Page 4 of The Lost Princess

I dug my nails into the leather of the saddle, enraged. That was all anyone was going to do, was it? Simply offer their apologies and no true help?

“What about my things? I assume Cilla will send for them promptly?” I asked.

He didn’t answer for a long moment—so long that I assumed he hadn’t heard me over the pounding of the horse. “Sir, what about my—”

“You won’t need anything where you’re going,” he snapped out, exasperated and sounding at his wit’s end.

Shocked into silence, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what that meant. I’d be provided with all new things? Was Cillian fashion so different? I supposed it was possible. That had to be it, because I refused to think about whatelseit could mean. There was only one other reason a kidnapped princess wouldn’t need to bring anything with her as she traveled to a new kingdom.

She wouldn’t be there long.

I kept still and quiet as we rode north.

ChapterTwo

KAIDA

Ididn’t know much about the northern kingdom of Cilla. My kidnapper told me the entire journey would likely take two weeks, but we were stopping earlier, and not going all the way there. My captor’s name was Jarrett.

I didn’t feel safe with him, but I didn’t feel threatened either. He’d grabbed me once to take me away, and helped me on and off the horse. That was it.

It must have been apparent to him that I wasn’t used to being around a man. He took my flinches and twitches in stride, saying nothing. He was a nice enough man who tried hard to keep my modesty intact while ensuring I had enough to eat and drink. He stayed a respectful distance from me when I slept and pointed out interesting things about the wilderness I had never known—such as how to tell direction from the sun in the sky, and which mushrooms would taste the best in a soup.

I’d never needed to know such things before. Perhaps princesses in the north had to cook? That wouldn’t be so bad to learn a useful skill other than sewing or needlepoint.

I know I should have been more scared—terrified, even—but the truth was that I’d never been outside of the castle walls. The forest around me was endlessly fascinating, and despite the uncertainty of my future, I tried to take it all in. In a way, I could sometimes simply pretend I was off on a grand adventure, and not …whateverthis was.

As for Jarrett, he was nothing but patient. I wondered if he had a daughter himself. The look of pain he gave me when he thought I wasn’t looking was disturbing in more ways than one.

The newness of being outdoors quickly wore off a few days into our journey when the mild weather gave way to the hard sun beating overhead. My legs were numb after being constantly in the saddle. The nights turned frigidly cold, and it only got worse the more north we went. The forest began to thin, giving way to red, dusty sands.

It was easy to see why it would be hard to grow anything out here. I hoped what Jarrett said in court hadn’t been true and that the people of my kingdom were starving, and my father had borrowed money simply to maintain his lavish court style.

My heart couldn’t bear it if that was the case. My image of my father was stoic and noble. My world would fall apart if he ended up being anything else.

After a week, the two of us finally ran into the Cillian army. Alarmed, I realized Jarrett’s threats to my father about a complete takeover in a few days’ time had not merely been a bold bluff. King Werris had been serious about making good on his promises.

My home kingdom of Tarta had no army I was aware of, simply guards who protected the castle along with my father and me. We were a small kingdom.

But Cilla? Cillians must take fighting quite seriously. Or perhaps they were simply much larger than we were. The army was massive and disciplined. The men moved in organized lines, responding to the slightest of commands given by a high-pitched instrument that a boy blew through at different intervals.

I frowned, feeling as though this was a glaring oversight in my education.

Before me stretched legions of men, hundreds of them! Thousands, perhaps. Little white tents dotted the red sands before me like comically large balls of cotton. Thin tendrils of smoke snaked up toward the sky from hundreds of campfires, creating a gray haze that hung over the entire encampment. Some men were dressed in normal clothes, others with leather armor wrapping around their bodies. A few here and there gleamed in shining armor, polished meticulously and flashing as they paused to sup around their small fires. I’d never seen so many men in my life. There were a few women dotted here and there, but they were always busy with a task, and gave off a weary, beaten down aura.

There were many stares and whispered mumblings among the men when they caught sight of me. It was clear they’d never seen anyone likemebefore, either.

Walking toward the encampment, I started to sweat, everything my father had told me about men springing to mind. How they were beasts, forcing young girls into dark misdeeds, and how they abused and hurt them.

I was suddenly glad for Jarrett then. He was a constant presence by my side, sneering and scaring off any strange soldier who got too close to me. The first man who tried to grab me got a bloody nose, courtesy of the hilt of Jarett’s sword. The rest backed off after that.

“I didn’t want to be escorted back, but they were in the area anyway,” he sniffed to me, watching as a group of three men who’d been staring at me slunk off to their own tents. He was definitely grumpier now that he had to act as a personal guard on top of everything else. I didn’t blame him. He was desperately outnumbered here.

I blinked, alarmed. “They’reescortingus?”

Jerrett ran a tired hand through his hair. “You are important, and we are eager to end the monster’s reign. That is all I will say.”

He offered me a piece of jerky, which I graciously took. The first day with him I’d refused the strange tacky meat, but hunger ended up winning out. Truly, it wasn’t as bad as I’d thought. It was interesting what an empty belly did to change your tastes.

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