The Lost Princess

Chapter Twenty-Six: Trouble

"I'm bored," Earwen whined, lying in the grass of one of the gardens as she cast her book carelessly on the ground.

Amara smirked, sitting upright next to her. "Finally tired of reading books, eh?" she asked.

"Ugh."

"How many books have you read since we've arrived, anyway?"

Earwen twisted over onto her stomach, plucking at the grass. "Probably a thousand," she said with a sigh.

Amara chuckled, then frowned. It was so strange to sit with the elf princess so easily. The sting of broken trust still lingered in the back of her mind, but she knew it had not been Earwen's choice to keep the prophecy from her. And Earwen had been very disappointed in her when she had found out about the incident at the barracks, so Amara considered them even in their mutual disappointment.

Besides, she did need the elves' help, so she had been trying very hard not to offend anyone. Thorindir avoided her like the Duvainian plague, which helped her cause somewhat, but the days of doing nothing exciting were beginning to make her feel restless. She needed to do something stimulating. Her brain felt as if it were turning to mush with all this sitting and strolling through the gardens.

Lady Eramire spent endless hours arguing with the council members. Amara hadn't seen her for days, not that she minded. At least she had dodged whatever questions they had hoped to ask through King Olphan. For the time being, anyway. Apparently they couldn't decide what to do about the vision. No doubt the elders were panicking at the thought of having to trust the lost princess with the task of saving Rhovamben.

A wry look crossed Amara's face. They needn't worry; she had no desire to lead a war. She simply wanted her justice; then she would slip into the shadows and live the rest of her life in peace, no matter what Lady Eramire's vision said.

"Let's do something today, Amara," Earwen said, sitting up.

"Like what?" she asked, giving the elf woman an imploring glance.

"I don't know, something exciting," Earwen said, eyes beginning to gleam.

The lost princess leaned back on her hands and stared up at the sky. Wispy clouds floated by, shapeless and white. Not the least bit thrilling or exciting. "I thought you wanted to behave like the good little royal you're meant to be."

"I'm tired of listening to Eramire." There were a few moments of heavy silence, and Amara looked questioningly at the elf girl. "She was wrong, Amara. I was wrong."

The lost princess shrugged. "Give me a moment, and I will think of something for us to do." Amara closed her eyes and listened to the sounds around her, pushing from her mind Earwen's apology. At first all she could hear was the rustling of the elf princess shifting impatiently next to her and the birds chirping in the bushes. Slowly, however, the sounds of the nearby city streets met her ears. Children playing and giggling. People haggling over the prices of goods, a wagon trundling down the road, the clopping of the horse's hooves that pulled it.

Amara's eyes snapped open. "I think we should go into town today," she said, a surreptitious grin spreading across her lips.

Earwen studied Amara. "What for?" she asked suspiciously.

Amara jumped to her feet. "Let's just say I have an idea for today's entertainment. Come on!" She dashed away, leaving Earwen to scramble after her.

***

A wagon barreled through the streets of Celeblas, pulled by two frantic horses frothing at the mouth in their fright. Two women sat in the driver's seat of the careening carriage. One was standing, clutching the reins, hooting and hollering as they plowed through the streets. The other sat clinging to the side of the high seat, face ashen.