I know these gates well, have stood on both sides of them in my lifetime, as a slave and a princess. The long, winding road beyond leads through the heavy forest and to the palace where my grandfather and my love await rescue.

Syd stands apart, arms crossed over her chest, the cool night air carrying the promise of winter to come. I stay out of the way of Femke, Eva Southway glued to her hip, where the European Leader talks quietly with a large ...