Chapter 27

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I woke very early the next morning. The sun hadn't even come up yet. I pulled on a loose frock that would allow me to ride a horse comfortably. I knew my way around the castle by now so I hurried down the stone steps and made my way to the kitchens. The day's work was already starting so it was full of people bustling around. I grabbed some apples and day old biscuits that the chef left out and threw them in my satchel. By the time I got outside, the sun was starting to rise and the sky was glowing pink and orange. It was going to be a beautiful day for a ride in the country-side.

As I approached the stables, my heart started to race at the sight of Samuel waiting for me. I couldn't help but remember a similar morning with Henry. He was due to arrive home any day now. I was managing to stay so busy that I didn't really have time to dwell on his impending arrival. If I was being honest, I was terrified of seeing him again. He probably hated me. Or worse! He might have forgotten all about me. Both possibilities made my heart hurt.

Samuel was a good distraction. He was so much fun to be around and not too bad to look at either. I had found out from Betsy that his father is the head of the Royal Bank and Samuel is being groomed to eventually take over. They are one of the most powerful and richest families in the Capital. I had cancelled our dinner date when I first arrived because I was overwhelmed with patients but I was so happy that we were getting to spend time together today. I had to put Henry out of my mind. Samuel deserved my full attention.

Samuel greeted me with a bow and took my hand to lead us into the stables. We saddled up our horse and mounted ready to make the short journey. It took only a few moments to get away from the castle and into the countryside. It felt like home. I didn't realize just how suffocating the Capital was for me.

We didn't talk much. Samuel led the way since he knew where he was going. After we got deep enough into the woods, I signaled to him that I wanted to stop and take a look around. It may have been autumn but everything was still in full bloom in this part of the country. We tied our horses up and started wandering around. I tried explaining to Samuel what I was hoping to find but it seemed to be over his head. He kept pointing out the wrong plants but I appreciated that he was trying to help.

After about thirty minutes of searching, I came upon a patch of a plant that was effective in calming a cough. Very useful in treating the mysterious illness plaguing us at the moment. I was so focused on harvesting it that I hadn't noticed how quiet it was. I looked up and realized that Samuel and I had gotten separated somehow. He was nowhere to be seen. I felt a surge of panic because honestly I had no idea where we had left the horses and it would have taken hours to walk back to the city even if I knew what direction to go. I looked around to see if anything looked familiar but I hadn't been paying attention to anything other than the plants.

I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. The best thing to do was to stay put. I'm sure Samuel was looking for me so he was bound to come this way eventually. I yelled out his name in case he was nearby but the only sound to answer me was the sounds of the forest. Once again, I managed to get myself into a dangerous situation. I shouldn't be allowed to leave my room. I called out again and still no answer. So I sat down on the ground leaning against a fallen tree and just waited.

I waited for hours and nothing. How far had I wondered? Back home, I knew the woods like the back of my hand. Here, I knew nothing. A strong feeling of homesickness washed over me and since no one was around, I let myself wallow in it. I felt a tear slide down my cheek. I closed my eyes to staunch the flow. I must have fallen asleep because the next time I opened my eyes, it was clearly dusk. I was groggy with sleep, hungry, and thirsty. Suddenly I heard what had awoken me from my nap. The sound of a horse galloping coming closer. It had to be someone coming for me! I wouldn't have to spend the night in the woods with no supplies!

I scrambled to get up from the ground and every muscle in my body fought in protest of sleeping against a tree trunk. I managed to finally get up just as the horse and rider came into view. The rider must of noticed me because he was slowing his horse down and then they stopped a few feet away. For a moment I couldn't speak. His appearance rendered me speechless. But the familiar butterflies took flight in my stomach just as they had done a year ago. He looked just as shocked as me that I was standing in front of him. I wondered if anyone had told him of my presence in the Capital. This is not how I wanted to see Henry for the first time but here we where.

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