Prince Valium (continued)
You turn right and go towards the main living areas.
When you've entered the hall, you see many more sleeping figures lying about--a steward, a knight, a few housekeeping maids.
Even the flies seem to be sleeping.
It's the strangest sight you've ever seen.
You're not sure where to go next or how you can find the royal chambers, so you go through the first door and find yourself in the kitchens, where cooks and scullery boys are sleeping.
Everyone seems to have fallen asleep in the middle of doing their tasks, whatever they were.
You go through other rooms in the main house, but all you find are servants--you've seen no one yet who is dressed like a princess.
Only the king and the queen occupy the royal chambers.
Princess Beauty doesn't seem to be anywhere in the main house.
You decide to go back out into the courtyard to check the tower.
When you get to the courtyard, however, you realize that someone must have followed you into the castle grounds by following the path in the brair that you made with the sword.
A young boy is leaning against the outer wall, as though waiting for someone.
Perhaps he's a squire waiting for his master.
You can only make guesses as to what kind of person that master may be, so you keep silent.
With the boy facing the other direction, you know he doesn't see you, but when the boy glances momentarily at the tower, you know where the master is.
Whoever the master is, he has beaten you to the only logical place left to search, the only place where the princess might be.
You debate with yourself.
The young boy looks clean and healthy, well-treated.
Whether he is a mere servant, a younger brother, a son, or a squire, you know that whoever he's waiting for, whoever went up that tower, is a good person.
If the princess is up there, she'll come to no harm.
But...
