She returned to her desk, folded up the latest missive, and slipped it into the tube for the carrier

pigeon. It was no good. The alliance could not go ahead.

Her embassy had failed. Let the Third Princess take her place if she wished.

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Tashi was going home.

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Ramil waited in the stables with Leap and a white mare he had selected for the Princess.

Whisper was a gentle animal, suitable for a novice. Ramil's spirits lifted now that he was back

among the horses: at the very least he'd get beyond the walls, even if it was with his ball-and-

chain of a princess dragging behind him.

He heard feet on the cobbles and turned to see the Princess approaching with two attendants,

her painted face ghostly in the dark of the stables. She was wearing a ridiculous gown covered

with dragonflies. Was that a reminder of his mistake?

"Your Highness," Ramil said with a bow.

"Prince Ramil," she replied, giving him the merest bend in reply, a serious slight if he had known.

Her attendants glared at him.

"I have taken the liberty of selecting a suitable mount for you. Her name's Whisper. A good

horse. Very dependable. She'll treat you gently." He glanced at her attire again. Was she really

expecting to ride in that? "Do you wish to ride astride or side-saddle?"

The Princess looked puzzled. "I do not know."

She really did know nothing about riding, thought Ramil incredulously.

"I suggest you try side-saddle until you can order more suitable clothes."

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He whistled to a stable boy and ordered the appropriate tack. Tashi meanwhile was making

friends with Whisper, stroking her nose timidly.

Tashi felt she was

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falling in love with her already. She held out high hopes for this ride, even with the unpleasant

company, having promised herself this one treat before announcing her decision to the

Gerfalians that she was returning home.

"Princess, are you ready?" asked Ramil, holding out a hand to help her step on the mounting

block. "One leg goes there, the other there. Yes, that's right."

Tashi shook out her skirts, feeling nervous now that she was perched up on Whisper's back.

What if she fell? She had an image of herself sprawled in the mud in front of a laughing Ramil.

"I'll take the leading rein," explained the Prince. "All you have to do is stay in the saddle."

Ramil leapt onto his own mount and urged the stallion forward in a stately walk. The two horses

made their way through the crowd of spectators that had gathered in the courtyard. Tashi kept

her eyes lowered, trying to ignore the good-humored cheers and whistles of the stable boys.

Ramil glanced sideways at his guest. It was impossible to know what she was thinking: her white

face was blank of expression. She was like one of Briony's porcelain dolls. Fragile. Cold. He

wondered what he would have to do to get a smile from her.

Ramil kicked Leap to go a bit faster and they began to trot down the paved street leading to the

gate. Now he got a reaction. She had bitten her bottom lip, face furrowed in concentration.

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"The Royal Forest is very beautiful, even at this time

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of year, Your Highness," Ramil said, trying to make conversation.

Tashi did not reply. She was trying to work out how to stay on and was not listening.

"Perhaps Your Highness would like to go a little faster?" Ramil asked slyly.

Still nothing. They'd reached the sweep of parkland that led to the eaves of the forest. Ramil had

been shut inside for months. The temptation was too great.

"As you wish, Your Highness." He urged Leap into a gal op. The Princess gasped and clutched the pommel of her saddle as Whisper followed. She looked terrified, or was it just that ridiculous

face paint?

"Don't you love the speed?" Ramil called over his shoulder.

They crossed the meadow and passed under the trees.

"Stop! I order you to stop!" called the Princess. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the saddle; she was sliding all over the horse's back with no conception of how to stay on.

Ramil threw back his head and laughed. He couldn't imagine anyone not enjoying a fast gallop

across country. "If we are to be married, you must learn not to order me around. I don't like it.

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Let yourself go for once, Princess.

Enjoy yourself!"

He spurred the horses on. Branches seemed to reach out and grab Tashi.

She was convinced now that this mad boy was trying to kill her. But it was no time to stand on

her dignity. She had to end this before she broke her neck.

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"Please, Prince Ramil, please stop!" she screamed.

Immediately, Ramil slowed the horses to a gentle walk, then a full stop. He knew he'd gone too

far. It was the poor girl's first time in the saddle: he should never have scared her like that. He

cursed himself for being a hard-hearted idiot. Then he heard something slither to the ground.

The Princess was standing on the forest floor, trying to unhook her skirts from the saddle where

they had become entangled. Ramil dismounted to help her.

"I'm sorry," he said, trying not to laugh at the absurd sight of the prim Princess fighting her own robes. "I'm not normally like this. I've just been shut up for so long in the castle and I--" He stopped. The girl was actually crying. He'd wanted a response--insults, laughter, something

human--but he hadn't wanted this.

Now that she was back on the ground, Tashi's self-control had crumbled.

The one thing she'd been looking forward to in this hellish place had been turned into a

nightmare.

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"I hate you. I hate Gerfal. I hate everything about this place." Tashi sobbed, ripping her

underskirt to free it. "You don't have to worry about how I'll treat you after our marriage,

because the alliance is off. I'm going home."

She started to stride away, heading in completely the wrong direction, deeper into the forest.

"Princess! No!" Ramil ran to her side and seized her arm.

"Let go of me, you barbarian." Black stains of kohl ran down her cheeks. She looked quite wild.

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He let go, hands held up in surrender. "All right, all right! I was only trying to tell you that you are going the wrong way. The castle's over there."

With as much dignity as she could muster, Tashi swept round. Ramil watched until she was out

of sight, torn as to what he should do. He had got his desire: the marriage was cancelled; but he

knew he had behaved very badly. He would never have dreamed of treating an ordinary

Gerfalian girl like that. He thumped his head on the saddle, making Leap start. What about

Gerfal and the alliance? He should go after her and this time make his apology sincere.

"Princess, Princess, wait!" He caught up Whisper's trailing reins, remounted Leap, and urged the horses after her. She couldn't have gone far on foot.

Suddenly, a net fell from the branches on top of him. Ramil struggled to free himself, but felt the

net tighten. He was yanked from the saddle, falling to the ground with a thud. He could do

nothing. This was supposed to have been a romantic excursion so he carried no weapons, not

even a knife. The net pressed his arms to his waist. Was this the Princess's revenge for his

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behavior? Had some of her men followed them and decided to teach him a lesson?

"Put him in the cart," growled a deep voice somewhere behind him. Ramil was dragged along