One of the ladies I had seen at the banquet walked in to the tavern and I could just make her out in my haze of mead and stale bread.

I was drunk as a skunk and I knew it, but after the week I had been having how could I possibly go back to the palace?

I was still in a great deal of shame after loosing in such a pathetic way and I had received word that my mother was looking for me, but I had still managed to avoid the guards.

Of course I could not expect to get away with it for very much longer, after all as a prince you can’t really get away with walking around the city and assume that no one will recognise you or send word of where you have been.
All of the sudden the door flies open and Thidrek walks in.

"You idiot! Why the devil are you hiding in the tavern of all places? As if that is not there first place where anyone would look for a pathetic prince feeling sorry for himself. Get up!"
He grabbed me by the arm and pulled me off my sit while forcibly dragging me towards the door.
As he pulled me behind him he took notice of Drokka sitting by the counter and had a small word with her as he did his best to keep me upright.

"You must forgive my friend but he does not behave well when he sees a beautiful woman" he told Drokka.
"Besides, he has never been able to handle his mead" he laughed as he dragged me out.

Behind me I could hear Drokka laugh and a beautiful laugh it was, but in the back of my mead induced haze I could still hear the laugh of the mysterious woman that I had met the night of the banquet...who was she?
She had left that night, as quickly as she had came in to my life, she had just disappeared and left me alone in my misery...to miss her.