Page 27 of The Abandoned Princess

“Oh, I don’t go up the tower,” Lori said. “I live in the nearby forest.”

“You’ve really never been up once?” Xander asked, as if unable to believe anyone could show so little curiosity.

She chuckled. “I may be strong, but I’m not young and spry anymore. You won’t catch me clambering up and down dresses.”

“Besides, didn’t you hear me before?” I added. “Eulalie doesn’t know Lori is here, and there’s nowhere in the tower she could easily hide herself. We’ve taken so much care to keep her secret that even the children don’t know about her, aside from Charli. Are you sure you don’t want to go into the forest with her?”

“Positive.” He smiled at me with such certainty, I turned quickly for the tower.

Taking hold of the dress at the bottom of the chain, I began pulling myself upward. I used the same method as when I’d climbed down, walking up the wall with my feet while I pulled myself upward with my hands.

When I was halfway up, I allowed myself one quick glance down, secretly pleased to see an impressed look on Xander’s face. I had made sure to build my strength since the days of my first escape, and I could now handle the climb with relative ease.

When I reached the top and maneuvered through the window, I leaned back out to let him know he was clear to start climbing.

“Now I really am afraid I’m going to look a fool,” he called up at me in a delighted tone. “You made that look far too easy.”

I smiled with self-satisfaction. “If you’re going to fall, try and do it low enough that you don’t break any bones, please. I may not need you to rescue me, but I’d rather not have to rescue you.”

As tempting as it was to watch his ascent, it was far more pressing for me to dash around the tower and tidy up from the mess I’d left. As soon as I finished shoving the last piece of dirty clothing into the small washroom, I rushed back to the window.

I stuck my head out only to quickly pull it back in after it nearly collided with the prince’s head. Stumbling back several steps, I watched as he pulled himself effortlessly over the window ledge, the muscles on his arms straining.

“It held,” he said with a grin. “But I think only just.”

“We need to pull it up,” I said, trying not to show how conscious I was of his presence.

It had been one thing to be near him in the large, open clearing, but seeing him here, in my space, felt unexpectedly different. Had he always been this tall and broad?

He responded to my words, hauling up the makeshift rope and depositing it on the floor of the tower room. Once it was all inside, he began working on the knot holding it to the beam. I watched him for several seconds before giving myself a shake and hurrying into action.

Grabbing the length of the rope, I started on the first knot I could find, detaching the various items from each other. Xander did his best to help, but when I saw him giving the unusual dress that was my current project a very odd look, I snatched it out of his hands and shoved it into the chest along with the rest of my crumpled dresses. I’d just finished folding the last of the blankets and sheets when the whistling call of one of the local birds pierced the night air.

My head shot up, my eyes growing wide.

“Is that a nocturnal bird?” Xander asked, his brow creased.

I leaped across the distance between us, slapping my hand across his mouth. His eyes widened, but he didn’t push me away. Instead he went still, his eyes flying to the window.

“That’s Lori,” I hissed in a whisper. “She’s warning us.”

CHAPTER 10

Xander’s eyes lit up with understanding. I didn’t have to tell him what Lori was warning us about.

I cast a despairing look around the circular room at the top of the tower before looking back at Xander. I’d expected to have more time to come up with a hiding place for him.

He glanced toward the door to the washroom, but I shook my head. It was a tiny space inside, and Eulalie sometimes used it on her visits.

Xander gripped my wrist, lowering the hand I’d forgotten was still clasped over his mouth.

“It will have to be that, then.” He pointed to the chest at the foot of the bed.

I gazed at it in concern. It was a large chest, but could it possibly fit Xander?

He didn’t hesitate, though, pulling out the dresses I’d just put inside. He threw them to me, and I shoved them under my mattress.

“Daisy!” Eulalie called in a displeased voice. “Daisy!”

---