CHAPTER NINETEEN
At the sight of the three of them caught like that, Royce wanted to leap from the saddle and go to them. He wanted to cut Altfor down just for daring to harm them. He wanted… it didn’t matter what he wanted. He had to think, had to be calm. Royce forced himself to take deep breaths, forced himself to think.
Around him, he could hear the murmurs and the distress of the others who had recognized them.
“They have Garet!” Raymond called out.
“I know,” Royce said.
Lofen spoke up. “How can we fight if they have Garet? They’ll kill him.”
“The same is true of my daughter,” Earl Undine said, and Royce could hear the strain in his voice as he turned to King Philip. “My king, I know that I swore to serve you, but my daughter is there. If I don’t withdraw my forces…”
“He’s goin
