Jada tilted her head toward the man who had last spoken. "I also think we must learn of the, the circumstances," she said, reaching a little for the word. Like a kaija tree. She straightened her back, cross-legged on the cushion, and did not blink. Tall, Precious One, and straight but not inflexible. Bend.

She touched two fingers to her forehead. "If it is permitted to know more, liege."

_________________

Alilith, too, would like some more information. After all, the more one knows, the better prepared one is. But she didn't add her voice to the chorus. The king was stressed enough as it was. Unfortunately, without abundant details, that brilliant mind of hers couldn't scheme or plan anything.

_________________

I was cured all right.

(Ummm bump?)

_________________

I was cured all right.

((Sorry it took me a while. End-of-school madness. Summer is finally here, though!))

"Of course." The King replied, nodding in acknowledgment. "There really is not much to say. My daughter was taken from the palace two nights ago. Her maids left her in her quarters at dusk, and came back to find her missing at dawn. She was gone without a trace. No message. No demand for ransom. The only thing that my guards turned up was a rag that was soaked with furithium. A very potent drug that would render any man unconscious for several hours." He explained. "Apparently, it was used to drug and subdue Princess Celisse." As he said this, the King sighed, and paced back a and forth a bit before he spoke again.

"I have specifically asked for your help because I have my own... Suspicions. Furithium is a very rare substance to have at one's disposal. Only a very rich, very smart or very skilled individual would be able to get their hands on such a strong chemical. And to add to this, my head warden has received threats from an anonymous assassin. Veston, my resident Mage, has been robbed several times this week. And even my Queen reports seeing mysterious men moving about the palace at night." The king sighed, momentarily revealing his concern. For just a few seconds, the full force of the stress of the past few days showed on his face. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.

"I need a group - a skilled group - to find my daughter, without alerting her abductor that they are being pursued. If the man - or woman - who did this is not found soon... It could very well mean danger for all of Edensvale. Just before I called this meeting, I received a letter from my daughter's captor. They wish me to surrender my crown. Elsewise," The King swallowed hard. "they mean to start a war. Does that clear up any of your questions?"

_________________
You may (or may not) know me elsewhere as Elfpen

"I wonder," Dolores said pulling herself from her flippantly sarcastic mode to her sarcastic work mode, "if all this has been going on like you say, why were the palace guards not not a higher alert. Surely if it appeared the palace was being watched, threatening letters were received, and the royal Mage robbed someone should have suspected something was about to happen."

With this she pushed herself up off the wall and cocked her head at the king. "Or perhaps your majesty's guards are not quite as loyal as one would hope. Perhaps you have a traitor in your midst. Money can be a quiet persuasive means to obtain what you want. Be that object princess or..." the flippant smile reappeared as Dolores scanned the crowd in the room, "army of opportunists."

In all reality the news the king gave didn't bother her too much. Who cared if there was a war. Her allegiance lied with who was winning. Still, it was hard to look into the eyes of a concerned parent and not feel some remorse for what he was going threw.

_________________

(Sorry this is SO late)

The letter was something that struck Alilith by surprise. It changed things, well her plans, that is. Dolores, at least that was her name, mentioned some good points. Why had the king not responded to these signs with appropriate measures? If it was a Cnidarian tribe, the elder would have been ousted immediately. But this was humans and all of their odd customs and rituals puzzled him.

"I would like to agree with this woman here," she said. "Have you tested the loyalty of your advisors, your guards? Properly, that is. Find the traitor and we might have a lead against those who took away your daughter."

_________________

I was cured all right.

"Well," The King replied, "That is one of my problems. You see, I had all of my head of staff properly and thoroughly interrogated. This proved fruitless to my searched. I had many, many others interrogated as well, more are being questioned as we speak. My original thought was to beat around the bush and see what flies. But the sheer normality of it all is giving me a problem I haven't been able to uncover a single clue as to who has done this to my daughter. And I fear that I have far to many staff and subjects for all of them to be questioned before it is too later. I Have lords and soldiers coming and going in and out of Edensvale all of the time. Some leave for months, some for years. Investigating all of them is impossible. Though I assure you, all of the prominent lords and staff within my kingdom have no tangible evidence against them. Unless they are incredibly good actors, they are not guilty. I fear that whoever did this has either fled, or they are very good at hiding."

_________________
You may (or may not) know me elsewhere as Elfpen

"So then what do you want us to do, Your Majesty? For really that is the heart of the matter is it not?" Dolores scanned the room trying to decide what her associates, and she used the term extremely loosely, were thinking. Not surprisingly, the group of mercenaries knew how to mask their expressions. She could read nothing. "Is it your intent to have us traverse the underworld looking for sort of clue to the little princess' disappearance?"

Dolores had grown tired of this story time. She was itching to get out and do something. True, she wasn't too excited about working with a group of people like herself. She didn't trust any of them to be completely loyal. For all she knew, one of them could be the kidnapper. They were like Dolores after all.

_________________

Fen remained silent, choosing to quietly watch the unfolding drama around him. He was still as stone, and only his eyes moved, lazily circling the room. But beneath his blank expression, his mind raced. This mission that the king had laid out for them was intriguing. A captured princess, with no leads at all. It was un to Fen and this band of merry men to find the damsel in distress. Fen had to admit, it sounded like some fairy tale, told to children.

*bump*

((You beat me to it, Nauriel. SG, you out there somewhere?))

_________________