19 Chapter 19

Alexandra

Alexandra rode off into the darkness without much thought about where she was going. All she knew was that she could no longer stand being at home. She flipped between rage at her parents presuming to give her away like a prize at a village fair, and grief at the loss of everything she had valued. Even Herbert, whom she had always counted as a friend, had betrayed her with his silence.

The night was cool and clear. The moon shone on the road ahead of her. She forced herself to just concentrate on riding and to forget all other concerns. She was wearing her new riding dress, so she was comfortable enough, for now. But as the night grew colder she found herself appreciating the extra warmth of Rust beneath her.

Clouds covered the moon, and the runaway princess found herself riding through a very dark night. The road headed straight west so Alexandra just let her mare have her head. They clopped along at a walking pace. She had no doubt that she could just keep going until morning, then sort out her next step. That was before it started to rain. She laughed. It was fitting that everything should continue to go wrong. The rain soon soaked her to the skin and made the cobbles of the highway slick. Rust was finding it difficult to keep her feet. Alexandra turned to the south on a small dirt track.

She soon decided that it was a mistake. The rain that made the cobbles slick turned the dirt into a thick muck that pulled and dragged at Rust's feet. She found herself shivering harder. Just as Alexandra had decided to get off and walk, the mare stumbled. She barely managed to jump clear before the horse pinned her to the road. She landed in the ditch. The mud covered her from head to toe. Rust scrambled to her feet, but Alexandra saw immediately that the mare was lame. She would be walking from here on.

"Don't worry, girl, it isn't your fault." She grabbed the reins and started leading the horse along. Alexandra tried to keep to the edge of the road, but the mud still pulled at her. At least the rain washed some of the mud off, and walking helped to warm her up.

As the night progressed, walking no longer kept her warm. Alexandra found herself leaning more and more on Rust. Finally, they stumbled into a tiny village. The sky had lightened just enough for her to see that there was no inn. Alexandra hoped that it was late enough that people would be awake in the large house on the square. She tied Rust to a tree and dragged herself to the front door. The princess used the last of her strength to bang on the door.

It was opened by a young woman who was still wearing a housecoat.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

"I need a bed and perhaps a warm meal," Alexandra said.

"We don't take in vagrants," the girl waved vaguely toward the other edge of town. "Widow Black occasionally helps out the less fortunate." She closed the door on the princess while her mouth was still open.

Alexandra pulled herself back to Rust. The pair leaned on each other as they made their way to the edge of the village. The last house was a tiny cottage surrounded by a white fence. Alexandra left Rust by the gate and staggered to the door. She didn't have time to knock before it was opened by an old woman already in dress and apron, and flour up to her elbows.

"I..." started Alexandra before darkness swept over her.

She woke to find herself tucked into a comfortable bed. A shadow moved in the room.

"How are you doing, dear?" the voice was kindly, but unfamiliar. Alexandra tried to speak, but her mouth was too dry. A wrinkled hand put a cup of water in her hand. Alexandra sipped at it and felt better immediately.

"I am sorry to put you out," began the princess, but then she remembered her mare. "Oh, no, Rust!" She tried to get up but the same hand pushed her back down.

"If you mean that beautiful mare that was tied to my gate, then I put her in the shed for the night. There is a bit of hay for her."

Alexandra sighed in relief and let sleep pull her back into its embrace.

She woke again to sun shining through a window into a cheerful little room. The old woman was bustling about by the stove.

"You're awake, good," said the woman. She put a steaming bowl on the table beside a teapot. "Come and eat while the porridge is warm."

Alexandra found she was wearing a worn nightgown. With a mental shrug, she pushed herself out of the bed and walked to the table. The porridge was indeed hot, and sweetened with honey. She had finished the bowl before she thought about it, then sat back and sipped at her tea.