The Life and Times of Bonnie Chance

Carol Returns

"Carol!?" Bonnie said, so startled to hear her cousin yelling for help, that she almost brought her horse to a stop.

"What is it?" Unas asked, riding his horse beside hers. "We can't slow down! My instinct is telling me we need to get there as fast as we can!"

"Mine too!" Bonnie said, focusing on riding her horse again. "I thought I heard Carol calling for my help! Somehow... I get the feeling that she's up ahead!! I can't explain it, and there no basis in fact... I just know she's there!"

—∞—

"I just heard Carol's voice!" Memphis said as he was on his way to Nubia.

"Your Majesty?" Minue said.

"Carol is calling for my help!!" Memphis said. He turned aside to search for her. "Carol, where are you!? I definitely heard her voice! I'm not wrong! Even if it sounded far away, I heard it for sure!"

—∞—

At that time, northern Egypt, or as it was called: 'Lower Egypt'... Some soldiers patrolling the banks of the Nile spotted something unusual in the water.

"It's a girl with golden hair!" they exclaimed when they saw Carol floating there in front of them.

"This has to be Lady Carol!" one of them said,

"The gods brought her back after thirty days of drifting through the Nile!" another said.

"It's a miracle!" a third soldier said.

"She's still alive!" a fourth said.

"Even though she's not awake..." a fifth said.

"Don't worry, she'll wake up any minute now!" said a sixth soldier.

"What? The Nile's daughter?" Ruka said, surprised when he overheard their excited exclamations. He quickly brought his boat ashore and ran over to them. "Yes! This is Lady Carol for sure!" Ruka said excitedly.

"Are you Ruka, her personal bodyguard?" one of the soldiers said. "We'll leave her to you, then."

'Prince Izmir's prediction was right!' Ruka thought, amazed.

"Oh... Where am I?" Carol asked, a little dazed as she woke up. Ruka kissed her hand. 'Ah! It hurts!' she thought, holding a hand to her head. "Ruka, is that you? Why am I all wet?"

"You were playing in the water, that's all," Ruka said with a smile. "Now let's return to His Majesty and Bonnie, they're waiting for you..." 'It's pretty far from here to the Arabian Desert... I wonder if she can make it that far... Does she have the strength to do it?' he wondered. 'The problem is getting her there before Pharaoh Memphis or Bonnie receives news of her arrival... If Memphis finds out I'm betraying him, and bringing Carol to Prince Izmir, he'll send out his troops to attack! And there's no telling what Bonnie would do...'

"The Nile's daughter is still alive" a soldier said.

"What good luck we have!" said another.

"We'll send people out to spread the news right away!" a third said.

"No need, we'll take her there ourselves! To surprise the pharaoh and Lady Bonnie and the whole court!" Ruka said.

"Right! But first, let's let her rest..." one of the soldiers said.

Throughout Lower Egypt, News of Lady Carol's survival was known, and people came to help. They set up tents to give Carol privacy and shade from the sun while she rested. They also brought clean, dry clothing for her to change into.