18 At The Fields II.

At the end of the fields stood the king of kings, Alistair. He did not changed his clothes except for the boot he was wearing now. Percival and Roland were behind him with some guards.

With my hands holding tight to my dress, I began to walk to where they stood. There was a black mare in front of them. King Alistair fed it as they spoke.

Soft laughter filled the air when Percival made a joke. The king seemed to enjoy their company.

I went closed and let go of my dress. Roland was the first to sight me. He had a shocking look on his face. I knew the questions he was going to ask. Before, he could take steps forward…

"Princess Arabella?" the king called. He left what he was doing and came to me. I was glad he did so because I could barely walk further on this grass with this heavy metal-like fabric called a dress.

"Your majesty," I bowed and looked up quickly. He had a smile that sent shiver down my spine.

"I'm surprise to see you here" King Alistair said, with his gaze shifting to the girls behind me. "Are you bored. Are they not keeping you company?"

"Oh, not that…" I turned and looked at the girls. None of their heads were up. "I wanted to come here and talk to you about something."

"Another discussion? You enjoy having conversations with me?

There he go again, making it about him. Alistair was not going to change. When he behaved properly this morning, I thought for a second that he was going to be different from the man I knew back then but it was impossible.

"Are you still talking about…" I did not finish when he cut me off. It was bad. No gentleman will do that to a lady.

"It was no discussion in the morning, I forgot," he placed a hand on his forehead and smiled mischievously "You barely say a word at the table. What are you going to say to me now?"

"Stop it, Alistair," my face went red. I did not want to fight in public. "You are beginning to annoy me."

Roland and Percival moved backward, giving us space. At this point, I realized that my tone was harsh enough to alert anyone that I was angry.

Quickly, I lowered my voice and apologized "Forgive me, your highness. I did not mean to raise my voice at you."

The smile on his face was no longer there. His left brow lifted and dropped as though he said something awful in his mind "Its okay, princess. We are getting to know each other. These fights are commonly found in relationships."

I was confused. It seemed he became a different person now.

"Come, I shall introduce you to my horse," Alistair brought his palm forward, waiting for me to accept his invitation.

I placed my hand in his, a heat skittered through my body as we touched. I could hear my heart beat as we walked passed the boys. I wondered if they could hear it.

As I gazed upon the magnificent creature standing before me, I marveled at the sheer beauty and power of the black mare that graced the royal fields.

Her coat was as dark as midnight, glistening under the sunlight, and seemed to absorb every beam that touched her. A regal presence emanated from her every stride, as if she were born to command attention and reverence.

Her lithe and muscular frame spoke of her strength and agility, the result of years of dedicated training and care.

With a sleek, well-defined build, she moved with grace and purpose, each step exuding confidence and nobility. The flicker of her ears, sharp and attentive, revealed her keen intelligence and awareness of her surroundings.

In her eyes, I found a depth that seemed to hold centuries of wisdom and experience. They were a penetrating obsidian, reflecting the world around her with a mixture of curiosity and authority. It was as if she possessed an understanding beyond the mortal realm, a connection to a realm of kings and legends.

The black mare's regality was further enhanced by the meticulously braided mane that cascaded down her neck, the dark strands intertwining with small ribbons in the royal colors, symbolizing her status as the king's horse.

Adorned with a finely crafted saddle and ornate trappings, she embodied the prestige and honor befitting her position

"This is Deborah," He began the introduction. "Just like the king of kings, she is the horse of horses."

Okay, was that supposed to make sense? I nodded and touched her long mane . It was a beautiful horse.

"You like black horses?" the king asked. I looked in his direction and this time that foolish smile was on his face again. Was it his nature to smile? Or I actually make him smile this much…Or was he pretending?

'Stop being suspicious, Arabella and concentrate,' I told myself.

"Did you say something?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at me.

"N-no…Yes, your highness," I replied, letting go of Deborah's mane. "I want to visit the grand queen of the palace. I heard she fell ill this morning."

His eyes brightened at once and smiled "She is my grandmother. Have you two met?"

"No, we haven't met," I answered. His Spartan shoulders were broad and wide. If I dare hug him, his chest would swallow me. I was a tiny luna for this alpha male here. "But I will like a visit."

"I thought you have met her before," He said, patting Deborah. "We shall go to her if that is what you want."

Well, now it was what I wanted. When I wanted to leave this palace few hours ago, nobody seemed to let me get what I want.

"Roland, Percival" the king called. The boys walked to where he was and bowed deeply. "We are going to visit my grandmother. Roland is going with us. Percival you make sure that Alfred and the rest are well taken care of you."

"Yes, your highness" Percival replied, taking steps back. I never knew he could be so humble. The guy made a lot of noise on our way to Aerendia. I almost hate him for it.