Chapter 2 #4
“I want to learn more of this urgent missive and see how I can help, of course,” Xavier said.
The king blinked at him, his expression of mild surprise morphing into confusion as he spied Xavier’s passenger.
“Is that…an anzu chick?” The murmur came from one of the men standing by the king’s desk, whom Xavier recognized as a senior member of the castle guard, named Captain Mitchell.
“Yes, she accidentally imprinted on me,” Xavier informed Captain Mitchell solemnly. “But you needn’t worry, she’s currently asleep so unlikely to soil the furniture.”
The guard almost allowed himself to smile, but the other man, whom Xavier didn’t recognize, stared blankly. The king, inured to his eldest son’s ways, just gave the faintest sigh.
“What do you need, Xavier?”
“Nothing,” he assured his father. “I really am interested in the urgent missive.”
“Well, I’m glad to see you taking an interest,” the king said, not sounding convinced.
“It’s a petition from the northern region.
We’ve heard murmurs before now about young people going missing, but there was more reason to think it was fear-mongering than credible reports of crime.
However, a young woman has just disappeared under genuinely suspicious circumstances, from a town just inside the forest. The lord of the region sent his own bailiff,” he nodded to the unfamiliar man, “to request the crown to conduct an investigation into what happened to the unfortunate young woman, and whether the incident is connected to previous ones.”
“Are you going to grant the request?” Xavier asked, a slight frown breaking through his habitual expression of pleasant unconcern.
“I am,” King Madoc said.
Xavier nodded, pleased with the answer. He wasn’t usually given to an excess of pride in his kingdom—that sort of thing could be safely left to Theo—but the report angered him.
Who would dare to abduct young people without fear of consequences?
Siqual was a kingdom of strength and order, a bastion of the Peninsula, not some lawless duchy on the continent.
“Captain Mitchell is going to lead the investigation,” King Madoc went on, causing Xavier’s eyes to flick to the guard, who stood solid and silent.
“He’ll be taking a liaison to check on the chameleon steel refinement station as well, since the town in question is close to the desert.
But we don’t want the trail on the disappearance to go cold, so the group will leave first thing tomorrow. ”
“Tomorrow, you say?”
Xavier mused over the idea, remembering Theo’s dark promise about dragging him into mind-numbing diplomatic negotiations with the father of the latest young woman with whom he’d been shamelessly—and publicly—flirting.
Mitchell was a good sort of man. He was highly skilled and respected, so had less to prove than many of the guards, and was therefore much more easygoing.
“An excellent idea, Father. I’ll be ready to ride with them.”
“You?” King Madoc looked his son over, startled. “You want to go to the middle of nowhere to help on an investigation into something that might turn out to be nothing?”
“I hate to pull rank, but wouldn’t I be overseeing rather than helping?” Xavier said.
He saw the bailiff’s eyebrow twitch, like he’d only just stopped himself raising it in astonished judgment. Xavier let his grin break out again, transferring his attention to the guard standing next to the bailiff.
“I’m disappointed, Captain Mitchell, I thought for certain I could get a reaction with that.”
“You should know me better, Your Highness,” the captain said tolerantly.
“Well, in any event, I have no intention of trying to interfere with your methods,” Xavier assured him. “I would just be a passenger.”
“No.” The king’s voice was firm. “No passengers. Captain Mitchell is highly capable and has no need of your assistance. You, on the other hand, are in great need of experience in leading exercises like this. If you go, it will be to lead the investigation, under Captain Mitchell’s tutelage.”
He turned to the guard.
“I know it’s asking more of you, Captain.”
“Not at all.” The guard bowed. “I would be honored to have His Highness join us.”
Xavier couldn’t quite tell if the guard was lying, and the more generous part of him regretted the imposition.
“Father, that’s really not necessary,” he tried. “If those are the requirements, it will be easier for Captain Mitchell if I don’t go.”
“Nevertheless, your request to go has been granted,” the king said, and Xavier recognized the note of iron in his voice. “Be ready at dawn, Xavier. This matter requires swift attention, and I don’t want you holding up the group.”
Resigned, Xavier accepted the dismissal and left the study.
He wasn’t entirely sure whether the lure of somewhere new but tainted by the responsibility of an investigation was more or less preferable than diplomatic tedium with the Torrenese nobleman.
But it didn’t matter, because there was no getting out of the trip now.
“Well, my feathered friend.” He glanced down at the still-sleeping anzu. “It seems we’re going on a journey.”