Raquelle rode with a straight spine and a winning smile, proud of herself for finally turning Liam's mind -- it was evidence that he was noticing her, that he did care about her health after all. Dear, dear Liam! Truly, he had been secretly in love with her all along, and only Dorothea had been so adamant and cruel and sharp-tongued that he merely bent to her will. In Raquelle, however, he would find safety, kindness, comfort and beauty. She was determined to drive this point, to show him what he had been missing all those years under Dorothea's thumb.

The company bumbled down the ditched path, stumbling sometimes and rocking constantly over uneven rocks and soil, but Raquelle merely straightened her hair every five seconds and smiled on. Ahead, finally, was an open field with low fences and rock walls and whitewashed stables and a barn. At the far end of the path was a squat but reasonably wide house, its windows glowing by firelight within. It wasn't an inn.

August scanned the fields and the stables, and he snarled. "Shit, we can't be here," he hissed, and he kicked the horse forward with no warning for Sam. He brought up alongside Liam, squeezing between the prince and Raquelle, his expression grave.

"Your highness," he addressed Liam crisply. "Need I remind you that we are presently in the kingdom of Verinia, whose subjects were the cause of my and Princess Dorothea's abduction. The people here are loyal to the Verinian throne and may be hostile to our regiment -- especially in the dark we have the appearance of sieging this place."

August was almost certain this had to be Doc Jolly's horse farm -- and those three dwarves might be here or nearby. Their story combined with Sam's testament would completely destroy Narissa's plans.