Unpleasant surprise.

After Paulina and Madam Grace found Alicia in the mountains and took her back to the hut that they considered their house. Madam Grace was especially livid. She had been worried at first when she saw all the bloodstains and had assumed the worst, but Alicia had weakly explained to her that the bloodstains were from the wild animal she had saved. She had received a harsh scolding from her for running away and also trying something as risky as trying to save a wild animal. 

Alicia hadn't been in the mood to argue with her because her body ached badly as a result of the fall, and she felt like she had been beaten with a log of wood. She had bruises all over her body, but the most painful was the one that stood out on her arm. The big dog or wolf had left quite a mark. She was sure it would scar. Poor princess. 

Madam Grace fed her some chicken soup which she quickly devoured as a result of her hunger. She couldn't imagine that not only had she not had anything to eat for over 24 hours, but she had also faced all that stress while trying to run away only to return to square zero. 

She couldn't remember anything else that happened after she ate, but all she knew was that she had fallen asleep and by the time she woke up, she found herself inside an enclosed space and could feel she was moving. She looked around her in confusion before sliding something that looked like a window to the side. She sighed in relief when she saw Paulina's face. 

She realized she was inside a carriage that was moving too slowly for her liking and making her want to throw up. Paulina and Madam Grace followed the carriage on foot and there were also a few people who looked like soldiers with bows, arrows, and swords.

"Where are we heading to?" She decided to first ask before any other question. The day was already getting dark. It wasn't possible she had slept through the whole day, right? There was no way she would have slept through it all simply because she was exhausted, she mused as she looked down at the bandage sling around her arm and observed that she was wearing new clothes. 

"You are awake!" Paulina exclaimed. 

"Where are we heading to and how long have I been sleeping?" 

"We are heading to the Palace, my lady," Paulina said joyfully. She looked exhausted, but she was smiling as if going to the palace was a lifelong dream of hers. 

"Palace? Why?" Alicia asked with a shake of her head.

"The King. He sent for you. I think we are no longer returning to the place of exile." Paulina explained quietly. Alicia could see the excited glint in her eyes even though she looked tired.

The last thing Alicia wanted was to go to any palace. All she wanted was to go to the village and find the river where the Princess had fallen in!

"Is the Palace located in the village where the princ– where I fell?" 

The smile on Paulina's face disappeared as she looked at the princess. "You... still don't remember, my lady?" 

Seeing the look on her face, Alicia realized something was definitely wrong. 

"The village is on the other side. It's a 5-minute walk from the place we rescued you from in the mountains." 

"What?" Alicia asked with wide eyes, causing some of the guards who were marching beside the carriage to look at her. Just a five-minute walk? How had she missed it? 

"Can we go back? Let's go back. I need to return there." 

"But... my lady." Paulina looked uncertain before saying, "You still need to rest, my lady. You need to be fully okay before we meet the King, otherwise he is going to scold us." Paulina said, looking frightened. 

"You don't understand! I need to leave!" Alicia demanded before she began to hit the front of the carriage with both hands. 

"Stop moving!" She demanded, but no one paid attention to her. How come they claimed she was a princess yet no one paid any attention to her? Madam Grace had even hit her. She felt more like a slave than a princess. 

"Paulina, how long is it going to take to get to the village in the mountains from the Palace?" 

"My lad—"

"Just answer me!" Alicia said impatiently.

Paulina bit her lip before stuttering, "You... have been riding for... Uhm... since the morning of yesterday."