The princess awakened with a start and shot to the opposite side of the carriage to stare at the gray haired man, eyes wide in fear. In that brief moment, she forgot where she was and the events that had transpired that morning. It took a second for her senses to come back and she relaxed. She scooted across the carriage to hop out with the help of the driver.

Cecilia looked around, blue eyes alert and awake now as she took in the tiny village around them. She had never been here. It was off the regular path. Not that all villages in the kingdom weren’t important... some were just far out of the way.

“Willowshire?” she asked. It was all coming back to her now. Malcolm taunting her that morning... the soldier ushering her through the castle... the horses. Her head shot towards the horses now, who were standing patiently, waiting to be fed and watered after their long journey. She took another step away from the carriage, still nervous of the huge animals.

The town was quiet and peaceful. Very different from Dalhourst. By this time of the evening, the city was still alive and bustling with people. Here, it seemed that the town was already settling in for the night.

For someone who had just awakened, Cecilia was full of energy. Hell, she was practically bouncing as she peered past the carriage and at the inn that they had stopped in front of. “Is this were we’re staying?” she asked. It was an inn. An honest to goodness inn. With beds! Maybe even a [i]bath[/i]! It was difficult to contain her excitement at the prospect.