"You think this is possible?" asked Tashi, bewildered.

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Ramil sighed. "No, that last suggestion was a joke of

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my own." Was he never going to find the right note of conversation for this girl? She took

everything so seriously.

Then again, she is shut in a tiger's cage with you. Perhaps your joke was ill timed, grumbled his

more regal side.

King Lagan spent the day in a pleasantly optimistic mood. Ramil had galloped off with his young

guest and not returned--a sign that they must be getting on well enough to prolong the ride. He

couldn't imagine Princess Taoshira staying more than a polite hour if she were not enjoying

herself.

Walking through the corridors of his palace, Lagan began to whistle. He was remembering his

own rides with Ramil's mother, Zarai, when he was that age. The forest had been magical,

allowing them intimacy and informality away from the rigors of court life. It was a place where

two young royals could remember that they were also girl and boy. There had been a

particularly comfortable bank of moss near the stream. He rather hoped Ramil had found it.

As evening approached, the chamberlain sought an audience with the King.

"Your Majesty, the Blue Crescent delegation is concerned that the Princess has not yet

returned."

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Lagan looked up from his pile of state papers. "Can they allow the child no privacy?"

The chamberlain decided not to answer that question.

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"It appears she has to fulfill an important religious ceremony every evening and her absence is

regarded as most inauspicious."

Lagan threw aside his pen. "Inauspicious, eh? Well, perhaps we'd better send out the guard with

some torches to search for them. Tell the delegation not to worry. I expect they got a little lost

or forgot the time. Let me know when they get back." Lagan rather liked the idea of challenging

the little Princess about her tardiness to see if he could raise a blush under all that silly white

paint.

The guard returned at midnight, having found no trace of either Ramil or the Crown Princess.

Lagan was forced to revise his opinion that their absence was innocent. He had a creeping

conviction that his son had done

something extremely stupid. First time out of the castle: had Ramil bolted?

But then what of the Princess? Surely he would have returned her safely. It was common

courtesy to do so. Ramil may have many faults, but Lagan did not think lack of chivalry to a lady

in his charge was one of them.

He summoned the Blue Crescent delegation to the White Stone Council Chamber so it could

witness and participate in the efforts to discover the young people. The Islanders sat ranged on

the far side of the table from his ministers, their hostility and suspicion like a blistering heat in

the room.

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Lagan realized that they put the fault for whatever had happened squarely on the Prince's

shoulders. He could hardly blame them; his son had done nothing to inspire their confidence,

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quite the contrary. Whatever the truth, it was the responsibility of Gerfal to sort it out.

The Chief Warden of the Forest was also present. He reported that the young Prince and

Princess had been seen galloping into the forest that morning but his wardens had kept aloof as

ordered. No one had noticed them after that.

"Why did no guard accompany the Princess?" snapped the senior priest in the Blue Crescent

delegation.

Lagan wondered if he could explain to this hard-boiled old man the idea of a romantic ride for

two under the greenwood boughs. He decided not to attempt it.

"Prince Ramil does not habitually take a guard when riding in the forest." Not least because no guard could keep up with him when he was in the saddle.

"He was following usual practice. The perimeter of the forest is patrolled by wardens and my

own soldiers. It has always been regarded as safe

anywhere within five miles of Falburg."

" 'Usual practice'--'always regarded'--it appears to us that Your Majesty's judgment has been

proved in error, "cut in the Etiquette Mistress, snapping her fan shut.

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Lagan ignored the slight to his wisdom. "Such are our customs, madam.

However, this is getting us nowhere. We must send out all available men. I want the Royal

Forest searched all the way to the mountain passes. Every village, every traveller, every cave,

den or hiding place is to be examined."

He turned to the delegation. "Would you like to send your own men to participate?"

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The chief priest nodded. "I have five hundred sailors awaiting my orders."

"Good. Send them to the chief warden here and he will distribute them among the teams."

The council meeting broke up. Lagan retired to his private room and filled a wine glass with a

shaking hand. He was hoping that his son had proved honorable and that none of this was his

fault. Desertion now, coupled with losing the Princess, would mean war with Taoshira's people--

there was no doubt about it. Twenty Crescent ships were in possession of his main harbor, in a

prime position to bombard the city and destroy the capital. But if his hope proved to be correct,

then that meant Ramil was detained against his will. His son was in danger.

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Chapter 4

Many hours after nightfall, the door of the cage was opened and a tiny man appeared with a

lantern. "You're to get out now if you want food and a wash," he announced in a squeaky voice.

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With a glance at each other, Tashi and Ramil got up. The Prince jumped down first, then offered

his hand to help Tashi to the ground. She let go quickly, wrapping his cloak more securely

around her shoulders as she surveyed the scene before them.

An odd collection of some twenty people were eating a late supper around the campfire. A giant

of a man with a big bushy beard was playing cards with three wiry-looking individuals; acrobats,

Tashi guessed. An old woman sat by the pot, her hair in long grey ringlets. She had a scarlet scarf

tied around her middle and gold rings in her ears. Her clothes were ancient and patched but she

was in possession of a fine pair of new boots. Tashi's boots.

Sensing the Princess's scrutiny, the old woman gave her an implacable stare. She then tapped

her pipe

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on the heel of her left boot and chuckled. Tashi dropped her gaze to her own bare feet.

A handsome man with long dark sideburns strode forward. He had a fur cape thrown carelessly

over one shoulder, brilliant red tunic, and knee-length brown boots that had seen better days.

Tashi glanced resentfully at Prince Ramil's footwear and wondered why he was still in ownership

of them when hers had been taken.

"Prince Ramil, it is an honor to welcome you to our fireside," declared the man with a flourishing bow, ignoring Tashi. "I apologize for the abruptness of our invitation but my master said we

were to bring you with all speed."

Ramil tapped his hands angrily by his sides. The man had a Brigardian accent and had already

revealed that he knew full well who his prisoner was. Any hope that this was a mistake was

extinguished.

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"You will be hanged for your actions unless you release the Princess and myself immediately,"

Ramil said curtly.

The man put his hand to his brow. "It pains me to refuse a royal command but I am acting under