My Lord! Please! (A Character Driven Kingdom Building Novel)

Elin's words sent a murmur through the villagers around them. Even with over a thousand people within the village, one simply didn't go missing easily in broad daylight.

Even if it turned out to be a false alarm, it was better to be safe than sorry.

Coming to a snap decision, Lucien turned to a man nearby he vaguely recognized from the western fields.

“Go and find Captain Dorian and tell him to meet me at the manor courtyard. Tell him a child is missing and to begin a quiet search within the village. Quietly, so we don't cause a panic.”

The man looked startled by the sudden order before quickly straightening. “Yes, Milord!”

As he hurried off, Lucien looked back at Elin, bending down to a crouch so he would be eye level with the panicking girl.

“Now, take deep breaths, Elin. Slowly now...”

Keeping his tone calm seemed to work, as the usually quiet girl took deep breaths, arms gripping her ragdoll tightly.

Matthias patted Elin's back softly while Roland and Leofric were already looking around as though they were still searching for the missing girl and hoping they might find her hiding somewhere.

After the girl's grip on the ragdoll loosened slightly and her breathing steadied, Lucien kept his voice even. “Let's start from the beginning. Where did you last see her?”

“S-she was with us when Miss Zara finished her lessons...then we were supposed to leave together to play, but she...” Elin's hand went to her skirt, twisting the fabric slightly.

“She said that she had to return a book to Aisha, so she went off to Lady Talia's shop.”

Roland went rigid, a pale look on his face. “I offered to go with her, but she said it was a secret mission, Lord Lucien!”

The boy planted his wooden sword against the ground and leaned on it. “When she was taking too long, Leofric and I went to search for her at Talia's shop while Matthias and Elin went to Cora's house.”

Leofric nodded, a frown on his face. “When we asked Aisha, she said she didn't see her...she didn't return the book either. I saw her taking it with her out of the nursery, Lord Lucien.”

He cupped his chin, eyes lowering. “...Cora doesn't lie like that...not unless she's doing something she knows she's not supposed to. That's when we started to think something was wrong.”

Lucien gave a slow nod before turning to Matthias. “And what about her house? Did anyone there see her?”

Matthias shook his head quickly. “No, Lord Lucien. Her mother said she last saw her this morning when she left for the nursery. So she hasn't been back home at all.”

As the questioning continued, the children looked ready to begin rambling over one another again. The murmurs from the surrounding villagers didn't help matters either.

Just as Lucien was about to bring them to the courtyard instead, hurried footsteps came from behind him.

He stood from his crouch and turned, seeing Zara and Aisha coming over from the direction of Talia's shop.

“My Lord...! We heard that Cora is...” Zara trailed off, looking around uncertainly at the villagers now beginning to crowd the scene.

A few of them had turned toward her as soon as she arrived, their expressions tightening with questions they didn't quite dare ask aloud in his presence.

Slowly, Lucien inclined his head to answer her unasked question. “Come. Dorian will be looking for me at the manor courtyard. Let us continue somewhere more private.”

Glancing at the people around, he gave a wave. "Everyone else. You've heard what happened so I would ask you to keep a look out for her and tell any of the militia on duty what you see."

They gave firm nods even as he began to lead the children and Zara back to the manor courtyard.

As he passed by the guards stationed at the courtyard, one of them mentioned that Dorian was just beyond the northern palisade with Merek and Henric. They were drilling a few of the Ashridge guards, Tomas among them.

Bringing the small group of children along with Zara to the side where they wouldn't be overheard, Lucien turned to Aisha, who was nervously clutching at her skirts.

Seeing that, he softened his voice.

“Aisha, you're not in any trouble. I just need to ask you a few questions about Cora to find out where she might've gone.”

Zara's hand went to her daughter's shoulders, rubbing them reassuringly.

“Y-yes, Lord Lucien,” Aisha said, dipping her head slightly.

Lucien waved it off as he spoke. “No need for that. I heard that Cora had intended to come see you? Something to do with a book?”

The girl nodded quickly, loose strands of hair trembling around her face. “Yes, Lord Lucien. I've been reading to her from a book that the master scribe lent me. To practice my letters and she wanted to hear something exciting so I told her about it and...”

She took in a breath at the rush of words before continuing. “Yesterday...she asked if she could borrow it to bring to the nursery. She wanted to learn how to read too...so she...”

Aisha looked away, shame forming on her face. “F-forgive me, Lord Lucien. I know I shouldn't have passed her something that was yours in the first place.”

“...Mine?” Lucien muttered, until the thought struck him that if the scribe had lent it to Aisha, then it must have come from his library.

He shook his head. “It's fine, Aisha. I have plenty of books and they're better used to teach others how to read than to gather dust in my library.”

“Did Cora ask anything specific about the book? Anything that might help us find her?”

At his words, she looked down, brow scrunching tightly for a moment before her head snapped up, eyes widening.

“T-there was something she was interested in, Lord Lucien! One of the characters in the book is a mage and she asked a lot of questions about her!”

The sudden mention of mage caused him to freeze as a sinking suspicion began to linger in his mind.

“Oh! She did seem really interested in playing as a mage recently...a mage hunter, or maybe a magic knight.” Roland piped in, glancing toward Leofric, who was already nodding before the boy finished speaking.

“It's true, Lord Lucien. It started a few days ago...after you said children could make proposals too,” Leofric added, a frown on his face.

A soft breath escaped the older woman as she rubbed her temple. “I am sorry, My Lord. I should've watched to make sure she went home safely.”

