She'd have to wait them out until an opportunity presented itself. Cassia glanced around her. According to Daeshawna, they'd searched only the buildings before, leaving the grounds as a safe place to hide. The soldiers moved quickly, likely to enter the alley in just a few minutes. She scooped up her supply bag and ran down the alley to the back of the general store. A huge open, plowed field greeted her. She wouldn't be hiding in any woods back here.
Cassia checked behind several large crates stacked at the back door of the store. There was just enough room for her to squeeze between the larger two crates. In position, she heard the sound of boot steps coming around the building. Shrinking farther back against the wall, she hoped whoever it was hadn't seen her slip in and wasn't a soldier. The footsteps steadily approached. She closed her eyes and held her breath.
The footsteps didn't pass, but stopped right at the opening. Cassia slowly opened her eyes and stared at Luki in astonishment.
"Hello, Princess," he drawled. "Fancy meetin' you here."
"What're you doing here?" Cassia blurted out.
"I was hired to help track down the kidnappers of a certain princess," Luki said his voice taking on a sarcastic tone. "You wouldn't know where I could find such a person, would you?"
"Track me down?"
"You, and your kidnappers, but I don't see any kidnappers, do you?" Luki looked around in exaggeration. "Where are your kidnappers, Cassia? Why are you hiding from Vesperan soldiers?"
"I don't want them to find me."
"Why?"
Cassia glanced down at her feet, uncertain of what she should reveal to him. He'd always been a good friend, but at this point she wasn't clear about her own reasoning anymore. Luki reached down and hauled her up and out of the crates. The harsh iron grip on her arm matched the deep lines of worry and anger on his face.
"You weren't kidnapped, were you?" he demanded.
She shook her head slowly. He dropped her arm and turned away from her. Cassia chewed on her lip as she listened to his harsh breathing.
"What happened?" He turned back, his voice measured and even again. "Go for a stroll and lose your way?"
She bristled at his sharp question. "Maybe I did."
"Uh-huh." He grabbed her arm again. "No straight answers for a friend. I'm hurt, Princess."
"Luki--"
"Let's return you to your rightful place," he said, dragging her from the crates.
"No." She grabbed onto a crate with her other hand to stop Luki from pulling her around the building. "I can't go back."
He waited for her to continue.
"You're right," Cassia said. "I wasn't kidnapped and I didn't get lost."
"You ran away."
"Yes."
"If you didn't want to marry him all you had to do --"
"That's not why I ran away," she began.
Luki held up a hand to silence her. He peeked down the alley and swore under his breath.
"Soldiers," he whispered as he pulled her away from the alley to the other side of the building. "We're running out of time."
She hesitated before making her decision. She had to confide in someone. "I have to find out why my father was killed."
"Cassia." He sighed.
"Don't pacify me." She objected to what she knew was coming. "I'm going to find out."
"Do you have any idea what you've put everyone through?" he asked, spacing each word carefully apart. "Your mother, your brothers, your…friends. We didn't know if you were alive or dead. If you'd been subjected to unspeakable horrors."
Cassia couldn't meet his eyes as she scuffed her boot in the dirt. She couldn't focus on that now, she had to focus on what she needed to do and convince him not to stop her. "My father told me that I couldn't let the wedding happen until I found out what happened to him. There's more to his death than we know."
"Your father?"
"His spirit came to me and told me what I had to do."
"You need to tell Queen Sarahann all of this."
The heavy footsteps of the Vesperan soldiers walking down the alley interrupted their hasty whispers.
"I have. She refuses to listen. And I need a favor from you. Please Luki, grant me one favor."
He looked up to the sky as if for guidance and then back to her with a sigh. "As you wish."
"Don't tell anyone you saw me."
"Let me escort you home."
Cassia smiled at his response. Moving on impulse, she went up on her toes and brushed his cheek with her lips. She stepped back, expecting him to try to stop her, but he just looked at her in surprise. Taking advantage of his hesitation, she darted around the corner of the building.
CHAPTER TEN
Cassia crouched behind the railing alongside the inn. The soldiers appeared to have moved farther down the street, but she wasn't sure there weren't any slowly going through the buildings between her and the barn. She hoped Luki would honor her request and keep the soldiers from coming up behind her, but she wouldn't be surprised if he didn't.
A soft scuffle slid behind her and she nearly jumped, but held herself still as Luki kneeled beside her.
"This isn't obvious at all," Luki said. "You never gave me the chance to answer."
"We ran out of time," she said surprised he'd followed her.
He evaluated the street. "They're camping here. We rode all night to reach the town."
"Are they really looking for me?"
"Yes." He took her arm. "Where are you going?"
"Karah."
"Why didn't you get your carriage to take you?"
She glared at his sarcastic tone "That wasn't possible."
"But why run away, Cassia?" He drew her back from the railing as two soldiers came a little too close for comfort. "Why stop Vespera and Karah from entering into wedded bliss? Why create such chaos?"
"I ran away. I didn't realize they would think I was kidnapped. I'm trying to make things better."
