Author's note: I don't own Dragon Quest VIII. This will not be completely to canon long term.

The Missing Princess

Prologue: Kidnapped?!

Queen Xia gave one last scream as she pushed one last time to finish birthing her twins. The brunette was sopping wet with sweat as she heard the sweet wails of her children born into the world. She looked over at her husband longingly as he went to see them. His hand had ached from his love's death grip on him during the child birthing. He took one into his arms before he noticed, "My love… we have a girl and a boy! Oh they're so precious my beloved."

She smiled as she weakly held open her arms, exhausted from the sixteen hour laboring. "Can I hold one of my children please if not both?" The nursemaid came over with the little girl while her husband held their son. Looking into the warm brown eyes of her daughter, Xia smiled. "I shall name you Airlia, princess of Argonia."

Eltrio smiled brightly, and then looked down at his son, "And you shall be Draco, prince of Argonia."

He took his children to his room while his wife recovered from birthing her children. He laid his son in a crib next to his bed. Turning to his daughter, he laid her in a second crib near the bed. He sighed happily as his heart swelled with the joys of being a father. A knock came softly at the wall near the bottom of the stairs. Eltrio ducked into the pathway to see his brother there, holding his nephew Charmles in his arms. "Come brother, you must see my twins!"

Clavius smiled softly as he walked up the stairs and rounded the corner to see the sleeping babies. The blond man looked lovingly at his nephew and niece. "What did you name them Eltrio?"

The dark haired king smiled, "My son is Draco, and my daughter is Airlia. Come; let us celebrate with my wife!"

The pair left the sleeping children for no more than two hours when their world would be turned upside down.

A maid with silvery white hair came up with the pretense of cleaning the room and paying homage to the newly born prince and princess. Seeing the girl sleeping there soundly, she grimaced. Slipping her robe open more, she deftly grabbed the child and muffled her cries before tucking her into the robe. Closing it, she quickly left the castle – not stopping even as the guards tried to make small talk with her. Fleeing, she ran beyond the castle gates and east – as if she were going towards Arcadia...

Eltrio and Xia returned to their room to find their son sobbing as Xia prepared to feed him when she let out an ear-piercing scream. Eltrio followed his wife's gaze to see his daughter missing from her crib. He saw red with rage as he left his wife to rally the guards while Clavius came to comfort the queen. She had picked up Draco and tried to comfort him as the little infant wailed with missing his sister.

Clavius merely let her cry while he looked on his nephew to ensure the lad wasn't soiled or hungry.

Time had passed while the guards turned up nothing but word of a maid who had left the kingdom shortly before the princess was found to be missing. The guards began to search the grounds, but never found the little princess.

Eltrio and Xia could only think of three burning questions… Who would steal a newborn? Was it because she was a princess? If so, then why not Draco too?