Chapter 10

As the children rushed to Sofia's room, Aunt Tilly, Mom, Dad and Ballywick followed quickly.

"Sofia?" asked Amber as she knocked on the bedroom door. Slowly she opened it. "Sofia, I know you are upset with James and I, please, can we talk?"

But as the door opened wide, they could see that the room was empty.

"She has to be here!" exclaimed James, as he and Amber started searching the room.

Soon Dad, Mom, Aunt Tilly and Ballywick arrived. They entered the room as well.

"Where could she be?" asked King Roland.

It was then that Queen Miranda cried out, "NO! Oh, no!" She was holding Sofia's note and tiara. King Roland and Aunt Tilly quickly went to the Queen's side, and also read the note.

"Ballywick! Call out the guards! We must put together a search party at once!" King Roland commanded.

"Right away your Majesty!" replied Ballywick as he went to get Constable Miles.

Queen Miranda sat weakly at Sofia's writing desk, and was crying inconsolably.

"Don't worry, Miranda! We'll find her!" soothed Roland, as he placed a consoling hand on her shoulder.

"I'm going to go out now and search," stated Aunt Tilly. "The guards can follow. Maybe I can find her quickly." And with that Tilly left the bedroom. She went out the castle gate, opened her satchel and pulled out her blank magic map paper.

"Magic map paper, show me where Sofia is!" Tilly commanded. The map showed her that Sofia was heading for the Black Forest. Tilly relayed that message to the gate guard and instructed him to let Constable Miles and the search party know where to look.

Back in Sofia's bedroom, James and Amber got to read Sofia's note. Amber broke down in tears and James hung his head.

"This is all our fault," James said. Amber agreed.

But Miranda interceded. "No children, it isn't. Your rejection of her gifts may have been the tipping point, but this has been building for a month. Why didn't she tell your dad and I?"

Amber softly said, "I think it's because Sofia has always been very independent. She didn't want to trouble you because she honestly thought she could right the ship.

"But whatever the reason, I'm going out with that search party!"

"Me too!" added James.

King Roland heard them and said, "We will all go.

"Here is Constable Miles."

"Your Majesty, I have assembled a search party."

"Good! We will join it as well."

"I don't believe that is a good idea, Highness. Duchess Matilda left word that the Princess is heading for the Black Forest, and that is a very dangerous place."

"All the more reason to have more eyes and ears to search!"

Constable Miles could see he couldn't change the King's or his family's mind, so he arranged for a covered coach to transport the royal family.