2nd part. Sorry for a short update

Another report came in. This time, it was directly from a palace guard instead of the pocket watch.

“Head Guard, sir, while we searching the palace for Her Majesty, we found, an unidentified body in the study.”

Upon hearing that, the man stood up from his seat, and turned to the Guard. His face was struck with fear and confusion.

“Threat status?”

“The man has been dead for several hours now, we presume. As you said earlier, His Majesty Emperor has been secured, and the Hounds haven’t found any suspicious scents. ”

“So that’s how it is. Has the Emperor been informed?”

“No, not yet sir. I thought I’d report things to you first.”

“Affirmative. Return to your post immediately.”

“Certainly sir.” The Guard turned on his heels and hurried out the room.

 “Attention. This is Apollo. Personnel still in palace grounds, report in.”

A few voices responded.

“Tighten perimeter. We’ve got a body inside. Perpetrator might not be alone. Capture any threats alive.”

A collective affirmation echoed through the voice transmitting pocket watch.

Then the man turned to his subordinates inside the room and spoke, “I will break the news to His Majesty myself. I’ll leave the communications to you, Sid.”

“Yes,sir!” Sid replied.

“Well what is the news then, Apollo? Mind telling me now?”

Standing at the door of the guards’ office was a handsomely built man, whose voice ring with authority and grace. His presence alone adds weight to the already tense air at the moment. The guards outside were still bowing to the man when Apollo turned and saw him.

Immediately he lowered one knee to ground. Men behind him copied promptly.

 “Your Majesty! I apologize for my incompetence. Her Majesty Princess Lucilla has been missing from—“

“I know that already. The other news?”

“—and a body was found in the study. We still don’t know who is responsible, or if it is related to the princess. Or—“

Silence hanged in the air. Apollo slowly lifted his gaze to his liege, meeting him square in the eye.

Nobody spoke for a full minute before he continued, “—perhaps the other case hasn’t really ended yet.”

The Emperor’s curious complexion sank.

“We’ll give our utmost effort to find Her Majesty Princess, and if it is really what we think what it is, sir, then His Majesty must not remain in palace grounds any longer, for safety.”

“I understand. Take care of things here for me.”

“Certainly, sir.”

As soon as the Emperor walked out of the room, accompanied by the Guards, he left the barracks.

“Attention. Prepare for Code 14. Departure would be in 1 hour.”

Despite the situation, Apollo managed to sound collected in his order.

So... I made a thing.

It was a cold and dark winter night. Pine trees lined up imperfectly in a thick forest a few miles from the borders of the nearest city wall, shouldering some bit of snow that had fallen just hours ago. There was no obvious movement in the whited out landscape marked with lodges and towers, separated by stone roads interlocked in an almost perfect circular grid, with the larger ones leading to the center. The residents had fallen asleep.
Save for one desperate soul in the woods. Crunching footsteps through the thick snow could be heard if one stood close enough, but the woman was running alone in the darkness, relying on the white snow to guide her way from bumping into the trees. With each second she struggled to move her legs as fast as she could, while avoiding the main road lest she be caught. Under the ragged hood she was wearing over her clothes, her eyes were set straight forward, away from the city she was running from. If only she weren’t fleeing in great haste she could have stopped and admire the calm, albeit eerie atmosphere of the shyly gleaming snow. It goes without saying she had no time for that. Her panting and throbbing heart ringed in her ears though the dark silence.
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The royal palace on the other hand were wide awake. At least, the whole resident of the royal guards’ barracks were highly alert. Woken up by the emergency signal, all the guards swiftly prepared their gears and marched quickly to the center courtyard in a neat file. Those who were on night duty tonight were lucky not to be stripped of their much yearned rest. Despite all that their loyalty and training burned off all signs of lethargy from the guards’ faces, their own feelings notwithstanding.
“Listen up. We have a tough night on our hands. Her Majesty Princess Lucilla, possible Code 3. No signs of outside entry, though don’t lower your guards. Hound units, separate into all directions and locate her scent. Units 5 and 6 would set up a perimeter. The rest, search the city. Palace service members would search inside. Dismissed.”
Following their orders, the guards marched to their posts in great urgency. A while later a perimeter was set, the hounds sent racing across the palace compounds, doors were knocked. What was a completely silent night was jolted awake with the commotion from the palace. It was a good half an hour before a report came in.
“This is Hound 5. We found footsteps in the snow outside the North wing, leading westward. Apparently Her Majesty was alone. Should we call for backup?”
Listening to the voice from his pocket watch, the head guard nodded in satisfaction.
 “Affirmative. All units, head westward. I’ll contact the West wall guards,” he replied to his pocket watch. His head turned east, looking longingly into the distance.
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About 20 miles east, a horse carriage raced through the snow away from the city. Despite the settling snow, the wheels slid along perfectly through the rough terrain. Inside were two women, one appearing younger and meeker than the other. The much burlier one, half-crouched with her right hand on her sheathed sword and one hand covering the smaller with a thick robe. Her eyes were wide open, almost like a cat’s, searching for light in the night while the horses faithfully dragged the carriage across the long road east. Underneath the robe, the younger woman shivered.
“I’m sorry for the cold, but please hold out for a little while longer.” The voice was firm, fitting the owner’s strong build, but surprisingly gentle.
“Do not worry Altea. I am fine. I am also sorry for involving you in this.”
“I am forever in Your Majesty’s service, Princess Lucilla. Please do not apologize for your rightful request upon me.”