“That depends on who we’re talking about.” He smiled at me. “I would indeed appreciate due diligence from the doctor stitching up my wounds—but I would appreciate a little less from the bandit robbing me on the road.”
If he expected that last reference to get a rise from me, he was due for disappointment. They hadn’t been bandits, even if the Arcadians still thought them so.
“You often need wounds stitched up, do you?”
He chuckled. “Let’s just say I was the kind of child who was a sore trial to my mother.”
I couldn’t help laughing in return, easily able to picture a youthful Philip getting up to mischief.
“You remind me of—” My voice went silent, my mouth continuing for half a second before I snapped it closed.
A few minutes with this man, and I was already forgetting myself and talking as my true self. But the enchantment didn’t intend to let me say that he reminded me of Percy and his older brother, Gabe. A goose girl had no business talking of princes so casually, even if she had first been introduced as a lady’s maid.
“Of someone back at home,” I finished lamely when Philip’s eyes narrowed at my abrupt silence.
He didn’t look impressed at my attempt, but neither did he press further. Instead he launched into several amusing anecdotes of his own pranks and subsequent trips to the doctor, and I was so entertained that I nearly forgot to keep an eye out for Sierra.
When I did see her, already halfway through our section of the park, I leaped to my feet. Thankfully she was once again riding with only Percy, a single guard trailing them.
“Your Highness!” I yelled, jumping up and down and waving both arms. “Your Highness!”
They both turned their heads in our direction. Sierra hesitated, but her glance at Percy clearly communicated the bind I had placed her in. She couldn’t ignore me in front of him. The two of them exchanged words I couldn’t hear and both directed their horses toward us.
Philip looked from me to the approaching riders, curiosity all over his face. I ignored his unspoken questions, smoothing out my rumpled skirts, and straightening my hair as best I could. Now that I had forced their attention, I preferred to appear as calm and collected as possible.
The geese honked at the horses as they approached but neither attacked nor ran, apparently deciding they weren’t a threat. Sierra and Percy stopped beside us, looking down at where we both now stood.
My attention was divided, my eyes flicking frantically between Percy, Sierra, and Philip, desperate to see who recognized who. Percy was gazing at me, his face reflecting the same curiosity for my odd behavior as Philip’s had done a moment before. Or maybe he just wanted to hear about the infamous deranged maid.
Did he know me, now that he saw Sierra and me side by side? When I saw no flicker of recognition or even unease in his eyes, I dismissed him, turning my full concentration to Sierra and Philip.
Dropping into a light curtsy, I looked up at the false princess.
“Are you well, Your Highness?” I asked her. “I hear your companions haven’t been found.” I couldn’t entirely keep my voice light for the final sentence. Hopefully the two men would attribute it to natural emotions about the missing girls. At least their bodies had not been found with the missing guards. That thought had brought me considerable comfort.
“No, indeed.” Sierra assumed a mournful expression. “It weighs greatly on my mind.”
“On all our minds,” Percy said. “I can’t imagine young Daisy alone or captured.” I remembered that they still thought other, external attackers were involved. “We have sent letters back to their kingdoms, but it will be many weeks before our messages will arrive and answers can be received.”
His brow creased, and his hands formed into fists. “The blackguards who did this must be found and punished.” He looked down at me. “Their Majesties are greatly concerned—both for the safety of the girls and the reaction of their kingdoms. Do not fear that they are taking this matter lightly.”
“Thank you,” I said to him. From him, at least, I knew the emotion was sincere. Daisy used to drive us all crazy, but none of us would ever want any real harm to come to her.
“It is very kind of you to inquire as to my well-being,” Sierra said, “but you may assure yourself I am being most well cared for.” She threw a veiled glance of triumph at Percy. Did she think herself on her way to securing a marriage with him? At the very least, she seemed to somehow think him a measure of her success at being a princess.
As if hearing her own words and realizing they reflected better on me than her, she quickly spoke again.
“I do not need to inquire as to how you are, as I have had regular reports from Mrs. Pine.”
I barely refrained from glaring at her. So she was having me monitored, was she? For a moment my indignation made me lose sight of my true purpose, but a slight shifting from Philip beside me brought it rushing back. This meeting wasn’t about Sierra and me.
I glanced sideways at him. He looked relaxed and interested, closely examining both Percy and Sierra impartially. As for the two of them, they had both given him only the briefest of glances, focusing their attention on me. There was no more a spark of recognition in Philip’s or Sierra’s eyes than there was in Percy’s toward me.
I shouldn’t have felt so relieved at that. Discovering a connection between them would have given me an excellent avenue of investigation. But the relief continued to bloom, filling up my insides.
“I’m sorry for disturbing you, Your Highnesses.” I bobbed another quick curtsy. Now that I had the information I’d been after, there was no purpose in further irritating Sierra.
My words brought an inquisitive gleam to Philip’s eyes, and I wondered fleetingly how I had mis-stepped. His glance toward Percy gave me my answer. I had no reason to know the identity of Sierra’s companion. The not-coachman was altogether too quick. Although I told myself he was wrong—as Sierra’s supposed personal maid, I could have recognized Percy from a state visit back in one of our own kingdoms.
Percy murmured something polite, and the two of them resumed their ride without a backward glance. Philip, however, watched them until they were out of sight.
“That was interesting,” he said when they disappeared. “So that’s Princess Giselle.”
I busied myself sitting back down, hiding my shock at hearing him speak my true name.
“What’s she really like?” he asked.
I considered the question as dispassionately as I could. What would a lady’s maid say about Princess Giselle?
“Four years ago, she went up the mountain with Prince Oliver and Princess Celine and saved Eldon.”
I winced internally. Could I blame everyone else for constantly harping on that one non-achievement when even I couldn’t think of anything more distinctive about myself?
“We heard about that,” he said. “So she’s brave, then.” His eyes focused on the distant spot where the riders had disappeared.
“Well,” I said quickly, “it was mostly Princess Celine, truth be told. Princess Giselle was just along for the walk, so to speak.” The enchantment prevented me from telling him the truth—that it had been fear as much as bravery that drove me up that mountain. Fear of being left alone in a castle full of enchanted ice people slowly losing all will to live.