Well, here I am again, Sioni thought, finishing tucking the braid around her waist. Lost in the forest, fleeing an evil witch. At least, I assume it’s the same evil witch. She sighed. Life was so much simpler in the tower.

She looked up the path. She’d been walking for an hour, and she had a feeling she would be missed before too long. If she stayed on the path, she wouldn’t get lost, but it would be easier for “Helen” to find her. In the forest, she might fall prey to trolls or goblins or who knew what—but she was starting to get the feeling that, compared to Malvolia, the worst a goblin could do was invite her in for tea with only one lump of sugar.

At least she wasn’t some useless princess. Even if she’d been locked up in a tower for years, peasant girls learned much when they were young. She could find directions by the sun, or by the moss on tree trunks, and that would be something. Now if only she knew which direction home was…

Taking her best guess, Sioni stepped into the forest.