The princess looked around. The stablehand was really not there. There was nothing boiling in the kitchen, either. He was often trying his hand on all kinds of mixtures. Adrian’s book was also neatly closed and placed on top of the long wooden table. The table often had several herbs on it. That morning, it was wiped clean. It also looked like the stablehand did some sweeping, as much as he could possibly do with the rough flooring.
Disappointed, Princess Soraya headed back to the hedge with her shoulders slumped. She passed through slowly, almost hoping Adrian would suddenly call her name. He was always there when she went. Perhaps he had gotten tired of being there all the time. Or, he could have gone to work at the break of dawn, a reasonable part of her chimed in.
She passed throug
