One of the King's guardian, Joel Serge, entered the Great Hall where King Tobias was waiting for him. The King narrowed his gaze and spoke impatiently, "What do you have to report? Have you found her yet?"
He bowed his head respectfully before answering, "Nay, My King, we failed to locate her in the surrounding areas."
Tobias slammed his fist on the armrest of his throne, his impatience turning into anger. "We need to find her and bring her back to me, no matter what it takes," he growled, his eyes blazing with determination. "I won't rest until I have her in my custody again."
Trying to hide the fear in his eyes, Joel hung his head and said, "We've searched everywhere, My King," he said. "But she seems to have vanished into thin air."
The King stood up from his throne and strode towards him. "I don't care if you have to turn the city upside down, you will find her," he hissed. "And if you fail me again, you'll face the consequences."
"Yes, My King," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. "We'll do everything in our power to locate her." Joel swallowed hard.
Tobias glared at him for a few more seconds before turning on his heel and storming out of the hall. Joel let out a shaky breath and sank into a nearby chair, his mind racing with thoughts of how to find Scarlett before the King's anger boiled over.
He knew that the King's fury could be unleashed on anyone who failed him, and he didn't want to be the next target. He pulled out a map of the city and studied it intently, searching for any place that Scarlett could be hiding.
As he studied the map, he remembered the times he had seen Scarlett around the palace and tried to imagine where she would go in the city to hide. He knew that she was intelligent and cunning, and that she wouldn't make it easy for him to find her.
Joel made a mental note to instruct his men to search every nook and cranny of the city and to keep a close watch on the city gates. He knew that Scarlett was smart enough to evade the palace guards, but if she tried to leave the city, his men would be able to intercept her.
He couldn't shake off the thought that Scarlett was still hiding somewhere in the city, possibly in a place that they had not searched yet. He knew that she was smart and had a talent for disappearing without a trace. He wondered if there was any chance that she had managed to slip through their fingers and evade capture.
Joel furrowed his brow as he pondered the King's obsession with Scarlett. He had served Tobias for many years and had seen him angry before, but this was different. The King's unrelenting pursuit of this one girl seemed almost obsessive. He couldn't help but wonder what made her so important to the King that he would risk everything to find her.
He knew that the King was not a man to be crossed, and he didn't want to delve too deep into his thoughts. But the more he tried to push the question out of his mind, the more it nagged at him. He knew that he had to focus on finding Scarlett and bringing her back to the palace, but he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this than meets the eye.
He let out a heavy sigh, knowing that he had a difficult task ahead of him. But he was determined to find her and bring her back to the palace, no matter what it took.
As he was deep in thought, one of the guards burst into the room. "My Lord, we've received word that there have been sightings of rogue lycans in the city," the guard reported, his voice filled with urgency.
His heart sank. He knew that the lycans could complicate their search for Scarlett, and that they had to act fast. He quickly gathered a team of trusted guards and set out to search the city.
Before he could even leave, Rowena, one of the King's advisors, entered the room. "Joel, any news on the hunt for Scarlett?" she asked, her tone serious.
Joel shook his head, "No, we have yet to locate her. The King is growing impatient."
She frowned, "I can't help but wonder why the King is so fixated on finding her. What could she possibly have done to warrant such a manhunt?"
"I do not know, but it is not our place to question the King's orders. We must find Scarlett and bring her back to the palace, whatever the reason may be," Joel replied, his tone firm and resolute, but his mind was still plagued with the same questions that Rowena had.
He couldn't help but wonder why the King was so adamant about finding Scarlett, and what he planned to do with her once she was in his custody. But he knew that he couldn't voice these doubts, not with Rowena present.
He nodded at Rowena, indicating that they should set out immediately. "We'll split up into teams and cover as much ground as possible," he instructed. "Keep your eyes and ears open for any sign of Scarlett or the rogue lycans."
She nodded in agreement, her expression determined. "We'll find her, Joel. And hopefully, we'll get some answers as well."
Joel nodded back, relieved to have her support. However, he couldn't help but sense a hint of doubt in her voice. He knew that Rowena was a loyal and dedicated member of the palace staff, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she had reservations about the King's motives for hunting down Scarlett.
Nevertheless, he pushed the thought aside, knowing that their duty was to carry out the King's orders without question.
Rowena's thoughts wandered as they began their quest, reverting to the rumors she'd heard about Scarlett, the ones that suggested there was much more to the girl than met the eye. She can't help but wonder what secrets Scarlett might be hiding and how they might be connected to the King's obsession with finding her.
As they made their way through the city's winding alleys, Rowena couldn't shake the feeling that they were on the verge of discovering something much larger than they had bargained for.