The sound of voices woke Gigi the following morning. Her body ached from the night before but it was nothing compared to weight in her chest. She remained tucked beneath her blankets trying to figure out how she would face the day, face Thayer.

The doors to her room opened. Following Margo in was Lady Brixton and a thin man in a green tunic. Light streamed in as Margo pulled aside the curtains. Gigi winced, sleep still holding on. As her grandmother and the man approached her bedside she blinked and focused on them. Wearily, she sat up, holding the blanket to her chest.

"Good morning, Genevieve," her grandmother said. She gestured the man beside her. "This is the palace's best healer."

Gigi smiled at the man, but her heavy thoughts made the look weak.

"What are your symptoms, Lady?" he asked.

"I have none. I am much better today," Gigi said. "I believe I have recovered. Tiredness was all it must have been."

"Are you sure, dear," Lady Brixton said. "You look frail."

Gigi couldn't argue with her grandmother's words, she felt as if she wanted to burrow back into her covers and never get out. With a critical eye, the man felt Gigi's forehead. Convinced there was nothing wrong with her temperature, he moved on to inspecting her pulse then the inside of her mouth.

As he worked he asked questions that Gigi answered, hoping to give him responses that would convince him she was fine. The only thing she truly suffered from was sore feet and a heavy heart. Neither things could be healed by him. When he was finished with his examination, the man stepped back.

"As far as I can tell she is fine," he said. "I would recommend rest since she seems a bit tired, but there is no illness that appears to be plaguing her."

"Thank you," Gigi's grandmother said. "You are free to leave."

The man ducked his head towards her, then looked to Gigi. "Have a pleasant day, Lady."

He left and Gigi focused on her grandmother who was giving her a searching look.

"There is a riding party this afternoon but perhaps it would best if you remained in your room today."

Gigi's stomach tightened. She couldn't stand the idea of spending the day trapped alone in her room with thoughts she couldn't sort out and emotions she didn't want to face.

"I do not think that will be necessary," she said, bringing up a more lively expression. "A short rest this morning will be all I require. I would hate to miss the last two days of the Festival. I can rest afterward."

Her grandmother gave her a knowing smile. "I wondered if that might be the case." She beckoned to Margo, who quickly joined her. "Draw Genevieve's bath and make sure she has everything she needs."

Margo curtsied. "Yes, Lady."

She scurried off to do as she was told.

"Well dear, rest and enjoy the riding party."

"Thank you, grandmother."

Lady Brixton left and Gigi let her cheerfulness die away. Pushing aside the blankets, she stood and walked to the balcony. The day was perfect for a ride out of the city. The sky was a shockingly bright blue with wisps of clouds stretched across it. A warm breeze played with the ends of her hair.

As Gigi stood there she was hit with the strongest desire to be past those walls again. Out in a world where no boundary stopped her. Where life was simple. Everything made sense. There were no complications. She wished to be home.

Memories swarmed around her head, muffling the pain she had woken up with.

"Lady?"

Margo was hovering right at the doorway.

"Your bath is ready," she said.

Gigi followed her to the bathroom. She knew Margo could sense her mood because she didn't press for information about how the previous night had gone. When Gigi said she could go as breakfast arrived, Margo only curtsied and wished her a pleasant day. Though Gigi had shunned the thought of being alone, she hadn't wanted to relive last night. As she ate she let the scene beyond her balcony doors hold her attention.

It was only when Margo returned to help her get ready for the riding party that she was aware of the time. Dressed in the appropriate attire, she left her room. She walked through the hallways, not seeing what she once had. The palace was like a woman whose glow had been stolen, still beautiful but not captivating.

In the courtyard men and women mingled as horses were brought out. The sound of their trilling voices reminded Gigi that she was still one of them. Raising a more friendly expression to her face, she descended the steps. She was just making her way to where Davin stood when a shadow cut across her path.

Thayer met her gaze and in that instant, she wished she hadn't looked. In his eyes, she could see how he saw all of her. The vagabond beneath the lady. Her heart backed away, guarding itself against the emotion in his brown eyes.

