Princess in Disguise by E. D. Baker Page A

now while I hold them off.”
    â€œI already told Liam how to get to Harper’s Village from here,” said Yardley.
    â€œAre you sure you don’t want me to stay and help?” Liam asked him. “I don’t want to dump our troubles on you.”
    â€œNo, no!” said Yardley. “We’ll be fine. Rose Red and I have this handled.”
    â€œThen I guess we’re leaving,” Annie said, getting to her feet. “Thank you so much for the tea. It was just what I needed.”
    â€œYou’re welcome,” Rose Red replied. “Stop in again whenever you’re out this way. We hardly ever get to see anyone, and I enjoy the company.”
    Annie and Liam left then, going around to the back of the cottage to retrieve Otis from where he was tiedto a tree. They had walked only a short distance when a loud roar made them stop and look behind them. A group of trolls were lumbering through the forest, retracing the route Annie and Liam had taken from the main road.
    Liam’s hand flew to his sword. “Where did they come from?” he demanded.
    â€œFrom Rose Red’s imagination would be my guess,” said Annie. “Don’t worry; they aren’t real. I think they’re meant to scare off the men following us.”
    â€œRose Red did that?” said Liam. “But how?”
    â€œMagic runs in her family, remember? She has a talent for illusions.”
    â€œAh!” Liam said, putting his sword away. “That explains it. Yardley said they’re never bored out here, or worried about intruders.” They started walking again even as the trolls’ roaring grew louder.
    â€œThose men who are following us,” said Annie. “They must know who we are or they wouldn’t be so persistent.”
    Liam nodded. “I’m sure you’re right.”
    â€œDo you think they’re King Dormander’s men? If they are, he must already know that we escaped from the castle.”
    â€œMore than likely,” Liam replied.
    â€œYou’re not saying much.”
    â€œSorry. I’m trying to figure out when they might have picked up our trail. Have they been following ussince we left the castle? Maybe someone reported seeing us in the linder groves. Or did they learn about us in Floradale?”
    â€œEleanor’s stepmother seemed to recognize us when we passed her on the street in Loralet. If she did, others probably did as well.”
    â€œThen we’d better hurry and find Moonbeam before anyone can stop us.”
    â€œI’m glad we’re going to see her today,” said Annie. “I’m tired of running around when all I want to do is go home and make sure everyone is all right. They’re not going to be able to withstand a siege for long.”
    â€œI can’t stop worrying about my father, too,” said Liam. “The more I think about it, the more I doubt it was a coincidence that he didn’t come to the wedding.”
    â€œOh, Liam, I hope he’s all right. Your father is too old and frail to be held captive by some army.”
    Liam laughed. “Don’t let him hear you say that! Aside from his gout, he’s as robust as ever, or at least he thinks he is.”
    â€œI like your father,” said Annie.
    â€œAnd he likes you,” Liam said, smiling down at her. “But then, who wouldn’t?”
    â€œA lot of people, apparently. I don’t think those men following us are any too fond of me. Say, I was wondering something. Did Yardley tell you why he and Rose Red decided to live so far from everything?”
    â€œHe did indeed,” said Liam. “He wanted to live away from crowds for a while. Part of it was because he’d been a wolf and was afraid he wasn’t acting fully human yet, and part of it was because a few of the men he played cards with were angry when he ran off with their money in the middle of a game. They didn’t know the dwarf had