Augustus had found himself in an unexpected bind one night, within a couple of days of leaving the capital. Unpleasant as the encounter was, when he would look back on this period a few years down the road, Augustus would realize that it had irreversibly changed the course of his life.
He had departed before the sun rose on the day of the Gavenport Derby, an event he found rather dull in comparison to the jousts and hunts that the palace would hold during state visits and holidays.
There had been no time for Augustus to inform anyone of his departure. This was the simplest he, the crown prince, had ever traveled. For the first two days that he had ridden hard for the north, Augustus had half expected to see the familiar livery of the royal guard flanking his right and left on horseback as well. There were no servants, no aides, just himself and his wandering thoughts.
