With the sun beating down on them mercilessly, Orion thought it best to stop and dismount in the shade of a very large tree.  He saw no sense in remaining in the heat’s discomfort if it could be avoided.  In fact, the tree’s welcoming shade was so vast that Leo and his men could relax and remain on duty on one side, while the Prince and Princess could enjoy a bit of privacy on the other side.<br/><br/>He allowed Shade to roam as she wished, mainly due to the fact that she never strayed too far from him.  The Prince also enjoyed granting her freedom to seek out the choice bits of grass to munch on, or whatever else she saw fit to consume.  Cassiopeia, however, remained on her horse.  Just as he was about to ask her if she required a written invitation to dismount, it dawned on him that she required assistance.  Good thing I didn’t say anything, he gladly thought.<br/><br/>With his hands on her hips, the Princess placed hers on his shoulders as she slid off and down.  While her horse tagged along with Shade, Orion strolled over to the guard’s horse that carried the picnic basket.  He noticed with a smirk that the three men were wise enough to pack their own food and drink.