Page 7 of The Abandoned Princess

She snorted. “Brat!”

She whacked me lightly, extracting her arm, and I grinned. After so many days traveling incognito, she had lost any formality in her manner toward me, and I much preferred it that way.

But by the time we emerged from the mountains, I was desperate for something to happen—anything other than the constant monotony of silent travel.

The first proper Northhelmian town was different from the Arcadian ones in subtle ways. Its layout was more ordered, and the people more formal, for a start. Arcadia stood in the middle of the Four Kingdoms, a central point for travelers, which helped explain its more relaxed and easygoing populace. Within minutes I could tell we were going to stand out more in this new kingdom.

The formal manner of the Northhelmians put up a barrier between us and other travelers, meaning I didn’t initially take any note of the lone traveler we met on our second night out of the mountains. Several groups had set up camp for the night beneath one of the open wooden shelters provided for the purpose, but there was little chatter or mingling between the groups. So the woman who kept to herself drew little attention.

However when she suddenly displayed the opposite behavior, it caught my eye immediately. Her interest was clearly caught by Lori’s conversation with one of the groups of travelers. Our current benefactors were about to turn eastward toward their home village, so Lori was attempting to negotiate a new ride for us. Given the woman’s lack of attention to anyone else thus far, I couldn’t help but be concerned about her sudden interest in our plans. Especially since she was trying very hard not to appear as if she was paying attention.

I had grown up eavesdropping on adult conversations—it was the only way for me to learn anything of interest—so I recognized the signs easily. This woman wasn’t a complete novice at the task, but she lacked the skill of one trained since childhood.

Standing up, I pretended to stretch and shuffle away from the fire as if the flames were proving too hot in the comfortable spring night. No one took any notice of me, and I slipped further back into the shadows.

Lori would no doubt tell me to stay put and do nothing but watch the woman, but I had never liked doing nothing. And after days and days of sitting quietly, I was about to go stir-crazy.

With a final glance, I ascertained that the woman was still locked in place by her small fire, her ear turned toward Lori and the small group of merchants she was negotiating with.

As a lone woman, it seemed unlikely the eavesdropper was thinking of attacking us or trying to steal Lori’s preciously guarded purse. So why was she so interested in the conversation?

The woman’s small wagon had been positioned on the northern side of the shelter, next to the one we had arrived in. It was a simple matter for me to slip between the two vehicles, putting their solid bulks between me and the gathered campfires.

The darkness outside the shelter felt reassuring rather than frightening, the light from the moon and the distant flames enough for my purpose. I hadn’t realized how stifled I felt under Lori’s constant watchful eye.

Thoughts of my maid sent me scurrying for the traveler’s wagon. Lori might conclude her business and come looking for me at any moment. If that happened, I wouldn’t have long to poke around.

At first glance, the wagon—more cart than wagon—looked perfectly ordinary. But I scrambled into the back anyway, determined to get a closer look at the various bags and boxes inside. If the woman had anything to hide, it wouldn’t be sitting out in the open for anyone to see.

I moved methodically through each bag, checking the contents without dislodging anything. The cart possessed the usual paraphernalia of a long-term traveler, and nothing more. When I finished with the last bag, I sat back, my brow creased as I gazed unseeing across the dark fields beside the shelter.

The items in her cart might not be suspicious in themselves, but they still left me concerned. If the woman lived out of this cart, as it appeared, what business sustained her? She didn’t appear to be a woman of wealth, and neither was she transporting trading supplies of any kind. Everything I had discovered appeared to be for her own personal use.

Perhaps she was traveling between kingdoms in order to take up a new position with distant relatives or something of the sort. It was a possibility, although something about the situation still felt off. My older siblings might have scoffed at me, but I had honed my instinct over years, and I trusted it now. Something about this woman was untrustworthy, and I wanted to know why she was so interested in my and Lori’s plans.

“Well, hello there,” a soft voice said from the back of the wagon, making me start violently.

I whipped around to stare at the woman who had approached in absolute silence.

“I must say, I didn’t expect it to be quite this easy,” she said with an amused smile.

I swallowed, a feeling of foreboding seizing me.

“I’m sorry. I got confused in the darkness,” I said quickly. “I thought this was our wagon and was looking for my bag.”

The woman tipped her head to the side, regarding me with interest. “No, I don’t think you did.”

“I get confused more often than I should,” I said in my brightest and most childish voice. “My family are always scolding me for it.”

The woman’s eyebrows rose. “Are they? That’s funny since I had the impression you don’t have a family.”

I swallowed. “Of course I do!” My bright tone sounded forced this time, and I glanced toward the half hidden glow of the campfires.

The woman followed my gaze, her eyes too knowing for my comfort. “I don’t think your travel companion is your mother, somehow. You needn’t worry about her.”

“I should be getting back to her,” I said quickly, moving toward the woman since it was also the way out of the wagon. “She will be worrying about me.”

“Not at all.” The woman gave me a smile that made me feel even more ill at ease. “She’s already asleep, and sleeping quite peacefully from the looks of it.”

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