In the morning, clouds had moved in and the sky was gray and menacing. There was every possibility that rain would come down on the land by the end of the day.
The palace assistants, apparently chastened by their dismissal the day before, waited until Assa and her parents had eaten their breakfasts before they came back to the house.
The journey will take a few hours, they told Assa. Are you prepared?
Yes, said Assa.
They were escorted out of the house and taken to a carriage that was waiting for them. A young man extended his arm to Assa, who at first did not know what to do, then she took it and stepped up into the carriage. She found it was much roomier inside than she had expected. There were two cushiony seats facing each other and even a small table between them, laden with bowls