“It wasn't your fault, Zara. The lessons at the nursery were already over,” Lucien assured her, though it seemed his words didn't help when the woman looked just as guilty as her daughter beside her.

That look only deepened when her eyes met something behind him, causing Lucien to turn to see a few men, Dorian and Merek among them, walking through the courtyard.

But it was another man, one who bore a slight resemblance to Cora, who walked first, almost rushing past the captain if not for Merek placing a hand on his shoulder.

He wore the newer Ashridge guard kit, brigandine over mail, with the helmet still tucked beneath one arm. Sweat darkened his collar from the drills beyond the northern palisade.

Even without the resemblance, the look in his eyes would have been enough.

“Has Cora been found yet, My Lord?”

Dorian’s expression tightened. “Will.”

The man stilled at the captain’s voice, but only barely, his eyes remaining fixed on Lucien.

When Lucien shook his head, the man's shoulders lowered for a brief moment before he immediately straightened.

“I will search for her then. Please excuse me, My Lord.”

“You're her father then?” Lucien asked before the man could turn to leave.

He dipped his head once. “Yes, My Lord. Please, I know all her hiding spots within the village, so if I could join the search then maybe...”

Dorian cut in then, his tone hard. “You will not leave until Lord Lucien dismisses you.”

The children looked frightened at the sudden change in the air even as Cora's father looked ready to defy that order. It was a close thing as he forced himself to remain where he was, his hands clenched tight.

Lucien’s gaze remained on the man for a moment before shifting back to the children.

“Elin, did Cora still have the book when she left the nursery?”

Elin nodded quickly, face paler than before. “Yes, Lord Lucien. Leofric saw it too.”

Leofric dipped his head, the frown on his face deepening after Dorian’s words. “She had it under her arm.”

Deciding they had heard enough, Lucien turned toward Zara. “Take the children into the manor and look for Alicia, Zara. If any of them remember anything else, send word to me immediately.”

She bowed, her other hand gesturing for the children to come along even as Matthias continued to watch Lucien closely. Only when Elin tugged on his sleeve did the boy finally begin moving.

Roland's wooden sword pointed downward as he moved to leave as well, unusually quiet.

After they had left, Lucien turned back to the group of men. “How long would it take to search the village?”

Dorian’s eyes moved briefly toward the village. “I had already sent the rest of the men to gather the militia on duty. Henric and Tomas are leading them. It will take an hour to do a quick sweep of the village, My Lord.”

Lucien glanced at Cora's father. “You said you know her hiding spots?”

When the man gave a tight nod, Lucien gestured to Merek. “Go with Merek and search for her there. Come back here once you're done.”

He had barely finished speaking when the man was already turning. Merek dipped his head quickly before following suit.

Dorian watched Will's back, his eyes hard though he remained silent.

Lucien had a feeling Cora's father would be facing more attention during drills these coming days, though he doubted the man in question would care about that.

“Dorian. How strong is the guard presence at the southern and western gates?” Lucien asked, drawing the captain's eyes back to him.

“Light, My Lord. I was drilling the newer guards beyond the northern walls today. The eastern gates have a heavier presence as well.”

The captain's brow furrowed. “You believe she has left the village, My Lord?”

“It remains a possibility for now, Dorian,” Lucien replied, his gaze shifting in the direction of the southern gate.

“Who is our best tracker besides Sera?”

“Marcus, My Lord,” the captain answered immediately.

When Lucien's brow rose at the quick reply, a slightly dry expression crossed Dorian's face before he spoke slowly.

“He has a...history with it, My Lord.”

Shaking his head, Lucien decided to set aside what seemed like a long story as he continued. “Send for him then. We might have need of his skills.”

Dorian bowed once before turning to leave.

The courtyard, now bereft of anyone else, felt unusually silent as Lucien looked up at the mid-afternoon sun.

Dorian returned with Marcus a short while later, and they spoke quietly among themselves at the side of the yard while waiting for the search within the village to conclude.

It didn't take long before Merek and Cora's father returned, the latter's expression telling Lucien the answer before he spoke.

When Henric arrived to report that they didn't find the girl anywhere else within the village, it was only Merek's hand on Will's shoulder that kept the man from rushing out to search again.

Tomas was continuing the search in case she had hidden somewhere more obscure, but Lucien decided it was time to consider the other scenario.

“It is likely that she has left the village.”

His words caused the men around him to still.

“W-why would she...” Will's words trailed off as he stood there, fists clenched.

Lucien turned to him. “Did you notice anything strange as of late? Has Cora mentioned anything?”

The man started to shake his head, only to freeze before speaking slowly. “I...I heard about the orcs from one of the guards who came back yesterday. My wife and I were speaking about it quietly over dinner when Cora said...”

“She said not to worry. That she'll do something about it.”

That sounded just like the bold girl, and once more, the sinking suspicion from earlier began to gnaw at Lucien.

He folded his arms behind his back. “We can rule out the eastern and northern gates. The guards there would be more alert because of the orcs.”

“So it is either the western gate...or the southern gate.” Keeping his expression carefully neutral, Lucien looked between the men around him before settling on Marcus.

“Marcus, you were not on duty today. Did you notice any traffic leaving either gate?”

Marcus scratched lightly at his jaw, his usual relaxed expression absent. “Western gate, not much that I saw. Southern gate had those carts moving...the ones used to build the foundations for the longhouses.”

Lucien's eyes sharpened. “The lime carts....they would have been covered.”

“Aye, My Lord.”

It would be empty on the way back to the ridge outpost, and the guards were less likely to check what was leaving the village.

“A child could hide beneath the canvas.”

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