His arms were still around her, hands on the reins. Rynere was pulled on top of him, but scrambled off as quickly as she could.
An arrow protruded from Danid's back.
Rynere screamed.
Nothing came out except a squeak. She was still gagged.
She got to her feet, backing away, hands fumbling for the knife. She cut the ropes on her hand, nicking herself more than once, then pulled the gag out of her mouth.
The man on the horse behind them jumped onto the ground, running over to her.
“Ryn -Rynere, are you alright?”
Rynere backed up against a tree, holding the knife in front of her.
“Stay away from me!”
He pushed the hood back.
“Rynere!”
“K ...Kyndran?”
“Rynere, what'd he do to you? Are you alright?”
Her hands started shaking, and she dropped the knife.
“I -I -” she sank to the ground, putting a hand to her head. “You found me.”
Kyndran knelt down beside her. “I followed the tracks. When I woke up and you and Danid were gone,” he paused, a sound between a sigh and a growl escaping him. “Tace is hurt. I left alone. Are you alright?”
“I thought ...I thought no one would come.”
“Rynere, did he hurt you?”
She shook her head.
Kyndran took her hand.
“Rynere, I can't go back to the village.”
“Why?”
“Something Kace told me. I'm the prince.”
“But ...what? He said -Danid said the prince was stillborn.”
“No. That was the story they created, because otherwise I would have been killed. I was sent away for protection.”
“What will happen to me? I can't just go back, pretend nothing ever happened...” Rynere shook her head, a tear slipping down her cheek. “No more than two weeks, and it feels like forever.”
There were a few moments of silence.
Then Kyndran got up, helping Rynere to her feet.
“Where do you want to go?” he asked.
“I -I don't know. I can't go back -but where else can I go?”
“Rynere, do you want to come with me?”
“What? She looked at him. “What do you mean?”
“Will you marry me?”
I just want you to know there is no wrong answer at the end.
“How sweet,” an arm suddenly appeared around Kyndran's neck.
Matthan.
“Say goodbye to your prince.”
Before Rynere knew what she was doing, she grabbed the knife from where it lay on the ground and drove it into Matthan's shoulder.
He stumbled back a few steps, still holding Kyndran. But his grip was weakened, and Kyndran shoved him back, spinning around and punching him in the neck.
Matthan fell back, lying still on the ground. Rynere stared at him, stunned.
A hand touched her shoulder.
“Rynere,” Kyndran said.
She realized she wasn't breathing, and inhaled quickly.
“Thank you.”
She nodded, once. He wrapped his arms around her, and for several seconds neither said anything.
Then they heard a sound, one person clapping his hands.
“Good, very good.”
Rynere stepped away, then caught her breath.
It had stopped raining. The sun was out.
They weren't in the woods anymore. They were outside a city, in a grove of trees near the road that led to the gates. And Tace was standing nearby, clapping.
“That's much better. Unfortunately, it's just boring after this part. Wedding, dancing, eating ...and in another twenty-five years doing this all over again. Now, if you'll follow me ...” he motioned toward the road. “Let's share the good news with the palace.”

AN EPILOGUE IS COMING