Mondo Pastello | girlxgirl | Comple... - Chapter 33: Chapter 33

We fell asleep together in my mother and father's room, except the King didn't return the night as he joined the manhunt. It made sense that he wouldn't return to us, because he would rather search for the only heir that didn't seem to disappoint him. That is only because Bartholomew withheld the fact that Cornelius was a part of the jet plan all along, and that everything they always planned together.
The palace was in an uproar, juggling tasks between trying to calm the remaining royals, keeping the scandal from breaking out to the public and joining the manhunt. It was a busy and miserable time, a great depression overfalling the palace. It wasn't long before the media took an interest but they only held speculations. Theories that couldn't be proven.
A terrorist wanted? A refugee founded? What reasons were there for the royal palace to call a manhunt? Nevertheless, it had the public on their toes.
"We need to go out and find him!" Bartholomew paced around in the commons room, my own formed slumped into the couch. No matter how many hours of sleep I managed to consume, I still felt exhausted.
"You know what Mother said. There's no way we're getting out of here," I answered with a sigh, regarding the twenty Royal Guards in this very room. They all had the direct order to keep us here. "We're nowhere near from off the hook so give it a rest," I was furious but I didn't have the energy to express my own concerns. Instead they all bottled up as the day went on. By the afternoon, more than twenty-four hours have passed. That's when the real worry began to settle in. They contacted the hospital, any clinic and searched almost any public area. It was getting worrisome and the stakes were rising. If Cornelius wasn't found soon, then he very well might have died already.
Or taken hostage, should his lineage we revealed. There are many things the prince can be worth of, and nobody ignored the background criminal activity of human trafficking. When the day mark was reached, all common sense was thrown out of their minds and they began to search every nook and cranny. Bartholomew and I were allowed to join the hunt but under the careful eyes of Rodger and Ian.
When the utter desperation set in, the family was contacted.
The five members of Princess Alice's household were included, as well as the King's sister's household of three. The Mother Queen was contacted and military personal were included. Scotland Yard and other police were involved, and eventually we had someone all over the whole of the United Kingdom; not just England.
This was the Prince, the second heir, after all.
Because Cornelius would not get far on foot like I had, but Bartholomew remembered something important which ruined all normal intends to find him. There was one important task drilled to us since birth and even now, we do it subconsciously. That task is to always carry around our royal crests, that which gives us access to anywhere in the country and other countries. It is that crest that is used as our trust fund card, and it is untraceable.
Why would the kingdom need reason to trace their royalty, after all? Our parents never thought we would go that far.
But because Cornelius has his royal crest with him, he might as well have skipped across the border. I managed to go to France so quickly, what stopped him?
"Where would he go? Where would he go?" we returned to the palace late in the afternoon, Bartholomew trying to place himself in the mind of his brother. He knew Cornelius better than anyone, so we hoped that he would be able to assist the search.
"Save it. You and Cornelius have been sly foxes since they day you escaped from the womb. Cornelius is smart enough not to go anywhere he knows he will be looked for. He will come back once he deems it ready," I said the inevitable truth, one which he wasn't happy to hear about.
"That might be good and all but what if he got into trouble? There is no such thing as a truly safe place!" he elected to inform me, something I could only sigh at. My worries ran deep into my core, and I fear as I worsening everyone else's.
"He will come back to us," I told him with certainty before slipping out of the room, moving through the empty halls towards the kitchen. My stomach was starting to protest after so many skipped meals and I final felt up to it. Bartholomew didn't go after me, and I knew he was still pacing around. Ian followed behind me, as instructed by my mother's tedious commands. Ian hadn't spoken to me since all of this began and I was pretty sure he himself was shook up. He knew the twins since they were born and opted to assist Rodger with them at times.
The kitchen wasn't booming as usual, and instead only two chefs were waiting inside. When I entered they promptly rose onto their feet, readying their stations.
"Your Highness! What can we serve you?" I sighed in thought and nodded.
"Thank you. Anything that won't upset a stomach?" I asked hopefully. The chefs nodded.
"Naturally!" one said, turning to the other. "Yogurt is perfect,"
"But sugary fruit might not help. What is easily digestible?"
"Bananas,"
"A banana parfait then," they quickly headed to work and I propped myself onto one of the many island counters. I swung my legs as I sat, thinking about everything. Ian moved over to another side of the kitchen and got himself something to eat. I was glad that he hadn't forgotten about his own health. Not even twenty minutes later I had a large bowl of fine cuisine in front of me. I dug into it after thanking the chefs, taking my time in eating at it. I didn't move from the kitchen and the chefs headed to another part of the kitchen to continue their game of cards.
