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intervene. I glanced at Doctor Lyons. He winced and mouthed something at me that I did not catch. Before I could ask him to repeat it, a man burst into the room, shouldering aside the older men who had gathered to listen nervously to the argument. I blinked. I moved back farther into the alcove, assessing this wholly unexpected turn of events.
    My forest bandit, Aleksey, had just burst into the room—only now he was not filthy or bedraggled. If I doubted that this beautiful man in leather and silk was my bandit, his identity was confirmed when Faelan trotted in and joined him alongside the bed. Aleksey spoke a few words with the ailing king. I looked around. Was no one intervening? No one was, and I heard a murmured, “Your Royal Highness,” from a bowing courtier. I looked again, and the bandit was no longer there. He was Prince Christian. Christian Aleksey . I should have listened to my hostess more attentively.
    I heard the king murmur the word doctor, and Aleksey turned, his penetrating green eyes scanning the room. He saw me, and I came forward. I wanted to say something, but for the life of me I couldn’t think of anything that actually conveyed in words what I felt, and this confused me so much I said nothing of any import at all. Instead I began to mention something noncommittal about our previous meeting but saw a tiny shake of his head, and his eyes held mine for a moment longer than appropriate. So in the end, I just bowed and said I was pleased to make his acquaintance. Faelan graced me yet again with a slight snarl and raised lip. I glanced at the wolf and mentally apologized for the lie by omission. The place was beginning to affect me. Prince Christian returned to his father’s side and idly tucked a blanket in as he stared forlornly at the shrunken figure. This small gesture, more than anything I had seen that day, seemed to be a genuine expression of concern. I noted it with interest.
    The prince suddenly turned from the bed and pointed to me. “Come, we will walk.” He swept out. I gathered this was royal for may I speak with you, and would you like to take a walk with me ? I debated ignoring the summons but decided that, in the interests of my new patient’s health, it would do more good to obey. It was not in my nature to obey the imperious summons of a mere boy, however, and I was in no pleasant mood by the time I caught up to him in the long gallery that led away from the king’s apartments.
    My anger was immediately mollified when the prince, sensing my presence (which was hardly a compliment to his great perception, because the damned dog thing at his heels growled at me yet again), turned with a smile and said simply, “Sorry. You threw me there. I should have made the connection. You said you were a doctor, but we didn’t believe you.” He smiled more privately and added, “You don’t look at all like a doctor, trust me.”
    I couldn’t help but smile back. “Well, then, I apologize for thinking you were a bandit with pretensions to land that was not yours. It was your land. I was trespassing.”
    “You thought I was a bandit?” He laughed. “Do bandits share breakfast with lone travelers and then leave them with their honor and life intact?”
    “I don’t know. I’ve never met one before. I thought you might be having an off day.”
    He turned from the gallery and pushed open some doors. They led out onto a stone walkway around the ramparts. The view was quite breathtaking. I went immediately to the battlements and peered over. There was a sheer drop to the sea below, which was calm, lapping gently at the rocks. The air was soft, and I could hear gulls circling somewhere toward the town. I lifted my face to the weak sun. It would be winter soon, and days like this were to be treasured. I felt a stab of intense pity for the man I had just left so sick and weak in his bed and resolved that if I could do nothing else, I would insist that he was taken out for some sun and air