Horse riding

As Cassian leaned against the balcony's banister looking at empty entranceway as his mind rushed through many scenarios and thoughts and each more catastrophic than another.

"Hey, Cassian." Samuel approached him. "I wish to report that her highness beat me in a sparring session today."

"I saw." Cassian replied in his deep voice, showing no emotion, trying to conceal how deeply hurt he was.

"Cassian, I don't think Annette has a good influence upon her highness." Samuel furrowed his brows as he stated his very thoughts.

"Why do you say so?"

"Her highness was very concerned about a few remarks that Annette has made."

"Tell her to send the duchess away if she is bothered by her."

"She won't."

"Why?"

"Because she believes that she abides by you by suffering through her lessons due to your friendship with Annette."

"My friendship with Annette is insignificant in the light of my marriage."

"Are you certain?"

"Very."

"So, will you listen if I say that Annette is planning something to sabotage your relationship with Isabelle?"

Cassian looked over at Samuel. He was speechless at that question.

"What is she planning?"

"I am trying to work it out."

"Why do you think that she's planning something?"

"Well…" Samuel came up to Cassian and leaned on the banister beside him. "Isabelle saw her leaving your chamber."

"What?" Cassian furrowed his brows and his entire face twisted in confusion and disbelief. "How do you know?"

"Isabelle told me."

"When?"

"Yesterday."

"When did she see Annette near my chamber?"

"Yesterday."

"Why didn't you tell me straight away?" Cassian growled in his deep and low voice.

"Because I was trying to work out what Annette was up to."

"Why didn't Isabelle come to me?"

"Because she thinks that you're having an affair." Samuel growled in return. Cassian was speechless.

"An affair?"

"What else is she meant to think if she is seeing a woman leave her husband's room?"

"Have you lost your mind?!" Cassian raised his voice.

"I am telling you this because it is concerning me."

"Why? Because you want Isabelle yourself?"

"What?" Samuel shook his head in disbelief. "How did you get that from it?"

"I know that you dislike Annette for whatever reason. But don't you dare come up with some schema between me and her."

"Why would you think that?"

"What better way to get Isabelle on your side that making her believe that I would cheat on her?"

"I never said that."

"Anything else to report?"

"Not really."

"I see."

"I invited Isabelle for a horse ride tomorrow morning."

"And this is not a part of some ploy?"

"Absolutely not. There is a very real reason for why I am doing what I am doing."

"Tell me."

"I am trying to help Isabelle with her confidence."

"And is it working?"

"She's beating the crap out of me so I'd say so."

Cassian humphed before he turned away and marched off with his anger clearly seen in his powerful steps.

Samuel watched his friend in utter disbelief, wondering at which point did he turn into such an idiot.

Cassian returned to his chamber thinking about Samuel's words. He searched his room to see if he could find anything suspicious but there was nothing, no evidence of Annette. He could never have suspected the real ploy Annette had and the harm it was going to have. But even then, he was concerned with Samuel's confession and a thought that Isabelle might be unhappy but enduring Annette for his sake. He dismissed it, trusting that Annette and Isabelle got along well.

The next morning, Isabelle wore a much more flowy dress and put on a cape and gloves. The twilight started lighting up the sky as she came downstairs and sneaked out towards the stables. She was surprised to see Gilbert already in the stable, and he was equally surprised by seeing her. Isabelle requested a horse for herself and Samuel to e brought out to the main area as she carefully looked at the available saddles and equipment that she was trying to choose from.

"Good morning." Samuel smiled at her.

"Good morning. Gilbert is just gone to get horses." Isabelle smiled back at him.

"Fantastic."

Isabelle picked the equipment and started placing it onto Midnight which Gilbert led to her. Samuel did the same with his horse. Isabelle was, maybe not so surprisingly, as good if not better than him at saddling her horse.

She mounted Midnight before Samuel did and she waited patiently for him.

They left the stables in a trot and Samuel led the way.

Isabelle's balance was impeccable and Midnight seemed to follow her suit, transitioning from trot to canter effortlessly.

Samuel led her through a patches of woods and then some wild trails before reaching wide spreading meadows that he spoke of.

Meadows were blooming with spring flowers.

Isabelle was stunned by the sheer beauty of the view. The never ending greens, yellows, blues, and reds under a fiery sky of red, orange and deep blue with the last few stars still flickering.

"And how do you like my secret spot?" Samuel asked.

"It's…" Isabelle struggled to put into the words how much she loved it. "Breathtaking."

'Like you.' Samuel thought as he looked back at her. But he didn't say it, he just widened his smile as he watched Isabelle's face change as it filled with wonder.

They remained still, watching the sun rise and fill the sky with its warmth in the next few minutes.

"What do you think of when you see something as mesmerising as this?" Samuel asked her.

"How I wish I could show it to people that I loved but are gone." Isabelle replied honestly.

"Who?"

"Honestly?" Isabelle looked back at him. "I used to have a friend that was very dear to me. He would've loved seeing it."

"Who?"

"Will you tell Cassian?"

"No." Samuel answered with a reassuring smile.

"Atlas." She answered truthfully.

