Chapter 7

I couldn't help but look at the horse who was still watching from a distance.

"You call yourself a warhorse? He couldn't even touch you!"

The horse whinnied indignantly, but he allowed me to approach and remount him. The pair of us road back a bit slower since it was dark. By the time we made it to the stable, the sky was black and the stars were bright overhead. A small crescent moon hung in the sky. As I rode in, the stable master was standing there at the entrance to the stable yard, his arms across his chest and a stern look on his face.

I cleared my throat as I rode up. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be away so long."

"Hmm… after a stunt like that, I should have you expelled from the estate!" he growled, causing me to wince. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

I looked down, feeling sufficiently chastised. Although I had felt a bit of rebelliousness toward Madame Augustus, and certainly Niles, I had no grief with the stable master. I realized I had put him in a hard place by acting rashly.

"The horse was very restless." I gave my excuse. "He needed a workout before being put up.

The stable master stared at me for another moment, and then he jerked his head. "He has been growing despondent lately. This is the most energized I've seen him in some time. Go ahead and put him up."

I nodded and dismounted, taking him the rest of the way into the stable. I took care of his grooming needs, shut him up, and then left him with food. He shook his mane happily as he started to eat. As I turned away, I could see the stable master watching me.

"Prince."

"Hmm?"

"The horse's name is Prince." He responded.

"Niles would have a horse named Prince," I spoke before I could help myself.

Rather than angry, the stable master barked a laugh. "He picked the horse against multiple people's recommendations. To him, it was all about the image. He didn't care that the horse was considered unrideable."

"Unrideable?" I asked.

"I usually have to drug the horse to get him to accept Niles riding on him. Since Niles has been home the last few days and decided to take Prince out, Prince got a dose of those drugs. He's been moping around unhappily ever since that was… until he let you ride him. Frankly, I'm impressed."

"We're both free spirits, I guess," I responded with a quick answer.

"I don't know about that." He responded. "I also don't know where you learned to ride like that. I hadn't shown you how to clean out a stall or groom a horse either, but your movements were impeccable. I couldn't have done it better myself."

"Those online videos…" I began.

He held up a hand stopping me. "I don't know, and I don't care. I guess, what I'm saying is your secret is safe with me. You're also hired. We're going to be getting up early tomorrow. We need to have everything set up for an important visitor tomorrow."

"Yes, sir." I nodded, feeling a bit relieved that he wasn't looking to pry.

"Oh, and one more thing." He looked me up and down. "I hope you have another change of clothing. I have some left over stable hand clothes you can wear on work days, but on show days, you should be dressed your best."

I looked down at my outfit, and couldn't help but let out a little groan. The brand-new outfit I had now had several tears in it along with dirt and grass streaking up the side. It came when I leaped off the horse and landed hard. It was a very expensive outfit to destroy in a single outing.

"I have another," I responded, feeling a little helpless.

"Good then, see you tomorrow, bright and early."

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't sore. This body of mine didn't seem to match up with my knowledge. I had used it in ways it wasn't used to, and that was beside the bruises and cuts I had gotten in the same fall that destroyed my uniform.

I returned to the servant's quarters. The servants' quarters were laid out like a condominium complex, with various single, double, and triple units based on the size of the families currently working under the estate. I had originally lived in a two-bedroom living space with Catelyn and her mom. However, as Catelyn and I grew older, her mom no longer thought it was acceptable for us to sleep in the same bedroom.

She eventually negotiated a deal that gave me my own space. It was the smallest of the quarters, a studio apartment where the bed folded out from the wall and the kitchen was too small to even be functional. It wasn't a big deal, because I didn't cook. I had spent most of my life mooching off of Catelyn and her mom.

Catelyn's mom earned a stipend working for the Augustus family. Her living expenses were taken out of that, and what was left was given for amenities and the like. I knew that their stipend was smaller because they were paying for my place, and on top of that, they bought food and other amenities for me. Even then, I only took the food I wanted, mostly junk. The rest of it often went into the garbage, and the only time I ate something healthy was when I came over when Catelyn was cooking. Suffice it to say, I owed the pair immensely.

I entered the dark residence and turned on the lights. Looking over the place, I could only say one thing. It was messy. My previous self didn't bother to clean up after himself, and the result was unused dishes in the sink and an overflowing trashcan. Other than that, the place was somewhat barren. It was almost surprising I could leave it so messy given how little I even owned. Everything I had was gifted to me by Catelyn and her mom. There wasn't a single thing I had earned on my own.

I reached up and touched my suit. Well, I was currently paying it off, so in a way, I owned the suit. It was a shame I had destroyed it on the same day as I had gotten it. Memories began to surface in my mind. I went looking around and was able to pull out a sewing kit. It was Catelyn's kit, but she had brought it over the last time I had put a hole in my pants. She had fixed them for me without complaint. I wouldn't need to contact her tonight.

I pulled off my clothing and sat on the couch. Pulling out a needle and thread, I began to work at mending my outfit. No, I wasn't a seamstress in my memories. Most of my memories seemed to be of military or nobility. However, the military often picked up a variety of skills. You never knew what could happen on the battlefield, so basic sewing, cooking, and cleaning were a part of every soldier's repertoire. It was basic and utilitarian, lacking the grace and beauty of the original job, but no one would notice unless they were looking closely.

After I finished fixing my uniform, I drew some water and washed the uniform, removing the dirt and grass stains that had come after my fall. Dirt and grass stains had to be a common occurrence for a stable hand, so I hoped they wouldn't hold it against me. When I finished, I hung it up to dry.

Then, I started doing the dishes. When I finished them, I went to take out the trash. Just as I opened the door, I was surprised to see someone standing on the other side. She had her hand up as if she was preparing to knock. She looked just as surprised to see me.

"Jordan..." A breathy voice spoke.

"Catelyn," I responded.

This was the girl who had saved my life, in more ways than one. We stared at each other for a couple of seconds, but then her eyes lowered and she let out a cry.

"Y-you're naked!" She cried out, turning away as her face turned red.

"I'm wearing boxers." I shrugged.

I might have been mortified before, but that was a different me. The current me tended to walk around his flat in nothing but boxers, and he didn't mind being seen in them either. It was enough to cover anything particularly indecent.

"P-please… put something else on." She spoke in a broken voice.

"If you insist." I shrugged, walking over to my dresser which held all the clothing I owned.

Since it was a single room, and I didn't race to the bedroom, Catelyn could only wait uncomfortably as I fished out some clothing and put it on. I knew this was pre-worn hand-me-down clothing that Catelyn's mom had obtained with some effort. It never fit me quite right, and I found myself preferring to be in the uniform which had been fitted specifically for me. Once I was covered, she stepped inside, and closed the door, locking it.

"I'm leaving tomorrow," Catelyn spoke, looking at the door.

"I know," I responded.

"Is that all you have to say?" She asked.

"Thank you," I added, not sure what she was looking for.

"Thank you…" She repeated slowly, a sound of disappointment in her voice.

"What else should I say? Should I… Mmm!"

She spun around and threw herself at me. The next moment, her lips were pressed against mine. We ended up falling on the bed. Well, if our clothes were just going to come off anyway, why did she ask me to dress?