"Gone? Are you telling me he is gone?" raged the king.

"Yes, your majesty. What do you suggest we do?" said knolls, already knowing the answer.

"Order the guards to search the room. See if they can find any clue as to where he has gone."

"It is being done as we speak." knolls replied promptly. He was a little disappointed Nathaniel didn't say goodbye to him. Though, it was understandable. If Nathaniel had told him, he would have been obligated to tell King Allarick.

"Good. As soon as they find anything, make sure that I'm informed.

"As you wish, your majesty." and bowing, knolls left to have a look at the room to find more clues.

When he arrived, the head guard reported, "Nothing out of the usual. We haven't found anything yet."

Knolls chuckled "Nothing out of the usual, except the prisoners aren't here." finding the guard's wording funny.
He had a weird sense of humor, in any circumstances, Nathaniel missing didn't change it.

"Uh, yes, of course." replied the guard, intimidated by knolls odd ways.

So knolls searched around for a while. Thinking of how Nathaniel would have made his escape. He then noticed the bed a little bit out of place. Shows how good our security is. Thought knolls, finding it hilarious.

He moved the bed away, and checked the wall. Sure enough, a board was loose. Seems like the only way he could have gotten away.
"Do we have a map of the passageways through the walls?" asked Knolls calmly.

"Maybe, in the library, milord Chamberlain." replied the guard bowing respectfully.

"Of course, the library. I will be there shortly." with that, Knolls went to tell The King of his discovery.

"Anything useful discovered?" asked The King, surprised at how quickly Knolls had returned.

"Yes, we think he made his way into the walls' passageways. I'm going to the library now to find a map of them. Would you care to join me?"

"I wouldn't mind if I did. Off to the library." and with that they proceeded to walk to the library.

Once there, The King had no trouble finding the maps needed. For he loved the library, and spent most of his time within it's quiet walls of books and stories long forgotten.

They had found a map, the only problem was: the tunnels were a huge labyrinth, seemingly endless.

"How this prisoner knows where he's going, and can find his way through the walls, is beyond me." said the head guard, who still didn't know of Nathaniel being the prince.

"You'll find, this man has more knowledge of this castle, than even I." Knolls told the head guard.

It was surprising for the guard. That The Lord Chamberlain, who was renowned for his vast knowledge of Dirland Palace. Could know less, than this young, runaway prisoner.
"How is that possible my lord?" the surprise he felt evident in his voice.

"With your permission, your majesty, I would tell him." said Knolls, looking towards The King.

"Who he is, is of no importance, all that matters, is that we find him." Said The King, declaring the subject over.

"Yes, your majesty." said the guard, bowing his head, and turning back to the map.

"Well, we needn't try and memorize the whole maze. Just the possible exits." the guard said, holding his curiosity at bay and working on the matter at hand.

"Yes. Well, according to this map, there are only three exits available to Nathaniel." said Knolls calmly.

The guard's eyes showed more of his curiosity when Kolls mentioned Nathaniel's name.

"Here, here, and here." Kolls said, pointing to the spots on the map as he named them off. "What do you propose, my King?"

"Don't underestimate Nathaniel. Send all the best trackers to each exit." and with that, the guards were dismissed.

"Knolls? Asked the King once he was sure they were alone.

"Yes my liege?"

"Are you sure that there are only three exits available to Nathaniel?"

"Yes, your Majesty. At least, according to these maps." said Knolls reassuringly.

The King still wasn't convinced. His mind was on an old tale, of a magical tunnel that led from the palace, to Dirland forest.

He shook his head. That's just an old hags tale.

Just then, out of the servants hall, an old lady servant appeared saying: "It's true! It's true! And the prince has graced it with his presence!" and with that, she went back to the servants hall, disappearing in the traffic of servants going to do his bidding.

"What did she mean by That?" asked Knolls, obviously amused by The King's shocked face.

"Nothing." The King replied, too quickly for Knolls' taste.