Samuel froze knowing full well who Atlas was. He looked back at the changing sky realising that Isabelle must've loved Cassian and his heart slowly broke apart.

"There's a stream at the bottom of the valley. The last one there is a toad!" He decided as he led his horse into canter and then gallop. Isabelle took a moment to react, setting off seconds after Samuel. That didn't stop her in catching up. Not only did she catch up, she managed to overtake Samuel. Samuel went pale as he saw her get near the stream and she did not slow down. "Isabelle!!!" He screamed her name, his voice echoed in the empty space of the valley, but he couldn't catch up with her. He drew his horse to the halt but Isabelle leaned forward on Midnight, leading into the leap across the wide stream, the scarf falling off her head and realising the blueness of her hair.

Samuel watched the daring move with terror, which quickly changed into that of worship. "Oh my god!" He started laughing along with Isabelle as soon as she landed.

She didn't feel this free in a long time. She couldn't stop laughing at the overwhelming feelings of glee.

She jumped off the horse and rolled in a grass. Samuel walked across the stream, stepping on the stones carefully, and then he appeared above her, overshadowing a perfectly blue sky.

Isabelle's heart skipped a beat. His warm brown eyes melted her from the inside.

"Thank you, Sam." She said as she stopped laughing. "Thank you."

Samuel couldn't take his eyes off her. He didn't want to either. Her smile and laugh were bewitching. And he made it possible. He wanted to be the one to make her laugh for the rest of their lives.

"You gave me a heart attack."

"I told you that I can ride a horse. Did you doubt me?"

"No. I didn't realise that you rode a horse better than me."

"I fight better than you, too." Isabelle laughed again.

"Yes, you do. But I will not admit that to anyone else."

Samuel laid down clumsily beside bed as his clothes, especially the long cape, got in his way.

"Through primrose tufts, in that green bower,
The periwinkle trailed its wreaths;
And 'tis my faith that every flower
Enjoys the air it breathes." Isabelle recited.

"The birds around me hopped and played,
Their thoughts I cannot measure:—
But the least motion which they made
It seemed a thrill of pleasure…" Samuel continued which made Isabelle even happier than before.

"In springtime's gentle breeze, I see, The promise of new life and glee. The flowers bloom and birds take flight, A symbol of freedom and delight.

Their fragrant scent fills up the air,

And beckons us to stop and stare.

So let yourself be free this spring,

Embrace the joys that it can bring.

Nature sings, and so can we,

Free to blossom, finally free."

"I do not know this one." Samuel rolled onto his side, watching Isabelle's profile. "Is it by a Galborian poet?"

"Hardly a poet." Isabelle giggled. "I wrote this and decided to memorise it when I was a teen. It's rather cringeworthy now, but then I thought I was the best poet there ever was."

"You wrote it when you were a teen? I was mostly climbing trees and getting into trouble."

"I was doing that too. Don't worry, I didn't miss out much on scraped knees. My grandfather scolded me daily for all the mischief I was up to."

"What held you back, Isabelle?"

"Everything and everyone. The never ending rules that you have to adhere to. The never ending appropriateness." Isabelle's face lost her smile. "The invisible walls around me. Being a constant prisoner to someone."

Samuel felt a pang of sadness. He wanted to protect Isabelle and make sure that no one hurt her again. Isabelle looked to the side noticing his gaze and smiled at him.

"Why did you marry Cassian?" Samuel asked abruptly. Part of him hoped that her answer will be enough to shut his feelings for her away. Isabelle's smile vanished again but she didn't looked away. She was surprised by the question.

"My father promised that whoever ends the war will get to marry his daughter." Isabelle said quietly.

"Why you?"

"Because I had no value to my father and a promise had to be fulfilled. He found a perfect solution to get rid of both." Isabelle answered honestly.

"Did you want to?"

"No one asked." Isabelle's eyes were filled with an emotion that Samuel couldn't quite place.

"If they did, what would you have said?"

"No." Isabelle answered as she stood up. Samuel followed her.

"Why?"

"Because marriage is yet another invisible prison." Isabelle answered as she looked over her shoulder. "You belong to someone else and you have to always think about whether your action will upset them. If someone asked me, I would have said that I wanted to be alone and free. I want to explore and do things that are deemed unladylike. I want to ride a horse to a meadow whenever I like, whether it's snowing or raining. I want to roll around in grass without a care about my dress. I want to sing at the top of my lungs." Isabelle mounted Midnight again.

"Isabelle, sing. Sing if you just wish to. Sing as loud as you can." Samuel said encouragingly.

"Wouldn't you like that?" Isabelle laughed.

Samuel mounted his horse.

The horses slowly walked across the stream and climbed up the hill.

"What song would you say suits the day like today?"

"When the cold wind is a-calling

And the sky is clear and bright

Misty mountains sing and beckon

Lead me out into the light

I will ride, I will fly

Chase the wind and touch the sky

I will fly

Chase the wind and touch the sky" Isabelle sang as she rode through the meadow, her voice carried in the breeze like chiming of the bells.

They galloped again on the way to the castle, chasing the winds, racing each other.