'Where... where am I?'
Darren jerked awake with a start when he heard the words being spoken. He stared down at his patient, an immense wave of relief coursing through his body. The girl was alive! And from the looks of things, she was on her way to making a full recovery.
'You are in Oxford,' Darren told her. 'I found you last night, lying unconscious and nearly dead on a path coming from the forest. I carried you inside, and my father's healers tended to your wounds. Please, tell me your name and how you came to be here.'
'My name is Princess Natasha,' said the girl. 'I come from Alronia. I was on an errand from my father, the king, to deliver an important message to Princess Alicia in Eralithiel. But last night... All I remember is that I was riding through the forest when suddenly I was attacked by a group of orcs. At least twenty surrounded me. I tried to escape, but there were so many, and I had only my dagger for protection. And that is the last thing I recall. I do not know how I came to be here, or why I am not dead.'
Darren smiled at her. 'The stars must shine favorably on you. To live through such an ordeal... that is more than mere luck.' It was more than luck, too, that Natasha had wound up in Oxford and Darren had found her. Now that they two were together, it felt almost like fate had lent a hand. Natasha was meant to be here, and Darren was meant to have found her. Why, Darren did not know. But it felt so certain.
It also did not hurt that Natasha was one of the most beautiful individuals Darren had ever seen. Her long black hair contrasted with large, dark blue eyes set in a lovely face. And her sculpted body, half-hidden by the bed linens, was a further attraction. Darren could hardly suppress her desire to run her hands over that soft hair and perfect body. But he kept his feelings under control. Natasha had just barely survived a nearly fatal encounter. Now was not the time for romance.
