A/N: Please don't attack me in a mad mob for not updating sooner .. school stinks, you know?

Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride.

"Well Maximum, I hope you know that you have been the cause of the kingdom's worries for quite a time now," Jeb said, watching me eat with a hint of disgust on his face. I was snarfing down a chicken leg, I was obviously starving.

"Sure, but I'm fine," I said, grabbing some bread and slathering butter on it. "Just, you know, starving."

"But what I would like to know is why you ran away in the first place and," he waved his hand at my clothes, which weren't what I was wearing to the ball. "why you felt that you could get a change of clothes whenever you want. Breeches are men's clothes, not a fine lady like yourself."

I couldn't help it. A snort escaped and a grin grew on my face as the laughter grew. I dropped the bread and covered my mouth. A fine lady? Oh, this was too good. If only he truly knew..

"I didn't actually run away," I said carelessly. "I was obviously kidnapped, which I want to know how. Isn't your castle security apparently 'the best?'"

He shook his head, his eye twitching slightly in anger. Good. I was making him mad already and I've only been here for a few minutes. "No, you 'obviously' ran away. There would have been proof of struggle if you were kidnapped and my guards saw you walking out of the gates with two strange men." He raised his eyebrows. "What have I told you about-"

I groaned loudly and put my head in my hands, slumping down on the table. "How many times do I have to say it? I was freaking kidnapped! I told you about the kidnapper too! Am I really not that believable?"

With my head still down, I put my hand on the table and patted around to find that one piece of bread. My hand ended up in the wine jug, in the butter and on a plate of chicken (I grabbed one of those) before it found the original piece of bread I was eating.

"You're known to have a great imagination, Maximum," the King said angrily. "I didn't believe any of this nonsense when you were younger and I don't plan on believing it now!" He added in a softer tone, "Just tell me why you ran away. Is life here not satisfying for you? There are serfs and peasants who wish they were you right now."

"I. Did. Not. Run. Away!" I growled, standing up with my hands gripping the table. "Why can't you understand that Jeb?" I was practically shouting at this point. "If you can't be a good father, then maybe I would like to trade places with a peasant, as long as I could get a family that would actually believe me!" I laughed bitterly and added, "Mother would have believed me." I walked out of the dining room with my head held high, bitter laughs escaping out of my mouth as I went.

"Your mother is dead!" Jeb hollered from the dining room as one more attempt to make me feel bad. It didn't work but it jabbed at my heart a bit. He's playing the "mother" card just like I had.

I was just about to storm into my room when Ella came out of nowhere and tackled me into a hug. (Yippee.) "Where have you been Max? I cannot believe that you would run away like that!" She blabbered as I tried to peel her off of me so I could get to my room. "Father has been so worried, he looks like he has aged ten years since you ran away!"

"For the last time," I growled at her, my back at the door. "I was kidnapped! So stop telling me I ran away, because I think I would know what happened to me." I opened the wooden door and slammed it in her face. Serves her right for trying to tell what happened to me.

I almost shredded the clothes that I was wearing, taking out the small bombs Iggy and Gazzy had made for me and the knife I bought at the market. I threw them on the ground and put on some nice, clean breeches, along with a shirt. They were my flying clothes, but I really wasn't in the mood to go fly right now.

Why would I even run away? I mean, I disliked some people here (mainly Jeb) but I thought that it was nice, other than that. I was pretty satisfied being a princess (even though princess was quite girly. I guess I couldn't wait to be queen) and I wouldn't run away for weeks at a time, maybe just a night or two if I had to.

Maybe I could have the maid run a bath, I thought, laying on my bed and staring at the ceiling. It would be nicer that free-falling into a lake, although that would be more fun. I decided on the bath-I had no idea if the lake would be cold and that would stink.

I got out of bed drowsily and stumbled to the door. Wow, I hadn't realized how tired I was. Now if I could only find someone to draw a bath..

After that nice, warm bath, (which seriously calmed me down a lot) I decided that I would go and find some evidence that I was kidnapped. Like the cloth our friend Fangles pressed against my face and (hopefully) left in the ballroom. Something that I could prove Jeb was wrong.

I walked to the ballroom with a skip in my step, remembering that I hadn't seen a cloth when I was taken. Maybe they were just stupid enough to leave one behind. Remember, you can only blame Fang for this. I reminded myself earnestly as I arrived at the scene of the crime.

The ballroom was still a mess, probably from the ball when I was first taken. Maybe they were so worried about me that they forgot to clean up, I thought smugly with a small chuckle and began to walk up at stairs, two at a time.

And at the top of the stairs was my prize.

"Yes!" I said triumphantly and grabbed the cloth. It was still a bit wet from whatever was on it. I brought it up to my nose to see if it was the same one-yep, I brought it down quickly for it was making me see black spots and become a little dizzy. Time to show Jebster.

Little did I know that I would regret ever proving that I was kidnapped.

I walked down the long corridor to the throne room, where a guard told me that the King was requesting my presence. Probably to apologize and let me bask in the glory that I've been right all along, I thought with a hint of pride. Now who had the over reactive imagination?

As soon as I walked in, I saw Ella, Jeb and some other girl (dressed in rags) all standing in a line, looking cross (Jeb) excited (Ella) and nervous (the other girl.)

"Who the hell is that?" I asked impulsively, jerking my thumb at the girl. "I thought you requested to see me."

"Max, we're getting a new sibling!" Ella squealed and grabbed the hand of the girl. "She'll be your replacement!"

"What..?" I turned to Jeb. "Did I hear that right? My replacement?"

"Yes, Maximum," he smirked. This is probably exactly what he wanted in the fifteen years I've been alive. "This is Lilith, a peasant girl. She was the one who looked most like you. You did say that you would rather be with a peasant family and I am opening that door for you right now. You and Lilith are to trade places."

"I actually didn't look most like you, Max," Lilith said softly. "My sister Maya did, but she's sick."

"Will someone give her the medicine then?" I asked with a flap of my arm. "Then she can leave and I have something to show you all." I held up the cloth. "This was pressed against me when I was taken. Proof enough?"

Jeb stalked forward to grab the cloth from my hand and sniffed it. "Chloroform." He muttered and tossed it to the guard behind him. "Take it to the lab or something, just get rid of it."

"Yes sir," the guard said with a bow and hurried away with my evidence.

"So does that prove it?" I asked slyly and crossed my arms. "That was pressed up against my face when I was kidnapped, I found it in the same spot, the top of the ballroom stairs. And, I would like to ask, how I ran away when your guards clearly escorted me to the ballroom?" I added in with a hint of arrogance. I knew that I was right.

Jeb glared at me. "We have no proof that you were kidnapped. We only have your word and that chloroform rag. It's not enough."

"What if I could bring in my kidnapper?" I said, thinking of a new idea. "If I could bring him, then it would prove to you that I was actually kidnapped. Then you could lock him up in the prison or something."

"No," my Father smiled cruelly. "Kidnapping is a great crime. He would be sentenced to death on the guillotine, perfect for a criminal. Lilith would take your place while you're gone.." He stroked his beard. "Yes, that sounds nice. Run along, Maximum, you have a kidnapper to find."

I turned pale. Nobody ever said that Fang was going to .. die.. "I, um, think I actually ran away then," I said quietly and began to turn from the room, but was blocked by two guards crossing their weapons.

"No." The sound of his voice turned me around. "You will find that kidnapper," Jeb said. "And he will be put to death. Or else it will be your head that will roll."