The Search

The news of the missing princess spread the whole kingdom as the palace guards searched for her everywhere asking people if they saw her. How can the princess miss? What could make her leave the palace without her parents knowledge? Where were the guards that were meant to stay at the gate when she left? Were some of the questions people were asking.

"May be she disguised herself and left the palace or may be she was kidnapped", some people said.

The guards searched the streams,market,churches,schools, hills,valleys,everywhere name it,yet there was no sign of princess Jewel. The youths also joined the guards on the search mission, all the uncompleted buildings were searched,even old deserted cars in the whole Kingdom were searched to no avail. The guards started coming back to the palace, according to how they were shared for the search. They were converging at the front of the main gate,hoping that one group will come with good news. It was when the last group came back that they knew that princess was actually missing. The guards took the bad news to the king and queen who where walking round the garden in desperation.

"What? Are you for real? No just tell me its a prank,my daughter can't be missing !" the Queen exclaimed both in shock and in fruatration.

"Oh my God,Oh my only child is missing, Princess Jewel where ever you are,better come back to me because i cant bear the loss of another child. Princess Jewel had an elder brother called Joe, but he dead at age 12 after a brief illness . His death was a very big blow to the queen and her family. She mourned him for over two years ,it was very difficult for the queen to get over Prince Joe's death. Joe my son is dead, now Jewel the only child I have has been declared missing",she lamented in tears.

The king was moving from one end of the main court to the order and thinking of what next to do,when the chiefs of the kingdom arrived.

"Ahh, your majesty,what are we hearing? How did this happen? One of the chiefs Donald asked.

"Please my king just calm down I believe she will be found" another chief Erick said in a bid to calm the king.

"It's 7:30pm already, I would have said let another search be done but its dark alredy, by tomorrow morning another search will be conducted", Chief Erick added.

"Yes the search continues tomorrow and I will also alert the police by morning" said the king .

The queen could not eat anything that night, she lamented and cried all through the night. One of her maids - Ozah couldn't bear watching her cry like that,so she thought of how to help.

"Yes yes yes now I remember" she shouted and the other three maids who were in the queen's chamber with her turned and looked at her. The queen who was looking through the window and crying at that time also turned to look at Ozah.

"Why did you shout like the Ozah " the queen ask?

"I'm Sorry my queen I was thinking aloud" she replied. Ozah remembered her uncle is a seer that could help the queen find the princess but didnt want to tell the queen yet because she was afraid.

" I don't want that kind of noise here again " shouted the queen in anger.

"I'm very sorry my queen,it will not happen again" Ozah pleaded .

The queen sent for Alice the princess's personal maid. Alice came to the queen's chamber as soon as she was told that the queen wanted to see her.

"Ahh I wonder why she is calling me" Alice murmured to herself as she walked through the corridor leading to the queen's chamber.

"I pray she is not going to punish me for leaving the princess alone in her room when I went to take my bath",she prayed. As Alice reached the door to the queen's chamber her heart skipped,she stood at the door for a while to hold herself then she said a short pray for God to save her from being punished by queen and king.

"Long leave the queen,"said Alice as she entered and postrated to the queen,you sent for me my queen? "

"Yes I did Alice" said the queen.

"You are my daughter's personal maid and l believe you are the closest person to her apart from me. So I want to know if she has ever told you of any friend of hers that leaves outside this palace or if you can remember any thing she must have told you that will help to find her" the queen asked

"My queen may you leave long", said Alice. "

As the personal maid of the princess, I know her too well, Princess Jewel dosnt have any friend outside this palace and she has never told me anything that we can use to trace where she could be right now, I am even confused and surprises that this is happening " Alice replied facing the ground as she was unable to face the queen.

"Hmmm,it's ok" said the queen.

"Almighty God you are the only one I rely on at this point,please bring back my daughter to me safe, amen" she prayed.

"Amen!!!" echoed Alice and the other maids in the queens chamber. Alice went back to her room after she was dismissed.

The king was restless as well, he could not eat any thing. He had alot in his mind, the missing princess, his personal guard that is critically ill at the hospital,the ancestral ring that he could not find any more.

Why are these all happening he asked himself?

The Ancestral ring he was supposed to give to the princess on her 18th birthday as he promised her got missing 3 days to princess Jewel's 18th birthday. He packaged another thing and gave her, hoping to tell the queen and princess Jewel about it after the party. He didn't want to tell them before the party because he felt it would spoil the princess's day, now look at what it has brought.

"May be i should have told my family about the missing ring before the party, maybe it would have prevented all this. If the party was spoilt it would have been better for me" the king blamed himself .

"If I knew that things will turn this way, I would have told them the ring got missing. Is it not better the party scattered than the princess missing? He ask himself in bitterness.

"I will not forgive myself if anything happens to my daughter. What if we don't find her? What if she is dead? God forbid!!!" He shouted.

"Oh God almighty please protect my only child and bring her back to us,amen!" He prayed.

He then managed to sleep for afew minutes before day break. In the morning as early as 6:30am the king ordered for another search in the kingdom. The guard's went out without delay because them too were all worried and wanted the princess to return home as soon as possible so that peace will return in the palace. The king called his personal assistant and told him that if the princess is not found till 12 noon of that day, he and some chiefs will have to go to the police station to make a report. Mike left with the instruction from the king while the king headed straight to the queen's chamber to check how she is doing. At the corridor the king met some of her maids.

" Long live the king," they echoed .

"How is the queen ? Asked the king.

"She didn't sleep at all in the night, she just managed to sleep now" aswered one of her maids.

"Ok then let me not disturb her,she needs that sleep". The king said as he decided against going further so as not to distrupt her sleep. He turned and went back to his chamber.