The Lost Princess

Chapter Nineteen

I looked around my room. The dirty laundry hamper was empty. All the velvet boxes of jewelry were gone. The bed was made with new sheets on the bed. I laid down on the bed wondering when the maids had cleaned the room.

"No," I whispered sitting straight up. I quickly jumped off the bed and ran to the end of the bed. "No, no, no." I reached my hand in between the mattress and the box spring. I moved my hand around trying to find the paper. It wasn't there. I shoved my hand in deeper. "No." I looked around the room. Did the maids take it? Did they throw it away?

I started to pace around the room, freaking out. Would the maids tell King Maddox that I was mapping out the castle? Would they just throw it away? I kept pacing trying to figure out what the maids would do. Then I noticed a book sitting on top of the bookshelf. "That's weird," I whispered.

I slowly walked over to the bookshelf. I grabbed the book off the top of the bookshelf. I flipped through the pages until I came to a piece of paper folded up in the middle of the book. I grabbed the piece of paper noticing a picture in the pages of the book. I set the piece of paper on the bookshelf and stared at the picture in the book. The picture was of the castle floor plan. I found my room, the ballroom, King Maddox's quarters on the map in the book.

I turned the book over to see the title of the book. The title was "History of the Kenora Castle". I took the book and my piece of paper to the bed. I sat down and flipped through the pages in the book.

The book was written before King Maddox took power. I could tell because it only talked about King Davidson. I flipped to the first page of the book and started reading. The book started talking about King Davidson and Queen Liliana's first visit to Kenora during their honeymoon tour. Queen Liliana was inspired by the people of Kenora and their simple way of life. They were farmers and fishermen. She loved the way the people lived. They celebrated the ocean and the land, just like her elemental powers did. She felt connected to the land here and the people. King Davidson loved the way Queen Liliana lit up around the people of Kenora. He built a castle here for their one year anniversary of marriage. The people of Kenora loved when King Davidson and Queen Liliana came to visit. The people of Kenora would hold celebrations every time King Davidson and Queen Liliana came to Kenora. The people would decorate the town and give the King and Queen gifts of food and flowers.

I turned the page to see another picture of King Davidson and Queen Liliana sitting in the town square with the townspeople surrounding them. The townspeople were dancing and offering gifts to Queen Liliana. She had a huge smile on her face as she looked at a towns person. King Davidson was looking at Queen Liliana with admiration.

I closed the book thinking about what I just read. This book was very important to me now. I unfolded my piece of paper to find a note written in someone else's handwriting. The note said, "Keep this book safe. It will help you in more ways than one. Keep it a secret."

I didn't know who wrote the note, but I knew it wasn't King Maddox or his supporters. I slipped the book under the mattress. I couldn't read it now. The maids would be returning soon to do my hair and makeup for the ending ceremony of the Zenith Celebration.

Then I walked over to the full bookshelf. I looked at the titles of the books on the bookshelf. None of the other books looked that important. I shook my head. At least I had one book for now.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

"Come in," I said.

The door opened and the two maids from earlier reentered my room. The maid that had braided my hair was tall with blond hair. She had her hair braided and spun up into a bun. Her long legs towered over me. The other maid that was mostly quiet had jet black hair and olive skin. Her hair was also in a tight bun. The black-haired maid hung up a dress bag on the armoire. The blond-haired maid motioned for me to sit down on the vanity stool.