The guard blinked and felt nervous sweat starting to pop out all along his body. The pure, unfiltered fury he saw in Russel was eerily similar to that of Carter Polver and he wanted nothing to do with that. Everyone said the fifth-born was mild and kindhearted but this guard was not seeing that side. Not at all.

He bowed his head stiffly and murmured a string of apologies.

“I would not have let her leave, Sire, if I had known her importance. I beg forgiveness. My life is forfeit and yours to take.”

He continued his ramblings but Russel just let out a frustrated growl. The fear dwindled a little bit. Lola was okay. She’d gone out for a walk, probably to clear her head and take stock of all the terrible things that had happened to her recently. Nobody took her. She probably didn’t want to wake him because he still needed to heal from his fight.

“Go find the castle guards and have them search the grounds for a human woman named Lola Tarnvol.”

The guard stiffened and saluted, his face set with determination.

“As you wish, Your Majesty.”

He turned to go, to follow his orders but Russel stopped him.

“If Lola has been hurt, taken, or worse, killed, nowhere within this kingdom will save you from my wrath. No hole will be big enough. No shadowed space dark enough. I will find you and I will rip your head from your shoulders.”

“A-aye, Your M-Majesty.” The guard saluted once more and then left to carry out his orders.

Russel watched him leave, a mix of emotions still troubling him. He felt a little bad about snapping at the guard. And then threatening his life. But the fear had been so overpowering, he hadn’t been thinking straight. Now that he knew she hadn’t been taken from him and had gone out on her own, he felt somewhat better. He still wanted to find her though, just to see with his own eyes that she truly was safe.

Bartholomew, however, found him first.

As soon as Russel made his way into the main part of the castle, the servant found him and stopped him.

“It is good fortune that I found you, Your Majesty.” He bowed respectfully.

“What is it, Bartholomew? I am currently in the middle of something,” Russel said, keeping his tone even despite the frustration he felt at being interrupted from his mission to find Lola.

“I was on my way to your apartment to let you know that a runner from the outer lands, near the border with Alcroft and Harvenk has just arrived bearing a missive. Some soldiers were ordered to come and retrieve you as the runner has been commanded by his superior to give the missive directly to you but your brother, Roland, has…intervened. I thought it prudent to find you regardless.”

That frustration built up even more, making him want to punch something just to find some sort of release. He took a breath and forced himself to relax.

You’re a king now, he told himself. Act like it.

Being in full view and letting himself break down in a fit of rage would only show his people that when faced with a challenge, his first reaction was to throw a tantrum. Like a child. Despite wanting nothing more than to reassure himself that Lola was okay, he had to be a king first. The runner probably had important intelligence he needed to see. And if Roland was intervening, it would only be as a way to instigate trouble for him.

“Take me to the runner,” Russel said.