Page 68 of Pippa of Lauramore
He glares at her. “Then, Princess, go stand in the mist of the falls.”
She gives him a pointed look. “Pippa will be with me.”
“That’s part of the problem.” He turns his stern eyes to me. I shrug like I have no idea what he’s referring to.
“I’m going,” Leonora says. “It will be fine.”
Percival takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. “Fine, I’ll summon a guard.”
“Absolutely not!” I say, repeating his words. I won’t have a gaggle of knights hovering over us. “I’ll bring my bow, and I’ll shoot anything that comes near.”
“She is a good shot,” Alexander says, joining the conversation. I smile at my middle brother. Percival looks at him like he’s a traitor.
“I’ll have her back before dusk,” I promise, and we hurry away before he changes his mind.
CHAPTER 17
The water is deliciously cold. My toes sink deep into the grainy sand, and the water laps at my ankles. There are only a few sandy stretches along the great lake’s shore. The rest is bordered by thick, brown mud, giant tree roots, and areas of waterlogged grass. Water snakes live in the grass, so I avoid those areas at all costs.
I think I would rather meet a dragon than a snake. At least you can reason with a dragon.
Marigold sighs from beside me. She lifts her face to the sky. “This is lovely.”
She’s right. It is lovely. The breeze travels across the water, and it’s cool before it meets us. Thick forest surrounds the lake, and birds call to each other from the trees. Before we decided to soak our feet, we watched the minnows dart around the rocks near the falls. There were hundreds of them. Marigold told us what they were—largenberch.
I’m learning more about her. She likes to read and learn, and she actually enjoyed our time with Sir Kimbleand his maps. She’s a wealth of knowledge when it comes to plants and animals.
I offered to show her a cave full of maid-of-the-shadows, which she’s never seen, but she adamantly refused. She likes caves like I like snakes.
Leonora soaked her feet, and she is now resting in the shade of a tree. We all ate too much, and we’re stuffed. I must remember to thank the kitchen maids for the bountiful fare. We had enough food for six.
I wade back and settle next to Leonora against a large, gnarled tree trunk. “We will have to return eventually.”
“Mmmm,” she agrees. Her eyes are closed.
Marigold sits in front of us. We haven’t spoken with her about the situation with Archer and Galinor, but she’s bright enough to have figured most of it out on her own. Still, we don’t mention it, and neither does she.
We speak of Primewood and Marigold’s library in their castle. We speak of Mother’s paintings and Master Draeger’s instruments. We speak of feasts and men and other tournaments long ago, but we do not speak of Archer or Galinor.
I feel drained. I ache over Archer. Through the day, I’ve pushed the gnawing, nagging pain away, but it returns when I’m still.
My head snaps up at someone’s approach. Fair hair, pale skin, light eyes—it’s the man Archer and I met last night. A quick glance verifies it’s the same men with him, as well. He gives me the same sweeping bow as before. “Good afternoon Princess.”
Out of instinct, I reach for my bow. The blood drains from my face. It’s not here. It’s on the ground, just out ofMarigold’s reach. It wouldn’t matter if she could reach it. She looks paralyzed with fear. The man speaking has a crossbow, and he’s pointing it at me. The other two men are armed with knives.
There’s nothing I can do without my bow. How could I be so careless?
“What do you want?” I’m glad my voice doesn’t waver.
The man grins. “Ransom money. Don’t worry, Princess. We’ll take good care of you until the deals have been arranged.”
Now I recognize the accent. “You’re from Errinton.”
He sounds like Rigel.
“Who are her friends?” the man asks, turning to one of his comrades.
The man who answers is tall with brown hair and a muscular build. His voice is more cultured than the fair man’s. It’s easy to see him slaying dragons. I remember what Sir Kimble said, and I do not wonder what drove him to this life.
