Chapter Thirteen

I could hear the faint whisper of the young maid as she lightly tapped my cheek in an attempt to awaken me.  I don’t know how long it was since I’d passed out, but it wasn’t nearly long enough. My body was exhausted.  The last thing I wanted to do was to be roust out of the marvelous semi-coma I was in.

“Princess, please… you must awaken.  Time is short,” came the whisper through the dark.

Time is short? Short for what? Oh yes, I remembered.  I was to be married.

“I don’t want to get married.  Let me sleep,” I mumbled.

“No, you can’t sleep.  I’ve come to set you free, but only if you arise now and flee.  The encampment will be coming to life soon,” she said in a hushed and urgent tone.

I needed no more prompting than that to spring to life. I sat up in the darkness and looked around.  It was so black; I couldn’t see my hand i