Page 4 of Feathered Thief

She knew he didn’t mean that. Not a chance! The stinker prince never complimented anyone.

Helena would have asked for a few minutes to catch her breath, but Kazik was panting just as hard. He was shorter than her and soft around the middle. Maybe she would have some advantage?

Prince Czwarty took charge and announced: “It’s a match race. You can’t start until I say ‘go.’ No cheating or interfering with the opponent in any way, and the winner must touch the pine tree’s trunk first.”

Twardo jogged away across the field to stand beside the pine Helena had pointed out. He was the judge.

“Shouldn’t there be a girl judge too?” Kazik asked the Chelm Castle sisters.

Why would he ask that?Helena wondered.

“I’m not walking all that way,” Kornelia stated, and Malgosia shook her head.

The Plock Castle sisters were already shaking their heads when Kazik glanced their way.

“Looks like there’s only one judge,” Czwarty said. “Ready?”

Both contestants prepared to run.

Czwarty counted down from three and shouted, “Go!”

Kazik bolted to an early lead, but Helena’s long legs soon caught up. Pumping her arms with each stride, focused on the tallest pine, she was aware of Kazik running somewhere to her right. Her skirts flapped annoyingly around her legs, but she kept her eyes on the goal.

The tree loomed ahead. Her breath felt like fire in her chest. With a burst of speed, she passed Kazik, then “Oof!” The next thing she knew, she was face down in the dirt and brush, and her hands hurt. Groaning, she rolled over to squint at the spinning sky, feeling only confusion, pain, and dizziness.

Once her breath returned, humiliation and anger came roaring back. She pushed upright with her stinging hands but remained sitting with hunched shoulders, fighting tears and heaving for breath.I can’t let him see me cry!

Someone in trousers dropped to his knees beside her, and she looked up into wide brown eyes. “Are you hurt bad?” Kazik was panting hard too.

“No.” She hoped he didn’t hear the waver in her voice. Her cap was gone, and one of her braids had come loose. Hair straggled over her shoulder, decorated with dead leaves and pine needles. Her skirt had hiked up halfway to her knees, but she couldn’t seem to care.

He puffed out a relieved “Whew” and “What happened?”

“I stepped in a hole.” She tried to sound nonchalant, but her voice quivered again.

“Rabbits.” He scowled, pointing at a gaping hole that must have been hidden by brush until she stepped in it. “You could have broken a leg.” He sounded almost angry. “I should’ve had sense enough to check for holes before we raced.”

“I’ll be all right.” She came to her senses enough to tug her skirt down to hide her ankles as the other children caught up and gathered to stare.

“Helena would have won that race, no doubt.” Kazik said for all to hear.

Why would he say that?

She spoke through her teeth: “Don’t mock me.”

He blinked, and she glimpsed something like hurt in his eyes before he declared, “You ran faster than I did. You’re the fastest girl I know.” He looked up and around at their audience. “We’ll call it a draw.”

Czwarty and Twardo agreed and even awkwardly complimented Helena on her speed before wandering off to find new entertainment. But the four girls stayed, and Helena recognized judgment in their expressions even before Jadwiga said, “Ladies don’t race. Especially not against a boy. That’s why you fell.”

Her younger sister Ludmila added, “Mama says we’re too old for wild games. She says Princess Helena doesn’t know better because she has no mother.”

Helena clenched her teeth in fury, fighting stupid tears.

Kazik scowled. “If any of you tells anyone about this, we’ll never get to play outside again without supervision. Our freedom will end, and it’ll be your fault.”

The girls didn’t answer, but their expressions were clear enough.

When they all flounced off, Kazik muttered after them, “You were never any fun anyway.” Turning back to Helena, he said, “I wish you’d be my friend, Helena. You’re the best girl I’ve ever met.” He scrambled to his feet and offered his hand.

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