"There were other options available to you," he whispered softly his tone no longer sarcastic.
"I couldn't marry him. Running away was the only way I could stop the wedding."
"Ever thought about saying no, you know, when the friar asks you if you will have this man as thy wedded husband?"
She laughed. "Sure, I'll say no I don't want to marry Torr on Vespera's battlement in front of hundreds of people. That would go over well."
Luki scanned the road, now empty of soldiers. She followed his gaze.
"Now or never," he mumbled, taking a firm grip on her arm and walking quickly along the building and across the road to the barn.
Miraculously not a single shout rang out. She didn't look back though she wanted to. Several new horses were tied up outside the barn. Soldiers' horses. Luki drew her into the building glancing around for the barn owner.
"Wait here." He moved deeper into the interior and Cassia edged into the shadows beside the door.
There are no soldiers here.
She took a breath of relief.
I will meet you behind the barn.
Cassia felt a moment of confusion as to why Kali would be behind the barn, but nodded to no one in particular before moving away from the door and toward the tack room. She glanced in, but hung back. The barn owner was inside speaking with Luki. Her bridle was hanging on a hook next to the door.
You do not need it.
She smiled at Kali's comment. She might not need the bridle, but she didn't want to explain the lack of gear to any travelers or even Luki. She had a lot to tell him if he was going to be traveling with them. Luki stepped out and Cassia drew back behind a post as Luki and the barn owner walked out to the front of the barn.
She eased into the tack room and slipped the bridle off the hook. Reaching in to her pouch, she withdrew four small coins and set them on the desk beside the door. She didn't want the man reporting her to the constable. She peeked out the tack room and saw Luki give a covert glance as if searching for her, but he didn't draw any attention to her as she slid
out the door and made her way to the back of the barn. Luki and the barn owner stepped outside.
She let herself out the back door, sliding through the crack to keep from opening the huge door. Kali waited on the other side. Cassia hugged her and relief washed over her. In an instant she swung onto the mare's back, ready to run off, but a niggle of guilt kept her from signaling Kali to bolt. Instead, they moved stealthily off toward the woods a short distance from the barn.
She dipped below the mane and neck to make it appear Kali was a wandering horse and thankfully no one noticed them as they melted into the trees. She pulled Kali up and turned to wait for Luki.
Almost ready to head out without him, he finally appeared, cantering easily down the road past the barn parallel to the woods. They fell into step shadowing him, Kali kicking up her heels to keep pace. Once the town was out of sight, Cassia edged her out of the woods.
Luki trotted up to her. "I hoped you hadn't tried to leave me. I'd hate to track you down, again."
She shrugged as if she didn't care. "We'll need to go around the town to head back to Karah. How did you get away from the guards?"
"The captain believes he's on your tail and doesn't need my assistance anymore."
"Is he?"
"Not even close," he said with a smile. "Shall we go, Your Highness?"
She narrowed her eyes at him as his horse set off.
He is concerned for you.
"How can you tell?" she whispered as Kali trotted off after him. It would take some time to loop around the town.
His smell.
"Interesting," Cassia said.
"What?"
"Nothing." She shook her head and they continued their loop around the town.
Once they were safely past, she was a little more comfortable as Kali slowed to a brisk walk. Luki kept shooting her looks and finally she couldn't take it anymore.
"What?"
"I don't understand why you couldn't have just refused him."
"It doesn't work that way," she said with a sigh. "I can't just say no."
"Why?"
"Because the marriage was arranged. It's the way things are done. A contract is a contract."
"All true, but you have a mind of your own and a will of your own as you've demonstrated. Don't you think telling Queen Sarahann you don't want to marry him would be easier?"
"The answer is right in front of you. Queen Sarahann. You can't say no when your queen commands you to do something. Marrying him or not isn't a matter of what I want."
"You're the next in line to the throne. You can't tell me you don't have a voice."
"A princess doesn't choose whom she marries. Her kingdom does."
Luki reined his horse to a stop and Kali followed suit, reaching over to munch on tree leaves.
"You said your father told you that you couldn't go through with the marriage," he said. "Why didn't you tell Queen Sarahann?"
"Who says I didn't?" she said in frustration. "She dismissed me."
He sat quietly as he stared at her. "Running away wasn't the answer. I don't think you realize what you've started."
"I've made a mess of things," she stated simply.
"You could say that," he said, his voice rising when she refused to look at him.
"I couldn't marry him," she insisted. She was justified in her decision, but the repercussions of what she had done wouldn't be easily fixed. She stole strength from Kali. "I could have started a war."
"You're getting a little ahead of yourself. There hasn't been a war yet. The official story is you've been kidnapped by those who don't want Vespera and Karah to become one great kingdom."
"One great kingdom," Cassia said as Kali moved away from the tree and headed back down the trail.
"You do know the reason for joining Karah and Vespera," he said, his horse keeping pace with Kali.
She shot him a look of irritation. "You think I'm a dunce?"
