Page 2 of The Abandoned Princess

The mood of the other girls slowly brightened as I joked, trying to spread my own enthusiasm for our situation. Thankfully Giselle had declared we would walk toward the Arcadian capital rather than waiting tamely for rescue, and the journey would be more pleasant if the other girls were in lighter moods.

The bright spring sunshine helped my cause, the blue sky daring anyone to remain gloomy and downcast. And when we finally set off, we were walking between ordered fields, with a row of trees beside the road to provide shade. Personally I would have preferred a wilder and more intriguing setting, but the other girls calmed as we moved through the pleasant scene.

I positioned myself beside Cassie. Despite our four-year age gap, I felt a sense of kindred with the Eldonian girl. Giselle might be the other royal, but Cassie knew the value of silent observation. She had even grown up in a castle full of secret passages, a place I wished I could visit.

I questioned her on everything she knew about the Arcadian capital and particularly the palace. She had never been there herself, of course—none of us had been in the Four Kingdoms before—but she seemed to know more about it than I did.

“Do you think the Arcadian palace will have hidden doors and secret passageways?” I asked, finally getting to my most burning question. “Will you help me find them, if they do?”

She didn’t answer, so I hurried to clarify. “Not that I’m saying I want to spy on the Arcadians!” A wistful note crept into my voice. “I suppose that would be terrible manners and might cause some sort of diplomatic incident. I just want the chance to see the passages themselves. And the clever mechanisms for concealing the doors. Do you think I would be able to find any on my own? I know they can be well-hidden, but you must be an expert. Maybe you could give me some hints at least?”

I looked at her expectantly, and she smiled back but in an absentminded way. I sighed internally. I was familiar with what it looked like when older people had lost interest in my words and were only pretending to listen.

A small wood appeared in the distance, swallowing the road. I examined it with interest, imagining threats lurking beneath the shadow of the canopy. A delicious shiver ran through me, unnoticed by Cassie, but a throat-clearing behind me made me stiffen. Lori had positioned herself behind us, the two ceremonial Trionian guards flanking her. Cassie might not be paying much attention, but my maid had her watchful eye on me as always.

Hit by a steak of rebellion, I spoke again in the same conversational voice I’d been using previously. “I’m planning to strip down to my shift and run screaming through the palace at every opportunity.”

Cassie nodded, her eyes on the trees ahead of us, but a strangled cough sounded from behind us. I threw a mischievous look over my shoulder, meeting the eyes of one of the startled guards.

They were both fairly new to my family’s service—chosen because they didn’t yet have wives or children to hold them back in Trione—so they weren’t used to me yet. Most of the guards and servants at the palace back home knew me too well to be shocked by anything I said.

Lori cleared her throat reprovingly, and I sighed aloud this time, turning back toward the fast-approaching trees. As the road plunged us into their midst, I angled my steps to drift slowly away from both Cassie and my looming attendants.

A noise in the trees to one side of the road caught my attention. It had been faint, drawing my notice only because the clink of metal didn’t belong to nature. Was there someone there?

I directed my drifting steps even wider, trying to look casual as I stepped off the road in the hope I wouldn’t attract the attention of Lori or my guards. Cassie was tense about something, even if I didn’t know what, and perhaps the noise in the woods was related. I would just take a little peek and see what I could find.

I peered at the spot where I had heard the noise, the broad trunk of an ancient tree blocking my vision. There seemed to be something caught on its rough bark, so I leaned closer to look.

The small piece of material appeared to have torn off an article of clothing, and if it was still caught on the sharp spur of bark, it must have happened recently. I removed it from the tree and looked back toward the road, feeling triumphant. I had found something.

My eyes met Giselle’s, hers full of worry as she hurried toward me, clearly concerned at my small detour. I drew a breath to call to her, but strong hands grabbed me around the middle, expelling the air.

My eyes widened, my gaze still locked on Giselle, as someone jerked me roughly backward. The sound of my name, screamed in Giselle’s voice, echoed through the trees as the road disappeared from view.

CHAPTER 2

I flailed, my arms and legs kicking wildly as I tried to squirm out of my captor’s grasp. I couldn’t imagine who had hold of me, but there was nothing gentle in their grip.

Shouts, screams, and the clang of striking swords reached me through the trees, making me redouble my efforts. Whatever was going on back on the road didn’t sound good. I had to get back there.

The man cursed, holding me firmly off the ground and preventing my struggle from gaining any force. Grunting in frustration I leaned down and bit his arm.

It had been many years since I had bit one of my older siblings, but I clamped down now with gusto, not relenting until I tasted the tang of blood.

The man shouted, thrusting me away from him. I fell to the ground, spitting as I landed on hands and knees. I didn’t stop to get my breath, though. My attacker would soon recover from his instinctive reaction and attempt to recapture me.

Pushing myself to my feet, I fled into the trees.

As much as I wanted to go back toward the road, the sounds of battle warned me not to be so foolhardy. Instead I fled deeper into the trees.

Trunks loomed all around me, and bushes and vines caught at my skirts, impeding my progress. I was tall for my age, but my legs were still much shorter than my pursuer, and he wasn’t hampered by a dress.

Grunts and the crash of movement sounded behind me. I wanted to turn and look but didn’t dare slow down. Someone was definitely pursuing me, and from the sound of it, he had companions who had joined the chase.

I had been acting on nothing but shock and a great spike of energy, but fear bit into me at the sound of the footfalls behind me. Escaping one attacker was challenge enough without facing a whole gang of them.

Who could they be, and what did they want with me? For all my normal curiosity, this was one puzzle I wanted to flee rather than solve.

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