Page 16 of Quest for her Knights

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I hold in my groan, knowing exactly who he would task with this, my older brother, Ranger.

Our mother had a hard time conceiving a second child and died in childbirth. Because Ranger was six when I was born, he took her death hard, but he never held it against me. If anything, it was the opposite. He always looked after me, took me to play with his friends, helped with my studies, and supported me when I enlisted in the royal guard, just like him, as soon as I was of age.

We were close, but he always acted more like a protector than a brother or best friend. I always tried to make him laugh, thinking he needed more fun in life, but after joining the guard, he grew less tolerant of my antics, telling me I’m a knight and need to act like it. He’s still there when I need him, but we don’t talk much these days.

And now I was going to have to go on the road with him for months?

The Strange End of Napoleon: Arsenic Poisoning or Stomach Cancer?

The Death of Alexander the Great: Poison or Natural Illness?

The Assassination of Hypatia of Alexandria: Philosophy, Power, and Tragedy

The Angel Makers of Nagyrév: How Hungarian Women Poisoned Hundreds of Husbands

This was going to be a long trip.

Chapter six

Ranger

Throwing my bag onto the top of the carriage, I make sure to tie it down tightly alongside the rest of the luggage. There was far less than I expected for a princess, but after what the queen and kings told me yesterday, I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised.

I’ve known Princess Elora since she was five years old, when I first joined the guard at only twenty. Even then, I could see she was cold-hearted. It sounds like a terrible thing to say about a small child, but it was clear she was cruel and mean, traits she never grew out of. She was the black sheep of the family. Where her parents and brothers were just and benevolent, she was manipulative and arrogant.

I haven’t been able to wrap my mind around the fact that she’s gone for good, replaced by her look-alike from anotherrealm. The change in Princess Freya, when the same thing happened to her, was obvious, but that didn’t make it any easier to grasp.

I find myself eager to see the new Elora, desperate to get a complete picture of her in my mind. Since I’d be spending the next few months with her, I was praying she was nothing like her predecessor.

The queen and kings didn’t tell me much, other than the fact that she was from another realm and was being sent on this mate tour they had scheduled.

I was strongly informed that I needed to help remind her how to act like a princess if she stepped out of line, and that I needed to make sure my brother and his friends kept their hands to themselves. It was a strange request, because as far as I knew, Arrow, Blaze, and Draven had never acted out of line or shown any interest in the old Princess Elora.

Was this one really so different?

“Do you need any help?” A soft, feminine voice calls from below. I look down from where I’m perched on the side of the carriage, finishing with the last rope, and see the new Elora.

Instantly, I see the difference. Not only is her hair longer, but there’s a softness and innocence that radiates from her, something I’d never seen the tiniest hint of before. That’s not all that’s different. I feel the strangest sensation in my chest as I stare down at her. Like a small tug, urging me to move closer. It’s the weirdest thing I’ve ever felt, and I don’t like it.

I test the rope to make sure it’s tight, then quickly jump down. I stand tall in front of her, staring down at her small frame. She’s tiny, almost a foot shorter than I am, and her bright hazel eyes watch me with interest.

“Thanks for the offer, Princess, but I’m all done now.”

“I’m Elora,” she says, offering me her hand.

I stare at it for a moment in surprise. Royalty never shakes hands, especially a princess. I realize she’s going to have a lot to learn, not having grown up as royalty.