The Untamed Princess

Chapter Twelve: The Anticipated Outing

The following morning, Ming Yue was already waiting outside in the gardens for the prince and Luo Jian well before the appointed time to visit the training grounds.  To tell the truth, she was rather looking forward to the outing.  Having three older brothers, all of whom had served as officers, she felt quite at home in the presence of military personnel, and she of course was no slouch when it came to holding her own in a fight.

To her delight, when Zhao Weisheng and Luo Jian appeared, it was to tell her that they were going on horseback.

Ming Yue was even more delighted to be reunited with Xun, her trusty companion from her previous adventures, and from the reception she got when he was led out of the stable, the feeling was mutual.  Swinging into the saddle, she gave him a pat, and turned to follow the two men.  Although it was not far to the training grounds, four royal guards were accompanying them on the route, as part of Luo Jian's heightened security measures, but they were the types to make themselves seen rather than heard, so Weisheng had no real objection to their presence.

Ming Yue settled in comfortably behind Weisheng and Luo Jian, simply enjoying the ride and the gentle breeze that rustled the branches of the surrounding trees from time to time.  Every now and again, the prince allowed himself a brief glance over his shoulder, just for reassurance.  He would have preferred Ming Yue to be in his line of sight but, this close to the palace, protocol had to be observed.  Consequently, he settled for making sure she never fell more than a horse's length behind his own animal.

When they reached the large, open stretch of grassland just before the training grounds, Weisheng threw caution to the wind, and called over his shoulder to the woman.

"What do you think, Ming Yue?  Should we let them have their heads for a little while, before duty calls?"

Ming Yue shot a heart-stopping smile in his direction and nodded her head enthusiastically.

"So be it," said Weisheng.  He grinned across at Luo Jian, who somehow managed the extraordinary feat of rolling his eyes and waggling his eyebrows at him at the same time and, without a further thought, spurred his horse to a gallop.

To his satisfaction, he heard the thud of two other sets of galloping hooves behind him, as Luo Jian and Ming Yue responded immediately to his sudden change of pace.

Ming Yue knew that the proper thing would be to stay behind the prince, but she was having too much fun, and she had no wish to hold back Xun who, she sensed, had more to give.  Consequently, she sent a burst of encouragement towards him with her mind, and he shook his head in response and stretched out his long limbs.

Within a few strides, she flew past Weisheng at a startling pace, as she and Xun barely registered the ground whizzing past beneath them.  She had just a moment to register the surprised look on the prince's face before she left him in her wake.  She laughed gaily, then took just a little while longer to appreciate the sheer freedom of the moment before, seeing the entrance to the training ground approaching rapidly in front of them, she silently sent a message to Xun that, for now, the fun was over.

Xun gradually slowed to a canter, then a walk, and she turned him around to face the other two men who, by now, had nearly drawn level with her.

At this point, Ming Yue had the good grace to look slightly guilty, as she raised her head to meet the prince's gaze., but Weisheng merely smiled.

"How extraordinary!" he said.  "I never knew that horse had it in him."

"His name is Xun." Ming Yue replied.  The prince raised an eyebrow.

"Very apt."  With that, he carried on towards the entrance to the training grounds, and Ming Yue took up her usual position a few paces behind.

The soldiers at the training grounds were not surprised to see the prince approach, as he often visited, either to train with them or simply walk amongst the men, talking with them as equals.  However, this time they were confused to see a woman in tow, particularly as she was on horseback and was obviously a skilled rider.