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

The Missing Princess

Chapter 1: Lost and Found

Years had passed as the girl grew up with the maid who had fled with a bandit. They lived in a small cottage in the mountains that was two floors tall. The main floor held the cooking area and her parents' bedroom while hers had been on the smaller upper floor. The house was made from the wood of the surrounding forest while there was a small herb garden along the front.

Airlia had always questioned her heritage because she didn't look like her mother nor her father. All she would get in response from her mother was, "Serena, you're a gift from the Goddess to two who couldn't have children of their own."

Yes she had been called 'Serena' by her parents but somehow it never fit her. There was always a longing feeling – something or someone was waiting for her somewhere. Serena had grown to be about her mother's height, her long dark locks flowed down to the middle of her shoulder blades that she kept in a semi loose braid tied off with a length of dark ribbon. She wore a simple green tunic and skirt set with plain leather boots. Around her waist was her leather belt that she always kept a pouch for carrying items if she was to go on a trip. Yet she had never really been on a trip anywhere beyond going to the garden outside the house to take care of her herbs.

She couldn't help but wonder if something was waiting beyond the distance. They lived in a small hut in the middle of nowhere, and without a map, she would never get away to find out just what was in the distance. Sometimes, when the clouds weren't there, she thought she could see the edge of a village – but it was always impossible to tell. Picking various herbs for healing, she tucked them into her pouch before moving to the door to see them talking to one another about something. Since she hadn't fully come back inside the house, so they didn't know she was listening. "You know I can't even show my face into town? It's been eighteen years since we took her and they still search. Somehow they know she lives!"

Serena hadn't had to hear any more beyond it as she made a silent pact with herself to run. Whatever had been nagging her conscious had been right. She wasn't who they had told her she was. The voice of her 'mother' came crashing into her ears, "Impossible! People give up after a child is missing more than five years! How could they possibly know?!"

Groaning, she shut the door silently and knew she had to run then and there. No sneaking away, just outright run and hope that there was a village there in the distance that she could reach before they found out she had run. She gently shut the door and took off running down the steep slope, her brown hair flying behind her. She fled through the forest as she kept the northern range in her eyes. I have to get away! I was kidnapped?! Who am I then dearest Goddess?

Marian and Dale argued for a time further before Dale agreed to keep his mouth shut and prevent their daughter from going to town. However, when they came to the agreement – the pair realized that 'Serena' had been outside gathering herbs and should be back shortly.

Going about their normal affairs, they eventually realized she was gone for too long as Marian went outside to look for her daughter. "Serena? Serena where are you?"

Upon not seeing her daughter, she paled and turned to her husband. "Dale, she's missing! Could she have been kidnapped?"

Dale slapped his forehead as his blond hair shook with the movement. He wondered if she had overheard their argument before shaking his head. "It may be Marian. Let's go to town and see if anyone has heard about bandit activity of recent."

The pair nodded as they left to go down the side of the hill towards the village of Simpleton.

Serena tripped over a half exposed root and felt her ankle twinge in pain. She recognized it as a sprain rather than break before undoing her braid to use the length of ribbon to try and keep the swelling down in her ankle before continuing to run. Her eyes kept ahead as she saw a simple village of people who were going about their own daily lives.

Hurrying through the small, rudimentary village she came out to a small path that forked off to the west around a protruding rock formation. She fled north only to hear her name being called. Panic raced through her as she tried to hurry her steps to the nearby church. She looked frantically at the priest at the edge of the building. "I need shelter, please. It's important!"

He nodded, "Go inside and past the immediate inner sanctums. I can't promise shelter, but ask for Captain Marcello of the Templars and he might be able to help you dear."

Serena nodded as she ducked inside, her pain increasing in her ankle as she fled past the stone room as others turned to look at her. She ignored their looks as she found her way to the guards that protected the inner sanctum. "Please, I must speak with Captain Marcello…"

The bald man stood only a handful of inches taller than her, but his glare was frightening. "No, he is currently busy and must not be disturbed."

Serena heard voices coming in her direction that belonged to her parents as she paled. "Please. It's important. I beg you."

The balding dirty blond guard who was more than a foot taller than her pushed her backwards. "No, leave now!"

Serena fell backwards as she stumbled on her bad ankle, hitting her head. Her mind swam for a moment as she was vaguely aware of the windows opening for a moment before shutting again as she was lifted into someone's arms and brought inside. As her mind cleared for a moment, she could see that she was transferred to another man, one with dark hair and a gold pendant before she collapsed into unconsciousness once more.

He moved her into his personal study behind a screen so she could rest more peacefully before he heard another commotion down in the courtyard. He brushed her hair from her face on a whim, unsure of what prompted the dark haired man to do so and was amazed by the amount of fear there. It had something to do with the people trying to get in now, he was sure of that much.

He left her side to deal with the people down below that were obviously bothering the young woman in recovery of her injuries.

Serena felt around the darkness of her mind. Something was wrong, they had kidnapped her… She didn't know if she had family or even a home left to go to. Obviously someone was still looking for her, but she had no idea where to go, or even who it would be safe to approach. She felt something, fear? She wasn't necessarily afraid, but something was tickling the back of her mind.

She awoke to feel a bed beneath her and froze. Looking around quickly, she saw a blue and gold screen dividing the bed she was laying on from the rest of the stone room. Shifting quietly, she removed her ribbon from her ankle, and saw the awful swelling and darkness indicating a bad bruise to accompany a sprain if not worse.

She went into her small pouch of herbs and pulled out the healing leaves before applying them directly against her ankle. Normally, she would make a paste of it, but she needed the direct application to help her bad ankle. She had no clue how close they were to finding her. Replacing her leather shoe to keep the herbs in place, she braided her once more. With her hair re-situated, she got up and gingerly moved to the edge of the room where the screen ended.

She listened and heard nothing, then carefully peered around the edge of the screen to see a man bent over his desk, writing down on parchment. She bit her lip before going around the screen quietly. "Excuse me…"

He quickly looked upright and saw her fearful expression before giving her a small smile of relief. "I'm glad you're okay little one. I was terrified when I saw you slipping in and out of conscious."

Serena returned his smile, "I'm Serena… I think. I'm a bit of a long story."

Marcello quirked a dark eyebrow as his dark sapphire blue eyes looked at her. "You think?"

She nodded, "The people who undoubtedly came looking for me … I don't know where they found me… but it sounds like they took me from someone. I want to find out who I am… where I'm from. Please don't let them find me." The last bit came out in a plea filled with fear.

Marcello gaped, "You might have been kidnapped? It's incredible that you got away so easily."

She shook her head, "They raised me like their own, but wouldn't tell me of anything. However while I was gathering herbs, I overheard an argument. It sounded much like they said I was kidnapped, because people were still looking for me. So I ran, injuring myself on a tree root. I went through the village just to the south of here and hurried around the corner to find your place… What is this place called?"

Marcello bowed his head, "Forgive me dear Serena, for my ill manners. As you know I am Marcello, Captain of the Templars. This is Maella Abbey. The village you went through was Simpleton."

Serena shook her head, "I … I'm afraid. I don't know if they're still around looking for me. Is there somewhere safe I can go and hide for a few days so they leave you alone?"

Marcello frowned as he waved off her worries, "You're perfectly safe here Serena. I promise you."