It was three hours before sunset when the group stopped again, they ate their leftovers for dinner, and while the gentlemen set up shelter for the evening , the ladies went to bathe in a close spring. But not too close, it was close enough to the camp to where they would only have to walk a little ways back yet it was at just the right distance to where Alastor and Angel couldn't see them.

"Stop constantly looking over your shoulder Vaggie, you're going to hurt your neck." Charlie said as she washed her hair in the cool water.

"I just want to make sure that there aren't any peeping toms around."

"Vaggie the guys didn't spy on us the last time we bathed and I know for a fact that Alastor is no pervert."

"Well what about Angel?"

"Angel told us he wouldn't peep on us and Alastor will make certain that's not a lie. You're always so tense Vaggie. Relax, unwind in the spring, take in the scenery."

A very peaceful smile was on her face and it stayed the entire time she bathed and observed the atmosphere around her.

"I've been in that tower for so long, I've almost forgotten what the outside world is like." She sighed. "It's so wonderful to feel the sun and to smell the flowers. Green grass, fresh water, shady trees, I never realized how much I missed it all."

"It's definitely a paradise compared to that miserable keep." Vaggie said. "But it's probably nothing compared to the royal palace you grew up in."

"To tell you the truth, I favored the forests and gardens over the castle. Don't get me wrong it was lovely and comfortable, but I always felt more at home surrounded by nature. When I was a child I often pictured myself living in a small house in the woods, where I could spend my days outside among the trees and the sunshine, and spend my nights curled up indoors by a fireplace."

"Fairly simple for a royal princess."

"Well I was a child when I dreamed about it. Now that I'm an adult, I know that I'm going end up living out the rest of my life in a castle but as long as I can visit the natural world, I'll be content. I don't know if I could bear being shut away from it again."

"I can assure you Charlie, I'll never let that happen again."

"And I'll never let you be used as a guard dog again."

The two women shared smiles and then proceeded to continue with washing off all the sweat and dirt that had stuck to them today. After that they dried themselves off and changed into their clothes.

"Vaggie what do you think Lord Vox will be like?" Charlie asked while ringing out her hair.

"In what sense?"

"In a sense that he'll be my true love? That he'll be the kind of man I'm meant to be with? Someone kind and clever, sensitive and smart, someone who might truly love me for me?"

"I couldn't say because I've never met him but Angel has told me a few things."

"Such as?"

"Well his exact words were, he's a technology obsessed lunatic."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"I honestly have no idea but Angel makes him sound not very ideal for you."

"Well I won't know that until I meet him."

"But have you ever given any thought to marrying someone else? I mean this Vox guy may not be your true love after all. Maybe you're meant for somebody else."

"Like who?"

"Um...Oh this is embarrassing, I'm no matchmaker."

"What?"

"The thing is Charlie, Angel has this silly idea that you might like Alastor."

"Well of course I like him. He not only rescued me but he's been very courteous toward me, and he's funny."

"No I mean...Let me put it this way, he apparently caught you flirting with him today."

"Flirting? I wasn't flirting."

"Angel seems to think so. He swears by it."

"It wasn't flirting, I was just teasing him a little bit."

"Teasing him?"

"I caught him sniffing my hair and he said he did it on accident but I'm positive that he did it on purpose. So to prove it I may have lifted my skirt up a little bit while we were walking."

"Charlie!" Vaggie scoffed.

"I didn't show him my underwear, just my legs and he was staring at them."

"Charlie I may not know much about relationships due to being trapped in a state of madness for sixteen years, but I'm pretty sure that's flirting. Are you sure you're not interested in Alastor or something?"

"No. I mean...I guess I do find myself being a little attracted to him." Charlie blushed a little. "Oh what am I doing? I'm engaged to one man and I'm apparently flirting with another. I better

put a stop to that now. I wouldn't want Alastor to get the wrong idea."

"Good choice but you know if you want to pursue Alastor-"

"I don't. This attraction doesn't mean anything. It's only because I haven't been around anyone since I was seven years old. I've never had any social interaction so I may act a certain way to others. But I'll correct that. No more teasing. No more flirting."

Vaggie wasn't so sure about that, but she chose to end the conversation there. Later they went to sleep in the makeshift shelter. It was chilly that night and a cool wind woke Charlie up. She moved to close the entrance more but looking outside caused her to notice that she wasn't the only who was effected by the cold. The fire had gone out, Angel had spun himself a cocoon to keep him warm but poor Alastor was shivering.

Charlie glanced over at the extra blanket she had packed.

"They're both asleep and it's dark out. They'll never see me."

She picked up the blanket then slowly and quietly approached Alastor. She covered him with that blanket yet he still shivered. He remained asleep but his face looked so troubled. There was no smile, only tension. He was having a nightmare. Charlie bent down beside him, and began to gently rub his head while humming her song to him.

This was something her mother often did whenever she had bad dreams. She could recall how she would wake up crying in the castle from a dream that scared her so much and her then her mother would come in, hold her close and rub her head, singing or humming a song to her. It would dry her tears and ease the little princess back into sleep. Charlie thought that similar motions would do the same for Alastor and it did.

His shivering stopped, his face lost all tension, and he became calm. Whatever terrible thing he saw in his dreams was fading now. His sleep would be peaceful now.

Charlie started to return to the shelter but suddenly something made her stop like a deer in the headlights. Alastor's eyes were open and he was looking at her. The princess felt her heart rate go wild and her breath become short. She was absolutely terrified of what the wendigo's reaction would be. Would he be repulsed? Would he laugh at her? Would he call her a freak?

However much to her relief, Alastor only fell right back asleep. He had been much too tired and weary to fully recognize what he was looking at. He probably would have thought her to be a dream and nothing more. Or at least that's what Charlie hoped. She hoped with all her heart that he would only think that glimpse of her was a dream.