"You must tell us your name!" Maliece hounded the boy, arguing with him as I tried to reason with her. I understood why she was so insistent; she was very serious about my protection. But I also thought she was being a little pushy. The boy folded his arms and turned away from her.
"Princess, this is ridiculous!" Maliece said. "We can't have him here for another day if we cannot verify his identity. It's been two days already. As far as we know, he could be a spy."
I sighed. Maliece had a wild imagination. The boy was just a scared child, and we didn't know his past. There could be another reason for his silence.
"Maliece, leave him be for now," I pleaded. "I know it's frustrating that he isn't talking, but we can't do much about that until he's comfortable. Won't you help me convince Evanil to let him stay for just a week? That should be enough time."
Maliece looked at me aghast. "A week? Are you mad? He could be a spy!"
I rolled my eyes. "I'm not mad," I said. "I'm just being practical. If he's a spy, he'll have a hard time hiding it for a week. And if he's not a spy, then we're doing him a disservice by sending him away."
Maliece huffed but eventually relented. "Fine," she said. "I'll talk to Evanil."
The boy finally turned around when he heard Maliece agree. He smiled at me, and I felt a pang of guilt. I knew Maliece was right to be suspicious, but I couldn't help but feel protective of him.
"Thank you," I said to Maliece. "I owe you one."
She scoffed. "Don't get too comfortable," she said. "I'm only doing this because I don't want to see you get hurt."
I smiled. "I know," I said. "And I appreciate it."
Maliece left to go talk to Evanil, and I was finally alone with the boy. I sat down next to him and introduced myself.
"My name is Theodosia," I said. "You don't like loud people, do you?"
The boy hesitated for a moment, then looked up at me and said, "Loud people...make me nervous"
My eyes widened. "Oh?" I repeated. "That's just like my little brother. He sometimes couldn't handle loud personalities. He always ended up misunderstood."
The boy nodded. "Yes," he said. "It's...frustrating."
I didn't know what to say. I was still trying to process the fact that he is actually talking.
"Why did you come here?" I finally asked.
"I came to find my mother," he said. "My uncle said she works here. But he won't wake up so I can't ask him what her name is. He must be tired."
I swallowed hard. "Do you know how your mother looks?" I asked.
"I'm not sure," he said. "I just know that she looks like me."
I didn't know what to say to that. I didn't even know this boy, but he needed to find his mother. He doesn't seem to grasp that his uncle is dead either. It may be best to have Maliece look for a maid with his physical traits.
"I'll help you," I said finally. "But first, you have to tell me your name."
The boy hesitated, and he smiled. "How about a nickname?"
I sighed. "Fine. That'll work for right now."
"You can call me Edge!" he proclaimed proudly. "That's what my uncle called me."
I smiled back at him. "Edge it is," I said. "Now, let's get to finding your mother."
Maliece returned a few hours later and I sent her off to look for his mother. When she returned, she was looking grim. "I'm sorry, Princess," she said. "I couldn't find anyone matching his description. And no one claims to have any children."
Edge's face fell. "But my uncle said she worked here," he said. "He wouldn't lie to me."
"I know," Theodosia said. "But sometimes things happen that we don't understand. She could've transferred or been kicked out or even left. Maliece, please check the maid registry."
Maliece nodded and hurried off. Edge shook his head. "No," he said. "My uncle would never lie to me. He wouldn't tell me she was here if she wasn't."
He started to cry, and Theodosia put her arm around him. "I know it's hard," she said. "But we'll find her. I promise."
Edge wiped his tears away. "I'll find her myself," he said. "I'll show you both that she is here."
He stood up and walked away, his shoulders slumped. Theodosia watched him go, feeling a pang of sadness. She knew he was right. His uncle would never lie to him but who could his mother be?
Maliece put her hand on Theodosia's shoulder. "I'll keep looking," she said. "If she's here, then We'll find her."
Theodosia nodded. "Thank you," she said.
She watched Maliece go; She knew Edge was lost and scared, and she wished she could do more to help him.
But for now, all she could do was be there for him. And she promised herself that she would never give up hope of finding his mother.