About halfway through my slow eating, another royal came seeking nutrition to fill their body with. Before the chefs sprung up to greet him, he simply shook his head and simply grabbed an orange from the displayed basket. Then he headed over to my form and propped himself on the counter across from where I sat.
"Hey Jasper," I greeted him when he was seated. He nodded his head slowly at me.
"Princess," his voice was barely over a whisper, but he's been that way ever since I met him. He was a silent child, a silent teenager, and now he's moving to a silent adult. I wondered if his parents were ever worry or if they ever went to get help. "How... how are you feeling?" I was surprised to hear him ask. I nodded my head slowly.
"I'm doing better. More... rational," he nodded back at me.
"That's good in a situation like this," I sighed at his words and brought my knees to my chest as I sat fully on the counter.
"I didn't expect any of this to happen," I admitted to him, hoping that he would be a good listener.
"How... did all this happen, anyway?" his brows were furrowed, revealing that he no idea what was happening. He was just pulled away from his everyday life to assist his family look for his runaway cousin.
"Bartholomew and my father have never been able to see eye-to-eye and because of it, he's done some crazy things. I still don't know how yet, but my father found out and a very heated argument broke out. Eventually they said some things about me and I didn't like it, so I also got involved. We yelled back and forth and eventually Cornelius couldn't take it anymore, so he ran away," Jasper was in thought for a moment, taking off the skin of his orange. He nodded slowly.
"There is no such thing as a perfect family," he told me and I could only nod in agreement.
"Unfortunately,"
"What kind of things could possibly have trigged something of this calibre?" he said more to himself, but I decided to answer him anyway. They were family and they deserved to know.
"Bartholomew vandalised my father's jet," his eyes widened and his jaw slacked, the most expression I had ever seen come out of him. "And you know how conservative my father is?" he nodded in confirmation. "I have a girlfriend," his eyes went even wider.
"You're a lesbian?"
"Bisexual," he nodded his head slowly, taking in the information. "Remember I had that boyfriend?" I asked, referring to Caleb. His eyes went wide and he nodded.
"Ah. I understand. Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm gay," now it was my time to widen my eyes.
"Whoa, okay. I did not expect that," he snickered.
"You should know by now after everything you've gone through that nothing can be assumed anymore," I nodded in agreement at his wise words. "But I can understand why your father would get upset after he found out about all that," I huffed.
"Yeah, but now my brother's gone," he stayed silent for a moment.
"Not indefinitely. He has two wonderful siblings who he can't afford to lose," I smiled a bit at his words, although it was sadly.
"I'm so sorry," he frowned at my sudden words.
"For what?"
"Lewis and Matilda... I can't imagine them being good siblings," he took a deep sigh and shook his head slowly, eating a few orange slices before speaking again. I finished my parfait in that time, placing next to me on the counter.
"They are... harsh," was all he said, but I could see that he had a lot more to say about the subject than just that. He looked a bit uncomfortable and twiddled with his fingers, popping a few slices into his mouth. Suddenly he looked up, eyes meeting mine straight on. It startled me.
"Princess?" he addressed.
"You know, we are family, Jasper. You can really call me by my name," he seemed too hesitant for a bit and I understood it clearly. The paranoid Duke Piers, his father, disciplining his three children to feel shameful when not using proper titles. Although, Lewis and Matilda seemed to have strayed from their parents' teachings.
"Melanie... do you think I should tell them?" I frowned a bit at the question.
"That you're gay?" he nodded slowly, and I felt like an idiot for thinking they already knew. Of course he wouldn't tell them, not with the type of family he has. I hummed for a second. "I am not too sure about your siblings... or even Duke Piers but Princess Alice is a very understanding woman. She was one of the few who didn't mind it when I coloured my hair, just like the Mother Queen. Princess Alice did not stray from the Mother Queen's teaching, whilst my mother was the rebellious sibling," I answered him, not quite sure what he wanted to hear. He nodded his head in thought, brooding a bit in his own self-conscious mind.
"I am sure after we find Prince Cornelius, and His Majesty calms down... you will be accepted too. There is no reality in this world where you do not end up being the rightful Queen. This country would be honoured to have someone like you, someone who is not pushed around and is far from being the stereotypical damsel in distress type of princess. You know how to stand up for yourself, and although you do have a ferocious element that might need a bit of working on, I really do respect you, Princess," he told me, but even with his tender voice, it still held a courageous element to it. It bewildered me and I was stunned in amazement.
"Jasper?" he rose his head to meet mine, a bit of hesitant fear in his eyes but I could not understand why. "People do not give you enough credit. You really are amazing," his cheeks reddened a bit in embarrassment and he lowered his head.
"I appreciate it a lot," he told me, a phantom of a smile taking of his features. "Thank you, Melanie,"