Disclaimer : The main characters of the story are owned by Mattel. I own all the supporting characters and the plot.


Randolph was annoyed. Annoyed and tired. For the past half an hour now, he had been listening to Lady Miranda cry over her kidnapped stepdaughters. Weekly once, all the most important high nobility gathered in the palace to discuss and council Avalonia's important matters. Sometimes, it would be regarding a high nobility family. This time, it was Lady Miranda's problem.

"I just can't believe I've lost my 2 daughters! It's a tragedy! Please, you have to find them!" she sobbed.

Personally, he doubted she was truly upset. She never spoke fondly of Lady Isabella and Lady Ilana like she spoke of Anastasia and Drizella.

"I need to know if they've survived or not!" she continued, her tone a bit harsher.

"What do you mean?" He interrupted. His mother glared at him. After all, it was rude to interrupt others. But Randolph couldn't help it, her tone made him feel like something was up.

"Pardon?" She asked, 'crying' again.

"What do you mean by 'survived or not'?" he said the last three words with emphasis, "It's like you want to confirm if their dead or not!"

"Randolph!" His mother gasped.

"Son!" His father said. Others looked shocked that a prince like him could say something like that.

"Your highness, are you accusing me of faking my stepdaughters' kidnapping?" said Miranda, tears suddenly disappearing.

"I said no such thing," he replied calmly, "I apologize for misunderstanding you," he added hurriedly, hoping this would end soon.

"Apology accepted, your highness."

"Could you perhaps please explain all the details of how it happened?" his mother asked. Randolph groaned internally. Lady Miranda started talking. He didn't even try to pay attention, but he caught a few details :

"Well, the girls said they were going shopping, but they never came back!" she said.

"I see. Anything else?"

"Yes, we — my daughters and I — suspect it was the driver, as we didn't know him."

"I see," said his father, "Well now, time's up. I say we end this meeting. Lady Miranda, I assure you, we will find your girls," his father continued firmly.

Randolph groaned internally again, how could his parents not see right through Miranda like he did? It was clear from the way Miranda spoke through those crocodile tears. You could see it in her body language and tone. How could others not? Oh well, at least that horrid meeting was over.

He knew where to get more clues from.


"And that, is what happened," finished Randolph as he retold the story to his friends, Dylan and Michael.

"And that, Randolph, is not true. I saw Ilana and Isabella myself at dance school. They were perfectly fine, though they did have a few bruises and cuts, those were mostly hidden by clothes. From what I saw, they were quite big. Sometimes, I still can't believe my mum sends me there," Dylan shuddered.

He and Michael sniggered. Poor Dylan didn't even like dancing. It was his mum's idea for him to go to dance school. The trio had become friends when they met at 6, when Michael's and Dylan's fathers were in musketeer training. But on a brighter note, at least he found out what he had been wondering about. Luckily, his friends got his point.

"Why do you think Miranda thinks they were kidnapped?" Asked a confused Michael.

"I think it's staged and something went wrong and that's why the twins aren't dead yet," said Randolph.

"What the hell are those 3 up to?" Said Dylan.

"Those 3?" Asked Randolph.

"Well duh, obviously. You can't possibly think Miranda's daughter's aren't in this!" Dylan rolled his eyes.

"I never thought of it that way," said Randolph.

"Me neither," said Michael.

"Idiots," was Dylan's only reply.

Michael realized something else, "Your parents fell for the trick. You've got to tell them the truth!"

"You seriously think they'll believe me?" Asked Randolph incredulously.

"There's a first time for everything," said Michael.

"I guess."

"Besides, even if they don't believe you, they'll realize that you are right soon enough," said Dylan.

"I guess you two have a point. I'll go tell them now. Wish me luck!" said Randolph.

"Good luck!" Said Micheal.

"Yeah, you'll need it," muttered Dylan as Randolph left the hallway.

"I heard that!"


"… So basically, what I'm saying is, Lady Miranda's probably lying. There's no other explanation," said Randolph as he concluded telling his tale, this time to his parents.

"I see," said his father.

"Dad, this is like, the 100th time you've said 'I see' today," Randolph rolled his eyes.

"I see," came the reply.

"Seriously, Dad…" he gave up speaking to his father and turned to his mother, "What is it with him?"

"Oh, your father's just too busy figuring things out for Athena's visit," she said casually, then playfully glared at Peter saying, "Even though she's going to come 2 whole moths later."

"Oh right, Athena…" Randolph trailed off, unsure of what to say (or what to think).

"Well, I can't help it! Everything needs to be perfect!" said his father.

"Honestly Dad, you sound just like Mom."

"She's been rubbing off on me, I guess."

"Huzzah! I've managed to get a full sentence out of him," Randolph told his mother in mock happiness. She hit his head playfully.

"So…about this Lady Miranda tragedy…" his father began, and conversation turned to that.

"Right, so Dylan said that he saw Lady Ilana at dance school, which obviously means her sister is with her, and they were perfectly fine and chatting and giggling away with their friends. He did mention they had bruises and cuts on them, and they were quite big, "said Randolph.

"Oh dear!" his mother gasped, appalled. She had always thought Miranda was a better person.

"Well, we're going to need more proof if we want arrest Miranda and save the girls. Anything else?" his father asked.

"No, I don't think so," said Randolph, "I think Lady Miranda's house should be searched," he added.

"Yes, that's a good idea," said Lucinda.

"We just need a proper reason to get in the house," said Peter, voicing his thoughts out loud.

"We can tell them that it's a recent thing, to check if houses have anything hazardous in them," said Lucinda thoughtfully.

"What if they don't listen?" asked Peter.

"We'll tell them that they're Royal Orders," piped up Randolph.

"Excellent, now we just have to set this plan in motion," said Peter, ending the discussion.


Queen Lucinda left her husband and son alone in the library as they chatted. Her thoughts were an absolute mess. Was Randolph's friend telling the truth? Or was Miranda telling the truth? Randolph and Dylan had been the best of friends since childhood. But Miranda was a good acquaintance of her's ever since the former got married a second time. Who could she believe?

Suddenly, an idea popped in her head. Didn't she recently get news that the head maid had hired two new seamstresses? Perhaps she could talk to one of them, to get another's opinion. After all, she did have a dress that required altering. And surprisingly, the seamstresses were almost always the most friendly ones, and weren't too formal with her. Yes, she could do that.

When she finally knocked and entered the sewing room, she stood still in shock.

There was the person who she had thought she would never see again.


A/N : Hey guys, how was chapter 5? Who do you think Lucinda saw? What will happen next? Anyways, I hoped you liked this chapter and Lucinda's POV. If you did like it, then you know what to do. Read, review and favorite! And please, do advertise this fic to others, it'll mean a lot to me. See (read) you all later!