"No, Princess, I think you're highly intelligent." He held up a hand in defense. "But I also think you're highly emotional."
"Emotional? I can show you emotional."
"You always do."
She frowned after him as he urged his horse back into an easy canter. Kali needed no urging to stretch her legs and they rode in silence for a while. They didn't speak again until they came upon a stream and Kali finally stopped to take a drink. Cassia took the opportunity to slide off and stretch her sore muscles. She moved to the other side of Kali so she could stretch without him staring at her.
"Karah and Vespera would be an unmatched power," Luki said.
"You can't let it go, can you?"
"You said it yourself, Princess," he drawled. "Your father was killed for a reason. Don't you want to figure out the reason?"
"I know the reason."
"Do you?"
She frowned at him over Kali's back. He was right. She didn't really know why her father had been killed. Just as there were multiple rumors about her disappearance there were also multiple rumors about her father's death. And there was no evidence to point to any one thing.
"He didn't sign the treaty," she said. "But his signature was on the parchment."
"What?"
She sighed. "His signature was forged. The treaty is false."
"You're accusing King Erich of forging the treaty," Luki demanded, though his tone didn't discount the truth of her words.
She hesitated, but when it came down to it that is what she knew to be true. "Yes, King Erich forged my father's signature and presented the treaty as real to us."
"Are you saying King Erich had your father killed?"
"No." She shook her head. "I don't know who killed him, yet."
But she had her suspicions. Right now Erich wasn't the one on the top of her list, but Julyan.
"We need to keep going." Luki checked his girth and swung up onto his horse.
Cassia had no girth to check, but she adjusted her bag slung over her shoulder before jumping up onto Kali's back.
"I can carry your sack for you." He reached his hand out.
"Thank you, but I'd rather hang onto it."
"So, you don't have to marry Prince Torr?"
"No, if I can prove the treaty's been forged then the alliance would be nullified."
"It would be a lot more than nullified."
"Don't remind me."
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Kali slowed as the trail to Julyan's territory came into sight. Luki reined his horse up and glanced at Cassia in question.
"You want to make camp?" Luki asked.
She judged the sun's position and narrowed her eyes at him in irritation. "I'm not that weak."
"Then why are we slowing down?"
She didn't answer at first. She was going over everything she'd learned about Julyan. She wanted to meet the man face to face.
She pointed out the break in the woods. "That's the trail to the Talent Guild."
"I know. Why would we go there? What haven't you told me?"
"Erich's circulated the opinion that Julyan was responsible for killing my father."
Luki turned his horse to block Kali. "And you think it's a good idea to saunter on up to the man who might have killed your father and confront him?"
Cassia hesitated. She'd told him her father had come to her, but she hadn't given him the entire story. She was still holding things back. She wanted to confide in him and, truth be told, the small infatuation she'd always felt towards him was coming back to fluster her. She'd never felt completely comfortable with him with the butterflies dancing in her stomach, but she could trust him.
"I need to know if he did," Cassia said. "My father was meeting one of Julyan's friends when he was killed."
"How do you know that?"
"He told me. I had a second dream last night."
"You didn't mention this earlier."
She looked down the trail and then back at him. "I needed some time to think about it."
His eyes narrowed. "What did he say?"
>
"He talked more about Julyan this time and he showed me even more clearly he didn't sign the treaty."
"Explain?"
"He showed me his last meeting with Erich. What's funny is he was considering signing the treaty the way it was, but he never got the chance."
"Why didn't he sign it that night if he was going to sign it anyway?"
"Something Erich said about Julyan bothered him and he wanted to verify his suspicion before he signed the treaty."
"If he was going to sign the treaty anyway why are you running away from Vespera?" Luki pointed out.
"Because he didn't sign the treaty and Erich forged his signature. The question is why and when."
"Because your father was dead and Vespera needs Karah to survive."
"Why, though?" Cassia asked as Kali shifted uneasily under her.
The horses.
"The horses," Luki said along with Kali.
"What do horses have to do with it?"
Both Karah and Vespera had wranglers who brought in the wild horse herds to be culled.
"Look around." He motioned to the mountains looming over them and the mountains in the distance behind them. Long rolling hills sat in front of them. "The horses prefer the rolling hills of grass. The few herds that roamed on Vesperan lands have been culled to heavily. They don't have enough to continue breeding healthy horses. Erich needs those horses just as your father did. Things are changing. A mounted cavalry has a better chance of winning than a foot platoon. Goods can be sent quicker and more efficiently with the help of horses, allowing a tradesman or farmer to make more money. The future of the kingdoms is hinging on the horses right now and there aren't enough of them for everyone to share."
She stared at him in wonder. She'd had no idea he was political, but he would have to know what was going on with the horses because wrangling was his livelihood. She'd underestimated him. Kali would also know what was going on with the horses. Why the wranglers were reporting smaller and fewer herds, but how could she ask her without Luki knowing. She wasn't ready to tell him she was talking with a horse.
She had to focus. Kali had said she didn't have to actually speak out loud to converse with her. Where…are…the…horses?
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