At the crack of dawn, Alderic was still buried under his blankets when Josh's invitation for a wilderness adventure arrived. The crown prince wasted no time, rallying a dozen elite palace guards for the excursion.
"Where's His Highness?" Eldredge cornered a young eunuch after morning court, still catching his breath from rushing to his mentor's quarters.
"Gone since sunrise," the eunuch bowed. "Perhaps return tomorrow?"
Eldredge slumped against a pillar with a groan. Had he known his mentor would skip assigning lessons again, he wouldn't have lingered over tea until his brain turned to mush.
Alderic had galloped out the palace gates at first light, but instead of heading straight to the rendezvous, he made a beeline for the pyrotechnics district. After commandeering two crates of festi
