Meanwhile, Rachel had been unharmed but not safe yet. Lust and Sephyr took their eyes off her for too long and did not know that she had awakened, finding herself tied up on a bed in the inn. Although she had no idea who was responsible, the two women who brought her to this inn were the first suspects. If she was to escape with Valerios, they must both do so without being seen. Fortunately, she found several wine glasses on a table in the room. Smashing one of them on the floor, she used the shards to cut the ropes.
However, when she stepped out of the room and peeked at the crowd of patrons on the first floor, Valerios was nowhere to be seen. Could she have been asleep for longer than she thought? Did Lust and Sephyr dispose of Valerios while she was in the room? It was possible that Valerios evaded them without the opportunity to rescue her at the same time, but in any event Lust and Sephyr were probably still somewhere in the building.
Heading back upstairs, Rachel opened a window in search of a way out. Leaving through the main door of the inn would be too dangerous, though climbing out through the window was not risk-free either. It was not too high, actually. A fall could result in a nasty bruise, but not enough to cause a fracture. Rachel gingerly began to climb out, hanging on to any ledges she could find. The cool breeze outside caressed her, causing the tattered rags she wore to loosen and finally fall off her shapely, buxom body. She gasped and cursed under her breath, silently hoping that none of the passers-by saw her as she reached the ground. To her dismay, not only were the rags nowhere in sight, but she had attracted the attention of a large group of male onlookers, all with wide eyes and perverted grins.
Then a rough voice shouted out, "Nothing to see here! Leave now!" The crowd dispersed after a while, and Rachel saw the man who ordered them to leave. He looked like a middle aged traveler, in studded leather armour with burly arms and a scarred face. A large sword was strapped to his back. "At last I have found you, Your Highness."
Rachel raised an eyebrow, folding one arm across her breasts and the other arm between her legs in a weak attempt to cover up herself up. She had never seen this man before, but the fact that he knew about her being a princess suggested that he was unlike many of the other adventurers she met recently. "Who are you?" she asked.
"Just call me Augustus. I'm a bounty hunter sent by your father to bring you back to the palace. I must say, you are not easy to find." he replied, "The king was kind enough to lend me a horse drawn carriage, knowing that travelling back on foot is beneath you. He also provided some of your royal dresses in case you needed clean clothes after your travels. So please, come with me. Don't make me resort to hitting you on the head and tying you up."
Returning to the palace was not on Rachel's mind, especially with Valerios' whereabouts still unknown. She could use the new clothes though, and the carriage could help her find Valerios sooner. She felt that she should not tell Augustus about the young nobleman yet, at least not until he proved himself to be trustworthy. "By all means, Augustus, lead the way to the carriage. I would appreciate it if you remain outside while I put on some clothes."
(Ooc: More to come. I haven't decided how Rachel would end up at the tower, but I wanted her to be doing something before her arrival instead of simply reappearing there.)
