Katherine had almost reached their tent when she heard some sort of ruckus in one of those nearby and recognized a young boy's voice and that of a gypsy man. Lifting her skirts out of the way, Katherine hurried in that direction, arriving just as the man jerked the boy up off the ground, boxed his ears, and slapped his face.
The small boy hit the ground hard and curled into a small protective ball against the swift kick the man dealt to his ribs.
"Stop it!" Katherine commanded.
"What are you doing?"
"Stay out of this, Your Highness. This is none of your concern." Katherine kept on walking until she stood between the young boy, who crouched behind her skirts, and the huge gypsy, who towered well above her, his face dark with rage.
"Stand away!" he commanded.
"I am warning you!"
"What did he do?" Katherine asked, refusing to budge.
"What could be so? "What did he do? " Katherine asked, refusing to budge.
