Chapter 212 An Accident by Design
In a heartbeat, Kelly's mare thundered toward the fifth double rail... and then slammed to a halt. The forelegs locked, muscles bunching tight, and the animal whipped around sharply, neck thrashing as if trying to throw off her rider's control.
"Ah!"
The horse screamed, a high, piercing cry that cut through the arena. Kelly's own shout tangled with it, raw with shock. The sudden chaos froze the crowd in place. Every gaze snapped to the center of the course.
Kelly had no time to think about dignity. Her arms clamped around the horse's neck, legs gripping hard against its flanks, fighting to keep herself from being pitched into the dirt. After several tense seconds, the mare's frenzy eased enough for Kelly to regain her seat.
Her helmet had slipped back, exposing her pale face. She looked shaken, almost fragile, nothing like the confident competitor who had entered the medium zone minutes ago.
Lon, the riding instructor, was already striding toward her, voice tight with concern. "Are you hurt, Kelly?"
"I... I'm fine..." she managed, forcing to steady her breathing. .
But she could feel it, the weight of every pair of eyes on her. It burned under her skin, prickling like a thousand needles. Shame pressed in from all sides. She had come here to prove herself, to show skill and control. Now all she had shown was failure.
Raised in privilege, she had never been humiliated in front of so many people. And worse... it had happened with the man she admired watching.
Her throat tightened. She bit her lip, blinking hard against the sting in her eyes. She was no casual rider — she held an HBBK Level Three certification. In the spring competition, she had cleared doubles without a single mistake. Yet here, at Prestige High School's training arena — a far less demanding course — she had clipped a rail, faced a refusal, and nearly been thrown. And it had happened in a direct face-off with Amelia.
She had been waiting for Amelia to stumble. Instead, she had stumbled first.
Lon's tone softened. "If you're shaken, I can have someone escort you back to class."
"...No," Kelly said quickly, dragging in a deep breath. Her lip trembled, but she steadied it. "I'm fine. And Amelia and I aren't finished. I'm not leaving."
Six points gone . Two for the refusal, four for the knockdown. She could live with that. She hadn't fallen, and her first three jumps had been solid. She didn't believe Amelia could clear all five doubles without more mistakes than she had.
Kelly followed Lon back to the starting line. Amelia's gaze met hers, cool and unreadable.
Kelly bristled. "What are you looking at? You think my mistake means you've already won?"
"I'll tell you this, Amelia — mistakes or not, I'm still better than you."
She didn't give Amelia time to answer. "I'm done. Your turn. Get on with it."
"Is that so?" Amelia's lips curved faintly. "Then watch closely."
Kelly frowned. "Watch what?"
Amelia lifted her chin, the line of her neck long and poised, her eyes hard as steel. "Watch what true dominance is."
Before Kelly could retort, Amelia was already guiding her horse to the start.
The arena fell silent. Even the air seemed to hold its breath. Kelly's skill ranked near the top among the students, and she had made mistakes. Amelia was still a newcomer. Could she possibly avoid disaster?
The whistle cut the quiet. What followed in the next minute left the crowd stunned.
Five obstacles. The doubles rose higher with each jump, the gaps stretching wider. The last two loomed like walls.
Amelia's posture never wavered. Her legs held the horse steady, her gaze locked forward, hands firm on the reins. Each approach, each takeoff, each arc through the air was clean and precise, as if she had drilled the sequence a hundred times.
No clipped rails. No refusals. No hesitation.
Under her guidance, the horse moved with fluid confidence — more at ease than it had been over the singles earlier. When they sailed over the final, tallest, widest double, the sight burned itself into every mind: elegance. Not just flawless execution, but grace that made the plain riding gear look like something from a noble's wardrobe.
They landed at the finish with perfect balance. The arena erupted in cheers.
It was unthinkable — a first-time rider, zero mistakes, clearing five doubles, defeating an HBBK Level Three competitor. The school forums would explode by nightfall.
Amelia turned her horse back toward the start. Kelly stood frozen, disbelief etched across her face.
"This time," Amelia said evenly, "are you satisfied?"
She didn't wait for an answer. "As for what you said, there's no need for you to follow my lead at Prestige High School in the future. Just bring the Moonfern to school tomorrow."
Kelly's lips trembled. Her complexion had gone pale, her eyes wide, unable to reconcile what she had just seen.
Amelia was done talking. She had won. She had secured the Moonfern for Zander's treatment. That was enough.
She reached up to unfasten the helmet strap, fingers working at the tight buckle. She didn't notice Lon watching her, his focus sharp.
The helmet came free. She began to dismount.
That was when the chestnut mare beneath her jolted.
"Uh—"
The horse's body surged, muscles bunching, head snapping high with a harsh cry. Amelia swayed, caught off guard. She hadn't yet taken hold of the reins again.
Something had spooked the animal — hard. It reared, forelegs pawing the air, and then lunged forward into a sudden, wild gallop... carrying Amelia with it before anyone could react.