Chapter 99

How Elizabeth and Ashton met *Eleven years ago* Elizabeth risked a glance down. The distance to the ground looked bigger than she’d expected. If she had known that it wouldn’t have been as easy getting down from the tree as it was going up it, she’d have stayed on the ground. Now she was stuck and to top it all off, she’d ripped her stocking. Her mum would be upset and she’d get scolded, but that was the last thing on her mind. She sighed, wondering if anyone was going to come looking for her and thought about how she might have to live in the tree for the rest of her life. Suddenly, a boy of about seven came around the corner. He was tired of being in the palace all day with his tutors. He wanted to explore a bit before it was time for the betrothal ceremony. It didn’t take him long to see that the cream dress billowing in the afternoon wind did not belong to a bird, but to a small girl. He paused for a moment, wondering what a girl was doing in