

# Princess Wars

# J. D. Rogers

***

### Smashwords Edition

Text copyright © 2016 by J.D. Rogers

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for quotations in printed reviews, without the written permission of the author.

All characters are fictional. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

COVER PHOTO: Courtesy of Pixabay.com

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return it to your favorite ebook retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

# CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

DESTINY'S QUEEN

BOOKS BY JD ROGERS

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

# Chapter 1

"Save your sisters." Those were the last words my mother said to me. But how do you save people that want to kill you? Not that I had a chance to ask my mother that question. Shortly after she issued that command, she slipped into a coma. Now, a servant was standing in front of me, telling me my mother didn't have much time left. An hour. No more.

"If you wish to say goodbye," the servant said. "Her physician believes that you should do it now."

I nodded. "I'll be there as soon as I dress."

I had a vision when I shut my door. I saw myself in my mother's chambers, dressed in the black silk gown I was about to don. I saw my mother die. I gave her a final kiss on the forehead, then headed back to my suite. Just as I reached the door to my suite, four members of the palace guard grabbed me and dragged me below ground, to the dungeon, where they tossed me in a cell of granite and iron.

I was still locked in that cell when my oldest sister, Bedonna, entered. She drew her broadsword out of its scabbard and plunged it straight into my heart. She did it without an, I'm sorry, on her lips.

I should point out that Bedonna didn't have anything against me, other than the fact that we were both heirs to the throne. When the reigning Queen of Adah died, her daughters fought among themselves for the right to replace her on the throne. Those battles were known as the Princess Wars. The surviving daughter, presumably the strongest and smartest, became the next Queen of Adah. The dead daughters were quickly forgotten, dumped into unmarked graves on a barren hill known as the Cemetery of Would Be Queens.

As the youngest of the queen's four daughters, I wasn't considered much of a threat to become the next queen. I wasn't a great warrior like my oldest sister, Bedonna. I wasn't a blond beauty like my second oldest sister, Salisha. I wasn't a great intellectual like my third sister, Iderra.

My problem was that each of my sisters excelled at something, while I excelled at nothing. That was why people referred to me as Lila the Insignificant. That was why I didn't understand our mother's final words to me. How was someone as insignificant as myself suppose to save them? If mother had been in her right mind, she would've told them to save me.

I had never told anyone about my visions, not even mother. With three older sisters coveting my death, I decided that it was better to be known as Lila the Insignificant than Lila the Seer. People feared seers. No one feared the insignificant. If I could become insignificant enough, I might be able to slip away while my sisters fought among themselves.

My vision didn't tell me if Salisha and Iderra were at our mother's side when she died, nor did it tell me if Bedonna killed them. Not that it mattered. That future was gone, altered by my decision to not say a final goodbye to our mother. The only thing that mattered now was making the most of the next hour, putting as much distance as I could between my sisters and myself.

Tucked away in one of the wardrobes that filled my dressing room were some clothes I had stashed away for this very night. I planned to put them on after my mother's passing, but I now knew I didn't have that luxury.

The outfit was identical to the one the servant had been wearing, polished black riding boots, gray cotton breeches, a thigh-length green tunic with the royal seal on front, namely, the head of my mother on the body of a golden lion with eagle's wings. A wool cloak that matched the color of the green tunic completed the outfit.

Once I was dressed in the livery of a royal servant, I attached two leather pouches to my scabbard belt and buckled my sword around my waist. One pouch was full of gold coins, the other was full of jewelry. Most of the jewelry was mine, but a few of the more valuable pieces had been pilfered from my mother's personal collection.

I wrapped the cloak around myself and pulled the cowl over my head, hiding my face. I slipped into the hallway, which much to my relief was empty. I headed downstairs, moving away from my mother's suite. Servants were rarely bothered if they were hurrying, moving as if they were on an important mission. With that in mind, I tried to look like I was on an important mission, which I was, a mission to save my life.

My path out of the palace took me through the throne room. I slipped into the room through a side door used by servants. Green and gold banners decorated with the royal seal hung from the room's white granite walls. At one end of the room were a pair of massive oak doors. At the other end of the room, on a white granite dais, sat the throne. The rest of the room was empty, save for the numerous brass oil lamps that hung from hooks embedded in the ceiling.

When I reached the door that would take me to the stable, part of me wanted to stop and take one final look at the place where I had spent my first twenty summers. I wanted to stop, but I didn't. The butterflies in my stomach told me to press on, to keep moving, to put as much distance between myself and the palace as I could.

It wasn't until I reached the stable that I ran into anybody, a stable boy to be exact.

"I need a horse," I said, stepping out of the shadows so he could see me.

The stable, like the palace, was made out of white granite. Brass oil lamps hanging from hooks in the rafters lit the place. There were fifty horses in the stable, resting in the twenty-five stalls that lined each side of the building. Like all stables, it smelled of hay and manure.

The stable boy straightened up, moving off the stool he had been sitting on. "A bit late to be going for a ride. Mind if I ask where you're headed?"

He looked about eighteen, a couple of years younger than myself. He was a good head taller than me.

Judging by the way he stepped in front of me, the stable boy clearly meant to make trouble. That wasn't surprising. The stable boys had a reputation for teasing the maids whenever one of them ventured into the stable. Even though he couldn't see my face, he could tell from my size that I was girl. If I continued to play the part of a maid on an errand, he would poke, prod, and grope me. Once he pulled back the hood on my cloak, which he undoubtedly would, he would know who I was. I figured I might as well save him the trouble.

I threw back my hood, so he could see my face. "Where I'm going doesn't concern you."

The boy dropped to his knee and bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Princess. I didn't know it was you."

"The queen is dying. She will not survive the night."

"I have heard," the boy said. He was tall and skinny, with a hooked nose and curly brown hair that covered his ears. He had a thick lower lip that drooped toward his chin. He wore brown shoes, white wool socks that reached to the knee, brown leather breeches, a long sleeved white wool shirt that laced down the front, and a brown leather jerkin.

"Have you declared allegiance to one of my sisters?"

"I am but humble stable boy. No one has demanded my allegiance, Your Highness."

I brought my left hand out from underneath my cloak and extended it. On my finger was a gold ring with the royal seal of Adah. Instead of my mother's head on the body of a lion with eagle's wings, this one contained my head. In the middle of the lion's body was the number 412. It meant that I was the fourth daughter of the twelfth queen.

"If no one has demanded your allegiance," I said. "Then I will demand it."

To his credit, the boy didn't hesitate. He took my hand in both of his and kissed my ring. "You have my allegiance, Your Highness."

"What's your name?"

"Zore."

"Your support is acknowledged and appreciated, Zore. We shall not forget you when we assume our place on the throne." It sounded a little pompous, considering I was a long way from assuming any throne, but it was the standard reply when someone took an oath to defend and support you. "Now, saddle the two swiftest horses you have."

"Those belong to the guards. I'm not sure they'll like it if we take their horses."

"They belong to the royal family," I said, using the haughtiest tone I could muster. "Of which I am a member. Now hurry, time is of the essence."

The boy hurried off. A few minutes later, he returned with a black mare and a red gelding, both saddled. He held the mare while I mounted it, then led the gelding to the stable doors.

"You're taking both horses?"

"Not quite," I said. "You're coming with me."

I couldn't leave him behind. Eventually, Bedonna's guards would ask him if I had passed through the stable. Although he took an oath to serve me, I had little doubt that when someone pointed a sword at him, he would tell them everything he knew, including which way I went. The only way to keep him from doing that was to take him with me.

The palace was on a hill just west of the city of Morcesha. The city was located in the center of the country, on the foothills of the mountains that dominated the western half of the country.

As we headed down the tree lined drive that led away from the palace, we encountered a member of the guard. If he had been on foot, we could've just galloped by him. But he wasn't on foot, he was riding a speckled stallion.

"Hold it right there." He blocked our path by turning his horse sideways.

I pulled the mare up and threw back the hood on my cloak, so he could see my face. There was only a quarter moon out, not enough light for him to see that I wore the livery of a servant, but enough for him to recognize me.

The man was Vomeir Nardus, Captain of the Palace Guard. I knew he had torn loyalties. He loved Salisha, but he served under Bedonna, who headed the palace guard. They both wanted me dead, so it made little difference to me which one he elected to support.

"Princess Lila," Vomeir said. "A bit late to be out for a ride."

"I couldn't sleep."

"So you thought you'd go out for a midnight ride?"

"One of the advantages to being a princess."

"Perhaps I should accompany you. It's not wise for a princess to ride alone. Highway men abound at night."

"I would hate to keep you from your duties, Captain." I nodded at Zore. "Besides, I'm not alone."

"Truth be told, Your Highness, I'm not on duty right now. Like you, I came out to clear my head."

I tugged on the mare's reins, steering her around Vomeir. Much to my chagrin, he fell in beside me, matching my pace. Zore followed along behind us, trying not to be noticed.

"I don't envy you," I said to Vomeir. "You have a tough decision coming up. Do you support Bedonna, your commanding officer, for queen? Or do you support Salisha, the woman you desire? One way or another, you'll be disappointing one of my sisters."

"My decision is harder than you can imagine."

"How so?" I wondered how long he would stay with us. Eventually, he'd realize that I had no intention of returning to the palace. What would he do then? Force me to return to the palace and turn me over to Salisha or Bedonna? Kill me himself and bring my severed head to whichever sister he decided to support? Let me go and pretend that he never saw me? Probably not much chance of that last thing happening.

"I declared my love to Salisha several weeks ago and she rejected me."

That surprised me. Salisha liked handsome men as much as they liked her. With our mother already gravely ill, I would've expected her to lead Vomeir on, use him as a spy to keep track of Bedonna's plans.

"I find that hard to believe," I said. "Salisha would never reject a man as handsome as yourself. Especially with our mother so gravely ill."

"That's what I had hoped. Turns out she doesn't trust me. She accused me of being one of Bedonna's spies."

I knew Vomeir wasn't spying on Salisha. When you saw how he looked at her, saw how much he wanted her, it was clear that he was in love with her. The fact that Salisha couldn't see it didn't surprise me. Salisha wasn't great at reading people, let alone seeing what was in their heart. She tended to focus mostly on herself.

"So your problem is solved. When our mother passes, you'll swear allegiance to Bedonna."

Vomeir surprised me yet again. "I'm not sure I can do that."

"Because?"

"As Commander of the Palace Guard, Bedonna is very competent."

"But?"

"I'm not sure she'd make a good queen."

I wasn't going to argue that point, but I was interested in hearing Vomeir's rational for not wanting Bedonna to be the next queen. "You surprise me, Captain. Bedonna is as good a soldier as you."

We reached the point where the drive leading to the palace connected with the main road. Rather than turning east and heading into the city, I turned west and headed away from the city. Vomeir kept pace alongside of me. Zore continued to follow behind us.

"Being a good soldier and being a good queen aren't the same thing," Vomeir said. "I don't know if you're aware of this, Your Highness, but once she's the queen, Bedonna plans to wage war against the Dark Wizards of Sorea."

"And you think that's a bad idea?"

Vomeir laughed. "Surely your tutors told you what happened the last time we invaded Sorea."

I nodded. "Two legions crossed the border into Sorea and were never heard from again."

"Don't forget the plague that followed. Killing one half the children in this country."

"So what will you do, Captain?"

I was beginning to wonder if running into Vomeir had been an accident. Could he have been waiting for me? Did he really not trust Bedonna? Did Salisha really reject him? Or did one of them send him out here to make sure I didn't slip through their grasp?

"I can't very well support Iderra," Vomeir said.

"Why not?"

"She never looks me in the eyes when she talks to me. She just stares at my feet." Vomeir laughed. "Plus, I never understand what she's talking about."

"Iderra's very smart."

"I don't question your sister's intelligence, Princess. I question her ability to relate to people. A queen that can't look her subjects in the eye wouldn't be very popular."

"Sounds like you're out of options, Captain."

"Not quite. I believe there is one princess that would make a very good queen."

"Surely you can't mean me."

"Why not you? You fight well for someone your size. You're not foolish enough to start a war with Sorea. You're a better communicator than Iderra. You may not be tall and blond like Salisha, but there isn't a man in the palace that doesn't enjoy watching you walk across a room. Especially when you're wearing a pair of those snug fitting breeches you like so well."

I could feel my cheeks flush with embarrassment and was glad that it was too dark for Vomeir to see me blush. "After listening to a speech like that, Captain, I can but come to two conclusions. Either you've been drinking . . . . "

"Or?" Vomeir said, when I didn't finish the sentence.

I stopped my horse, threw my cloak back, and drew my sword. It wasn't as long as Vomeir's sword, but it was just as sharp and I could wield it just as well. "Or you've decided to taunt me before you try and kill me. Who sent you out here, Bedonna or Salisha?"

Vomeir stopped his horse, but didn't draw his sword. "You overestimate your sisters, Princess. You also underestimate yourself. It's true that most of the guards want Bedonna as the next queen, but it's also true that they'd be willing to settle for you. And while it's true the court scholars want Iderra as queen, it's also true that they'd be willing to settle for you."

"And what of those that want the queen to be elegant and beautiful like Salisha?"

"I have no doubt that they would be content with cute and perky." Vomeir smiled. "And who knows, if you were to start wearing gowns instead of breeches, some might even consider you to be elegant and beautiful."

"Breeches are more practical." I sheathed my sword and set the mare into a comfortable trot.

"For a princess," Vomeir said, matching my pace. "But those days are ending. You need to start looking and thinking like a queen."

"Hard to think like a queen when all you have are the clothes on your back, a stable boy, and a member of the palace guard that you don't trust."

"You really think one of your sisters sent me out here to kill you?"

"I think it's a more likely scenario than your deciding that I'm the best choice for queen." I gave Vomeir what I hoped was a determined look. "I must warn you, Captain, if you try to kill or capture me, I shall fight you."

Vomeir broke out laughing. "I would expect nothing less, Your Highness."

So far, my plan of slipping away unnoticed wasn't working out the way I hoped it would. I had barely gone a mile from the palace and I had already picked up two people, one of whom I didn't trust.

"So which of your sisters do you think I'm working for?"

"That depends upon whether you try to kill me yourself or try to take me back to the palace. If you try to take me back to the palace you're working for Bedonna."

"Because?"

"She wants all three of us to die at her hand."

"But if I kill you, I'm working for Salisha?"

"Salisha would never kill me herself."

"Why not?"

"She'd be afraid my blood would stain whatever beautiful gown she happened to be wearing."

"You don't give Salisha enough credit. She likes you. She says you're the only one of her sisters that she can talk to."

I couldn't respond because I had another vision. In this one, Vomeir, Zore, and I had reached the stone bridge at Cross Creek, about a mile from our current location. There were three guards on the bridge. I ordered them to let us pass, but they refused and drew their swords.

Vomeir drew his sword and charged two of them. I drew my sword and attacked the third. Just as Vomeir managed to slay the first of his opponents with a slicing blow to the neck, an arrow flew from the trees just south of the bridge. The arrow hit Vomeir in the side, stunning him just enough to enable his remaining opponent to plunge his sword into Vomeir's chest.

"Princess, are you all right?" Vomeir's hand was on my shoulder and he was shaking me.

"I'm fine." I tried to sort through what I had just seen. Apparently, Bedonna had men watching the roads leading from the palace, with orders to stop any of her sisters from leaving. That was the bad news. The good news was Vomeir wasn't part of that trap. He might still be working for Salisha, but at least he wasn't working for Bedonna. "There's trouble up ahead."

"How far up ahead?"

"The bridge at Cross Creek. Three members of the palace guard are waiting for us on the bridge. And a fourth hides in the trees with a crossbow."

"And you know this because?"

"Because it's true."

Vomeir dismounted and handed the reins of his horse to Zore. "Wait here."

He took off running down the road, crouching so as not to be seen. He returned a short while later and mounted the stallion.

"You were right. At least about the three on the bridge."

"And the archer?"

"If there was an archer in the trees, I couldn't see him."

"He's there," I said with certainty.

"I recognized the guys on the bridge. They're three of Bedonna's strongest supporters."

So what do you suggest, Captain?"

"We go north. There's a shallow crossing a couple of miles up stream. The cattle use it."

Vomeir turned his horse north and I did the same. We left the road and cut through a field of green wheat. We were making an easy trail to follow, tramping the wheat down. Not that it could be helped. I trusted my visions. They were my gift from the gods, just like Salisha's beauty was her gift, Iderra's intelligence was hers, and Bedonna's strength was hers.

About a mile north of the road, the wheat field ended, replaced by a grass pasture littered with cows. A stone fence separated the wheat from the pasture but it wasn't even waist high. Vomeir's stallion cleared it without hesitation. My mare and Zore's gelding did the same.

Once inside the pasture, Vomeir continued north, slowing his pace so I could ride alongside of him. "Can I ask where we're headed?"

"I'm heading west," I said. "To the Pass of Nod."

"The Pass of Nod leads to the Western Palace."

"Yes, it does."

"The Army of the West defends the Western Palace."

"And gaining their support is the only chance I have of defeating Bedonna. General Dacus leads the Army of the West and he has never been fond of Bedonna. He thinks she's dangerous, reckless even."

Vomeir found the cattle trail that led to the shallow section of Cross Creek. There were no guards there and we crossed without trouble, the water not even reaching our stirrups. We were still climbing the bank on the other side of the creek when the palace bells started ringing.

"The queen has passed," Vomeir said. He stopped at the top of the creek bank and looked at me. "If you need a moment alone."

"I'm fine." I reached the top of the bank and stopped next to Vomeir. "I've had ample time to prepare for this day. Mother has been ill for some time."

Vomeir extended his hand toward me. "May I have your hand, Princess?"

I hesitated for a second, then extended my left hand, the one bearing the ring with the royal seal. At the same time, I slipped my right hand beneath my cloak and wrapped it around the hilt of my sword. Vomeir might not be working for Bedonna, but that didn't mean he wasn't working for Salisha. He couldn't harm me when mother was alive, but now that she had passed, no one would bat an eye if he killed me.

Vomeir took my hand in his and kissed my ring. "Queen Bella is dead. Long live Queen Lila."

Just like that, Vomeir removed any doubts as to who he supported. With that act, he had taken an oath to defend and support me as the next Queen of Adah.

"Your support is acknowledged and appreciated," I said, releasing my sword. "We shall not forget you when we assume our place on the throne."

"This trail continues west for another ten miles," Vomeir said. "It will take us all the way to the forest."

"Let us make haste. Before Bedonna realizes that she doesn't have every route covered."

Vomeir turned his stallion west and took off at a gallop. I fell in behind him and Zore brought up the rear. The butterflies in my stomach were still fluttering, not from the jolting ride, but from the realization that my mother was dead and I was running for my life.

# 

# Chapter 2

The sun was just beginning to rise when Vomeir, Zore, and I reached the Western Forest.

"We'll have to turn south," Vomeir said. "Reconnect with the road."

"You think it's safe to use the road?"

"I doubt if Bedonna has anybody stationed this far from the palace. The first place she'll search is the city, figuring friends have given you and your sisters refuge. I suspect that's where Salisha and Iderra have gone."

"Assuming they managed to slip past the guards Bedonna posted on the roads."

Vomeir nodded. "Assuming."

We turned south, skirting along the edge of the forest. Most of the trees were mountain ash and pine. We were at a high enough elevation where it was too cool for anything else to grow.

I held my breath as we neared the road. This would've been a perfect spot for Bedonna to post a second guard. Not that I thought she had. I agreed with Vomeir. The first and most logical place to look for us would be the city of Morcesha.

As the road came into view, I spotted three mounted guards waiting at the mouth of the forest. I wondered why I didn't have a vision, warning me about them, when Vomeir explained why. "Those are friends. All three of them served under me, and like me, came to the same conclusion, that you are the best choice for queen."

I wanted to believe that, but when you spend your life known as Lila the Insignificant, you tend to get a little cynical when people start tossing flattering statements your way.

"You make it sound as if they're waiting for us."

"They are waiting for us."

"How would they know to meet us here?"

"I told them last night that we'd rendezvous with them at the edge of the Western Forest."

Vomeir started down the hill, but I remained where I was, still skeptical. "I was the one that suggested we head west, Captain."

"If you hadn't suggested it, Your Highness, I would have."

"How do you know these men haven't taken an oath to support Bedonna?"

"I've fought with them and trust them with my life."

I followed Vomeir down the hill, but kept one hand on the hilt of my sword. He might trust them with his life, but I wasn't ready to trust them with mine. Not until they proved their loyalty.

"You convinced her to come this way," the biggest of the three said. "We weren't sure you would."

"Coming this way was her decision." I couldn't be sure, but I thought I detected a hint of pride in Vomeir's voice. "I told you she was smart."

"Bedonna posted guards at Cross Creek. How did you avoid them?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm not really sure." Vomeir glanced at me, then turned back to his friends. "What news have you?"

"Bedonna has posted guards on all the roads leading away from the palace. Yet her sisters still allude her."

My heart lightened. I wasn't sure if I was happy over the fact that Salisha and Iderra were still alive, or over the fact that as long as they were alive, Bedonna couldn't concentrate on me.

"And the bulk of the guards?" Vomeir said.

"Bedonna sent them into Morcesha. She believes her sisters have taken refuge in the city, hiding among friends."

"And have they?"

The big man shrugged his broad shoulders. "Your guess is as good as mine."

Vomeir looked at me, and noticed that I still had my hand on the hilt of my sword. "Princess Lila questions your motives for being here. Perhaps you should relieve her of her anxiety."

The big man moved his horse alongside of mine. "May I have your hand, Your Highness."

I held out my left hand. The big man took it in a callused hand that dwarfed mine and kissed it. His bushy mustache tickling the back of my hand.

"Queen Bella is dead," he said. "Long live Queen Lila."

"Your support is acknowledged and appreciated. We shall not forget you when we assume our place on the throne." I felt ridiculous using the plural we. It made it sound like I had lice.

The big man introduced himself as Sardis. He wasn't as tall as Vomeir but he was twice as broad. Like Vomeir and the other two, he wore the uniform of the palace guard, gray leather breeches tucked into black riding boots, a green tunic that hung to mid-thigh, topped by a silver breastplate with the royal seal of Adah on the chest. His silver helmet had a plume of green feathers on top and a nose guard that ran between the eyes. A crossbow and a quiver of arrows hung from his back. He carried a broadsword on his hip. His mustache and eyes were brown, but there was a hint of gray in both.

I was embarrassed that I hadn't known his name, couldn't even remember seeing him around the palace. I told myself that wasn't unusual, there were two hundred guards at the palace and every year some retired and others rotated in from the army. Still, I couldn't help but be embarrassed. The man was willing to die for me and I couldn't even remember meeting him.

The other two guards took the same oath. They were both younger than Vomeir's thirty years, or Sardis's forty some years. Both wore the uniform of the palace guard. The taller of the two went by the name Miletus. The shorter was Derbe.

Miletus was taller than Vomeir, but less muscular. His blond hair hung out the back of his helmet in a ponytail. His cheeks were scarred with pockmarks from a childhood disease. Derbe wasn't tall or husky, but he was hairy. His most distinguishing features were his bushy eyebrows, which ran together to form one big eyebrow.

"We'll go about a mile into the forest then stop for breakfast," Vomeir said. "There's another spot where the road intersects with Cross Creek."

"You don't need to stop on my account," I said. "I can ride as long as you can."

"Of that I have no doubt, Your Highness, but the horses need a rest."

We followed the road into the forest. It was just wide enough for two horses to ride side by side. Vomeir and Sardis did just that, riding in front of me. Zore followed right behind me. Derbe and Miletus brought up the rear.

We lost the morning sun as soon as we entered the forest. The road took a sharp turn to the right to avoid a rock outcropping, then continued west. By the time we reached Cross Creek, the canopy over our heads had grown thick enough to block out the sun.

Vomeir drew his horse to a halt and dismounted. "We'll rest here."

He looked around, checking to see if someone was hiding behind the trees. Satisfied that no one was waiting to ambush us, he led his stallion to the creek and let him drink.

The creek was narrower here, narrow enough that I could jump across it with a running start. It looked ankle deep. It moved quickly, running clear and cold. I could hear birds chirping in the tree tops, welcoming the morning sun.

After watering his horse, Vomeir led him to the other side of the creek. Sardis watered his horse, then led him to the other side. I dismounted and led my mare to the creek. While she drank, another vision swept over me.

In this vision I saw Salisha. She was hiding in a secret room. The room was really no more than a closet. She was trying to calm her labored breathing and her cornflower blue eyes were wide with fear. She could hear people rustling through the house. Men searching for something or someone.

Their voices drew closer, until nothing but a wall separated her from them. Salisha placed a hand over her mouth, stifling the fear trying to escape her throat.

A second later, a hidden door swung open and blinding light flooded the small room. Heavy hands grabbed Salisha and yanked her out of her hiding place.

Two members of the palace guard dragged her to the center of a large and ornate sitting room. Three more guards kept three handsome young men pinned against a wall, holding them there at sword point. I recognized the three men. They were Salisha's wealthiest and handsomest suitors.

Salisha demanded the guards release her, but they ignored her, focusing on their commander, who chose that moment to enter the room.

Bedonna provided a sharp contrast to Salisha. She was tall and muscular, bigger than most men. She wore a full military uniform, black riding boots, a gray leather skirt that reached the knees, and a green tunic topped by a silver breastplate. Instead of her helmet, she wore the Battle Crown. There were no jewels on it. It was just a silver headband topped by seven miniature swords with each sword pointing up. Her brown hair was cut so short that it was stubble.

"A bit presumptuous, Bed," Salisha said, when she saw the crown. "You're not the Queen of Adah yet. And if that's the only crown you got, then you're not even the heir hopeful."

Salisha provided a sharp contrast to Bedonna. Whereas Bedonna was all strength and muscle and power, Salisha was grace and elegance and beauty. She wore a pale blue silk dress with bell sleeves and a scoop neckline that displayed her ample cleavage. Her long blond hair hung in a braid that reached to the small of her back. She had a heart-shaped face dominated by big blue eyes and full red lips.

By contrast, Bedonna had a square face with heavy black eyebrows and just a hint of a mustache. Rumors floated around the palace that she was really a boy. They weren't true of course. I had seen her naked and could attest to the fact that she was a girl. A big strong girl, but a girl none-the-less. None of us looked alike because we had different fathers. The Queen of Adah didn't marry, didn't take a king. She took consorts. Lots and lots of consorts.

"In a few minutes, I'll be one step closer to being queen." Bedonna drew her sword and nodded. The two men holding Salisha released her and stepped aside.

"Are you going to kill me in cold blood? Is that how you want to start your reign, as the queen that feared her sisters so much, she was afraid to fight them?"

"You think I'm afraid to fight you?" Bedonna turned to one of the guards. "Give her your sword."

The man drew his sword and offered it to Salisha, hilt first. Salisha hesitated, then snatched it out of the man's hand. It was heavier than what she was used to and she needed both hands to wield it. Once she had gotten used to the size and weight of the blade, she raised it above her head and widened her stance, taking up a defensive posture.

"So, you remember your lessons after all," a grinning Bedonna said. Her sword was bigger than the one Salisha held, but she needed just one hand to wield it, holding it in front of her like a butter knife.

Salisha looked at the guards in the room. "Is this who you want as your queen? A woman with more facial hair than all of you."

Bedonna's dark eyes flashed with anger. "That's the last time you'll make that crack."

She had always been sensitive about her looks, her too square jaw, her bushy eyebrows, the wisp of a mustache she plucked and plucked but which always grew back.

Bedonna looked just like her father, one of the biggest burliest guards in our mother's service. He helped mother become queen and she rewarded him by making him one of her consorts. Unfortunately for Bedonna, she inherited none of our mother's beauty.

Salisha on the other hand, looked nothing like her father and everything like our mother. Same blond hair, same blue eyes, same heart-shaped face. Because she looked so much like mother, she just assumed people would want her as queen, that when mother died, everyone would rally around her. Even as she prepared to square off against Bedonna, she was looking at the guards, thinking, expecting, hoping, that they would turn against Bedonna and rally around her.

"Do you know that when she becomes queen, she plans to make war against the Dark Wizards of Sorea. Is that the kind of person you want to serve under? The kind that would send you to your deaths in a foolish attempt to make herself a legend."

A couple of the guards looked at each other, surprised by the news, but did nothing else.

Bedonna sneered. "You are beyond the help of men, sister. You'll have to save yourself this time."

Bedonna rushed forward, attacking Salisha. Salisha fended her blows as best she could, but with each blow, Bedonna forced Salisha to retreat, quickly backing her into a corner.

When Salisha hit the wall, she took a deep breath then charged forward, still swinging her sword with both hands. Bedonna retreated, but still only needed one hand to wield her sword.

"Killing me will not make you queen. You still have Iderra and Lila to contend with, and you will not find them as easily as you found me."

Bedonna handled Salisha's attack with ease, toying with her. "Iderra is hiding here in the city, which is locked down. It's just a matter of time before I find her."

"And what about Mouse?" Salisha said, using the nickname they had given me. "You could never find her when we were kids playing hide and seek in the palace. How will you find her now that she has an entire world to hide in?"

Bedonna clenched her teeth. "I will find her."

I saw something in Bedonna's eyes right then that I had never noticed before, namely fear. She didn't fear me, no chance of that, but she did fear not being able to find me, not being able to kill me. She feared that if her campaign against Sorea went bad, and I was still alive, her supporters would turn against her, remove her from power, and place me on the throne.

Salisha saw it too, because she smiled. "Mouse has always been a step ahead of you. Personally, I think she has powers that you don't know about. Perhaps she is a reader and knows your mind. Or perhaps she is a seer and sees what you are going to do before you do it. If either is true, then you will never catch her."

An angry Bedonna grabbed her sword with both hands and went on the offensive, once again forcing Salisha to retreat. Beads of sweat appeared on Salisha's forehead. She was growing tired, and with each blow, it became harder for her to wield the heavy broadsword.

Bedonna made a two handed swing that knocked Salisha's sword out of her hands. The blade flew across the room and clattered to the floor at the feet of Salisha's suitors. The three men looked at the blade, but with three swords already pointed at them, made no move to pick it up.

Bedonna backed a defenseless Salisha against the wall, then did something I can only describe as cruel. She used the tip of her sword to make a deep gash across each of Salisha's cheeks. To her credit, Salisha didn't cry or scream.

"So much for your great beauty."

Before Salisha could respond, or even wipe off the blood running down her cheeks, Bedonna stepped back.

I realized that she was preparing to plunge her sword into Salisha's heart and shouted, "No!"

Even as she drove her sword into Salisha, Bedonna looked in my direction, almost as if she had heard me. Bedonna withdrew her sword and Salisha's body crumpled to the floor. Bedonna ran her index finger across her blade, collecting some of Salisha's blood.

"Looks like everybody else's blood." She paused to sniff the blood on her finger. "Smells like everybody else's blood."

Bedonna turned back to Salisha, bent over her, and used her sword to cut off Salisha's hair. She sheathed her sword and hung the blond braid from her scabbard belt like a trophy.

"Now, you're no better looking than me." She turned to her guards. "Dump that carcass in the Cemetery of Would Be Queens."

Bedonna then did something unexpected, she looked right at me. "I know you're watching, Mouse. I want you to know that I'm going to find you and do to you what I just did to her."

The vision faded and I found myself kneeling on the bank of Cross Creek. I could feel tears running down my cheeks and a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you all right, Your Highness?" Vomeir crouched beside me, so he could look me in the eyes.

"Salisha is dead," I said, unable to stop the tears. "Bedonna found her hiding in the home of one of her suitors. They fought and Bedonna won. I'm sorry, Captain. I know how much you cared for her."

Vomeir yanked his hand off my shoulder and stepped back, stumbling into the middle of the creek like I had just slapped him. "How can you possibly know that Salisha is dead?"

How did I explain what I knew other than to come right out and say it?

"I'm a seer, Captain, and I just saw Salisha die. If you'd like, I can describe the room in which she died. It was a second story sitting room with heavy oak furniture covered with blue silk cushions. The same color blue as the dress Salisha was wearing. The same color blue as her eyes. Or I can give you a blow by blow account of her battle with Bedonna. I can tell you how Salisha had to borrow a guard's sword, and how it was too big for her to wield, and how after ten minutes of fighting, it became too heavy for her to lift. Or I can tell you that just before Bedonna killed her, she scarred Salisha's face, cutting both of her cheeks. Or I can tell you that after Bedonna killed her, she cut off Salisha's braid and hung it on her belt like a trophy."

I don't know if it was the tears on my cheeks, or the fact that I warned him about the guards on the bridge. Whatever the reason, Vomeir chose to believe me.

"It seems you've been keeping secrets, Your Highness." Vomeir tried to hide the sadness in his eyes, but I recognized it anyway. He never stopped loving Salisha, even after she accused him of being one of Bedonna's spies.

"Queen's prerogative," I said, wiping the tears from my eyes. I pulled myself to my feet. "The good news is Bedonna thinks I've taken refuge in the city."

"Sounds like this would be a good time to press on," Sardis said. "I'd rather not engage in a battle with that sister of yours until there are a few more of us."

"Agreed," Vomeir said. He pulled some apples out of a sack tied to his saddle and tossed a couple to each of us. "This will have to serve as breakfast."

We finished watering the horses, gave each of them an apple, then headed west on foot. Again, Sardis took the lead, with Miletus and Derbe bringing up the rear. Zore remained behind me. Vomeir walked beside me.

"How long have you been a seer, Your Highness?"

"About ten years."

"Your mother and sisters never mentioned this gift."

"That's because I never told them about it. The last thing I needed was to give Bedonna another reason to kill me."

"Do you have any control over these visions?"

I shook my head. "They come when they come. Until today, my visions were never about others."

"What were they about?"

"They were always about me, warning me of dangers that lay ahead."

"Like the guards Bedonna stationed on the bridge?"

"Exactly."

"It seems I chose wisely."

"Why do you say that?"

"Visions come from the gods." Vomeir forced a smile, but I could still see the grief in his eyes. "I would not want to go up against someone with such powerful allies."

"I know it's small comfort," I said. "But Salisha died valiantly. She fought hard and she did not beg for her life."

"If I had been there. . . ."

"You would have died with her."

"Perhaps. But I could have taken some of them with me."

"You may still get that chance, Captain. Once Bedonna finds Iderra, she'll begin her hunt for us. Sooner or later, she'll figure out where we're going."

"Then we must keep moving. Sleep on horseback. Walk when the horses need rest. Think you can handle it, Princess?"

"It's better than engaging in a sword fight with Bedonna."

"Did you see anything in your vision that we can use to our advantage?"

"Salisha told the guards in the room about Bedonna's plan to invade Sorea. They seemed surprised."

"Once this news spreads, Bedonna's support among the palace guard may weaken."

"It's certain to weaken her support among the army," I said.

Vomeir nodded in agreement. "Let us hope the rumor spreads far and fast."

Vomeir drifted ahead to talk to Sardis, although I suspect that he was thinking about Salisha. Her dream of becoming queen would never come true. His dream of becoming the queen's consort would never come true. Perhaps I should amend that. His dream of becoming Salisha's consort would never come true. There was still a chance--albeit a small one--that I might become queen. If that came to pass, I would have to take a consort. I could do a lot worse than Vomeir. He was tall, dark, muscular, and handsome. He had a square jaw, a closely trimmed beard, and intelligent brown eyes. Whether he would want to be my consort was a different matter.

"You seem lost in thought," Vomeir said. He had sent Sardis ahead, then dropped back alongside of me. "Thinking about your sister?"

I could feel my cheeks flush. I started out thinking about my sister, but had let my juvenile mind take a decidedly different turn. Dreaming about men and consorts had always been a weakness of mine, one I inherited from my randy mother. "Actually, I was thinking about you."

"I'm fine, Your Highness." Vomeir smiled, although it still seemed a bit forced to me. "After all, my queen is still alive."

"Yes, but your dream of becoming Salisha's consort is dead."

"That dream died a few weeks ago. I'm over her. Really."

I didn't believe him, but I didn't say anything, didn't have a chance to say anything because Sardis came galloping up to us.

"Small problem up ahead," he said. "A woodsman is heading this way with a cart full of firewood."

"Probably headed into the city to sell the wood," Vomeir said.

Sardis nodded. "Bedonna's men will question him when he reaches the bridge at Cross Creek. When they do, he'll tell them that he saw us."

Vomeir drew his sword. "So we kill him."

"No," I said. "I don't want any unnecessary killing."

"What would you have us do with him?"

"We'll take him with us. He knows these woods and mountains better than any of us."

"Makes sense," Miletus said. He, Derbe, and Zore had joined us, wondering what all the commotion was about.

"Looks like we're about to get ourselves a royal woodsman." Vomeir sheathed his sword. "Let's mount up and tell him about his new job."

We mounted our horses and headed off to confront the woodsman. I thought about my mother's final words to me. "Save your sisters."

She hadn't even been dead a day and I had already failed her.

# Chapter 3

We surrounded the woodsman and demanded that he take an oath to serve me. The woodsman took the oath, but when we informed him that he would have to come with us, he balked. Turned out he had a wife and a sixteen year old daughter living in a cabin just off the road.

Like the woodsman, the wife was short and stocky, with gray hair and a weathered face. Their daughter was slim with long blond hair. She wasn't as beautiful as Salisha, having fewer curves and a wider nose, but she was pleasant enough to attract the attention of Zore.

Vomeir made the woodsman's wife and daughter take an oath to serve me, then had them unload the firewood from the cart and reload it with food, blankets, and anything else we might need. He appointed the woodsman to be our guide, his wife to be our cook, and his daughter to be my handmaiden. With that done, we continued our journey west.

"Is it wise to bring these people with us?" Sardis asked Vomeir. "The more our party grows, the slower it will move."

"Wiser than leaving them behind," Vomeir said. "Besides, the princess wouldn't let me kill the woodsman."

"Few would support a queen that kills the innocent," I said. "Fear her, yes. Support her, no."

We rode in silence for the rest of the morning, following the narrow road through the forest. Around midday, we left the forest and found ourselves overlooking a small mountain valley. The valley separated the forest covered hills that lay behind us from the rugged snowcapped peaks that lay ahead of us.

In the middle of the valley lay a village of maybe five hundred people. Like all of the cities and villages in Adah it was walled. The wall surrounding the village was made out of logs. Four soldiers manned the top of the wall, two watching the road that headed east, two watching the road that headed west.

"This isn't good," Vomeir said.

"You didn't know there was a village here?"

"I've never been this far west. I've hunted in the forest a few times, but never much beyond Cross Creek."

"Until today, I hadn't even gone into the forest." I looked at Vomeir. "How big do you think the garrison is?"

"For a village this size, a dozen men, maybe less."

"We could just circle around the village."

"We could, but they'd see us. When Bedonna's men pass this way, the men stationed here might tell them about us. They could even send someone to tell her you passed by. Like it or not, you're going to have to talk to them, convince them to support you for queen." Vomeir untied a bundle from the back of his saddle and tossed it to me. "You need to change, Your Highness."

I looked at what he tossed me, wrapped inside a wool blanket was a red velvet dress. "A dress? Vomeir, you can't be serious?"

"You have to make an impression on these people. Bedonna's already got the warrior look nailed down, so we must try for something else."

"Like stupid? Because that's what they'll think when they see me riding through the mountains in an expensive gown like this."

