"So" said King Aarvin to Sir Patwin "Princess Serys is apparently off on a quest! Isn't that interesting? And of course very inconvenient for me in my diplomatic dealings with Malvern. I suppose I should have expected something like this, given her rather unorthodox approach to the traditional role of Princess."
"Uh, yes my liege." said Patwin nervously. Unlike most men Patwin had known, the King did not get louder and more abrupt when he was angry. When he was calm, outwardly nonchalant, and using perfectly formed sentences with a large proportion of multisyllable words was when there was trouble brewing.
"Now here's what I find somewhat puzzling, Patwin, maybe you can help me cogitate this one. Would she have left without telling her closest associate--that would be you, by the way--and if she had, would not that person have immediately repaired to the company of the rightful monarch to inform him and forestall the actions of his disobedient child?"
"I swear, your Majesty, I knew nothing! I don't know what this is about or where she's going or anything!"
"Ah Patwin, you were always so bad at lying." The king paused to clean his fingernails. "Which is why I think you're actually telling the truth. So I'm going to be a merciful sovereign and instead of throwing you in the tower I'm going to give you a job. Find her and bring her back here. You're not a young man, so I know you aren't possessed of any romantic ideas of starting a new life. Find her and bring her back and we'll just forget the whole thing. Don't find her and you are exiled from this kingdom and can experience the life of a penniless sell-sword, which from everything I hear is considerably less fun at 60 than 16, Go!"
Patwin went.