Inara woke to the sounds of the palace as the maids hustled about cleaning and tending to empty rooms. She rolled over to look out her window to see the sun just starting to rise over the Aennen. It was sad to see the lake as it was once a beautiful lake that could cleanse any impurities that afflicted fae folk. Now while it was still beautiful it could no longer cure afflictions. No one is sure why it happened or even when but it was a sore spot for many fae unseelie and Seelie alike.
Inara let out a sigh as she sat up in her bed. She looked around her bed but didn't see Sitara.
"Sitara?" She called into the vast room. She waited for Sitara to respond from the wash closet or wardrobe.
"Sitara?" She called again getting up out of the bed. She looked all over her room and didn't see Sitara.
"That's strange she always waits for me," she said looking around the room as if she had somehow overlooked her. She quickly got dressed and rushed to Davian's room.
"Davian!" Inara called panicked.
"What's going on?" He asked pulling his shirt on the rest of the way.
"Did Sitara stop by?" Inara asked hoping Sitara just went out for a quick errand.
"No" he said ruffling his hair still trying to wake up.
"You haven't seen her?" She asked this time realizing that Sitara may actually be missing.
"No Inara I haven't she knows not to wake me up so early in the morning," he gives her an irritated look.
"Oh I'm sorry I didn't…. It's just she's never not been there," inaras voice is barely a whisper now. The change in her voice catches Davian's attention as he realizes that the princess before him is truly upset because Sitara is missing.
"Is she getting breakfast?" He asked as he headed back to inaras room. He needed to get the princess properly dressed and out of her night clothes otherwise the maids would talk about her being in his room. Inara followed him quietly.
"We always go together she also has my clothes picked out for the day before I get up. But she wasn't in the room and no clothes had been put out," Inara says as they reach the door and walk in.
"She is meticulous," Davian stated. He looked down at the princess and for the first time he remembered that the princess is only seven summers. He mentally smacked himself for being so insensitive earlier. Of course Inara is upset about Sitara leaving without telling her Inara while mature also doesn't fully understand when someone leaves.
"Perhaps write to her family? Maybe she went to visit?" Davian offered as a possible reason for Sitara leaving without notice. Inara looked at him and smiled.
"Of course maybe her brother found the stone and she needed to go get it!" Inara said rushing to her table. There was a sharp rap on the door.
"Princess lady Sitara has taken her personal quilin from the stables last night," a guard says as he enters the room. Both Davian and Inara look at the guard.
"What?"
"Lady Sitara did not have permission to leave the palace. She caused quite a stir and even injured a stable hand as she left," the guard stated as he relaid the events.
"Last night?" Inara asks him.
"Yes princess," Inara and Davian look at each other. Inara not waiting a second longer jumps up from her desk and runs out her room and down the hall.
"Father!" She yells as she runs into his study disrupting a meeting.
"Inara! What is it?" He asks concerned as she's never done this before.
"Papa, she's gone!" Inara says as she starts sobbing into his arms. He holds her close as he can see she's upset and the fact that she's not even properly dressed tells him it's serious.
"Who's gone darling?" He soothes her by rubbing his hand on her back and pets her hair trying to get her to calm down as she sobs.
"Sitara! She left the palace last night!" Davian looks around the door of the study concerned for his friend but not wanting to over step.
"Davian what is going on?" The czar asks him as the fae in his study excuse themselves from the room.
"She came to my room this morning looking for Sitara but when we got back to her room a guard showed up to tell us Sitara left the palace on her quilin and even hurt a stable hand. I don't know much more," Davian says looking at the scene before him. A small fae girl cradled in her fathers loving arms because her friend is missing.
"Don't worry darling we will have the guard search for her," he looks at Davian as if to tell him to alert the guard. Davian leaves the door of the study and returns to inaras room to search for any clues.
He can't understand why she would leave without saying anything and why she would hurt someone to leave the palace when she can leave at any moment. He lets out a heavy sigh while running his hand though his hair. This was not how his day should have gone. He looks out the large window overlooking the Aennen and hopes Sitara is okay.