Chapter 5

King Wendell and his most trusted friend, Anthony, waited patiently by the magic traveling mirror. They had been waiting here for almost an hour now for Virginia and Wolf to come through. They had gotten word yesterday that they planned on coming to stay with them for a few weeks. Wendell tried not to worry too much about why they were so late. Wolf probably insisted on getting something to eat on the way. Wendell smiled. It had been about two months since they had left here after the coronation. He was excited about finally being able to see his good friends again. Wendell looked over at Anthony. If he thought he had been excited, it was nothing compared to how Anthony was.

Often, Wendell and Tony would have a long talk about anything that was on their minds. It was amazing how far they had come. Three months ago, at the beginning of their adventure, Wendell couldn't stand Tony. But the two of them had grown to be very good friends. Wendell couldn't have been more pleased. It really helped to have someone to talk too after a long day of listening to all of the petitions or complaints from all of his subjects. When they talked, Wendell always learned something new from Tony. He knew about how Virginia and Tony had relied on each other for all of those years. So he understood how hard it was for Tony to go this long without seeing his little girl. No matter how many times Wendell told him that Virginia was not his little girl anymore, he never listened.

Anthony had told Wendell about the comment Wolf had made before stepping trough the mirror. Apparently, Wolf had called Tony "Grandpa" before leaving to New York. Wendell had just smiled and said "I told you so." Tony wasn't sure if he believed what Wolf said. Or else, he just doesn't want to believe him.

"Ohh, where could they be? They should be here by now." Tony whined.

"Antony, would you please calm down. I'm sure they are on their way and just stopped for a bite to eat first."

"I suppose...but I'm going to give them a piece of my mind when they do get here."

Wendell just smiled. Just then, there was a bright flash, and Virginia stepped through the traveling mirror.

"Virginia!" Tony and Wendell cried at the same time. They were about to rush over to greet her, when they noticed that she was crying.

"Dad!" Virginia rushed over to her father. They embraced each other for a minute before Tony pulled away.

"Honey, what's wrong? Where's Wolf?"

"I-I don't know."

"You don't know?" Tony tried to keep his voice under control. He could tell Virginia was upset about something. Tony quietly vowed to himself that if Wolf did anything to Virginia, then Tony would hunt him down. "Did he do anything to you?"

"NO! No, Dad, it's not like that." Virginia then told Tony and Wendell about how she had left the apartment to run over to her grandmothers house, and when she got back, Wolf was no where to be found and then there was the note that she had found on the table. Virginia sobbed as she finished the story. Tony hugged his daughter close to him.

Wendell had sat quietly through out the whole time, silently contemplating what could have happened. Wendell had not known Wolf all that long, but he had grown close to him. He remembered how he was not too fond of the half wolf when they had started their adventure three months ago. Wendell winced as he remembered his comment as they were leaving Little Lamb Village. He had told Wolf that he was sorry that he had saved his life and that he rather wished he had been burned. Wendell now regretted ever thinking bad of him. Wolf had saved all of their lives at the coronation, he didn't have to, but he did. Wendell also knew that Wolf would never pull such a prank and pretend to be kidnapped; he cared too much for Virginia. That was why Wendell was so worried right now; he knew that someone really had kidnapped Wolf. He had to help his new friend. But how? Another thing nagged at Wendell. If Virginia were to be believed, no one from the 10th kingdom would kidnap Wolf. So that meant that someone from one of the Nine Kingdoms did. However, there was only one way to get to New York from the Kingdoms, and it was in Wendell's possession. No one should have been able to get through the traveling mirror; Wendell had two guards posted at the door to the mirror room. There was never a time when the door wasn't guarded. So that left only a few options. One, the guards had something to do with the kidnapping. Wither it be that they were bribed or it was the guards that kidnapped Wolf. Two, the guards could have been put under a spell or something so that they would let the kidnappers through and not protest. There was also something else to consider. If someone had broken into the mirror room to use the traveling mirror, why didn't they just take the mirror with them when they left? That way, they wouldn't have to come all the way back to the castle to get Virginia. She would come to them. This meant that either the kidnappers were not all that smart, or they wanted Virginia to come and get help? Wendell quickly discarded the later. Who would be daft enough to want Virginia to have the help of King Wendell who had an entire army at his control? No, they must be dealing with amateur kidnappers. But that didn't mean that they shouldn't take this seriously. Just because they are stupid, doesn't mean they aren't dangerous. Look at the trolls for instance.

Trolls! Wendell had completely forgotten. Relish's three kids were due at his castle for a meeting in less than an hour. They had the impression that Virginia had killed their father. They were threatening to start a war with the Fourth Kingdom. They wanted Virginia handed over so that they could deal with her. Wendell shuddered at the thought. Everyone knew what kind of things happened to troll prisoners. They were tortured brutally and then put to death. Wendell had completely forbidden it, and had called a meeting with the Burly the new Troll King to try and explain what had really happened. He wondered how he was going to get it through their thick skulls that it was really the Evil Queen that had murdered their father. Oh, well. He could figure that out later.

"Antony, Virginia, we should go to my study right now. I have a meeting with the Troll King and his siblings in under an hour. Until they arrive here, we can discuss what plan of action we will take regarding Wolf in my office. Virginia, I assure you, I will do anything and everything in my power to help get Wolf back. He has become a good friend of mine and I will make sure that I find who ever did this to him." Wendell said all of this without a trace of doubt in his voice.

"Oh, thank you Wendell! It means a lot to me that you care so much about him." Virginia came over and hugged Wendell at this. "I know you mean what you said too. I only hope that we get to him in time..." She started crying at this thought.

Wendell hugged Virginia and tried to reassure her. "Don't worry. We'll find him. Now, let's head to my office."