Casimir's Journey Read Online Free PDF

called, and Casimir hauled off to the palace.
    Wait! Wouldn’t that be a good thing? If he were taken to the king, he could just explain his situation, and this would be over.
    He nodded to himself. That is what he would do. Get himself deeper into Ethion, move several villages in, to ensure that Catrin would not hear of his actions. Well, hopefully not right away. He did not discount the speed with which gossip traveled.
    Then he would declare himself the prince which, given his poor state of presentation, would result in great disbelief. He would insist on being taken to the king. While skeptical, the local guard had no choice. They would take him to the king. He would explain all, and this would be done in a trice.
    No need to go to the chapel, risk his life with the mad knight, nothing. He would go back to Gallivas, and puzzle out the mystery. Perhaps his father might let him speak with the court astrologer, see if there were any signs or portents that would be of assistance.
    Lost in such thoughts, he could feel the gloom from the past day beginning to dispel. Catrin might think she held the upper hand, but he knew that he did. Let her think what she wanted to think and say what she wanted to say.
    In the end, he would be free, and she and her desire for a moldy bone could go hang. He would go to Thea, and they would live the life they were meant to live. He smiled. His father would be proud. No Crown Prince of Ethion would be captured and cajoled by the whims of a mad woman.
    He begin to put together the list of items he would need. When he rang the bell later, it was not Catrin who answered. A small girl came in, and bobbed a curtsy.
    “Am I to give you my list?” He asked. He’d meant to be rather imperious in speaking to her, but she was tiny, and he didn’t feel right lording over such a petite girl.
    She nodded, still not speaking.
    He told her the herbals he wanted. She nodded several times, and then scurried out the door. He hoped she would remember.

***
    One week later, Casimir found himself looking through the window of his room. Until today, he hadn’t felt up to more than sleeping. The one time he’d looked at the window before, he was more interested in escaping through it than looking out it.
    It didn’t look to be anything grand, this little cottage. It was small and rather crude looking from what he could see. He wondered why she needed a maidservant for such a small dwelling. It was another mystery—he shook his head. He had enough on his plate in regards to mysteries and solving of problems. There was no need to add Catrin to the list.
    He would need to work hard to disguise himself. This meant he would need to cut his hair and do it poorly. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. His hair was full and well-shaped. Cutting it would mean he had months before it got to a proper state again.
    Casimir chided himself. Fussing over hair like a woman! More important matters were at hand, like how to proceed in order to get free of whatever Catrin had planned for him.
    The little maid came in, pushing the door with her backside and causing it to hit the wall behind it with a boom. Casimir jumped up and hurried to her, arms out to take the tray she carried.
    “May I have shears, or something to cut with as well as the clothes I asked for? I don’t think going about in my night dress would be appropriate,” he said with a smile.
    She returned the smile hesitantly, and giving over the tray, hurried from the room again.
    She seemed almost afraid. He could feel his mind beginning to ponder her and stopped. No more mysteries than he already had. Looking around the room, he found a small mirror so he could see himself as he applied the herbs.
    He found the black walnut paste easily. Too dark, though. Weld would add the touch of yellow and ease the black tinge. He added water to the paste first, hoping to dilute it. He pulled up the sleeve of the nightdress and dabbed some of the watered down mixture on