In the palace, the King could not keep at rest because his son had not been found.
During the court meetings held every morning, he would mumble incoherent words and sign petitions submitted to him absent-mindedly.
Infact, some of the officials who belonged to the North Clan had seen this period a great opportunity to push their selfish plans through by having the King place his seal on their papers without objections.
They had always wanted to monopolize salt trade in the kingdom as they strongly believed the trade was introduced by their ancestor - The Great Khan.
Now any merchant or trader could trade salt in the Kingdom and they were not in the least happy with this development.
Therefore, they had always tried to get the King to approve their mandate.
Their appeal had always met strong oppositions from the officials of the South Clan and even the King who always appeared to be neutral as he should.
Recently, upon the 'kidnap' of the Prince, the King had been so inattentive at the meetings and this was a chance for them. So they had wrote a petition again one morning on the salt monopoly and submitted it together with other appeals to the king.
After the Eunuch Secretary of the King pulled out and read this particular paper, the rest of the officials present gasped in shock and looked at the North Clan officials with glaring hatred; for the King had forbidden the Clan from mentioning the issue in his presence.
They opened their eyes and mouth wider in greater shock when they saw the king lifting the Royal seal and stamping it on the document.
"My Liege..." they gasped in unison
A paper stamped upon by the Royal seal could not be overturned, except by the King himself.
They would have to wait for another chance to make the king see the harm he had done by giving these people his consent and convince him to overrule his seal.
"Your grace is immeasurable!"
"Your grace is immeasurable!"
"Your grace is immeasurable!" The Officials of the North Clan chanted continuously in immense joy.
These had been the events at the palace in the few days the Prince was lost.
After few discussions at the assembly, the king would bring up the whereabouts of the Prince and how it was everyone's duty to find him; 'alive'. He would then adjourn the court.
After court, he would spend the rest of the day in his room alone and at night, he would sleep by himself after a long time awake instead of with one of his numerous 'Royal Concubines'.