Read Online Princess in Disguise by E. D. Baker - Free Book Online Page A

I don’t really want to go through the forest now. It seems awfully dark compared to this.”
    â€œI was about to say the same thing,” said Liam. “I don’t think Otis would mind, either.”
    The horse was nibbling the grass that grew along the edge of the path, moving from patch to patch as if he were starving.
    â€œWe should probably tie him to something, but I think he’d break a moonflower stem, and I don’t want to tie him in the forest,” Annie said.
    â€œI can handle that,” Liam told her. Taking the extra rope from his knapsack, he hobbled Otis’s two backlegs so he couldn’t go far if he did wander off. “I don’t think he’ll want to leave anyway. There’s enough grass here to last him for months.”
    Annie and Liam shared a small supper of bread and cheese. While Annie put away the rest of the food, Liam spread a blanket on the ground. “I’ve been thinking,” he said as he straightened the blanket. “I’m worried about my father. He didn’t come to the wedding like he said he would, and King Dormander’s army is south of your parents’ castle. That was the direction my father would have come from if he’d been on his way.”
    â€œYou think he might have run into the army? I can’t imagine that they would do anything to him,” said Annie.
    Liam shrugged. “We don’t even know why they’re in Treecrest or anything about their king. There’s no guessing what a complete stranger would do. I just want to make sure my father is all right, that’s all.”
    â€œThen after we talk to Moonbeam, and we know she’s going to go help my family, we’ll head straight to Dorinocco to see your father,” said Annie.
    â€œGood,” Liam replied. “I can live with that. Here, you lie down on the blanket. I don’t think the moonflower stalks are strong enough for me to lean against, so I’ll prop myself up on our knapsacks.”
    â€œI don’t think you need to keep watch tonight,” said Annie. “This place has its own kind of magic. I can hear a very faint melody, and the tapping of the moonflowers is part of it. People are safe when they’re here; I’m sure of it.”
    â€œReally?” said Liam. “Because I can sit up and—”
    â€œThere’s no need,” Annie told him. “What you need to do more than anything is get some rest. Tomorrow we have to look for someone who can tell us where to find Moonbeam.”
    Liam was reluctant to lie down, but when he did, he was the first one to fall asleep. Annie lay on her back, gazing up at the moonflowers, thinking how glad she was to have Liam in her life. She could handle just about anything when he was by her side. As soon as they found Moonbeam, they’d go check on Liam’s father, then deal with King Dormander. After that, they could finally get married and … Annie fell asleep, listening to the magic of the moonflowers.
    It was only a few hours before dawn when Annie woke. The sound had changed, but she couldn’t identify what had happened until she looked up and saw that the moonflowers had opened to catch a gently falling rain. Because the edges of the petals overlapped, the flowers caught most of the rain. As far as Annie could tell, very little moisture actually reached the ground. She fell back to sleep a few minutes later, lulled by the rain’s patter.

    â€œWhere should we ask about Moonbeam first?” Annie asked Liam the next morning. They had already eaten a breakfast of apples, and Otis was ready to go.
    â€œI thought we’d cross over the rainbow bridge and head for Gruntly Village,” said Liam.
    Annie was surprised. “You want to ask the ogres?”
    â€œThey’re the only people we know of who live around here,” Liam said, shrugging. “If we see anyone else, we’ll ask them.”
    â€œThen I hope