Princess Darrel Crawley | A Downton Abbey Fanfiction

Chapter Twenty-Eight | Missing

A few days later, Sebastian awoke and went downstairs to find a very panicked David waiting for him.
    "Do you know where she is?" David demanded.
   "Who is she?" Sebastian replied.
    "Lady Darrel, or, technically Lady Elizabeth, but that's besides the point right now. Apparently, she went out into the gardens last night for a walk, and now she's no where to be found. She's gone!"
    "What?"
    "I don't know if she's been kidnapped, or if she simply left, but we need to find her!"
    "Have you called Scotland Yard?"
    "Not yet. If she walked off on her own, we don't need it everywhere in the papers just yet."
    "Let me make a few calls then," Sebastian nodded, "I'll let you know."
    "Thank you," David responded and rushed off to update his parents.

    Soon, Sebastian was sitting in the library and was in the process of calling people who might know the whereabouts of his fiancée.
    "Hello?" Came a man's voice on the other side of the telephone.
    "Hello Sir Ringer," Sebastian nodded, "this is Sebastian Carlos, we met a few years ago?"
    "Yes, of course, your highness. How can I be of assistance?"
    "Can I talk to Master Paul please? And if he refuses to speak to me, please tell him that it's an emergency concerning England's security."
    "Of course sir. One moment."
    It was more than one moment, and closer to five minutes, before Paul picked up the phone.
    "England security?" Paul scoffed, "Really?"
    "Darrel is missing," Sebastian informed.
    "Wait, are you serious?"
"I would not joke about this. Look, I know you hate me, and that you and Darrel got into a fight, but do you know where she is?"
    "I don't."
    "Paul..."
"Look, you're a bastard, and I am mad at Darrel. However, I do care about her, and frankly, I don't want my future queen to be missing. I have no idea where she's gone, but if I hear something, I will ring the Palace."
    "Fine. Thank you."
    "Bastard."
    Paul hung up the phone. Sebastian sighed and called someone else.
    "Hello, this Carson, the butler at Downton Abbey. To whom am I speaking to?" Came Mr. Carson's voice.
    "Carson, is Lady Darrel at Downton?" Sebastian inquired.
    "Who wants to know?"
    "Sebastian Carlos."
    "Ah, I do apologize your highness. Her highness is not here, or at least, not to my knowledge."
    "If you see her, or if anybody sees her in the Downton area, can you please call me?"
    "Of course sir."
    "Thank you."
    Sebastian hung up and called the last person he could think of who might know where Darrel could be.
    "Hello?" Came Rosamund's voice.
    "Lady Rosamund, it's Sebastian," he sighed, "is Darrel at your place?"
    "I last saw her two days ago, when you got engaged. Why? Has something happened?"
    "No one's seen her last night."
    "Have you tried Downton?"
    "I called them already, and Master Paul. Do you know of anyone else who might know of her whereabouts?"
    "Unfortunately not. But I shall let you know if I hear of something."
    "Thank you."
   Sebastian hung up, sighed and put his head in his hands as the door opened and David walked in. The duke approached and sat down.
    "No luck?" David assumed.
    "No," Sebastian said sadly.   
    "Should I call Scotland Yard?"
    "Not yet. Let us wait a while. Darrel is the type of person who would simply walk off on her own."
    "How long do you expect me to wait? What if she was kidnapped?"
    "If she is not here by tomorrow morning, we will call Scotland Yard. By then, any ransom note should be delivered anyways."
    "You are not reassuring at all. Call every single person who she knows, she could be with anyone."
    "That could take hours."
    "The Princess of Wales is missing! Either call all of her acquaintances, or call Scotland Yard!"
   "Fine!"
    Sebastian groaned as he picked up the phone. David got up and stormed out of the room.

