Princess Marianne stepped closer, and Cedric glimpsed Nin’s throat bob in a tight swallow. Then the princess stilled. The two women stared at each other in stunned silence as the Princess’s scrutiny flickered to Nin’s eyes, down her jaw, and up at her face again. Nin’s mouth parted as she blinked rapidly.
“Whoa…” Nin murmured, leaning forward to examine the princess in return. “This is surreal.”
The princess retreated and turned to him with rounded eyes.
“I can’t believe it,” Princess Marianne whispered. “The resemblance is uncanny.”
“I thought so myself,” Cedric said, relieved that the princess agreed with his assessment.
“It seems your spontaneous plan may work after all. Granted, she learn to act and speak like me,” Princess Marianne said.
“Give me two weeks, and she will be indistinguishable from you.”
The princess hummed in thought.
“Wait, only two weeks?” Nin asked, hooking a thumb in the princess’s direction. “To become like her?”
“Yes, I will teach you,” Cedric said more impatiently than he intended. “It will be grueling, but you will learn.”
Nin’s lip curled into a grimace. “You have a lot of confidence in a stranger you barely know.”
Cedric opened his mouth to speak, but the princess stepped forward, face-to-face with Nin. “May I entrust you with this task, Nin?” she asked. “We know what we ask is a challenging and dangerous assignment, but you will be rewarded beyond measure.”
“About that…” Nin started, rubbing her shoulder, her eyes darting between him and the princess.
Cedric steeled himself for some ridiculous request, such as gold, diamonds, or her own butler to order about. However, she pulled out a folded piece of torn parchment from her coat and handed it to him.
“What’s this?” he asked before opening it to reveal a crinkled map.
“It’s where you can find my brother,” Nin said, pointing to a circle marked on the parchment. “He’s been sick—really sick—for a long time.” Her chin quivered before she steadied herself. “If I’m to do this task and whatever else is needed of me, I need a good physician and someone to take care of him while I’m gone. That’s all I ask.”
Cedric’s grip over the map tightened. He had expected nothing but greed, not selflessness. Her words chipped at the glass walls around his heart.
Princess Marianne didn’t hesitate, “I will ensure your brother is well taken care of by the best physicians. And you both will be granted a private home just outside the city, protected under the crown, for your safekeeping.”
“I will ensure that happens by tomorrow,” Cedricpromised.
Nin’s mouth parted. “Th-that’s more than generous. Thank you… your—uh… ladyship.”
Cedric tilted his head back and sighed up at the starry sky. “YourHighness,” he corrected with his fingers pinched over the bridge of his nose. “It seems we must start our lessons straight away.”
“Oh,” Nin winced. “Highness.Got it.”
“Captain,” the head guard said. “We should leave now.”
Cedric nodded. They had wasted too many precious minutes beyond the hour they had planned to wait.
The guard saluted and extended his arm to the princess.
Princess Marianne nodded from behind her hood and offered Nin a smile. “Thank you. May the Maker bless and protect you.”
Without another word, the guards ushered Princess Marianne away, toward the darkness of the forest. Horses would be waiting for them in a quarter mile, and then, if all went well, they would ride through the night until they reached the safe-house.
When they disappeared behind the trees, Cedric’s furrowed brow loosened. At last, he could breathe.
A cough sounded behind him, ruining his short-lived relief.
He turned to Nin, and she stared back, scratching her nose and shuffling in an awkward sway. Cedric closed his eyes for a brief, weary moment. The three days he spent mapping escape routes, preparing disguises, and coordinating guards had somehow been the easy part. The challenge still lay ahead.
