The Damned Princess

Chapter 12

"Do I even want to know how you got that money?" Casteel gaped as Lydia withdrew the three pouches. She shrugged, mind still occupied with thoughts of her parents.

"Trust me, you don't want to know." Tari commented slowly. 

"Why? You didn't have sex with any one for it, did you? Lyria, wait, no, you didn't right?" The girls ignored him.

Lydia huffed. "I won it fair and square!"

"You cheated."

"Ahaha no. I just cheated well. There's a difference." 

"Mala save me."

"No need to be dramatic." Lyria sniffed. Tari opened her mouth to argue, but froze. There was a sound in the distancing that sounded an awful lot like shouting. Looking at one another, the three raced to the side of the deck. There seemed to be a very violent bar fight in one of the inns. 

"That looks like fun." Lyria said at the same time that Tari said. 

"So uncivilised."

"Whatcha looking at?" Val's voice was so unexpected that they all jumped. The pirate was smirking at them, four reins held in her hand. Behind her were four horses, all looking like they were petrified of the sea. Lyria couldn't blame them. 

"Where did you get those? I thought you didn't have any money."

"Well my dear Casteel...I stole them." Tari face-palmed and went off muttering to herself about criminals. 

"Why did we not hear you come on board with them?"

"I guess my distraction worked too well." She nodded towards the bar fight. 

"How did you manage to steal four horses though? I'm impressed." Lyria walked up to one of the stallions and held out her hand for the animal to sniff.

Unlike most first time riders, Lyria's earliest ride was on one of her father's war horses. It had not gone well. Still, he insisted that she learnt to ride on, in his words, an 'actual horse' instead of her mother's food-loving mare who refused to go faster than a trot. Her mother maintained that Mrs Apples was her spirit animal and rejected any other horse.

What she learned from her experiences with the stallions was that you must respect them, become allies. Do not for one second think that you own them, for they belong first and foremost to the wild. However, if you succeed, he will carry you into the pits of hell at one asking. A faithful companion. 

Lyria knew all to well the consequences of not becoming their equal, her arm ached at the memory of her landing. 

This stallion was a dark brown, coat shining like polished armour. He stood at about seventeen hands, and his hooves lifted impatiently as he shifted his weight. 

"Oh you're a handsome one aren't you?" She murmured as she stroked his head. He snorted into her palm and threw back his head in what looked like a flourish. Lyria smirked, oh this was definitely her horse. The stallion assessed her with dark eyes, tail swishing, before seeming to decide that she would do and pushing his neck into her hand for a scratch. 

"And then I-Lyria are you even listening?"

"Nope." She ran her fingers through the stallion's mane, and ignored the pirate.

"I was just explaining how I managed to kidnap the four horses, listen to my awesomeness." The boat tilted and the horses began panicking, throwing back their heads and backing away, eyes wide. 

"Hey hey hey." Lyria said softly as her stallion reared up, frightening the others further. 

"Stop being so dramatic, if I have to deal with the sea, you do." She continued, grabbing onto his bridle. She turned to Val who was cursing and failing at restraining the horses. One had broken free and was exploring the deck. 

"Why did you bring them on the ship? You do know how much horses shit right?" The brunette went pale.

"Fuck no, get them off the ship off off."She led the two remaining down the plank and onto the docks were they began eating grass. 

"Come on, let's get you off the devil boat." Lyria tightened the reins under his chin as the stallion made to bit her. 

"Hey! No biting me! You must only bite our enemies. Don't worry I'll train you." The horse grunted but followed her down the plank. He glared at her and looked very put out. 

"I'm sorry I didn't let you bit me, OK? Go bite Casteel."

"What?"

"Go on, bite him!" Lyria urged but the horse made no move to. Casteel grinned in victory and brushed his hand along the horse back, only to jump back cursing as the stallion nipped his hand. 

"YES! We are going to have so much fun together I can tell." Lyria commented gleefully.  

Author's note

This chapter was so short, I knooooowwwwwwwww but I'm at like a writer's block. I know the ending chapters but its like the middle that annoys me. The next chapter might just have like a shit ton of action in it and be like 3000 words.

Also I know close to nothing about horses so correct me if I've said anything wrong (I.e if seventeen hands is way too big), and tell me a name for Lyria's because I'm way too indecisive.