As Hamish drug the maid into the room, Raven stepped behind me, wrapping his arms firmly about my waist. If he was afraid I would strike out at the maid, or faint, I know not which, but I did neither. Flora fell to the floor before me in a mass of tears and sobs. “Raven” I said. “Yes luv” he breathed into my ear. “You can let me go” I replied in a whisper. I took a step forward and Flora scampered back. “It’s ok, Flora, Please just tell us what happened so we can search for my child”

“I don’t know mum, your majesty, mum, please I was only gone a second, my lord” she said looking up at Raven and I then sobbing again. Her eyes pleaded with Raven as if thinking he would protect her from me. Which he would I knew, but only long enough to get the information we sought, then if I decided to kill the girl he would not stand in my way. Hamish however was not as lenient and booted the girl in the bottom.

“Majesties, I found her screaming and running around with the rest of the nursery staff. It seems this wench was the last to see the Prince, so I grabbed her” Hamish added. We were getting no where so I changed tactics. “Well Hamish, if the maid is unable to tell us what she knows, and was the last one to see my son, we must assume she has killed him, I give you permission to take this prisoner to await her death” I said coldly, not once glancing at Flora. With that her wailing got even louder.

“Oh, Please have mercy, please, my Queen. I dun not know where bees the Prince, I swear to ye. I just bathed him, I set im in is’ cradle and stepped out of the nursery for a wee moment to fetch a warm blanket, he was gone, highness, gone when I returned” she pleaded on and on..

“And my other children Flora?” I asked. “I don’t know, they been wit Mistress Mary learnin, Mum” she replied. “Thank You Flora, please go make yourself presentable and go down to the kitchens to help for the remainder of the night” I said dismissing her. I stood there a moment and then asked Hamish to go check on Iz and Neil. Raven and I made our way to the nursery.

As we entered the nursery it was devoid of all sound. Iz sat in a tiny rocking chair, rocking her baby doll. Neil lay on his bed staring at the ceiling. Odd considering most of the castle was running around trying to find a babe only days old. It was then I remembered overhearing their plan to sell their new brother. Panic filled me for a moment. I didn’t know how long he had been missing. How long had the maid been away. How long had Izzy and Neil been back in the nursery. They could not have pulled off selling him, well not at least alone. If they had, an adult was behind it. I grew furious, rain began falling and sleet pelted the castle walls. Raven cocked his head to the side and looked at me. I made myself relax and the winds and rain grew calm.

“It is very quiet in here tonight” I said smiling at Izzy. “Yes Mommy” was all she said and began humming to her baby. I knew Izzy would be my key to information. What I was about to do, was not kind, but I knew it would work. “Izzy, would you like me to tell you a story” I asked. She beamed and got up bringing her beloved doll with her. “Put Jackie in her bed, love and you can snuggle with Mommy” I said. She did. Meanwhile Raven asked Neil if he’d like to go down to the main hall, to whittle for a bit in front of the fire. Neil was excited and ran out the door.

As soon as Izzy laid down her baby I used a wee bit of magic to cloak the doll from her view. When she leaned down to give her baby a kiss, it was gone. She stood there with her thumb in her mouth turning in circles looking for her baby. “What is the matter Isabella?” I asked. “Mommy” she said fat tears whelling up in her eyes. “I can’t find Jackie Mommy, she’s diskapeared” she said. “That’s disappeared honey, but don’t worry, without Jackie, we can play together more and it will be so quiet, come let’s read a story” I said pulling her into my arms. I read a page or two of I do not know what before she began crying very hard. “I want my baby, she’s lost” she cried.

“Well Izzy, it looks like we both lost babies today, did you know that your baby brother is lost too” I said. She popped her thumb back in her mouth before nodding yes. “I tell you what, if you can help me find Hawk, I will help you find Jackie, it can be a game, would you like that? I asked” She nodded again. “Good, now can you show me where Hawk is?” I asked. This time she shook her head no, tears falling down her chin. “Can you tell me?” I asked. She looked around, stood up, looked out the door and nodded. “Ok, Isabella, tell mommy where Hawkins is please” I said softly

“Neil said we could sell him, but we couldn’t find anyone who didn’t think he was cute to help us.” she whispered. “So Neil said we should put him in the laundry pot acause no one looks in it, they just drop in the clothes and pour in the water afore they set the fire to cook em”. I didn’t know what to say. I handed Iz her doll and said “Do not leave this room” and I slammed the door.

I went bolting out of the room running smack into Ash. I grabbed him by his doublet pulling him with me. Yelling to Ash and everyone who could hear me “He’s in the laundry pot, the prince is in a laundry pot!”

For those who do not know, the laundry is set up with a huge tub much like a small swimming pool, the women scrub the clothes there. When the scrubbing is finished, they throw the clothes in one of ten large black iron pot that they then fill with fresh water and herbs. At night they put them to boil until the fire burns out or morning which ever comes first. Once the clothes are boiled, they use a large stick to pull the clothes out and heap them on the floor. Then when they are slightly cooler, they are placed in baskets and taken out to dry. According to Izzy, Hawkins was in one of the black boiling pots. As we raced down to the laundry all we could do was hope he was ok.