A week had passed, and still, there was no sign of Penelope's existence. It was as if she had never existed, wiped off the face of the earth, leaving behind only a few belongings that made you doubt if she was real or just a character in your imagination.
Nearby kingdoms had been searched, though not all, just a few. The search was conducted silently, without leaving any traces that could betray their presence. It was important to avoid making a small mistake and letting their rivals know about it, as any discovery could be used against them, potentially leading to her parent dethronement. The irony was that despite being the rightful heirs to the throne, they could be cast as bad rulers who had lied to their people and lost their daughter.
The king's health remained the same, bad, though not worse than before. This limited his public appearances, and the queen took control of the kingdom in his stead. Juggling the responsibilities of caring for Katherine and her husband,managing the kingdom, and searching for her lost daughter had drained a lot of her energy, but she persisted nonetheless. Every morning, she'd stand in front of the mirror, reassuring herself: "Sooner or later, it will all end."
Meanwhile, Katherine, her younger sister, seemed to be taking things lightly, perhaps because she's a child or her unwavering faith that Penelope would be found or return. Despite not spending much time together, the bond between the sisters was strong. Katherine had always looked up to Penelope, because it's remarkable that she could remain optimistic despite being confined to a castle with no contact with the outside world. Only a strong and brave spirit like Penelope's could endure such circumstances and still thrive – like a steadfast rock in a stormy sea.
On a different note, Julius and Tracy are really getting themselves together, though not without their ups and downs and not all the time for Tracy. Everyone missed Penelope, her naive and stubborn nature had become a part in their daily lives. Kael, on the other hand, was taking things easy, because he knows that no matter what he would find Penelope and never let her out of his sight.
The forest was wild and vast, teeming with dangerous animals, but they didn't feel scared because they had Kael with them. Most of them were beginning to feel a little more at ease around him, though maybe not all. It wasn't their fault, it is human nature to be cautious. Caution and carefulness had saved lives multiple times than we can count. Not all humans were cautious, however – some preferred to live a free and careless life, much like vampires. Kael believes that limiting oneself is dull, and that going extreme would make you stronger. "Try new things," he said. "It's fun." He had told his father once, when he was trying to convince him to go bungee jumping with him. Of course, his father had immediately refused, but after days of begging, he finally agreed. After the jump, his father said, "Sure, it's fun, but it's still risky," and advised him not to do it again. Kael, however, didn't listen. Just thinking about his dad made him miss him, and he felt bad about yelling at him the day he sneaked out to save Penelope. That's when an idea struck him – he should go home and ask his dad for help. He shared his thoughts with Vespa, and Vespa agreed. Vespa had joined them in the search, keeping an eye out for danger while they camped at night.
Everyone had been shocked when they met Vespa, a talking bat. It sounded unreal, but Kael reminded them that he's a vampire and he's real, then anything and everything is real.
It was already night, with a sky full of stars and a bright full moon illuminating the forest. Julius and a few others were discussing their next move under a huge tree with the help of a flashlight when Kael returned from hunting, he made sure to clean up thoroughly so as not to scare anyone with bloodstains. He approached Julius and the guards from behind and asked, "So, what's next?" His sudden voice startled the guards, and for a brief moment, Kael could swear he saw a glimmer of fear in Julius' eyes. With a smirk, Kael said, "Julius, did I scare you?" Julius kept a straight face, responding, "Not at all, Kael."
"Oh, how sad," Kael said, but Kevin, pointed out, "You scared us. We thought you were another vampire who wanted to eat us." The rest of the guards nodded in agreement. Kael chuckled and turned to face Julius. "Have you always been this grumpy?" Julius retorted, "Have you always been so nosy?
"You're funny." Kael laughed, and Kevin joined him giggling but stopped when Julius stared at him in the eyes.
"Anyways, I thought of something on my way back, and Vesper agrees," Kael started. At that moment, Vesper flew and landed on his shoulder. A few guards who still couldn't accept the fact that Vesper was harmless screamed, and Vesper laughed. "Relax, everyone," Kael addressed the guards. "You're interrupting me." He glanced over at them with dark eyes, unintentionally causing them to shrink into silence. Kael, still unaware of the effect, continued his speech.
"I hate to admit it, but it's possible... she could be in another country or a supernatural being could have kidnapped her." He paused, looking everyone in the eyes, and just as he predicted, they were scared – not all of them, especially Julius, who was really good at hiding his emotions. Kael thought to himself, "He's really good at hiding his emotions."
Then, Kael waved his hands, addressing everyone, "I'm just kidding." The guards all let out a sigh of relief, including Julius, who did so subconsciously.
"If that's the case, then we really need my dad's help" he whispered but not audible enough to be heard. Sighing sadly, he thought about how he might have been lying to them, to her parent. Several times when he went out to watch over Penelope or check on her. He always caught a glimpse of a shadowy figure, a cloaked one to be precise, and judging from the scent, it could be a vampire,no it is one. Even worse, it was the same scent that was mixed with Penelope's at the scene where he found her hairpin. Just the thought of another vampire fantasizing about Penelope or stalking her made his blood boil. If he told her parents, they would panic, so he thought it was better not to mention it for now. Once they arrived at his house, he would tell his father about it, and together, they would find a solution. Right?.