"How are you feeling today, my Lady?" he asked.

His manner as formal as always but Gigi detected a note of sincerity in his voice.

"Better, my Prince," she said, matching his manner.

"Not completely healed?"

The question was spoken casually but the look in his eyes gave it a weight only she knew.

"Time will do that." 

They held each other's gaze for a moment longer before an Earl approached Thayer. Gigi took the interruption as a means of slipping away. When she joined Davin, he gave her face a cursory glance.

"You're well," he said, his voice even. "Thank the stars. I feared your illness had taken you from us."

Despite the ache in her heart, Gigi managed a smile.

"I know you would be inconsolable at my parting."

"That I would." He tugged on his leather glove. "What drove you to solitude?"

Gigi's eyes roamed over the men and women so finely put together they seemed as if they stepped from paintings. Her own appearance matched their's but the mind inside it did not.

"I wished to be away from..." She shrugged. "I wished to be away is all."

"A wish I have often felt."

Thayer climbed the marble steps and waved a hand. The group went silent.

"We are ready to embark on our ride," he said. "Food and drink wait for us at the end."

Stable hands moved forward and everyone broke from their conversations to mount their horses. Vic found Gigi and assisted her into her saddle. As she situated her skirt over her knees a figure approached.

"I have never been rejected before. It was a strange experience. But I should have known it would come at the hands of a vagabond girl."

Since her heart resided on the other side of the courtyard, Raif's presence didn't hold the same effect on her. Meeting his eyes, she gave a small smile.

"Have you truly never been rejected?" she asked.

His ever-ready teasing look came into play. "Not to my recollection. What kept you from my side?"

"I was not feeling well. I remained in my rooms."

His eyes flitted over her face as if he could read the truth beyond her words. If he knew it was a lie, he made no comment.

"I am glad you have recovered then."

Hooves clattered over the tile ground as men made for the front gate.

"You owe me a dance," he said, flashing her a rakish grin as he reined in his eager horse. "And I plan to hold you to that."

With that, he spurred on his horse and joined the leading group. Gigi nudged her mare forward, falling into the back of the crowd. They passed through the large golden gates and out into the city. Their presence caused heads to pop out of windows and voices to stop mid-sentence to watch as the procession passed by. Some young girls called to the men and threw flowers. The sound of the horses thundered through the street.

Gigi watched the world as if in a dream, feeling trapped between being part of the nobility and feeling her true place was barefooted and waving from the sidewalk. The riding party left the city boundaries through the Western entrance taking them towards the rolling hills.

Once free of the walls Gigi felt as if she were yanked from under water. The air was startlingly fresh and though houses dotted the land it felt as if there was nothing but nature around her. Patches of flowers lined the road and spread out, monopolizing every free section of ground.

Free of the narrows streets, the group picked up speed. Quickly, they left the clusters of homes behind and were out in a world of sky and land. The familiarity of the freedom teased a smile from Gigi. It was like a song to her troubled heart. She was in an ocean of green, waves of rolling hills, climbing in size as they traveled on.

Around her, talk swirled like birds. At times two horsemen cut away at break-neck speeds chasing a destination only they knew. When they returned, one would raise his hand in victory. Cheers would ring out. Gigi watched the occurrences with puzzled interest.

When they had left the city far behind, Thayer rode up beside her. His entourage of soldiers just behind him. There was a lightness in his expression. She could tell the scenery had had the same effect on him has it had her.

"I know your father to be an accomplished horseman," he said. "Did you inherit his talent?"

"I believe so, my Prince."

"Willing to test that?"

There was a glint in his eyes that reminded her of the night before. The look was infectious.

"I am."

"A race then," he said, his tone betraying his eagerness. 

"Where to?"

He pointed out into the distance. "Beyond that ridge is a lake and our final destination for the day."

"Very well," Gigi said, her heart humming with just his presence.

As she directed her horse away from the cluster of riders, Thayer followed. When they were separate, he looked at her. With a challenging grin, she kicked her horse, taking off. The air snagged at her hair and whistled in her ears. Thayer's figure quickly came abreast of her but she ducked lower, not letting him gain an advantage.

