Book 3: Able-Bodied Men

Ainslee

We do not get far.

As soon as we are outside Mighty Jaw, we start to see the carts, the terrible cage carts where the Rallegrad guards are imprisoning every able-bodied man they can find.

My guards become nervous, as do Jerim and Lawrence.

“This isn’t good, Your Majesty,” Lawrence whispers, riding beside the cart. “We’ll never make it past these guards.”

“If we end up in a confrontation, Your Majesty, there aren’t enough of us to defend you,” the leader of our four guards adds, coming up beside Lawrence.

Jerim shakes his head. “For the baby’s sake, Ainslee, we can go no further.”

“No. We have to find Drake! Rafe!” I insist. But my words fall on deaf ears.

“Ainslee.” Annamarie rides up to the other side of the cart. “Think of the baby. Like Jerim said, Rafe would never want you trying to go on such a dangerous journey.”

“But we must find them.” I try to use my most royal tone to persuade them, but they don