"If we can make them like you enough, they'll be more inclined to support you and less inclined to help Bedonna's men when they come this way. And they will come this way." Vomeir could tell I thought this was a dumb idea, so he continued. "If you want to defeat Bedonna, you must make the people love you, you must make them want you to be queen. Unless of course, you don't want to be the queen. If that's the case, there's no reason for any of us to be following you."

In truth, I didn't care whether I became the queen or not. I just wanted to survive. But I knew from history that princesses that just wanted to survive never did. They were always hunted down and killed. Like it or not, the only way for me to survive was to claim my mother's throne. "You think my wearing a dress will make these soldiers believe that I'm the best choice for queen?"

"No, but looking like a queen will make it easier for them to believe that you're the best choice. Plus, it will give you a chance to practice what you want to say to General Dacus and the Army of the West. If we reach the Western Palace, you'll need to convince them to support you."

I collected Prentice, my recently acquired handmaiden, and doubled back into the forest to change. Once in the trees, I looked at what Vomeir gave me. In addition to a red velvet gown, there was a pair red silk stockings and a pair of red silk briefs.

I grabbed the stockings and briefs and marched out of the trees, holding the garments in front of me. "Vomeir, there is no way I'm putting this stuff on. Not out here."

Sardis, Miletus, and Derbe looked at me and grinned. I realized what I was holding up and quickly lowered the garments. At the same time, Vomeir dismounted and strode over to me.

"If you dress like a queen," he said. "You'll feel like one."

"This stuff is impractical." I preferred my cotton chemise and drawers, not to mention my warm wool socks.

Vomeir grinned and remounted his horse. "Nobody said being queen was easy."

I didn't expect the dress to fit me, figuring Vomeir had snatched it from Salisha's closet, but it fit perfectly. I knew the dress didn't come from my closet, which could only mean one thing. He had the dress made specifically for me. That meant he had been thinking about this, planning this, for some time.

The red velvet dress had an ankle length flared skirt, long sleeves, a scoop neckline, and a built-in corset that laced up the back. Gold lace circled the hem of the skirt as well as the neckline and the sleeve cuffs. The neckline was cut too low to wear my cotton chemise underneath, so I slipped into the undergarments that went with the dress. I felt naked in them, wearing only the skimpy silk briefs and a pair of stockings held up by frilly gold garters. By the time Prentice finished lacing the dress up, I was showing as much cleavage as Salisha usually did.

"Hard to breath in this thing," I muttered. I wasn't used to corsets. I didn't like them, I didn't need them, so I didn't wear them.

"It fits perfectly, Your Highness."

Prentice seemed delighted with her new job, but what sixteen year old wouldn't be excited, going from woodsman's daughter to princess's handmaiden. I wondered if she would be that excited if she knew about Bedonna. Probably not.

Not that I thought she was in danger. Bedonna would kill me and anyone that stood in her way, like Vomeir, Sardis, Miletus, and Derbe. Zore, Prentice and her parents were safe as long as they didn't get caught in the crossfire.

In addition to the dress and undergarments, there was a pair of red silk slippers, and a red velvet cloak. The cloak had gold lace around the hem and the hood.

I didn't have a mirror, but the red probably provided a nice contrast to my black hair and green eyes. I had a small turned up nose, high cheekbones, small ears, and a sharp chin. I wasn't beautiful like Salisha, but I wasn't homely like Bedonna. I had Prentice undo my braid, which reached just past my shoulders. For most of my life, I wore my hair short, not as short as Bedonna's stubble, but almost as short.

About a year ago, mother called my sisters and I into the throne room. There was no one there other than the five of us and her personal guards. One by one, she told each of us what we needed to do to become queen.

She started with Bedonna, lecturing her for a full hour on the need to temper strength with compassion. Salisha's and Iderra's lectures lasted nearly as long. She lectured Salisha on how inner beauty was just as important as one's outward appearance. She told Iderra that intelligence is wasted if a queen can't touch the hearts of her people.

When it was my turn, all she said was, "Lila, it's time to stop cutting your hair like a boy." I was mad at her for giving me so little of her time, for thinking I was so insignificant that nothing else needed to be said. Even so, I did as she said and let my hair grow.

Once I had the entire getup on, I looked at Prentice. "So?"

"You look lovely, Your Highness."

She had a big goofy grin on her face, but what did that mean? She was used to coarse wool skirts dyed in blueberry juice. I needed more objective opinions. Like the looks on the faces of the men when they saw me.

I strapped my sword back on--having to tighten the belt another notch because the corset had made my waist ridiculously small--then marched out of the trees. Vomeir and Sardis smiled when they saw me. Miletus's eyes widened. Derbe's and Zore's jaws dropped.

Okay, so maybe Prentice wasn't lying when she said I looked lovely. I wished I had brought some makeup with me, a little charcoal for the eyes, some rouge for the lips and cheeks. I just never thought I'd need makeup when I was running for my life. Salisha probably brought makeup with her and look where it got her.

"Much better," Vomeir said. "You almost look like a queen."

"Almost?" I was still angry over having to wear this getup, although the looks on the men's faces did mollify me somewhat.

"You need one more thing." Vomeir reached into one of his saddlebags and pulled out a white cotton towel. He unwrapped the towel to reveal one of our mother's crowns.

Mother had three crowns. The Battle Crown. The Emerald Crown. And the Ruby Crown. Bedonna was already wearing the Battle Crown, a simple silver headband with the royal seal engraved on the front of the headband and seven miniature swords that pointed skyward. The Emerald Crown was silver with a string of emeralds embedded in the headband. Instead of swords, it was topped by seven silver stars. The Ruby Crown looked like the Emerald Crown except that it was made out of gold and had a string of rubies embedded in the headband. Vomeir was holding the Ruby Crown.

"Bless the gods, Vomeir! You stole the Ruby Crown."

The Queen of Adah didn't choose a successor, but she did let people know who she thought was best suited to assume her throne. That was the purpose of the Ruby Crown. Whoever received it was not an heir presumptive, just an heir hopeful. Possessing it could be enough to tip the balance of power, assuming the late queen gave it to you. I'm not sure what stealing it meant.

Vomeir slid off his horse and moved toward me. "You wouldn't want the usurper get her hands on it would you?"

When he said the usurper, I assumed he meant Bedonna. I couldn't help but smile. Bedonna would have steam coming out of her ears if she heard Vomeir call her the usurper.

When he reached me, Vomeir did something unexpected. He dropped to one knee and offered up the crown, holding it in both hands with the towel still underneath it. "Your crown, Your Highness."

Sardis, Miletus, and Derbe dismounted and dropped to one knee. Zore, Prentice, her mother, and father, quickly followed suit. I had always figured that Vomeir and the other guards had joined me because they wanted to get away from Bedonna as much as I did. Now, I was beginning to think that they were serious about making me the next queen.

I took the crown from Vomeir and placed it on my head, not so much because I wanted to wear it, but because I figured it was the easiest way to get these people off their knees.

"Now you look like someone people would want as queen," Vomeir said, rising to his feet.

The others stood. Sardis was smiling beneath his bushy mustache. Miletus was nodding approvingly. Derbe and Zore were still gaping at me. For my part, I felt like a little girl playing dress-up. "How long do I have to wear this getup?"

"You can change back into your riding clothes on the other side of the village," Vomeir said.

Zore brought the mare over and Vomeir helped me up. I swung my right leg over the mare's back, electing to ride like a normal person rather than sidesaddle. Everybody else remounted and we resumed our trek, heading down the winding road that led to the village.

"My mother meant this crown to go to the heir hopeful. I can't believe you stole it." Vomeir didn't respond to my comment. "And what am I suppose to say to these people?"

"Whatever you think is appropriate. I can't tell you how to be a queen. All I can do is encourage you to look and act like one."

"I'm not sure I know how to be queen."

"Then let us hope you learn quickly."

"Because?"

"The people will not accept Iderra as queen and Bedonna will destroy everything your mother has built. Like it or not, you are Adah's only hope."

"No pressure there," I said.

Vomeir smiled. "Just be yourself, Lila. It will be enough."

We were about to find out if it would be enough, because we had reached the village. The eastern gate was open, allowing us to enter the village. Vomeir rode ahead and said something to Sardis. Sardis rode to the far end of the village, shouting, "Make way for the Queen of Adah."

To say that he attracted the attention of everybody in the village was an understatement. By the time we reached the center of town, old and young alike had turned out to see what was going on.

Eventually, the commander of the local garrison approached. He was a burly man with bushy black hair and an equally bushy beard. His uniform was identical to Vomeir's except for the fact that his helmet and breastplate were brass instead of silver. "I'm Botek, commander of the garrison stationed here and that's not the queen."

"Queen Bella is dead," Vomeir said. "This is her youngest daughter, Lila."

"That may be so. But who chose her to be queen?"

"You will. If you're smart."

"What about her sisters."

"What know you of her sisters?" Sardis asked Botek.

"There's a good looking one, a skinny one with a big nose, and one that's as ugly as me."

The crowd laughed. I sat there trying to look regal. I'm not sure what looking regal meant other than keeping my chin up and not picking my nose.

"What if we want the other pretty one to be queen?" Botek said.

"She's dead," Vomeir said. "Killed by the ugly one."

"You have three choices," Sardis said. "A skinny girl with a big nose that cannot look you in the eyes when she talks to you. A big ugly girl that wants to make war on the Dark Wizards of Sorea. Or a beautiful, intelligent girl that will listen when you speak."

Botek pushed past Sardis and Vomeir and marched up to me. He looked me in the eyes, and said, "You ain't crazy are ya?"

"Not crazy enough to make war on the Dark Wizards of Sorea."

"You ain't gonna raise taxes?"

"I have no plans to raise taxes."

"What you doin up this way? How come you ain't in the city talkin to them?"

"We ride to the Western Palace, where we hope to rendezvous with the Army of the West."

"And then you'll come back and get rid of the big ugly one?"

"Then I will come back and get rid of the big ugly one." After what Bedonna did to Salisha, I had no problem calling her the big ugly one.

"The big ugly one wants to raise your taxes and declare war on the Dark Wizards of Sorea," Vomeir said. "Is that the kind of queen you want?"

The crowd didn't even think about it, they just shouted a resounding no.

"Soon you will be able to judge for yourselves," Sardis said. "The big ugly one's men will pass this way, and when they do, you will get a taste of what she would be like as queen."

"And you will not like it," Vomeir added. "And then you will know there is but one choice for queen."

I looked at Botek. "Will you and your men take a oath to support me for queen?"

"There are only six of us stationed here, but we will take an oath to support you."

Botek took the oath. Each of his men stepped forward and did the same. The last of his men were as close to giants as I had ever seen. A good head taller than Botek and twice as husky. They had bushy brown hair, which stuck out from beneath their brass helmets. They were both clean shaven and had identical faces, with bulbous noses and deep-set eyes. I figured they must be twins.

Botek introduced them as Solek and Tolek.

Solek stepped up to me and kissed my ring. "Queen Bella is dead. Long live Queen Lila." His voice was so deep that it was scary.

"Your support is acknowledged and appreciated," I said. "We shall not forget you when we assume our place on the throne."

Solek didn't let go of my hand, didn't step aside. He just stood there holding my hand in his giant mitt and staring at me. For a few seconds I wasn't sure what he was doing, then it hit me. He was looking down the front of my dress. He was tall enough to do it, even with me on horseback.

I wasn't sure what to do, finally Botek stepped forward and swatted him on the back of the helmet. "That's enough gawken. Try to remember that's royalty you're staring at and not some barroom trollop."

Tolek stepped forward, took his oath, and did his share of gawking. Botek swatted him on the head and he stepped back.

Becoming one of the queen's consorts was a dream harbored by many of the young men of Adah. For years, men had lined up to serve my mother in hopes of becoming one of her consorts. I just didn't expect them to look at me the way they looked at her. Of course, Solek and Tolek didn't seem like the sharpest tools in the shed.

"Would you like us to accompany you on your journey, Your Highness?" Botek said.

"They might come in handy," Vomeir whispered. "Especially if Bedonna's men manage to run us down."

"The presence of you and your men would be most welcome," I said to Botek.

"You heard her boys, load their cart full of supplies, gather your gear, and mount up. We're heading west."

Solek, Tolek, and the other three soldiers disappeared for a few minutes then reappeared on their horses. Solek and Tolek rode two of the biggest draft horses that I had ever seen. The other three soldiers rode normal sized horses.

"The villagers have loaded your cart with supplies," Botek said, reappearing on horseback. "But they do have one question."

"What's that?" I said.

"What do they do when the ugly one's men pass this way?"

"Don't be here," Vomeir said.

"The captain is right. Perhaps they can post a couple of boys up in the forest. When my sister's men approach, they can wave a flag, warn the village of her coming. Then everyone can hide in the forest."

"They won't waste time searching for anyone," Vomeir said. "They'll simply take what they want and move on."

With six new soldiers to support me, and the woodsman's cart loaded with more supplies, we continued our journey west. The villagers would either tell Bedonna's men about us or they wouldn't. If they remained quiet, we might reach the Army of the West safely. If they didn't, Bedonna's men would probably run us down and kill us.

When we reentered the forest, I told Vomeir that I wanted to change back into my riding clothes. Vomeir signaled to Sardis at the front of our party. Sardis raised his hand and called for everyone to halt. Zore took the mare's reins while Vomeir helped me dismount. Prentice gathered my riding clothes and the two of us disappeared into the trees. I changed back into my riding clothes and gave Prentice custody of the dress, cloak, and silk undergarments. I returned the Ruby Crown to Vomeir for safekeeping.

Vomeir wrapped the crown in the cotton towel and slipped it back inside his saddlebag. "You sure you don't want to wear it?"

"It doesn't go with the livery of a servant."

"Just for the record. I didn't steal the Ruby Crown. Your mother gave it to me."

"Why would she give you the Ruby Crown?"

"A few weeks ago, she called me into her suite, and said, 'I understand you have decided to support Lila when I am gone.' I said that was true. At that point, she handed me the Ruby Crown, and said, 'Make sure she gets this.' Then she made some comment about you finally having enough hair to keep the crown from falling about your eyes."

Now that I thought about it, how else would Vomeir have gotten the crown? Mother kept the crowns in her suite, which was always protected by her personal guard. There was no way Vomeir could have stolen it.

I suddenly realized that mother had decided who would get the Ruby Crown a full year ago. The day she called us into the throne room. The day she lectured the others on how to be queen. The day she told me that it was time to let my hair grow.

A long forgotten memory came rushing back.

We were still girls at the time. Bedonna was twelve. Salisha was ten. Iderra was eight. And I was six. We were in mother's suite, watching her get dressed for some ceremony. When she put on the Emerald Crown, Bedonna pointed to the Battle Crown and asked her why she wasn't wearing that one. Mother explained how it was to be worn only in a time of war. She told us that she hated the Battle Crown because of what it stood for.

"I pray that none of you ever has to wear it," she said, flashing a sad smile. "I pray that none of you will want to wear it. And I weep for the one that does."

Salisha then pointed to the Ruby Crown and asked why she didn't wear that one. Mother smiled, another sad smile. "That is for the heir hopeful. My mother gave it to me, and one day, I will give it to one of you."

Bedonna and Salisha started to fight over the Ruby Crown, but mother chased us out of her chambers. "Do not be in a hurry to wear that crown, my darlings. The day one of you receives it will be a sad time. A very sad time."

When we reached the door, mother knelt down and looked us in the eyes. "I want the one that gets that crown to remember this day, to remember when we were a family. When we loved one another."

"You're crying," Vomeir said, bringing me out of my reverie.

"Yes." He didn't ask me why I was crying and I didn't tell him. I just mounted the mare and we continued our journey west. I wept as I rode, not trying to stop the tears. I wept for the mother I had lost. I wept for the sisters I was losing.

# Chapter 4

The Pass of Nod was a narrow valley that wound its way through the mountains. It was less than a mile wide, with tree covered mountains on both sides, mountains that were too steep to ride a horse up. Waist high grass covered the rolling floor of the pass, broken only by a narrow dirt road that wound its way through the middle of the pass. Like the road through the forest, it was just a pair of wagon tracks with grass growing between them.

When we reached the pass, Vomeir raised his hand, signaling everybody to stop. "We'll make camp here. The horses need rest and there's plenty of grass for them to eat."

I had never been this far west, but I knew from my geography lessons that the pass was fifty miles long. At the end of the pass the mountains turned to rolling hills. Not rich green hills like the ones we had just traveled, but dry brown hills. On one of those hills sat the Western Palace.

Like the Summer Palace and the Winter Palace, the Western Palace was built by Issus Bodica Haran, the third Queen of Adah. She constructed so many buildings in the forty years she sat on the throne, that she earned the nickname Issus the Builder.

From what I had read, the Western Palace was smaller than the other two palaces. Surrounding it was a fort that housed the Army of the West. No queen had been there in over one hundred years, mostly because no queen wanted to make the journey just so she could sit in a too hot house on a dusty brown hill.

While the others dismounted, Vomeir rode up to me. "Have you had any more visions? Of what lies ahead? Or of Iderra?"

"No visions."

Iderra would be lot harder to find than Salisha. She was smart enough not to take refuge with people Bedonna knew. It wouldn't surprise me if she wasn't in Morcesha at all. She certainly wouldn't run to the handsomest man she knew like Salisha had. She would have an intricate plan, a plan that she had put a lot of thought into. Iderra was more interested in saving her life than becoming queen. She was perhaps the only Adan princess in history that was smart enough to survive without ever sitting on her mother's throne. I hoped she did because she was my favorite sister.

While the rest of us made camp, Vomeir conferred with Sardis and Miletus. Miletus turned his horse around and disappeared back into the forest. Sardis went galloping on ahead.

"Where did you send them?" I asked Vomeir.

"I sent Sardis to scout ahead and Miletus to double back, make sure no one is pursuing us." Vomeir smiled. "It's not that I don't trust your visions, Your Highness. It's just that I'm used to doing things a certain way."

"Understood."

The sun was setting behind the mountains, casting long shadows on the knee high grass. The woodsman was building a campfire and his wife was unloading pots from the cart, preparing to cook dinner. Zore was attending to the horses, unsaddling them and rubbing them down while they grazed on the deep grass. Prentice was hovering by me, waiting to see if I needed anything.

"Why don't you help your mother." Prentice curtsied and hurried off to help her mother.

"Peaceful out here," Vomeir said. He removed his helmet and breastplate and laid them on the ground, but kept his sword strapped around his waist.

I was about to answer him when I had another vision. Miletus was in the trees, checking the road we had just covered when he came upon thirteen armed men. He drew his sword, but their swords remained sheathed.

"We mean you no harm." The leader of the men had a neatly trimmed gray beard and short gray hair. He wore the same gray breeches and green tunic as Miletus, but his breastplate and helmet were gold, as were those of his men. "We search for the heir hopeful."

I recognized the man. It was Patera LaCere, Captain of the Queen's Guard and one of mother's favorite consorts.

"What makes you think the heir hopeful is out here?"

"Do not take us for fools," Patera said. "Rather take us to the heir."

"You will go no further until you state your business with the heir."

"We are here to carry out the final command of Bella Justine Haran, the twelfth Queen of Adah."

"And what was that command?"

"Defend the heir hopeful."

Miletus studied Patera for a second, then sheathed his sword and turned his horse around. The vision faded and I found myself back at camp.

Vomeir recognized the look that came over me. "You've had another vision."

"Yes."

"Good or bad?"

"A little of both." I had no doubt that mother's final order to her personal guard was to defend the heir hopeful. Although I wasn't quite sure how they found us. They must've followed us. It wouldn't have been too hard to pick up our trail. If they left the palace right after mother died, we would've had less than an hour's head start. It was also possible that mother told them what I would do. She seemed to know her daughters better than we knew ourselves.

While Patera's sword, as well as those of his men, were a welcome addition to our party, I wasn't looking forward to having him and his men around. They were used to a queen that was beautiful and intelligent. There was no way that I could live up to the standard my mother had set. She wasn't known as Bella the Beloved for nothing.

"I don't understand," Vomeir said.

"Miletus has encountered the queen's guard. Apparently, she gave them an order to defend the heir hopeful."

"How did they find us so quickly?"

"Mother probably told them which way I would go. She always knew what we would do before we ever did it." I signalled Prentice, who hurried to my side. "I need to change into my dress."

I couldn't meet Patera and his men dressed in the livery of a servant. They might find me to be a disappointment when compared to my mother, but they would find me to be a well dressed disappointment.

"You're going to change?"

"I think it best." I pointed to Botek and his men. "I don't believe Patera and his men are a threat, but it wouldn't hurt to have Botek and his men hide in the trees. Perhaps you can station them next to the road so they can come up behind Patera and his men. Just in case."

Vomeir nodded. "Agreed."

He relayed my command to Botek, who relayed it to his men. While the soldiers prepared themselves for a possible fight, Prentice and I slipped into a different part of the forest so I could change. The dress felt just as uncomfortable as before, too tight around the waist, too revealing across the chest, and too heavy and confining around my legs.

By the time I stepped out of the trees, Botek and his men were hidden. Vomeir and Derbe had put their armor back on and had remounted their horses. Prentice joined her mother and father by the cart, while Zore brought the black mare over to me, holding her still while I mounted up. Once again, I didn't bother to sit sidesaddle. I straddled the horse, not worrying about how much of my legs were showing. It seemed kind of silly anyway, worrying about how much leg I was showing when most of my breasts were on display.

Vomeir pulled the Ruby Crown out of his saddlebag and handed it to me. I unwrapped the crown and placed in on my head. I tossed the towel to Vomeir and walked the mare to the edge of the forest, leaving enough room for Patera and his men. Vomeir stopped on my right. Derbe stopped on my left. Both men drew their swords and held them in their laps.

"Botek and his men are in the trees?"

"Just off the road. If trouble starts, they'll attack Patera and his men from behind. If not, they'll remain hidden until we tell them to come out."

A minute later, we heard the clopping of hooves in the trees. I debated whether to wrap the velvet cloak around myself and hide my face with the hood. In the end, I left the cloak hanging down my back. I wanted Patera and his men to see the Ruby Crown, it would remind them that they had one more duty to fulfill.

They wouldn't take an oath to serve me. Members of the queen's guard served only one queen. When she passed, they carried out her final orders, whatever they might be. Once that was done, any left alive just sort of disappeared, much like the queen they had served.

Miletus rode out of the trees first. Patera came next, with the rest of his men following single file.

"Declare your intentions," Vomeir said to Patera.

"We come to fulfill the final command of Bella Justine Haran, the twelfth Queen of Adah."

I kicked the mare and she walked forward. Vomeir started to move with me, but I raised my right hand, stopping him. Patera moved past Miletus, who remained between Patera and his men.

"What was my mother's final command?" I asked when we were face to face.

Patera smiled. "You were expecting us. I can't say I'm surprised. Your mother once told me that you knew things you shouldn't know. I asked her what she meant, but she wouldn't say."

"You haven't answered my question, Captain."

"Your mother's final command was to defend the heir hopeful. Defend the one that wears the Ruby Crown."

"And you will fulfill her wish, even if it means your deaths?"

"We will fulfill her wish. To do less would dishonor the queen that we served."

"Then your presence is welcome here." I smiled. "It's good to see you, Old Man."

"It's good to see you, Little One." Patera looked me over. His eyes lighted on my cleavage and he smiled. "Although you are not so little anymore."

"Mother was right. You are a dirty old man."

Patera laughed. "That's why I was one of your mother's favorites. And if you had dressed like this around the palace, Salisha wouldn't have had nearly as many suitors."

"What news have you?"

"None. We've been busy trying to catch up with you."

"How did you know I came this way?"

"When your mother told us to defend you, I ordered my men to keep an eye on you. One of them reported you left the palace and headed west a full hour before your mother passed."

"I wasn't aware I was being watched."

"We're good at what we do, Your Highness."

"As I am discovering."

"What news have you?" Patera said.

"Salisha is dead."

That surprised him. He obviously didn't expect me to know anything since I left the palace first. "How can you possibly know that?"

"Mother spoke the truth. I know things that I shouldn't know."

"Bedonna found her?"

"Hiding in Morcesha. They dueled. Bedonna won."

"And Iderra?"

"She's still alive. Somewhere."

Patera checked out the people behind me. "When you were little, you collected shiny stones. When you got older, it was stray animals. Now, you seem to be collecting people."

"Not intentionally, I expected to make this journey alone." I turned back to Vomeir. "Sheath your sword, Captain. They are friends."

Vomeir sheathed his sword, as did the others. They called Botek and his men out of the trees. Patera's eyes widened when he saw them appear. "I'm not even going to ask where you found them."

"That village we passed through earlier in the day."

"We saw no people in that village. We thought it was abandoned."

"We told them not to be around when Bedonna and her men passed through. They must've fled into the forest, thinking you were working for Bedonna." At least we knew that Bedonna and her men would get no help from the people in that village. Patera dismounted. His men quickly followed suit. I rode over to Vomeir. "Tell the woodsman and his wife to slaughter the chickens. Tonight, we honor my mother."

Back in the village, someone had tossed a wooden cage with half a dozen live chickens into the cart. I wasn't sure if we had anything to feed them and figured it was better to slaughter them now. Besides, we had a lot of people to feed and there was no game in sight.

Dinner came and went. Solek ate one chicken. Tolek ate one. The other four were divided between the rest of us. The woodsman's wife boiled a kettle of potatoes to go with the roasted chicken. Prentice served the food on wooden plates while her father passed around wooden cups full of mead. I ate the potatoes and chicken, but elected to have water instead of mead.

Everyone was in a surprisingly good mood, considering they had just lost their queen and were running for their lives. Everyone except Vomeir, who seemed troubled by something. I set my plate and cup down and strolled over to him.

I could feel everyone watching me as I walked and that was something I wasn't used to. For my entire life, all eyes had been on my mother, watching everything she did, listening to everything she said. When she wasn't around, they focused on Salisha, who looked just like her. No one had paid attention to me. Or so I thought.

I reached Vomeir. "Walk with me, Captain."

Vomeir set his plate and cup down and fell in alongside of me. We moved away from the campfire and into the night's shadows. It was cooler away from the fire and I wrapped the velvet cloak around myself for warmth.

"I'm not used to people paying attention to me."

"You'll get used to it."

"Something is troubling you."

"Sardis hasn't returned."

The excitement of seeing Patera and his men made me forget about Sardis, forget that Vomeir had sent him to scout ahead. "How far did you tell him to go?"

"A couple miles. He should have been back by now."

Vomeir said no more. That was when it hit me. He was waiting for me to tell him what to do. Me. A twenty year old girl known as Lila the Insignificant. I didn't know what to say or do, so I stopped walking, closed my eyes, and thought about Sardis.

I pictured him in his gray breeches and green tunic. I pictured his silver breastplate, his silver helmet with the green plumage. I pictured his big bushy mustache. Then I saw him, checking one of the legs of his horse and finding it broken.

He consoled the horse, then helped it lay down. Once it was resting comfortably, he stepped back, loaded his crossbow, and put the horse out of its misery. Then he started walking back, mumbling to himself about stopping after two miles instead of going as far as he had.

I opened my eyes and looked at Vomeir. "Sardis is fine. His horse broke a leg. He had to put it down. He's walking back even as we speak."

"You're sure?"

"He rode further than you asked him to, that's why he isn't back yet."

"I thought you couldn't control your visions."

"This is the first time." I turned and headed back to camp. When we reached the fire, I placed a hand on Derbe's shoulder. "Sardis's horse broke a leg. I need you to ride out and pick him up."

Derbe finished his mead, mounted his horse without bothering to saddle it, and galloped west, disappearing into the night. I turned back to the fire. Patera and his men were watching me with puzzled looks on their faces.

"You have a man scouting ahead?" Patera asked.

"Sardis of the palace guard."

"And his horse broke a leg?"

"Yes."

"And you know this because?"

It was hot next to the fire, so I removed my cloak and sat down next to Patera.

"Because I'm a seer." No point in hiding the truth from Patera and his men. Everybody else in camp knew about my gift. "Although this is the first time I controlled what I saw."

"Your gift grows as you grow." Patera smiled and looked at my chest. "Not So Little One."

I could feel my cheeks turn as red as my dress. "Are all your men as randy as you? Dirty Old Man."

"Worse, but then they're younger than me." Patera downed the last of his mead and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Speaking of which. A couple of the younger ones have expressed an interest in taking an oath to serve you."

"Members of the queen's guard serve but one queen." Why would anyone that had taken an oath to be in my mother's personal guard want to serve me? I wasn't trying to be modest. From my perspective, it just seemed a step down. A big step down.

"It isn't easy to give up being one of the queen's favorites. If I were twenty years younger, I might feel the same way they do. There's more of your mother in you than you realize."

"Tell me."

"You only knew her after she had gotten used to being queen, but I remember her when she was still a princess."

"She looked like Salisha."

"She looked like Salisha, but she didn't have Salisha's personality. Salisha always knew that she was beautiful. Salisha always believed that she was meant to be queen. Your mother was more like you, a young woman that knew she was pretty, but didn't know she was beautiful. And like you, she didn't care if she became queen."

"You're kidding?" I found that hard to believe, mother loved being queen. She was meant to be queen.

"She had five sisters and just wanted to survive. When your grandmother died, she hoped to flee toward Gibney, thinking if she remained inconspicuous enough, she could slip into the land of merchants and live the quiet life of a shop girl."

"So what happened?"

"Your grandmother made her the heir hopeful and people began to circle around her, just as the clouds circle around the earth." Patera glanced around. "Just as people are beginning to circle around you."

"I'm not my mother," I said.

"That's true." Patera nodded in the direction of the horses. Derbe had returned with Sardis, who was telling Vomeir that his horse broke a leg. "Your mother had only beauty, brains, and humility to guide her. In addition to possessing all of those qualities, you are also a seer."

"Was mother really that unsure of herself?"

Patera laughed. "When her men insisted that she take a consort, she was too afraid to take the man she wanted."

"Afraid of what?"

"That he wouldn't want her."

That was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard. All men wanted mother, even after she grew ill. "So what did she do?"

"She selected a man that she wasn't attracted to. She figured if he rejected her, her heart wouldn't hurt so much."

"Bedonna's father."

"It was two full years before she worked up the courage to take the man that she really wanted."

"You mean you?"

Patera laughed. "I didn't say that."

"You implied it."

"The best leaders are those that don't want to be queen. Those that covet the throne and the power that goes with it do not make good queens." Patera pushed himself to his feet. "Your mother was right. You will make a good queen, Lila Marie Haran. Perhaps even a great one."

"Assuming I live that long."

"Assuming you live that long. Now, if you'll excuse me. This old body is in need of rest."

Patera headed off to join his men, who had finished eating and were busy collecting their bedrolls off their saddles. I was about to figure out where I could sleep when Vomeir sat down next to me.

"You were right about Sardis. His horse stepped in a gopher hole and broke a leg."

"He can ride Zore's gelding tomorrow. I don't think Zore will mind sharing the back of the cart with Prentice."

"Miletus and Derbe are setting up your tent. It should be ready in a few minutes."

Miletus and Derbe were setting up a large round tent made out of white silk. It was one of the tents my mother used when she toured the country. Patera's men were laying their bedrolls in a circle around the tent, forming a defensive perimeter.

"Where did that come from?" I asked.

"The queen's guard had it on one of their pack horses. They also brought some more clothes for you."

"My riding clothes?"

"More along the line of your mother's riding clothes."

"I can't wear my mother's clothes. Her skirts are too long for me."

"I don't think these were made for her," Vomeir said. "But it does look like she had a hand in designing them."

"Great." That meant more corsets, low cut necklines, and long billowing skirts that tangled around my legs.

"It looks like they're about done, Your Highness." Vomeir stood, then offered me his hand. I took it and let him escort me to the tent. Oil lamps lit the inside of the tent, suspended from the pole that supported it. Blue and red rugs covered the ground inside the tent. Prentice was already in there, fussing with a wicker trunk full of clothes. Vomeir released my hand and bowed. "If you need anything. I'll be right here."

"I need you to answer a question. If you can."

"What's the question?"

"If you loved Salisha, why did you let her chase you away?"

"Perhaps I didn't love her as much as you think I did."

Right then, I did something completely out of character. I kissed Vomeir. Nothing serious mind you, just a quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Captain."

"What for?"

"For not loving Salisha as much as much I thought you did."

Vomeir didn't say anything. He just stepped back and closed the tent flap, leaving me with Prentice and my thoughts.

# Chapter 5

We broke camp at first light, continuing our journey west in two columns. Sardis and Vomeir rode at the front followed by one half of the queen's guard. Patera rode alongside me, followed by the woodsman's cart, with the woodsman and his wife on the front of the cart, Zore and Prentice on the back. Botek and his men, and the other half of Patera's men, followed the cart. Miletus and Derbe brought up the rear.

"Can I assume you're planning to seek the support of General Dacus and the Army of the West?" Patera said.

"General Dacus isn't fond of Bedonna. I once heard him warn mother that if Bedonna became queen, it would not bode well for Adah."

"Soon after that, she put him in charge of the Army of the West. Convenient for you."

"You think she knew I would seek Dacus's help?"

"I think she knew you were spying on her and General Dacus when he warned her of Bedonna. She always knew when you girls were spying on her." Patera looked me over and smiled. "Not So Little One."

The appreciative grin was for my outfit. There was a dark blue silk skirt that flared out like the ankle length gown I wore yesterday. The upper half of the outfit was also identical to the red velvet dress. It had long sleeves, a scooped neckline, and a built-in corset that laced up the back. The main difference between the two outfits, aside from the material, was that the skirt and top of this outfit weren't connected. I wore my black riding boots and straddled the horse, refusing to ride sidesaddle.

I kept my hair in a ponytail for the simple reason that it was quicker and easier to do than a braid. Instead of the Ruby Crown, I wore a princess crown, a simple silver headband with the royal seal engraved on the front. I still felt ridiculous, dressed in a fancy gown, but at least this outfit was lighter and easier to move around in. The sword around my waist made me feel less ridiculous.

"When your mother gave me those outfits, I told her that she was wasting her time, that you wouldn't wear them. She insisted that you would wear them when the time was right."

"I feel like a little girl playing dress up."

"You may feel like a little girl playing dress up, but you don't look like one. And that's all that matters."

"I feel like I'm trying to fool people."

"Fooling them into thinking you're a beautiful desirable woman, or fooling them into thinking that you're fit to be queen?"

"Both."

"You actually believe that?"

"Yes."

"Then perhaps it's time you take a consort."

I made no attempt to hide the shocked look on my face. "You must be joking."

"It wasn't until your mother took a consort that she began to see herself the way others saw her, as a beautiful, desirable, intelligent woman with much to offer."

"I'm not sure I'm ready to take a consort."

"Some other time then." Patera's weathered face grew more serious. "There's something else we need to discuss."

"What?"

"It's been several months since your mother last heard from General Dacus and the Army of the West."

"Is that long?"

"Normally, she received monthly reports. A few months ago those reports stopped coming. She sent several messengers to find out what was going on, but they never returned."

"Perhaps they were waylaid by bandits," Vomeir said, joining us. "I don't mean to alarm you, Your Highness, but these hills have eyes."

"We're being watched?" I looked around. If someone was watching us, they were hiding in the trees on the mountain side.

"A woman lives in this valley," Patera said. "She commands a handful of men and is known as the Queen of Thieves. It would be her men that are watching us."

"Do you think she killed the messengers?" I said.

"Doubtful," Patera said. "They were always accompanied by a dozen armed men. The Queen of Thieves doesn't have the manpower to go up against that many soldiers. They were in no more danger than we are."

"Then something happened to the messengers when they reached the Army of the West," Vomeir said.

Patera nodded, then looked at me. "I was hoping Lila could use her gift to find out what happened to General Dacus."

I focused on General Dacus. A short stocky man with a shaved head and piercing violet eyes. I saw him sitting in a prison cell. He was still in uniform, but the gray leather breeches were dirty and the green tunic was tattered. He had grown a beard since I last saw him.

"He's in prison."

"Who put him there?" Vomeir asked.

"I don't know. I can't see into the past. I can only see things that are happening or will happen."

"Sounds like a coup," Patera said. "Can't say I'm surprised. The Army of the West has always had its share of malcontents. That's one of the reasons they were sent out here, to get them away from the population centers where they could cause real trouble."

"So we're riding to seek the aid of a legion of malcontents that no longer answers to the Queen of Adah," Vomeir said.

Patera looked at me. "Sure you don't want to turn around?"

I thought of what Bedonna did to Salisha, how she scarred her face out of spite before killing her, and then took her braid as a trophy. "Thanks, but I think I'll take my chances with the malcontents."

I didn't have enough men to defeat Bedonna in combat, and nothing I said would convince her to spare my life. So there was no reason to turn around. I didn't have enough men to go up against the Army of the West either, but I might be able to find a way to win back their loyalty. I wasn't sure how I would do that, but I still had a couple of days to figure things out.

That night, when I lay down to rest, I had a vision of what lie ahead. I saw us arriving at the Western Palace. Like the other two palaces it was constructed of white granite. It sat on top of a gently rolling hill with brown grass and a few palm trees. The surrounding hills looked the same. Behind the palace lay the mountains. In front of the palace, somewhere beyond the rolling hills, lay the Desert of Shifting Sands.

The Western Palace was a rectangular building that ran from left to right rather than front to back. It was a two story structure. There were no windows on the first floor, just a pair of heavy double doors in a recessed archway set in the middle of the building. The second floor consisted of a balcony that ran the length of the building. Several smaller doors opened onto the balcony. At each end of the building was a square tower.

At the bottom of the hill, a white granite wall surrounded the palace. Scattered on the hillside between the wall and the palace were several buildings. The buildings were made from logs and served as barracks, mess halls, and various other buildings for the Army of the West.

Between the Western Palace and the Desert of Shifting Sands lay the Land of the Wild Men. Calling them men might be a misnomer. Court scholars believed they were more like pre-men. They were shorter than men, the tallest being no more than my height. They had sloping foreheads and broad flat noses. Their arms were longer than a normal man's and their bodies were covered with brown hair that looked more like fur. They didn't wear clothes, didn't speak a language other than to grunt and screech at each other. Their use of tools seemed limited to rocks and sticks. They lived in small bands of no more than a dozen and survived by hunting small rodents and each other. Yes. They were cannibals.

In my vision, I arrived at the gates with Vomeir, Patera, and everyone else. I was wearing the Ruby Crown and the red velvet dress. I rode to the front of my party and called out to the men manning the ramparts above the gates.

"I am Lila Marie Haran, heir hopeful to the throne of Adah, and I request an audience with General Dacus."

My presence caused a stir among the men on the ramparts and they didn't seem to know what to do or say. Finally, one of them said, "One moment, Your Highness."

It was several long minutes before anything else happened. Eventually, a tall man with broad shoulders, short black hair, and a bushy black mustache leaned on a rampart over the gate. He was older than Vomeir, but younger than Patera.

"Commander Trager Selis," Patera whispered to me. "One of General Dacus's division commanders."

"Princess Lila," Commander Selis said to me. "This is a pleasant surprise. What brings you way out here?"

"Queen Bella is dead. I seek the aid of General Dacus and the Army of the West in my fight with my sister, Bedonna."

