Page 4 of The Abandoned Princess

I groaned. “Don’t tell me it was you behind me the whole time! Why didn’t you call out and tell me it was you?”

“I didn’t know who else might be within hearing range,” she said grimly. “As it was, the two of us only got away because your guards stopped the men who were trying to follow you.”

“But who were they? Why did they grab me?”

“That I can’t say. They weren’t on the ship with us and appear to have been lying in wait among the trees. But it was a coordinated attack from our own guards as well. It appears the Eldonians turned on the rest of us.”

“What?” I cried. “I don’t believe that for a second. Giselle’s parents wouldn’t do that! And Cassie certainly wouldn’t be part of such a betrayal.”

Lori refused to budge, however, her face dark. “I only know what I saw.”

“Whoever was behind it, you’re saying at least some of the guards from the ship attacked us,” I clarified, trying to wrap my mind around the possibility. “And what about our two guards? You said they stopped the man who grabbed me. Why didn’t they come after us?”

Lori hesitated and then shook her head. I stared at her, not wanting to believe what she seemed to be implying.

“Are you sure?” I whispered.

Her lips tightened, and she put a reassuring arm around me. In normal circumstances, I would have shrugged it off and told her I didn’t need to be comforted like a child. But these were far from normal circumstances.

Burying my face in her shoulder, I felt moisture gathering in my eyes. I had wanted an adventure, but not one like this.

CHAPTER 3

Lori had us both lie down where the edges of the wagon would keep us out of sight of any passersby. Lying in the straw, gazing up at the blue sky, it all felt unreal. We couldn’t possibly have been attacked by our own guards before we reached the first destination of our planned tour of the Four Kingdoms. None of it made any sense.

At the sound of the wheels hitting cobblestones, Lori raised herself up enough to look. After a couple of seconds, she lowered herself again to whisper to me.

“It’s a hamlet of sorts. We should get off here. Be ready.”

The pace of our progress slowed, the wagon eventually stopping as the farmer called cheerful greetings to someone we couldn’t see.

“Now,” Lori whispered, climbing over the back of the wagon and reaching up to help me down.

She whisked us both between two small buildings, immediately getting to work picking straw off my hair and clothing. I performed the same service in return until we were both clear of the tell-tale signs of our hiding place.

Lori regarded me with a critical air. “You can’t go around in that dress,” she eventually said. “You stay here.”

Before I could protest, she disappeared into the single street that seemed to run through the tiny village. I watched her go with dismay, but one glance at my gown told me she was right. If we were trying to avoid notice, then I couldn’t walk through a village like this wearing such a dress. I was supposed to be greeting royalty today, not traveling through the countryside.

Thankfully Lori returned quickly, having managed to procure a simple dress in roughly my size.

“Don’t tell me you have coins with you!” I exclaimed as she helped me strip down and change.

“Your parents entrusted a purse to me, so naturally I carry it with me at all times,” she said stiffly.

“While everything of value I have with me is back in my trunk,” I said ruefully. “And let that be a lesson to me.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “I believe I have enough to cover our needs.”

“And what exactly are our needs?” I asked, growing more and more curious about her plan. “Are you sure we shouldn’t go back to the road to look for survivors? Or do you think the Arcadians will have arrived to help any injured by now?”

Lori sniffed. “If they aren’t in on it themselves.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Now you think it was a conspiracy between the Arcadians and the Eldonians? That seems far-fetched. Trione has good relations with both kingdoms, especially Eldon, and we’ve had no reason to expect anything but a warm welcome in Arcadia.”

“Warm is not how I would describe the situation,” Lori said.

I put my hands on my hips. “You can’t be planning for us to walk home just the two of us. Sadly, neither of us are among the Trionians fortunate enough to receive a mer-tail, and while I’ve always longed for adventure, I haven’t yet learned how to walk on water.”

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