The next day, they rode quietly and kept a wary eye on their surroundings.

Alanna thought she was getting used to the death and despair around her, yet she still felt a tug as they began to approach a group of refugees that appeared to be mostly children. There wasn't a grown man among them, but the sound of wailing made it clear that there was a baby.

Suddenly a woman approached Alanna from the other side of the road. "Friend, your horse seems to have picked up a bur. Let me help you take it off." She sounded nervous, and her words came out gruff and rushed.

Alanna was actually pleased. Finally, a chance to redeem herself! Granted, this woman was clearly not a seasoned criminal, but Alanna could still find some vindication in stopping her.

She waited until the woman was just inches from her saddlebag before grabbing her wrist just the way George had done. "Didn't think you could fool me that easily, did you?" Alanna asked.

The woman scowled up at Alanna, causing her to notice two things: this wasn't a woman but a teenage girl. She couldn't be more than fifteen. And something about her was very familiar.

Alanna continued to scrutinize the girl as she held her captive by her twisted wrist.

"Let her go," another female voice called from further down the road.

Alanna looked up to see someone roughly her own age pointing a crossbow directly at her. She was unmistakable.

"Three," Alanna said to the would-be theif with a grin as she let her go.

"What?" the girl asked as she quickly began helping herself to Alanna's saddlebags.

"Blades. Two in your belt, and one strapped to your arm."

"You missed the one in the back of her belt," George said without turning around as he slowly slid off of his horse and bowed to the crossbow wielder.

"Thievery doesn't suit you, highness," he said.

Buri suddenly froze as she surveyed the travelers. "Thayet, it's those Tortallans we met in Tusaine!"

They all stared at each other for an uncomfortable moment as Thayet kept her bow pointed at Alanna.

"If you're in trouble, I believe we can be of far more helpful to you as friends than as marks," Alanna said gently.

"One night of revelry doesn't mean we can trust them," Buri called to Thayet as she backed away slowly with the saddlebags.

Suddenly, Thayet's arrow dropped forward uselessly as the bowstring fell limp and George's small knife buried itself in the ground just behind the princess.

"Respectfully," George said as he admired his own precision, "You don't have much of a choice."

Buri reached for one of her blades, but Liam was on her before she had a chance to do anything with it. In one swift motion, he took the blade and the saddlebags. "Please don't try that again," he said smoothly.

"This is Liam Ironarm, the Shang Dragon," George introduced. "Now that we're all friends, why don't you tell us how you got here and how we can help."

Buri was visibly fuming, but Thayet's shoulders drooped in relief. "Come with me then. The rest of our group is just over here."


"It's a long story, but as the war escalated, the palace was no longer safe for me, so I had to leave," Thayet explained as they sat in the grass, gratefully eating the bread and cheese that Alanna had given the princess and her companions.

"Without guards?" Liam asked.

"They ran," Buri said flatly.

"They were scared. They had families of their own to protect," Thayet explained.

"They had a duty to fulfill," Buri retorted, "and they ran."

Thayet gave Buri a withering look before continuing, "The five children we have with us were all students at a convent that was attacked by zhir Anduo. The baby we found abandoned in a burned-out village. It's a miracle he survived whatever killed the rest of his village. He would have died of hunger if we hadn't taken him."

"Where are you headed?" George asked.

"The Mother of Waters in Rachia. They should take us in," Thayet replied.

"Rachia is at least a four-day ride," Liam said, "and you're on foot."

"We weren't expecting an easy journey. And I am sorry about trying to rob you. You understand we never would have done it if we weren't desperate."

"Nothin' wrong with a little honest thievin' from time to time," George said warmly, earning him confused looks from Buri and Thayet and an eye roll from Alanna.

"We'll get you safely to Rachia, highness," Alanna said definitively. "It would be our honor."

"Thank you, we gratefully accept your help. And please, just call me Thayet. I may not be a 'highness' much longer anyway."


Josianne returned to her room after yet another party. The Tortallan Court felt like a prison to her now. Everyone knew that Jonathan had decided to stop courting her.

Now, the only men who asked her to dance were the ones who were stupid enough to believe that they might have a chance with her. Idiots. As if she would marry a Tortallan and stay in this land a moment longer than she needed to!

Melody was waiting for her with an envelope in her hand. "It's from Tusaine," she said.

"That was quick," Josianne said, checking that the seal was intact before ripping open the letter.

She read it with a blank expression.

"What does he say?" Melody finally asked.

Josianne passed her the letter.

Dear Princess Josianne,

I'm glad to hear you've had a change of heart.

