Chapter 8

His clothes were still a little damp when he climbed the stairs to the castle. Everyone stared at him as he trudged through the halls, back to the office where he had received his mission. He knocked on the door and walked in.

The man looked up and took in Robert’s appearance. “Mr. Thorne. I see you are back. Alone.”

“Yes,” Robert began. “It seems like the Princess is nowhere to be found. Like she has vanished from the crust of the earth. I am sorry, but I do not believe anyone could bring her back.”

The man took his glasses off and set them aside. Disappointingly he shook his head. “Mr. Thorne, I had such high hopes for you. You had a great future ahead for you. But it seems like I was terribly mistaken. You see, all your superiors, all your peers, they told me how tremendous you are. About your great achievements. You are dedicated to your country, are you not, Mr. Thorne? So let me make it crystal clear to you: Either you come back with the princess, or I suggest that you stay away.”

“But sir-”

“Dismissed.” He put his glasses back on and went back to what he was doing before Robert came in. Shakely Robert got up and left the office. He went back to Saltmarsh Haven. Back to the pub where the man that had sent him to the sirens had been. Angrily, he marched inside and looked around. Robert stomped over to the guy and pulled him up by his collar. “I’m going to ask you this one time. Where. Is. The. Princess?”

The man started squirming in Robert’s tight grip. “I dunno! I dunno!”

“TELL ME!”

“I dunno, I swear! I just said I know, so you’d pay me! And then I sent you to the sirens, so you’d’n’t‘ve come back! Please believe me!”

Robert’s grip loosened and the man fell to the ground. His words started to kick in and Robert started to realize that he was led astray. That no one really knew where she was and that even if they did, he could never trust anyone to tell the truth. The man at Robert’s feet scrambled away. What was he going to do? Without the princess he could never go back.

All his life he thought he was doing the right thing. What if he was wrong? What if joining the navy was the wrong thing to do? What if he stood on the wrong side? He thought he found people who cared about him, people who only wanted what was best for him. This was not a normal mission. This was an ultimatum. Why? Why would they do that to him? He had given his life to the crown! Robert felt betrayed. He felt rage boiling up inside. How could he ever go back? Even if he found the princess, he could never bring her back. Who knows what they need her for. This was it. This was where he drew the line.

He ordered himself a huge jug of beer and sat down at one of the sticky pub tables. He did not know what he would do next. The only thing he knew was that he would never go back.