"P–Princess??" The soldier stepped back, bewildered. Anaisa was glad the darkness of the cave would hide the subtle differences between her features and Sapphira's.
Trace jumped out beside her, clearly displeased that she'd deviated from the plan.
But he'd always said the plan would adapt as things unfolded, and the men here were clearly not going to listen to Trace.
They might listen to her.
"Barnabas–Count Oakdown–is a scoundrel, a murderer, and a liar," She spat. "The marriage cannot happen. My father is under the influence of the Count's magic, and does not want the wedding to happen either. You must help the king by stopping the evil man!"
The soldiers tensed, confused by the words. They looked towards their commander for orders, but the man stared at Anaisa intently.
"How did you get here more quickly than we did, Your Highness?" He asked skeptically. Anaisa paled, but made a show of rolling her eyes like Sapphira might do.