Nothing was real to her but the ricocheting of her heart and Thayer's laugh.

They crested the ridge and dived into a valley. An expansive lake soared out beneath them. They pelted down the incline and raced to the edge of the lake, pulling up to a shuttering stop, feet before it. Both of them were breathing deeply, smiles cutting into their cheeks.

"I see you did inherit his talent," he said.

"Where did you learn to handle a horse so well?" she asked.

"I learned over the years I have spent traveling for my father."

Thayer swung out of his saddle and stepped over to Gigi, his hand raised in assistance. Smirking at his offer, she jumped down from her perch. He took her look in stride, his own lips hinting at amusement. They lead their horses around the edge of the lake, cooling them down.

"Do you travel often?" she asked.

They walked side by side, penned in between the horses.

"I do," he said. "I have traveled all over this Kingdom settling conflicts."

Gigi played with the rein in her hand. "Do you enjoy traveling?"

Something softened in Thayer's eyes. "Very much. I fear for the day when I will be King and locked in a palace, forced to rule from a distance."

"If you feel that way, can you not change it?"

"It is not a thing that can be changed."

There was a weight that dragged his shoulders down and stole away his smile.

"I never thought I was lucky to live such a wandering life," Gigi said, almost guilty for her freedom.

"It is a life to be cherished."

As they looked at each other Gigi had the strongest desire to ask him to run away with her. To come live a life where he could always be traveling. But the words never left her throat. The rise of voices snatched away their privacy.

"We should adjourn to the tents," Thayer said, his voice reserved once more.

Redirecting her horse, she followed his lead to the white tents that were set up beside the water. Tables laid stretched out beneath their shade, servants standing at the ready. The mass of men and women appeared at the top of the hill and descended into the valley. The minute they stopped before the tents, servants jumped into action aiding women and taking charge of horses.

Before they were in hearing range of the group, Thayer spoke.

"Thank you for the race, my Lady," he said.

Gigi felt her heart storing away the memory as reality was forced back on them.

**********

When the group left the lake they cut East taking a less traveled road to the city that ran alongside the ocean. The late afternoon sun glinted off the cresting waves, like sapphires reflecting the light. Gigi rode on the edge of the group, enthralled by the sea, watching as the water curled, the white foam growing then shattering into a million pieces on the sand.

Around her, the sound of her companions clogged the air. The wine had cracked the barriers of propriety and thoughts were more freely offered without the guise of politeness. The conversations taking place beside Gigi held nothing of interest for her, barely knowing the names they spoke of. Raif cut away from his distraction and sidled near Gigi.

"What are you thinking, Lady?" he asked.

His gaze was focused and he showed no signs of intoxication that was seen in his fellow travelers.

"You do not share the same state as everyone else," she commented.

"I know how to hold my drink."

Gigi nodded but said nothing else. Before Raif could proceed with another line of conversation a girl, older than Gigi with chestnut curls, rode up beside him. There was a look of mischief in her eyes, though her expression managed to remain straight forward.

"Duke Sayers," she said, "upon our return if you have a private moment I have a proposition for you. It is one I do believe you will not be able to resist."

Something flashed in her eyes, a look that Gigi didn't understand but Raif clearly did. The corner of his mouth quirked.

"Even if I tried," he said, "I expect you can be quite persuasive."

"In this matter, I can be."

"I have a meeting with an Earl when we return, but after that, I am all ours."

A hint of a sly grin sneaked onto the girl's lips. "I will hold you to that."

"I have every confidence you will."

The girl nudged her horse and trotted further up, joining a group of ladies Gigi knew only by sight and not name. A crease appeared between her eyebrows, as her mind whirred.

"Thoughts, vagabond girl?"

"I was merely trying to figure out what kind of proposition a girl like that would have for you," she said. "I was not aware women had dealings in business."

He looked at her like she was a puzzle he couldn't quite solve.

"I know you collect items for people, maybe that is what she meant."

