"buying the flax won't save her."

lady linnea closed her eyes and knitted her hands together to keep from reaching out and pulling on prince toril's long bangs in impatience. "it won't," she agreed, her voice tight as she tried to practice patience. "but it will buy gemma some extra time until i can think of a proper escape strategy."

"oh," prince toril said.

lady linnea waited several moments for a more eloquent response. none were forthcoming. "so?"

"yes?"

"will you buy the flax?"

prince toril patted his stallion's glossy neck. "very well," he said. "i hope this servant of yours is worth it."

"gemma is priceless," lady linnea said. "now get to the markets. you have to buy the flax before your father gives the orders!"

"ahh, yes," toril said. he gripped the stallion's reins before vaulting back into the saddle. "i will send word to you about the flax."

"thank you. i will speak with gemma and see if she will tell me how she received the gold," lady linnea said.

"you what? you cannot. she is in the dungeons."

"i already know that," lady linnea said, rolling her eyes. "she was wretched hard to find."

"you went to the dungeons?"

"heavens no! even i am not that daring. no, i found her by the prison windows."

"i see."

"good. now get buying!" lady linnea said, making a shooing motion at the prince. "prince toril," she called after the prince turned his stallion in the direction of the forest. "thank you."

prince toril bowed at the waist. "i am happy to help," he said before he rode off.

"even if he isn't the brightest, i like him more when he is invested, not moping," lady linnea decided as she bustled off in the direction of the palace.

"...and that is our plan," lady linnea said, smiling brightly.

"i see," gemma said.

"what do you think?" lady linnea asked.

"it sounds expensive," gemma honestly responded.

"well, maybe. we'll see. that reminds me, how on earth did you get gold thread?" lady linnea asked, peering down into the depths of gemma's cell.

"a mage broke into the room and spun it for me," gemma said.

"if you don't want to tell me, you don't have to make up a story about it," lady linnea said.

"it's not a story."

linnea rolled her eyes. "regardless, do you think you can pull it off again?"

gemma tilted her head and studied the far wall. what was the likelihood that the mage would magic his way through the castle to come to her rescue a second time? "i don't think so."

"that's too bad. we'll just have to get you out before the king imprisons you in another room with flax. ah, that reminds me! here," lady linnea said. she disappeared for a moment. when she swerved back into view, she carried an axe, which she struggled to lower through the grille of the window.

the fat, wedge-shaped head caught on the bars and would not push through.

lady linnea grunted, her eyes shut tightly as she strained to hold the tool. "do you have it?"

"it is stuck on the bars."

"what? please tell me you are jesting."

"i don't often jest, my lady."

lady linnea sat on the grate and tried maneuvering the axe through the slender gap between the bars with no luck.

"i don't think it's going to fit," gemma said.

"it has to," lady linnea grunted as she heaved all of her weight onto the axe's wooden handle. "i've failed you too many times. it's unacceptable."

"someone is going to hear you," gemma said, staring at the stuck axe head that clanked against the window grille.

lady linnea gave up and tossed the axe aside, her shoulders drooping. "i'm sorry, gemma. i'm useless, aren't i?"

"you are not," gemma said, giving lady linnea a rare smile of affection.

"i am, too. i keep trying, but i fail! trying alone isn't going to save you," lady linnea said, brushing dirt off her dress. "i'll bring something later today-a slender dagger without a hilt, perhaps.

"you think you will be able to slip away from your home again?"

"yes. mama and papa think i'm despondent and locked up in my room since you were taken away. although i better go. they'll be knocking on my door soon for lunch," lady linnea said before she ducked from view. gemma heard a clank as the noble lady tried hefting the axe over the wall that separated gemma's cell from the palace grounds.

"my lady," gemma said.

lady linnea reappeared. "yes?"

"thank you for the help," gemma said.

lady linnea smiled. "of course. you are important to me, gemma," she said before she threw herself at the wall and started climbing. "i'll see you this afternoon!" she said, hefting herself over the wall and disappearing all together.