The Search for a Star

Fact number 9: I am not great with animals. Sure, I have no problem with the ones that are cute, cuddly, and that cannot talk back, but I am no animal lover.

We rode to Faylinn on the backs of horses that Cly had borrowed from Lady Deliria. Blue Jay flew beside us. Chris had our horse, Poppy, going on a full gallop. My stomach was starting to churn and I pulled Chris even tighter. I looked down and suddenly felt very high up. I felt my stomach roll even more. Thankfully the ride to town was even quicker on horses, especially with a rider such as Chris. Chris slowed to a walk once we reached the cobblestone streets. We rode alongside the River of Dreams until we reached Chris' apartment. He jumped off Poppy and gave me his hand. I took it and fell, not very gracefully, from the horse.

"Good ride huh?" he asked smiling. I shook my head. Chris handed the reins to Cly, who was still on his horse. "Tie them up in Jimmy's stables. He owes Robin a favor." Cly nodded and turned the two horses with skill.

"What now?" I asked Chris once Cly had gone.

"Well if you were a star where would you be?" I laughed.

"I do not know Chris. Astra doesn't know much about Faylinn. I think she has only been to Lily's, the palace, and a dozen or so dress shops."

"I guess Bell Post Office is a good place to start then. You and I will go to there and Blue Jay can check out the palace." I turned to face the bird. She stared back at me with a bored expression.

"Do you remember how to get their Blue Jay?" I asked gently. The bird cocked her head to one side.

"Of course Isabella," Blue Jay said. "I can just fly in and once I do it will be easy to locate her."

"What do you mean?" I asked. The little bird had spoken with a lot of confidence in finding Astra.

"I know where she is," she said.

"You know where she is?" I shrieked.

"Of course." I sighed.

"Where?"

"In the palace," Blue Jay said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"How do you know that?" Chris asked.

"And why didn't you tell us sooner?" I questioned. The bird flew around us for a moment evidently frustrated with our conversation.

"Because I know," she said finally, settling on the building number hanging next to the door of Chris' apartment. "Astra is a stella, all animals can locate her. I am the one who found her in your manor remember?" I nodded.

"So you know where she is?" Chris clarified.

"Yes," Blue Jay said slowly.

"Excellent. Blue Jay, you are going to go to the palace and find Astra. Make sure you pay attention to where she is so that you can tell us how to get there later."

"Is this not what we had decided on doing at the start of this conversation?" she asked sarcastically.

I decided to ignore that comment. "Meet Chris and I at Lily's and we can decide what to do there." With that the bird took off. Chris' hand still held mine. He quickly led me through the narrow streets until we reached Avenue D. We soon arrived at the post office, and had to wiggle our way through a mass of people. Mr. Bell was at the front counter with several other employees. I waved to him and he gave me a tired expression. It seemed that the post office had been this busy all day. We climbed the steps hurriedly and I knocked gently on the door.

"Hello," Lily said pulling open the door. "Bella!" she exclaimed once she saw me. "Thank god," she pulled me into a hug. "Where have you been? I was worried." I laughed, pushing her off me softly.

"I'm fine Lily, really."

She shook her head. "Come in, come in." Chris smiled behind me. "Now tell me everything," Lily demanded once we were seated in the parlor.

"Astra is missing."

"Missing? What do you mean missing?"

"I have not seen her since yesterday night, before I left for the ball."

"You went to the ball?"

"Yes, Mitchell and my mother helped got me there."

"Your mother?"

"Yes Lily, but that's not important. Astra is in the palace."

"I thought you said she was missing?" I sighed and Chris took over.

"She is but we have reason to believe she is in the palace."

"Okay," she said, not understanding why I was so frazzled.

"I do not think she is there by her own will," I added. Lily blanched.

"Oh no! Do you think it has something to do with this slipper business? The Royal Militant has been barging there way into homes and demanding that maidens try on that stupid glass slipper. You think they have her captive?" I could tell Lily was already forming some type of conspiracy story in her mind.

"No I think that," I looked at Chris for help and he merely shrugged his shoulders. "One of the princesses may have gotten jealous over Prince Chadwick's and my relationship." I lied. Chris chuckled into his hand over my ridiculous story. Lily's eyes widened.

"And kidnapped her?" she asked, forming a new story already.

"Maybe."

"Those girls are vicious. I thought your step-sisters were bad." I mumbled my agreement. "Well then all we have to do is go to Crown Prince Chadwick and tell him what has happened."

"Not exactly. Queen Evangeline knows that I am not Lady Jacqueline."

"She does!" I nodded. "Oh Bella, this is such a mess." Tell me about it, I wanted to say. Next to me a troubled expression plagued Chris' face.

"Can you get me some water?" I asked Lily, interrupting her rant.

"Sure," she said, jumping up from her seat. When she had disappeared into the kitchen I turned to Chris.

"What is wrong?" I asked softly.

"Nothing," he said with a mock smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Are you sure?" I thought back to the looks that were passed between him and Cly, there was defiantly something bothering him.

"I am fine," he tried again, this time looking down at his lap. I was just about to question him further when I heard a shriek followed by the sound of water hitting the floor.

I rushed to the kitchen, Chris behind me.

"What happened?" I asked Lily. She pointed to the counter.

"Sorry, it startled me."

"You told me to come here did you not?" Blue Jay stated, flying over to me.

"You found her already?" I asked.

"Yes, I told you it would be easy."

"Did you speak to her?"

