Obsidian

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

| At The Kingdom of Azalon ~ Royal Stables |

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Zane." The bomb of a word dropped from her smirking lips.

This blew Lady Leah's shock level to the roof. She tried to stifle a laughter, her cheeks filling up with air, holding back the laughter was harder than she thought.

King Zane's hands balled in a tight fist, his veins surfacing beneath the thin layer of skin.

"Zane?" The King questioned.

"Any problem with it?" Princess Aria never sparing the King a look as she tickled the horse's neck.

"What do you think?" The anger boiled in him, yet he tried to restrain himself, any silly move could cost him his life, that he knew. "What is the motive for the name." He managed to say through gritted teeth.

"Simple actually, he is a black breed and has beautiful black mane, and so do you!" She rambled.

Lady Leah's composed manner fell into bits, ripples of laughter could not be contained by her hands over her mouth.

"Excuse me, Your Highness! Your Majesty!" She bowed, scurrying off without any given permission whatsoever.

°What did I say wrong?° Princess Aria looked on, puzzled.

°I have a black mane? Like a horse?° King Zane zoned out, not able to fully comprehend what he had just heard.

"Whoops!" Princess Aria realized her unintentional comparison of the King to a horse. "What I meant to say is, he has a black mane and you have a black hair."

"Also, you both had a cold exterior at the first instance but deep down you're just craving attention." She pouted, ruffling the mane of the horse slightly.

°I crave attention?° King Zane dived deeper into his zoned world.

"I crave attention?" The King couldn't help but voice out. The King who has been feared by his subjects, made to appear like a tamed Lion?

"I- I..." She stammered, taking a step back, weary of the King's next move.

The Friesian horse sensing the uncomfortable situation it's new found friend was in, it stomped it's hooves continuously on the sand, the neighing of the horse reverberated through the stables, setting a chain reaction by other horses following suit.

"Easy there, boy." Even though for some unknown reason she felt fear, she couldn't stand any confrontations between these two.

"I was just playing a joke a little while ago," She gave a nervous chuckle. "I really have a name for him, do you want to hear it?"

"Do you think I would want to?" The King deapanned, his patience on it's brink.

"Why do you suddenly answer my questions with a question?" She folded her arms in annoyance. "Hmph!"

"Anyways," releasing her hands to her sides. "His name is Obsidian. Doesn't the name fit perfectly?" Clasping her hands, putting on the puppy dog eyes.

°Do my eyes deceive me? Why is she surrounded by sparkles?° He shook his head in denial.

"What? You don't like it?" She was confused. "You prefer the name Zane?" She asked, putting her finger on her bit down bottom lip, thinking of the possibility of the King forgoing the latter for the first.

°Uncultured Lips° Was all the King could think about at the moment.

"Stupid..." Was all he could mutter.

"Whaaa!" Princess Aria opened her mouth in shock at his choice of word, "how can you call me stupid? Did you sign a death contract?" She repeatedly hit him on the chest.

"You did sign the contract on my behalf." King Zane chipped in.

That word putting a halt to her complaint. "You started it." She poked him on the chest with her index finger.

"Would you stop being so immature, not shifting any blame? I accept I unintentionally started this, but haven't you gotten even with me?" Holding on to her hand preventing her from poking him any further.

"Immature?" She couldn't believe he would refer to her in that terms.

°tch! I'll give you immature alright!°

"If you continue on like this, I might reconsider administering your next doze, you would be in need of it in, hmm let's see." She feigned thinking, counting her fingers.

Putting up seven fingers. "You have 7 days your Majesty, do you think you can live 7 agonizing days with me.

"I would love to spend those agonizing days with you." He countered with a wink.

°Dimwit! How can you be so carefree after what I just said?°

"I came to ride a horse, and riding a horse is what I would get." Princess Aria pushed him away.

Pulling on the latch door of it's stall, opening it, she led Obsidian towards the fields, "Where could I find some reins?" She halted, finally realising she knew nothing of this stable.

"You would ask me? What is the stablemaster good for?" He barked.

°Yet he would get annoyed if he is being compared to a horse° She deapanned.

"Fine! I'll go look for it myself." Princess Aria rolled her eyes, "Stay here, I would be back." She spoke consolingly to the horse, firing daggers at the King as she passed by him.

The horse gave a loud exhale of breath from it's nostrils, it's features tightening, obedient to the princess command but weary of the King, it's tail swaying to it's side.

°Stupid Horse, I'm not afraid of you° The King sweatdropped, taking a step backwards.

"I only found this leather saddle." Stomping her feet, princess Aria held the said saddle in hand.

"You still insist on doing it yourself?" The King was puzzled on her resilience.

"Ofcourse, even though I was born a princess, that didn't stop me from being human unlike some royal I know." She whistled, looking anywhere but the King's glaring eyes.

°I am more resourceful than you think, dimwit° Her lips curled into a smirk.

"Hmmm." He grunted as a reply.

"Would you kindly show me the tack room?" She deapanned, clearly not in the mood to put up any form of argument.

"I clearly do not know where that is." The King shrugged. "Where is stablemaster?" The King yelled.

"Would you keep it down?" Princess Aria winced to the ache it caused to her temples.

°What's going on?° The princess held onto her head, the surrounding environment blurring.

"Woah!" dropping the saddle, the princess staggered a little, losing her balance.

Her breathing strained, she tried to speak but her voice failed her.

Slowly, her eyelids became heavier. With the little strength she could muster, she could make out two figures, the blurry figure of a male and a horse.

She felt the nudging of Obsidian with his nose on her face. The light pressure on her shoulders by the King, she couldn't make out what was being said.

°Why can't my body move?° she stared at the King who cradled her in his arms.

°I couldn't even get to ride Obsidian°

°Father!° A stray tear trickled down her cheek. Was this really the end for her?

Slowly she drifted into the darkness.

~~~~~~~~~~

| >> s << |

~~~~~~~~~~