member from their domain was simply seeking death.

"No, Your Highness, His Majesty is in deep meditation and has ordered us to not disturb him!"

"What?!"

If he was not the emperor then she would have cursed him out loud. What was he doing instead of making preparations for the Phoenix festival? Why was there a need to go into seclusion now?

She couldn't waste her time thinking about such things now. She needed to find her brother before the Phoenix festival started. If the news of this leaked out then their reputation would be at stake.

"I will look into this matter, meanwhile keep a tight watch on everyone in the Capital city. Do not let in or let out a single person who appears suspicious, understood?"

"Yes! Your Highness."

"Now leave…"

She formed a fiery wing and flew back to her courtyard. Along the way, she thought about who could be responsible for doing this.

'Is it for a ransom?'

Scarlett thought but pushed that thought aside. Considering how he was abducted just before the Phoenix festival, it seemed like someone was mocking their Imperial Authority!

She gnashed her teeth in anger, thinking about her third brother. He was just like her who felt caged in this Imperial Palace.

Scarlett, from a young age, knew she was built differently, not made for being a proper noble lady. And her third brother was the same, he too was not made to be a prince. He loved reading and living by himself.

That was why she had a soft spot for him. She felt a sort of kinship with him as they both didn't want to do their Imperial Duties.

She arrived back at her residence within minutes and barked orders at her maids. She knew what she had to do if she wanted to find her brother quickly and there was only one person who could really help her in this situation.

"Quick! Someone, create a fake mission poster of the Mercenary guild to find Egon Phoenix, no scratch that! Use a fake name. Offer a reward of five..no ten thousand gold coins. Make it quick!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

One of the maids waiting on standby quickly answered her princess' call and started her work without questioning anything.

Scarlett paced around in her outer courtyard waiting for the poster to be done. Her servants looked at her curiously but didn't dare to ask her about the matter seeing the furious look on her face.

Within a few minutes, the poster was done.

[

Mission Type: Rescue

Target: Marvin Frost

Whereabouts:Unknown

Difficulty: Unknown

Reward: 10000 Gold Coins.

]

Scarlett glared at the maid who had prepared the poster. It could be barely passed off as an official mission poster from the guild.

"Sigh~ this will do…"

She had no other choice but to make do with this. She just hoped that it would be enough to convince Ray. She had no idea his eyes would be glued to the 'Reward' section.

"Alright! I am going into seclusion, don't disturb me." Scarlett ordered but that was not enough. "Also, don't mention anything that happened now to anyone, not even my mother! Understood?"

All her maids nodded their heads obediently.

"Good! If I find someone going behind my back, I will consider it as an act of treason!"

With that, she shooed them off and entered her inner courtyard where the artificial pond was built.

Quickly donning her mercenary outfit and using the illusion magic thought by her father she slightly changed her appearance to become Sasha.

-Splash!

Jumping into the pond, splashing water everywhere, Scarlett disappeared from her residence.