Raif smiled at her, the look struggling between amusement and surprise.

"Yes," he said. "I am sure she wants to collect something from me."

There was an undercurrent to his voice that Gigi couldn't decipher. Before she even had the chance to inquire about it there was a commotion at the front. The group had rounded a bend and what was on the other side stole away Gigi's thoughts. Directing her horse forward, she cut through the crowd and stopped. Her heart lept into her throat.

Canvas tents were spread out as women and children moved between the structures. The sight of it sent a stab of shock through her. For a moment, she couldn't breathe, the sense of longing choking her. A cutting tone was what broke her from her daze.

"Is it even safe to travel here?" a girl said.

Gigi found the owner of the comment whose face was twisted into a disgusted sneer. The party continued moving, though their barbs were hurled at the unsuspecting people. Gigi couldn't move, she was frozen as vile words smeared the beauty of the place. Her fingers formed fists around her reins as children were drawn to the road by the horses and bright colors.

"Careful not to get filth on your skirts," one lady said, venom laced in every syllable.

Gigi's heart constricted as if each hateful word was being spat at her. Girls with baskets laden with clothes paused to admire the passing procession only hearing the words once they stopped. Gigi watched as the words stung and turned contented expressions into resigned ones. A tall figure stepped from the maze of tents. Gigi's chest collapsed. Huck's scowl cut deeper than any words he could say in that moment. She felt herself wilting under the gaze.

"They should all be locked away and never released," a bellowing Baronet said.

Nods of agreement rolled through the group. Huck's gaze never left Gigi, his arms crossed.

"They do not deserve to even travel this Kingdom."

"Enough!" The command came from a voice that demanded respect. Thayer rounded to the front of the group and stopped in front of them. His face was hard with outrage, though he tried to rein it in.

"You judge in ignorance," he said, his voice caring over the silent crowd. His gaze landed on the final accuser. "Apologize."

Despite himself, Huck's scowl was replaced with shock. It was a look mirrored on the whole company. When the man made no sign of speaking, Thayer brought his horse closer to him.

"I said apologize," he said, his tone a threat. "Immediately." 

The man swallowed hard and turned to the stunned collection of Eldin.

"My apologies," he said. Though the words were barely audible in the utter stillness they were heard.

Thayer pulled his horse back. "I suggest you continue on, keeping your thoughts to yourself."

The group quickly took up his suggestion, wanting to distance themselves from his reproachful gaze. Before Thayer moved on he nodded to the group of vagabonds and wished them a good day. Through it, all Gigi hadn't moved. Words were trapped in her throat.

"Genevieve," Raif said, tearing her from her statue-like state. "We should move along."

"Of course," she said, woodenly.

As she guided the horse away, she looked at Huck. In his eyes was the accusations that were consuming her mind. Ashamed, she ducked her head and urged her horse on. She rode on, wanting to go back, knowing that by the next day they would have traveled on, leaving Loria's borders.

Through the rest of the journey, she said nothing. Raif watched her but made no comment, leaving her to her thoughts. When they arrived at the palace everyone dismounted, chatting about the day. Ignoring what others might think, Gigi slid from her saddle and led her horse away. Vic rushed out to take the reins but halted at the dissolute look on her face.

"Lady?" he said, worried.

"I would like to lead her in," she said.

Nodding, Vic silently walked by her side. In the stall, she removed the saddle and handed it to him. She grabbed a wet towel from a bucket of water and began to clean the mare. Footsteps approached and she expected Vic to contradict her actions. But she was wrong.

"How are you feeling, my Lady," Thayer asked.

She froze, her hand resting the horse, water dripping down her wrist.

"Gigi?"

Her name in his soft, caring voice struck a note in her chest.

"I failed them," she whispered. "I have become the same as the people who jeered at them."

Thayer stepped into the stall, stopping right behind her.

"You are not like them," he said, his breath falling over her. "You would never say such evil things."

"No, I am worse. I said nothing at all."

Thayer lifted a hand as if to reach for her, to comfort her, but he halted, curled his fingers in and