She sat there waiting for her husband to come home. It was said that he was to come home that very day. She sat by the window, waiting for a horse to come running in, but instead, there was a carriage coming by. She stood up and looked down, she watched her son play in his crib, then she looked back up and walked out of the room.

She carefully went down the stairs, the queen had to be quite careful, after all, she was bearing a child. As she strode down the stairs, the royal guards held open the door. A man came by, accompanied by 2 others. All three of them bent to their knees.

"Queen Charlotte." The man in the front said, taking off his hat.

"Sir, what brings you here?" Charlotte asked.

"I bring news of the king." He said solemnly as he and the others stood.

"Come, come." Charlotte urged him and his men inside. "Tell me, what is your name?"

"Henry, Miss." He walked into a large room.

They sat at a table, there were empty glasses on the table. The seats were comfortable and great. The men took their seats, so did Charlotte. The men stared at the gold coloured walls, and the hardwood tables.

There was a cry from the upstairs. It wasn't loud, not one that needed assistance, but the only thing Charlotte could do was get up and go.

"Excuse me, boys." She said as she politely left the table.

She hurried up the stairs to find Bryce wailing. He must've been alone longer than she had thought. Charlotte came over and picked him up, cradling him in her arms. She managed to calm him down and she carried him downstairs. Charlotte brought him into the room with the others.

"You were saying," Charlotte said to the men.

"It isn't great news," Henry said.

"Well, get on with it. What is it?" Charlotte wanted badly to hear of her husband.

"He's gone missing." Henry quietly said.

Charlotte's heart dropped. She knew that she shouldn't have let him go on the expedition. She should've stopped him, what else was there to do now? She sat there, with Bryce in her arms. Calmly she glanced at the men.

"Thank you for telling me." She said.

The men tipped their hats and left her alone in the room. She thought about what to do next. Her lady in waiting came in and poured water into the cup in front of her.

"Thank you, Sarah." She took the cup and drank some of the water.

"I heard the news," Sarah said to her.

Charlotte glanced at her and smiled. Sarah had been a good friend of hers for a long time. When Charlotte was younger, she would venture outside, and sometimes see the villagers around her. One day, she wasn't thinking, but she left the castle walls. After a while, she realized that she'd strayed too far from home. 

Charlotte remembered that she had walked around, shouting for help, for she hadn't known where to go. That night she had cried hard until she saw another girl. Charlotte had run to the girl and asked her to help her. They became friends and the girl introduced herself as Sarah. Sarah had lead Charlotte to her home and Charlotte met Sarah's family, who in the end, took her back to Charlotte's family.

Charlotte glanced at Sarah once more. She stood up, with Bryce in her arms and walked up to her room, Sarah following. Charlotte walked up the stairs and opened the door. Bryce had now fallen asleep in her arms, she set him inside his crib. She then went to a seat at her window and stared out. 

Sarah sat on a chair by a table and started to sew some clothes that had been torn, or ripped. She watched Charlotte cry quietly in the window. She would hear a quiet pitter-patter often, it blended with Charlotte's cries.

Suddenly Charlotte got up and stood. The room was getting darker, outside was getting gloomier. She lit an oil lamp in the room and set it on the nightstand by her bed. She tilted her head slightly to Sarah.

"Please, have the council meet me, you know where." She asked quietly.

"Yes, M'lady," Sarah said, she put her things down and left the room quietly.

Charlotte placed a blanket over Bryce and touched his head. She bent down and kissed his head. Slowly she made her way to the council's room. On the way, she saw Sarah.

"Tend to Bryce, Sarah." She held the railing on the way down the stairs.

Sarah smiled and dipped her head slightly. She put a reassuring hand on her arm and hurried up the steps to Charlotte's room.

Charlotte arrived in the council's room just as the others were getting seated. She seated herself at the end of the table, looking at all the serious faces around her. She put her hands on the table and wrapped them around each other.

"What have you called us here for?" The man beside her asked.

Charlotte turned her head to him. "It has come to my attention, that King Richard has gone missing." She paused as the people around her stared in shock. "I ask that we make this the main priority, we make sure the palace will run as if he were here."

"Yes, but we don't know what to do." A lady with a poofy dress said beside her.

"Don't worry, the castle knows what they are doing." She glanced around the table. "But most importantly, don't spread the word to the people of Berkeley. Don't spread it to anyone, only you, I and the people of this castle may know." 

"As you wish M'lady." One said.

"You are dismissed, thank you for all your work," Charlotte said.

Charlotte got up and tucked in her chair. Everyone around her got up and left the queen to be alone in the room. They headed back to their homes. She stayed, the door was still open, and so were the windows. She walked towards the window, she looked out at the shining moon.  

Someone knocked the door. Charlotte closed the window and shut the curtains.

Charlotte turned her head slightly to the side. "Yes?" Her voice was weak.

"We've got news on Richard." The guard said.

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I hope you are enjoying this!

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I know all the names aren't exactly accurate, but honestly, it is made up completely, I just searched up royal names if you must know.

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