The Tiger Within

Rains wandered back the direction she believed home to be, looking for the path . There was no sign of it . She listened as hard as she could but heard nothing that sounded like palace life or her cousins laughing and playing .

Back in the clearing, The Emperor arrived and cast a warm smile to his wives and his grandchildren . Yet, there was something wrong with that smile as he glanced at the Empress" table, where his granddaughter should have sat . He turned to Queen Kira with his brow furrowed . She was normally the one entrusted to keep the children in line in the gardens .

"Did no one send for Princess Raina?" The Emperor asked seeming honestly concerned . Mally walked over and bowed to the Emperor, intending to speak when Queen Fae stood up .
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"She was here Your Majesty, she may have gone back to her rooms . Perhaps she was not patient enough to wait . " Queen Fae offered with a disapproving frown . "Ill mannered child . " she added the last out of annoyance . Queen Kira shot her a look when the Emperor"s expression darkened .

"She is four years old . Younger than any of your Grandsons, and has no mother to speak of . You should be more tolerant of her, Second Queen Fae . " The Emperor began to chastise the Queen . "Moreover she has always waited patiently, even more than your son did as a teenager . " There was a hint of anger in his eyes at her foolishness . Queen Kira nodded walking closer to him and smiling . There was a certain point that The Beast Emperor must be tamed .

"She also probably felt a bit alone . The poor child was so close to her grandmother . Perhaps she was sad and didn"t want to bring down your mood? She"s a considerate little one . " Kira offered soothing the Emperor"s temper . However, this didn"t have the effect she expected as his eyes looked wistfully at the Cold Place beyond the gates .

"I was too hasty with My Empress . I never should have sent her away like that . " he said softly before shaking his head . "I will go check on Raina in a bit . She may need rea.s.surance that she belongs here . For now . . shall we play?" he asked his grandsons with a friendly smile . The children cheered and got up from their lessons .

Mally helped clean up, but noticed something in the gra.s.s near The Empress" table . She picked up the ink stone as well as the brush with a frown . This was odd… why would they be in the gra.s.s? Did Raina throw them there?

Mally carried the two instruments carefully and approached the Emperor . "Emperor… I found these in the gra.s.s…" Mally said showing him the brush and ink . He looked a bit surprised that she was bringing them to him until he noticed the designs on the brush .

"In the gra.s.s you say?" he asked taking the brush from her, turning away from the game of seek he had been playing with the boys . Mally internally sighed with relief that he had the same reactions she had .

"Yes, as if they were thrown . " Mally added and his expression became even more confused .

"Raina doesn"t throw tantrums…" The Emperor replied inspecting the brush for damage . Queen Fae smiled, seeing a chance to interject before he went looking for the brat .

"As you said, Emperor, She is just a child . She very well could have thrown a tantrum . " Fae offered with a sweet innocent smile . Unfortunately, the Emperor wasn"t looking at her for that dazzling effect .

"Your right she is . Tell me how 2 experienced mothers, and grandmothers no less didn"t notice a two year old having a tantrum? If you did, where is she now and why didn"t you mention it before?" he asked, his mood toward Fae quickly becoming short tempered . Queen Kira stayed back this time and focused on rounding up the boys . There was no reason to draw his ire on herself . Queen Fae was bringing this anger on herself .

"M . . . my Lord she"s always been the quiet type… perhaps…" Queen Kira began to stutter but Mally spoke up .

"Your Majesty all due respect but the guards say she never came back inside . I think the more important thing right now is to find her . Then worry about what happened . " Mally pointed out, the two door guards standing at her back looking grave