She went over to the hearth, tossing the letter inside. There was just enough of a fire left to singe the paper, making it unreadable.

Now she had to find something suitable to train in. Searching through the armoire, she found pants and a tunic at the bottom of the last drawer. After quickly changing, she felt more like herself. The sleek pants made her legs look long, the slim shirt highlighting her curvy figure. Excitement coursed through her. She was going to train with soldiers!

After exiting the palace, she hurried across the lawn and past the lake until she came to the military compound. Not sure where to go, she ducked into the office building.

“I’m Lady Reid Ellington,” she said, addressing the man behind the desk. “Prince, I mean Commander Dexter, is expecting me.”

“Yes.” The man stood. “I’m to give you a tour, then escort you to the training yard.”

“Lady Reid,” a familiar voice called. “I can’t let this chap give you a tour.” Markis patted the man’s back.

“The commander gave me specific instructions.”

“I understand,” Markis said. “I truly do. But I’m free right now, and I can do it for you.” He held out his arm. “Reid and I are old friends.”

Reid eagerly took it, allowing Markis to usher her down the hallway.

They turned a corner, entering into a spacious room. “Is this an indoor training facility?” She’d never seen anything like it. Weapons lined the back wall. Several wooden boards were situated throughout at random intervals, probably serving as buildings or providing cover for various exercises.

“It is. It allows small groups to work on tactical drills.” Markis led Reid from the room, then along another hallway. “This is my favorite place.” He pushed the door open, allowing Reid to walk through first.

Curious, she entered the long, narrow room. It contained a dozen separated lanes, each with a round target on the far wall. Several bows and arrows were piled on a rectangular table by the entrance. “An indoor shooting range?”

“Isn’t it fantastic?” Markis went over to the middle lane, picking up one of the smaller bows. He nocked an arrow, aimed, and shot. The arrow flew through the air, landing dead center with a satisfying thud. “Want to try?”

Was that even a question? Going to the adjacent lane, she chose a bow. After nocking the arrow, she lifted the bow and aimed it at the target. She tried to line the arrow up the way Markis had shown her. When she was confident she’d done so correctly, she released it. It soared toward the target, landing a foot below it. She burst out laughing. “I was so sure it would hit dead center, not miss the target completely.”

He chuckled. “Try again.”

She nocked another arrow.