Even without an escort, the town of Rynnlee felt safer in comparison to Tatton. The people who saw her did not scowl at her presence. If anything, they looked accepting of a mysterious figure in their midst.
'I suppose that makes sense if they have Silver living among them.' Rose reasoned. 'Strange visitors are probably a regular occurrence.'
Riding slowly, the princess took in the homes and businesses of the town. They were mostly clean and well kept. A couple of the places almost jogged her memory. For instance Rose could almost remember staying at the largest house she passed, but the princess did not think she had ever lived there long term.
The village green also reminded her of games of chase and hide and go seek. But not with her adoptive father or the palace servants. Real roughhousing with other children.
The children of the nobility had been playful enough when Rose had been adopted, but their parents had already tamed their more wild nature out of them before they were ever allowed to visit the palace. So with her civilized companions, board games and lawn rings were the order of the day. It was fun, just different.
The princess was pulled from her thoughts of games past when she reached the center of town. The inn was precisely where Aristos had told her it would be, standing proud like a monument with a fresh coat of paint. The inn seemed to have been built in stages, with a more recent addition being knitted into the existing structure.
It wasn't obvious to the naked eye where the old structure ended and the new one began, but Rose remembered the much more humble structure with affection. She only hoped that the inside would bring even more of the memories that had been lost to time.
Taking Fireball around back to the stable, Rose met an eager stable boy who greeted her warmly. As soon as he saw the woman's arm in a sling, the boy offered to rub down the horse and pen him while she went inside.
Exhausted and physically unable to do the task, the princess paid the stablehand some coins from her bag to do what he offered. She did not see his eyes widen as he looked down at money in his hand. "Thank you, ma'am!"
Nodding, the princess exited the animals' shelter and strolled toward the inn's entrance. Her pace was slow, as she did not want to miss a single detail of what was around her. There was no promise that she would ever see these places again once she went back to the palace.
The thought made her heart ache slightly, so she was determined to memorize as much of the sights, sounds and smells as she could and etch them into her memory. And just now she smelled something absolutely delicious.
Pushing open the door to the inn's tavern, Rose was enveloped by the heavenly aroma of food from the kitchen. As it was a work day and only mid-afternoon, the tables were all empty, and no one was in sight.
The door shut behind her, ringing a chime hung over the door. Out of the kitchen, a friendly voice called, "You are back earlier than expected. How was school?"
Rose was caught off guard. The woman was clearly confused. "School?" Rose asked tentatively.
There was silence for a moment before a petite blonde woman popped her head out of the kitchen with a look of surprise. Her ears almost instantly turned red. "Forgive me! I thought you were my children. They are due here in a little while, but I thought maybe they were dismissed early. Don't get me wrong. I am very glad you have come. Welcome!"
The woman before Rose was in her twenties and very pretty. Although she seemed to have been hard at work in the kitchen, it only enhanced the picture of beauty she portrayed. Her friendly nature combined with her age made the princess feel comfortable going out on a limb.
"Are you Lily?" she asked, her smile hidden by the scarf wrapped around her face.
"I am! Do we know each other?" Lily squinted, trying to pierce the mystery that had just sprung from the stranger's lips.
"We do not. A man named Aristos found me lost in the woods and pointed me toward the inn. He said to tell you he is bringing home something special tonight." The princess watched as the red on Lily's ears spread across her cheeks.
"What a sweet husband I have!" she giggled, then stopped as the first part of the statement sunk in. "Lost?! You poor thing. Take any seat and I will get something fixed up for you right away. You don't have to worry anymore." Lily turned toward the kitchen and called out. "Katherine, we have a guest!"
There was a little commotion in the kitchen. "Cook says food won't be ready for another hour. Tell them to come back then." Katherine answered tersely.
Lily winced. "No, no, Katherine! Not that kind of guest. Come out and see."
Katherine peered around the corner, her hard gaze suddenly softening as she noticed the visitor sitting at the table. "Oh!" She wiped her hands on her apron and hurried to join Lily.
"Aristos found her lost in the woods and sent her here." Lily gave the other woman a meaningful gaze.
Katherine looked at the woman. She was cloaked and had a scarf around her face. Now that she was in the cozy indoors, there was no need for such precautions, which could only mean that the girl was hiding. The inn's owner gasped slightly.
"Oh, honey, I did not mean to be rude! I will be right back!" She rushed back into the kitchen, returning with a steaming bowl of the food she had claimed was not ready. "Take this on the house."
After the long ride, Rose was quite hungry. She graciously accepted the gift, but then was faced with a dilemma. How would she eat without revealing her face? The women seemed friendly enough--Rose could swear she had vague memories of the older woman from when she was a child--but she needed to speak to Silver to be sure. He would be able to tell her who was safe and who was not.
Sensing the princess's hesitation, the two women of the inn excused themselves. "We will let you eat in peace," Katherine promised.
Relieved, Rose nodded her head. Once they were gone, she ate the food and tried to decide her next move. The princess needed to find her brother in a way that would not draw too much attention. However, when she was finished with her meal, the solution had still not yet come.
Fortunately, Lily and Katherine emerged once again from the kitchen as soon as Rose was done eating. The cloaked woman wondered if they had been spying, but as they would have been obstructed from seeing her face anyway, it did not really matter. Her scarf was back in place over her face before they could fully approach.
"I'll clear that away for you." The blonde server picked up the bowl and removed it from the table. "I hope it was satisfactory."
"It was one of the best things I have ever eaten," Rose answered with a nod. "Thank you both very much."
"Lily said you mentioned being lost. Might we help you find your way? You would not be the first distressed woman who we have helped to find a safe place." Katherine looked at one of the chairs around the princess's table. Her unspoken request was granted with a nod.
Having put away the bowl, Lily came and joined the two ladies at the round table. Rose tried to form her words carefully. "I appreciate the offer."
"Do you know where you are headed?" Lily smiled encouragingly. There was a hint of concern in her words.
"Sort of..." the princess stalled. Her nerves began to get the better of her. What should she tell them?
"You can stay here for the evening if you would like. I will be happy to find you a room. Do not worry about the cost. The stable boy told me about your horse. Your stallion is welcome to stay as well."
"He isn't exactly my stallion..." Rose felt guilty. She had unintentionally stolen the horse, but her conscience would not let her claim it as her own.
"You do not have to explain it to us," Lily assured her. "Whatever awful thing has happened is in the past. You are safe."
Rose looked at the two women. Had they known what she had gone through? Or were they assuming something else entirely had happened? They were being very kind to her. Perhaps she should just come clean and...
"Katherine, where do you want the firewood?" someone called from outside.
The princess tensed at the masculine voice. It sounded vaguely familiar. Lily noticed the girl's apprehension. "Don't worry. It is only our resident knight. He wouldn't hurt a fly."
"He's a good man. I promise." Katherine added as she stood to greet the incoming gentleman.
"Knight?!" Rose gasped. A knight might know her even in this disguise. She wasn't ready to be discovered and escorted back to the palace just yet. The princess still had so much she wanted to know. "I need to leave. Can I go out the back?"
Lily nodded. "I will walk you out."
"I set it by the front door, but I can move it around back if you like," Ethyn said as he finally entered.
Katherine clicked her tongue at the messy pile. "I will show you where to put it in a moment perhaps but just now we have a visitor."
"Oh?" Ethyn looked over her shoulder but saw no one. The tavern was empty. "Is your visitor a ghost?" he joked.
Seeing that both Lily and the girl had disappeared, Katherine furrowed her brow and thought for a moment. "No," she said slowly, "but there is something about her that feels like a shadow of the past..."