That's not what he was expecting her to say, but it's better than some reactions he'd been worried about.

"Not quite, Princess."

She blinks back tears.  "Are you at least going to fix something?"

Fraddir nods.  "I'm here to take you somewhere you'll be safe, until we can free the kingdom."

"The gods have given me a vision; I have a plan."

"Where're we going!?  What's the plan!?"

Then she looks over at Selma.

Selma feels a sudden burst of pride and love that - amid chaos of invasion and the governess and everyone else vanishing, and then sudden hope - Arina's looking at her.  She wishes for a moment the plan to hide her as her niece had been able to work out somehow.

But she doesn't say any of this.  She gives a slight nod - and then, a moment later, squeezes Arina's shoulder.

"I can't tell you the plan just yet," Fraddir says.  "We mustn't let any of it get to the Empire."

"But Selma wouldn't tell them!"

Selma smiles ruefully.  No, if Arina isn't thinking about compulsions, this isn't the time to remind her when they don't need to.

"Thank you, Princess, but Reverend Fraddir doesn't know that I won't."

"So where are you taking me?  Or can't you tell me that either?"

"Into the forest, for now.  There're some things we need to do there."  That's vague enough.

Arina jumps up.  Finally, she's going on an Adventure!

"Yes!  And then we can start working to free the kingdom, right?  Who else's coming?  And we can ride there - Father tells me that I'll be able to speak to the horses sometime soon; I can't do it yet but I'll talk with them anyway -"

Fraddir would like to run the Princess down to the stables and gallop off to the woods right now.  His mage-sense keeps prickling imagining an Imperial Gate right behind them any moment.

But on second thought, some packing would be helpful.  He can find food, but he doesn't even have the first idea what else a young girl would need him to find.

So, he follows Selma and Princess Arina back to the nursery for the moment.

Princess Arina has plenty of questions.

"Did your god say why He told you just now?  Can He do anything about Father?  Or the Empire?  How long is this plan going to take?"

Fraddir doesn't have answers.

He's realizing he really doesn't know how to deal with little girls, but lying to the Princess is probably not the nicest idea, so he'll tell the truth.

"I don't know why He told me now.  Maybe we're the first kingdom with... what we need for this plan?  I don't know how long it's going to take, or what'll happen to your father the king."

Selma does have that answer, at least.  She pauses midway through stuffing a pack and bends down by Arina, putting her hand on her shoulder.  "I think the Emperor will probably keep your father alive, at least."

The rumor is he usually does that with conquered kings.  Why an immortal mage-Emperor would want that is another question, but she doesn't know that one.

"Good.  Then we can rescue him too, after rescuing everyone else."

She jerks closed the strap on her own small pack and slings it onto her back.  "I'm ready - come on, Selma, Reverend, let's go!"

Fraddir is going through the supplies in his own pack.  There was a decent amount of food and tools, and that jeweled flute and the magic necklace Selma had showed him a minute ago would probably be very useful... but would one girl really need so many dresses and hairbrushes...

He purses his lips when Arina mentions rescuing her father (it's probably impossible), and frowns at her "let's go."  He'd been planning for this to just be the two of them.

Selma notices the frown.  She doesn't want to argue in front of Arina.  Maybe that wouldn't be a problem; she's already proven a lot more resilient than Selma expected.  But then, she doesn't want to risk it now.

Either way, she puts her hand up in front of Fraddir.  "I know three good horses for us."

"Have you lived in the forest?"

"No, but I haven't lived under the Empire yet either.  And you'll need me."

She gestures at Arina.

Arina suddenly realizes what they're talking about.  "Of course Selma's coming!  We can't leave her here to get captured!"

Before Fraddir can reply, Selma raises her hand.  "I'll help with whatever plan the gods gave you, or I'll stay out of it if that's what you need, either way, as best as I can.  I swear by Tembor and all the gods."