"I see," Selis said.

"Is General Dacus here?"

"Oh, he's here. He's just not in charge of the Army of the West anymore."

"I don't understand."

"It's quite simple, Your Highness. The Army of the West is no longer under the command of General Dacus."

"Who does command it?" Vomeir said.

"I do." Selis bowed, introducing himself. "Trager Selis, King of the Western Hills."

Selis raised his right arm and a line of archers appeared on the rampart, crossbows ready. Patera and Vomeir ordered a retreat, but it was too late. The arrows came too fast for us to do anything. One hit Patera in the neck, knocking him off his horse. Two penetrated Vomeir's breastplate and he fell.

Within minutes, everyone who took an oath to serve me, save for Prentice, was dead. Before I could recover from the shock of what happened, the gates opened and half a dozen armed men came riding out of the fort. One of them took the reins to my horse and led me into the fort. Another threw a struggling Prentice face down over the front of his horse and brought her into the fort.

Selis was now on horseback. He circled around me, and looked me over. "You've changed since I last saw you, Princess. You've grown up."

"I wish I could say the same for you." In truth I didn't even remember the man. Not that I thought it was a good time to let him know that.

Selis laughed and spoke to the man holding the mare's reins. "Take her to the palace and put her in my quarters. Looks like I finally have a consort fit for a king."

I woke up and saw no more, not that I needed to see more. I could figure out what happened after that. What I needed to do was figure out how to get the Army of the West back. Getting them back meant dealing with Trager Selis, the self-proclaimed King of the Western Hills.

I grabbed the dark blue silk cloak I wore during the day, wrapped it around myself, and slipped out of my tent in search of Patera and Vomeir. Luckily, they were still up, sitting by the campfire.

"I know what happened to General Dacus," I said.

"What?" they said in unison.

"One of his division commanders, a man named Trager Selis, has taken control of the army. He's proclaimed himself the King of the Western Hills."

"And the Army of the West is loyal to him?" Vomeir asked.

"As long as he lives." Whether they would fall back into line if he was dead remained to be seen.

"He's a strong willed man," Patera said. "And apparently more ambitious than anybody realized."

"So what are your plans?" Vomeir said.

"I can't take anybody with me to the Western Palace. Trager Selis will kill them."

Vomeir leapt to his feet. "You can't go alone. I won't allow it."

"I appreciate your concern, Captain, but I'm one of two people in this party he won't kill."

"How can you be sure he won't kill you?"

"Because he didn't kill me in my vision."

"Even if he doesn't kill you, I can guarantee he'll make you wish you were dead."

"Vomeir is right," Patera said. "You can't ride to the Western Palace alone. It's too dangerous."

"What will you do when you get there?" Vomeir said.

"I'll request the aid of the King of the Western Hills."

"At which point he'll make you his slave."

"Trager fancies himself a king. The best way to legitimize his claim is to take a princess as his bride."

Vomeir scowled. "Bride or slave. Your duties will be the same."

"The best chance I'll have to kill him is when we're alone in the bedroom."

"And how do you propose to do that?" Patera said. He didn't seem as bothered by my plan as Vomeir, but I didn't expect him to be. He had been through all of this with my mother, when she had to battle her sisters for the throne.

"That's the part I haven't figured out yet. I need to talk to a woman, a woman with experience in deceiving, robbing, and killing men."

"The Queen of Thieves?" Patera said.

"My intuition tells me that she'll be able to help me."

"She'll want something in return."

"I was thinking maybe amnesty."

"That might do it. She's been out here for years, I suspect she's growing tired of living in these woods. I've been told she comes from the Port of Nadal. She might like to see the coast one more time before she dies."

"If amnesty won't satisfy her, I have some gold and jewelry. I suspect she'll accept some of that as payment."

Vomeir folded his arms across his chest and glared at me from the other side of the campfire, making it clear that he didn't like any of my ideas. "Are you planning on seeing her alone?"

"No, Captain. You may accompany me when I meet with the Queen of Thieves."

"When do you plan on doing that?" Patera asked.

"First light tomorrow, while the rest of you break camp. Assuming we're still being watched."

"We are," Vomeir said.

# Chapter 6

Vomeir and I left camp at first light, heading toward the mountains on the southern side of the pass, to the spot where Vomeir said there were people watching us.

"You're sure we're headed in the right direction?"

"Positive, Your Highness."

I took his word for it, since I could neither see or sense anybody hiding in the trees.

"Don't suppose you can tell me how many there are?"

"One that I know of. Maybe more."

"And they won't try to shoot us?"

"If they wanted to attack us, they would have already done it."

We reached the southern side of the pass, where the grass covered flats met the mountains. Even at their base, the mountains were steep. At this elevation, pine trees grew thick. Further up the mountain, they began to thin out, until you reached the tree line, the point where they didn't grow at all.

I pulled the mare up and surveyed the trees. I still couldn't see anyone. I couldn't hear anyone either, due to a stiff morning breeze that whistled through the trees.

"Say something," Vomeir said. "They'll hear you."

"I am Lila Marie Haran, heir hopeful to the throne of Adah. I request an audience with the Queen of Thieves."

A woman stepped out of the trees. She wore black riding boots that looked surprisingly new. Probably stolen from an unlucky traveler. She wore brown leather breeches, a long sleeved white wool shirt that tied in the front, and a brown leather jerkin. Her head had recently been shaved and her hair was still short, cropped close to her head like Bedonna's.

That was where the similarity between her and Bedonna ended. She was shorter than Bedonna, not nearly as muscular, and a lot prettier. She was also too young to be the Queen of Thieves, somewhere around my age. She had a quiver of arrows slung over her shoulder and held a bow and arrow in her hand. The arrow was ready to fire, but she kept it pointed at the ground.

"Why does the heir to the throne of Adah wish to see the Queen of Thieves?"

I dismounted and handed the mare's reins to Vomeir. "Wait here."

Vomeir didn't argue with me. He took the mare's reins from me and remained on horseback. I walked over to the girl and looked her in the eyes. "I'm going to meet a man that has taken something from me, something I want back."

"You intend to steal it?"

"Not exactly."

"So what do you want from the Queen of Thieves?"

"I need to know the best way to kill a man who shares my bed."

The girl smiled. "The Queen of Thieves might be able to help you, but she will want something in return."

"I can offer her and her people amnesty. She'll be free to live anywhere in Adah that she wants. She can even return to the Port of Nadal. I'm told Nadal was once her home."

"If you become Queen of Adah, you can offer the Queen of Thieves amnesty. But you are not the queen yet. What have you to trade now?"

"What does she want?"

The girl circled around me, studying the silk gown I was wearing. It was cut exactly like the red velvet gown I wore a couple of days ago, except that it was made out of yellow silk and had white lacing around the hem, neckline, and cuffs. Once again, I wore my hair in a ponytail and had on the silver headband known as a princess crown. A white silk cloak with yellow trim around the hem and hood covered my shoulders. "The gown you're wearing will suffice."

I couldn't imagine why an elderly woman called the Queen of Thieves would want a silk gown. Not that I was going to argue. I was more than happy to give her my gown in exchange for some advice on how to kill Trager Selis.

"We have a deal?"

I nodded. "We have a deal."

She put the arrow back in the quiver and slung the bow over her right shoulder. "Come. We will go to the Queen of Thieves's camp."

"You will assure my safety?"

The girl seemed amused by my question. "I will assure your safety."

"If she's not back by sunset," Vomeir said. "I will hunt you down."

I followed the girl into the trees and up the mountain side. Not an easy thing to do in an ankle length silk gown. We trudged up the mountain a good mile. Eventually the trees began to thin out and the air grew cooler. By the time we reached the tree line, I was out of breath.

"Your friend is following us."

"He's just worried about my safety. As long as I'm not harmed, he won't cause trouble."

"Sounds like he cares for you very much."

"He's taken an oath to serve me." I stopped and put my hands on my knees, trying to get my wind back. "Is it much further?"

"We are here," the girl said.

I looked around. A ring of rocks that once served as a campfire was there. Next to it was a bedroll, already rolled up, and a knapsack. There were no men, no women, no Queen of Thieves.

"Where is everybody?"

"The Queen of Thieves died last winter, as did the last of her men. They were old and these mountains are not kind to the old, especially during the winter months. I am the last of her people."

That explained why she thought it was funny when I asked if she could guarantee my safety. There was no one around to threaten me except her.

The girl tossed her bow and quiver on the ground and sat on a fallen log. She opened her knapsack and began to rummage through it. I sat next to her, grateful for the chance to catch my breath.

"How long have you been by yourself?"

She paused in her digging long enough to look at the sun. "Mother died just before spring arrived and it's now midsummer. How long would you say that is?"

"About four months. You're the Queen of Thieves's daughter?"

"I am." The girl pulled something out of her knapsack and looked at me. "My name is Talia Pock. My mother was Sharice Pock, the Queen of Thieves."

"Why did you stay here after your mother died? You're not wanted and no one knows who you are. You could've went to one of the cities. Started a new life."

"I was born and raised in these mountains. I've never been to a city, wouldn't know how to live in one."

"Don't you get lonely, living here all by yourself?"

"I am familiar with loneliness. I am not familiar with cities."

"Suppose you didn't have to go to the city alone? Suppose you went with a friend, someone that knew all about cities, knew all about the people that lived in them."

"You are speaking of yourself?"

"The people that are with me have taken a oath to serve me. If you'd be willing to take that same oath, you'd be welcome to join us."

"First we trade," Talia said. "Then you will explain this oath to me."

She opened her hand and showed me two palm-sized pieces of bone connected by a thin silk cord.

"What's that?"

"This is what you need to kill the man that took what is yours." She grabbed a piece of bone in each hand and snapped the cord taunt. "This cord is very strong, strong enough to choke a man to death if you so wish."

"Where do you hide it? Especially if you're naked?"

Talia looked at my gown. "First you give me the dress. Then I'll show you how to hide it in plain sight."

"I'll need something to wear."

"You can have some of my clothes."

"You'll have to help me out of this." I stood, dropped my cloak, and turned my back to her, so she could see the lacing on the dress.

Talia glanced toward the trees, then lowered her voice to a whisper. "Your friend is watching us."

"Let him watch."

Talia pulled an outfit out of her knapsack that was identical to what she had on. It looked a lot more practical, not to mention comfortable, compared to what I had on, so I gladly gave her the gown. Talia's breeches were a little long for me, but fit well once they were tucked inside my riding boots. The sleeves on her shirt were a little long but worked fine once I rolled them up. We were about the same size in the waist and chest, so the jerkin fit perfectly.

Talia insisted on trying the dress on, although she left her other outfit on beneath it. The gown was a little short on her, reaching only to mid-calf. The sleeves were also a touch short, but she didn't seem to mind. In fact, she looked ridiculously happy.

She whirled. "Am I as beautiful as you?"

"Maybe more so. Now, where do I hide the choking device?"

Talia moved behind me, removed the silk ribbon that kept my ponytail in place, and replaced it with choking device. "You hide it in plain sight. No man will suspect that it is anything except a frivolous decoration."

"Your mother taught you this?"

"My mother taught me everything I know. She said men are quick to assume that anything a woman wears is for vanity." Talia pointed to the sword I was buckling around my waist. "Some might even be stupid enough to think your sword is a frivolous decoration."

"Let's hope the man I need to kill is that stupid."

"What did he take from you?"

"He took my army," I said. "And if I'm going to win the throne from my sister, I must get it back."

Talia sat. "Tell me about this oath I must take if I am to travel with you."

I told her about the oath, and Bedonna, and the two hundred men that Bedonna had at her command. She expressed no fear of Bedonna or her men and said she would be willing to take an oath to support me as queen.

I smiled. "You just did."

I got the impression that she had been watching us not because she feared us, but because she was lonely. Four months was a long time for a young woman to live alone in these mountains. I was pretty sure that if Bedonna had come along first, Talia would have joined her cause. Not that I thought she would go back on her word. She didn't impress me as a young woman that was afraid to fight. She was just a young woman that was tired of being alone.

# Chapter 7

We joined the others and continued our journey west. Talia wrapped the dress and cape in her bedroll. Since she didn't have a horse, she had to ride on the back of the woodsman's cart with Zore and Prentice. Not that she minded, she seemed deliriously happy to have people around.

Patera pulled his horse alongside of mine. "I see you've picked up another stray."

I had been riding alone, in the middle of the column, still wearing the worn comfortable clothes Talia gave me. Vomeir was at the front of the column, talking to Sardis.

"Her name is Talia. She's the Queen of Thieves's daughter."

"You stole her from the Queen of Thieves?"

"The Queen of Thieves died over the winter, as did the last of her men. Talia was alone."

"So you didn't find what you were seeking."

"On the contrary. She gave me exactly what I needed. Her mother schooled her well."

"You think it's safe to have her around? Her mother was a thief and a murderer."

"She took an oath to serve me. I believe she will honor that oath."

"What are you going to do with her?"

"By nightfall, we'll be through the Pass of Nod."

Patera nodded. "Give or take a few miles."

"Tomorrow morning, I'll continue my journey alone. The rest of you will wait for me where we make camp. If soldiers from the Army of the West enter the pass without me leading them, you'll need to scatter. Talia was born and raised in these mountains. She can help you hide."

"I'm not comfortable with you riding to the Western Palace alone."

"But you understand my reasoning."

"I understand it, but if Trager Selis kills you, I'll have failed your mother."

"Trager Selis won't kill me," I said. "I'm more valuable to him alive. He has a chance to become the first King of Adah with me at his side."

"And you'll point that out to him?"

"I'll explain to him that we have much in common. He wants to be king. I want to be queen. I'll then propose that we make an alliance. If he supports my claim to the throne of Adah, I'll make him my husband, which will make him king. He'll question my motives, wondering why I'd be willing to do that. I'll point out that I have no alternative and that it is better to share power than die at the hand of my sister. At that point, he'll arrange a quick wedding ceremony. After the ceremony, we'll celebrate. During the celebration, I'll make sure my new husband has plenty to drink. At some point during the celebration, he'll insist we retire to our bedroom and consummate our union. That's when I'll kill him."

"You know how you'll kill him?"

"Yes. Thanks to Talia."

"And you're sure it will work?"

I wasn't sure anything would work, but my plan made sense, and as far as I could see, I didn't have a lot of options. "I believe I have a good chance of killing Trager Selis, but I don't know what the Army of the West will do once he's dead. They're trained to follow orders and I'm counting on them to do that once their self-appointed leader is dead."

"What if you fail to kill him?"

"If I fail to kill him, I'll be no worse off than if Bedonna had caught me."

"How long do you want us to wait for your return?"

"If I'm not back in a fortnight, everyone is free to go where they wish. You can consider your oaths fulfilled."

We rode till dusk then made camp where the pass narrowed, going from a mile across to less than half a mile. We were also starting to descend. The green knee-high grass that made up the floor of the pass was thinning out, and the mountains on both sides of the pass were getting shorter. All of that reminded me that we were nearing the end of the pass, and that tomorrow, I would have to ride on alone. That realization made my stomach lurch and when they passed dinner around--some sort of potato and bean soup--I found I had lost my appetite.

"You need to eat," Vomeir said, thrusting a wooden bowl full of soup into my hands.

I never had a chance to tell him I wasn't hungry because another vision hit me. This one involved my other sister, Iderra. She was sitting in a pub, not a high class establishment that might expect royalty to enter it, but a dark dingy place that harbored no illusions about its cliental.

She wasn't dressed like a princess, wasn't even dressed like a girl. She wore an outfit similar to what I was wearing, black riding boots, brown leather breeches, a white wool shirt that tied in front, and a brown leather jerkin. She also wore a hat, what people liked to call a wizard's hat. It was made out of soft brown leather that came to a point on top and had a huge brim that flopped down over her face.

Her brown hair had been cut short, similar to the way I wore my hair before mother told me to let it grow. She had a green wool cloak draped over her shoulders. A knapsack rested on her table, as did a wooden mug of mead. There was dirt on her face, making it look like she had been on the road for several days. As far as I could see, she carried no sword, no weapon of any kind.

The fact that she carried no weapon didn't surprise me, Iderra was a thinker, not a fighter. Out of the four of us, she had always been the worst when it came to handling a sword, even Salisha could beat her in a sword fight, and Salisha had shown little interest in sword fighting.

For a second, I wondered why I was having this vision. She seemed to be in no danger, at least no more than could be expected considering our current situation. Then the pub's door opened and four of Bedonna's men burst into the room. They wore the uniform of the palace guard, black riding boots, gray leather breeches, green tunics, silver breastplates and helmets. Their swords were drawn, which meant they were there on business.

"Everybody remain where you are," the biggest of the guards said. "We're looking for the Princesses Iderra Derbe Haran and Lila Marie Haran. Not that we'd expect to find either of them in a scummy dive like this."

"Is there a reward?" someone yelled.

"The reward is we don't throw yer scummy arse in prison."

"What do the princesses look like?" Iderra said. I couldn't believe she would draw attention to herself. If it had been me, I would've tried to remain as inconspicuous as possible.

"One's tall and skinny with long brown hair and a beak for a nose."

"Sounds kind of ugly," Iderra said.

The guard laughed. "She ain't the best looking woman I've ever seen, but she ain't as ugly as some of you scum."

There was general laughter from the crowd. A few, Iderra included, even toasted to their ugliness.

"What's the other one look like?" someone said.

"She's short and cute with long black hair. She might have cut her hair, so she could pass herself off as a boy."

"How long is the city going to be locked down?" Iderra asked.

"Yeah," someone else said. "Some of us got business in other towns."

"Help us find the princesses and you can be about your business. Until then, you'll just have to confine your thieven and whoren to Morcesha."

The guards turned and left.

"He called us ugly," Iderra said, loud enough so the whole room could hear her. "Have you seen the princess he works for?"

"Yeah. She's got more hair on her mug than me," a scraggly bearded man said. Everyone laughed and resumed their revelry. Iderra looked directly at me, and spoke in a voice only I could hear. "Do you like my disguise, Mouse? I got the idea from you. I figured if short hair could make people think that you were a boy, then cutting my hair short could make them think I was a man. Of course, I hated to do it, you know how much I loved my hair."

That was true. Iderra always felt that her hair was her best feature. It had reached clear to her waist and was thick and shiny and chestnut in color.

"I trust you're not surprised by my talking to you. I figured out a long time ago that you were a seer. I've even learned to sense when I'm being watched. It's kind of like that feeling you get when someone's looking over your shoulder."

I wasn't surprised by that. Nothing Iderra said or did surprised me. Out of the four of us, she was the most unpredictable.

"Bedonna still has Morcesha locked down, but she'll soon conclude that we've both left the city. Then her guards will fan out and search the surrounding countryside. When that happens, I'll leave Morcesha and head for Sorea, where I plan to seek refuge. I trust you remember my theory about the Dark Wizards of Sorea."

It was hard to forget her theory. Iderra believed the wizards that ran Sorea weren't wizards at all, but intellectuals like herself. She believed they possessed great machines that harnessed the power of steam. She even showed me a device that she believed was at the heart of the machines they used.

The device was a metal ball with bent spouts on opposite ends. The ball had two metal spikes attached opposite each other. She filled the ball with water then placed it in the fireplace, using the two spikes to suspend it over the fire. As the water in the ball got hot, steam began to shoot out of the two spouts. Since both spouts were bent in the same direction, the steam coming out of them flowed in the same direction. As more and more steam flowed out of the spouts, the ball began to spin.

"Imagine bigger versions of this," an excited Iderra had explained. "You place a firebox underneath them. You attach those spikes to wheels and you get self-propelled carts. You could build one of these in a mill, attach it to a millstone, and use it to grind grain. The possibilities are endless."

Iderra believed the Dark Wizards of Sorea had built machines such as those. She believed they had closed their borders to keep that knowledge from leaking out, from finding its way to people that might use the machines against them.

"I'm glad to learn that you're still alive," Iderra whispered. "I imagine you already know what Bedonna did to Salisha. She'll do the same to us if she catches us."

Or worse, I thought, remembering the look in Bedonna's eyes after she killed Salisha.

"Don't worry, Mouse. She won't catch me. I hear she's already planning her coronation. Hard to believe considering we're both still alive. Maybe not so hard to believe knowing Bed. I told the court scholars that I wasn't interested in being queen and that they should support you. I think they understood. They know I'm happier than I've ever been. I don't have to worry about living up to mother's expectations, nor do I have to compete with Salisha's beauty, or with Bedonna's skills as a warrior. And when I reach Sorea, I'll be able to devote all of my time to studying machines I've only dreamed about."

The vision began to fade and I whispered under my breath, "Goodbye, Ide."

I found myself sitting in front of our campfire. Vomeir and Patera were watching me, waiting for me to come out of my trance.

"Is it good news or bad news?" Vomeir said.

"Probably bad," Patera said. "That seems to be the only kind of visions she has."

"That's not true. I had a vision telling me of your arrival and that wasn't bad news."

A hopeful look crossed Vomeir's face. "So it was good news? Tell me it was good news, because we could use a little good news."

"I saw Iderra. She was in a pub in Morcesha. Bedonna's men entered looking for her and me."

"Definitely bad news," Patera said.

"They didn't recognize her," I said. "Even when she spoke to them. They didn't know who she was."

"How is that possible?" Vomeir said.

"She cut her hair short. The way I used to cut mine. And she was wearing clothes similar to what I have on right now. And she wore a big wizard's hat. And her face was covered with dirt. And she looked happy. As happy as I've ever seen her."

"Happy?" Patera said. "What's she got to be happy about?"

"Maybe she's happy that she's still alive," Vomeir said.

"She's happy to be away from the palace. She's happy that she no longer has to live up to mother's expectations. She's happy that she doesn't have to compete with Salisha's beauty. She's happy that she doesn't have to practice sword fighting with Bedonna. She's happy that she's free to go where she wants and study what she wants."

"So Morcesha is no longer locked down?" Vomeir said.

"It's still locked down. But Ide believes Bed is about ready to give up searching the city."

"How do you know that?" Patera said.

"She told me."

Both men stiffened. "What?"

"She knows I'm a seer, has known for quite awhile. Somehow, she could sense my presence."

"That's just creepy," Vomeir said.

"Which is creepy?" Patera said. "Iderra's ability to sense Lila's presence, or Lila's ability to see what's happening in another part of the country?"

"Both."

Patera turned to me. "Did she say anything else?"

"She said Bed is already planning her coronation."

"That's a bit premature," Vomeir said.

"But not surprising," Patera added.

"As soon as Bed's men fan out to search the countryside, Ide is going to leave Morcesha."

"And go where?" Vomeir said.

"Sorea." I couldn't let it go at that, so I laid out Iderra's theory on the Dark Wizards of Sorea, how she thought they were intellectuals like herself and not wizards. That was why she was wearing a wizard's cap. It was her idea of a joke, her way of letting people know where she was going.

"Sounds like wishful thinking on her part," Patera said.

"Ide knows as much about Sorea as anyone in this country. She's read every text written about it, investigated every rumor spread. I wouldn't dismiss her theories too lightly."

Patera pushed himself to his feet and headed off to lay out his bedroll. "Still sounds like wishful thinking to me."

That night I dreamed about machines. Big metal machines that had steam coming out of the top and rolled along metal tracks at incredible speeds. Ide was driving one of those machines and she had a big smile on her face. All in all, it was the best dream I had since my mother became ill a full year ago.

# 

# Chapter 8

I was in my tent getting dressed, when Vomeir burst in unannounced. "Change of plans, Your Highness."

"Captain," I shrieked. "I'm not dressed."

I was standing in the middle of the tent wearing rose colored stockings, matching silk briefs, and the top half of a dress that was identical to the two-piece I wore a couple of days ago, with long sleeves, a scoop neckline, and a built-in corset. Like the stockings and briefs, the dress was made out of silk and a dark rose in color. Prentice was standing behind me, lacing up the built-in corset while I hung onto the tent's support pole.

"Now that's what I call an outfit," Vomeir said. "Ride up to the gates of the Western Palace wearing that and the Army of the West will follow you to the end of the world."

"But what would they do with me once I reached the end of the world?"

Vomeir waved Prentice out of the tent. As she scurried out, he slid behind me and whispered in my ear. "Nothing you wouldn't enjoy."

He was probably right. Even so, my entire body turned as red as my clothes. "You mentioned a change of plans."

Vomeir straightened up and his tone grew serious. "Talia is going with you."

"She's safer here. And you guys might need her."

"We're soldiers. We can take care of ourselves." He tugged on the laces of my corset, finishing Prentice's job. "Talia can wear that gown you gave her. They won't kill her if she's wearing a dress. Not if your vision was accurate."

"What if they ask who she is?"

"You can tell them that she's your handmaiden."

"Handmaidens don't shave their heads."

"Soldiers don't know that. If anyone asks, you can tell them she shaved it because she had lice, or because she was sick, or something like that. No one will think twice about the length of your handmaiden's hair."

"If you think she'll come in handy. I'll take her."

"I don't know if she'll come in handy or not. I just know I'll feel better if someone's with you. Someone that knows how to fight."

"Tell Talia that I need to see her." I grabbed the bottom half of my gown and slipped into it. "And tell her to bring her dress. She'll need to change."

I told Talia where we were going and what I expected to happen when we got there. She agreed with Vomeir, that it would be better if someone went with me. She didn't mind wearing the dress, but she wasn't happy about what she had to wear beneath it. Or as she put it, what she didn't get to wear beneath it. She wanted to wear her regular clothes under the gown and I had to explain that ladies didn't wear regular clothes under their gowns. If she did that, the men in the Army of the West would get suspicious. She reluctantly donned the silk undergarments, but strapped a hunting knife around her right calf.

"Everything's ready, Your Highness," Vomeir said, reentering my tent.

Derbe gave Talia his horse and Patera gave us one of his pack horses. The pack horse carried a pair of wicker trunks, one slung on each side of its body. My clothes were in one trunk. Food, water, and some other supplies were in the second trunk. We didn't need the other stuff, since we would reach the Western Palace well before nightfall, but we wanted to make it look like we traveled through the pass alone. I mounted my mare, then turned back to the others. I felt I should say something before I rode off, but I wasn't sure what. Finally, I said, "I won't let them kill me. I promise."

Not long after we left the Pass of Nod, the Western Palace came into view, sitting on top of a gentle hill that was more brown than green.

"Is that where we're headed?" Talia asked.

"The palace is the big white building at the top of the hill. The smaller buildings between it and the wall at the bottom of the hill house the Army of the West."

"I've never seen anything so big. Except the mountains themselves."

"There are three thousand six hundred men stationed here. A full legion."

"Who will we tell them I am?"

"My handmaiden."

"What does a handmaiden do?"

"Lay out my clothes, help me get dressed, fix my hair, prepare my bath, that kind of stuff."

"And how long have I been your handmaiden?"

"Since your mother died four months ago. That's why you shaved your head. You were mourning your mother's death."

Talia flashed a conspiratorial grin. "But we won't tell them who my mother was."

"That's something they don't need to know."

"Otherwise they'll realize that I'm a bodyguard and not a handmaiden."

Vomeir must've told Talia that she was to serve as my bodyguard. I wasn't sure what she could do against three thousand soldiers, but it felt good to have her with me. The closer we drew to the gates, the better it felt to have her with me.

"They won't shoot us?" Talia asked when we drew close enough to the wall to see a lone guard with a crossbow stationed between the ramparts above the heavy wooden gates.

"That's why we're wearing the gowns. If we were dressed as men, they'd probably shoot first and ask questions later."

"But if we play the part of damsels in distress, they'll welcome us with open arms."

I nodded. "Hopefully."

"It's a good plan. My mother always said the easiest way to best a man is to play the damsel in distress."

We rode in silence until the soldier manning the ramparts called out. "Stop and state your business."

I pulled back on the mare's reins. "I'm Lila Marie Haran, heir hopeful to the throne of Adah. I wish to speak to Trager Selis."

"One, ah, moment, Your Highness."

The man sounded flustered. No big surprise. Rebelling against the queen's emissaries was one thing, rebelling against the queen herself, or in this case, her heir, was something else, especially when you had taken an oath to serve her. It was nice to know there were still men in the Army of the West that could suffer a twinge of guilt over their actions.

What I wanted to know was why did they rebel? Why did they go along with Trager Selis and throw General Dacus in prison? What made them want to do it? I understood Trager Selis. He was ambitious. He lusted for power. I didn't understand the men that supported him. If I was going to gain their support, I needed to understand them. I needed to find out why they rebelled against my mother.

After what seemed like an eternity, Trager Selis appeared between the ramparts directly over the gate, just like in my vision. And just like in my vision, there were half a dozen soldiers on each side of him pointing crossbows at us.

"Princess Lila," Trager Selis said. "What brings you here?"

"My journey has been a long and tiring one. Let me rest in comfortable quarters and I will tell you."

"Tell me now."

"If that's what you wish."

"It is."

"You call yourself the King of the Western Hills. But you, and I, and the men that surround you, know that you are no king."

"You came here to insult me?"

"On the contrary, Commander. I came here to make all your dreams come true."

"How so?"

"You call yourself a king, but we all know that you are no king." I paused to smile. "However, I can make you a king. A legitimate king. A true king. A king whose children will have royal blood flowing through their veins."

"And what do you want from me?"

"My mother is dead. The throne is up for grabs. I think you can figure out the rest. Now, if you would be so kind as to open the gates. It's been a long ride and my handmaiden and I are weary."

Trager nodded to one of his men, who called out, "Open the gates."

The heavy wooden gates opened inward. When they were open all the way, Trager Selis and six armed men rode out to meet us. He stopped next to me and looked me over. "You've changed since I last saw you, Princess. You've grown up."

"The death of one's mother does that, Commander."

"Especially when one's mother is the Queen of Adah. How fair your sisters?"

"Salisha is dead. Iderra flees to Sorea. Only Bedonna and I remain to fight over mother's throne."

"How many men does Bedonna have?"

"So far just the palace guard."

I could see the wheels turning inside Trager Selis's power hungry little mind. He was beginning to see what I wanted him to see. He was beginning to see how an alliance between the two of us could make him a king. A legitimate king. A true king.

"The trunk on the right has my clothes," I said, when one of Selis's men grabbed our pack horse's reins. "Please put it in my suite. The other one contains what's left of our food and supplies. Do with it as you wish."

We passed through the gates and followed the road that wound its way to the palace on top of the hill. Trager Selis rode on my left. Talia rode on my right. Selis's six men--who I took to be his most loyal supporters and personal guard--followed behind us. The rest of the Army of the West was going about their business, but they all stopped to look at us as we rode by. I wasn't wearing the Ruby Crown, but I was wearing the silver headband known as a princess crown and had little doubt that everyone recognized me.

"How did you know that I've been calling myself the King of the Western Hills?" Trager asked me.

"You mean how could I possibly know that, since you've imprisoned all the messengers my mother sent?"

Trager smiled, a smug smile. "If you want to put it that way."

"I'm a seer, Commander. I know many things."

Okay, so maybe it sounded a little pompous. Or a lot pompous. Either way, it wiped the smug grin off Trager Selis's face. It also let him know that I possessed abilities that he might find useful. I figured the more reasons he had to keep me alive, the safer Talia and I would be.

"There have always been rumors about you and your sisters. But I never heard anything about you being a seer."

"That's because I didn't tell anyone. You might say that I was hiding my assets."

He leered at my breasts and smiled. "In more ways than one, Your Highness."

"Sword fighting against Bedonna was easier when I dressed and cut my hair like a boy. I didn't have her size and strength, so I tried to make up for it with speed and quickness."

"How did you fair?"

"Better than my late sister, Salisha, but never as well as I would've liked."

"Bedonna killed Salisha in a sword fight?"

"Yes."

"We'll have to make sure you don't suffer the same fate."

"Your help will be appreciated and rewarded, Commander."

"I would expect no less, Your Highness."

We reached the top of the hill and circled around to the front of the palace. Palms were scattered across this hill and the surrounding hills. Beyond the hills, I could see the edge of the Desert of Shifting Sands. Its red sands providing a stark contrast to the brown hills.

"Do wild men really live on these hills?"

"Wild men. Wild woman. Though in truth, it's hard to tell the women from the men." Trager dismounted and came over to help me down. He noticed I was straddling the horse. "I see you still ride like a boy."

"Old habits are hard to break." I dismounted without his help and handed him the reins to my horse. If my treating him like a servant bothered him, he didn't let on. "I assume you're staying in the Queen's Suite."

"The Queen's Suite is too frilly for my tastes. My men will take your clothes there and pour you a bath. I imagine you'd like to freshen up after your long journey."

Trager played the perfect host, giving us a tour of the Western Palace. Inside, it looked a lot like the Summer Palace and the Winter Palace, with white granite walls and floors. Brass oil lamps hung from the ceilings. Hand woven tapestries hung on the walls. The first floor consisted of the usual rooms, the great hall, the throne room, the dining hall, the kitchen, and the servant's quarters. The second floor was all suites, the Queen's Suite, along with suites for princesses, advisers, and consorts. Trager Selis was in the largest of the suites set aside for the men.

The Queen's Suite consisted of a large drawing room with half a dozen arched doors that opened onto the palace's extended balcony. There was an equally large dressing room and bedroom, each with half a dozen more doors opening onto the balcony. The balcony doors were all open and the pink silk curtains had been pulled back to allow the warm desert air into the room. The furniture was a mixture of oak and pine and covered with brocaded silk cushions. A hand woven pink and gold throw rug covered the middle of the drawing room floor. In one corner of the drawing room, near the balcony doors, sat a brass tub filled with steaming water.

"Somebody liked pink," I said.

"I believe it was your great great grandmother. According to the stories, she was the last queen to stay here. They say she gave birth here, although I don't know if it was your great grandmother or one of her sisters."

It suddenly occurred to me that if I were to somehow assume the throne and have daughters--I say daughters because no woman in my family had ever given birth to a son--they would never meet their aunts. Salisha was already dead. There was no way Bedonna would let me assume the throne while she still lived. And with Iderra heading for Sorea, it was doubtful she would ever be seen or heard from again.

"Are you all right, Your Highness?" Trager Selis said, drawing me out of my reverie.

"Fine. I was just wondering why my mother or grandmother never came out here."

"Probably the dry air. They say it's hard on a woman's skin." Trager bowed and backed out of the room. "When you've finished freshening up, join me in the dining hall. We have much to discuss."

He closed the door to the hallway, leaving Talia and I alone.

"He doesn't seem so bad," Talia said.

"Your mother was a thief. You know better than anyone that what a thief says to your face, and what he does behind your back, are two different things."

Talia nodded. "That is the way of the thief."

"While I'm dining with Commander Selis, I want you to slip out of the palace and talk to some of the soldiers we passed on our way up here. I need to know why they supported Selis when he rebelled against General Dacus."

"Can I wear my regular clothes? I can move a lot quicker in them."

"As long as Selis doesn't see you." I looked out the doors that opened onto the balcony. They faced west, toward the setting sun, which was casting an orange glow across the sky. It would be dark soon and that would enable Talia to move freely.

"I think Commander Selis will be too busy looking at you to notice whether I'm around. You have a way with men, much like my mother did."

I didn't know how to respond to that. My way with men, if I did have a way with men, was untested. Any interest men had in me, I attributed in large part to my station in life, in small part to my appearance, and in no part to my feminine wiles.

Talia and I unlaced each other's gown. While I slipped into the tub to soak, she donned her old clothes and headed out to talk to some of the soldiers. About a minute after she left, the door to my suite opened. I started to ask her why she was back so soon, then saw that it was Trager Selis.

"I trust this is important, Commander." I tried to not sound as nervous as I felt. I wasn't used to men walking in on me when I was naked, whether I was in a tub full of water or not. Truth be told, I wasn't used to men paying attention to me.

"I brought you something to wear. I suspect it will be a bit more comfortable in this hot dry climate."

"Where did you find something that would fit me?"

"The palace storage rooms are full of women's clothing. I have no idea who any of it belonged to, but some of it looks to be about your size." He laid the outfit on a chair next to the door and left.

Trager's sudden appearance in my room made it hard to relax, so I finished my bath, climbed out of the tub, and dried off.

I padded barefoot across the drawing room floor and looked at the outfit he left. It was sapphire blue in color and made out of silk. The top was a triangle-shaped scrap of material that went over the breasts and tied behind the neck and the middle of the back. It left my back, arms, shoulders, and waist bare.

The bottom half consisted of two straight pieces of silk that reached the ankles. They were attached to a gold chain that went around the waist, but weren't attached to each other. A pair of sapphire blue sandals that laced up the calves completed the outfit. There was nothing else, not even a pair of skimpy silk briefs to wear underneath it.

Unlike my gowns, which consisted of several layers of silk, this getup was nothing more than three thin pieces of silk. I had no intention of wearing something that skimpy, so I headed into the dressing room to find a gown to wear. The problem was my clothes weren't there. Not only was my trunk not there, but the rose colored gown I arrived in was gone. Even Talia's dress was gone.

"So it begins," I said.

I knew Trager wouldn't just let me ride in here and do what I wanted. I knew he would try to control me. I just didn't know how he would do it. Taking my clothes away from me never entered my mind. I figured he would just assign a couple of men to follow me around, like those six men that followed him around. Then again, maybe he didn't have that many men. Maybe his hold over the Army of the West wasn't as secure as I thought. Maybe there were only six men that he could trust. Really trust.

One of our legions consisted of three thousand six hundred men, with each legion being divided into six divisions of six hundred men each. General Dacus had been in charge of the legion. Six commanders were beneath him, with each commander in charge of a division. One of those commanders was Trager Selis. To take control, he would've had to jail General Dacus and the other five commanders.

Seven men might be enough to take control of the Army of the West, especially if General Dacus and the other division commanders didn't see the coup coming. Grab them while they're sleeping, one or two at a time, throw them in the cells beneath the palace, and the foot soldiers surrounding the palace wouldn't know what happened. Most of them probably wouldn't care. Dacus or Selis, what difference did it make to them who was living in the palace, running around shouting, I'm in charge.

I was glad that I had sent Talia out to talk to the troops, to find out what they thought about Trager's rebellion. I needed to find out how deep the roots of this rebellion went.

Until then, I would have to play Trager's game. Even if that meant walking around in an outfit that made me feel naked, which this getup certainly did. Not only were my back, arms, shoulders, and waist bare, but so were my legs. You could see every inch of them when you looked at me from the side, and when I walked, the piece of blue silk that covered my front slid between my legs, baring them from that angle.

So be it, I told myself. I knew I'd have to use my body, my femininity, when I came here. But knowing you had to do something, and actually doing it, were two different things.

I left the princess crown in my suite, but kept my hair in a ponytail, tying it with the choking device Talia gave me. Somehow, it didn't seem appropriate to wear a crown with an outfit that looked like it had been made for a slave.

Three long oak tables set in a U-shape dominated the dining hall. Three dozen high backed oak chairs surrounded the tables, with one dozen chairs at each table.

Trager Selis was sitting at the bottom of the U. His six guards were standing at attention, two of them directly behind him, the other four in each of the room's corners. While his guards wore their breastplates, helmets, and swords, Selis wore only boots, gray leather breeches, and a green colored silk shirt that tied down the front.

I expected the guards to be there. I expected their eyes to focus on me, and what I was wearing, which they did. What I didn't expect was the old crone sitting at Selis's left hand.

