My heart is drowned with you.

Kidnapped.

Cardan stumbles back into his royal chamber- drunk.

Tayrin and Locke's wedding was yet another night of too much drinking, too much celebrating, too much chaos... just too much.

After Jude had commanded him to always be in the company of somebody else, he had obeyed and steered clear of trouble, yet still managed to get uncontrollably drunk. He watched her play with Oak from a distance, and wandered off with some acquaintances afterwards. He hadn't seen her since.
Thought still angry at her commanding him, he worried but refused to acknowledge it. Refused to dwell on the thought that perhaps something happened to her. He wanted to believe that she was as invincible as she showed herself to be... and yet a lump formed itself inside his stomach and stayed throughout the wedding. By gulping down carafe after carafe of sweet wine and laughing with the folks and especially Locke, he attempted to ignore the feelings.

„Or perhaps she wandered off with somebody else" he whispers under his drunk breath and almost suffocates at the thought. Anger rushes through his veins.

The thought of his Seneschal laying with someone else goes to his head faster than the sweet wine. It never occurred to him before that perhaps his Seneschal was seeing somebody else. Why wouldn't she? How many times has he paraded with courtiers in front of her or been caught with them inside his chamber celebrating yet another wild night. Then again, who was he to forbid her?

He remembers watching her with Locke in the same maze the wedding took place tonight. She laughed and seemed pleased... but while Locke's hands were on her - her eyes were on him. Him.
He remembers that afternoon with pride. How she stole regular glances at him... and him catching her every time she did. Their eyes met - every time. And yet he was the one who should have been ashamed that he didn't take his eyes off of her. It was just too hard. Too hard to look away when the one thing he wanted - so grudgingly wanted - was being played within somebody else's hands. He knew of course. He knew of Locke's schemes but he didn't intend on stop it. Perhaps seeing this resilient creature break would have ended his misery of wanting to know what it was about her. What it was about her that made him lose his mind.
In a way, he had hoped that she would dwell on why he watched her that afternoon. It doesn't matter who was laying beside him or who was kissing his mouth because though drunken, tired and lonely, all he thought about was her.

He remembers every single time he was alone in his chamber and how the thoughts and the image of her face crept on his mind. He used to pull out papers and write her name down on it with such angry force and yet it was still her name that was repeatedly written down.
He read books from the mortal world and wondered if she grew up reading the same ones. If she grew up reading tales of lands far away and then ending up in one. She must hate it here and he used to been one of the reasons why. Perhaps he still is.

In spite of that, she ended up being part of one of the greatest schemes in the land of Elfham. As his Seneschal.

Cardan sighs and refuses to entertain the thought of Jude laying with somebody else any longer and allows one of his eunuchs to assist him in taking off his royal attire. A long sleep will fix his worries. Tomorrow, he ought to meet her as usual in the council room and he will be glad for it.
Imagining what it would be like to have her lay next to him, he falls into a deep slumber.

The next morning.

Cardan is awaked up by a soft touch.

"Your majesty" he hears the roach whisper. "You must wake up". Something in his rustled voice sends chills down Cardans back

Cardan softly opens his eyes and is instantly aware of the terrible headache. He looks over to the Roach and is instantly struck by a bad feeling.

Something is wrong.

The Roach grimly watches the high king of Elfham sit up on his bed. The sun hasn't even begun to set - so why was he woken so early?

This isn't like him.

„Your highness" The Roach says distressed. At his tone, Cardan is assured that something had happened.

Oh no.

„Jude has been kidnapped".