The following afternoon while Malphus was strolling in his garden, he came upon Chris.
"Hello Chris, how has your day been?" Malphus asked Chris as he approached him.
"Oh you know, same old same old. Bossing people around, scolding guards, ordering your winter clothing." Said Chris as he waved his hand in the air.
"Well, I'm bored without the wretched ex-Queen pestering me every second. Why don't I come over your house tonight? Just for a bit though I'm extremely busy." Said Malphus as he slapped Chris on the back, making him flinch a little.
"Ah, sure! Why- why not?" Said Chris in a nervous voice, while it could have been nervous because the King was coming over, he had been over Chris' house a many times.
"Great my friend! I'll come when I want to, be prepared at all times." Malphus gave him a eerie smile, then replaced it with a sweet one and walked off.
This sent chills up Chris' spine, he was worried that somehow Malphus found out he was the one that kidnapped Valerie.
He told Malphus that she went to buy something for herself in the farmers market and he had went to retrieve her so that they could leave, but he didn't find her.
He knows how much Malphus is going through just to find the girl, so she meant a lot to him. He wouldn't spare anyone at all, not even his closet friend.
Chris hurried home, unaware that he was being followed by the King and a few guardsmen. He rushed right into his house, forgetting to even close the door.
"This man is smart enough to keep the heat off of him, but isn't smart enough to keep his cool when the light turns to him." Mumbled Malphus as he walked right through the open door, like it had been opened just for him.
He inspected his house, it was pretty normal. No maids, two stories, a nicely sized kitchen and living room.
Malphus heard movement meant from upstairs and ordered his guards to wait outside and to hide.
He heard a sound, it sounded like a girl trying to talk but had her mouth covered by something.
"It's no use my flower, no one can hear you. My house is out in the forest all on it's own, didn't you know?" He said as she stopped the muffled screaming to listen.
"Good girl, now come with me and no harm shall befall upon you." He helped Valerie off her bed because her arms were tied behind her back.
When he came into the room Valerie was asleep, he took that opportunity to tie her hands together so that she wouldn't scratch or hit him.
Just as Malphus was walking up the stairs slowly and quietly, he came face to face with Valerie and Chris.
"Trying to move her I see. Smart." Said Malphus as he picked up a strand of Valerie hair. She moved her head away a little, forgetting who was touching her. Malphus sent her a sweet smile and she let him touch her hair.
"Yet, not smart enough to wait until tomorrow to move her. She probably wouldn't have even made a sound. Isn't that right Princess?" Valerie nodded her head slightly, in fear that Chris would hit her, as he had started to hit her when she refused to kiss him.
Just like the guards were already in the house listening, they came upstairs and grabbed Chris and twisted his hands behind his back.
"You can't separate my flower and I. I'll always come back." said Chris with a crazed look in his eyes, while being jerked into a coach they brought just in case Chris was the kidnapper.
Malphus took the 5 scarfs wrapped around Valerie's mouth to muffle her screams off.
"Are you alright Valerie? Alan has been crying every night for you to come home, he won't eat anything and won't even listen to me." Said Malphus in a soft voice.
"I- I'm f-fine. Wh-where's Alan?" Said Valerie as her voice trembled, she wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.
"He's at the castle, but if you don't want him to die of hunger we need to continue this conversation in the carriage." Said Malphus as he lead Valerie out of the door.
He turned to a guard standing at the door waiting for them to come out and said "destroy it" with a cold, firm voice.
The guard nodded his head and went to get into the coach and told the man to start driving.
Once Valerie was in the carriage with Malphus, she received a warm blanket and some hot tea. This made her feel better, safer.
They arrived to the castle and all Valerie could think was 'Finally, back at home.'