She was tall and skinny and as wrinkled as any human I had ever seen. She wore a black wool robe that looked way too warm for this climate. She kept her thin gray hair pulled back in a tight bun.

She cackled when she saw me enter the room. "Just as I foresaw. A beautiful princess dressed as a humble slave girl will sit at the right hand of the King of the Western Hills. Ready and willing to do anything and everything he asks."

It seemed that Trager Selis had a seer of his own. This was an unwelcome development. A very unwelcome development.

# Chapter 9

I did a quick review of my situation. I was in the camp of a man that rebelled against my mother. I had no weapons except the choking device I used to tie my hair back. My clothes were gone, leaving me with nothing to wear except a slinky blue slave girl outfit. And one of the reasons Trager Selis had for keeping me alive no longer mattered, since he already had a seer. It wasn't the ideal situation to find oneself in, but it wasn't as bad as having to face my big sister Bedonna in a sword fight to the death.

I wondered where the old crone came from. Not Adah. Adah wasn't known for seers, or readers, or wizards, or witches. Maybe Sorea, although I doubted that. Certainly not Gibney. Gibney was a land of merchants and traders. Most likely she came from the Sugar Islands.

The Sugar Islands were located in the middle of the Southern Sea, directly south of Adah. They were named for the sugar cane that grew there. They were also known for buying and selling slaves, and practicing the dark arts.

"Are you all right, Princess?" Trager said.

"I was wondering how much of a seer one is if they have to steal a person's clothes to make their vision come true."

"I didn't steal your clothes," the crone said.

"You may not have carried the trunk out of my room, but it was your idea." I circled the tables and sat at Selis's right hand. "So this is why you rebelled against General Dacus and my mother. A crone from the Sugar Islands came to you claiming to be a seer, telling you that you're destined to become a great king, and you believed her."

I was playing a hunch, but it didn't take a genius to put two and two together. Most likely, she had been sent by the King of the Sugar Islands. He probably heard my mother was ill and decided to cause trouble. Every time the queen died in Adah, the King of the Sugar Islands stirred the pot, trying to weaken Adah. He did it because our navy controlled the Southern Sea, limiting his ability to buy and sell slaves. The weaker we were, the stronger he was. It was as simple as that.

I looked past Trager to the crone. "Why Commander Selis? Why did you decide to make him your puppet?"

A faint smile spread across the crone's wrinkled and weathered face. She was definitely from the Sugar Islands. Her skin had a rich tan that was common among the people that lived in the islands. I was guessing that she wasn't as old as she looked. Too much sun had hurried the aging process, adding spots and wrinkles to her leathery skin.

I turned to Trager. "You do know the King of the Sugar Islands does this every time the Queen of Adah dies."

"Does what?" Trager said, between bites of food. He was smiling, but it wasn't an evil or amused smile. It was something else. The kind of smile you find on drunks. It made me wonder if she had done something to him besides convince him that he was destined to become a great king.

"Sends someone up here to cause trouble. The weaker Adah is, the stronger he is. And if he could somehow put a puppet on the throne. You can imagine how powerful he'd be then."

"You need to learn your place," the crone said to me.

She stood up, slipped her right hand into her black robe, and moved toward me with surprising speed. I expected her to pull a knife out, so I leapt to my feet and slid the chair I was sitting on between us. Her hand came out of her robe, but she wasn't holding a knife. All she had was some sort of white powder, which she tossed in my face. I didn't know what the powder was, but it had a sweet smell and it made me sneeze.

"Ezerra, what are you doing?" Trager asked the crone.

"Making your guest more malleable," Ezerra said. She smiled at me. "How do you feel, Little One?"

How did I feel? I should've been mad. Mad at her for convincing Commander Selis to rebel against my mother. Mad at her for stealing my clothes and making me dress like this. Mad at her for tossing that white powder in my face. Funny thing though, I wasn't mad. I felt as good as I had felt in a long time. I felt--euphoric.

Ezerra reached into her robe again. This time she pulled out a metal collar. It looked familiar, although I couldn't quite place it. I knew a certain class of people in the Sugar Islands wore metal collars just like it. Well, not exactly like it. Most of those collars were made out of brass or iron. This one appeared to be made out of gold. For the life of me, I just couldn't remember what that class of people was called. Not that I cared. I felt too good to care about anything.

"I bet you'd like to have this," Ezerra said. "To wear around your pretty young neck."

I did want it. It was bright and shiny and golden. I wanted it so bad that I reached out for it.

"No," Ezerra said, pulling the pretty gold collar out of my reach. "If you want this you're going to have to earn it."

"How?" My voice sounded funny, slurred. It made me wonder if I had the same funny smile on my face that Trager wore. Maybe she had tossed some powder in his face, or more likely, his food.

"Dance for us." Ezerra pointed to a spot in the middle of the room, between the three tables. When I hesitated, she dangled the pretty gold collar in front of me. "You do want this don't you?"

I did want it. I wanted it enough that I circled the tables, moving to the spot Ezerra indicated.

"Now dance." She dangled the shiny gold collar on the end of her gnarled and bony finger.

I raised my hands above my head, closed my eyes, and began to move, rolling my hips to music only I could hear. Music that seemed to be part of the euphoria I was feeling. I felt drunk, no, better than drunk, more like I was flying.

I don't no how long I danced. Nor did I care. It just felt good to move, to sway to the music that was playing inside my head.

"I think you've earn your reward," Ezerra said.

My reward, I had forgotten all about it. I stopped dancing and opened my eyes. Ezerra was standing on the other side of the table, dangling the pretty gold collar on the end of her gnarled and bony finger. I moved toward the table and reached across it, trying to snatch my shiny reward out of her hand. Once again, she yanked it out of my reach.

"Come around the tables and I'll put it on you." I scampered around the tables. Suddenly, all I cared about was getting my reward. My shiny gold reward. I earned it and it was mine. When I reached Ezerra, I tried to take the gold collar from her, but she slapped my hand. "Bad girl. I said I would put it on you."

She made me stand still while she snapped the metal collar around my neck. It felt cool against my heated skin and there was just enough room between it and my neck for a small finger. I was glad to have it except for one small problem, I couldn't see it. What good was a shiny gold collar that you couldn't see?

Ezerra looked at me. "Is something wrong, Little One?"

Something was wrong, and it wasn't because I couldn't see my shiny gold reward. All I knew was the euphoria I had been feeling a minute ago was starting to fade. I just couldn't explain why it was beginning to fade.

"I think you've proven your ability to control the princess," Trager said. He turned to the two guards standing behind us. "Take Princess Lila back to her suite. I need to talk to Ezerra."

"About what?" Ezerra said.

The guards grabbed me by my arms and hustled me toward the exit.

"Princess Lila raised a couple of interesting points," Trager said.

"Such as?"

"Such as where do you come from?"

"Where I come from doesn't matter. What matters is what I can do for you. What I've already done for you."

I didn't hear the rest of the conversation because the guards and I left the dining hall. They didn't say anything to me as we passed through the throne room, the great hall, and up the broad granite stairs that led to the second floor.

"Key," I said, when we reached the second floor. I sounded breathless, felt breathless, but my mind was starting to clear, as if a fog was beginning to lift, a fog that had clouded my thinking, clouded my judgment, clouded my feelings.

"What's she talking about?" the guard on my right said.

"Want key," I repeated. "To collar."

"We don't have the key," the guard on my left said. "Ezerra must have it."

"Probably in one of the pockets of that big robe she wears," the guard on my right said. "She's got all kinds of stuff hidden inside that thing."

We were moving again, heading down the second floor hallway toward the Queen's Suite. Actually the guards were moving, literally carrying me by my arms.

"Where does Ezerra sleep?" I said.

"She sleeps in the servant's quarters on the first floor," the guard on my right said. "In the back room at the far end of the hall."

"When does she go to bed?"

"Right after dinner," the guard on my left said. "Is she really working for the King of the Sugar Islands?"

"I believe so."

"Can you prove it?" the guard on my right said.

"Stop," I said. "Please."

The guards stopped. I pulled my arms free from their grasp and moved to one of the gilt framed mirrors that lined the palace's second floor hallway. I barely recognized the woman that looked back at me. My eyes looked bigger than they had ever looked, with the pupils dilated. My cheeks were flushed and there was still a trace of white powder on my face. My nipples were two hard points, pushing against the thin piece of silk that covered them. The two pieces of silk that hung from the gold chain around my waist had bunched between my legs, leaving my legs on display.

I stepped close enough to the mirror so I could read the writing on the collar. As I suspected, it was in Talish, the native tongue of the Sugar Islands.

"The writing on this collar is written in Talish. Talish is the official language of the Sugar Islands."

"What does it say?" the guard on my right said.

"It says: Property of the King of the Sugar Islands."

Actually that wasn't all it said. What it said was: This slave is the property of the King of the Sugar Islands. It was just too humiliating for me to mention the word slave.

"You're sure about that?" the guard on my right said.

"I learned to read, write, and speak Talish when I was ten years old."

"You mean we've been working for the King of the Sugar Islands?" the guard on my left said.

"Who did you think was behind this rebellion?"

"We, ah, never gave it much thought," the guard on my right said. "All we know is Ezerra showed up at the gates saying she had a message for the commander on watch. We took her to Commander Selis and they've been together ever since."

"After she got here, Commander Selis ordered us to toss General Dacus and the other commanders in the dungeon," the guard on my left said. "Commander Selis said they had come down with a disease that affects the mind. They was all acting sort of crazy, so we figured he knew what he was talking about. Same thing happened to the messengers your mom sent."

"You think Ezerra used one of her magic powders on them?" the guard on my right said.

Magic powders. Ha. Her powders had no more magic in them than a mug of mead or ale. The Sugar Islands were full of exotic plants, plants with properties that we in Adah knew nothing about. Ezerra wasn't a seer, wasn't anything but what my tutors referred to as a powder witch. That long black robe of hers was full of pockets with all sorts of powders. Powders that could make your mind feel euphoric while your body flushed with desire. Powders that could make a man act crazy.

It wouldn't surprise me to learn she had a powder that could make a man like Trager Selis susceptible to her suggestions. Make him believe anything she told him. She wouldn't be bold enough to throw the powder in his face, like she did with me, but she could sneak some into his food or drink. I hadn't been here very long, but even I noticed that when he was eating, he seemed out of it, kind of drunk.

"I think she drugged their food," I said. "Does Ezerra usually eat with Commander Selis?"

"All the time," the guard on my left said. "Breakfast, lunch, and dinner."

"I think she's drugging him too. Slipping something into his food. Something that makes him susceptible to her suggestions, like I was susceptible to her suggestions."

"How do you know that?" the guard on my right said.

"I've studied her kind," I said. "She's not a seer, like she claims. She's what's known as a powder witch. She can't cast spells or conjure up demons or anything like that. She tosses powder in your face, or on your body, or slips it into your food and drink, then uses it to control you."

"So when she tells him that he's destined to become a king . . ."

"He's more likely to believe her. And when she tells him that she has his best interests at heart, he's likely to believe that."

"Where does she get these powders from?" the guard on my left said.

"They're made from plants that grow in the Sugar Islands. Plants we've never heard of and know nothing about. Plants that can affect you quicker than a mug of mead or ale." I stepped up to the two guards. "Look at my eyes. You see how my pupils are dilated? That's because of the powder Ezerra threw in my face."

"So if Ezerra is using one of her powders on Commander Selis," the guard on my right said, "his pupils will be dilated?"

I nodded. "Even in the bright sun."

"That might explain why he's always squinting when he goes out during the day."

"What do you want from us?" the guard on my left said.

"Watch Ezerra closely. Find out if she's slipping one of her powders into Commander Selis's food."

"You think she would actually do that?" the guard on my right said.

"Didn't you find it a bit odd that Commander Selis never spoke of rebellion, never even considered rebelling, until Ezerra showed up?"

The two guards looked at each other, then shrugged their shoulders. Okay, so they weren't the sharpest tools in the shed. But they were big and strong and they could move around the palace unnoticed. If I was going to defeat Ezerra, I needed their help, which meant I had to choose my next words carefully.

"If Ezerra is using one of her powders on Commander Selis, we have to stop her. As long as she's drugging him, he'll remain under her control, which makes him nothing more than her slave." The two guards didn't say anything, so I continued. "If she is using one of her powders on Commander Selis, I won't hold him responsible for his actions, not anymore than I hold myself accountable for how I acted in the dining hall."

I held Ezerra accountable for everything that happened tonight. I held her accountable for everything that was happening here. I would see her dead. And I would see the king that sent her reduced to begging in the streets.

The two guards looked at each other. Finally, the one on my left said, "We'll keep our eyes on Ezerra."

"And we'll check with the cook," the guard on my right said. "See if she's in the kitchen while the commander's meals are being prepared."

"What if she is drugging the commander's food?" the guard on my left said. "How do we stop her?"

"The only way we can," I said. "We're going to have to kill her."

"We can't get close to her," the guard on my right said. "When we do, she slips her hand into the black robe she wears, like she's going to pull something out and throw it at us."

"I can get close to her," I said. "I just need you guys to make sure nobody tries to stop me from killing her."

"By nobody, you mean the commander," the guard on my left said.

"Or one of the other guards."

"Understood," both guards said.

Good," I said. "Between the three of us, we may be able to save Commander Selis from the clutches of this powder witch."

I slipped back into my suite. The copper bathtub was still by the balcony doors. The water in it was no longer hot, but it wasn't cold either. I removed what little I had on, climbed into the tub, and washed Ezerra's powder off my face and body.

Ezerra had purposely humiliated me, for no other reason than to prove to herself, and to me, that she could do it. She wanted to let me know that she was in charge here, not Trager Selis, certainly not me. Now that the effects of her powder had worn off. Now that I could think clearly. I realized that I wasn't embarrassed or mortified. I was angry.

Most of my anger was directed at Ezerra, but part of it was directed at my mother. How could she have not taught her generals, commanders, and troops about powder witches? If they had known they existed, they could've prevented Ezerra from taking control of Commander Selis and the Army of the West. They could've prevented her from entering the gates. Things I had to learn as a young girl had never been taught to our troops or their commanding officers.

If I became queen, those things would change. Our troops would learn about all forms of warfare, the subtle as well as the overt. They would learn how to deal with spies and saboteurs just as they learned how to deal with archers, foot soldiers, and cavalry.

I finished washing the powder off then headed into the bedroom and climbed into bed. I was getting sleepy, the same way you get sleepy after drinking too much mead or ale. Probably another side effect of Ezerra's powder.

I knew I had forgotten something, or someone, but I couldn't remember who or what. Whatever it was, I would worry about it in the morning.

# Chapter 10

I woke with a start, bolting to a sitting position in the middle of my oversized bed. It was light outside, with the sun still in the east. I remembered the important point that I couldn't remember last night. I sent Talia out to talk to the troops and she hadn't returned. I scrambled out of bed and checked my suite. She wasn't in the Queen's Suite, nor was she in the handmaiden's quarters that adjoined the suite.

I did find breakfast waiting for me, sitting on a table in my drawing room. It consisted of rolls, scrambled eggs, and fresh milk. I was hungry, since I never had a chance to eat dinner last night. Despite my growling stomach, I didn't touch the food, fearing that Ezerra had slipped one of her powders into it.

Draped over the back of a chair was another slave girl outfit for me to wear, identical to the blue one from last night except that it was yellow. I changed into the yellow outfit, not because I wanted to, but because there wasn't anything else for me to put on.

I just finished dressing when someone knocked on my door. I knew it wasn't Trager Selis or Ezerra, neither of them would bother to knock. I thought it might be Talia, but it wasn't. It was one of Selis's guards. One of the two guards that escorted me back to my suite last night. The one that had been on my right.

He wore black riding boots, gray leather breeches, and a green tunic. He wore his sword around his waist, but he wasn't wearing his helmet or breastplate. He was around thirty years old, with hair as black as mine but freshly cut. He was clean shaven with pale gray eyes and a long narrow nose that looked like it had been broken on more than one occasion. He wasn't as handsome as Vomeir, but he wasn't a bad looking fellow.

"I hope you haven't eaten your breakfast," he said, stepping into my suite and closing the door behind him.

"No."

"I was in the kitchen eating breakfast when Ezerra entered and told the cook to fix you a plate. I saw her slip her hand into her robe and sprinkle some powder on the food before ordering me to bring it up to your room." He reached into his tunic and pulled out a loaf of round bread and an unopened bottle of wine. "These are safe to eat."

I took the bread and wine. "I don't even know your name."

"Gustus, Your Highness."

I didn't know if I had won Gustus over with my beauty and sexuality, or with the arguments I made to him and his partner. Not that I cared. I was just glad to have him on my side. "Have you found out if Ezerra is drugging Commander Selis's food?"

"I did. After handing me your plate, with orders to bring it to your suite, Ezerra told the cook to fix a plate for Commander Selis. I lingered in the kitchen just long enough to see her sprinkle one of her powders on the commander's food."

"We have to kill her," I said.

"That won't be easy. Anytime one of us comes close to Ezerra, she slips her hand into her robe, almost like she's afraid that we'll try something."

"I can get close to her. Especially if she thinks I'm still under her influence."

"You don't have a weapon."

I smiled. "Don't be so sure."

"There's one more thing that I think you should know," Gustus said. "There's a man here. He's been staying in the palace for a couple of weeks now. I know nothing about him, other than he's a friend of Ezerra's. Perhaps friend isn't the right word. I believe Ezerra once referred to him as a business associate."

"Does Commander Selis know about this man?"

"When the man first arrived, Commander Selis asked Ezerra who he was and where he came from. Ezerra said that he was a business associate from the Far Lands and that Commander Selis shouldn't concern himself with the man. She put him in the servant's quarters near her room. The man has stayed out of the commander's way and the commander seems to have forgotten about him."

The Far Lands were the name we had given to the countries located west of the Desert of Shifting Sands. Adah had no formal relations with any of the countries located in the Far Lands. What we knew of them came from the Gibean sailors that had sailed to that side of the continent hoping to establish new trade routes. They had succeeded in trading with a land called Standish. I didn't know if any of the Far Lands bought and sold slaves, but if someone had come to see Ezerra on business, it was probably to buy a slave. Most likely me.

It made more sense for Ezerra to sell me to someone in the Far Lands rather than take me back to the Sugar Islands. The King of the Sugar Islands couldn't risk keeping an Adan princess as a slave, even an insignificant princess like myself. Honor would force Bedonna to do something about it, like go to war against the King of the Sugar Islands. Granted, Bedonna would kill me once she had killed him, but that was beside the point.

Selling me to someone from the Far Lands made more sense. The King of the Sugar Islands would make some money and no one in Adah would hear about one of their princesses becoming a slave. Not that I considered the man from the Far Lands to be a problem. Ezerra was my problem. If I killed her, Commander Selis would no longer be under her control.

First though, I needed to find out what happened to Talia. I figured the best way to do that was by using my abilities as a seer. I used them to find Sardis when his horse broke a leg, and I used them to find General Dacus when we wondered what had happened to him. Maybe I could use them to find Talia.

I waited for Gustus to leave then sat in one of the chairs in the drawing room. I closed my eyes and concentrated on Talia, picturing her in her brown leather breeches, brown leather jerkin, and white wool shirt. I pictured her with her close cropped hair and the mischievous gleam in her eyes. A second later, I saw her, sitting in a cell across from a dirty and bearded General Dacus. There was nothing in her cell except for a slop bucket and some straw piled into one corner.

Talia was sitting on the straw, her eyes closed, her back resting against the stone wall. The only light in the place was from oil lamps hanging between the cells. She opened her eyes, looked in my direction, and jumped, almost as if I had startled her.

"The gods protect us!" Talia said. "Either I'm seeing things, or they've killed Princess Lila."

"What in blazes are you talking about girl?" That came from General Dacus, who was lying on the straw pile in the cell across from Talia. There were men in the cells next to them, most likely my mother's messengers and the other division commanders.

"Princess Lila is in my cell," Talia said, staring right at me. "Except she's a ghost. I can see right through her."

What was she talking about? She could see me. No one had said that before, although Iderra said that she could sense my presence. That made me wonder. Were my powers growing? Could I control what Talia saw? I kept my concentration on Talia, but willed myself to become invisible.

"I don't see anything," General Dacus said. He was standing with his hands on the iron bars of his cell, staring into Talia's cell.

"She was here a second ago. Then she just faded away. I think they've killed her."

"If that's true then our only chance to get out of here is gone."

I pictured myself becoming visible, like the ghost image Talia mentioned.

"She's back," Talia cried. "Or her ghost is."

"So she is," General Dacus said.

Talia leapt to her feet and approached me, slowly, carefully. "Are you dead, Princess?"

I pictured my ghost image shaking its head no.

"She's shaking her head no," General Dacus said.

"No you ain't dead?" Talia said.

I pictured my image nodding yes.

"She's shaking her head yes," General Dacus said. "That means she's still alive."

"You're still alive?" Talia said.

I pictured my image nodding yes, more vigorously than before.

"Definitely alive," General Dacus said.

"Are you still in the palace?" Talia said.

My image nodded yes one more time.

"They caught me sneaking out of the palace. Some ugly old crone told them to lock me up down here. I guess I ain't as good a thief as my mother." My image gave Talia a sympathetic smile. She smiled back. "Thanks."

"Ask her if she's met Ezerra?" General Dacus said.

My image nodded yes.

"She says yes."

"She's taken over the Army of the West," General Dacus said. "Commander Selis is under her control and the men are afraid to make a move against her. You're going to have to find a way to kill her."

My image nodded yes then faded away.

"She knows," Talia said. "And she's gone again."

I opened my eyes to find myself back in the drawing room of my suite. If I could do this whenever I wanted, I could communicate with anybody, spy on anybody, wherever they were. Well, as long as I knew what they looked like and could picture them in my mind.

I thought about spying on Ezerra, but before I did that, I figured I should practice a little. I wondered who I could practice on, then thought about Vomeir. He was probably worried sick right now. Maybe I could practice my skills on him, let him know I was still alive.

I closed my eyes and pictured Vomeir in my mind. His closely trimmed beard, his broad shoulders, his silver, gray, and green uniform. A second later I saw him, sitting around a dying campfire eating breakfast with Patera and his men. They had taken my tent down, but everything else looked the same.

"Holy crap!" Sardis said, leaping to his feet. He was sitting on a rock directly across from Vomeir. "Did you see that?"

"See what?" a bored Vomeir said.

"I thought I just saw Princess Lila."

"Where?" Patera said.

"Sitting next to the captain."

I had imagined myself sitting next to Vomeir, then imagined my image fading away. Apparently it had worked. I concentrated on my image again, picturing it sitting next to Vomeir. Instead of picturing myself in the outfit I was currently wearing, I pictured myself in the gown I was wearing when I left them.

"She's back!" Sardis cried.

Several of the men sitting next to him leapt to their feet and pointed at me. Vomeir turned his head and looked at me over his shoulder. Without batting an eyelash, he said, "So, you're still alive."

My ghost image nodded yes.

"I take that to mean you can hear me but can't talk to me."

My image nodded yes. Again.

Patera looked at me from where he was sitting. "You've reached the Western Palace?"

My image nodded yes.

"Commander Selis hasn't tried to kill you?"

My image shook its head no.

"You're safe then?" Vomeir asked.

My image shrugged its shoulders.

"What does that mean?" Vomeir shrugged his shoulders, imitating me.

How did I let them know about Ezerra? Instead of picturing myself sitting there in one of my gowns, I pictured Ezerra sitting there in her black robe. It must've worked because everyone that was standing backed up a couple more steps. I quickly changed the image back to myself.

"Who the hell was that?" Sardis asked.

"Someone's there," Patera said. "Someone has taken control of Commander Selis and the Army of the West."

My image nodded yes.

"Can you handle her by yourself?" Vomeir asked.

My image nodded yes. In truth, I wasn't sure if I could handle Ezerra by myself, but I didn't want Vomeir to worry. I certainly didn't want him to do something foolish, like ride up to the Western Palace and get himself shot. Besides, I was no longer working alone. At the very least, I had Gustus on my side.

"You better get back," Vomeir said. "I've seen how vulnerable your body is when you do this stuff."

I pictured myself blowing Vomeir a kiss, then let my image fade away. I didn't leave though, I hung around unseen, to see what they would say.

"She's gone," Sardis said. "Damnedest thing I ever did see."

"She's growing up quickly," Patera said. "And her powers are growing just as quickly."

"Something's not right," Vomeir said. "I don't think things are going as well as she wants us to believe."

"Even if they aren't," Patera said. "There's not much we can do. If we ride up to the gates of the Western Palace while that old hag is controlling Commander Selis, we risk getting ourselves killed. Besides, that old hag won't kill Lila."

"How can you be sure?" Vomeir said.

"After founding Adah, Morcesha, its first and greatest queen, asked her favorite prophet how long the nation would last. He said twenty-eight generations."

"That doesn't mean Lila's safe," Vomeir said. "Bedonna could become queen and find a man that's willing to bed her."

"A drunken blind man," Sardis mumbled.

"Morcesha asked her prophet another question," Patera said. "She asked him if she would be remembered as Adah's greatest queen."

"And?"

"The prophet said that she would be remembered as Adah's second greatest queen. He said that one day a queen would come along whose rule would span the entire continent. A queen whose influence would be felt by every generation that followed her. Morcesha asked the prophet to tell her about this queen. What was her name? What would she look like? Why would she be so influential? The prophet said only one thing. He said that she would have extraordinary powers."

I opened my eyes and found myself back in the Western Palace. Being able to see the future had its advantages, as did being able to see what others were doing in the present. But Vomeir was right. It left me vulnerable. Ezerra could walk in, cut my throat, and turn me into a permanent ghost. When I spied on others, I had to learn not to linger. Get in, get the information I needed, and get out. Like a thief in the night.

I realized I was hungry, so I broke off a piece from the loaf of bread that Gustus brought me. It would've been nice to have some butter and honey to put on the bread, but I was in no position to be choosy. As I ate, I tried to decide how to move against Ezerra.

I could use my new found powers to spy on her, maybe try to scare her. I could wait for her to come to me, pretend to be under the influence of the powder she slipped into my food, then jump on her and use the choking device in my hair. I could also sneak out of the palace and try to gather the support of the soldiers that were too afraid to do anything on their own.

The easiest thing to do would be to spy on Ezerra, see what she was up to. I finished my bread, downed it with a couple of swigs of red wine, then closed my eyes and thought about Ezerra. I pictured her in my mind. Her long skinny body. Her cold dark eyes. Her long narrow nose. Her gray hair. Her heavy ankle length black wool robe.

I found her in the dining hall, eating breakfast with a man I didn't know. The man was short and chubby. His hair was gray and cut short. He was bald on top, and had a neatly trimmed gray beard. His eyes were pale blue and contained none of the malice I saw in Ezerra's dark eyes. He wore black riding boots, black cotton breeches, a white silk shirt that laced up the front, and a black cotton waistcoat.

"We'll have to move quickly," Ezerra said. She was speaking Gibean, the language of the traders. "The princess has managed to convince Commander Selis that he needs her, that without her by his side, he'll never be viewed as a real king."

"I thought you were drugging him?" the man said in Gibean. "I thought he was under your control?"

"The drug I've been giving him induces delusions of grandeur. It doesn't completely cloud his thinking. He still has lucid moments. I've convinced him that he's destined for greatness, but he still understands that people will be more willing to accept him as a king if he has a real princess by his side."

"What do you suggest?" the man said.

"You move Princess Lila out today. The longer she's around Selis, the more he'll want to keep her."

"I have to meet her. Talk to her. I won't buy sight unseen."

"You can meet her right after breakfast."

"Have you drugged her?"

"I slipped a little something into her food to make her feel good."

The man scowled. "I need to talk to her when she's coherent. Find out if she's suitable."

"Suitable for what?"

"What I need her for is none of your concern."

"You didn't pay for a suitable princess. You paid for a princess, which I have delivered. If you're smart, you'll take this one and leave. Today."

"And if I don't?" the man said.

"Then I poison her food and you leave empty handed. I can't have her hanging around here. She's too dangerous. The troops are afraid of me, but her presence could change that. Then there's Commander Selis. He likes her, thinks she's cute. Plus she's got big boobs. Your sex is obsessed with big boobs and Commander Selis is no different. He also knows that making her his wife would go a long way toward making him a real king."

"Where's Commander Selis right now?"

"Sleeping," Ezerra said. "I slipped a knockout powder into his breakfast to keep him out of the way until you and Princess Lila leave."

"What will you tell him when he wakes up and discovers she's gone?"

"I'll tell him the truth, that there'll be another one coming along soon."

"How do you know another one will come along?"

"Because there are four of them. And all four of them know the only way they can secure the throne is with manpower."

"And if Commander Selis isn't attracted to the next one?"

Ezerra smiled. "I'll remind him that royal marriages are about power, not love or sex. He'll understand."

The man pushed his chair away from the table and wiped his face with a linen napkin. "I believe I'm ready to see the princess."

Ezerra stood. "Just be aware that she won't be herself."

"Because of the powder you slipped into her food."

"It makes her a bit lightheaded, gives her a feeling of euphoria. She won't be as bright or as coherent as she normally would."

"Is that it?"

"She might seem a bit amorous."

"Another side effect of your powder?" The man scowled, giving me the impression that he didn't like Ezerra or her methods.

I opened my eyes and found myself back in my room. I hid the bread and wine that Gustus brought me. Then I dumped some of the food from the untouched tray into one of the potted palms that sat on the balcony, so it looked like I ate some of the drugged food.

I tried to sort out what I just learned. Ezerra wasn't a seer, that much was obvious. A real seer would know that Salisha was dead, Iderra was heading for Sorea, and Bedonna didn't need the Army of the West to secure the throne.

The man from the Far Lands wanted a suitable princess. If I knew what that meant, I could pretend to be unsuitable, then I wouldn't have to worry about being carted off to the Far Lands. Problem was, I didn't know what a suitable princess was. I would just have to hope that a suitable princess was blond and beautiful like Salisha. Or bright and inquisitive like Iderra. Or strong and brave like Bedonna.

I adjusted the choking device that Talia gave me so I could pull it out of my hair quickly. Ezerra thought I was drugged, which meant her guard would be down. This might be my best chance to kill her, my only chance to kill her. The man from the Far Lands wasn't very tall, plus he was fat and old. Once I had my choker around Ezerra's neck, he wouldn't be able to pull me off her, not before I had rung the life out of the old crone's leathery body.

I was lying on one of the divans in my sitting room when Ezerra and the man from the Far Lands entered. They didn't bother to knock. They just burst in unannounced. My eyes were slits and there was a drunken smile on my face.

Ezerra grinned when she saw me, as well she should. I looked just like I did last night, when she tossed the powder in my face. A glance at my nearly empty breakfast tray led her to believe that I was still under her control. Now all I needed was for her to come closer.

"What have you done to her?" the man from the Far Lands roared when he saw me. He seemed both angry and embarrassed.

"I told you what to expect," Ezerra said.

"I can't learn anything when she's in this condition. I need to talk to her when she's coherent. And what's with that slave collar around her neck. I demand that you remove it at once. I won't have her subjected to that kind of humiliation."

I wasn't sure why it would bother a slave owner to see me like this, but I might be able to use it to my advantage. If the man could talk Ezerra into removing the collar from around my neck, that would get me close enough to ring her neck.

"You're in no position to be giving me orders," Ezerra spat.

"Considering the money your king was paid, I'd say I'm in a perfect position to be giving you orders. I demand that you remove that collar from around her neck. Immediately."

Ezerra scowled, but reached into her black robe and pulled out a key. She turned toward me and smiled. "Why don't you come over here, Little One. I'll remove the pretty gold collar from around your neck, so you can look at it whenever you want. You'd like that wouldn't you?"

I mumbled yes, then pretended to struggle to my feet. Once I was standing, I staggered toward Ezerra, all the while maintaining the same drunken smile that I wore last night. As I moved toward her, I reached behind me, making it look like I was trying to fix the tie that kept my ponytail in place.

I stopped within an arm's reach of Ezerra and kept my hands behind me, holding my hair. Ezerra used the key to unlock and remove the gold collar from around my neck. When she finished, she turned toward the man from the Far Lands. "Satisfied?"

She was within arm's reach and her back was to me. I figured I would never have a better opportunity, so I grabbed the bone handles of Talia's choking device, stretched the silk cord taunt, and whipped it over Ezerra's head and around her neck. I pulled the cord as tight as I could, hopped on the crone's back, and rode her like a wild mustang.

She whipped around, first to the right, then to the left, trying to buck me off. I hung on by digging my knees into her bony hips. When that didn't dislodge me, she tried to pull me off by reaching behind her head and grabbing me by the hair. When she yanked on my hair, I tightened the silk cord around her neck. She released my hair and tried to slip her fingers between the cord and her neck. I responded by pulling the cord even tighter.

Ezerra staggered around the room a few steps, her arms waved wildly in front of her, gurgling sounds bubbled out of her mouth. Finally, she collapsed to the floor, landing flat on her face. I rode her all they way to the floor, then continued to choke her, even as she lay limp.

"I believe she's dead, Your Highness."

It took me a second to realize who was speaking. It was the man from the Far Lands. He was standing by the door, watching me. He didn't seem the least bit bothered by the fact that I had killed Ezerra.

"You were faking," he said, still speaking Gibean, the language of the traders. "You weren't affected by her powder."

"That's because I never ate the food she prepared for me." I climbed off Ezerra and rolled her onto her back. Her mouth was open and her tongue was hanging out. Her eyes were open, but there was no life in them. She was dead. I killed her and I wasn't sorry for it. I felt no remorse whatsoever. The world was a better place without her.

I didn't turn my back on the man from the Far Lands, mostly because I didn't trust him. "So, you came here to buy a princess."

"Did Ezerra tell you that?"

"Ezerra told me nothing."

"Then how did you . . . . "

"That's none of your business," I said, interrupting him. "Is it true? Are you here to buy a princess?"

"I came here to FIND a suitable princess."

"Find or buy. What's the difference?"

"I was told the King of the Sugar Islands could provide me with a princess, for a price. That there was a country in this part of the world that threw princesses away like they were yesterday's garbage."

"What do you consider a suitable princess, Slaver?"

The man looked at me indignantly. "I am not a slaver. I'm the Royal Chancellor to the Queen of Vassa. Sir Edgerton Hooks, at your service." He bowed, a very formal bow.

"Then your queen is a slaver."

"My queen is dying. Without an heir."

"You came here to buy an heir?" I was dumbfounded.

"The laws of succession state that a king or queen can adopt an heir so long as that heir is of royal blood. You are of royal blood."

Edgerton reached into his waistcoat, pulled out a palm-sized crossbow, and shot me in the right shoulder. The bolt from the crossbow was no bigger than a dart, and while it stung, it wasn't life threatening by any means.

"You're going to have to do better than that." I pulled the dart out of my shoulder and tossed it on the floor. I snapped the choking device taunt and marched toward him. I had killed once today. I could do it again.

"I'm sorry, Your Highness," Edgerton said. "But I promised my queen I would return with a princess."

A wave of dizziness washed over me and I found myself struggling to stand, struggling to stay awake. I had just enough time to realize that the dart-sized bolt had been drugged. Then I lost consciousness.

# Chapter 11

It was dark when I woke. No, not dark. Something coarse and heavy surrounded my head and body, blinding me. It felt like a rug. I was lying on my stomach, on the back of a horse. A horse moving along at a leisurely trot. My feet hung over one side of the horse. My head hung over the other side. Rawhide bound my hands behind my back and secured my ankles together. A leather ball stuffed inside my mouth, then tied behind my head, gagged me.

How I ended up that way was easy. Edgerton Hooks, the Royal Chancellor of Vassa, knocked me out with a poisoned dart. I remembered that much.

I needed to know more, so I closed my eyes and pictured Edgerton in my mind. His short, stocky body. His plump round head that was bald on top and gray on the sides. His neatly trimmed gray beard. His mostly black clothing. That was when I saw him riding a horse.

It was night, but the sky was clear and a three quarter moon lit the countryside. He was traveling alone with a pack horse. Draped and tied over the back of the pack horse were three rolled up rugs. One of which contained me. Probably the one in the middle, judging by how it hung. To the northeast, I could see a hill containing lights. We were too far away to tell what the lights were, but I had little doubt that it was the Western Palace and the fort that surrounded it.

What bothered me the most wasn't that Edgerton had managed to slip me out of the palace unnoticed. What bothered me was that he was traveling through hills occupied by wild men. Man eating wild men. I needed him to free me, so I could protect myself from the wild men. The only way I could think of doing that was by letting him see my ghost image. I concentrated on Edgerton being able to see me, picturing my image floating in front of his horse. It must've worked because Edgerton let out a yelp.

"Oh my god!" he said. "I've killed the princess."

Edgerton drew his horse to a stop, dismounted, and hurried to the pack horse. He untied the middle carpet from the back of the horse and laid it on the ground.

The image of Edgerton faded and I found myself back inside the rolled up carpet. A second later, I felt myself being turned over and over as Edgerton unrolled the carpet. A second after that, I felt the cool night air and saw the stars directly above me.

"Thank God, you're alive," Edgerton said, looking down at me. "I was afraid that I had killed you."

I wanted to demand that he release me, but the gag in my mouth prevented that. Instead of trying to talk through the gag, I remained quiet. Hoping that he would release me if I was passive enough. He didn't untie my hands, but he did untie the gag.

"We're a good twenty miles from your palace," he said. "So it won't do you any good to yell for help."

Edgerton removed the gag from my mouth. I took a minute to flex my jaw, which had grown stiff from being held open for so long. When I tried to talk, I couldn't. My mouth and throat were as dry as the desert.

"Water," I finally gasped. "Please."

"Yes, of course."

Edgerton hurried to his horse and came back with a leather flask. He held my head with one hand and held the flask to my mouth with the other. I drank until water trickled down the sides of my mouth. While Edgerton returned the flask to his horse, I pulled myself to a sitting position.

"You do know about the wild men that live in these hills," I said. "They're cannibals."

Edgerton nodded. "I'm aware of them. I also know that they don't come out at night. For some reason, they're afraid of the dark. Once the sun goes down, they huddle in their little caves in the hillsides and stay there until morning."

He moved to the pack horse and tossed the other two carpets on the ground. He then came back to me and untied my ankles.

"How did you get out of the palace?"

"Same way I got in. By posing as a rug merchant from Gibney." Edgerton smiled. "One of the advantages of being fat and old is that nobody sees you as a threat."

"Would you untie my hands."

"I'm sorry, Your Highness. I can't do that right now. Perhaps later."

He grabbed my arm, pulled me to my feet, and marched me over to the pack horse.

"Could I at least have a cloak? This outfit doesn't provide any protection from the night air."

I was still wearing the yellow slave girl outfit. Not surprising since there wasn't anything else in my suite that he could've put on me. Edgerton untied the black wool cloak he was wearing and tied it around my shoulders. The heavy knee length cloak provided just enough protection against the night air. Edgerton and I were about the same height so the cloak was just the right length.

"You can ride the pack horse," he said.

He grabbed me by the waist and set me on the pack horse, so I was sitting sidesaddle. He was a lot stronger than he looked, leading me to believe there was more muscle underneath his clothes than fat.

"I can't ride like this. I'll fall off."

