Felicia

The ride was beautiful. The sun was setting, casting beautiful rays of colors upon the clouds and the ocean. Mount Vesuvious loomed on the horizon. Felicia was not thrilled that she had just married a stranger, but she was always up for adventure! Damiano was not very talkative on the way, for he was afraid of spoiling his plan. This was not an issue for Felicia who was too busy taking in the beautiful sunset.

Eventually, they left the coast and headed more inland. They came to the entrance of a farm in Sorrento. Felicia thought this place was simple and beautiful. She immediately ran over to the horses and introduced herself to them. After Felicia led the horses into the barn for the night, she turned towards the door only to find Damiano standing there with a strange look on his face.

"Listen here, Princess" he said in a snarky tone, "I had no interest in marrying you. I was always much better than your father, yet he was a king and I was a peasant. Now I have tricked him into giving me his most prized possession! I know how much he wants grandchildren, and now he will never get them! Mwahaha! You will stay in here with nothing but what the horses leave you until I return!" Damiano slammed the barn door and locked it heavily behind him. He instructed the farm workers to keep her in the barn, or he would have them all killed. Damiano went off to Firenze celebrate his victory.

Felicia was in shock. She wondered who this man could be? She thought out loud, "who dare would claim to be better than the King?" Then it hit her, Damiano!!! He was always out to get her father, and her father hated him for being better than him in their younger days! She could not believe her misfortune and immediately began sobbing. She was left alone in her misery all night. No one came to feed the horses or relieve her of her suffering.

She lamented, "Father, why did you allow this awful enemy to take me away? I have gone from riches to rags. Or have I brought this plague upon myself? I was the one who refused to marry one of the decent fellows who sought to take my hand. I wished for a unique man only to be given away to my father's nemesis! I have brought this fate upon myself by running away from my father's will."

Felicia wept and wept. Later the next evening, part of the barn above the trough slid open and food was thrown through it quickly and the door was shut rapidly. Felicia tried to open it, but it was locked. She began to make a plan. She would wait until feeding time the next day, and try to convince the feeder to set her free. The next day she called to the boy, but he would not reply. For two weeks Felicia called to the boy, but she was not delivered. He would, however, sneak her some food and water every day.

At the end of the second week, she asked him what his name was. He was hesitant to respond, but because Damiano had not once returned since he left Felicia, he decided a few words wouldn't hurt anyone. "My name is Salvatore," he replied.

Felicia was taken aback. The name Salvatore meant savior. Was he the one who would be deliver her form her misery? "Nice to meet you Salvatore, my name is Felicia. I cannot thank you enough for sneaking me food and water. I would be dead without you. You have truly saved my life."

Salvatore, afraid that if he continued to talk to her would end up getting his whole family killed by Damiano, quickly walked away. Meanwhile, the King was becoming very anxious. Felicia and her new husband had been gone for longer than expected. He began to worry about them and sent a search party for them.

Just moments before feeding time the next day, the search party made it to the farm. They rain into Salvatore and asked he if he had seen the Princess of Napoli and her husband. They held up a poster of their faces and immediately Salvatore recognized their faces. Relentlessly, Salvatore said that he had not, but heard that they had continued onto Firenze. The search party was on the next train up to Firenze to continue their search. Salvatore ran went to his family and told them that they had to rescue this girl, for she was the Princess of Napoli!