    A few hours later, Darrel was in her bedroom at Grantham House when she heard someone coming up the stairs, and immediately panicked, since there was no one who was suppose to be working in the house while it was closed. She rushed to grab something she could use to fend off an intruder when the door opened to reveal Charles Blake.
    "Charles?" Darrel exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"   
    Charles gave her a slight bow, then looked around, "Isn't the real question what are you doing here?"
    "I have the key, how on earth did you get in?"
    "Remember the loose window in the basement that you showed me during Rose's season?"
    Darrel rolled her eyes, "I knew I'd regret showing you that."
    Charles chuckled as he sat down in an armchair. Darrel sighed and sat back down on her bed.
    "Darrel, what are you doing here?" Charles asked.
    "I needed some time to think," Darrel shrugged, "there's been a lot of things going these past few days, weeks even...I needed to go somewhere where I could be on my own. Without family, servants, anyone.
    "You're causing an uproar."
    "What?"
     "Sebastian Carlos is calling everyone he can think of, asking them if they know where you are. He called Evelyn Napier, who then called me."
    "How did you know to find me here?"
    "I didn't. I was passing by, saw a faint light, and thought I would check it out."
    "You always were clever."
    Charles smiled as Darrel lay back down.
    "So, what is the plan?" Charles inquired, "You're going to live here alone forever?"
    "Of course not," Darrel snapped, "I was hoping to have a day or two of thinking, and then return to the Palace."
    "What are you thinking about? Perhaps I can be of assistance."
    Darrel groaned as she sat back up.
    "Why do you care about me?" Darrel demanded, "Mary didn't choose you."
    "Mary has nothing to do with this," Charles said calmly, "not only have I always thought you were a nice girl, I also would prefer to not have the Princess of Wales living alone in an abandoned house."
    "It's not abandoned. It just hasn't been used in a few years, that's all."
    Charles rolled his eyes.
    "Well?" Charles sighed.
    "I got into a fight with my friend, Paul...and then Papa," Darrel replied.
    "About what?"
    "When Paul found out about my engagement to Sebastian..."
    "Wait, you're engaged to Sebastian Carlos? Aren't you only fourteen?"
    "Almost fifteen! And that's besides the point! Anyways, Paul was very jealous, and now refuses to be my friend, even though I did nothing to lead him on."
    "I see where he's coming from."
    "You still care about Mary, even though she's married to Henry."
    "I didn't get over it in a day. Give him time, he'll come round."
    Darrel shrugged.
    "Then, when Papa found out, he was so angry because we hadn't spoken to him first, and he told me that he wouldn't give me permission to marry Sebastian. But then, I was cruel...I told him that since I had his majesty's permission, I didn't need his," Darrel said sadly.
    "Ouch," Charles replied.
    "I know, don't make me feel bad."
    "It sounds as if you owe Lord Grantham an apology."
    "But do I? The way he reacted was out of order. He punched Sebastian when he brought up the same argument, and when I brought it up later, he grabbed me by the wrist and tried to stop me from leaving the room."
    Charles sighed.
    "He cares about you. It might be hard for you to realize this, but he does all these...out of order things because he cares for you," Charles explained.
    "How is punching my fiancé caring about me?" Darrel cried.
    "He wants to protect you. He's always going to want to protect you. Even when you're the queen of...wait a second."
   "What?"
    Charles stood up and started pacing.
    "Please, forgive me if I am mistaken, but, are you aware that by marrying Sebastian, you might have to relinquish your title?" Charles asked.
    "I am," Darrel replied.
    "Is this why you're marrying him? To avoid becoming queen?"
    "Perhaps. But I do love him."
   Charles groaned.
    "I don't need a lecture," Darrel sighed.
    "Darrel, I am sorry about all that has happened to you," Charles said softly, "and I am happy for you if you believe this will make you happy."
    "Thank you."
    "Have you thought it through?"
    "Yes, I have."
    "Then I shall say no more on the topic."
    "Thank you."
    Charles approached and sat down on the other side of the bed.   
    "I'm glad you came here," Darrel nodded, "I needed someone to talk to."
    "Why don't you go back and talk to Sebastian?" Charles suggested.
    "I can't talk to him, I can't talk to anyone."
    "Yet you just talked to me."
    "I can't talk to anyone who always has their own ideas."
    "Sorry?"
    "Sebastian knows he loves me, and that he can make me happy, plus, he knows what it's like to be a monarch. Paul knows that he hates Sebastian, and that he loves me. Papa knows that he hates their majesties. There's no one Charles...I have to be alone."
    Darrel's voice cracked as she began to wept. While he was an acquaintance, Charles did not know Darrel very well, and found this situation quite awkward.
    "I'm sorry," Darrel whispered after a few minutes, wiping her eyes.
    "Don't be," Charles nodded, "never be sorry for being human."
    Darrel gave him a grateful smile.
    "That is my one piece of advice for you," Charles announced.
    "Be human?" Darrel said, puzzled.   
    "Exactly. You put on different masks for everyone in your life, I've always seen that, even years ago when I first met you. You want to be the perfect daughter, the perfect friend, the perfect fiancée, and now, the perfect princess. But you don't have to be. All you have to be...is yourself. Let yourself be vulnerable, let yourself cry Darrel."
    "I can't. If I show it to their majesties, they won't care, they will mock. If I show it to Papa, he won't ever let me return to London. Which is why I have to leave."
    "If you truly believe that going to Spain will solve the problem, then you can. But I think your problems will still follow you there, because I don't think becoming queen is your true problem."
    "Of course it is."
    "No, it's not. Your true problem is that you won't accept yourself if you make a mistake."
    Darrel swallowed as she digested her friend's words, as another round of tears began.
    "You don't have to please everyone," Charles reminded, "you just need to please yourself."
    Darrel was about to protest about how she didn't try to please everyone, and that she usually did things for herself, when she realized that she was wrong. When she was young, she hid her friendship with Thomas, because she didn't want to make Thomas' life harder, or displease her family, who wouldn't approve. When she knew that Paul had a crush on her, she didn't want to tell him firmly that she did not have the same sentiment, because she could see how happy he was whenever she entered the same room as him. As Ms. Bunting became more unfair towards her in the classroom, she refused to let anyone know how much it hurt her, because she didn't want them to worry, and despite the fact that she disliked her, she did not want her teacher getting sacked. Charles was right: she wasn't afraid of becoming the Queen of England, she was afraid of not being able to please her people. Instead of staying and attempting to make it work, and staying with her family, she wanted to leave, to avoid letting down the entire kingdom. She wanted to please their majesties so badly, that she didn't dare say how uncomfortable they made her, or how she wanted to take things slowly, and how she didn't want them to treat her as if she was their daughter. By this point, Darrel had her face in her pillow, and she was sobbing. Charles had a tear rolling down his cheek, just from watching her be in so much pain. After many awkward minutes, Darrel sat back up and stared at him.
    "You're right," Darrel said quietly, "I don't think I've been thinking about what I need."
    "I know," Charles nodded.
    "Thank you."
    "Anytime."
    Darrel wiped her eyes.
    "Can you take me back to the Palace?" Darrel requested.
    "Are you sure that you're ready?" Charles replied.
    "I think I need to start opening up, to my family...and to my fiancé."
    "Very well."
    Darrel stood up and walked out of the room, followed by Charles.