Searching for Robert

My maidens tried to comfort me as we walked back towards my home. They didn't understand exactly what was wrong with me, but they could tell I was upset. I could barely speak and I walked with a slow, heavy gait. It felt like my feet were stuck in the mud and I couldn't move them quickly enough. I was feeling so terrible inside and my maidens could tell... 

I did my best to relax, but it was hard. The pain in my heart was almost crippling. I hadn't imagined that seeing the prince with another woman would hurt me so much. It was like a gut-wrenching feeling that I couldn't escape from. My maidens did the best they could to make me feel better, but it wasn't easy. They were trying to cheer me up, but it was like nothing could comfort me in this moment... 

But what if, I thought, what if this is really better this way....? What if the prince is better off with this woman? Maybe they were a better match for each other. Maybe they enjoyed each other more than he would ever enjoy me. Maybe this woman was more suited for him. She was certainly more beautiful than me... 

Maybe this is the way it was meant to be. I was starting to feel a little optimistic. Maybe this was just meant to happen that way. Maybe the prince was better off with this woman. Maybe he was going to be happier with her. Maybe I also would be happier with Robert. I guess I should just look on the bright side..... 

... And I could get my happy ending with Robert, right? It might be for the best. There was no reason to be so heartbroken. I had to be more optimistic. I had to be stronger... 

I wondered a little where I should meet Robert. The real Margaret had gotten lost, and she met Robert by accident. I was going to have to actually plan the meeting. I was going to have to actually make sure that I ran into this guy. Maybe I was going to have to spend a lot of time wandering around my kingdom until I meet him.... 

I was now thinking about how I was going to meet Robert. In the book, the real Margaret had gotten lost and she had then met Robert by accident. So she didn't know where his village was either... But she did manage to find him somehow... 

I decided to try to meet Robert by accident, just like the real Margaret did. It seemed like the only way to make it work. I mean, I couldn't ask someone to arrange a meeting for us. I had to meet him by "accident" as I was out somewhere. So, that's what I was going to do. I needed to come up with an excuse to wander around the kingdom.... 

I went to see my father to think about my plan to find Robert. I wanted to make sure that it wouldn't look weird if I suddenly wandered around the outskirts of my kingdom. I had to make it appear as though I was doing the normal task of a princess who is just exploring her kingdom, instead of looking specifically for Robert... 

I arrived at my father's office and I waited patiently for him to finish what he was doing. I didn't want to interrupt him and I also didn't want to make my intentions too obvious. So, I tried acting as normal and natural as I could..... 

Her father finishes his tasks "Yes dear?" 

I smiled politely at my father as I entered his office. He looked at me with a kind expression and I tried to look very innocent and normal...."Father, I was wondering if maybe i could wander through our kingdom? As a future Queen, i should know what's happening through our villages..." I closed my eyes, hoping my dad believes that.... 

"Of course you can dear, go ahead...as long as you don't wander too far. And please make sure that your maidens accompany you at all times. It wouldn't do for anything bad to happen to the future queen." My father nodded his head and he smiled softly at me. I breathed a sigh of relief. It was better if I made it seem like this was a normal activity...... 

I ran back to my carriage and I had my maidens join me. I felt so relieved that my dad had agreed to what I had asked. I guess I was going to wander through my kingdom now. And hopefully, somewhere along the way, I would run into Robert... 

As my maids and I wandered around, I noticed a village hidden between the tall trees. It was the same village described in the book. It was a village that was hidden from the outside, hidden from enemy forces. Something inside me stirred when I saw that... It seemed so familiar and yet so strange at the same time. It was like I had seen this village before...but I had never been here before... 

Maybe.... I tried to think back. Did I really see it in the story? Or was there a chance I had been here before? I had a feeling that I was experiencing some sort of déjà vu. I couldn't quite explain it, but there was something familiar about this little village... 

As we walked through the village, the villagers bowed to me. I didn't like the way they bowed to me. In the book, the real Margaret had found it ridiculous. The villagers were bowing so low, they were literally scraping their heads on the ground. But it was their tradition to show their respect to the royal family. They thought it was a sign of honor... 

As the villagers bows to me, I kept reminding myself that I was not the real Margaret. I was just a regular girl who had been reincarnated as her. The real Margaret would have been very used to this type of treatment. But for me.....it seemed so weird and unnecessary. Like what had I really done to deserve all these bows?...