They had bought enough supplies to last them until reaching Clayland. The Dreamer had arranged for a reliable man to take care of the Princess while they would be seeking for the mythical medicine.
Serenica visited him in her dreams twice. On the second time she had to confess that it pained her to see a mere image of him when she craved to see the real prince, flesh and blood. They agreed to only meet on new moons.
She had plenty of time and energy to put into Essieca and the experimental version of the ancient treatment. The progress was slow. However, as time passed by, the young madwoman began to show at least some emotion. She would occasionally chuckle as she was feeding the goats. Serenica didn't find the goats to be all that funny, but she was glad to see her friend smile and laugh once more.
Perhaps Essieca would never be her old self again. She could become happy, though.