Philippe looked up at astonishment at Lars. "What do you mean, Mia's
missing? She can't be, I saw her a few hours ago. Are you sure she's not at
one of her friends' houses or out with the Moscovitch boy?"
"Positive, your highness. Michael hasn't seen her since this morning and the others haven't seen her since yesterday, when they went to the gig."
"Did you try her mobile?"
"Yes. It just rang out."
Philippe sat back in his chair, frozen in shock. His only child, the heir to the throne of his country, was gone. She was only sixteen. What would he do?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The young woman stared at the address on the sheet of paper she was holding, and then up at the building in front of her. She was there. What she would hear inside would no doubt change her life forever. She took a deep breath and stepped through the doors.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dr O'Ryan looked at the girl in front of her. She was very young, no younger than fifteen or sixteen. And yet here she was, withchild.
"Your suspicions were correct, miss......"
"Uh, call me Lia. Forget the surname." Mia didn't want anyone to find out about this appointment.
"Ok, Lia. As I was saying, you are indeed pregnant. What you do next is up to you. However, if you do decide to keep the baby, can you support it?
"Erm, I'm not sure. Can you give me a few moments to think it over?"
"Of course. You can go out into the garden."
"Thanks," Mia replied and stepped out of the French windows.
Boy, will I be dead if Dad or Grandmere find out about this, she thought. They'll be bound to make me have an abortion and I can't go through with that. But how do I stop them from finding out?
The answer came to her in a flash. She would run away.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
If anyone had come up to Mia a year ago and told her that she would run away, she would have laughed herself silly at them. Now, however, the idea didn't seem so ridiculous. She was sixteen, after all, old enough to work to earn a living.
Armed with scissors and black hair dye, Mia cut her hair into a short bob and dyed it black. When she put on sunglasses and a cap, she was impossible to recognise. Mia packed a bag full of clothes and added her diary and her credit card. All that was left to do was the hardest thing of all.
"Positive, your highness. Michael hasn't seen her since this morning and the others haven't seen her since yesterday, when they went to the gig."
"Did you try her mobile?"
"Yes. It just rang out."
Philippe sat back in his chair, frozen in shock. His only child, the heir to the throne of his country, was gone. She was only sixteen. What would he do?
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The young woman stared at the address on the sheet of paper she was holding, and then up at the building in front of her. She was there. What she would hear inside would no doubt change her life forever. She took a deep breath and stepped through the doors.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Dr O'Ryan looked at the girl in front of her. She was very young, no younger than fifteen or sixteen. And yet here she was, withchild.
"Your suspicions were correct, miss......"
"Uh, call me Lia. Forget the surname." Mia didn't want anyone to find out about this appointment.
"Ok, Lia. As I was saying, you are indeed pregnant. What you do next is up to you. However, if you do decide to keep the baby, can you support it?
"Erm, I'm not sure. Can you give me a few moments to think it over?"
"Of course. You can go out into the garden."
"Thanks," Mia replied and stepped out of the French windows.
Boy, will I be dead if Dad or Grandmere find out about this, she thought. They'll be bound to make me have an abortion and I can't go through with that. But how do I stop them from finding out?
The answer came to her in a flash. She would run away.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
If anyone had come up to Mia a year ago and told her that she would run away, she would have laughed herself silly at them. Now, however, the idea didn't seem so ridiculous. She was sixteen, after all, old enough to work to earn a living.
Armed with scissors and black hair dye, Mia cut her hair into a short bob and dyed it black. When she put on sunglasses and a cap, she was impossible to recognise. Mia packed a bag full of clothes and added her diary and her credit card. All that was left to do was the hardest thing of all.
