Once the clock struck 12:25, everyone was set free from Audubon for the day.
Inside the meeting room, Ambassador Bismarck looked at his pocket watch, shook his head, and said to the Queen. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but there's no easy way to say this; your daughter has obviously failed to return, which means we'll have to call off the wedding."
The Queen sigh sadly, yet reluctantly. "I understand, Ambassador."
With his sly smile still intact, Preminger held out his hand, on which Mr. Maximilian placed a piece of gold rather than shaking it, saying. "Your first glimpse at one of the Golden Asteroids."
"Oooh, what a beauty." marveled Preminger, who secretly hid the piece inside his coat.
"And there's more where that came from." Mr. Maximilian whispered, chuckling sinisterly.
"Your Highness, wait!" Julian called as he threw open the doors. "May I...uh...present...Princess Anneliese!"
The Queen stood up from her seat, asking. "Darling?"
Preminger and Mr. Minimum gasped while Mr. Maximilian said. "Impossible!"
Right before their eyes, as well as King Dominick's, came Anneliese a.k.a. Erika, who walked graciously past them...and tripped.
She quickly helped herself up and resuming walking towards the Queen, who said. "Anneliese? Oh, ho, you're back! Where have you been?"
As she embraced her daughter, Julian snuck from behind, snatching the Queen's spectacles while giving Erika the nod.
Erika nodded back, then faced the Queen, saying. "I'm...sorry, Mother. I shouldn't have run away like that."
Preminger and Mr. Maximilian looked at each other, then turned back, frowning as the Queen hugged her daughter, saying. "Well, promise me you won't do it again."
As King Dominick watched the reunion, he managed to catch a glimpse of the Princess' beauty until he heard Ambassador Bismarck say. "I still think we should cancel the wedding."
"Ambassador?" Dominick whispered through his teeth.
Ambassador Bismarck cleared his throat, saying. "But, then again, an agreement is an agreement. The wedding is back on!"
"Oh, goodie!" Mr. Minimum cheered, clapping his hands, but stopped himself when he saw Mr. Maximilian about to raise his cane at him while snarling, but Preminger placed a hand on his shoulder, motioning his head towards the door.
Mr. Maximilian lowered his cane down, then nodded to Preminger, who said to those who are present. "In that case, we'll go see to the...ack...arrangements."
But as Preminger left the meeting room with Mr. Maximilain and Mr. Minimum, Wolfie jumped in front of them, growling and barking, startling Preminger and Mr. Minimum, who hid behind Mr. Maximilian, who shoved Wolfie out of the way, then said. "Oh, get a hold of yourselves, for feline's sake."
"But that thing has a mind of its' own, sir!" Mr. Minimum panicked, pointing at Wolfie.
"Everything alright, gentlemen?" Julian asked as he came up to them.
"It soon will be." Preminger replied with a sly snicker.
As he watched Preminger, Mr. Maxmilian and Mr. Minimum leave the office, Julian looked down to see Wolfie sniffing at the little Golden Asteroid.
"It must've fallen out of Preminger's coat when Wolfie stopped him." he explained to me, showing the gold he brought with him, once class at Bowditch was set free as well.
"From what I'm seeing," added Julian. "This gold looks different compared to what's been dug from the Royal Mine."
As I took a closer look at the little piece of gold, realization came to me.
"That's because they're from outer space!"
On hearing myself say that out loud, I turned to see Betty shocked with what she heard.
Thinking fast, I shoved the little Golden Asteroid back to Julian, chuckling nervously.
But that didn't faze Betty, who shot me a glare as she walked away.
I felt crestfallen for having to lose two friends in one day, but deep down, I knew that finding Anneliese was more important.
"I have a friend whose scientific knowledge can help us find Anneliese." I said to Julian while taking back the little Golden Asteroid. "She can scan the gold piece tonight and see if there are any fingerprints from either Preminger or Mr. Maximilian. We'll try to stop by Audubon tomorrow to tell you and Erika what we found before class."
"Sounds like a plan." agreed Julian. "In the meantime, I have a princess to track."
As soon as he left, I asked through the fence of the net storage. "You ready?"
"As I'll ever be." replied Buck, who stepped outside, wearing my Camp Bowditch shirt again, as we went in the opposite direction towards our ride home.