"Then straddle the horse."

"Even riding that way, I'm not sure I'll be able to stay on. Can you at least tie my hands in front of me?"

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but I can't risk letting you run away."

Edgerton mounted his horse and continued west. The pack horse's reins were tied to his horse, so I had no choice but to swing my leg up and over. It wasn't easy to ride with my hands tied behind me, but we were moving at a leisurely pace and I was in no danger of falling off.

As we rode, I wondered why I was fighting Edgerton. If he had come to me a week ago, telling me that the Queen of Vassa was willing to make me her heir, I would've went with him willingly. But a lot had happened in the past week. Salisha was dead. Iderra was heading for Sorea. I learned that mother made me the heir hopeful. And I had eliminated Ezerra, the one person that stood between me and control of the Army of the West.

Of course, there was no guarantee the Army of the West would support me for queen. And even if they did, there was no guarantee they would be willing to fight Bedonna, the palace guard, and whoever else rallied around her. There was also no guarantee that if I led the Army of the West against Bedonna, half of them wouldn't defect to her camp. Nor was there any guarantee that if Bedonna and I went to war, I would win. Maybe I would be better off on the other side of the desert, in this country called Vassa.

"Edgerton?"

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Is your country at war?"

Edgerton laughed. "Hardly."

"Tell me about it."

"We're one of five small countries sandwiched between much larger countries. Those five countries are known as the Finger States. We're the third of the Finger States, counting from west to east, or east to west. A large river divides the country in half and connects us to the other Finger States. It's very green, with rolling hills, but no mountains."

"Do the people like your queen?"

"Yes. She is quite popular."

"Does someone covet her throne?"

"The King of Dunre has issues with her. Dunre is the large country to our northwest."

"Do you worry about his invading your country? Taking it by force?"

"We have an alliance with the other Finger States. To invade one of us is to invade us all. Wars are not common in our part of the world. Most political maneuvering is done through marriage and assassination."

"What will you do with me if your queen doesn't find me suitable?"

Edgerton laughed. "I don't believe that will be a problem, Your Highness."

"But if it is?"

"If you so wish, we will return you to Adah. Or you may choose to remain in Vassa as a princess in exile. The choice will be yours. Whether you assume the throne of Vassa or not, I suspect you'll have plenty of marriage proposals. Political alliances through marriage are very common in my part of the world."

"I'll be a princess without a country. I can bring nothing to an alliance save myself."

"A baron or duke seeking to elevate his status can help himself immensely by taking a princess for a wife, even a princess without a country."

"Will your people accept a queen born in another country?"

"That will depend upon your ability to win them over."

So I had a choice to make. Try to escape, so I could fight a war with Bedonna. A war I might lose. A war which would cost lives even if I won. Or go willingly with Edgerton, to a land I knew nothing about, but which wanted me bad enough to kidnap me.

I couldn't just walk away from my homeland, from the people that were counting on me and had taken an oath to serve me. If Edgerton gave me an opportunity to escape, I would take it. However, that opportunity might not arise. Which meant I had to prepare myself to live in a new country.

"I know nothing about your part of the world," I said. "You'll have to teach me its history. You'll also have to teach me to speak your language."

"We can start right now," Edgerton said. "We speak one language west of the Great Desert. It's called the Common Tongue."

Edgerton started with simple phrases. I repeated the phrases until I knew them by heart. By sunrise, I knew a couple dozen words in the Common Tongue.

We reached the edge of the desert just as the sun rose over the mountains. The red sand of the desert washed up against the brown hills, much like the ocean washed up against the shore.

"Where are we going?" I asked, as we turned south.

"I have a ship waiting for us."

"We're going all the way to Queen's Town?"

Queen's Town was a small port a couple hundred miles south of us, located at a point where the mountains, desert, and ocean all met. It was too small to attract Bedonna's attention, so I'd be safe there as long as we didn't linger.

"Heaven's no," Edgerton said. "I have a sand ship docked about ten miles south of here."

"What in the world is a sand ship?"

"Are you familiar with the catamarans of the Sugar Islands?"

"Yes."

"It looks a lot like them, except it glides over the sand on polished boards called skis."

"I've never heard of such a thing. Is it wind powered?"

"It has one mast and five sails. The mast, as well as the rest of the ship, is made from a wood called bamboo. It's light but strong."

"What if the wind doesn't blow?"

"Then we pull the ship until the wind does blow."

"Your people use these desert ships?"

"Not my people. They're used by the people of a country called Landish. The Great Desert occupies the eastern third of their country and they use it to sail north and south. It took me awhile to find a ship willing to sail across the desert." Edgerton laughed. "Most of the desert sailors didn't even think people lived on this side of the continent. They thought we were on a fool's journey to the end of the world."

"How do you know they'll still be waiting for us?"

"I left a couple of soldiers with them, to make sure they didn't leave prematurely."

Some movement to our left caught my attention. At first I thought it was a herd of deer, but upon closer inspection, I realized it was a band of wild men. Even from a distance, I could tell that they were small, the largest being no bigger than me. They were naked and hairy. Not as hairy as I thought they would be, but hairier than normal men. I didn't expect them to look as human as they did, but except for their small size and excess body hair, they looked very human.

"We're being watched," I said. "On the hill to our left."

"They won't bother us. According to the troops at the fort, they think people on horseback are some sort of two headed animal. Here, watch this."

Much to my chagrin, Edgerton pulled up both of our horses. He dismounted and walked toward the wild men, waving his hands in the air. The wild men turned and ran away from him as fast as they could go. Edgerton laughed until they were out of sight, then returned to his horse and mounted it.

"As I said. They think men on horseback are two headed animals. When we dismount and walk toward them, they panic. They think we're some kind of animal that can split in two. They may be a big threat to each other, but they're not much of a threat to us. Especially when we're on horseback."

We resumed our journey south. Occasionally, a group of wild men appeared on a hillside. They watched us, but made no move to get closer. They weren't nearly as scary as the stories led me to believe. If anything, they seemed more frightened of the world than the world was frightened of them. Of course, if I were out here alone, and on foot, they might seem a lot scarier.

Eventually, a ship's mast came into view. It seemed odd, seeing a ship's mast this far from water, but there it was. As we got closer, I could see that the ship was indeed similar in design to the catamarans used in the Sugar Islands.

The twin hulls found on the catamarans had been replaced by two giant boards with curved ends. Three planks, which were actually bamboo poles tied together, connected the two boards. Skis if you preferred. Bamboo support poles about three feet long raised the planks above the skis. A mast rose from the center of the middle plank with rigging for two square sails and three jibs. Two large nets filled the space between the three planks. As far as I could see, there was no tiller, no way to steer the ship other than to point it in the direction you wanted to go.

"How do they get it to glide across the sand?" I asked. "Won't there be too much friction between the skis and the sand?"

"Trade secret. They coat the skis with a substance that makes them very slick. I think it's some sort of tallow, but I can't be sure. Whatever it is, it works quite well."

"How do they steer it?"

"They lower the sails, pick the back end up, and turn the ship in the direction they want to go."

As we drew closer, I could see there were four men camped next to the ship. Two of them were soldiers. They wore black riding boots, white cotton breeches, white cotton shirts that laced down the front, and red jackets. They carried swords and crossbows. The other two men wore billowing white silk pants, red silk vests, and white silk turbans. They were shorter than the two soldiers and had much darker complexions, clearly the sailors.

"Only two sailors?" I said.

"Sand ships can't carry very many people. The more people you have, the more weight you have. The more weight you have, the more wind you need to move the ship. A ship this size is limited to no more than five people. One sailor to work the square sails. One to work the jibs. Three passengers."

We obviously had a problem since we now had six people. Edgerton must've realized what I was thinking. "One of my guards has agreed to stay behind. He'll work his way to a port and book passage on a ship from Gibney, one that's headed to Standish."

That explained what would happen to the horses we were riding. "You trade with Gibney?"

"No, but the people of Standish do, and we trade with them. What we know about this side of the world, we've learned from them. And they learned from the Gibeans."

"Why don't you trade with us?"

"Our ships don't sail to this side of the world. Your ships don't sail to our side. Only the Merchants of Gibney send ships to our side of the world. If you sent ships to us, we would gladly trade with you. Perhaps when you become Queen of Vassa, you can change that."

"If I become Queen of Vassa, my oldest sister, Bedonna, will become Queen of Adah. She won't be interested in establishing trade with a county ruled by her little sister. She'll only be interested in killing me."

"Why would she want to kill you when you're living on the other side of the world?"

"If she found out I was alive. She'd convince herself that she needed to kill me before I tried to kill her."

Edgerton glanced back at me and smiled. "I'm glad I didn't try to kidnap her."

"Bedonna's not someone you kidnap."

The two soldiers saw us approaching and moved toward us. They were both tall and thin, with long blond hair pulled back into ponytails. The older one had a neatly trimmed beard of the same color. The younger one was clean shaven. The two sand sailors were smaller, not any bigger than me. They had thick black beards. The turbans they wore made it impossible to tell if they had hair or were bald. All four men seemed surprised to see us.

"You found a princess," the guard with the beard said. Or something to that effect. He spoke in the Common Tongue. Since I only knew a few words. I had to guess what some of them meant.

"Princess Lila Marie Haran," Edgerton said. "Youngest daughter of Bella Justine Haran, the late Queen of Adah."

"Why are her hands tied?"

"She didn't come willingly. I had to kidnap her."

"You think that's wise?"

"Wiser than returning empty handed." Edgerton gave his horse to the guard and helped me off mine. "I'll untie your hands, but I wouldn't try to run away if I were you. Those wild men aren't dangerous when you're on horseback, but when you're on foot, they can be very dangerous. Especially if you're alone and unarmed."

"Understood." I used the Common Tongue instead of Gibean. I turned my back to Edgerton and he untied my hands. I wasn't foolish enough to try to walk the thirty or so miles back to the Western Palace. Not with all those wild men I had seen. Plus, I was hungry, I hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, just before Edgerton drugged me.

"I haven't eaten since yesterday," I said, switching back to the language of the traders. "I would like something to eat. Or do you think that starving me will make me more cooperative?"

"Of course not, Your Highness. I just never gave it much thought." Edgerton turned to the guard with the beard and switched to the Common Tongue. "The princess is hungry. Find her something to eat."

"We have no food left, save for the coconuts that grow on the palm trees."

"That will have to do."

The guard grabbed a green coconut from the pile next to their burned out campfire, split it into smaller pieces with his sword, and offered a piece to me.

"Thank you," I said in the Common Tongue. "What's your name?"

"Conkling Eades, Your Highness. Captain Conkling Eades."

He seemed surprised that I could speak the Common Tongue. I didn't bother to tell him that I couldn't. That I only knew a few words and phrases in his language. I found a spot near their burned out campfire, sat, and ate my coconut. It wasn't the ideal breakfast, but it was sweet and moist and it filled my empty belly.

While I ate, Edgerton conversed with his soldiers. They talked too fast for me to follow the conversation. I assumed they were talking about which of the two men would travel back on the sand ship and which would ride the horses to a nearby port. After a couple of minutes, Edgerton walked over to me and switched to Gibean.

"My man needs your help. He needs to travel to the closest port where he can book passage on a merchant ship from Gibney."

My first thought was to not help him. After all, they were holding me here against my will. But I realized I might be able to use him to get a message to Vomeir and the others that were still waiting for me.

"He doesn't speak Adish," I said. "How does he plan on getting around in a country where he doesn't speak the language?"

"He doesn't speak Adish," Edgerton said. "But he does know the language of the traders."

Edgerton nodded at the guard with the beard, Captain Eades. I turned to him, and spoke in Gibean. "Can you speak the language of the traders?"

"Enough to get by," he said in Gibean. "I need to get to a port that will have a ship from Gibney."

"You could ride straight south from here. That would take you to Queen's Town. But Queen's Town is just a fishing village. The ships from Gibney don't stop there."

"So where do I go?"

"Head north until you see the Western Palace, then turn east. There's a road that will take you through the Pass of Nod to the city of Morcesha. Once you reach Morcesha, you can take the Queen's Road south, to the Port of Nadal. It's our largest port and at any given time there are a dozen ships from Gibney loading and unloading."

Captain Eades bowed. "Thank you, Princess."

"It's a much longer route. But it's a safe route and your best chance to get home."

"I look forward to serving you, when you assume the throne of Vassa."

He seemed so sincere about wanting to serve me, that I couldn't let him go without a warning. "When you reach the Pass of Nod, you'll be stopped by a small group of soldiers. Tell them that I sent you to let them know what happened to me. Then tell them I went with a man from the Far Lands, that I decided everyone in Adah would be better off if I left the country. Just don't tell them that you served under that man and that he kidnapped me. If they know that, they might kill you."

Captain Eades bowed again. "I understand. You don't want them sitting around waiting for your return when you won't be returning."

"Tell them that the powder witch is dead and it should be safe for them to continue to the Western Palace."

"As you wish, Your Highness."

"Tell them that their duty to me is fulfilled and they are free to do as they wish. There's one called Captain Vomeir. Tell him that I said thank you, for everything."

Captain Eades bowed a third time, tied a sack of coconuts to the pack horse's saddle, mounted Edgerton's horse, and headed north. As the two horses disappeared over the hill, so did my last chance of escape. Like it or not, I was heading across the Desert of Shifting Sands.

"The sailors tell me that it's time for us to leave," Edgerton said, coming over to me. "They've spent the last couple of weeks charting the winds on this side of the desert. Apparently, they blow from the east during the day and from the west at night."

Edgerton looked toward the east. The palm trees on the distant hills were swaying in the wind. A minute later, a warm breeze hit us in the face. Edgerton escorted me to the sand ship and then offered me a hand, helping me climb on.

"We ride on the rear net, Your Highness. The sailors work on the planks and sleep on the front net."

I noticed several sacks were hanging from the ship's lone mast, filled with what looked like coconuts. Obviously our food and water supply for the trip across the desert.

I sat in the middle of the net directly behind the mast. The net was thin but strong. I was about three feet off the ground. Edgerton and the clean shaven soldier helped the two sailors push the ship off the grassy hillside and onto the sand. The sand was reddish brown in color and as soft as talc. The boat sunk down several inches, its two large skis disappearing beneath the sand.

That convinced me we weren't going anywhere. Then the sailors raised the sails. First the top square sail was unfurled and secured, then the much larger bottom one. Both were made from squares of red and white silk that had been stitched together to form checkerboards. As soon as the bottom one was unfurled and secured, the ship lifted out of the sand and moved forward, gliding on top of the sand.

About a mile out, a large sand dune loomed in front of us. I was sure we would plow into it, but the two sailors raised three red jibs over the front of the ship. With each jib, the ship's front seemed to lift further out of the sand. Once all three jibs were tied down, the ship glided over the dune with no problem.

"Amazing isn't it?" Edgerton said, sitting next to me. "I don't know what they coat the skis with, but even sand doesn't stick to it."

The clean shaven soldier sat on my other side. Edgerton introduced him as Captain Bokham Moira. At the same time, one of the two sailors, the one standing on the right hand side of the mast, looked at us and said something in a language that wasn't Gibean or the Common Tongue.

"He wants us to move further back," Edgerton said. "It will help keep the front of the skis from plowing into a sand dune."

The three of us scooted further back. The front of the ship did seem to rise up a little, although we didn't seem to gain any speed. We were moving at a good clip, not as fast as a horse could run, but certainly as fast as your average man could run.

"How long will it take us to cross the desert?"

"About two weeks. If the winds remain strong. Longer if they die down."

That meant I had two weeks to learn to speak the Common Tongue, not to mention learn the history of Vassa and its neighbors. Before turning my attention to my studies, I took a final glance at Adah, wondering if I would ever see it again.

# Chapter 12

Two weeks in the desert isn't fun, even when you don't have to walk. The sand ship moved quickly during the day, and a bit slower at night, since we were tacking into the wind. Days were hot and I took shelter from the sun under the wool cape that Edgerton gave me, holding it over my head like an awning. Nights were cold and I wrapped the cape around me for warmth. Sand swirled around our faces both day and night, forcing us to wrap silk bandannas around our mouths and noses. For distraction, I studied the Common Tongue and the history of Vassa.

One week into our journey, a stand of palm trees appeared on the horizon. Edgerton said it would take two weeks to cross the desert, which made me wonder if I was seeing things.

"Is it just me, or are there some palm trees in the distance?" I said, speaking the Common Tongue.

"It's an oasis," Edgerton said. "A dozen palm trees and some bushes being fed by an underground spring. We discovered it on our first trip across the desert. I'm amazed our sailors were able to find it again."

"Will we stop there?" If we didn't, I was tempted to jump ship.

"We did on our first trip. It gave us a chance to replenish our drinking water and wash off some of this sand."

Sure enough, just before we reached the oasis, our two sailors lowered the ship's sails. Once the sails were down, the sand ship came to a quick stop. Our two sailors took a dozen empty water bags hanging from the main mast and refilled them in the pool. They refilled our food bags with coconuts by picking one of the palm trees clean. Once they finished restocking our supplies, they told us that we could bathe in the pool.

"You first, Your Highness," Edgerton said. "We'll turn our backs so you can have some privacy."

I dropped my cloak and plunged into the pool still wearing my clothes, which needed to be washed as much as I did. The water was clear and cool, indicating the spring feeding it was deep. The pool wasn't big enough to swim in, not more than a couple of strokes. But it was deep. You could dive under the water and go a good ten feet down. There was a fissure in the pool's rocky bottom, with fresh water bubbling up from deep within the earth.

I stayed in the water until the pads of my fingers grew wrinkled, then reluctantly climbed out. I stretched out on the grass next to the pool and called out. "Next."

Edgerton slipped around the bushes the guys had moved behind to give me some privacy. He saw me stretched out on my back, the yellow silk clinging to me like a second skin, and went into a tizzy. "Your Highness, you must cover up."

"You cover up," I said. "I'm going to let the sun dry my clothes."

Any embarrassment I might have felt over being so scantly clad had long since left me. I was used to this outfit, used to my traveling companions. Not that they paid me a lot of attention. Bokham and Edgerton were too well mannered to gawk at me and the sailors were too busy.

Edgerton, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as comfortable with my body being on display. When he saw me lying there, wet and next to naked, he grabbed my cloak and tossed it over me like a blanket.

"The Queen of Vassa does not lie around naked when there are strange men about," Edgerton sputtered.

"Then I guess I'm lucky there are no strange men about. Just my traveling companions." I tossed the cloak off me and stretched back out. "Besides, I'm not the Queen of Vassa. I'm Lila Marie Haran, Princess of Adah."

Edgerton grew red faced. He wanted to argue with me, but didn't know what to say. Instead, he kicked his boots off and gingerly waded into the pool, still wearing his clothes.

The two sailors appeared, removed their turbans and vests, and waded into the pool clad only in their silk pants. It was the first time they had taken their turbans off, revealing the fact that they shaved their heads.

Bokham Moira, my blond haired guard, opted to walk into the pool with everything on but his boots and sword. I couldn't help but laugh at him and Edgerton, which made both of them turn as red as a setting sun.

"Are all the men in Vassa as embarrassed by their bodies as the two of you?"

"Our clothes are as dirty as yours were," Edgerton said.

I laughed and watched as three of the men produced knives and used them to shave. The two sailors shaved their heads. Bokham shaved his face. When they finished, they climbed out of the pool. The sailors put their vests and turbans on. Edgerton and Bokham slipped into their boots.

"It's time to go, Your Highness," Edgerton said.

I pulled myself to a sitting position, laced my sandals up my calves, and tied my cloak around my shoulders. I followed Edgerton through the bushes and back to the ship. "Did you know the Queen of Adah doesn't marry."

"I didn't know that," Edgerton admitted.

"She takes consorts, but she doesn't take a husband."

"Wouldn't that make you illegitimate, Your Highness?"

"Not in a matriarchal society, which Adah has always been."

"Do you know who your father is?"

"Mother said that it wasn't relevant. She said the only thing that mattered was that we were her daughters."

"Your country is very different from mine. The Kings of Vassa have always married."

"Is your queen married?"

"She is not."

"So there's no law that requires your queen to marry."

"Not that I know of."

"Glad to hear that." I wasn't sure I wanted to get married. I wasn't sure I wanted to be tied down to one man. I liked the idea of being able to toss men out of my bedroom whenever the whim struck me. Although if Edgerton and Bokham were any indication, I might have a hard time luring a man from Vassa into my bedroom.

We walked behind the ship, following it as Bokham and the two sailors pulled it around the oasis.

"Do you have any brothers?" Edgerton asked me.

"No woman in my family has ever given birth to a boy."

"Ever?"

"Ever. Nobody is quite sure why. That's just the way it's always been. Is that going to be a problem?"

"It shouldn't be. In our part of the world, the king's or queen's first born becomes heir to the throne, regardless of whether it's a boy or a girl."

"What becomes of the younger daughters?"

"They marry a duke or a baron, live the quiet life of what's referred to as useless royalty. We have a lot of useless royalty in our part of the world. Many of which will seek your hand in marriage."

"We have no useless royals in Adah," I said. "We have our queen and a barren hill called the Cemetery of Would Be Queens."

"I think I like our system better," Edgerton said.

"What will happen when we reach Vassa?"

"I'll introduce you to our queen, Catlett Shae Laamatt. Queen Catlett if you prefer. You'll spend some time with her. If she likes you and thinks you're fit to rule, she'll make you her heir."

"How is that done?"

"A public ceremony will be held in which she'll place the crown of the heir presumptive upon your head. A ball will then be held in your honor and all the useless young royals will begin to court you."

"If you have so many useless royals, why can't one of them become your queen's heir?"

"They're mostly low level royals, barons and baronesses. Plus, Catlett doesn't like any of them enough to make one of them her heir."

"What will happen when Queen Catlett dies?"

"Following a grand funeral, another ceremony will be held in which the royal chancellor, me, will place the queen's crown on your head. Following that, another ball will be held to honor the new queen, you. Once again, all the useless and handsome young royals will seek your hand in marriage."

"I didn't get to attend my mother's funeral. I was already running for my life."

"From your sisters?"

"From my oldest sister, Bedonna. She was in charge of the palace guard. Thanks to you, she'll now assume the throne of Adah unchallenged."

"Had you remained in Adah, she may have killed you and assumed it anyway."

"She wants to make war on the Dark Wizards of Sorea. Last time we had a queen foolish enough to do that, we lost an entire army."

"Then her reign as Queen of Adah will be short lived. Which will be good for you."

"How do you figure?"

"As far as I know, there's no law that says you can't rule two countries at the same time."

"You're getting ahead of yourself, Chancellor. Queen Catlett may not approve of me. She may not like the way I look, or speak, or she may consider me to be too much of a barbarian."

"If that happens, I'll hire a sand ship to take you back to Adah."

"It'll be too late to return to Adah. Bedonna will have consolidated her power and those that supported me will have dispersed. I may as well cut my own throat as return home."

"Then I'll make you my heir," Edgerton said. "I have considerable holdings, including an estate I rarely use. You can live there, as mistress of the house."

"I don't think your wife and children will appreciate that."

"I have no wife, no children that I know of."

"You never married?"

"The woman I love was never in a position to marry me."

"You're in love with Queen Catlett?" It was a guess, but from what I knew about Edgerton, an educated guess.

"Was, am, and always will be," Edgerton said.

"Is she in love with you?"

"What does it matter?"

I took that as a no. "In Adah, she could take you as one of her consorts. Your daughter would be a princess, with an equal right to compete for the throne."

"Don't you mean with an equal chance to end up in your Cemetery of Would Be Queens?"

"If I become queen and chose to take consorts rather than marry, will I create a scandal?"

"Unquestionably, but you'll be forgiven."

"Because?"

"Because you come from the barbarian side of the world. People make allowances for barbarians." Edgerton smiled, letting me know that he at least, didn't consider me to be a barbarian. The sailors were signaling us, letting us know it was time to set sail. "I believe we're ready to go."

Edgerton offered me his hand. I climbed onto the back of the sand ship and he followed. Once we were all on board, the two sailors raised the sails and we were off. We had another week of sliding across the barren sands. Another week of nothing to do except study the Common Tongue and the history of Vassa. Another week of nothing to eat except coconuts. Another week of shielding myself from the unrelenting desert sun, the swirling desert sands, and the cold desert nights.

# Chapter 13

One week later--one week of being hot and cold and dirty and tired and restless--more palm trees appeared on the horizon. There were too many trees to be just another oasis and that meant one thing. Our journey across the Desert of Shifting Sands was over. The sun was low in the western sky, framing the palms with a red, orange, and pink backdrop. Other sand ships sailed in front of the palms, some heading north, some heading south, none heading east or west, save for us.

One of the sailors said something in his native tongue of Old Landish. Edgerton leaned toward me, repeating what the sailor said. "He says we're only a few miles from the village of Mustakas, which is their home port. It's not a big place, but there is a decent inn where we can spend the night."

Eventually, I could see the edge of the desert, its red sand washing up against shrub covered hills scattered with palms. Houses sat atop several of the hills, while herds of goats wandered between them. So, no wild men on this side of the desert.

Everything looked peaceful, even though I saw no soldiers. I had always considered Adah to be as civilized as any place, but I couldn't help but wonder if we really were the barbarian side of the world. It made me wonder if I could fit in on this side of the world. Would they find me too backward, too uncivilized, too much of a barbarian? What if they did. I never asked to come here. I was drugged, tied up, and brought here against my will. I wasn't the only barbarian on this ship.

Our sailors hopped off the ship, used tow ropes to turn it south, and hopped back on without dropping the sails. For the first time in two weeks, we weren't heading west.

We passed another ship heading north. Except for the color of the sails, which were done in a purple and yellow checkerboard pattern, it looked identical to our ship. As the two ships passed, one of the sailors on the other ship yelled something to our sailors. One of our sailors yelled back, then pointed to me.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"The sailor on the other ship asked our guys where they've been," Edgerton said. "Our man said to the end of the earth to find a beautiful princess."

"With no tillers on their ships, how do they keep from running into each other?"

"They have lanes. South bound ships take the outside lane, north bound ships take the inside."

I didn't see any lanes, but the sailors obviously knew where they were.

After a couple of miles of heading south, a village came into view. There were maybe two dozen buildings scattered across the hillside, wooden structures that were pale brown in color. When we got closer, I could see that the walls and roofs were nothing more than dried palm fronds woven between bamboo frames. The dirt streets that wound around the buildings were lined with wooden torches that stood about seven feet high. Someone had already lit the torches, giving the village a festive appearance. At the bottom of the hill, half a dozen sand ships were tied to wooden stakes.

Our sailors dropped sails and we coasted to a quick stop parallel to the village. We hopped off. The sailors grabbed the tow ropes, pulled the ship to the base of the hill, and tied it to a couple of heavy wooden stakes embedded in the ground.

Edgerton said something to the sailors in their native tongue, pulled two not so small bags from his waistcoat, and handed a bag to each sailor. The two sailors looked inside the bags and smiled, clearly satisfied with their payment. The three men shook hands, then the two sailors headed off in opposite directions. Just like that, our journey across the desert was over.

"How come the sailors don't speak the Common Tongue?" I asked when Edgerton rejoined Bokham and me.

"They rarely deal with anybody but locals. Usually they travel north and south, ferrying people and goods from one village to another. It took me a long time to find a ship willing to head across the desert."

"How far are we from Vassa?"

"A little over three hundred miles."

"That far." Our journey across the Desert of Shifting Sands was over, but our journey to Vassa was far from over.

"The rest of the trip will be easier. The capital city of Landish, Istansada City, is about two days ride from here. The city is located at the confluence of three rivers. Those three rivers form the Istansada River. The Istansada is a wide deep river that cuts through the middle of the Finger States. I have a ship waiting for us in Istansada City. It will take us home."

Home. This wasn't home. This was as far from home as I could get. A strange new world where I could barely speak the language. Maybe some day it would be home, but not yet.

"I'm hungry," I said. "I'd like a bath and a change of clothes."

"The inn at the top of the hill is built over a natural hot spring. You can eat and bathe there. I'm not sure what to do about a change of clothes. Perhaps we can convince a tailor to open his shop."

"If this town has a tailor," Bokham muttered.

"Only one way to find out." Edgerton turned and headed up the hill. I fell in behind him and Bokham brought up the rear, sword on his hip, crossbow slung across his back.

The inn didn't have a name. At least I didn't see one on the outside of the building. Like all the other buildings in town, it consisted of a bamboo frame with dried palm fronds woven between the bamboo. There was no door, just an open doorway. There was no floor inside the building, just packed dirt.

In the middle of the main room was a large fire pit. Some sort of meat, probably goat, was roasting over the fire. Kegs of ale rested on wooden stands surrounding the fire pit. Mugs made from fired clay hung from the sides of the kegs. The rest of the room was filled with round wooden tables surrounded by matching stools. Both the left and the right hand wall contained five doorways. Strips of red, white, green, yellow, and blue silk hung in the doorways, giving the people in the rooms some privacy.

A fat man with the same olive colored skin and black beard as our two sailors stood by the fire pit, serving plates of meat and mugs of ale to about a dozen customers. He wore an identical outfit to what our sailors wore. Silk pants that fit snug around the ankles then ballooned around the legs, a sleeveless vest that didn't close, and a turban.

Two serving girls, both short and slim, with olive colored skin and long black hair, carried the plates and mugs to the customers. Like the man, they wore dark blue silk pants and white silk vests. Unlike his vest, theirs were tied shut. All of the customers were bearded men in similar outfits. Clearly all locals.

We weren't locals, a fact made obvious by the way we looked and dressed. The locals seemed most interested in Bokham, being a good head taller than anyone else, with blond hair made even paler by two weeks in the desert sun. They seemed least interested in me, probably because I bore a strong resemblance to the two serving girls. We were all short with long black hair. Plus, two weeks in the desert had made my skin darker than normal, not as dark as the serving girls, but dark enough to make me less interesting than Bokham.

We found an empty table near the back, one facing the door, and sat. It was hot inside the inn, partly because it was still hot outside, partly because of the fire in the fire pit. I took off my cloak and draped it over an empty stool to my right. No one glanced at the yellow outfit I still wore.

We hadn't been there a minute when one of the serving girls approached our table balancing three plates of meat on one arm and three mugs in her other hand. She set the food and drink on our table and left. She came back a minute later with a loaf of bread fresh out of the fire pit. Edgerton spoke to her, speaking Old Landish. He said everyone spoke the Common Tongue in this part of the world, but we were on the fringe of their world, and out on the fringe, things were obviously different.

"Bathing rooms are to our left," Edgerton said, cutting the bread with a knife he pulled out of his waistcoat. "Sleeping rooms are to our right. After dinner, one of the girls will take you to a bathing room. You can wash some of the desert off you. I also asked her if she had an extra outfit she'd be willing to sell us. Lucky for us, she's about your size."

"Not much difference between what she's wearing and what I'm wearing now."

"True, but after two weeks, you must be tried of wearing the same thing. Plus, what she gives us will be clean."

I couldn't argue with that, so I turned my attention to the bread and meat and ale. The meat was tough and overcooked. The ale warm. The bread hot and fresh. After two weeks of eating nothing but coconut, anything would've tasted good.

There were five bathing rooms above a single pool. The pool was a natural hot spring. Clear warm water bubbled up from the cracked granite that made up the pool's bottom. Walls made from bamboo poles with palm fronds divided the hot spring into five rooms. The walls didn't extend down into the pool, but merely ran over the top of it.

If somebody wanted to, they could've swam underneath the walls into the adjoining room. With Edgerton in the room on my right, and Bokham in the room on my left, there was little chance of that happening. Someone had carved benches out of the pool's granite sides. Allowing you to sit and soak in the blissfully warm water, which I gladly did.

I was still sitting in the hot spring when I had another vision. Two men and a woman burst into the inn with swords drawn. All three of them wore black, black cotton breeches, black riding boots, black cotton waistcoats over black shirts.

The two men went after Edgerton and Bokham. The woman burst into my room. She found me soaking in the spring and smiled. "So you're the barbarian princess who plans on becoming the next Queen of Vassa. I don't think so." She swung her sword at my neck and I had to dive underneath the water to avoid having my head lopped off.

The vision faded and I found myself alone in the bathing room. I immediately scrambled out of the hot spring and into the outfit the serving girl left me, dark blue balloon pants and a sleeveless white silk vest that pushed my breasts up and left my waist bare. The pants were a touch short and the vest was tight across the chest. The girl left me a pair of sandals that tied around the ankle.

I tied my hair back into a ponytail, then burst into Bokham's room. He was sitting naked in the hot spring, all blond hair and long lean muscles. As soon as he saw me, he stood up and covered his groin with his hands.

"Three people dressed in black are coming to kill us. Get dressed and draw your sword."

I left before Bokham could say anything, moving into Edgerton's room. He was also soaking in the hot spring and as I suspected, Edgerton's bulk consisted of more muscle than fat. He didn't stand up like Bokham did, but he did cover his groin with his hands.

"Three people dressed in black are coming to kill us. Get dressed and find us some swords."

"Ask the innkeeper for a sword," Edgerton said. "He usually keeps a scimitar or two in the house."

"Scimitar," I said, repeating the local word for sword.

I went back into the main room, which was now empty except for the innkeeper and the two serving girls. The serving girls were clearing the tables, dropping the dirty mugs and plates in a wooden washtub. The innkeeper was sitting at a table next to the fire pit, eating his dinner. He smiled as I approached him, but the smile quickly faded when he saw the worried look on my face.

"Scimitar," I said. "Scimitar."

He glanced at the fire pit. In the edge of the pit, its tip stuck in the bottom, was a curved sword.

I had just enough time to move toward it and wrap my hand around the hilt when the three strangers burst into the room.

They didn't say anything, they just drew their swords and spread out. The man on the left began to search the bathing rooms. The man on the right searched the sleeping rooms. The woman blocked the exit, but paid scant attention to the innkeeper, the serving girls, and myself. That's when I realized that she thought I was one of the serving girls. Not surprising since we were all about the same size, had long black hair, and wore identical outfits.

When the man on the left reached the third bathing room from the front, a sword plunged through the piece of red silk that served as the door. It penetrated the man's stomach, drove all the way through him, and came out the small of his back.

A still shirtless Bokham stepped out from behind the silk door and pulled his sword out of the man's skewered belly. The man dropped his sword, collapsed to his knees, and then onto his side.

The man checking the sleeping rooms moved toward Bokham, clearly intending to help the woman, who was now engaged in a sword fight with Bokham. Before he could get there, I pulled the scimitar out of the fire pit and rushed him. I raised the scimitar high over my head and brought it down in a slicing blow.

The man hadn't been expecting trouble to come from what he thought were locals. He kept his focus on Bokham and never looked in my direction until it was too late, until my scimitar had sliced his sword hand off at the wrist.

As his hand and sword tumbled to the dirt floor, the man screamed in pain and dropped to his knees. The scream distracted the woman just long enough for Bokham to plunge his sword into her heart. She stared at the sword in her chest in disbelief. Bokham pulled it out and the sword in her hand tumbled to the dirt floor. A second later, she collapsed on top of it, dead.

"Hold out your severed arm," I said to the man who had lost his hand. When he hesitated, I added, "If you want to live, you'll do as I say."

He might have been in pain, shock even, but he understood what I said and held out his severed arm. I pressed the flat of my still hot blade against his severed wrist. The burned flesh sizzled. A metallic smell filled the room, but the hot blade did its job, cauterizing the bleeding stump at the end of his arm.

With the man's life out of danger, I moved the edge of the blade to his throat. "Who sent you to kill me?"

"I have no interest in killing serving girls," the man said, speaking the Common Tongue.

"I'm no serving girl. I'm Lila Marie Haran, fourth daughter of Bella Justine Haran, the twelfth Queen of Adah. Did the King of Dunre send you? Does he lust for land and power so much that he would assassinate someone that's never even seen Vassa? Someone that has no connection to its queen or her throne?"

Edgerton told me that the King of Dunre, Maximillian Bedard, coveted Queen Catlett to the point that he asked her to marry him. When she turned him down, he became obsessed with destroying her and those around her.

The man didn't answer, not that I expected him to, not that he had to. The way his eyes widened in surprise when I asked if the King of Dunre sent him, told me all that I needed to know. I withdrew the sword from the man's throat. "Return to your king and tell him that I won't forget what happened here today."

The man looked at his sword lying on the floor, then looked at me. I nodded, letting him know that he could pick it up. With his sword hand gone, he wasn't a threat. It would be years before he learned how to fight with his other hand.

He grabbed his sword and used it as a crutch, sticking its point in the dirt floor and pushing himself to his feet. I watched him stagger out of the inn. When he was gone, I turned to Edgerton, who had finally managed to dress himself and struggle out of his bathing room.

"This is a good blade. Ask the innkeeper if there's a blacksmith in town who can make one for me." I liked the scimitar. It was longer than the sword I trained with, but weighed about the same. Plus, it matched the outfit I was currently wearing.

"There's a blacksmith in the village," Edgerton said. "And he does make swords. I suspect he'll also have a couple of extra horses to sell. Our two dead assassins certainly won't be needing them."

"We should pay him a visit right now," Bokham said. "It's no longer safe to stay here. Now that the assassins know we've arrived."

Edgerton nodded in agreement. I returned the scimitar to the innkeeper and collected my cloak. Edgerton paid the innkeeper, throwing in a little extra to take care of the severed hand and the two dead bodies.

Edgerton and Bokham seemed convinced that other assassins were waiting for us. If that was true, then this part of our journey would be more eventful than our trip across the desert.

# Chapter 14

We acquired three horses and a scimitar, then followed a road that wound between the hills, moving in a northwesterly direction. It would've been nice to sleep in a bed, but it seemed I was out of luck. The people in this part of the world wanted me dead just as much as the people in my part of the world. For someone who had never done anything, other than exist, I was quite unpopular.

"How did you know those assassins were coming to kill you?" Edgerton asked me.

He was riding in the front, I was in the middle, and Bokham was bringing up the rear. I wasn't ready to tell Edgerton about my gifts, so I changed the subject. "How did they find us so quickly?"

"They probably followed me."

"And sat around waiting to see if you came back with a princess?"

"Probably."

"What makes you think there are other assassins out there?"

"There are always assassins out there. Assassination is a way of life in this part of the world."

"I figured the one good thing about coming to this side of the world was that nobody would want to kill me."

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but no one said being a princess was easy. I assumed your mother taught you that."

"How did they know what you were doing and where you went, not to mention who I was?"

"Spies. All the palaces have them."

"So, someone in the palace overheard you and the queen talking about crossing the desert in search of a princess and sold the information to the King of Dunre?"

Edgerton nodded. "We learned about your country through the merchants from Gibney. When I asked if they could help us find one of these unwanted princesses, they said that they couldn't, but they knew someone that might be able to help. Someone that traded in human flesh."

"The King of the Sugar Islands," I said.

Edgerton nodded. "The merchants acted as a go between, delivering our gold to the King of the Sugar Islands, then telling me someone would meet me once I crossed the Desert of Shifting Sands. When our sand ship reached Adah, we made camp. A couple of days later, Ezerra showed up and took me to your Western Palace. A couple of weeks after that, you arrived."

"You should've come directly to us. You could've had your pick of princesses. Salisha and Iderra would've gone with you willingly, as would have I."

