It really was one simple wrong turn that had led Kit to a dead end and an impasse. Once they were back at the crossroads, it was easy to see she should’ve went the other direction. She wondered what may have happened if she had gone the other way. Would he have let her go, or would he have caught up to her? The princess decided she was better off not knowing.

The trumpeters had relocated to the exit point, and as soon as Eli and Kit crossed the line, they blew their horns, signaling the contest was over. Kit was surprised to see the queen had already made her...