Mary sat at the edge of a river as she watched the wave of water. She loved the fresh breeze brushing over her face and the quiet, tranquil atmosphere late at night, but only if it could take her heart's pain and worries away. She was troubled about Maria's whereabouts and wondered if what the soldiers report to the queen's mother was true. No! She quickly denied it. Maria is alive; I could feel it. She said it firmly to herself, but the fear lingered in her heart.
"Where is Maria?" Her voice echoed in the silence as she screamed at the water as if demanding an answer. "Where?!" She cried out her heart's hatred and grief. "Where are you? Where?" She kept muttering to herself as she lay helplessly on the ground, tears streaming down her cheeks as she stared at the water.
Mary finally decided to stroll back to her room after venting her rage. She collided with Stuart, the youngest prince, on her way to the maid's rooms She quickly stepped backwards and bowed her head in apology to the prince.
"I'm so sorry, your highness." Mary quickly said.
Stuart waved his hands. "You don't have to. We both bump into each other."
"Thank you, your highness," Mary responds with a grateful smile.
A faint smile appeared on Stuart's face. "It's fine." He paused and frowned. "Where are you coming from?"
"From the river, my prince." She hurriedly responded.
"It's late, and it's unsafe for you to be there at this hour," Stuart warned.
"I'm sorry," Mary mumbled.
Stuart let out a sigh and patted Mary on the shoulder. "I know you're worried about Maria, but I can assure you she's alright wherever she is, and I promise to try my best in searching for her; trust me." He assured her.
Mary quickly bowed her head in thanks, her eyes filled with hope. "Thank you, your highness. I'm so grateful. I wish I could repay all of your kindness."
"There's no need for that," Stuart laughed. "We are siblings."
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"Thank you for accepting me as your sister always."
Stuart bid Mary goodnight, and Mary quickly left. Stuart stood on his spot as he watched Mary disappear into the darkness. His smile vanished into thin air as he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked away.
Stuart crept up to the door of a study. The study belonged to King Alfred who died many years ago; and had been abandoned for years. No one has the key to the study except the queen's mother and King Alex, but lucky for Stuart; he came across the key after so many tried to get hold of it. He put the key into the lock and turned it slowly.
Click!
The door opened, and a sly smile crept over Stuart's face. He entered the study swiftly and shut the door behind him. He rubbed his palms together as he scanned the room. The study was large and full of dusty old books arranged on the shelf. He had to be quick and find what he needed, he said to himself, walking in between the shelve. Where could he start now? He let out a sigh. Stuart quickly made his way to the king's desk as soon as he saw it. He moved to the drawer, searching it one after the other; just as he was ready to pull out the last drawer, the door creaked open.
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