Alexis dressed in silence. Sleeping in her own bed had been like sleeping on a cloud. But now her rising anxiety made her restless. Her hands trembled, and her head buzzed with concerns. What if none of them were willing to even speak to her?
Taming her hair in a braid, she left her room and walked down the silent corridors. Few stirred in the castle at such an early hour as the princess and the dragon made their departure. The kitchen air was warm and still smelled of last night’s feast. In a few hours, breakfast would replace it with new sweet scents. Only the ringing of Cadmus’s bell disturbed the silence. Alexis was glad. She didn’t want distractions.
She stepped out and walked across the shaded field behind the castle toward the camp nestled there. The gypsies were already awake, t