"From what the soldiers at your Western Palace told me about your two sisters, I question whether they're fit to assume the throne of Vassa. They said Iderra was smart, but did not relate well to others. They said Salisha was beautiful, but had little else going for her."

"And what did they say of Bedonna?"

"They feared her. They said she longed to prove herself a great conqueror, even if it meant spilling their blood."

"What did they say about me?"

"They said that you were okay."

"That's it? That's all they had to say?"

"They had nothing bad to say about you. You should take that as a compliment. I did."

We rode in silence after that. We didn't push the horses, but we didn't stop to rest either. We just kept moving, for two days and two nights we plodded along. I learned to sleep while riding, a skill Edgerton and Bokham seemed to have already acquired. Not that they both slept at the same time. One was always awake. Making sure we were on the right road. Making sure we weren't being followed.

As we continued west and climbed in elevation, the hills changed, going from brown to green. The trees also changed, going from palms to dogwoods and weeping willows. There were no mountains in this part of the world, not like we had back in Adah, just a lot of rolling hills. On the morning of our second day, the road we were following hooked up with a stream, running parallel to it. By the end of the second day, that stream had widened into a river. It wasn't big enough to navigate, other then in a canoe or a small boat, but it was a river.

Eventually, the road grew crowded. Most of the travelers dressed like me, but a few wore outfits similar to what Edgerton wore. Every time we passed someone in breeches and a waistcoat, Edgerton's hand slipped inside his coat, reaching for the large knife he kept hidden. Fortunately, we encountered no more assassins and by the time the sun began to set in the west, a large city appeared on the horizon. It was made out of yellow brick and littered with domes.

"Istansada City," Edgerton said. "The capital of Landish. From here on our journey becomes easier."

Unlike the cities in Adah, no walls surrounded Istansada City. The city was in a valley, built at the confluence of three rivers. The three rivers weren't very impressive, but the point where they came together, forming the Istansada River, was impressive.

The Istansada was a good mile wide. It was a deep slow moving river loaded with boats and ships. The ships looked nothing like the triremes found off the coast of southern Adah. They had no oars sticking out of their sides, no way to move except by wind power. The ships contained three square rigged masts. The middle part of each ship's deck sat lower than the foredeck or afterdeck.

"What are those ships called?"

"Caravels," Edgerton said.

"There are no oars sticking out of them."

"No."

"How do they move if there's no wind?"

"They don't. But unlike your triremes, they're shallow draft vessels. So when the wind does blow, they move quite swiftly. Twice as fast as a trireme with one tenth the manpower."

"Do the merchants that sail here from Gibney use triremes or caravels?"

Edgerton laughed. "They prefer triremes. They fear getting trapped out on the ocean with no wind."

As we drew closer to the city, we wound our way down a hillside covered with stocks of corn. Bokham pointed to a caravel flying red and gold flags on the top of its three masts. The flags contained a red field with a golden eagle in flight. The ship itself had been painted black and trimmed with gold paint. It was as large and as fine a ship as I had ever seen.

"That's ours," Bokham said. "The Star of the Sea. The heir's flagship. Your flagship, Your Highness."

"The heir's cabin is located under the foredeck," Edgerton said. "I think you'll find it quite comfortable."

"I'm sure I would. But since I'm not the heir, my sleeping there would be inappropriate, not to mention highly presumptuous."

"There's a couple of guest cabins across the hall from the heir's cabin. Perhaps you would be more comfortable in one of those."

"As long as I'm not kicking you out."

"Hardly. My cabin is in the back, across from the captain's cabin."

"One of the guest cabins will be fine. Thank you, Chancellor."

Even though Istansada City contained no walls, it was easy to tell when we reached the city's edge. Yellow brick buildings lined the road, and the road itself, which had been dirt, became a brick street. Because the city was built at the confluence of three rivers, bridges abounded. Stone bridges arched over the three rivers at a dozen different locations. Only the Istansada River itself contained no bridges.

Most of the men in Istansada City looked and dressed like the two sailors that ferried us across the desert. Some of the women wore outfits similar to the one I had one. Others wore wraparound skirts instead of pants. The length of the skirts varied, with older women wearing longer ones and younger women wearing shorter ones. There were soldiers in the city. They wore black silk balloon pants, red silk vests, and black turbans. The carried scimitars around their waists and traveled in pairs.

When we reached the street that ran parallel to the southern side of the Istansada River, Edgerton breathed a sigh of relief. "Once we reach the ship, you'll be safe. The queen's navy crews the ship. They're good men. The queen herself personally selected each one for this voyage."

After two weeks in the desert, the smell of water filled the air. Gulls cackled overhead as they followed a fleet of small fishing boats that were heading for shore. No one paid much attention to us until we reached the Star of the Sea.

We dismounted, tied our horses to a hitching post, and headed out onto the dock where the Star of the Sea was tied. Two sailors stood at attention at the bottom of the ship's gangplank. They wore white shirts and white knee breeches. Red stockings reached up to the knee breeches, while small black shoes covered their feet. Red jackets with a single gold band around their sleeve cuffs completed their uniforms.

"I trust you still recognize me," Edgerton said, bowing to the sailor closest to us.

"Yes, sir." Like Bokham, the sailor was tall and clean shaven. Like Bokham, he wore his long blond hair in a ponytail. Instead of a broadsword, he carried a cutlass on his hip. The other sailor was similar in size and appearance, with a brown ponytail instead of a blond one. Both of them stepped aside, so we could head up the gangplank.

"The three horses at the end of the dock are ours," Bokham said. "Have somebody take them to the nearest stable and sell them for whatever price they can get."

"Yes, sir," the blond sailor said.

We headed up the gangplank and onto the ship, where we were intercepted by a tall man with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. His hair was as white as snow, and like everyone else, he wore it in a ponytail. He had a square jaw, a broad flat nose, and deep set blue eyes. The cuffs of his red jacket contained four gold bands instead of one.

Edgerton bowed. "Captain Hubbard."

Captain Hubbard saluted. Like the other sailors, he wore a cutlass on his hip. "My men have spent the last six weeks betting whether we would ever see you again. Looks like some of them are going to be a lot poorer tonight."

"I trust you aren't one of them."

"You know I'd never bet against an old fool like you." Captain Hubbard looked at me. "Can I assume your mission was successful?"

"May I present Princess Lila Marie Haran. Fourth daughter of Bella Justine Haran, the twelfth Queen of Adah."

"My god," Captain Hubbard said. "You actually convinced a princess to come with you?"

Edgerton blushed. "I didn't exactly convince her to come with me."

"He kidnapped me," I said. "Drugged me, bound and gagged me, wrapped me in a carpet, and threw me over the back of a pack horse."

"Fortunately that's all behind us." Edgerton looked at me, to see if it actually was behind us, or if I was still carrying a grudge.

"It's behind us," I said. I extended the back of my left hand to Captain Hubbard. "So nice to meet you, Captain."

"The pleasure is all mine, Your Highness." Captain Hubbard kissed the back of my hand and bowed. "You speak the Common Tongue very well. I was under the impression people didn't use the Common Tongue in your part of the world."

"They don't. Your chancellor taught it to me on our trip across the desert." I wasn't sure how well I spoke the Common Tongue. I suspect I spoke it with a fairly strong accent. An accent nobody could place.

Edgerton beamed with pride. "She learns quickly. Very bright, this one."

"There's nothing to do in the desert but learn," I said. "One can only stare at sand dunes for so long."

Captain Hubbard gave me a tour of his ship, which was his pride and joy. It was quite different from our triremes, especially below deck. There were no oarsmen, just storage space and sleeping quarters for the crew. There were two cabins under the afterdeck, one for Captain Hubbard, one for Edgerton. There were three cabins under the foredeck. The heir's cabin, and two guest cabins opposite it.

"Edgerton tells me you don't want to use the heir's cabin," Captain Hubbard said, after escorting me to it.

"I'm not the heir," I said. "It would be inappropriate."

"Your lady in waiting is using one of the guest cabins. I'll have one of my men prepare the other one for you."

"Your lady in waiting can help you change," Edgerton said. "We brought a selection of gowns with us. I'm sure she can find one that fits you."

"Dinner will be served in my cabin at eight bells," Captain Hubbard said. "As soon as she returns to the ship, I'll send the Lady Wellington to your cabin."

Once my cabin was prepared, I slipped into it and looked around. The room wasn't a perfect square because the ship's curved hull made up its outer wall. There were two round portholes in the outer wall, bigger than a person's head, but smaller than their shoulders. Between the two portholes was a feather bed. Like the rest of the furniture in the room, it was nailed down. Built into the left-hand wall was a writing desk with numerous drawers. Built into the right-hand wall was an armoire. Covering the bed was a red and gold comforter. Like the ship's flags, it consisted of a red field with a golden eagle in flight.

The drawers in the writing desk were empty save for some parchment. The armoire was full of silk gowns. They varied in size, from way too big to just too small. On the armoire's floor was a selection of boots. They reached to the top of the calf and contained wickedly high heels. I wasn't sure what purpose the heels served other than to make one look taller. Tucked into the armoire's drawers was a selection of silk briefs and matching corsets.

I wasn't looking forward to being laced into corsets again, but I was looking forward to sleeping in a bed. After two weeks on a sand ship, and two days and nights on horseback, I was looking forward to it so much that I laid down.

I must have dozed off because the next thing I knew, someone was in my cabin. It was a young woman about twenty-five years old. She was tall, with high breasts, a tiny waist, and round hips. She had straight blond hair that reached to the small of her back. She wore a pale green silk gown that had long sleeves, a high collar, and a tight ankle length skirt. Her feet were shod with a pair of high heeled boots similar to what I found in the armoire. She had a heart-shaped face with a small nose, high cheekbones, and full lips. Her blue eyes were the color of the sky. She reminded me of Salisha.

"I was told to help the princess dress for dinner," the blond said. "I'm Lady Wellington. Tabitha Wellington."

"Pleased to meet you." I sat up and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes. "I'm Princess Lila Marie Haran."

"Oh my. You don't even speak the Common Tongue. You really are a barbarian."

As soon as she said that, I realized that I had responded to her in my native Adan rather than in the Common Tongue. Being half asleep it was an easy mistake to make. After all, I had been speaking Adan my whole life, and the Common Tongue for just over two weeks.

I dragged myself to the foot of the bed and stood. Tabitha circled me, looking me over.

"You're a pretty little thing, but I have no idea what use Queen Catlett will have for a barbarian that can't even speak the Common Tongue. Perhaps she could breed you with a duke or a baron. You might be capable of producing a child that could assume the throne. As long as they didn't let you raise it."

She was smiling as she spoke to me, probably thinking that as long as she did that, I'd assume she was saying nice things. She saw the scimitar we purchased from the blacksmith still strapped around my waist. "My god! You're carrying a sword. Do you actually know how to use it? Being a barbarian, I suppose you do."

I figured now was as good a time as any to let Tabitha know I spoke the Common Tongue, so I slid the scimitar out of its leather sheath and pressed the blade against her throat.

"As a matter of fact, I do know how to use a sword. I can give you a demonstration if you'd like. I suspect no one would care if you made it back to court. From what I'm told, this part of the world is littered with useless low level royals like yourself."

She retreated until her back hit the door. "You understood me."

I moved with her, keeping the blade pressed against her throat. "Oh, I understand your kind perfectly. You smile to a person's face, then criticize them whenever their back is turned."

Tabitha gulped and glanced at the blade. "Technically, I'm not a royal. My father was the youngest son of a baron, but he didn't inherit the barony. Which means I'm not actually a royal. Just the niece of a royal."

"That's too bad." I stepped back and sheathed my scimitar. "Now, I'll have to find another useless royal to kill."

Tabitha breathed a sigh of relief. Up until then, she hadn't been sure if I actually intended to kill her. "Do you really know how to use a sword?"

"I've trained with a sword since I was six."

"Women actually train with swords where you come from?"

"Not all women."

"Few women in this part of the world know how to use a sword."

"We ran into a woman two days back that knew how to use a sword. Albeit not good enough to save her life."

"A professional assassin. If you see a woman carrying a sword in this part of the world, she's a professional assassin, rest assured."

"The King of Dunre hired this one to kill me. As you can see. She and her partners failed. Rather foolish of the King of Dunre to think he could kill a barbarian princess that easily." I pulled my scimitar out of its sheath and pointed its curved tip at Tabitha's stomach. "Are you an assassin sent to kill me?"

Tabitha shook her head no. Quite vigorously. She was afraid of me and I liked it. It was the first time in my life that I could remember someone being afraid of me.

"Queen Catlett sent me to help you dress. She wasn't sure what women in your part of the world wear and thought you might need someone to show you how to put on a corset and a gown."

I sheathed my scimitar, unbuckled the scabbard from around my waist, and tossed it on my bed. "We have corsets and gowns in my part of the world. What we don't have are those ridiculously high heeled boots. I can't begin to imagine what purpose they serve, other than to keep you from running away from any assassins that might want to kill you."

"They serve a definite purpose. They . . . ." Tabitha's voice trailed off as she struggled to come up with a reason for wearing the high heeled boots. "They make you taller."

"I'd rather be short and able to defend myself than tall and hobbled."

"I'm not hobbled."

"Prove it."

"How?"

"Let me see you run."

She didn't do it. Not that I expected her to. Her skirt was too tight to run in even without the high heeled boots. "Where I come from, a LADY does not run."

"What do you do when an assassin comes to kill you?"

"Assassins have no reason to kill me. I'm merely the niece of a baron."

"They have plenty of reasons to kill me."

"Does that mean you don't want me to help you dress for dinner?"

I had a feeling that everything I said and did on this journey would get back to Queen Catlett. I suspected that I was already being judged by the queen herself, and if I didn't at least try their fashions, I would be found wanting. "This ship is well defended, so I don't think I need to worry about assassins while I'm on board. As such, you may select a gown and help me dress for dinner."

When we reached Vassa, I would find a tailor and have some gowns made up in the styles my mother preferred, along with some riding skirts and breeches.

While I slipped out of the outfit I had been wearing for the last two days, Tabitha selected a red silk gown. She held it up in front of me and pronounced that it would fit me perfectly. I thought it looked too small, but didn't say anything. She knew these styles better than I did. She added a red silk corset, red silk stockings, and matching silk briefs to the growing pile on my bed. Lastly, she pulled out a pair of boots with the wicked looking heels.

"We have no hot water on board, so you won't be able to take a bath. However, I do have some talc in my cabin. We can sprinkle some of that on you, then scrub you with a cloth. It will be almost as good."

Tabitha slipped into her cabin and returned with a wooden box. Inside the box was a white powder softer than the finest sand. I wasn't excited about having powder tossed on me, especially after my encounter with Ezerra, but I remained silent, figuring Tabitha was no powder witch. She began circling around me, tossing fistfuls of the white powder on me. When I was as white as a ghost, she grabbed two small cloths, handed one to me, and kept one for herself.

"You scrub the front. I'll scrub the back," she said.

I was used to having handmaidens help me dress, but I wasn't used to having someone scrub my naked body. It was especially disconcerting when she finished with my back and started on my bottom. Still, she did her job in a workman like manner and in no time we had the white powder, and any dirt that might have been underneath it, scrubbed off.

The gown Tabitha selected was made out of a single layer of silk with no petticoats. The lacing started at the top of my thighs and ran all the way to the top of my neck. The dress covered me from neck to ankle and was so tight that I couldn't run in it let alone fight. I felt like a sword sheathed in its scabbard.

The skirt was the worst part, tight across the hips, tight across the thighs, and narrow enough around the ankles that I could only take small steps. Between the gown and the high heeled boots, walking was no longer something I could take for granted.

"This is horribly uncomfortable," I said, stumbling around the room and feeling like a horse that had just been saddled, bridled, and hobbled. "Why do you put up with it?"

Tabitha led me to the mirror that hung on the inside of one of the armoire's doors. I looked tall and curvaceous. My breasts were tucked right under my chin and stuck straight out. My waist looked small enough to wrap my hands around, which made my hips look rounder than normal. My bottom also look bigger than normal. It was the first time in my life I looked at myself and thought that I had a big butt. Of course it was all an illusion, created by the corset and the tapered gown. Well, part of it was an illusion. I wasn't as tall as my mother, or Salisha, nor were my hips as round as theirs, but I was just as big in the chest.

"There are a couple of things I need to show you," Tabitha said.

"Such as?"

"Try to sit down."

I hobbled to the end of the bed, tried to sit on it, and discovered that I couldn't. The gown, in particular, the skirt, was so tight that I couldn't sit, not without ripping the gown at the seams.

"There's a trick to sitting." Tabitha glided to the writing desk and pulled out the captain's chair that went with it. I felt jealous watching her move in her boots and gown. She made it look effortless, like she had been doing it her whole life, which I suppose she had. I felt like an old plow horse standing next to a sleek race horse. "Now watch."

Instead of just sitting in the chair, she bent at the waist, pushed her bottom out, then fell into the chair, letting her legs kick out in front of her.

"When you push your bottom out like that, it looks like you're putting on a show," I said.

"You are putting on a show. You're saying to all the handsome and eligible men that are watching you, see how curvaceous I am, see how fertile I am. I can bare you many fine sons. Sons that will grow up to be big and strong. Sons that will care for you in your old age. Sons that will defend your land and your name and your honor."

"And here I thought you were saying, see how big my butt is. See how many pies and pastries I've been eating. If you marry me, I'll eat you out of house and home and castle."

Tabitha giggled. "Lucky for us, men don't think that way. There's also a trick to standing up."

She grabbed the arms of the chair and pushed herself up. At the same time, she kicked her legs up and down. Somehow, she managed to rise out of the chair while looking both graceful and elegant. There was no way that I could do that and still look graceful. I was definitely going to visit a tailor.

Tabitha moved to the side of the chair. "Now, you try."

I moved to the chair, bent at the waist, and thrust my bottom out. "So what am I saying right now?"

"You're saying, see how round and firm my bottom is. I can bear you many strong royal heirs." Tabitha giggled. "Either that or . . . . "

I never had a chance to hear what else she was going to say because we were interrupted by a knock on the door.

It was Bokham. "Your Highness, we have a bit of a problem, you're going to have to come up on deck."

I straightened up and moved to the door as quickly as my outfit would allow. Bokham had also changed, donning a clean version of his red and white uniform. His scabbard hung from his left hip and his right hand was gripping the hilt of his broadsword.

"What's wrong?" I said.

"The man whose hand you cut off followed us, then went to the local authorities, claiming we murdered his friends. The local authorities have come to ask us some questions."

I sighed and stepped out of the cabin. So much for a peaceful dinner.

# Chapter 15

The man whose hand I lopped off was standing on the gangplank arguing with Captain Hubbard. A pair of soldiers dressed in black silk balloon pants, red vests, and black turbans stood between the two men. As soon as he saw me, the would-be-assassin pointed his stump at me and started yelling. "This is all her fault. She ordered her thugs to attack me and my friends. I demand that you arrest her."

I walked over to the man, which took some time considering what I was wearing. When I finally reached him, I slapped him across the face. "You've been drinking again. After you promised me that you were off the bottle for good."

The man was so taken back by my action that he just stood there, dumbfounded.

"You know this man?" one of the soldiers said.

"He's my brother. And he has a bit of a drinking problem. When he's drunk, he tends to run around telling crazy stories about people trying to kill him. If you leave him with us, I can assure you that we'll confine him to this ship until we leave port. He won't give you anymore trouble."

"She's lying," Stumpy said. "I never saw her until a couple of days ago, when she ordered her thugs to rob me and my two friends."

I didn't bother to argue with the man. I just stood there and let the soldiers decide for themselves who was more credible, a screaming one handed man, or a well-dressed woman with a big fancy ship. Needless to say, it didn't take the soldiers long before they decided who they believed. When the man realized that he had lost the argument, he turned to run away. The two sailors Captain Hubbard stationed at the bottom of the gangplank had already moved behind him, so he didn't get anywhere.

"Take him below deck until he's sober," I said. The two sailors smiled knowingly and hustled the screaming man away, once he was below deck, I turned back to the two soldiers. "Once again, I apologize for my brother's behavior. I can assure you that next time we visit your great city, he will remain at home."

The two soldiers bowed. I turned to Captain Hubbard. "Captain, perhaps we should make a donation to the high sage's treasury, to pay for any damage my brother has caused."

"As you wish, Your Highness," Captain Hubbard said with a bow. He pulled a couple of gold coins out of the coin purse attached to his cutlass belt and handed them to the soldier that did the talking. The two soldiers bowed and headed down the gangplank. I had little doubt that the high sage's treasurer would never see those gold coins. Most likely, they would wind up in the hands of some tavern keeper.

Edgerton burst on deck. He was half dressed. One boot on, one boot off. His waistcoat only half on. "What's the problem?"

"Captain Hubbard is two gold coins short," I said. "I trust you'll see that he's compensated."

***

We were sitting down to dinner in the captain's mess when we received another visitor. This one was a messenger from the High Sage of Landish himself. It was an invitation to his palace, inviting the lady from Vassa to meet him.

"The high sage's men must've seen the royal flag flying atop the masts," Edgerton said. "He's probably curious about who you are and what you're doing here."

"I'd like to meet him. He's not allied with the King of Dunre, so I have nothing to fear from him. Right?"

"He is not an ally of the King of Dunre. But there are some things you need to know about the high sages."

"Such as?"

"They're collectors."

"What does that have to do with my paying the current high sage a visit?"

"The high sages collect women."

"You mean slaves?"

"More like wives."

"How many wives does he have?"

"He's been high sage for less than a year, so not many, around a dozen."

I picked my jaw off the table. "Twelve wives in one year. You've got to be kidding?"

"In Landish, the high sage's greatness is measured by the number and the beauty of his wives. I fear that once you enter the high sage's palace, you may never get out."

"If he's collecting women, he'd probably be more interested in the Lady Tabitha than me."

"How do you figure?" Edgerton said.

"Haven't you noticed that most of the women in this city are short with long black hair. They look a lot like me. I don't know how things work in Vassa, but in the rest of the world, tall blonds are always in greater demand than short brunettes. If we leave the Lady Tabitha here, I suspect we'll be fine."

I figured if I was in danger, I'd have had a vision warning me not to visit the high sage, which hadn't happened. I also wanted to meet the high sage for another reason. If I was going to live in this part of the world, I needed friends and allies.

Edgerton scowled. "I still don't like it."

"What's the worst he can do to me?" I countered. "Drug me? Bind and gag me? Wrap me up in a carpet? Throw me over the back of a horse and ferry me across the desert? Been there and done that."

That pretty much decided the argument. Captain Hubbard, Edgerton, Bokham, and myself, finished our dinner and headed for the high sage's palace.

The high sage's messenger came with a wagon the likes of which I had never seen. It sat low to the ground, resting between its four wheels rather than over them. It also had a roof and walls. Inside were a pair of padded benches that faced each other. The benches were red and made from a butter soft leather. The rest of the wagon was black, except for its wheels, which were red. A driver sat on a bench over the front wheels, while two footmen rode on a running board between the rear wheels. The high sage's royal seal, a red lion, was painted on each door. A team of four black horses pulled the wagon, which Edgerton called a carriage.

The high sage's palace sat on a hill in the center of the city. It was a large brick building with five domes, a small dome at each corner, and a large dome in the center of the building. The building's four corners were rounded to match the curve of the small domes. It had arched windows and arched doors.

A yellow brick wall surrounded the palace. Guards in black silk pants, red silk vests, and black turbans patrolled the top of the wall. The wall's main gate consisted of a pair of heavy wooden gates painted black. A red lion had been painted in the middle of each gate. The gates were open but guarded. Since we were in a royal carriage, we were waved on through.

The palace was more ornate than any of the palaces back in Adah. The floors were inlaid with colored tiles picturing scenes of a red lion hunting, eating, sleeping, and watching over people. Hanging on the walls were tapestries with the same scenes. The windows were made out of pieces of colored glass and displayed similar scenes.

A large crowd filled the palace's great hall. Some were standing, some were sitting on piles of silk pillows. All of them were eating and drinking. Serving girls scurried about, carrying trays of bread and cheese and fresh fruit, as well as jugs of red wine. Dancing girls weaved among the people, their bodies covered with gold and silver but little else. Musicians strolled among the crowd, playing their horns and stringed instruments.

"Looks like a party," Captain Hubbard said. "I wonder what they're celebrating."

"We are celebrating the high sage's ascendance to the throne of the red lion," a serving girl said, holding up a tray filled with freshly baked sweets.

"Didn't he ascended a full year ago?"

"They celebrated his father's ascendance for a full year. To prove this high sage is greater than his father, we will celebrate his ascendance for two years."

The girl moved on, offering her tray of sweets to others in the crowd. No walls around their capital city and a nonstop two year party. If Bedonna knew that these people existed, she would march Adah's armies across the desert and place herself on the throne of the red lion.

"Wine, women, and song," Edgerton said. "That pretty much sums up the life of the high sage and his royal court."

"This city is known as the entertainment center of the world," Bokham added. "Most people come here for fun."

We were approached by a short slim man with a shaved head, a neatly trimmed white beard, and a long hawk like nose. He wore a black silk robe with a red sash around his waist. He reached us and bowed. Edgerton, dressed in his usual black and white, returned the man's bow.

"Chancellor. We received a report that you were in town." The man turned to me. "With a young woman of note."

A young woman of note. That was diplomatic talk for, I don't know who she is, but she looks and acts like she's important and I'd like to find out what she's doing in my city.

I offered the man the back of my left hand. "Princess Lila Marie Haran. Fourth daughter of Bella Justine Haran, the twelfth Queen of Adah."

"Lydon Jarvo." The man paused to kiss the back of my hand. "Chief Counselor to his Royal Majesty the High Sage of Landish, Miship Boxx. You'll excuse my ignorance, but I've never heard of Adah."

"It's easy to find. Just head east across the Great Desert. When you run out of desert, you're in Adah."

Counselor Jarvo's dark eyes widened in surprise. Whatever he had expected me to say, that wasn't it. "I heard a rumor that Chancellor Edgerton had gone to the end of the world in search of a princess, but I didn't expect him to return with someone so lovely and refined. Truth be told, I didn't expect him to return at all. Can I ask why you decided to make this journey?"

"If it had been up to me, I wouldn't have made the journey. But as Chief Counselor of Landish, you know better than anyone that we are often moved by forces beyond our control." That was diplomatic talk for, I was bound and gagged, rolled up in a carpet, and tossed over the back of a horse.

"His Royal Highness, the high sage, sent me to inquire about your personage, and if it would benefit him to meet you. Since I believe it would, you are welcome to follow me."

Counselor Jarvo set off. I fell in behind him, moving as gracefully as I could in the unfamiliar high heeled boots and too tight red silk gown. Edgerton, Bokham, and Captain Hubbard fell in behind me. We left the main room under the large dome and headed down an arched hallway toward the back right corner of the palace. At the end of the hall, beaded curtains made from rubies, emeralds, and sapphires hung in a doorway, separating the hallway from what looked like a throne room.

Counselor Jarvo stopped at the curtain and turned toward the others. "The rest of you will have to wait here. The high sage converses only with his wives, his advisors, and royals of a similar rank."

Edgerton, Bokham, and Captain Hubbard didn't argue, although I thought they might. They remained behind as I followed Counselor Jarvo into the high sage's throne room.

To call the throne room ostentatious would be an understatement. The room was circular and topped by one of the palace's four small domes. The dome itself contained a mural. In the mural, sitting on thrones which floated on a cloud, were a dozen men and women, which I took to be gods. They smiled down on the high sage, clearly pleased with their chosen leader.

The throne itself was covered in gold leaf. It had been carved to look like the head of a lion. A male lion. The lion's mouth was open, as if he was roaring, and the high sage was sitting on his tongue. The floor was a tile mosaic of the high sage's capital city. There was nothing else in the room save for piles of red, blue, and yellow pillows.

The high sage himself wasn't as impressive as the room. He was just a teenager. He wore a red silk turban and a red silk robe that tied with a black sash. Pinned to the front of the turban was a gold brooch of a roaring lion's head.

He was a short and chubby kid with pale skin, freckled cheeks, and large green eyes. He looked bored, but then what teenage boy wouldn't get bored, sitting on a throne, greeting dignitaries he didn't know and probably didn't want to know. I had done my share of that kind of stuff and knew how boring it could be, even for an adult, let alone a teenager.

"Your Supreme Highness," Counselor Jarvo said, bowing to the high sage. "May I present her Royal Highness, Princess Lila Marie Haran, fourth daughter of Bella Justine Haran, the twelfth Queen of Adah."

The high sage bowed his head. "We are pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Princess Lila comes from the other side of the world," Counselor Jarvo said. "Her homeland lies across the Great Desert."

That caught the high sage's interest. "You come from the barbarian lands?"

"My family rules the barbarian lands. At least those that lie closest to the Great Desert. What we call the Desert of Shifting Sands."

The high sage began to pepper me with questions. Was it true we lived in caves? No, we lived in the tops of trees. Did we really eat human flesh? Only the flesh of tender young children and then only on Tuesdays. Was it true the sun never rose in our part of the world? That was false. The sun rose one day each year, on my birthday. It was at that point the high sage realized that I was teasing him.

He blushed. "You must think I'm stupid."

I smiled at him. "On the contrary, Your Supreme Highness. You are no more ill informed than the people in my part of the world. I once believed that the people in this part of the world had wings."

This time I answered high sage's questions as best I could. He listened intently, peppering me with more questions about things that interested him. Eventually, we were interrupted by Counselor Jarvo. "I'm sorry to disturb you, Your Supreme Highness, but you have another guest waiting to pay you his respects."

The high sage thanked me for the visit, smiling as he did so. Counselor Jarvo then escorted me out of the throne room. "That was the first time I've seen the high sage smile since his father died. I believe he enjoyed talking to you."

"I think he enjoyed hearing about the barbarian lands," I said, as we crossed the throne room. "May I ask you a question, Counselor?"

"Of course, Your Highness."

"Who's the next guest waiting to greet the high sage?"

"That would be the King of Dunre. Have you heard of him?"

"Heard of him, but never met him. I understand he's a person of some note in this part of the world."

"By force of will," Counselor Jarvo said. "He believes fate has selected him for greatness."

A king with delusions of grandeur, never heard of one of those.

We passed through the jewelled curtain and out of the throne room, where we encountered a passel of people. Edgerton, Bokham, and Captain Hubbard stood on the left-hand side of the hallway. A throng of guards dressed in purple, gold, and white, lined the right-hand side of the hallway.

A tall man with shoulder length brown hair, deep set dark eyes, a long narrow nose, and a neatly trimmed mustache and goatee stood between the purple clad guards. He wore black velvet breeches tucked into polished black riding boots, and a purple velvet waistcoat over a ruffled white silk shirt. A gold crown with a setting sun on the front sat on his head. Embedded in the middle of the setting sun was a large purple gem. Obviously the King of Dunre.

A dozen of the high sage's red and black clad guards stood between the King of Dunre and my men, making sure they didn't get close to each other.

As soon as the King of Dunre saw me, he pushed past his guards and approached Counselor Jarvo and myself. As he drew close, I realized that he was older than I had first thought. Upon first glance, I had placed him in his thirties, now I realized that he was probably in his late forties. There were streaks of gray in his hair, and age lines around his eyes and mouth. He impressed me as being smart, powerful, and ruthless. He also impressed me as a man that was running out of time and knew it. All in all, that was a dangerous combination.

"You must be the barbarian princess that Queen Catlett hopes will become her heir." He held his hand out with the back of it facing up, expecting me to kiss it like I was one of his subjects. I was raised to have my hand kissed, not to kiss the hands of others, so I ignored it.

"You must be Maximillian Bedard, the King of Dunre." I looked him up and down, as if he were a slave in a market. "I have no interest in a man of your advanced years."

I slid past him, leaving him standing there with his hand still extended. My mother taught me that kings and queens don't age gracefully. They envision themselves as eternally young and don't like being reminded that they're growing old and that their days are numbered.

"If you want to offend a king or queen," she once said. "Just tell them how old they look." Judging by the King of Dunre's red face, mother was right.

I headed down the hallway, moving as gracefully as my outfit would allow. When I reached the great hall, where they were still celebrating the high sage's ascension, Edgerton put a hand on my shoulder. "I trust you were trying to offend the King of Dunre."

"He offend me, so I returned his action in kind."

"How did he offend you?"

"Besides sending those assassins after me? He offered me the back of his hand, as if I were one of his subjects. What's he doing here anyway?"

"Perhaps he's here to sample the high sage's harem."

"You mean sleep with the high sage's wives?"

"You saw for yourself. The high sage is but a boy. I doubt he knows what to do with a harem."

"Did the previous high sage share his wives with the King of Dunre?"

Edgerton laughed. "The previous high sage enjoyed his wives way too much to share them with anyone. Some say that's what killed him."

This high sage might be a boy, but I don't think it was accurate to say that he didn't know what to do with a harem. I had just spent a half hour talking to him and noticed that he had spent much of the time staring at my chest. I suspected he just needed someone to take the initiative. You couldn't expect an inexperienced boy that had led a sheltered life to make the first move on a grown woman, not even if he was the High Sage of Landish and she was part of his harem.

"May I have another moment of your time, Your Highness?" Jarvo said, rejoining us.

I took Jarvo's arm and we headed off, strolling around the great hall. Edgerton, Bokham, and Captain Hubbard fell in behind us, paying more attention to the scantly clad dancing girls than to Jarvo or myself.

"What can I do for you, Counselor?"

"I have a problem."

"I hope it's not me."

Jarvo smiled. "It's the King of Dunre. He comes here to poison the high sage's mind."

"And you still allow him to see the high sage?"

"They're heads of state. I am but a humble adviser."

"Do you know what they talk about?"

"The first few times the King of Dunre visited, the high sage told me what they talked about, but the last few times, he's refused to tell me, informing me that what kings talk about doesn't concern me."

"Sounds like somebody needs to convince the high sage that the King of Dunre is dangerous and shouldn't be trusted."

"Agreed," Jarvo said. "Unfortunately, he won't listen to me."

"What about one of his wives?"

"The high sage's wives were chosen for their beauty, not their minds. Most of them are illiterate country girls ill equipped to advise the high sage on affairs of state."

"Does the high sage sleep with any of them?"

"The high sage has shown no interest in any of his wives. I'm beginning to wonder if he likes women."

"He likes women," I said. "I think he's just afraid to make the first move."

"And you know this because?"

"Because I just spent a half hour with him. How old is the high sage anyway?"

"Seventeen."

That made him three years younger than me, for some reason he seemed even younger than that. "Has he ever been outside the palace walls?"

"Of course not. The high sage doesn't go to the world. The world comes to the high sage."

That explained why the high sage seemed younger than he was. He was a prisoner inside his own palace. He hadn't even seen his own country, let alone any of the world.

"You have yet to mention what Maximillian Bedard's growing influence over the high sage has to do with me, Counselor."

"I was thinking that a woman of beauty and intelligence might be able to neutralize Bedard's influence over the high sage. My problem is I haven't been able to find such a woman. Until today."

"You want me to convince the high sage that Maximillian Bedard shouldn't be trusted?" I made no attempt to hide the surprise on my face.

"Just have dinner with him. Flirt with him a little, tease him a little, make him fall in love with you."

"And while I'm doing that, maybe I can warn him about Maximillian Bedard, maybe even find out what they've been talking about?"

Jarvo bowed. "I would be in your debt."

"Why would you trust me?" I said. "You don't even know me."

"I know Edgerton. I also know that he likes you and believes that you will be the next Queen of Vassa. I also know that you don't like Maximillian Bedard."

I hesitated. I didn't intend to get involved this quickly in the politics of this part of the world. On the other hand, it wouldn't hurt to have a man of Jarvo's power and influence indebted to me.

"Look at it this way," Jarvo said. "Bedard is trying to wrap the high sage around his little finger. It would be better for me, and you, and Queen Catlett, and the high sage himself, if you wrapped the high sage around your little finger."

"I don't think it's my finger the high sage wants to wrap himself around," I said, then quickly added, "but I will dine with him."

After all, it was just one meal. What could happen?

# Chapter 16

Edgerton protested when he learned that I would be dining with the high sage. "I don't like it. The high sage may decide to toss you into his harem."

"I don't know who put those women in the harem, but I can guarantee you that it wasn't the high sage."

I suspected Jarvo was the one adding women to the high sage's harem. He probably went out once a month, found a woman he hoped the high sage would like, and tossed her into the harem. I suspect it wasn't a bad life. They were safe and well fed. They certainly had nothing to fear from the high sage.

I was pretty sure that I had nothing to fear from Jarvo. He needed me as an ally, to help him find out what was going on between the high sage and the King of Dunre. My problem was, how did I get the high sage to trust me? That was something I would have to play by ear.

Eventually, Jarvo returned to escort me to the high sage's private quarters. Edgerton wanted to know when I would return, but I couldn't answer that. I told him to relax and enjoy the party, that I would return when I returned.

As I headed to the high sage's quarters, I wondered if Edgerton really was worried that I would be tossed into the high sage's harem, like he claimed, or if he just didn't like the fact that when I was with Jarvo and the high sage, I was no longer under his control. Something told me that it was a little of both.

"What can you tell me about Edgerton?" I asked Jarvo.

"He is loyal to his queen. He loves her and would do anything for her."

"Including going to the end of the earth to kidnap a princess."

"He kidnapped you?"

"Drugged me, bound and gagged me, rolled me up in a carpet, and tossed me over a pack horse. I told him if he had come to our palace a month earlier, he could've had his pick of princesses, that any one of us would have gone with him willingly. But he likes to do things the hard way."

"We can provide you with sanctuary if you wish."

"I think that's why Edgerton didn't want me to come here tonight. He tried to scare me into thinking if I came here, you'd toss me into the high sage's harem."

"The high sage's wives came here of their own free will. They understand that it's a great honor to be selected as a wife of the high sage. Should you express an interest in entering the harem, we would be more than willing to accommodate you."

"If Queen Catlett doesn't like me, I might have to take you up on that offer. Although thirteen women and one teenage boy doesn't sound like a good time, not if you're one of the women."

"I've never heard any of the high sage's wives complain. And the high sage will not be a teenager forever."

We reached the high sage's private quarters. They looked like the rest of the palace. Mosaic tiled floors. Tapestries on the walls. Stained glass windows. Murals on the ceiling. All of the pictures involved a red lion. Jarvo led me to a round dining room dominated by a round marble table. The table was made out of green marble and sat low to the ground. Red, blue, green, and yellow pillows surrounded the table. The table itself was laid out with every kind of bread, fruit, and meat imaginable. Jugs of red wine sat on the table.

"Make yourself comfortable. The high sage will be with you shortly." Jarvo bowed and left.

Despite the fact that he had twelve beautiful wives, it was clear that the high sage wasn't used to being alone with a woman. As soon as he saw me in his private quarters, he turned beet red and started to back out of the room. "If you're busy. I can come back later."

I gave the high sage a coy smile, or what I hoped passed for a coy smile. In truth, I'm not sure what qualified as a coy smile and what didn't. "I'm not busy. Unless waiting for you counts as being busy."

The high sage mumbled something, but I couldn't understand what he said.

I moved to the large table that dominated the room. "Shall we eat?"

I grabbed a pillow and lowered myself onto it, tucking my legs beneath me, conscious that the high sage was watching my every move. I liked being the sophisticated older woman, it gave me a sense of power that I had never felt before.

