Forty Three: Ready for anything.

Roland stood before the hearth, not looking at the fire. His fists were clenched behind his back, shoulders stiff with the kind of tension that made the servants pretend to have other business far away. The heavy silence was broken only by the ticking of the longcase clock and the occasional shuffle of a nervous footstep beyond the study doors.

He had sent battalions. Scouts. Paid informants. None had returned with news.

Still nothing.

Still gone.

"What do you mean you haven't found him? Best guards in the whole battalion and you can't find my son?!", Roland was furious at the fact they still hadn't found his son, his subordinates and advisors were to frightened to speak to him. It has been three days now since the siblings went missing, even their attackers were no where to be found. Not even a trace.