"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE IS GONE?" Daniel's voice was low and dangerous. He glared at his friend.
"The stable boy said that Thunder is missing, and the duchess is nowhere to be found," Henry told him. "You know that your horse would never let a stranger approach him."
Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.
'Could it be that she ran away?' The thought made his blood boil. 'But she would never leave Geoffrey behind.' He shook his head. 'Of course, she did not run away. But then where did she go? And why in the middle of the night?'
Henry watched his friend struggle with his thoughts.
"Let's prepare to track her right away," Daniel ordered. "Tell Victor to only bring a handful of men."
'I hope she is not going to do something foolish because of what Aunt Paula told her.'
In no time, horses and dogs were prepared to track the duchess. Of course, no one in the castle knew that fact. Henry made sure that everyone thought the duke was going out hunting.
After a couple of hours of chasing behind the hounds, Daniel could clearly guess where his wife went.
"It looks like we are heading to Hamelsta," he told Victor.
'She could have told me, or at least she could have taken a few knights with her.' He sighed. 'I hope she is alright.'
The duke and his knights pushed their horses nearly to the limit, but Daniel did not want to waste any time. He needed to make sure his wife was alright.
"Damn it, why does the road seem longer than last time, even though we are on horse today?"
Daniel only slowed down when they reached the hill overlooking the Gottanlich estate. He noticed Thunder right away and sighed in relief.
They reached the house in no time. Daniel dismounted his tired horse immediately and entered to look for Magnolia. The knights also walked around the house, looking for the duchess, but she was nowhere to be found.
"Maybe the dungeons, Your Grace," Victor suggested as he motioned to the flat of stairs.
"Let's check, just in case."
Daniel was the first to descend the old stone stairs. Surprisingly, it was not as dark as he had expected. Small square windows high in the walls let in just enough light to be able to see where one was going.
As he approached the cellar, Daniel heard rustling inside the room. "Magnolia?" he called. His eyes fell on her as soon as he entered, she had a dagger pointed at him.
"Daniel? What are you doing here?" Her heart was still beating fast, she put her dagger away though.
"What do you mean?" Daniel glared at her. "I was worried sick, you left in the middle of the night, alone, and without telling anyone."
At the scene, Victor and the couple of knights who were following the duke slowly sneaked away to give them some privacy.
"How did you find me?"
"We used the dogs–is that even important right now?" he asked with a harsh tone. "Why did you not tell me you were coming here? You could have at least brought a knight or two with you."
"I can protect myself." Magnolia matched his tone.
"What? With that joke of a dagger?"
"Did you forget that I can use magic?" She raised her voice.
"Are you telling me that someone who has never been taught how to use magic can miraculously control their powers all of a sudden?"
Magnolia blushed. "Well–well you don't need to concern yourself with me," she said, turning away from him to hide her embarrassment.
Daniel took three strides and grabbed her hand, turning her back toward him. "What happened to your hand?" He examined the cut on her thumb.
It took Magnolia a moment to react. She just watched with wide eyes as Daniel gently pushed on the cut with his handkerchief.
'How long has it been since I last touched him?' She finally came back to her senses and pulled her hand away.
"I'm fine."
Daniel sighed. "Can we please talk?" he pleaded. "There are some misunderstandings I need to clear up."
Magnolia stared at his eyes for a moment. She has been dreading this conversation. She did not wish to talk about that day, but she knew she could not delay it any longer.
"Can you give me a few minutes first? There is something I need to do," she said. "You wanted to know why I came here." She turned to face the brick wall. "I had a dream last night…I should not call it a dream, it was a memory from my childhood." Magnolia gently traced her hand over the bricks. "I have been here before, with my brother," she added.
Daniel just watched her silently. He was glad that she was starting to remember things about her childhood, but that thought vanished as soon as Magnolia uttered her next words.
"It was the night my family was murdered." She pulled out her dagger and cut her thumb again.
"Magnolia–"
"My brother said that this door could only be opened with Gottanlich blood," she continued. "That night, he pushed me into this room to protect me from the attackers. He used his blood to open the door."
She drew a cross on the brick her brother used eleven years ago, the way she saw in the dream last night. She waited for a few seconds, but nothing happened.
'Did I do it wrong?'
"What is it?" Daniel was standing right behind her.
"Nothing is happening." She blinked a few times as her mind raced to try to figure out what the issue might be. "Maybe I need to use more blood." She hissed as she made another cut, deeper this time. Then she drew on the brick again. But still nothing. "More?"
"Stop." Daniel held her hand as she was about to use her dagger one more time. "I don't think it's the amount of blood that is the issue.
Magnolia met his eyes, she was confused. She shook her head slightly. Then looked down at her bleeding thumb.
"I am a Gottanlich," she uttered, trying to reassure herself. Her voice was full of doubt though.
"My love," Daniel gently pulled on her chin, making her look back into his eyes. "You are," he said. "Every evidence points to that, so that is not the issue here."
"Then why is it not working?" Magnolia asked with a shaky voice.
"Sometimes magic…fades." Daniel pulled her into a hug. "We will find a way to get into that room, I promise." Magnolia nodded against his chest.
"We have to," she mumbled.