Page 15 of Unbetrothed

The crisp air blew stray hairs from my braid. No one would suspect I was the Princess Beatriz since I wore a plain white chemise and a gray overdress. My escorts clothed themselves in their most tattered clothes, extra effort on their part to keep our identity hidden. If I weren’t clinging to the rails of the side of the wagon and clenching my teeth to keep them from rattling, I might have even giggled.I was on the quest for magic. The quest I’d dreamt of for so long.

“How far until we reach the fork?” I yelled to the driver.

He grunted. “Princess Beatriz, we will take a different route only used by the common folk. We won’t be passing the fork.” He gave Cata a sidelong look.

Cata nodded back at him. Wrinkles formed on the outer edges of her tiny eyes when she smiled. She had a stout body, always wore a smirk, and was not my favorite maid. Occasionally, she served me, but her regular duty kept her somewhere else on my floor.

Mattha cackled to herself. Why did Laude choose these two maids to travel with us?

Cata slapped Mattha’s shoulder. “Shhh … don’t disgrace us in front of the princess.”

Mattha rubbed her shoulder. Her unveiled stare sent a shiver up my back.

Protocol forbade maids to make eye contact with the royal family. I didn’t know if my apprehension had spiked because no one other than Laude and Myla looked at me so openly or if something more transpired. Mamá said to trust my gut when it came to people. I broke eye contact first and searched the tree lines that blurred by us on both sides of the gravel trail. Misgivings slithered through my head, but I could do nothing about them.

We needed to outrun my papá’s gift and his soldiers. Papá could control another person’s body with his thoughts. If we stayed out of his eyesight, his power could not reach us. I willed the wagon to bump along faster, clinging to the side rails. The soldiers were certain to come in a couple of hours—once they’d realized we’d bolted without them. So long as my mamá insisted on soldiers, the chateau would never be an option.

Giddel disappeared behind a verdant mountain. A screeching hawk flew overhead.

After a while, we turned onto a more rustic road. The wagon lurched from side to side. I called to the driver, “Where does this road lead?”

He shouted over a shoulder, “To a special spot with the finest view. Only the best for our princess.”

Laude wrapped an arm around the side of the wagon. Her curly red hair sprang from her braid, transforming it into a wild mane. “Princess, is everything all right? Should we change course?”

I swallowed, fears burning my throat. “No, Laude. It’s just that I’ve never been to the east side of the mountains.”

Laude clasped my free hand. “We can go back. I overheard Myla arranging a trip to your aunt’s chateau.”

“No. How would we go to,” I widened my eyes, mouthingValle de los Fantasmas. “There would have been too many soldiers and others to allow me to relax.” The excuse rang off-key to my ears, but no one else turned in our direction.

Laude nodded with a smile. Did she understand what I meant?

The sun beat on our foreheads. We hadn’t made it to the tree cover just yet. Instead, patches of thick grass leaned in front of the path, and rocks lined the road. The wagon swerved and hit a bump that launched us into the air. We plopped back down with a thud, and I rubbed my rear end.

“Should we not stop for water?” I yelled to the driver.

“There’s a well up the path. We’ll stop once we arrive.” He whipped the reins hard over the horses.

With each sway of the wagon, a whisper of Mamá’s warning echoed in my mind.Your fancifulideas will one day lead you into real danger.We weren’t near Valle de los Fantasmas as far as I knew. Going to my aunt’s chateau with soldiers may have been the wiser route.

The horses pressed down the lane. Time stood still as miles slipped past us. The horses pressed on, and the wagon lumbered up the mountain until the narrow path leveled. We stopped. A stone well stood in the middle of a clearing at the summit of the hill.

“Get off for water at the well.” The driver handed the reins over to the man next to him. He pulled a pail from the wagon before heading up toward the well, which was overgrown with vines.

Laude passed me a waterskin. The other two maids hopped off the side of the wagon and plodded through the grass to join the driver. Cata touched the driver’s bicep while they talked. All three laughed as they dropped the pail into the well, and the driver turned the crank connected to the pail’s rope. I sipped my water. Chills prickled the back of my neck despite the humid heat.

The smell of cucumber, jicama, and lime perfumed the air and chased away my apprehension. Laude laid out the rest of the traveling spread: refried beans and cheese over toast, chopped fruit doused with lime and sprinkled with spices.

“Where are the fish and meat?” I asked.

“I—I … Cook was awake. I couldn’t take them without him noticing.” Laude tipped her head low.

I guess there was only so much Laude could do without getting caught.I began to eat my meal. I had to admit, the crisp taste of the fruits refreshed my overheated body.

Laude offered a sandwich to the grimy man holding the reins. The fool grunted. He had no decorum.

I dabbed my lips with my napkin. Should I tell the other servants we were headed to Valle de los Fantasmas? Cata and Mattha cranked another bucket, chattering in hushed tones among themselves. Our eyes met, and I averted my gaze. A metallic sheen crept up my forearm along the thin vine-like designs, promising death should I fail.

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