I woke up earlier than usual as my mind had been unsettled by yesterday's unknown visitor. I yawned groggily and went into the twin's room. They were still sleeping, snoring quite loudly.
After checking on them, I went to Aunt Halle's room down the hall to check on her. She was asleep as well, her chest rising and falling in a rhythmic pattern.
I took a shower and then dressed up in a comfortable wear with riding breeches.
As I walked towards the racetrack, the fresh and chilly weather gave me a feeling of the joy of speeding. Riding a horse had been my only form of therapy, a chance to free my thoughts and actually feel some sort of liberty in life. Today I needed that escape more than ever before. I was disoriented after the events of the previous day and knew I would be able to recover my balance in the regular beat of the racetrack.
When I got there, I could smell the hay and the horses, and it gave me a satisfied feeling. There in front of me was the racetrack and it was pure brown and green land of grass and sand built between high barbed wire fences painted white. On arriving at the stables, I found David going about his job bare-armed and his hands blackened. David was a friend and the owner of the stables. Even though he was extremely wealthy and had people to do it for him, he enjoyed working and getting his hands dirty. He always chose to look after the horses by himself.
“Morning Sunflower,” David said to me cheerfully while he was grooming one of the horses. “You are unusually early but not too early for a ride, right?”
“Oh, I agree,” I said, smiling back at him. “Riding this early is perfect. It’s exactly what I need today.”
"Are you alright?" He asked, furrowing his brows. "I can't help but be slightly worried about you."
"I am quite alright," I sighed, smiling at him. "Just need to beat off stress."
"Ah, yes. I heard the twins' birthdays were yesterday. How was it?"
"It was alright, to be honest," I grinned. "But it is the stress of cleaning up I have come to burn away."
"Ah, I see. Good luck!"
I took the horse from David, then he introduced me to the lovely chestnut mare named Bella. “Take Bella out. She has been behaving dusty and would like to be taken for a run.
I just nodded and took the reins and walked Bella where the track was. I easily reined her on and the familiar nervousness began within my belly. We started moving at a moderate speed, and as we increased the speed, the world was forming a blurry image around us. The wind ruffled through my hair, and for some time, I felt relieved not to think about the stranger and that unsettling feeling.
After galloping around the track twice, I got Bella to slow down till she was trotting and then walking, and then I led her back to the stables. When I dismounted and took her to the stable I saw a beautiful horse in one of the stalls. This horse resembled Tristan, a stallion I had in my previous life at the palace. The horse that Tyler had let me ride that day. This beautiful sleek black coat and erect stance reminded me of him. "So beautiful," I murmured, running my hand through its mane. "So perfect."
‘You like good horses,’ commented David, turning to me to see what I was staring at. I watched him approach, subtly noticing the self-assured grin on his face. “That’s Midnight. A very beautiful and strong-looking horse, isn’t he?”
“Yes,” I smiled, “He reminds me of a horse I know. By the way, it's the first time I've seen him in your stables. Who owns him?”
David’s smile widened. "He is owned by a young, handsome man claiming to have recently arrived in the area. I heard he has come a couple of times when I wasn't here with questions about a woman who has twin children."
My heart skipped a beat. “Have you ever seen him before?”
David shook his head. “As for the man himself, I’ve never witnessed him personally; however, going by what people say, he looks like a man of noble birth. Very distinguished.”
“Hmm, interesting,” I said to myself, my gears started working again. “I appreciate you allowing me to ride Bella, David.”
“Anytime, Sunflower,” he said, smiling at Bella with a pat on her head before returning to what he was doing. “Take care.”
I could not help but worry as I rushed out of the stables as fast as my legs would allow me. I wondered who this man was and why he was asking about me and my twins this way. And why did he own a horse that resembled Tristan so much? By the time I left the stables and started walking home the desire to get home grew more intense, the feeling of needing to be there to protect my children overpowering.
I wanted to run into this person, but at the same time, I did not because I was not sure if it was going to be a good thing or a bad thing.
The streets were deserted; or, rather, the inhabitants were just starting to come out at dawn. Aunt Halle was standing on the porch when I arrived at our house, and she was in the middle of a conversation with a woman who faced away from me. The woman’s movements and the way she stood were not unfamiliar to me; she looked like Lady Nydia, who was someone I hated with everything within me.
That woman had made my life a living hell when I was in the palace.
I hurried closer to the house, my heart pounding with anxiety. She moved and vanished from sight as I got to the porch of the house. I watched her go and a small knot formed in the pit of my stomach.
“Aunt Halle?” I said, my voice barely audible although I was standing less than arm’s length from her. “Who was that woman?”
Looking straight at me, unperturbed, was Aunt Halle. ‘A single mother who has relocated to this town from the big city,’ she said.