Felicity awoke with a start, half expecting to find herself somewhere becides her home. She breathed a short sigh of relief as the sunlight shown in from her open window, illuminating her bedroom.
"It was only a dream." She said to herself as she sat up in her bed.
Her hopes of the whole experience being a mere dream vanished as severe pain shot throughout her body. Groaning on pain, she threw her heavy bed sheets and fur blanket aside to reveal the torn, bloody dress that she wore last night. After she struggled against the pain to get out of the bed, she stumbled to her wardrobe, opened the heavy door, pulled out her nightgown, and as quickly as she could, discarded the ripped dress and clothed herself in her nightgown. She carried the dress with her as she stumbled back to her bed. She hid the dress under the bed covers as she crawled beneath them just as Grace walked into the room.
"Princess!" Grace exclaimed as she saw Felicity in her bed. "You had me worried sick!" Grace said as she waddled to the bed as fast as she could. "Where were you? Why were you out for so long? Didn't I..."
Grace stopped in mid-sentence as she saw a look in the Princess's eyes. A look of total fear and horror. Grace sat down on the large bed and before she could ask what was wrong, Felicity leapt into her arms and burst into that she had been struggling to hold back. Grace stroked the Princess's hair and let her cry awhile before asking what was wrong.
"Oh Grace! It was horrible! I was riding my horse and out of nowhere, this man came! And... he threw me to the ground and did horrible things!" Felicity said while choking on her tears.
Grace tried to soothe the Princess as best she could before leaving Felicity's room to order a servent to bring hot water to the room.
Felicity refused to let go of Grace's hand when she tried to pour the water into the large bathing tub, but managed to get all the water in the tub without spilling much on the floor. She helped the sobbing Princess out of her nightgown and into the large tub. Grace cringed as she saw the numerous cuts, scratches, and bruises covering the Princess's fair skin. Felicity whimpered in pain as her wounds touched the hot water, but settled into the tub and as Grace began to wash her small body, the whole story poured out. Felicity described as best she could her attackers looks. Grace said that the description didn't fit with any of her suitors, but that didn't make her feel any better. She then told Grace of the dark man who had saved her and brought her home. Grace saidly said that she didn't know who he was either.
Changing the subject, Grace tried to help the Princess come up with a story to tell her parents to explain why she didn't join them for breakfast, but the Princess's mind was too clouded over to hear Grace clearly.
*******
Even though the talk and laughter put everyone in a happy room, the Princess's eyes were misty with tears as last night's horror washed over her again. She had begged Grace not to tell her parents what had happened for fear that they might look down on her. Men now frightened her and she begged Grace to stay with her whenever she was required to be near her suitors. Her parents looken on with pride as she danced with the men, not noticing her fear and pain. Near the end of the night, the time came for her suitors to say goodnight and be on their way. As each suitor kneeled before her, took her hand, kissed it and said their farewells, Felicity tried as best she could to hide her fear, but it did not escape Grace's eyes as she stood with the other servants in a corner of the room. Grace silently prayed that she would be able to help this young child through this terrible problem.
