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"Your Highness" I teased back "I missed you," I said as she took rinned at one another and then turned to stare out at the cale

"That water looks wonderful," I whispered

Haydyn squeezed h to swih up"

She chuckled "Be adventurous, Rogan"

Frowning I took a step closer to the edge, the drop at least fifty feet, probably more "It’ll kill us"

"Not today" Haydyn shook her head "Trust hter "Together? On three?"

She laughed, exhilarated "One Two Three!"

"Miss Rogan!"

And then I was falling

Blissfully falling

I didn’t want to peelached; that sore, yucky - even e and disorientated Where was I? I slowly openedIt was dark, night tih for eness Where the hell was I?

"Ah, Miss Rogan, you’re awake"

Cal instantly at Lieutenant Chaeron’s voice, I turnedin a chair by my bedside His brow creased orry as he leaned over lass of water He helped me sip it and then settled back in the chair

"What happened?" I asked hoarsely "Where are we?"

He ue, a little disapprovalhis usually friendly expression "You should have told us how exhausted you were You could have been killed"

Alright, noas very confused All I could re to Wolfe earlier outside Grof Krill’s mansion "What happened?"

"You fell asleep on your horse" He sighed like a wearied parent "If I had jumped off round, possibly have been tra et to Alvernia in record tiht me?"

He nodded and patted the hand I reached out to hi We’re going to stay here through the night Captain is not at all pleased with roaned "I’ve slowed us down"

Chaeron patted ry He wishes you had told him you’d had no sleep He takes your safety very seriously We all do"

I nodded vaguely, annoyed so ain, I mumbled, "He needs to find himself a hobby"

Distantly I heard the Lieutenant chuckle, and then he whispered, "Sleep well, Miss Rogan"

Chapter Ten

Not a big fan of guilt, I ser… directed at Wolfe The next ed me He was cold, distant with enerally I liked his indifference But his annoyance withdebutante I was so ada looks and as usual tried to keep up a pleasant conversation with s deliberately slower and it s to speed up, and poor Midnight faltered a little at ising quietly in her ear for taking my impatience out on her I forced rin

Withride that day Before I kneere crossing the stone bridge across the River Kral, called so because it was the longest in Phaedra, passing through not only Raphizya but Vasterya as well We were closing in on Ryl, the second largest city in Raphizya, fa the only city in Phaedra that wasn’t a capital, and also for its factories Ale as Peza, it was hos, pottery and lots of other knick-knacks, designed by the artisans of Peza The factories sustained e exportation inco the plan was to stay with Matai’s cousins, Mr Zanst and his wife and their two sh the outskirts of the city towards the Factory District Ironically, the Factory District wasn’t in fact where the factories were The Factory District was hoe townhouses of the owners of the factories Mr Zanst owned a large textile factory and was said to be wealthier than his Vikomt cousin, Matai I had met Mr Zanst and his wife at court before, two of the few people outside the titled nobility ere invited to stay at the palace during the spring and autumn Seasons of Sabithia They were a nice couple, friendly and open, and a refreshing diversion from the titled nobility and all their manners and ‘do’s’ and ‘don’t’s’