The Bravest Princess by E. D. Baker Page A

happen, but the birds kept theirdistance and the road stayed solid beneath the horses’ hooves. As the cool shade of the trees finally engulfed them, Annie took a deep breath, trying to calm her jittery nerves.

    After a time, the road began to angle uphill and curve to the left. Although nothing unexpected appeared in the curve of the road, Annie wouldn’t let herself relax. When the ground on the left began to rise sharply, she feared that a boulder might come tumbling down the hill just as they were passing by. Noticing that the ground on the right descended in a gentle incline, she half expected a wild creature to come tearing up the hill to launch itself at them. She even looked suspiciously at the tiny stream trickling down what had become a sheer rock wall, but the most surprising thing she saw was a large woodpecker flitting from one tree to another.
    Liam had been talking to the other princes, telling them about everything that had happened to them on their trip. When he finally rode down the line to join Annie, he looked tired and worried, but she was happy to see him.
    â€œI keep expecting the crows to attack or some strange beast to jump out of the forest,” she said. “The anticipation is killing me!”
    â€œI know what you mean,” said Liam. “The witchprobably knows it, too, and is doing it on purpose. She’ll hold back while we feel more and more edgy, then the moment we let our guard down, she’ll throw something new at us.”
    â€œI wonder what it will be this time,” Annie said, glancing over her shoulder.
    â€œI’m sure we’ll find out soon enough,” said Liam. “Uh-oh. Digby is dozing in his saddle and is about to fall off. I’ll be back in a little while.”
    Annie turned to watch Liam ride down the line to Digby. The sleeping prince was swaying precariously and looked as if he was going to tumble to the ground at any moment. Annie was still turned in her saddle when a bolt of lightning ripped through the clear blue sky and hit a tree at the uphill side of the road. There was a loud
CRACK!
and the tree fell across their path, sending a cloud of dust and debris into the air.
    Annie calmed her frightened mare and looked around to see if anyone needed help. Although the warhorses did nothing more than get a little shifty-footed, some of the attendants’ horses were more high-strung. Andreas’s squire was flung from his horse when it screamed and reared, but the young man was unhurt and the horse was soon caught and quieted.
    â€œA tree just fell down,” Horace called as he rode back to join her. “Best stay right here, Your Highness, until we find out the cause. No storm, just a lightning bolt. I’d say it was magic again.”
    Horace’s gelding sidestepped out of the way when Liam’s horse tore past, slowing only long enough for Liam to shout, “Annie, stay there!”
    She stayed where she was for a few minutes, but when nothing else happened and no one came to tell her what was going on, she started toward the front of the line. Horace followed her, protesting all the way to the fallen tree. It was an old tree, with a trunk at least five feet around, and it stretched all the way across the road, jutting over a drop-off on the other side.
    â€œNow what?” she asked as Liam caught sight of her.
    â€œThe next time I’m tempted to tell you to stay anywhere, I might as well save my breath,” Liam said, looking angrier than she’d ever seen him. “Don’t you understand? A witch is trying to kill you, and we’re all trying to stop her. When I ask you to stay where you are, it’s to keep you safe, yet you insist on disregarding my orders!”
    â€œOrders?” said Annie, feeling the color rise in her cheeks. “I’m not one of your men who you can order around!”
    â€œNo, you’re my future wife, and I won’t let you get hurt!” Liam sat