"No," Blue Jay looked between Chris and me, unsure how to proceed. "Now, do not question me about this but, Astra is not herself." I gave her a questioning look. "She is smaller,"

"She is probably weak," I answered, thinking back to the state of exhaustion I had found her in.

"No she is very small, tiny."

"As small as you?" Blue Jay seemed offended.

"I guess. She is being kept in a bird cage."

"How is that possible?" Lily interrupted.

"Um, the princess I was telling you might have kidnapped Astra, she is also a witch."

"A witch?" Lily asked.

"Yes," I turned back to Blue Jay and she continued her tale.

"I tried to get closer but there was cat near the window who swatted at me."

"A white cat with black eyes?" I asked Blue Jay.

"Exactly," she answered. "She was intelligent too. She waited into I flew close enough to me to swipe at me. She barely missed me." Cholë, I thought, Princess Marigold's little pet. Now I was certain that it was that psycho witch that had Astra. The same witch who had attacked me and later Crown Prince Chadwick in the courtyard. Why couldn't she just leave me alone?

"Thanks Blue Jay," I said. "Now we have to go to the palace." I told Chris.

"I can get us in," he said with a smile. "Dress appropriately ladies, we are going to go see the Queen." I laughed and Lily gave me a perplexed expression.

The next morning, Lily and I woke to find Chris knocking on the door. We had fallen asleep in her room after talking long into the night. It had taken hours to explain the whole witch story to her. I was relieved to hear that the Royal Militant had already been to Lily's home. She told me how the odd slipper molded to her feet and then rejected her. Chris had disappeared some hours prior. I was curious to learn what was going to get us into the palace this time. For some reason I assumed it would not be so easy a second time, especially with all of Faylinn on high alert.

"Are you ready?" Chris asked, walking into the apartment. Lily shot him a murderous glance. She was not a morning person. "I said to dress appropriately." We were still wearing what we had fallen asleep in.

"What are you doing here so early?" Lily demanded, "and keep it down, I do not want to wake my parents."

"We are going to the palace," Blue Jay offered, fluttering behind her. Lily sighed.

"Fine then wait for us here," she said, pointing to the parlor. "Come on Bella," she told me, pulling me by the arm. Chris flashed me a smile and I giggled as I disappeared around the hallway. "Listen to you," Lily said once we were in her room. "Giggling like a little school girl."

"Do not start," I warned her.

"I think it is cute, slightly annoying, but cute."

"Look who is talking."

"What is that suppose to mean?" she asked, her back turned to me as she rummaged through her closet.

"Nothing, nothing at all," I said, the sarcasm dripping from my voice.

"So, do you love him?" she asked.

"Yes," I replied. Lily laughed.

"You have only known each other for a couple of weeks you know."

"Yes, but in the course of these weeks we have really gotten to know each other. So yes, I do love him."

"You see what I meant about annoying cute," Lily asked rhetorically. "Here," she said, "wear this."

"Lily," I groaned. The dress was pink. Was she crazy?

"It is adorable."

"For a five year old maybe, you know how I feel about pink."

"Well there are a lot of people who might recognize you, so why not wear a color you will not normally wear." I changed quickly. "You see it is not that bad. Now sit," Lily said, indicating a chair in front of her vanity. "How do you normally wear your hair?"

"I don't know Lily. I put it up I guess."

"You are impossible Bella. I am going to leave it down," she said in a voice someone would use to explain something to a child.

"Very clever," I added. She pinched me. "Can you hurry, Chris is waiting."

"Well your lover boy is going to have to wait a little while longer." Next she took to painting my face. This took quite a while. At the end of it all I looked very similar to Madison. "Done," she said with a smile. I groaned. The make-up and pink dress was completed with the addition of high heeled sandals.

"I could kill you," I said, looking at my reflection in her full length mirror. My face had so many layers it could had been a cake. The dress was at least comfortable. It was linen with an a-line skirt that went to my knees.

"I am ready," Lily said. I turned to look at her. She wore a floor length purple dress that had a pretty flower design embroidered into the bodice. Her long brown hair was tied into a side braid and she had just the right amount of make-up on.

"Great," I groaned. We exited her room and found Chris in the kitchen chatting with Mrs. Bell.

"Hello girls," she greeted us. When she caught sight of me she gave a little start.

"I will be back later mom," Lily said, motioning for Chris to follow her.

"Okay honey," Mrs. Bell said. "Bella," Lily and Chris were already out of sight.

"Yes," I said, turning to her.

"Chris seems like a nice boy but you really should not dress differently to impress him." I nodded.

"Thanks Mrs. Bell," I said, holding in my laughter until I meet Lily and Chris in the hall.

"What happened?" she asked me.

"Come on," Chris said, cutting me off before I answered her. "We are already late as it is." Lily rolled her eyes behind his back and we both chased after him, Blue Jay flying behind us. When Lily, Blue Jay, and I, immerged out of Bell Post Office, Chris already had hold of a cab. We climbed in hurriedly and Chris gave the driver the address of the palace.

"So what is the plan?" I asked him.

"Simple. I have an audience with the Queen."

"Seriously?" Lily asked, "how did you manage that?"

"She has to talk to me. She is my mother after all," Chris replied casually. Lily and I shared a shocked expression. At least I now knew what he had been keeping from me.

Hey readers! You know that drill, please review and tell me what you thought of this chapter! I would really appreciate any feedback. Do you like how the story has progressed? Is it what you expected? Let me know and thank you for reading (and reviewing) I am going to start editing this stroy from the beginning so your critics will be very helpful. ~Iris Lily~