Chapter 23 23
Amelia's POV:
“Mei, please faster.” I urged, tapping my foot against the wooden floor. “I almost passed the time that was agreed on, I can’t be late.”
“I’m done, my lady.” Mei said behind me, pulling the final ribbon of my hair into place then twisted and tied it. “Let me just check the corset rope.”
I lifted my arms obediently while she tugged once, then twice, testing the tension of the brown corset cinched over my white blouse. My brown leather pants were already fitted, and my boots laced snugly as she dabbed a hint of perfume at my neck.
“You look perfect.” Mei assured.
I didn’t even wait for her to say more, I rushed out of the room, practically flying down the stairs. The courtyard greeted me with afternoon light, where three horses stood ahead, their coats gleaming and two stablemen were tightening the saddles.
It took me only one glance to realize that I was the first to arrive. “Well… I guess I’ll wait.” I muttered to myself, smoothing a palm over my corset.
But less than a minute later, I heard footsteps behind me and I turned around to see Denary who looked effortlessly put together, adjusting the leather gloves in his hands as he walked.
That was when I realized that I wasn’t wearing any gloves. I sighed and began to take a step past him, heading back inside but he caught my arm lightly. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I forgot my gloves.” I said, embarrassed. “I was going to put them on.”
Without a word, he took off his own gloves, then he slipped them gently onto my hands. I didn’t know why I was smiling like an absolute fool, but I was.
“Come.” He said, walking with me toward the horses.
I pointed. “Which one is yours?”
“The black one.” He replied. “His name is Stallion.”
I nodded. “And which one is mine?”
“That I don’t know.” He looked at the other two. “I asked the stablemen to prepare one for you and one for Jasmine, so you can pick whichever of the remaining two.”
“I’ll take the white one.” I decided.
But immediately, one of the stablemen turned around, bowing slightly. “My lady, forgive me. Earlier, Lady Jasmine instructed me to prepare a white horse for her. So the brown one was arranged for you.”
“Oh.” I said, smiling politely. “That’s fine, I don’t mind the brown one.”
I started toward the brown one when Denary’s hand circled my arm for the second time. “And where are you going now?” He asked.
“To… climb on it?” I blinked.
He laughed. “You don’t know how to ride a horse, right?”
I shook my head.
“Then where exactly were you going?”
My voice dropped to a mumble. “The horse was prepared for me, so I thought I had to ride it.”
“No.” He said firmly. “You’re riding with me, and when I think you can ride on your own, you’ll try your horse.”
“Oh.”
I looked at the horses, then back at him. “So… it’s just the three of us going horse-riding?”
“Yes and no.” He said. “The three of us will ride, but I already sent guards ahead to secure the area.”
I frowned. “To secure the area from what?”
“Wild animals “ He shrugged. “Or suspicious people lurking around.”
I was about to speak again when the sound of heels clicking echoed from the archway and we both turned to see Jasmine dressed in black leather pants, black blouse, black corset, black and boots with low heels.
She looked effortlessly perfect, and I suddenly felt very small.
Jasmine smiled sweetly at Denary. “How do I look?”
He gave her a smile. “Shall we?”
And we all moved toward the horses. The stableman standing by the white horse assisted Jasmine as she climbed. Denary, on the other hand, simply lifted me, effortlessly, onto Stallion. I gasped as he placed me in front of him. Then he swung up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, guiding my hands to the reins.
“Wait!” Jasmine’s voice rang out. “Wasn’t the third horse for Amelia? Why are you riding together?”
I forced out a smile. “He’s going to teach me how to ride with him first. When I learn, I’ll try on my own.”
Jasmine’s expression soured instantly while the stableman beside Jasmine’s horse stepped back. But the one beside mine didn’t, instead he followed us on foot as we rode out of the packhouse, keeping a slow, and steady pace behind us. Soon, we took the forest path, filled with afternoon sun, and Denary began teaching me.
“Hold the reins properly.” He murmured, adjusting my grip with his hands over mine. “Not too tight, and not too loose.”
I nodded, but then Stallion’s head moved slightly and I panicked, jerking the reins up.
“Ow! Sorry!” I gasped.
“For heaven’s sake, Amelia.” Denary sighed dramatically against my back and I giggled.
“Why are you laughing?” He grumbled.
“Because it’s funny.” I replied. “I moved wrong and you looked like you lost ten years of your life.”
“I am going to lose ten years of my life if you don’t stop tugging the reins like that.”
I laughed again and he stiffened. “Stop being cute and concentrate.”
I sat up straighter, trying to act like him calling me cute didn't bring a smile to my face. But every so often, Stallion would shift and I’d squeak, or I’d accidentally lean the wrong way, and Denary would curse under his breath.
“Amelia, stop twisting your body like that, you’ll confuse him.”
“Well I’m confused!”
“That’s obvious.”
I couldn’t help it, I burst into laughter. And even Denary’s lips twitched once, though he tried to hide it. Jasmine, riding ahead, kept glancing back, her expression growing more sour each time I laughed and I pretended not to notice.
But I did. Oh, I absolutely did.
After a while, Denary finally exhaled. “Alright. I think you can try on your own now.”
My smile dropped. “Already?”
He nodded toward the brown horse behind us with the breathless stableman still walking beside it. “You’ll ride slowly, beside me.”
With that, we stopped and then he slid down first, before helping me down gently but his hands lingered a second too long on my waist.
“Hey!” He called the stableman. “Hurry up.”
The poor man practically jogged forward with the brown horse and Denary lifted me onto it. Once I was settled, he mounted Stallion.
“Now.” He said. “Give her a light kick on the belly to signal her to move, then guide her slowly.”
“Like this?” I hesitated before tapping lightly and unexpectedly, the horse shot forward.
“OH MY GOD, DENARY!” I screamed.
Wind slapped my face as the forest blurred around me and I could no longer hear Jasmine or see Denary behind me. I was completely alone, speeding forward, clinging to the reins for my dear life.
“AMELIA! SLOW DOWN!” Denary’s voice finally boomed through the trees. “You need to calm her down, Amelia. You’re the one controlling the horse, not the other way around.”
“I DON’T KNOW HOW!” I yelled back, panicked as the horse continued going so fast that I could barely think or breathe.
Suddenly, the belt under the saddle snapped and before I could even process what was happening, I fell off the horse, tumbled down a small hill, rolled over dirt, leaves, and roots, until the world stopped abruptly when my head struck a stone and everything went blank.