So, I finally figured out at least one of the people accompanying the duchess on her diplomatic mission: the very knight my protagonist squire serves. This will actually work out well as it provides the way for the squire to end up guarding the crown prince.

And I get to dig up my original first draft from a long time ago and use some of the scenes I wrote where the prince and the squire are traveling south through the Isle to the main docks. All I need to do is reverse the direction and order of those events and they will fit right in.

Suddenly, I have another 7100 words to add, yet again doubling this WIP. I will probably rewrite all 7100 words and expand upon them - and that doesn't even count the new scenes with the duke who discovers his daughter has been sent on a fool's mission along with his top knight.

I still have to plot out the duchess' overall subplot. I do know where she ends up at the conclusion of this book, but the journey she'll go on to get there is still all up in the air other than her soon to be hostage status.

Hopefully, while I rework the bulk of the crown prince/squire scenes I get to restore from oblivion I will have worked out her journey.