Memories

With Lily at her side, Rose rushed out of the back of the inn and into the open air. They had barely managed to escape before the helpful knight had seen them.

"Thank you." The princess heaved a relieved sigh. Her heart felt like it would leap out of her chest. She looked apologetically at the server. "It isn't what you think. I'm not some sort of criminal, I promise!"

"If I had thought you were a criminal, I would not have helped you," Lily assured the frantic woman. "Though whatever happened to you before, I do promise you that knight can help you. If you have a place you need to go, he could even escort you..."

Lily stopped as the voices of Katherine and Ethyn wafted from the side of the inn.

"I know the kitchen needs to be always stocked with wood. I just didn't realize this wood was for the kitchen and not the main dining room," Ethyn explained.

"Well, it is. This time of year it is far too warm to have a fire in the main room. Maybe in a few weeks we could manage it," Katherine answered.

Seeing the Princess's body tense, Lily looked toward the incoming pair with her brow furrowed. "Young miss, I know your instinct is to run, but I do think..." Shifting her gaze back to the cloaked figure, Lily realized the girl was already gone. The blonde server had not even seen the girl move. "Impressive," she said with a hint of sadness.

"What is?" Ethyn asked as he went around the corner.

"Our visitor," Lily sighed. "There is something strange about her. Ethyn, have you seen Silver?"

The young knight shook his head. "Not recently. He's on an errand."

Katherine understood. "I'll send word to Conall. We can't let that girl come to harm."

Ethyn was suddenly intrigued. "What girl?"

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As soon as Lily looked toward the voices, Rose instinctually slipped away into the shadows. It was something she felt like she had always known to do. King Rhodri had often joked that she must be part wraith to come in and out of existence so easily. As a child, the young princess had often spooked the palace staff unintentionally by her sudden appearances.

Now Rose realized that the explanation for her skill was not otherworldly. Silver had taught her. As she passed along the woods, Rose remembered the times when her brother had given her little lessons on how to remain unseen.

They had been merely games at the time, but really they were skills Silver thought were crucial to the little girl's survival. Rose would thank him for that and so many more things when she finally got the chance.

That chance would come very soon.

The further the princess walked through the woods parallel to the main road, the more intense the pressure in his chest became. She was getting increasingly nervous. Doubts crept into her head.

'What if I am wrong and being delusional?' Rose pushed away the thought immediately. Silver had left her the necklace, which had brought back things to her memory that had been locked away. The princess was sure of her connection to the Guardian.

'What if he doesn't want to see me? What if he sent me away on purpose as a child and only revealed himself to give me the necklace?' This was a much more real concern, and one that Rose had been wrestling against internally since she left the palace.

Silver had not told her who he was. Maybe he did not actually want Rose to know. The note could have been a whim or a nod to what once was.

What if Silver were upset that she had made the journey to find him? That would crush her. Yet, she was willing to take a risk at the heartache if it would get her answers. Not knowing was far worse in her mind than rejection.

Inhaling deeply through her nose, Rose pulled out the fairy necklace, which had been tucked clandestinely below her purple tunic. Checking to make sure no eyes were prying, the princess spoke politely to the pendant.

"I wish to find Silver's house."

On cue, the little pixie lifted into the air. It stopped, looked at her curiously for a moment, and then began its winding path through the trees in the direction she was already going. The pair continued on behind the well-spaced houses, avoiding the small gardens of the homes' occupants.

To Rose's relief, the fairy went much slower than when she was riding Fireball, or the Princess would never have been able to keep pace. At last, the little pixie attached to the chain, bringing them to the end of their journey.

There was no need for the necklace to point out which house was correct. Rose knew it immediately as a comforting sensation of coming home filled her soul.

The house's exterior was exactly as she had left it. Even the curtains in the window from the back were the same, though she imagined the fabric must have been changed out at least a couple of times.

The princess ran the fingers of her good arm along the sturdy logs of the walls as she moved around to the front of the home. The timber was so strong, Rose would not be surprised if it would last forever.

Her hands trembled with excitement as she knocked on the door. Two short taps was all she could manage before she paused. The princess's mind went blank.

What should she say first? There was so much to talk about and things to learn. The priorities of her heart began to jumble, and her words caught in her throat. She could feel the world going out of focus for a moment from the overwhelming emotion.

Rose placed her hand on the door to steady herself only to go tumbling inside when it opened suddenly. Her arm went flying from its sling as she sprawled out on the floor. Fortunately it did not hurt significantly. The embarrassment was much worse.

"I am so sorry! I..." The princess paused. The room was empty. It seemed the door had simply not been well shut.

After debating if she should leave, the princess realized she had nowhere else to go. Rose could go searching for the Guardian, but he would eventually have to return to his home. This was the best place to wait.

Other than the dining table in the main room--what an odd addition!--everything looked how Rose could recall it being as a child.

The three room house had been large for the town at the time, though some other larger dwellings had since been built. While the woman waited, the princess saw no harm in exploring what had once been her bedroom so long ago.

The door creaked ominously, but the inside of the bedroom was neatly kept. Rose noticed that a few pieces of furniture had been rearranged, but it was still recognizable down to the blanket on the bed.

Walking over to touch the familiar patched fabric on the bed when Rose's foot bumped against the trunk at the foot of the bed. She bent down to examine the childish drawing one side. It was a crude image of a man in a cloak.

It was obviously her work. Rose remembered how she had begged her brother to decorate the chest, and he had finally let her. The princess had loved surprising Silver with the artwork of her portrait. The princess remembered how he had always let her decorate anything she wanted after that day.

Opening the chest, Rose held her breath. While many of the clothes and items were gone, a doll remained near the bottom which she recognized all too well.

The little fabric figure was raggedy with blue eyes and short, sandy-blonde hair, just like the Rose. The handmade toy had been her most favorite possession.

"Hello, old friend," she whispered, holding the doll close to her chest.

The girl closed her eyes and reveled in as many of the memories as she could bring to mind. The visions washed across her mind's eye bathing her in warmth.

Rose breathed in the familiar smell of the doll's hair and remembered a time she had accidentally left it in the forest; Silver had combed every inch of the grass until he had recovered the priceless object. 'So thoughtful.'

"You picked the wrong person to steal from," a voice said from the doorway.

Rose turned, wide-eyed, toward the man blocking her exit.

She had been found, but not by Silver.