Chapter 44: Vexed

Back at Faustine's, everything was a mess.

"Did you hear?" Faustine jumped on us the moment we stepped through the door. I noticed that the broken glass had been replaced. "Did you hear, did you hear?" she cried. "The princess is missing! Oh lord, help us!"

"Calm down, Aunty," Reynard said as he put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Faustine sighed and backed up with a hand on her chest as she looked from Reynard's face to mine.

"Where were you two?" she asked suddenly, pausing mid-cry. 

"We were just browsing through the stalls, nothing much," Reynard said nonchalantly as he pulled a chair and sat down. "How did you find out about the announcement?"

"Lennard just returned half an hour ago," Faustine said, massaging her forehead. "Apparently, he was at the fisherman's when the knights made an appearance. Oh, what a terrible turn of events! And she went missing on her 17th year of birth, nonetheless. What do you reckon may have happened?"