"Allarick? We both know you can't lie to me." said Knolls accusingly.

The King sighed, completely forgetting Knolls was beneath him in rank, and that he could silence him with one small command. Defeated, he said " Fine, it's just an old hags tale, of a magical tunnel leading from the castle to Dirland forest. But that's all it is, nothing more than an old hags tale." He said the last part fiercly, refusing to believe in such a tunnel, or that his son was in it at this moment.

Knolls let out a whole-hearted laugh. "And just then, an old hag, had to drop in, and tell you otherwise." he said, stopping every once in a while to let out more laughs.

The King looked like an embarrassed teenager, glaring daggers at Knolls. "It's, not, that, funny." he said through clenched teeth.

"Whatever you say, your Majesty." and when Knolls said that, it reminded Allarick that he was The King.
Ahh, glorious power. He thought. "Yes, now Chamberlain.
I will be retiring for the night." he said, giving Knolls a pointed look as Allarick said his position.

Knolls suddenly looked ashamed, knowing he'd teased his king. "Yes, my King."

-------------------------------

The lady servant was still upset with Nathaniel and that abominable girl he had with him.

She had been having a bad day as it was, then the conniving criminal, had to pour water in the servants hallway that made her slip, almost ending her whole career as a servant!

And here she finds out, that the rambunctious young lad happens to be the Crown Prince of Dirland!

She had found out when she had gone to the servants complaining office, and all the man did was laugh and say, "You'll have to do better than that to rat out the Crown Prince."
The nerve of some people!

Her temper had been on edge all day, so when she saw The King in the library, she couldn't help but tell him a piece of her mind.

"It's true! It's all true! And the Prince has graced it with his presence.
.!"
She was going to say more, but she suddenly realized what she was doing. So, scared, she hurridly dissappeared into the servants hall.

What have I done? The King could punish me terribly for this!

Fortunately The King had seemed in no rush to find her, and after a few days she had completely dismissed the whole thing.

-------------------

The next day as The King was having breakfast, still in an angry mood over Nathaniel. Knolls came with more bad news.

"No tracks, nothing. There is no way humanly possible for Nathaniel to have left through those exits."

"And this, is the only news I am expected to receive?" Allarick said angrily, "That my son has disappeared, and there are no more clues of his wherabouts!?!"

"Not completely." Said Knolls, who had been smiling amusedly throughout The King's rampage.

"And what news could possibly help this situation?" Said The King, his temper a little more controlled than before.

"I did some research on the magical tunnel from the old hag's tale." Knolls replied calmly.

"This again? Have you not anything better to do with your time?"

"Umm, well, I would have to say, no."

"You are almost as bad as Nathaniel!"

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Just carry on with your report." The King said, growing bored with Knolls' supposedly funny remarks.

"As you wish. The story is actually part way true." Knolls said, suddenly becoming serious.

"Which story?"

"The one of the magic tunnel that leads to Dirland forest."

"Yes?" was Knolls just playing another one of his games?

"Yes. There was a tunnel built, or rather, reports of plans for one."

"How does this help?"

"The plans I have found of the tunnel show where it is."

"And?"

"If the tunnel was made, Nathaniel would have access to it through the walls."

"Do you need me to tell you to check for the tunnel, or is this whole castle run by fools?" Allarick said angrily, anger was becoming more common in his demeanor since Nathaniel had returned.

"Would it be your desire to come with?" said Knolls, ignoring The Kings insult. Thinking it funny, for he, The King, was the one ruling the castle, and all of Dirland.

"Yes!" And The King stood up, his breakfast now being the furthest thing from his mind.

"Then follow me."

And they proceeded to head towards a door that went into the walls close to the tunnel.

After a while of walking in silence, Allarick asked, "What was this supposed tunnel built for?" why would a tunnel that long be built?

"There are no records of why, just that there were plans for it."

"So helpful" Allarick said sarcastically.