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it was true, that Leila was dead. Every time he shut his eyes, he saw her lifeless body.
    He didn’t mean to worry about Leila, but inwardly he scolded himself for not walking her outside. He should have been the gentleman he was taught to be. He exited the tavern and briefly asked the stranger mounting his horse if he’d seen Leila. No such luck.
    Larkin walked off into the woods behind the bar. It took a moment for his eyes to adapt to the dark. The lantern was out. “Leila?” Silence answered him.
    Larkin followed the dirt path up to the latrine. She’d be pissed with him for interrupting her, but he’d deal with it. He stumbled, tripping on something lying along the path. His heart quickened. “Leila?” Larkin hoped it wasn’t her, but it was definitely a body. He felt for a pulse, searching for any sign of life as he pulled back the cloak, revealing her lifeless face. “No!”
    Refusing to leave her in the woods alone, he lifted Leila’s body into his arms and carried her into the tavern. “Help!” The music and laughter vanished as quickly as the horror set in. “Is anyone a doctor?”
    Whispers and soft murmurs erupted amid the crowd. A gentleman stepped forward, searching her neck for a pulse. “It’s too late.”
    “It can’t be.” Larkin refused to give up and believe she was dead. “Maybe she’s cold.” Her skin was pale, with no hint of color. He removed his coat and covered Leila’s body to keep her warm. “Someone, do something!”
    A harsh whisper escaped a woman’s lips. “It’s King Philip’s daughter.”
    “Are you sure?” a man standing beside the woman asked.
    “Of course I’m sure! I staff the kitchen and feed the royal family.” She pushed through the crowd toward the body and brushed the red locks from the young girl’s face.
    Larkin stood beside Leila, protective of her. “No, her name is Leila.” He didn’t know her surname. She hadn’t given it, but it wasn’t possible for this girl to be a princess.
    “The princess has a birthmark on her right arm, in the shape of a heart,” the woman said. Gently she removed his coat and lifted the sleeve, revealing the inside of her arm. It was Ophelia Dacre. “Detain him!” the woman demanded, pointing at Larkin.
    “What?” His eyes widened and heart palpitated. “I didn’t do anything!”
    “You were the last one outside with the princess.”
    Footsteps clattered along stone. The guard was returning. The young girl gave him a weak smile. Her eyes were kind, her heart perhaps in the right place. “You should go.”
    “I'll try and come back for you.” She rushed toward the stairs and hid against the wall in the privacy of darkness.
    “Don't.” Larkin stood as the guard walked by the girl and handed him a mug of water through the cell bars.
    “Don't what?” the guard asked.
    “Just talking to myself.”
    She disappeared up the stairs and away from the prison chambers. He silently prayed she wouldn’t return. The prison cells were no place for a young girl.

Unburying Your Mistakes
    Chapter 3
    “I thought you didn't know how to ride a horse?” Violetta accused Leila when she returned.
    Emblyn quietly watched from the front of the cottage.
    Leila tied the horse up around back. She walked toward the berry bushes, picking breakfast. She was starving. “I'm a quick study.”
    “You're a liar. And I wouldn't eat those. They're poisonous,” Violetta snapped.
    Emblyn walked onto the lawn, interrupting them. “No, they're not. We cut down the poisonous berries decades ago.”
    “You ruin everything,” Violetta snarled at Emblyn.
    “The poor girl is hungry. Besides, maybe she has a valid reason for borrowing the horse this morning? Did you get your first reap?”
    Leila rolled her eyes. She wasn't about to lie to them, but stretching the truth seemed easier. “I had some errands to run.”
    Emblyn frowned. “That's vague. Leila, where were you?”
    “I need help. I went to see Larkin.” Leila sighed and