The Seventh Princess and the Ninth Prince busied themselves by the river for a while, their attention entirely absorbed in fishing. The two siblings worked together with surprising ease, laughing whenever they managed to haul another fish from the water, and Ethan watched them from nearby, content to let them enjoy themselves.
Then a rustling in the bushes caught Ethan's ear. A small squad of soldiers emerged from the undergrowth. The half-dozen men froze the instant they caught sight of the three figures by the river, and the color drained from their faces. One of them hurriedly pulled out a whistle and blew a short, sharp note.
The shrill sound echoed through the forest, and almost immediately, shouts answered from every direction as the pounding of approaching footsteps grew louder.
Ethan didn't move. He simply sat where he was, calm enough that he barely even twitched.
