When I finally awake, I feel lost and I look around without knowing where I am. I'm afraidbecause the last thing I can remember is running in the rain and now I am in what looks like a tent...
"Where am I?" I wonder exhausted, only to find the owner of the voice that woke me, looking peacefully at me with his beautiful blue eyes.
"Do not worry Milady. Apparently you had a little accident, but now everything is fine." he reassures me.
"Accident?" I repeat trying to get up. When I do I feel a sharp pain in the back of my head.
"What happened to me?" I ask him as I lay back down again on the pillow.
"I don´t know, we found you lying in the rain, not far from here."
"We?" I ask looking around for more people, but it's just him and I in the tent.
"My men and I, Milady, the Merry Men," he answers softly.
God! Thieves! I'm in a camp of thieves! I can´t imagine what would happen if they find out who I am! I say mentally.
"Oh-ah!" I say trying to hide my surprise.
"Yes, by the way, I'm Robin, Robin of Locksley!"
"Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves" I repeat, killing time as I try to make up a lie of who I am.
"Yes!" he responds with a little pride in his voice, before immediately asking: "And you Milady, who are you?"
At that time my only reaction is to look away and say, "I'm thirsty. Could you give me some water, please!?"
"Sure, sure!" He says standing up, a little puzzled by my sudden change of subject.
I nod my head as I see him leave. This would at least give me a few minutes to assemble my alibi.
Moments later, he is back with my glass of water on hand. I grab it and our fingers touch, making me feel a slight tingling, like a little burst of energy, but I don't give it much importance because now I have more important things to think about like, leaving this place without them knowing who I am.
"You have not answered my question. Who are you?" He asks again.
Obviously, since I can´t make any more excuses, I decide to tell him:
"I am a peasant. I had come out to do something and I was returning to my house when I fell." I lie, putting all my hope in him to believe it.
"Umm, your clothes do not seem like they are from a peasant, Milady" he says incredulously.
"This? It's just one of the old gowns of the Queen, my mother works in the Palace and she gave it to me. She and the king let us live there as a reward for her labor." I say drinking a little more water to hide my nerves.
"Oh! Well, I bet it fits you much better than her. You are really beautiful and although I have never actually seen the Queen, they all say that she owns an incomparable beauty."
I can´t help but blush a little at his words, but I manage to hide it.
"Thank you!" I say getting up from the bed. "I must go though."
"But it's too late! I think it would be better to wait until tomorrow!" He says trying his best to convince me.
"Oh no, I can´t! They must be worried about me and I have to go back!" I keep walking towards the exit of the tent, without looking up.
Suddenly I feel a hand on my forearm that stops me.
"Milady, promise me that I will see you again!" He says looking at me tenderly.
And suddenly out of my mouth come words that I did not plan on saying:
"Of course!"
I go out running and look back to meet his smile.
On the way back to the castle, I think about everything that happened that night. The man with the lion tattoo, the man whom allowed me to meet Robin and that's when I realize that maybe, things happen when they have to.