Reluctantly, Crispin nodded, biting his inner cheek hard enough now to taste warm blood. He'd made the same decision himself yesterday, to leave them lie; it had been necessary then, and it was more so now.

"You've proven to be loyal, Crispin, and I'm impressed with your quick-thinking and resourcefulness. I've a commission for you. Do it well and we may be able to avert an all-out war even while we get my daughter back alive. Do it poorly and we may all lose our lives."

The steadiness of the king's gaze told Crispin more than his words did, that the next few days would be critical for himself, the king, the kingdom, and especially for his princess. Crispin swallowed hard and nodded wordlessly, his own gaze now steady on the king's face.

"Good." The king's voice became harder now, all business. "I'm going to give you two fresh horses because speed is of the essence." He grimaced and continued.

"I mean to promote you to the post of courier. You'll carry a message for me to King Fergasse of Jurat. I'll give you my signet ring, so Fergasse will know whom you represent. He must also have conspirators in his court; none could have planned the kidnapping so well or so quickly without advance knowledge."

The king stopped talking, a far-away look in his eyes. Moments later, he removed a small ring from his little finger and looked at it, rolling it over and over in his hand before giving it to Crispin.

He took the ring from his monarch, examining it. There was a small metal shield surrounded by brightly sparkling diamonds. Crispin recognized the design as the king's personal coat of arms such as was displayed on the door of his coach, rather than the official seal that would be affixed to documents. He opened the purse on his belt and withdrew a small scrap of fabric. He wrapped the ring in it and carefully placed it back into his purse as the king cleared his throat and resumed speaking.