If I recall correctly, at our last meeting, you said you prefer victors. I find I share the sentiment. But neither of us stand victorious now, do we? Perhaps we can change that, but I would require your help.

Prove to me that you are willing to throw your lot in with mine, and I'll do the same. I believe you will enjoy what I have in mind.

Give your answer to my messenger. If your answer is yes, await further communication. If no, I bid you farewell. And if you think to cross me, I assure you, you'll regret it.

I do hope this is the start of a long and happy partnership.

Yours,

Winston

Melody scowled as she finished. "I'm sorry, Josie. Why are all powerful men so awful?"

"I don't know. At least he's honest that he's just trying to use me!"

"Maybe if you show this to Jonathan, it'll prove your loyalty, and he'll take you back."

"I don't want him back!" Josiane shouted. "He humiliated me. If he had changed his mind quickly, it would have been different, but the whole Court knows that I'm his

reject now. Lord Winston is right; Hag curse him! I would enjoy getting revenge on this whole place."

"It could be dangerous," Melody said.

"It would definitely be dangerous. But I don't think I have a choice. I can't go home empty-handed. A marriage of state is my only way to be of value, and I can't be a failure!"

"Your value stretches far beyond that," Melody said quietly.

Josiane laughed derisively. "Your family sent you to accompany me solely so that I would secure you a high-born husband after I had secured mine. There's no point in lying to ourselves that we're useful for anything else."

"Maybe once you're queen of Tusaine, you can change that."

"Queen Josiane of Tusaine. It does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

"Almost like it was meant to be!"


"We'll take the children, but we can't protect you, your highness. With the Warlord gone, I'm afraid that zhir Anduo will stop at nothing to capture you. I am truly sorry," the First Daughter of the convent told Thayet and her companions. "We will give you what aid and provisions we can, but the sooner you leave, the safer the children will be."

The woman left as Thayet studied her hands in her lap, still processing the news of her father's death.

"I'm so sorry, Thayet. Is there somewhere else we can take you? Somewhere that you can be of help ending this war?" Alanna asked.

Thayet shook her head. "I can't trust anyone now."

"Then come with us," Alanna said. "Our quest will last another couple of weeks, and then George and I will return to Tortall. We can help you get settled there."

"Or if you prefer to go elsewhere, I would be happy to see you there safely," Liam said. "Once you've tasted a wanderer's freedom, you may find out that you enjoy it," he added huskily.

"I can protect you, Thayet," Buri said fiercely. "But I don't know where else we could go."

"Then I continue to accept your offer," Thayet said to her companions. "Thank you."


"I am truly happy to have you join us though I'm sorry for the circumstances," Alanna said as they rode out the following day. "I'm glad you decided to stay."

"As am I," said Liam. "I was a little tired of being the third wheel. And you're a welcome break after spending so much time looking at George." His words were light, but the look he gave Thayet sent a slight shiver down her spine.

"Now you're the fifth wheel instead," George said, flashing him a grin.

"So you said we're headed north, but what is it that you hope to do there?" Thayet asked.

"They seek the Dominion Jewel," Liam said conversationally.

"How…?" Alanna began.

"You'd think the thief would know better about keeping your voices low in a thin tent," Liam replied.

"Ah! Novice mistake," George said, looking genuinely disappointed in himself.

"You expect us to believe you're chasing a fairy tale?" Buri said. "What's your real purpose?"

"It's not a fairy tale," Thayet said. "Father was always making subtle inquiries about it. He fully believed it was real. You think you can find it?"

Alanna and George exchanged a look before Alanna reached for the map in her saddlebag. "You would have gotten more than you bargained for if your robbery had been successful," she said as she unrolled it.

"This is incredible," Thayet said as she ran a revenant hand over it.

"I take it you were in Berat to get it translated?" Liam asked. "Any luck?"

Alanna told them the translation and explained what was marked on the map.

"Incredible," Thayet repeated softly.

"So you would have been just fine if I had stolen it," Buri said, "because the whole map portion can be summed up with 'go to Chitral's Pass.'"

"I hope your translator was trustworthy," Liam added. "Otherwise, he could have told any number of people where to look, and they wouldn't have needed this at all."

"That's true," Buri continued. "The whole map with all of these flourishes really seems excessive."

"It couldn't be something plain for a treasure as grand as the Dominion Jewel!" Thayet countered.

"Nobles and their frippery," Liam said dismissively.

George gave Alanna a silent I-told-you-so grin which quickly disappeared when Thayet asked, "Liam, what were you saying about a thief?"