Once Upon A Time [BxB]

Chapter Sixteen: The Search

I nearly jumped off of Bella in excitement as the soldiers and I journeyed to the first town.

I convinced Adkins to let us go to Adrien's town first; without telling her I had met him prior to the ball. My grin only grew as we entered town.

The citizens gossiped and bowed at the sight. I ignored them, trying to find the recognizable tufts of brown hair and honey sweet smile. My smile faltered when I could not find him.

"Your highness," Adkins said as the group came to a stop. "Where should we look first?"

After a minute of silence, I pointed to a bakery near the entrance. The small building drew me in for some reason, and I had no other choice but to follow those instincts.

Adkins nodded before announcing the soldiers of my choice.

We certainly were not the only group searching at the moment. There were dozens of groups searching all over the kingdom. I knew Adrien visited the town often, but there was no telling if he had moved.

I frowned at the thought. What if Adrien moved to another kingdom?

We made a stop at the bakery and I shook my thoughts away, holding on to hope. I jumped off the horse, almost tumbling onto my face, and followed Adkins into the store.

A bell jingled as we entered, and the savory smell of pastries entered my nose. It was warm inside, a welcoming aura surrounding the bakery. I smiled at the cozy store. It definitely looked like a place Adrien would visit.

"Your highness," a boy greeted with a bow. "What can I do for you today?"

"We are here for a legally required test," I said.

The boy nodded, "I will take it then."

"Do you understand that you are not allowed to speak of this until our search is over? And that doing so results in severe punishment?" Adkins asked.

"Yes," the boy responded. "I am ready."

"Do you own a glass shoe?" I asked.

The boy raised one of his eyebrows with a tilt of his head. "No?"

I frowned, "Alright. Thank you for participating."

"Is that it?"

"Yes," I nodded.

"If you do not mind, may I ask why you would ask that?" the boy asked.

I sighed, "We are trying to find a certain boy I found at the royal ball. I'm sure he visits this town every morning?"

Adkins turned to me with a puzzled expression.

Oops.

Suddenly, the boy's eyes widened like a lightbulb went off in his head.

"I believe I know who you are talking about," he said.

I beamed, "What is his name?"

"Adrien Advair."

"Brown hair, blue eyes, unbelievably kind?" I questioned, leaning onto the counter.

he nodded, "Carries a wooden basket most of the time."

I looked at Adkins with a smile. Her eyes were still wide, and she was listening to our conversation carefully.

"That's him! Do you know where he resides?"

"A little outside of this town," he answered, his smile morphing into a frown. "Although, he has not visited in a few days."

"Do you know why?" I frowned.