Part 1

- Vandel Kingdom capital Vandelas: Royal Palace -

A string of collective sighs arose from several men and women seated around a fairly large decorative table. They were currently inside one of the royal palaces central rooms.

These people were ministers who led various departments that served to run the entire kingdom. Some also acted as the queens personal advisors. They all held grim and troubled expressions and were seemingly nearing the end of their ropes.

"How could this happen?!" a man who sported a thick, silvery white beard cried out mournfully. He was Albrecht Applewood, one of the royal advisers. He felt increasingly baffled by the current situation which has persisted for a number of days already.

The entire kingdom had been preparing for the betrothal of their beloved queen to the celebrated hero that rid the lands of the demon lord and its ilk. It was as supposed to be an auspicious and grand spectacle that gathered the attention of the entire central continent.

Dignitaries and leaders of various major powers from both within and without the continent came to give the couple their blessings. Forming better diplomatic ties with the kingdom would come naturally of course. It was deemed as an event that would herald the Vandel kingdoms recognition as the most influential power in the central continent, eclipsing even the venerable Almadeus theocracy.

Unfortunately, all that did not come to pass after a piece of unfortunate news found its way to the royal couples ears. One of their closest friends had gone missing after getting caught up in an accident within the Elmoore mountains.

The pair was instantly plunged in grief and refused to go through with the ceremony. Queen Felise immediately dispatched an elite search party to find her friends whereabouts. Lord Vance even offered to lead them. He was ultimately dissuaded by some of the royal advisers, imploring him to stay with the queen.

A week has passed without any positive news. The search party formed of veteran rangers had failed to find anything related to the royal couples friend. They had surveyed the accident site thoroughly countless times but had not discovered any clues which would potentially lead to the whereabouts of the unfortunate fellow.

Several dignitaries from foreign powers had already begun to voice dissatisfaction concerning the recent turn of events. They argued that the degree of importance given to a single person, a commoner at that, bordered on ridiculous - even if he was the royal couples good friend. Most of those from outside the central continent had already left in indignation. The minister of foreign affairs almost pulled out his remaining wisps of gray hair in frustration.

But, regardless of how much they tried to persuade them, Queen Felise and Lord Vance remained firm in their stance - there will be no wedding until their friend was found. It was an uncharacteristically bullish attitude from the both of them, who were known to have always remained calm and levelheaded even at the height of the demon war.

Albrecht sat back down limply after venting. No matter how many times they had to do it, they had to persuade the couple to go through with the ceremony and put the kingdom at ease. He couldn't help but hold a little resentment in his heart for the missing young man whose predicament had put a damper to the momentous occasion, even if he thought it improper. He was sure the rest of the ministers, and even the citizens felt the same way.

Part 2

A young woman with golden blonde hair that was set into a neat bun stood in a corner of the queens chambers. Her gentle expression held a hint of worry at the sight of her queen staring out of the window with a blank, almost lifeless gaze.

This young woman, Sarah Lumiere, is Queen Felise's personal attendant. She stuck with her mistress through thick and thin and had risked her life to serve at her side during the demon war.

Since the queen never really put any emphasis on the difference in station, they are as close to each other as real sisters. But even she was at a loss about how to comfort her mistress and good friend, who was now suffering from deep sorrow.

"Lisa, it's me. Can I come in?" a pleasant male voice called out from outside the room.

Queen Felise got up with a start and frantically opened the door to her chambers, not giving Sarah any chance to react. A vigorous young man with auburn hair entered the room with a composed gait.

Vance Rayleigh stood in front of the two young ladies sporting a somewhat troubled look. His countenance still held a hint of youthful mischief. But there was also steel within his gaze. A kind of fierceness and ruthlessness borne out of walking a multitude of merciless battlefields and facing overwhelming peril.

But right now, his aura that was akin to an unsheathed blade was barely noticeable. Replacing it was an air of profound sorrow that stained his visage.

"Have they found him Van? Please tell me they've found him."

Impatience. Worry. Despair. Hope. Queen Felise's emotions had become exceedingly chaotic during the past few days after she had learned of Mysts disappearance. It marred her graceful features, which have turned even more enchanting during the last couple of years, and made her look somewhat haggard and weary.

Her jade colored eyes now carried a hint of red due to crying. Bags had also appeared under them due to her spending several sleepless nights in constant worry. Her lustrous fiery red hair had become somewhat frayed and disheveled. She continued to look at Vance with a sorry pleading look which made him sigh helplessly.

"I'm sorry Lisa. You're already familiar with Avery's skills. He's our kingdoms best tracker. He's already doing all he can to find any clues about Myst. Right now there's still no news. But I'm sure we'll find some clues soon." Vance replied.

"Soon? SOON?! You've been saying that for days! What if he's gravely injured? He needs us Van. We need to find him. We have to!"

Felise broke into large sobs after losing the last vestiges of her composure. Vance enveloped her in a tight embrace. Her delicate hands balled up into fists and she started hitting his chest repeatedly with them. Vance spoke reassuring words softly in order to calm her down. She stopped hitting him after a while but continued to cry in his arms.

It looked very much like a loving couple comforting each other in a time of grief. But Sarah knew otherwise.

Having accompanied the both of them during the demon war, she had grown close to them like family, regardless of their positions. They had confided their deepest fears and hopes with each other in that period of roiling violence and battle, not knowing if the next breath that they take would be their last.

And she knew... that only the sole figure of an ordinary young man occupied the depths of both Vance and Felise's heart.

Her hands clasped in solemn prayer to the Highest Goddess Alma. All she could do right now was to earnestly wish for their happiness.

In her heart, she harbored curiosity for the young man who held the affection of these two remarkable individuals. She decided to pray for his safety as well.

- Interlude 1 End -