The high sage wasn't a bad looking young man. He had a square jaw, a small narrow nose, and bright green eyes. Tuffs of red hair peeked out from under his red turban, complimenting his pale complexion and the dusting of freckles that covered his nose and cheeks. He just needed to lose the baby fat and gain some experience. Any kind of experience.

I patted the pillow next to me. "You don't look like the majority of your subjects."

"I look like my mother." The high sage sat. "She was born in Poshta, which is north of Dunre. I got my red hair and pale complexion from her. My height and build I got from my father."

"You must be hungry after being forced to listen to a windbag like Maximillian Bedard."

"You don't like Max?" The high sage seemed more surprised by that revelation than bothered by it.

"I don't like anyone that tries to kill me." I paused to fill a plate with a selection of breads, fruits, and meats. A serving girl poured two cups of red wine, then moved back against the wall, where she waited unnoticed. I set the plate between us, so the high sage could share it with me, then told him about the three assassins.

"You actually cut off a man's hand?" he said, when I finished my tale.

"You seem impressed by the fact that I know how to use a sword."

"That's because I don't know how to use a sword. I wish I did."

"You're the High Sage of Landish. If you want to know how to use a sword then order Counselor Jarvo to send someone to teach you."

"Jarvo will argue with me. Tell me that I might hurt myself."

"Let him argue. When he is done simply repeat your command. You're the high sage. Jarvo is your counselor. In the end, he will follow your wishes. Never forget that."

Jarvo wouldn't appreciate my telling the high sage to exert his authority, but someone needed to do it. He couldn't spend the rest of his life locked up in this palace doing what he was told. If that continued, he'd eventually listen to the wrong person, like Maximillian Bedard. The high sage needed to learn to think for himself.

I asked the high sage if he had any more questions about my homeland and the other side of the world. He did, a good hour's worth of questions. When he finished with those, he asked me about my family. I told him about my mother and my sisters and what had transpired since my mother's death. He seemed shocked that my sisters and I were expected to fight to the death to see which of us would ascend to our mother's throne.

"I think you made a smart move coming to our part of the world. There are more opportunities for one such as yourself in this part of the world."

"I didn't come here of my own free will. Truth be told, Chancellor Edgerton kidnapped me."

The high sage leapt to his feet. "If you want. I can have him arrested."

"Thank you, Your Supreme Highness, but it's not necessary. I'm actually looking forward to meeting Queen Catlett."

"I've already met her." The high sage sat back down. "She's tall and slim and old, with ice blue eyes. She told me to be my own man, although I'm not quite sure what she meant by that."

"I think she meant that you should do what you want, and not what Jarvo, or Maximillian Bedard, or anyone else wants you to do. While we're on the subject, tell me about the King of Dunre."

"What do you want to know?"

"What do you think he wants from you?"

"He talks about an alliance. A great alliance between Dunre and Landish is what he calls it. He says if we act as one, we can rule the civilized world."

"And who will be the primary decision maker in this alliance?"

"Max says that he'll guide me until I'm old enough to make my own decisions."

"You're old enough to make your own decisions right now," I said. "You want to know what I think?"

"You think he wants to control me." Okay, so the kid was smarter than he looked. "Jarvo thinks so too, but I've already figured out how to get rid of Max when I get tired of listening to him."

"How?"

"I ask him if there's anything he needs and then I give it to him."

"Did you give him what he wanted tonight?"

"Of course. It's the quickest way to get him to leave."

"Can I ask what he wanted?"

"The same thing he always wants. A ship to transport some goods down the Istansada River."

"And some men to crew the ship?"

"He prefers to find his own crew."

I recalled my geography lessons. "Dunre borders the Western Sea. Max should have plenty of ships at his disposal."

"You think he's up to something?"

Before I could voice my suspicions, a vision hit me. In this vision, I was standing on the deck of the Star of the Sea. It was a warm but starless night. Another ship had pulled alongside of ours, a single masted longboat.

Through the fog, I could see its flag flapping in the breeze. The flag contained a red lion, the high sage's crest. The men on the ship were dressed like the men in Landish, wearing balloon pants and vests and turbans. Problem was, some of them were too tall and too pale to be natives of Landish. They boarded our ship in overwhelming numbers, scimitars and broadswords drawn.

Captain Hubbard's men put up a brave fight but they were outnumbered and fell one by one. I retreated to my cabin and secured the door, but a pair of tall men in turbans broke the door down. One of them ran his sword through the Lady Tabitha's stomach, then watched her collapse. He started to approach me when the vision faded.

I found myself back in the high sage's private quarters. He had a concerned look on his face and was asking me if everything was all right.

"I'm fine." Before I could say anything else, I had another vision.

This time I saw the King of Dunre. He was standing before the throne of a woman. The woman was tall and thin, with long white hair and pale blue eyes. Time had diminished her beauty but hadn't stolen it. She wore a flowing silver gown with a high collar and belled sleeves. She looked devastated, like she had just lost the love of her life, like she had just lost hope. The King of Dunre was offering his condolences over the deaths of Chancellor Edgerton and the barbarian princess, but I could see the delight in his deep set eyes.

"Do they know who did it?" Queen Catlett had a soft voice, a voice filled with the pain of loss. Loss for Edgerton. Loss for the hope that my arrival had briefly given her.

"All reports indicate that it was Landish pirates that attacked the ship," Maximillian Bedard said. "My navy is at your disposal, Your Highness. Even now, they're hunting the Istansada River for the longboat that attacked and killed your people. I've also sent a message to the High Sage of Landish, demanding that he do something about the pirates that have taken refuge in his city, and warning him that if he doesn't, I shall march my army into his city and remove him from power."

The vision faded and I found myself back with the high sage.

"I need to know how many ships the King of Dunre has borrowed from you since you came to power."

"Six," the high sage said. "Every couple of months, Max shows up and lectures me. When I get tired of the lecture, I ask him if there's anything I can do for him. He always says the same thing. He could use an extra ship to transport some fine Landish goods back to Dunre. I give him a ship and he leaves."

"And you've never asked what he's transporting?"

"Of course I've asked. He's remodeling his palace and is shipping stained glass back to Dunre. We make the finest stained glass in the world here in Landish."

"Can I assume the papers entitling Max to use these ships are signed by you?"

"Of course they're signed by me," the high sage said.

"Do any of these papers contain Max's name or title, indicating that he's in possession of these ships?"

The high sage thought for a minute. "I believe they were standard bearer papers."

So the answer to my question was no. Standard bearer papers began with the line, THE BEARER OF THESE PAPERS IS ENTITLED TO, then went on to state what they were entitled to, in this case, one royal longboat. They ended with the name of the person who issued the papers, in this case, the High Sage of Landish, Miship Boxx. What wasn't on them was Maximillian Bedard's name, nothing to indicate that he was responsible for the ships and the crews that manned them.

That explained what the King of Dunre was doing in Istansada City. Every couple of months, he would pester the high sage. The high sage would give him a ship just to get rid of him. Max would then man the ship with a mixture of Landish thugs, enough to make it look like a Landish crew, and a few of his own men. They would head down the Istansada River committing acts of piracy.

If any of the ships were caught, the papers in the captain's possession would trace the ship back to the high sage. Max could march in, accuse the high sage of promoting piracy, and wrest power from him, claiming he was doing it for the good of everybody that depended upon the river for their livelihood. Since the conversations between him and the high sage were private, there would be no way for the high sage to prove that Max had set up the whole thing.

"I think I know what Max is up to," I said.

I explained what the King of Dunre was doing and how I knew what he was doing. When I finished, the high sage said, "Why would Max do such a thing?"

"He wants your throne, Your Supreme Highness. And he knows that if he bores you long enough, you'll give him a ship just to get rid of him."

"And he's using those ships to commit piracy, which he plans to blame on me?"

"The men captaining those ships possess standard bearer papers signed by you. It makes it look like you gave them the ships. It makes it look like you're promoting piracy on the Istansada River."

The high sage made no attempt to hide the worried look on his face. "What do I do now?"

"Give me fifty of your best soldiers. We'll sneak them on my ship then turn the tables on Max's men when they attack the Star of the Sea. Maybe we can get a couple of them to confess who's really behind the piracy." I doubted that would happen, but it was worth a shot. At the very least, we could foil Max's assassination plot.

The high sage grabbed me by the shoulders and hugged me. When he finished, he held me at arm's length, and smiled. "Clearly the gods have brought you here to help me."

"I thought it was Chancellor Edgerton that brought me here."

"Chancellor Edgerton was just the tool the gods used to bring you here."

"You need to talk to Jarvo. Fill him in on what's going on. We need to figure out a way to sneak some soldiers onto my ship without Max's spies noticing them."

"You think Max has men watching your ship?"

"He plans on attacking us as soon as we set sail. He can't do that without knowing when we leave."

"And if he sees my men boarding your ship, he'll know that something's up."

"Exactly."

"You talk to Edgerton and I'll talk to Jarvo. Between the four of us, we'll find a way to put your plan into motion."

The high sage sprang to his feet and offered me a hand. He helped me to my feet, then pulled me to him. With my high heeled boots on, I was taller than him by an inch. He kissed me, a hard aggressive kiss that clicked our teeth together and almost knocked his turban off his head.

"I better go talk to Jarvo," he said, blushing. He straightened his turban and scurried off before I could say anything.

The serving girl came over, said something in her native tongue, then offered me a goblet containing an amber liquid. When I shook my head no, letting her know that I didn't want whatever was in the goblet, she pressed it to my lips and tilted it. I found myself swallowing the warm bitter liquid just to keep it from spilling down my chin and dress.

"What was that?" I asked, sputtering and stepping back.

The girl smiled at me and said something else that I didn't understand. My head started to spin and my body started to grow numb. What's more, I couldn't get my eyes to focus. The room and the girl became nothing more than brightly colored blurs spinning around me.

I knew that I had been drugged because I felt like I did when Ezerra threw the white powder in my face. Like I did when Edgerton shot me with the miniature crossbow. The last thing I remember thinking was, not again.

# Chapter 17

I woke up to find myself lying on a circular bed in a circular room. A dozen full length mirrors covered the walls. The room contained an arched doorway but no door, just a transparent green cloth that gave the illusion of privacy.

On the other side of the doorway, I could see a large circular room full of round marble tables that sat low to the ground. A rainbow of silk cushions surrounded the tables, as did a bunch of young women. They were lounging about in groups of two and three, eating fruit and drinking wine.

Concern swept over me when I realized that I had been moved to the harem. I struggled to my feet, despite an aching head, then noticed my appearance in the mirrors.

My clothes were gone. In their place a single leaf made from solid gold covered my sex. It was small enough to warrant shaving me, which was a bit disconcerting. Strips of soft gold tooled to look like vines held the leaf in place. One ran around my waist, the other ran between my legs and bottom cheeks.

The top was just as bad. Strips of soft gold tooled to look like vines secured gold rose blossoms over my nipples while leaving the rest of my breasts bare.

The sandals on my feet contained spiked heels similar to the boots I had been wearing, except they were even higher. Gold bracelets circled my wrists and ankles. They consisted of tiny gold flowers dangling from gold vines. The flowers were actually tiny bells, ensuring I jingled when I moved.

My hair was down. It had been pinned behind my ears with a pair of large gold butterflies. A charcoal paste had been added to my eyelashes to make them look long and thick and sooty. A glittery gold shadow covered my eyelids, while a bright red gloss made my lips look thick and full.

To call the getup minuscule would be an understatement. From the back I was completely naked, save for a gold vine around my waist, another around the middle of my back, and a third around my neck. Not that you could see the one around my neck since my hair hid it. The front wasn't much better. The gold butterflies pinning my hair back were bigger than the rosebuds and the leaf combined. The worst part was the halter. It lifted my breasts, but provided no support, especially for someone as well endowed as myself. Every time I moved, I jiggled like I was caught in an earthquake.

It appeared that Edgerton's fears were justified. It also appeared that Jarvo lied. They did toss women into the harem. I wondered why I didn't have a vision warning me about this, but I already knew the answer. My life wasn't in danger. Jarvo didn't want to kill me. He wanted to control me.

I wondered how I should approach this situation. I could get angry. I could rant and rave and scream, but I doubted it would do any good. It certainly wouldn't win me my freedom.

I knew one thing, I didn't want to stay in the harem. Being a wife of the high sage wasn't the same as being a queen, or even a queen's heir. Here, I would have no real power, I would be nothing more than a voice in the high sage's ear. If he grew tired of me, I wouldn't even be that.

There was no guarantee Queen Catlett would want me as her heir. If that was the case, I could always come back here. Maybe if I explained to them that the high sage would be better off with me sitting on the throne of Vassa, they would set me free. Maybe if I promised to return to the harem if Queen Catlett didn't make me her heir, they would let me go. Before I could sort out my arguments, Jarvo entered the room accompanied by two guards.

The guards were both female. They weren't as tall as me, but they were a good deal huskier, outweighing me by a good fifty pounds apiece, with most of that weight being muscle. Both had long black hair and wore red silk vests and black silk balloon pants. Both carried a scimitar on their left hip and a knife on their right. Both wore an expression that said they weren't afraid to use those weapons.

"You're probably wondering what's going on," Jarvo said.

"I know what's going on. You lied to me about tossing women into the harem."

"I didn't lie. The high sage's other wives all came here willingly."

"Other wives? I haven't agreed to marry the high sage."

"In Landish, women have no say in who they marry. You only have to be placed in the harem and have your name recorded in the books. Once that has occurred, you're one of the high sage's wives. Number thirteen on the list, but from the way the high sage raved about you last night, number one in his heart. Trying to find a woman he likes has been very difficult. He calls his other wives uneducated peasant girls that can't speak the Common Tongue. Of course, he doesn't speak Old Landish, which is their native tongue, so you can see why he hasn't developed a connection to any of them."

"What did you tell Edgerton?"

"That you asked us for sanctuary."

"And he believed you?"

"Of course not. But he did seem a little less sure of himself when I told him how upset you were over being drugged, bound and gagged, and tossed over the back of a horse against your will."

"What do you think he'll do now?"

Jarvo shrugged his shoulders. "Demand to see you, which he's already done. Have his queen make an official protest. Queen Catlett might pay us a visit. Health permitting. Other than that, there's not much they can do. I doubt if Queen Catlett will declare war over a princess that she's never met."

"Wouldn't the high sage be better off with a friend like me on the throne of Vassa?"

"That was one of the reasons for letting you continue your journey. However, it was outweighed by the many reasons for keeping you here."

"Such as?"

"You're safe here in the harem. Were you to continue your journey, Maximillian Bedard might succeed in killing you, just as he did in the vision you told the high sage about. If that were the case, you'd be of no use to anyone."

"And the other reasons for keeping me here?"

"You're a seer. The high sage could use a seer. Plus, there's the high sage himself. He's reaching that age where he wants to assert his independence from those around him."

"You mean you."

Jarvo bowed in acknowledgment. "He likes you. He thinks you're beautiful. He thinks you're sexy. He thinks you're smart. I dare say, you're the first girl he's shown any interest in. More importantly, he listens to what you tell him. If the two of us work together, we can mold him into a man strong enough to rule this kingdom."

"What if I tell him to get rid of you?"

"I'm old, Your Highness, and my time on this world grows short. Short enough so that threats such as that no longer scare me. What scares me is that I should die with no one here to guide the high sage. He's not ready to rule."

"He's only three years younger than me."

"Were you ready to rule three years ago?"

Truth be told, I wasn't sure I was ready to rule now. Not that I was going to admit that to Jarvo. "Why am I dressed like this?"

"Dressing you like this makes you stand out from the crowd, which makes it easy for your guards to keep an eye on you."

"My guards?"

"I've ordered these two to watch you. It's merely temporary, I assure you. Once I'm convinced you won't try to escape, you'll enjoy the same freedoms the high sage's other wives enjoy. Until then, your freedoms will be restricted, you'll have your own personal escort, and you'll be dressed to, shall we say, stand out in a crowd."

More like undressed to stand out in a crowd. "I shall take you at your word, Counselor."

"You're not as upset about this as I thought you'd be."

"Edgerton kidnapped me and brought me to this part of the world against my will. Now, you're holding me against my will. As I see it, I've exchanged jailers. Nothing more."

That wasn't completely true. Edgerton may have kidnapped me, but he did take the time to teach me to read, write, and speak the Common Tongue. He also gave me a history lesson on this part of the world, and when I accepted an invitation to come to the high sage's palace, he didn't try to stop me. He treated me like a princess, while Jarvo was treating me like a possession.

"If you were free, where would you go?" Jarvo asked. "You only know what Edgerton has told you. I can teach you things about our world that he can't. I know things about the people that run this part of the world that he doesn't."

"I'd like to hear what you know. I'd also like to know how long I'll be on probation."

"You'll be on probation until I'm convinced you won't try to run away."

"Can I talk to the high sage?"

"After you've had a chance to adjust to life in the harem."

I studied Jarvo's weathered face for a few seconds. "He doesn't even know I'm here, does he?"

"His eighteenth birthday is coming up. You're going to be his birthday present. I suspect you'll be the first present I've given him that he'll actually like." Jarvo bowed. "Try to relax, Your Highness. Once you've been here awhile, you'll come to enjoy it."

He turned and headed out of my bedroom. I followed him into the harem's main hall, teetering and jingling. My suspended breasts bounced furiously in their tiny golden halter. So much so, that walking across a room was down right embarrassing, not to mention uncomfortable. I made a mental note to do as little walking as possible in this getup.

"Max still has those ships the high sage gave him, pretending to be Landish pirates. And he still intends to use them as a pretense to remove the high sage from power."

"Sending you to Vassa won't change his plans. We'll deal with him if and when the time comes."

"Not if, Counselor. When."

"Fine. We will deal with Maximillian Bedard when the time comes. One of the advantages of having a seer at our disposal is he can't make a move without our knowing about it."

I chased Jarvo to the harem's lone exit. There were two more guards stationed just outside the door. Male guards. The male guards didn't block my path but my two female guards did.

I didn't bother to ask Jarvo if he warned Edgerton about Max's plan to attack the Star of the Sea. Edgerton wouldn't return to Vassa without me. He would remain in Istansada City, until he found a way to get me out of here. Not that I intended to sit around and wait to be rescued.

I figured my best chance of getting out of here would be to talk to the high sage, convince him to free me. I was still trying to figure out how to do that when one of the high sage's wives, or perhaps I should say, other wives, blocked my path.

She would've been my height, if I hadn't been wearing heels. She had long black hair that was curlier than mine, an olive complexion, small breasts, wide hips, and a small flat nose. Two large gold hoops dangled from her ears. She was wearing white silk balloon pants, a silk vest, purple in color, and silk slippers, also purple. She surprised me by speaking the Common Tongue. "You must be the princess I've heard about."

"I was told none of the high sage's wives spoke the Common Tongue. And what exactly have you heard?"

"Just that there was a princess visiting. One that comes from an exotic land far away. From what I just heard, I'm guessing you didn't join the harem willingly."

"That's an understatement."

"If you tell me why Jarvo is keeping you here, I'll tell you why I can speak the Common Tongue. And why I've kept it a secret from Jarvo and the high sage."

"The high sage likes me and listens to what I say. Not surprisingly, Jarvo thinks I can help him mold the high sage into a great ruler. Now, how did a poor country girl from some backwater village in Landish learn to speak the Common Tongue? And why have you kept it a secret from Jarvo and the high sage?"

"I could tell you that I learned it here in the palace, by listening to Counselor Jarvo and others, but that'd be a lie." She looked around the room. "What do you say we take a walk in the garden. There are fewer ears there."

Like the other rooms in the palace, the courtyard containing the garden was round. There were no other entrances, which meant it was used exclusively by the harem. That made it easy for my two guards, who waited for us at the garden's lone doorway. Overhead, the sky was clear and the sun was high in the sky. That meant I had slept through the night and most of the morning.

Small palm trees and carefully trimmed rosebushes filled the courtyard. A pink marble fountain sat in the middle of the courtyard. Water bubbled from a small bowl at the top, down to a medium sized bowl, and then to a large bowl at the bottom of the fountain. A pink marble path spiraled around the fountain. The sweet scent of roses filled the air, combining with the warm sun and the bubbling water to create an idyllic atmosphere.

"My name is Shumaredena Kestan, but everybody calls me Shu. I'm the seventh wife of the high sage."

"Lila Marie Haran," I said. "It would appear that I'm lucky number thirteen."

"What if I told you I wasn't from here?"

"By here you mean . . . ."

"Landish."

"You look like you're from here."

Shu smiled. "Looks can be deceiving."

She looked like she was from Landish, but she wasn't. She pretended not to speak the Common Tongue, when she did. In my book, that could only mean one thing. She was a spy. Edgerton did say the courts in this part of the world were littered with spies.

"You're a spy. "

"Do not use that word around here." Shu stopped and looked around, checking to see if anyone was eavesdropping. As far as I could see, the closest people were my two guards. We had left them sitting on benches in the garden's lone doorway.

"Where do you come from?"

"I come from Holt."

Shu slipped her arm through mine and we resumed our walk. Okay, she resumed her walk. I resumed my teetering, jiggling, and jingling. So much for my vow to walk as little as possible in this getup.

Holt was one of the Finger States. Landish was on its eastern border, so it was possible that some of the people that lived on the Landish border bore a resemblance to the people of Landish, short and slim, with black hair, black eyes, and an olive complexion.

"Holt is an ally of Vassa."

Shu's dark eyebrows arched in surprise. "You're from Vassa?"

"I was headed to Vassa with Chancellor Edgerton when Jarvo tossed me into the harem."

"And you'd like to get out of here and continue your journey."

"Yes, but I need help."

Shu stopped walking and faced me. "If I help you, what's in it for me?"

"What do you want?"

"I want to advance my career."

"What sort of career advancements are you looking for?"

"One day, I hope to work for a king or queen."

"As an . . . . "

"Adviser."

"You're not working for the King of Holt?"

"I work for the Duke of Genese. He's the King of Holt's younger brother. His holdings border Landish. I used to live in his castle, where my father is one of his advisers. They trained me to be a spy, then slipped me across the border when Jarvo was looking for girls to add to the high sage's harem. Jarvo noticed me and recruited me into the harem."

"How do you get information back to the duke?"

"I have contacts here in the city. When I have something to tell them, I meet with them."

"You can leave the palace whenever you want?"

"I'm not a captive, Lila. I joined the harem willingly."

"And you can come and go willingly?"

"Of course."

"My guards have orders not to let me out of the harem," I said. "As long as they're watching me, I'm not going anywhere."

Shu dismissed my guards with a wave of her hand. "Those two are idiots. Getting away from them will be easier than you think."

"Does Jarvo know that?"

"Jarvo doesn't know half of what goes on around here. He thinks his snitches tell him everything, but they don't. They're as stupid as your guards."

"What about the high sage? Does he know what goes on around here?"

Shu dismissed the high sage with the same wave of her hand that she dismissed the guards. "The high sage is just a boy. He knows only what Jarvo wants him to know."

"Which is even less than Jarvo knows."

Shu nodded. "If I help you get out of here, can you help my career?"

"You know the Queen of Vassa has no heir."

"Everyone knows that. What of it?"

"Chancellor Edgerton was taking me to meet her. He believes she'll make me her heir."

"Because you're a princess?"

"I'm the fourth daughter of Bella Justine Haran, the twelfth Queen of Adah."

"I've never heard of Adah."

"It lies on the other side of the Great Desert."

"You come from the other side of the world?"

"I come from the other side of the world."

"That explains why Jarvo wants to keep you here. We have few princesses in this part of the world, and none with a knowledge of the other side of the continent. Even if you weren't young and beautiful, you'd be an extremely valuable commodity."

"If you help me get out of here, Queen Catlett will be indebted to you."

"What makes you so sure?"

"Because she spent a lot of gold to bring me to this part of the world."

"If I help you escape, Jarvo will send men after us. If they catch us, they won't hurt you, but they'll kill me."

"You don't have to come with me. Just get me out of the palace."

"Jarvo's snitch could rat on me. If I help you, I'll have no choice but to go with you."

"There's a ship waiting for me down at the docks. It belongs to the Queen of Vassa. Once we reach it, we'll be safe. Jarvo's men risk starting a war if they try and board it."

"You guarantee the ship will be there?"

"Chancellor Edgerton would never leave Istansada City without me."

"I'll need help getting you out of here. I'll also need some bribe money."

"The ship waiting for me is called the Star of the Sea. It's a black caravel with gold trim and flies the royal flag of Vassa. Tell Chancellor Edgerton that you can help me escape, but that you'll need some bribe money. He'll give you whatever you need."

"I'll go there tomorrow. See if what you say is true."

"When do you think I can get out of here?"

"When I've finished making all the necessary arrangements."

"Until then?"

"Until then play the part of a good harem wife, so they don't make it harder for me to get you out of here."

Before I got too hopeful, I raised an obvious question. "How do I know you're not one of Jarvo's snitches, keeping an eye on me to make sure I don't try and escape?"

"How do I know you're a real princess? Maybe the rumors I heard were fake. Maybe Jarvo put you here to root out spies like myself."

"I guess we'll just have to trust each other," I said.

"I guess we will," Shu said.

# Chapter 18

The evening of my third day in the harem, Shu took me into her bedroom, and after a brief argument with my guards, shut the door between us. She turned to me and explained what they had been talking about. "They insisted I leave the door open, so they could keep an eye on you. I reminded them that this was the only way in and out of the room and that you deserved a little privacy."

Her room was similar to mine. It was a round room with a round bed and a dozen full length mirrors on the wall. The only difference was the doorway contained a heavy wooden door. When I asked her how we were going to get away from my guards, she smiled. "You'll see."

She dug a brown leather knapsack, a couple of silk cloaks, and an extra set of clothes out of a wicker trunk that sat at the foot of her bed. I removed my solid gold getup, as well as the makeup, and slipped into the clothes, a pair of white silk pants, a red silk vest, and a pair of red silk slippers. I tied a red silk cloak over my shoulders and pulled the cowl over my head. Shu slung the knapsack over her shoulder then donned a turquoise cloak that matched the turquoise and black outfit that she was wearing.

I expected her to head for the door, but she didn't. She just turned and stared at the wall. The next thing I knew, a hidden door opened between two of the mirrors. Standing on the other side of the door, in a hidden passageway, was a female guard. She wore black silk pants, a red silk vest, and red silk slippers. She was short and stocky, like my guards, and had a scimitar hanging from her left hip. She motioned for us to come into the passageway, which we did. Once we were inside, she shut the door behind us.

"The high sage that built this palace wanted a way to sneak around without being seen," Shu said. "His architect suggested round rooms because they leave a lot of wasted space between them. Every room has a hidden door leading to this wasted space. Most of those doors can be opened from both sides, but those leading into the harem can only be opened from one side. That's why I needed someone to help us."

I noticed that the mirrors in the harem were all two way mirrors, allowing the high sage that built the palace, or anyone else for that matter, to spy on his wives without being seen. I couldn't help but wonder if the current high sage took advantage of the mirrors. Probably not. Although something told me that Jarvo and the high sage's other advisers did.

We followed the guard down a dark dusty passageway full of curving walls. Once we moved away from the harem and its two way mirrors, the only light in the passageway came from the torch in the guard's hand. Occasionally, I could hear the scurrying of tiny feet, which I took to be rats. I had no idea where we were heading, had no idea if the guard knew where she was going. I was just happy that Shu had been telling the truth about helping me.

Eventually, we came to a flat wall, which I took to be one of the building's outer walls. The guard handed the torch to Shu, then ran her hands across the wall, looking for what I hoped was the latch to another hidden door. It took her a minute, but she finally found the latch. Unfortunately, she couldn't get the heavy stone door to budge.

"Maybe if I help her," I said.

I put my hands next to the guard's hands and helped her push. The door still wouldn't budge.

"You guys need my help?" Shu asked.

"I think so," I said.

Shu found a wall holder and placed the torch in it. She moved next to me and helped us push. Finally, grudgingly, the hidden door began to move, stone grinding against stone. We didn't get the door open very wide, but then we didn't need it open very wide. We were all small and slim and able to slip through the foot wide crack that we had made in the wall.

We found ourselves outside the palace, on the left hand side as you approached the building. The guard said something to Shu in Old Landish, then slipped back inside.

"She wants us to close the door behind her."

I wasn't sure we'd be able to get it closed with only two of us pushing, but we did. It closed easier than it opened, as if the hinges were some kind of springs that wanted to bounce back.

"We've still got to get past the guards at the front gate," I said.

"Not a problem," Shu said, as we circled around the building. "The guards at the gate don't worry about who leaves the palace. Their job is to keep undesirables out."

"Won't the guard that helped us get in trouble?"

"She's not one of the harem guards. She guards the shimmy dancer's quarters. She won't even be questioned about our disappearance."

"What's a shimmy dancer?"

"They're the girls that wear that outfit they dressed you in."

"What about the two guards that were watching me? How much trouble will they be in?"

"If you're that concerned, we can always turn around."

I wasn't that concerned, so we kept moving. The closer we got to the main gate, the more nervous I got, thinking we'd be stopped and questioned. Much to my relief, the guards paid no attention to us or to anyone else leaving the palace. They only stopped those trying to enter. Even so, I held my breath until we were through the gates and halfway down the hill.

Shu knew her way around better than I did, so I let her lead the way to the docks. I kept expecting the palace guards to come riding up behind us and haul us back, but they never did.

Eventually, we reached the docks and I saw the Star of the Sea's black hull, lit by torches that lined the dock. There were two sailors stationed at the bottom of the gangplank. As soon as they saw us approach, their hands slipped to their cutlasses.

I pulled the cowl off my head, so they could see my face. "Do you remember me?"

"Yes, Your Highness," the sailor closest to me said. "But I thought you were a prisoner in the high sage's palace."

"I was." I nodded at Shu, who lowered her cowl. "This is Shumaredena Kestan. I believe you've already met her."

The sailor nodded and stepped aside. "Chancellor Edgerton has been as angry as a hornet since he returned from the palace without you. He even threatened to declare war on the high sage."

"Considering the size of Vassa's army, I don't think that's advisable."

The sailor smiled, "I reckon it ain't, Your Highness."

"Do you know if the chancellor is still up?"

"I suspect he's passed out by now. When the chancellor gets upset, he drinks. And he's been mighty upset the past few days."

"How about Captain Hubbard?"

"Captain Hubbard should still be up."

"Is he sober?"

"Captain Hubbard is always sober when he's on his ship. He only drinks when he's on land."

"Is he in his cabin?"

"I suspect so, Your Highness."

We headed up the gangplank and made our way to Captain Hubbard's cabin. I barely had time to knock twice before he told us to enter.

"This better be important," Captain Hubbard growled.

He was sitting behind a desk at the end of the cabin. A wall of windows built into the ship's stern was behind him. A lone oil lamp lit his desk and he appeared to be studying a map. I couldn't help but wonder if it was a map of the high sage's palace.

"If you're busy, I can come back some other time."

At the sound of my voice, Captain Hubbard looked up. "Well, I'll be dammed. She actually pulled it off."

He pushed himself to his feet and strode across the room. He grabbed me in a bear hug and picked me off my feet. "Never thought I'd see you again."

"You and me both."

Captain Hubbard grabbed Shu and hugged her. "When you showed up saying you could help the princess escape, but that you needed some gold, I wasn't sure if you were telling the truth or just looking to make an easy score."

I assumed Captain Hubbard's unbridled enthusiasm had less to do with seeing me and more to do with the fact that now that I was back, Chancellor Edgerton would stop drinking and threatening to declare war on the high sage.

"I take it Chancellor Edgerton has made the last few days rather unbearable."

Captain Hubbard laughed. "You can say that again. First he demanded to see you. When Jarvo refused to let him see you, he came back here and got drunk. Then he threatened to declare war on the high sage. When I reminded him that only the queen could declare war, he got drunker and decided that he would challenge Jarvo to a duel. After two days of drinking, he finally passed out."

"We have a problem," I said.

Captain Hubbard nodded. "You're thinking Jarvo will send some men to fetch you back, fetch both of you back. Not to worry, I'll order my crew to set sail immediately."

"Jarvo may send some men to fetch us, when he returns to the city, but we have another problem." I thought for a second, then said, "Move the ship to the middle of the river, then drop anchor. I want us away from the docks, but I don't want us heading down river, not yet anyway."

"As you wish, Your Highness."

Captain Hubbard bowed, then headed out on deck. Once he was gone, Shu turned to me. "I can see why you'd rather be here than in the harem. They act as if you're already Queen Catlett's heir."

"They spent a lot of money to get me here."

"What's this other problem you speak of?" I told Shu about the King of Dunre's plan to attack our ship. When I finished, Shu said, "How do you know this will happen?"

"I had a vision and my visions are unfailingly accurate."

"Always?"

"Unless I do something to alter events."

"Do the people on this ship know that you're a seer?"

"Chancellor Edgerton suspects. He doesn't know."

"If what you say is true, we can't take this ship down river."

"What I say is true."

We headed out on deck and watched as Captain Hubbard and his crew moved the ship away from the dock and into the middle of the river. Bokham must have realized that something was going on, because he appeared on deck, sword in hand. He didn't notice Shu and I standing in the shadows behind Captain Hubbard.

"What's going on, Captain?" Bokham said.

"Just taking up a more defensive position."

"Why?"

I stepped around Captain Hubbard, so Bokham could see me. "Because I told him to."

For a few seconds, Bokham stared at me in wonderment. He started to rush forward, as if he wanted to hug me, then stopped and bowed, as if he had just remembered his place. "Your Highness. It's good to see you again."

"I suppose the only way I can get you to hug me is by ordering it." I opened my arms and smiled. Bokham hesitated for a second, then smiled and stepped forward, wrapping his powerful arms around me. I thought about taking Bokham as a consort, but quickly dismissed the idea, remembering the way his eyes lit up around the Lady Tabitha.

Bokham released me and stepped back. "How did you escape?"

I stepped aside, so he could see Shu. "This is Shumaredena Kestan. A spy in the employ of the Duke of Genese. She helped me escape."

Shu offered Bokham the back of her hand. He took it in his much larger hand, then bowed and kissed it in one fluid motion. "Captain Bokham of the Queen's Royal Guard."

We reached the middle of the river. Captain Hubbard ordered his crew to drop anchor, then turned to me. "You want to tell me why we don't just head down river."

I told him about the two visions I had involving the King of Dunre and his pirates. When I finished, Bokham spoke first. "That's how you knew we were going to be attacked back at the inn."

"You telling me that she really is a seer?" Captain Hubbard asked Bokham.

"I know she is," Bokham said.

He told Captain Hubbard about our encounter with the assassins back at the inn. When he finished the story, Captain Hubbard turned his attention to the problem at hand. "A Landish longboat can hold sixty men if they're standing shoulder to shoulder. That's twice as many men as we've got."

"And that's assuming Max only sends one boat after us," I said. "I only saw one boat in my vision, but there could've been more hidden in the fog. The high sage has given Max half a dozen ships to play with in the last year."

"Perhaps it'd be safer to journey on foot," Shu said. "We'd be safe once we reached Holt."

"How far is it to Holt's eastern border?" I said.

"Over two hundred miles," Captain Hubbard said. "Landish is a big country."

Figuring twenty miles a day on horseback, it would take us ten days just to reach Holt's eastern border. If we sailed down river, we could reach Holt in less than half that time. But if we sailed down river, we'd be boarded and killed. Unless. "They're looking for the Star of the Sea. What if we leave in something else, say a longboat? Or even one of those fishing boats that head down river every morning."

"A fishing boat might work," Captain Hubbard said. "They're more maneuverable than longboats. If you feel threatened, you can put to shore and get away on foot."

"You won't be coming with us, Captain?"

"I can't abandon my ship, Your Highness. Besides, if I take the Star of the Sea down river, I might be able to draw the King of Dunre's men away from you."

"If you take the Star of the Sea down river, you'll die."

"A risk we must take," Captain Hubbard said.

"Give us a day's head start," Bokham said to Captain Hubbard. "If you head down river before us, and they board you, they might come back looking for us."

"We'll have to take the Lady Tabitha with us," I said. "And she'll need a change of clothes. She can't travel in a fishing boat dressed in those boots and gowns she likes to wear."

"I'll give her some of my clothes," Bokham said. "She's tall enough to pass for a man."

"We should probably do this while it's still dark out," I said. "I think Max has people watching this ship."

"I'll send some of my men to secure a fishing boat," Captain Hubbard said. He called a couple of his men over and told them to take the pinnace and secure a fishing boat.

"We'll go wake the Lady Tabitha." I turned to Bokham. "You find her something to wear."

While Bokham headed below deck, Shu and I headed to the cabins beneath the foredeck. We found Tabitha in her cabin, fast asleep. I shook her until she was awake. She sat up, rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, then squinted at me through strands of tousled blond hair.

"Princess Lila?"

"Get up. We have to leave."

There was a knock on the door. Shu answered it then returned with one of Bokham's uniforms.

I tossed the clothes to Tabitha. "Put these on, then meet us on deck."

"Can I ask where we're going?"

"Fishing."

Captain Hubbard's men returned one hour later, two rowing the pinnace, two steering a fishing boat with a single mast and a single sail.

"Now comes the hard part," Captain Hubbard said.

"Which is?" the Lady Tabitha said. She was wearing a pair of Bokham's black riding boots, white cotton breeches, a long sleeved white cotton shirt that laced up the front, and one of Bokham's red jackets. Her hair was tied back in a single braid that reached clear to her waist.

"Trying to wake Chancellor Edgerton up." Captain Hubbard turned and headed to the aft cabins.

While Captain Hubbard tried to rouse Edgerton, I slipped into my cabin and retrieved the scimitar I acquired when we first arrived in Landish. I turned to Shu, and said, "You know how to use one of these?"

Shu nodded. "I suspect I am not as good with a blade as you. I only had a couple of years of training. You on the other hand have been practicing your whole life."

I tossed the scimitar and its scabbard to Shu. "You take this."

"What will you use?"

"I'll borrow a cutlass from one of Captain Hubbard's men."

Captain Hubbard's executive officer gave me a cutlass. I strapped it around my waist, then returned topside. A minute after I reappeared on deck, Captain Hubbard joined us, shaking his head.

"I'm afraid it's going to be a few hours before the chancellor is ready to go anywhere."

"We can't wait for him to sober up," I said. "I want to be out of town when the people at the palace discover I'm missing. Have some of your men transfer him to the fishing boat."

Captain Hubbard bowed. "As you command, Your Highness."

It took half a dozen men to transfer Edgerton's unconscious bulk into the fishing boat. Once that was done, Captain Hubbard introduced us to a short squat dark haired man that he identified as First Mate Evan Tanner.

"I've ordered Tanner to go with you," Captain Hubbard said. "You'll need him to set the sail and steer the boat. Plus, he's a good fighter. If there's trouble, you'll be glad he's along."

With that said, we were ready to leave. The fishing boat had been tied behind the Star of the Sea, next to the pinnace. I started to follow the others below deck, then stopped and headed back to Captain Hubbard. I couldn't leave knowing that he planned on sacrificing his crew, himself, and his ship, just to help me.

"If it comes down to abandoning this ship or dying to defend it, I trust you'll do the intelligent thing and abandon this pile of wood. Ships can be rebuilt, captains cannot."

