After we sit down at the table, my parents have somber expressions on their faces. Alex looks at them with a tough look.

"You knew, didn't you yet you never told her? You know that I have been searching high and low for her, but you kept her hidden for us?" his voice is covered in anger.

"We did what we promised to her parents," my dad slowly says.

"Kidnappers, NOT parents" Alex corrects them very quickly.

"Ok, enough. Spill the beans on what is really going on here. Someone had better tell me the truth and tell me right now!" I demand.

"Well," he is looking at my parents with a murderous look, "Should I tell her or you?"

My dad sighs, dropping his head. "Your parents brought you to us when you were two and a half. They said they got into some trouble and could not have you with them. That is when they asked us to keep you until they returned, then they would come back to take you once they cleared up whatever trouble they were in. Unfortunately, neither of them returned."

"Where did they go?" looking around the table for answers.

They both look at Alex for the answer. "I tracked them down, arresting them for kidnapping. They refused to say where you were, even under torture. Your parents had them killed under the laws of their crime. They ordered their deaths a week after I found them since we never got any more information out of them." His eyes flash with anger as he remembers all of this.

"How did they get their hands on me for the kidnapping" looking at him.

"Susan was one of your nannies. She did the night shift part when you were asleep. It was her job to watch you until you went to sleep, then it was her job to check on you every three hours to make sure you were not getting up and still in bed. I was told by a servant that you needed to use the bathroom, so she was taking you to it. That night, you disappeared where we could not find you after that" his fist clench in anger.

"How could you do this to me, mom and dad? If you knew all this time, you lied to me?" feeling tears forming in my eyes.

"Please, do not be mad. We promised them that we would take care of you, and if anything happened to them, you became ours. We did not know the entire story, just that they were running with you because they were in trouble with the King and Queen." my dad's sorrow-filled eyes look at mine.

"You did not put it together when the missing photos come out about her?" Alex acts like he does not believe them.

"We never saw the flyers," my mother finally looks up at me. "We took off on vacation for a month. They gave us a huge stash of money, telling us to leave immediately with her and our small son. We left the next morning with tickets for a boat staying gone as they instructed. When we returned, all the news had died down, but we never put it all together until today. We heard about their deaths but never knew why they were put to death."

"Nothing seemed funny after you returned; they were killed, the princess was missing, and you never went to town?" Alex is still mad.

"She was an old friend of the family, we thought it was odd, but we did not question it," my dad quietly says.

"It did not strike you odd that they showed up with a small child?" he questions them.

"We had not seen her but now and then over a three-year span. She said she got pregnant and had a difficult time, which made it where she had to stay away from people. They would send letters so we would hear about their child in them, so we thought she was born to them."

"Now I get it; they were using her as being their own child," he grumbles.

"They would visit but just one at a time. It was just him or her; they were never together telling us the other was watching the baby," dad says.

"We just never put anything together. We would hear about the missing princess but never followed it since we had two small children we were taking care of at the time. We would hear people talk and things but never asked too many questions about it. It is not like we didn't felt bad for the King and Queen, but being on the outskirts like we are, things do not reach out here like they do closer to the castle," mom adds.

"Well," Alex relaxes a little, "your parents are very excited to meet you, Maggie finally. They have been waiting a very long time to see the daughter they lost, finally. Come, you are required to return with me back to your rightful home." He stands up and offers me his arm.

"Do I have a say in this?" looking up at him.

"No," he shakes his head, "you are required to come with me to meet your real parents. They are waiting at the castle for you right now."

"We are sorry, honey. We had suspensions but never took action, so neither of us wanted to believe it; we never got involved in investigating it. We just thought it was a coincidence" my mother is about to cry.

"We have loved you like our own child. So you were raised as our own, respected the wishes of who we thought were you real parents" dad voice is choked up in tears.

I step towards them while they stand up then grab them in a huge embrace. They start crying, hugging me tightly. I also hug my brother and sister.

"Can we see you again?" Abby asks in between sobs.

"When she is settled in then has time, yes. I will send someone to get you when she is ready to have guests," he adds in a soft tone.

"Again, please, we did not know. We had talked about how it was a coincidence but just never put it all together. We would have brought her back if we did know about it" dad acts like he is pleading for his life.

"That will be up to the King and Queen what they decide to do on this matter. You knew something being off but did not report it" his voice is sharp as a knife now.

"They will not touch my parents," as I whirl around facing him, "I will make sure of it; they are innocent in this. Maybe they made a mistake not reporting what happened. They are still good people who I love; they properly raised me."

"Come," he nods towards the door, "we are already late. I know they are waiting on us."

He offers me his arm again as we walk towards the door. I turn around while tears flow down my face as I am ushered out the door.

"We love you, baby!" my mom breaks down in tears.

"You will always be our child Maggie. We love you so much" dad's voice is at the breaking point.

"Bye, sis! Would you please let me know when I can see you again? I will miss you so much" her face is streaked with tears.

"Love you, sis; I will miss you also" Matt tries to keep his composure but fails.

"Bye guys, I love you and will miss you so much," looking at them one last time.

He helps me out the door into the waiting carriage. They help me up shutting the door. Alex sits in front of me then taps the carriage; it starts slowly down the road.

"I am sorry to rip you from your family like this, but when the King and Queen order something, we have to carry it out" Alex looks at me with sadness in his eyes.

"I understand, but why me? How could this be happening?"

"Susan must have been planning this for some time with you. They were stealing money from the crown's treasury for a while. We did not realize it until after they disappeared with you themselves. He was the treasurer, so he forged the books where the money he was taking did not show up. After they ran, his assistant found the missing money when he took over the books. That is when everything spiraled downhill for your parents. They did not care about the money, but when you went missing, it crushed them. They have been very sad, never been themselves again since then but went into a depression where they retreated into the castle for years. Finally, they slowly started coming out when their people started talking about how they needed new leaders again, so both of them started back doing what they needed to, but they have not been themselves."

"So, how should I address them?"

"They are your parents. You can ask them how you need to, but if you do not feel like calling them that, then Your Highness is correct."

After a short time, we arrive at the castle pulling into the front circle of the driveway.