“Greta!” Janessa said excitedly, rushing forwards to hug the other woman. Greta was clad in a simple black dress, smiling happily ever as she shivered. Northfjord was much colder than Estrellia usually was, and she could tell her transformed guard wasn’t used to it.
“How did you escape?” Janessa asked. She knew her message must have gotten to Greta if she was here, but she knew Antyny must have been furious after everything that had happened, and the castle must have been heavily guarded.
Greta smiled. “I convinced one of the guards to take me for a walk in the palace gardens.” She said. “He didn’t realize some of our friends on the staff were waiting. They knocked him out, and I slipped over the low wall on the southern side and vanished into the woods before anyone realized I was gone. I knew Janessa was on her way here, so I made my way to the port and paid a captain to take me here.”
“It was very brave of you to escape, and to pretend to be a concubine at all.” Vidar said. “You and Janessa are both very courageous women.” Janessa’s eyes widened slightly as she realized Northfjord’s rulers didn’t realize Greta, like her, was actually a man. She glanced over at Greta, who shook her head very slightly, telling Janessa not to say anything.
Greta and Janessa both thanked the prince, and the group settled down to eat breakfast. Lilia asked Greta a series of questions about her own life, and Greta told them that she’d been trained by her father as an agent of Karagot’s monarchy. Lilia seemed very impressed, and Janessa couldn’t help feeling ashamed that they weren’t telling her and her family the whole truth.
But at this point she didn’t even know how to start explaining, and while she thought they were safe here in Northfjord she couldn’t be certain. No, it was better to wait. Surely Greta could help her come up with a way to explain everything.
After breakfast, Janessa helped the princess go over her accounts. Lilia was impressed Janessa could understand math as well as read. The redhead explained that her parents had seen education as very important, hoping that her story would be believed.
Later on, the group made their way to a balcony to watch some of Northfjord’s warriors train. Janessa felt a pang of regret. She’d never been too fond of training with a sword when she’d been the prince, but now she found herself almost missing it.
Later on….