Captain Hubbard smiled. "That's exactly what the queen would say."

"Are you known for heeding your queen's advice?"

Captain Hubbard's smile widened. "On occasion."

"Let this be one of those occasions, Captain."

Captain Hubbard bowed. "As you wish, Your Highness."

"I wish," I said.

# 

# Chapter 19

We didn't see the Star of the Sea until the following evening. Evan Tanner stood up and pointed to a large ship heading down river. "That's the Star of the Sea."

It was too far away for me to recognize. "You're sure?"

"Aye, Your Highness. I'd know my ship anywhere."

"I told them to wait a day before heading down river," Bokham muttered.

I checked the sun, already low in the western sky. "It's been a day. Casting our nets into the water slowed us down. Then we docked at this village, sold the fish we caught to the local fishmonger, went shopping, argued with the merchants in the market."

"Can we keep up with them?" Edgerton asked Evan Tanner.

"They're not at full sails, so we should be able to stay with them for awhile."

"Try to stay with them as long as you can," Edgerton said. "But don't get too close. We don't want anyone to think that we're traveling with them."

Bokham untied the boat and pushed it away from the dock. Evan Tanner swung the boat around, raised the sail in mere seconds, and headed down river, keeping close to shore.

"I don't understand why we can't ride on the Star," Tabitha whined. "It's a lot more comfortable than this thing."

"Maximillian Bedard is going to attack the Star and try and kill everyone on it," I said. "That's why we're pretending to be fishermen."

It wasn't long before the Star of the Sea pulled even with us, its black and gold hull gleaming in the setting sun. The sails were raised on its main mast but not on the other two.

We stayed with them for a couple of minutes, then they pulled ahead. No one on the Star noticed who we were, but there was no reason they should. We weren't close enough for them to identify our faces and there were dozens of boats on the river that looked just like ours.

"If the ship is going to be attacked," Tabitha said. "Why is Captain Hubbard taking it down river?"

"To draw attention away from us," Bokham said.

As the Star of the Sea began to pull away from us, Shu pointed to a woman standing on the afterdeck. She was small with long dark hair and wore a red silk gown. "Who's that?"

"Captain Hubbard must've hired a woman to pose as me," I said.

"The King of Dunre doesn't know what you look like?"

"He knows what I look like, but he's not on the ships that are looking for me."

"His men don't know what you look like?"

"He only saw me for a couple of seconds, probably told them that I'm young and have long black hair."

"That describes half the women in Landish."

"Exactly."

"Do you suppose she knows what she's gotten herself into?" Shu said, as the Star pulled further and further away.

"I hope so." I didn't like the idea of someone dying just so I could live.

We lost sight of the Star of the Sea just after sundown. When we found it four days later, it wasn't a ship, it was just a burned out hulk sitting on a sandbar. We knew it was the Star because the stern was still intact, with Star of the Sea written across it in gold.

I don't know whether it was good or bad, but we found no bodies, no bodies on the sandbar, no bodies in the water, no bodies washed up on shore. The pinnace was gone, which gave us hope that Captain Hubbard and his crew had managed to escape.

"They must've gotten away," Bokham said, as we floated by the wreckage. "There are no bodies."

"They could've been taken prisoner," Edgerton said.

"Not enough room for that many prisoners on a longboat," I said. "Captain Hubbard claimed a Landish longboat can hold sixty men tops, and from what I saw in my vision, that longboat was already full."

"The pinnace is gone," Bokham said. "As are the lifeboats. They must've boarded them and headed to shore when they saw the longboat approaching. Forcing Bedard's men to pursue them on foot would be their best option."

"Captain Hubbard knew they were going to be attacked," I said. "That did give him an advantage."

Sure enough, we found a Landish longboat on the south shore less than a mile down river. Captain Hubbard's pinnace was beached next to the longboat, as were the Star's two lifeboats. There appeared to be a skeleton crew on board the longboat, although it was hard to tell from our position on the far side of the river. The people on the longboat paid no attention to our little fishing boat.

"They're definitely on foot," Bokham said. "That evens the odds considerably. Thirty men can travel faster than fifty."

"Let's hope they get away," Edgerton said.

"I can find out what's going on," I said.

"How?" Edgerton asked.

"I can see and hear people I've met, whenever I want, wherever they are. I can also let them see me. Well, a ghost image of me."

"Can you talk to them?"

"Only through images."

"What does that mean?"

"I can change my image to look like other people, but I can't make it talk."

I sat and closed my eyes. I pictured Captain Hubbard in my mind, tall, with a narrow waist and broad shoulders. I pictured his snow white hair, which he wore in a ponytail. I pictured his broad flat nose and his bright blue eyes. I pictured his uniform, red knee socks, white knee breeches, a white shirt, and a red jacket.

A second later, I saw him, running along a dirt road with a smile on his face. His men were running behind him, cutlasses in hand. The girl they had on deck, posing as me, was no where to be seen. I hoped that was a good sign. Once she got rid of the gown, she went back to being a local. Dressed in her native clothing and speaking Old Landish, Max's men wouldn't pay any attention to her.

"Captain Hubbard and his men are fine," I said, opening my eyes. "They're on the road that borders the river's southern bank. Max's men are chasing them, but they don't look too concerned."

"And the girl that was with them?" Edgerton said.

"Gone, but once she got rid of the gown we saw her wearing, she goes back to being a local." I turned to Shu. "How far are we from the Holt border?"

"Less than a day by river," Shu said. "Little over a day by horse. A couple of days on foot."

"Will the Duke of Genese give Captain Hubbard and his men sanctuary?"

"If they can reach his lands before being overtaken."

"If we seek the Duke of Genese's assistance, will he send some men to help Captain Hubbard?"

Shu shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know."

I turned to Edgerton. "What do you think?"

"The King of Holt is an ally and a friend of Queen Catlett. I have no doubt that he'd send men to help Captain Hubbard. I don't know his little brother that well. There's a bit of a gap between their age."

"Could we ask him for help?"

"We could ask."

I turned back to Shu. "How far is the Duke of Genese's palace from the river?"

"It sits on a hill that overlooks the river, just above the river's northern bank. There's a city surrounding it, with more city on the southern bank. Rowboats ferry people back and forth between the two halves of the city."

"And you lived there?"

"For a couple of years. My father is the duke's chief adviser."

I turned back to Edgerton. "I know you're worried about Captain Hubbard, and I know it's not much consolation, but he was smiling when I saw him."

"Let's hope we reach the duke's palace before that old fool's age catches up with him," Edgerton said.

***

We reached the Duke of Genese's palace by the middle of the next day. The city itself looked different than Istansada City. The hills were steeper here. The river gorge deeper. It was also greener, there were more trees, more bushes, more grass. Most of the buildings were log cabins with a few of the larger ones being made out of stone. The buildings descended down the hillside to the river. Docks lined both sides of the river, extending deep into the water. Rowboats ferried people across the river.

On the northern side of the river, atop the highest hill that overlooked the river, sat a castle. The castle was built from gray stone and had numerous towers. As you moved from front to back, the towers grew taller. They had peaked roofs covered with tiles made from red clay. The windows in the castle were all round and made from glass stained red, blue, green, and yellow.

"This is Genese," Shu said. "The second largest city in Holt."

I turned to Shu. "Is it safe for you to take us to the duke's castle?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"The duke won't get mad at you for abandoning your spot in the high sage's palace?"

"When you train and place a spy," Shu said. "It's with the understanding that they might have to pack up and leave at any moment."

"That's true," Edgerton said. "Spies are free to leave whenever they feel it's warranted. The duke might expect us to compensate him for the loss of his spy, but that's our problem, not hers."

Evan Tanner steered our fishing boat to the docks located on the north side of the river. When we headed for the duke's castle, he elected to stay with the boat, stating that he wasn't comfortable around royalty. When Edgerton pointed out that I was a princess, Evan Tanner blushed.

"She ain't like the royals in this part of the world," he said. "She's not afraid to work alongside us real folk."

On our way to the duke's castle, I asked Edgerton what Tanner meant by that. "Royals in this part of the world don't toss fishing nets into rivers, nor do they help pull them out. They consider themselves above manual labor."

"Somebody had to help Bokham and Shu with those nets. You were too hung over and the Lady Tabitha is too much of a lady."

"I'm not criticizing you, Your Highness. I'm just pointing out one of the differences between this part of the world and yours."

"As long as you don't expect me to change who I am."

Edgerton smiled. "I exist to enlighten royalty, not change it."

"What of your queen? Will she expect me to become as useless as the royals in this part of the world?"

"Queen Catlett didn't bring you here to change you. She brought you here to change our world."

We reached the duke's castle. There was no wall surrounding it, no moat surrounding it, just a couple of guards standing watch in front of its heavy oak doors. The guards wore black riding boots, yellow knee breeches, and long sleeved black tunics topped by brass breastplates. Their brass helmets had a dome that fit over the head and a broad brim that circled the dome. Each guard held a tall pike in front of him. When we reached the doors, they crossed the pikes in front of us, baring our way.

"I'm Chancellor to the Queen of Vassa," Edgerton said to the guards. "I seek an audience with the Duke of Genese."

Shu stepped forward. "I'm Shumaredena Kestan, daughter of Romeus, and these are my friends."

The guard on our left opened the double doors and disappeared inside, closing the doors behind him. The guard on our right remained as he was, standing at attention with his pike baring our way.

About five minutes later, the double doors opened all the way. Standing beside the guard that disappeared inside was a short thin man with long white hair pulled into a ponytail. He had a neatly trimmed white beard. He had the same olive colored skin as Shu as well as the same small flat nose. He wore black knee breeches tucked into black riding boots and a long sleeved black shirt that tied in the front.

"Does anybody in this part of the world have an adviser that doesn't have white hair and a white beard?" I said, more to myself than to anyone else.

Edgerton ignored my comment and stepped forward. He took the man's bony hands in his. "Romeus, my old friend, it's good to see you."

Romeus returned Edgerton's smile. "Edgerton, you old fool. I heard a rumor that you were headed across the Great Desert in search of a princess. Can I assume the rumor was an exaggeration?"

"The rumor was true, Romeus. I crossed the Great Desert and returned."

"With a princess?" Romeus looked at me then at Shu. He wrinkled his brow when he saw Shu. "Shumaredena? Is that you?"

Shu stepped forward. "It's me, father."

Romeus hugged Shu. "What are you doing with Edgerton?"

"Counselor Jarvo tossed the princess into the high sage's harem. I helped her escape."

Since no one else seemed in a hurry to bring it up, I decided to do it myself. "Some of our men are being pursued by pirates, about a day's ride east of here. They're on foot and out numbered two to one. If you could send a squad of men to aid them, it would be greatly appreciated."

Romeus looked at me. "You must be the princess."

I extended the back of my left hand. "Lila Marie Haran. Youngest daughter of Bella Justine Haran, the twelfth Queen of Adah."

Romeus took my hand in his cold bony hand, kissed it, and bowed at the same time. You speak the Common Tongue very well, Your Highness. Yet I detect an accent that I've never heard before."

"And may never hear again," I said, switching to my native tongue, so he could get a sense of the language and how it sounded. I switched back to the Common Tongue. "Will you send a squad of men to aid Captain Hubbard and his men?"

"You seem very concerned about them."

"I'm concerned about anyone that risks their life to save mine."

"I don't have the authority to send soldiers out on missions. Only the duke can do that."

"Then I would like to speak to the duke."

"The duke is out hunting. He should be back by nightfall." Romeus stepped aside. "Why don't you come in. You must be tired if you've come all the way from Istansada City."

"Any weariness I'm experiencing is due to my concern for Captain Hubbard and his men." I stepped forward and placed a hand on Romeus's shoulder. "Do you have the authority to send a squad of men out in search of the duke?"

"I do."

"If those men headed east along the Southern Road and ran into Captain Hubbard and his men, could they not render aid?"

"How many men are we talking about?"

"Twenty armed men on horseback would even the odds."

Romeus turned and whispered to one of the guards. The guard nodded and hurried off.

"I've sent twenty men to the Landish border in search of the duke," Romeus said. "Since the duke never hunts in that part of the country, the odds are they'll run into your friends before they run into him."

With Captain Hubbard and his men taken care of, Romeus had Shu take us to the guest quarters. The inside of the castle reminded me a lot of our palaces in Adah, with gray stone walls covered in tapestries and lots of heavy wooden furniture scattered about. Shu found a room for each of us on the castle's second floor, then headed to her old suite at the other end of the floor. There was a third floor in the castle, something our palaces didn't possess. The third floor contained the duke's private residence.

My room was actually a suite, containing both a bedroom and a drawing room. Serving girls carried a brass bathtub into my drawing room then began filling it with pitchers of hot water. While they did that, another serving girl brought some clothes for me to wear. A gown and boots cut in the same style as the gowns the Lady Tabitha preferred.

I had no desire to put on that restrictive clothing. I liked what I was wearing, liked the freedom of movement it gave me, liked that I could carry a cutlass on my hip. I was definitely going to have to find a tailor, have some outfits made up in the styles my mother preferred. They looked as good as the styles popular in this part of the world, but allowed enough freedom of movement to enable one to defend themself should the need arise.

Still, it didn't seem appropriate to meet the Duke of Genese dressed in the garb of a harem wife, so once I finished bathing, I donned the clothing that had been laid out for me. The dress was silk and a deep green in color. It had long sleeves, a high collar, and a tapered ankle length skirt. The lacing ran all the way from the top of the collar to the top of my thighs. The boots were similar to the one's the Lady Tabitha gave me. They reached the top of my calf and had those high narrow heels. The only difference was they had been dyed the same green as the dress. The undergarments were also the same, thigh high silk stockings, silk briefs, and a corset the same color as the gown.

A serving girl lingered just inside my door dressed in a gray cotton jumper, a white cotton blouse, and practical brown shoes. I waved her on over and she helped me dress, lacing up the corset, then the gown, then the boots. She brushed my freshly washed hair. While she did that, I asked her a question. "How did you find clothes in my size?"

"I believe they were made for the Lady Shumaredena."

"She speaks the Common Tongue with an accent that's different from her father's."

"She was raised by her mother in a small village south of here. Counselor Kestan didn't learn of her existence until her mother died."

"At which point?" I said, prompting her to continue the story.

"At which point, he brought her here."

"And trained her as a spy?"

"Training her to be a spy was the duke's idea. Counselor Kestan wanted her to stay here and marry a man appropriate to her station in life."

"What did Shu want?"

"She liked the idea of becoming a spy much more than she liked the idea of getting married." The serving girl leaned closer, and lowered her voice to a whisper. "Truth be told, Your Highness. The Lady Shumaredena prefers girls to men."

"And you know this because?"

"She used to tease us serving girls mercilessly, pinching our bottoms, whispering things to us that would make us blush."

"Tell me about the duke."

The girl smiled and her eyes glazed over. "He is a most handsome man, tall, with broad shoulders, dark hair, and bright blue eyes. He dresses as fine as any king. He is a first class bowman and an expert swordsman. He is also well read and well traveled, having visited most of the civilized world. He is greatly admired by the fairer sex. Many ladies dream of winning his heart."

It sounded like she was one of those ladies. "Did Shu get along with the duke?"

"Heavens, no," the girl said. "The duke flirted with the Lady Shumaredena when she first moved here, as he does with all members of the fairer sex. But she showed no interest in him. They didn't get along after that."

Not only was this girl in love with the duke. It seemed the duke was in love with himself. He sounded like a male version of my sister, Salisha. I had spent a good portion of my childhood catering to Salisha's ego and had no interest in spending any portion of my adult life catering to the egos of other vain and vapid royals.

"Tell me what the duke thinks of Queen Catlett."

The girl blushed. "There's a rumor that you are to be Queen Catlett's heir."

"I've never met Queen Catlett," I said. "Now, tell me what the duke thinks of her."

"The duke holds a point of view held by many men in this part of the world."

"I'm not from this part of the world. You'll have to tell me what that point of view is."

"They feel Queen Catlett's lack of an heir is a curse from God, placed upon her for daring to think a woman can rule a county without a man by her side."

"Do the people of Vassa feel that way?"

"I've heard the people of Vassa are very fond of their queen."

"Women have ruled my county for over twelve generations," I said. "We've never had a king and we never will."

The serving girl didn't respond to my comment. She just finished brushing my hair, then stepped back. "You look beautiful, Your Highness."

I checked my appearance in the mirror. I looked like I did the last time I dressed like this. I was beginning to wonder if the gowns worn at court existed to remind women of their place in the world. I noticed in my vision that Queen Catlett hadn't been wearing a tapered gown. Her gown had a loose skirt and belled sleeves. The gown had been silver in color with the hem and cuffs turning a pale blue. It was actually a very nice style, elegant, yet comfortable enough to allow freedom of movement.

I decided right then to find a tailor and have several gowns made up for myself in a similar style. I would also have some made up in one of my mother's favorite styles, specifically the gowns where the top and skirt were actually two pieces and the skirt wasn't really a skirt, but a riding skirt.

A knock at the door tore my attention away from the mirror. The serving girl answered it. Shu was standing in the doorway wearing a black version of the gown I was wearing. The gold hoops were gone from her ears, as was the scimitar she had worn around her waist.

"Leave us," she said to the serving girl.

The serving girl curtsied and hurried out of the room. Shu marched into the room, slamming the door shut behind her. Perhaps marched isn't the right word. Her gown, like mine, didn't allow one to march or stride or hurry. The most you could do was shuffle.

"I hate the fashions currently popular among the ladies at court," Shu said. "You can barely move in these things."

"Let alone fight," I added.

"Precisely."

"Perhaps it's time to start a new trend."

"My station in life isn't high enough to start fashion trends." Shu shuffled to the nearest chair, grabbed the handles, pushed her bottom out, kicked her feet up, and plopped down, just like Tabitha had taught me. "My father is only an adviser to a duke."

"I saw the way he looked at you when he first saw you."

"How did he look at me?"

"Like a father who hasn't seen his daughter in awhile and has missed her greatly."

"I've never known what to make of my relationship with my father. We've only known each other for a few years. In truth, I'm very uncomfortable around him, never quite sure of what I should say or how I should act."

"You could try being yourself."

"Time to change topics." Shu looked at me and a wicked grin crossed her face. "What do you say we talk about how well you fill out my gown."

"That's one of the things I want to talk about. It's been weeks since I've worn my own clothes. I need to find a tailor and have some clothes made specifically for me."

"The duke keeps a tailor here in the castle. But he's not very good with women's clothes. Mostly, he sews for the duke."

"What about in the city?"

"There is a very fine tailor here in the city. He sewed the gowns we're wearing. Well, him and his wife."

"Do we have time to pay him a visit?"

"Easier for him to pay us a visit." Shu swung herself out of her chair, shuffled to the door, and said something to the serving girl waiting outside.

"I'd also like to talk to the cobbler that made these boots."

"Consider it done."

Shu relayed my request to the serving girl. Less than an hour later, a tailor and a cobbler were in my room. I sketched out the designs I wanted on parchment and gave them to the tailor, along with my measurements. I described the alterations I wanted to my boots. The cobbler nodded attentively then hurried off. A few minutes later, a serving girl informed us that dinner was ready.

"You haven't asked me about the duke," Shu said, as we shuffled off to dinner.

"I already asked one of the servants about him."

"And she waxed poetically on his numerous virtues. Yes?"

"She did indeed."

"He won't be happy unless you fall madly in love with him. He expects all women to fall madly in love with him."

"Then he should prepare himself for disappointment," I said. "For it sounds like I couldn't love him nearly as much as he loves himself."

# Chapter 20

"Shumaredena," the Duke of Genese said when we entered his dining room. "I heard you were back. And that you brought me some guests."

Edgerton had yet to arrive, but Bokham and the Lady Tabitha were with us. Bokham wore his red and white uniform. The Lady Tabitha wore a dark blue gown.

The only people in the room besides the duke were four young women, two sitting on his right, two sitting on his left. They wore gowns cut in the same style as what Shu, Tabitha, and I wore. Where our gowns were black, dark blue, and dark green, theirs were made from pale pastels, green, blue, rose, and yellow. The girls themselves weren't particularly pretty. But they did seem to be fawning over the duke, which I suspect made him happy.

The duke looked to be in his mid-twenties. He had dark brown hair that reached to his shoulders. He wore it in a ponytail and had a neatly trimmed beard. He had a narrow nose, high cheekbones, and full lips. His eyes were a pale blue. I couldn't tell how tall he was since he was sitting, but he had broad shoulders and a narrow waist.

He was expensively dressed, in black silk knee breeches, a black silk shirt that tied in the front, and a gold velvet waistcoat. He used a gold ribbon the same color as his coat to hold his ponytail in place. He was handsome, but not unusually so.

"Princess Lila and the Lady Tabitha," Shu said, introducing us. "And Captain Bokham of the Queen's Guard."

The duke stood. He wasn't as tall as Bokham, but he wasn't short either. He clicked his heels together and bowed. "Britt Torrell, Duke of Genese. May I say, it's a pleasure to have a princess as my guest."

He was addressing himself to the Lady Tabitha. Perhaps because Bokham was walking beside her. Perhaps because she stood out walking beside two dark haired girls.

Before Shu could correct the duke, he turned to the two girls sitting on his right and told them to move next to the two girls on his left. They didn't look happy about it, but they obliged. The duke pulled out the chair closest to him and smiled at the Lady Tabitha, waiting for her to take it. She glanced at me, not quite sure what she should do. I nodded, letting her know it was all right with me if she sat next to the duke.

The Lady Tabitha sat and the duke slid her chair toward the table. He held the next chair for me. I sat. He slid my chair toward the table, saying, "Lady Tabitha."

"I'm Lila," I said. "She's Tabitha."

The smile disappeared from the duke's face, and for a second, he looked apoplectic. He covered his mistake by pulling his chair out and smiling at Shu. "Why don't you take my chair, Shumaredena. I'll sit between the princess and Captain Bokham. That way the captain won't have to listen to you ladies talk about the latest fashions, or whatever it is ladies like to talk about."

Shu accepted the duke's chair. The duke took the chair on my right, with Bokham sitting on his right. He clapped his hands a couple of times and the servants brought dinner, which consisted of roast venison, steamed broccoli, baked potatoes, and freshly baked bread with butter and honey. A dark ale was also served.

"I wasn't aware there were any princesses in this part of the world that I haven't already met," the duke said between bites of venison.

"I'm not from this part of the world. My country lies on the other side of the Great Desert. What we call the Desert of Shifting Sands."

"May I ask what prompted you to travel so far from home? The hope that Queen Catlett will make you her heir?"

"A dart with a knockout drug, a gag, and some sturdy rawhide around my wrists and ankles is what originally prompted me to come here."

"You were kidnapped?"

"That's one way to put it."

"I'd offer you sanctuary, but my brother, the king, has an alliance with Queen Catlett. I don't think he'd appreciate it."

"That's all right. I've come this far. I figure I might as well meet her. She sounds like an interesting person."

"Some think so." The duke's tone made it clear that he didn't agree. "You do know she's a parvenu royal."

"I've only been speaking the Common Tongue for about three weeks. There are words in your language I have yet to learn."

"Three weeks?" The duke made no attempt to hide his surprise. "It took Shumaredena two years to learn to speak the Common Tongue, and she doesn't speak it nearly as well as you."

"Once again, Britt, your manners demonstrate why you are a duke and not a king," Shu shot back.

The duke ignored Shu's comment and turned back to me. "You must be exceptionally bright."

"Not compared to my sister, Iderra. You still haven't told me what a parvenu royal is."

"It's one whose family has recently come to power," Shu said.

"Queen Catlett's grandfather wasn't a king," the duke said. "He was just an adviser to the king. A king that died young, leaving no direct heir."

"But he was of royal blood," Tabitha said. "One cannot assume a throne unless they are of royal blood. And the king did designate him as his heir."

"He was a baron." The duke made no attempt to hide his contempt. "The lowest level royal you can find. What's more, King Vonnut only made him his heir because he was dying and there was no one else around."

"How long has your family ruled Holt?" I asked the duke.

"Six generations," the duke said proudly.

So, you are also a parvenu royal."

The duke glared at me with a look that could kill. "How long has your family ruled?"

"My mother was the twelfth Queen of Adah. My sister Bedonna, who in my absence has undoubtedly consolidated power, is the thirteenth."

The duke gagged on his venison. "Thirteen queens?"

"Thirteen true queens. Others have assumed the throne briefly, but we don't count them."

"How many kings?"

"None. No woman in my family has ever given birth to a boy."

"That's something you don't want to advertise around here. It'll make you a less promising prospect."

"Prospect for what?"

"A wife, of course."

"The women in my family don't marry. We take consorts."

"Male consorts?"

"Usually, but not always."

"I'm surprised your country hasn't been overrun by one of its neighbors."

"We have a standing army of over fourteen thousand men."

The duke gagged on his venison again. "Fourteen thousand professional soldiers?"

"Most of them are stationed on the border of Sorea. A country ruled by a group known as the Dark Wizards of Sorea."

"Sounds mysterious," the Lady Tabitha said.

"It is. Sorea has closed borders. They trade with no one. They have diplomatic relations with no one. There's much speculation about the people that live there and very little fact. A heavy forest separates our two countries. Very little is known about what lies beyond that forest. No one who has ventured into it has ever returned."

They asked me about the other countries found in my part of the world. They had heard of Gibney because the merchants in Gibney traded with some of the coastal cities in southern Standish. They were fascinated by the Sugar Islands and the fact that slavery was not only legal there, but a booming business. When I finished talking, they started up a conversation on the pros and cons of slavery. I don't know who took what side, or if they even took sides, because I had another vision.

This one involved the duke. I saw him enter my suite, sword in hand. There was a gold medallion around his neck. Engraved on the medallion were crossed swords and the letters KRB. The duke must've thought I would be in bed sleeping, because he seemed surprised to find me awake. I was wearing a nightgown, a short sleeved ankle length white cotton shift. The duke was wearing the same outfit he was currently wearing, which made me think this was going to happen tonight.

"You're awake," he said. "Good. That'll make this easier."

"What do you want?" I stopped brushing my hair, grabbed the bone handled choker I used to tie it back, and quickly tied it in a ponytail.

"This medallion I'm wearing means I belong to a secret society. The Knights of the Royal Brotherhood."

"So?" I moved to my cutlass and pulled it out of its scabbard. The duke didn't try to stop me.

"The Knights of the Royal Brotherhood were formed after Queen Catlett assumed the throne of Vassa. Our goal is to ensure no woman ever assumes a throne again."

"Why?"

"Because women aren't fit to rule."

"Let me guess. Maximillian Bedard started this society. Then he recruited frustrated low level royals like yourself to join him in his quest."

The duke bristled over my calling him a low level royal. He raised his sword with both hands and advanced toward me. "I'll shall make this quick."

I raised my cutlass and assumed a defensive stance. "It won't be a quick as you think. I've been sword fighting since age six."

"Probably against other women. I think you'll find fighting a man is a bit more difficult."

"I've fought both men and women," I said. "And some of the women were bigger and stronger than you."

The duke laughed and the fight began. He was bigger than me, but so was his sword. It was a broadsword, bigger and heavier than my cutlass. It took muscle to wield it. To wield it quickly required even more muscle, which the duke didn't have. Rather than letting him take the fight to me, I became the aggressor. I brought the fight to him. I forced him to parry my thrusts. I forced him to swing his broadsword at a speed he wasn't used to.

I couldn't get close enough for a kill, not as long as he could lift his sword, which was longer than mine. So I continued to press the fight, continued to keep him on the defensive. He was fit, but he wasn't as fit as me. I spent my life training against opponents that were bigger and stronger than me, learning to defeat them through speed and endurance. I trained to fight Bedonna, who was bigger and stronger and better with a sword than the duke could ever dream of being.

While we fought, the duke chattered, explaining how women weren't fit to rule, and that it was his duty to ensure I didn't become the next Queen of Vassa. I didn't respond to any of his comments. My goal was to conserve my strength and wear him down. He laughed at my inability to cut him, let alone hurt him. I ignored his taunts. The longer the fight lasted, the more it tilted in my favor.

As the fight wore on, sweat broke out across the duke's brow and he began to slow down, his parries grew sloppy. I slid around to his left and thrust at his side. He tried to swing his broadsword around in an attempt to parry my thrust but he was too slow. The point of my cutlass penetrated his side, going in deep and coming out crimson. By the time his broadsword reached parry position, I was behind him, slicing his right hamstring. He screamed in pain and dropped to his knees.

The vision faded and I found myself back at the duke's dinner table. I didn't see the final blow, but I had seen enough. The duke belonged to a secret society called the Knights of the Royal Brotherhood. A group of men opposed to women sitting on thrones. After everyone went to bed, the duke planned to enter my room and kill me so I couldn't assume Queen Catlett's throne. I also saw that I could defeat him in a sword fight, through speed and endurance.

After dinner, Bokham pulled me aside. "You had another vision."

"How did you know?"

"I've been around you long enough to recognize the trance like look that crosses your face."

"You ever heard of the Knights of the Royal Brotherhood?" Bokham shook his head, so I continued. "It's a secret society of men that are opposed to women sitting on thrones. Maximillian Bedard founded the group. I don't know how large it is, but I do know the members wear gold medallions around their necks. There are two crossed swords engraved on the medallions as well as the letters KRB."

Bokham glanced at the duke, who was busy flirting with the Lady Tabitha on the other side of the room. "And the duke is a member of this society?"

"He is, and he plans to kill me tonight, after everyone has gone to bed."

"Perhaps we should leave," Bokham said. "Continue our journey to Vassa."

Leaving would've been the smart thing to do, but that would've meant running. Again. Truth be told, I was tired of running. I had been on the run since I had the vision of my mother dying. First from my big sister, Bedonna, then from Maximillian Bedard's assassins, then from Jarvo, then from Bedard's pirates.

"No," I said. "We're not leaving until Captain Hubbard and his men reach us."

Bokham reached for his sword. "Then I shall hide in your room. If the duke tries to harm you, I'll kill him."

"Not necessary," I said. "I can handle the duke by myself."

"I shall hide in your room." Bokham glared at me, letting me know that he wouldn't have it any other way. "I've already been remiss in my duty to protect you, allowing you to be tossed into the high sage's harem. I will not let anything happen to you again."

"Fine. You can hide in the wardrobe." I stuck a finger in Bokham's face. "But as long as I have a sword in my hand, I expect you to stay there."

Bokham bowed. "Understood, Your Highness."

We didn't retire right after dinner. Instead, the duke gave us a tour of his castle, specifically, a room on the first floor that he liked to call his trophy room. Mounted on the walls were the heads of elk, deer, and wild boar that he had killed in successful hunts. He told us how he had killed each and every one. Well, he told the Lady Tabitha how he killed each and every one. The rest of us just kind of followed along behind.

Halfway through his stories, I excused myself, claiming fatigue from our journey. Shu and Bokham did the same, leaving the Lady Tabitha with the duke and the four ladies that had been dining with him. All four feigned great interest in the duke's hunting stories, as did the Lady Tabitha. A fact which made Bokham none too happy.

On the way up to our rooms, Shu fell in alongside of me. "Something is wrong?"

"Not really." I paused for a second, then said, "If the duke were to die unexpectedly, who would take his place?"

"I don't know. He's not married, and he has no children. I guess his brother the king would appoint somebody in his stead. Why do you ask?"

"Because the duke is going to die tonight."

"You had a vision of him dying?"

"I did."

"How does he die?"

"I kill him in a sword fight."

"Do you know why you will kill him?"

"Because he's going to try and kill me."

"Do you know why he is going to try and kill you?"

"Because he belongs to a secret society called the Knights of the Royal Brotherhood."

"I've heard of it," Shu said. "It's a group of royals that are opposed to Queen Catlett sitting on the throne of Vassa. I didn't know the duke was a member."

"He is. And it's not just Queen Catlett. They're against any woman sitting on any throne."

"Perhaps we should leave, slip away while the duke is busy."

"I'm tired of running," I said. "I've been on the run for what seems like forever. There will be no more running. Not for me. From here on, I'm standing my ground. From here on, I'm fighting."

"Can you defeat the duke in a sword fight?"

"I can and I will."

"You'll need to change into something more suitable for dueling," Shu said. "I'll bring you some clothes from my room."

We reached the second floor. Shu headed for her room. Bokham and I headed for mine. When we reached it, Bokham went in first and checked it out, making sure there were no assassins hiding inside. Once he was sure it was safe, he motioned for me to come inside, then stepped outside, saying, "I'll be right outside the door, let me know when you've finished changing."

"Why don't you come inside for a second," I said.

Shu wouldn't be back for a few minutes and there were no servants around. I needed someone to unlace the getup I was wearing. Bokham stepped into the drawing room and shut the door behind him. I turned my back to him and held up my hair, so he could see the lacing on my dress.

"I need you to untie a couple of things."

Bokham unlaced the gown, going far enough down so he could also untie the corset. Shu arrived with an armful of clothes and Bokham stepped back outside. I peeled off the gown and corset and scrambled into the clothes Shu brought, black leather knee breeches and a long sleeved white cotton shirt that laced up the front. She also brought a pair of black riding boots. It was the perfect outfit for a sword fight.

"Tell Bokham to come in," I said, tying my hair into a ponytail.

Shu went to the door and told Bokham to come in. Bokham entered the drawing room, shutting the door behind him.

"When the duke slips into the room, I want you to move to the door and block it, so he can't escape."

Bokham bowed. "Understood."

"But your sword stays in its scabbard. He's mine to kill." I pulled my cutlass from its scabbard and tossed the scabbard aside. "I would like to warm up, Captain."

Bokham bowed again and drew his broadsword.

"Do you want me to move the furniture out of the way?" Shu said.

"Not necessary," I said. "I've trained in crowded rooms."

"Do you want me to stay?"

"Better you're not here. That way no one can accuse you of taking part in the duke's death."

Shu nodded and left. Bokham raised his broadsword. I raised my cutlass and we began to duel. Bokham was taller than the duke, with broader shoulders. Like most people that had been trained with a broadsword, he wielded it with two hands. My cutlass was smaller and lighter and could be wielded with just one hand.

"How do you intend to defeat a man with a broadsword when all you have is a cutlass?"

"I'll wear him down. Eventually his sword will grow heavy. When it does, I'll strike."

"Like a mosquito and a horse?"

"Something like that."

We fought for a couple of minutes, long enough to loosen the muscles, but not long enough to tire either of us out. When I was ready, I stepped back, lowered my cutlass, and bowed. Bokham did the same, sheathing his broadsword.

"You fight well for a girl."

I smiled. "You fight well for someone who's angry at the Lady Tabitha."

"Is it that obvious."

"Perhaps not to everyone, but you and I have been together for awhile now, and I've learned to read your moods just like you've learned to read mine."

"Watching the Lady Tabitha flirt with the duke reminded me that she has options that I don't have. She's of royal blood and can marry a duke or a baron. I'm just a commoner, a captain of the guard. I can't offer her the things that they can."

"Is that why you've never asked her to marry you?"

"I have asked her to marry me," Bokham said. "She turned me down."

"Because she hopes to marry a duke or a baron?"

"She never gave me a reason, but we both know that's one of her aspirations."

So, Bokham was in love with the Lady Tabitha. The Lady Tabitha might be in love with Bokham, but refused to marry him because he wasn't of royal blood. From my perspective that made Bokham fair game.

"My mother never married," I said. "Nor did my grandmother or my great-grandmother. In fact, none of the women in my family have ever married."

"Yet your mother had four daughters."

"She took consorts." I looked into Bokham's blue eyes. "If I were to ask you to be one of my consorts, would you refuse?"

"Queen Catlett ordered me to accompany the chancellor on his journey, and to protect and serve any princess that he brought back."

"That doesn't answer my question."

Bokham bowed. "I'm prepared to serve in any manner you require."

"What do you think the Lady Tabitha would do if she found out you had become a consort to a princess?"

"In truth, I'm not sure, Your Highness."

"Perhaps, she'd be jealous."

"I'd like to think so."

"Perhaps, she'd stop thinking of you as just a captain."

"Perhaps, she'd never talk to me again."

I smiled. "Perhaps, you'd no longer care."

Bokham returned my smile. "Perhaps, I'd like to find out."

It was the first time I could remember him smiling, let alone flirting. It was nice to know there was a man beneath the uniform. I wasn't planning on taking him as a consort, not tonight anyway. I was just trying to cheer him up.

Now that I knew the Lady Tabitha had rejected his marriage proposal, I considered him to be fair game. He was tall and handsome, with broad shoulders. His hair was a pale blond and almost as long as mine. You just never noticed it because he always wore it tied back in a braid or a ponytail. His eyes were pale blue and he was clean shaven. I'm not even sure he could grow a beard if he wanted to.

"One point," I said. "If I do take you as a consort, and if we are alone like this, I'll expect you to refer to me as Lila, not Your Highness."

Bokham bowed. "Understood."

Our conversation was interrupted by the door opening. I hid my cutlass behind my back. Bokham tightened his grip on his broadsword and slipped behind the door. It had to be the duke, since anyone else would've knocked before entering.

I wasn't worried about the duke killing me. My vision already showed me that I could defeat him in a sword fight. I had no idea what would happen after I killed the duke. How would his brother, the King of Holt react? How would Queen Catlett react? Would she still want me as her heir, or would she consider me to be too much of a barbarian? Although, I suddenly realized that I didn't care. For the first time in my life, I was at peace. I was at peace with my decision to stand and fight. I was at peace with my decision to do more than just survive.

I was an Adan princess. I was raised to take on anything life threw at me. I was raised to make a difference. From here on, that's exactly what I would do. From here on, there would be no more running. From here on, I would take on all challengers. From here on, I would make a difference. I would be as brave as Bedonna, as beguiling as Salisha, and as smart as Iderra. From here on, Lila the Insignificant was no more.

# DESTINY'S QUEEN

Lila has changed but that doesn't mean her adventures are over. In DESTINY'S QUEEN, she has to deal with the Duke of Genese, his brother, the King of Holt, and Queen Catlett.

Along the way, she will discover that someone has been pulling Maximillian Bedard's strings, ordering him to kill her. That someone turns out to be her father. A man she's never even met. He's a seer, just like her, and has had a vision of Lila destroying him, which is why he'll do anything to kill her, including going to war.

Even if Lila manages to defeat her father, she will still have to deal with her big sister, Bedonna. Bedonna may be on the other side of the desert, but she's planning a war that will make the one Lila's father is planning look like child's play.

To defeat her father and her sister, Lila will have to do more than stand and fight. She will have to become the woman the prophets wrote about long before she was born. She will have to become DESTINY'S QUEEN.

#

# BOOKS BY J. D. ROGERS

Love in the Rough

### Low Campbell Adventures

Dirty Little Mermaids

Deadly Little Mermaids

Deranged Little Mermaids

### The Princess Wars Series

Princess Wars

Destiny's Queen

Lost in Time

The Competition

# ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J. D. grew up in a house where women were in charge of everything, which may explain his preference for strong female characters. He studied history and law in college and uses that knowledge to help build the worlds he creates. J. D. makes his home in Montana.

You can check out all his books, including what will be released next at:

<http://www.jdrogersfiction.simplesite.com/> or <http://www.jdrogersnovels.simplesite.com/>
