Little Princess

Meeting

*Nymeria's P.O.V*

The meeting did not go much better. Try as I might, I couldn't get myself in a better mood so I was a bit snappish with my words. It was completely unintentional and I resorted back to a monotone voice that didn't really express how I felt at all. It seemed to work for a bit until a recess was called. I situated myself across the room from the rest of them.

"I understand you aren't in a good mood but being snappish with any of us is not a good idea," Queen Ordelia said. I looked up at her with a glare as I stood up, looking her in the eyes,

"No really? I thought it was a great idea," I said sarcastically. I immediately regretted it when her eyes flashed dangerously.

"Watch how you speak to me," her words were clipped and the polar opposite of how she usually spoke to me. Whatever warmth that her voice usually held was replaced by an iciness. She turned to walk away and I reached out, grabbing her arm. It wasn't proper and I was breaking major protocol by doing so but I didn't want her to be angry with me.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," I repeated three times as she turned to look at me. "I didn't mean to get snappish, I've just been upset all morning since my guard told me about the betrothal contracts he's been getting and I don't want a contract. I don't even want to get married, ever," I confided in her quickly as the words escaped my mouth before my brain registered what I was saying.

I looked around and realized that everyone had heard me with ease, my voice having raised slightly. I looked down at my hand and realized that it was still on her arm, jerking away quickly. Hopefully she would forgive me for breaching protocol. Feeling the stares of everyone I took a few steps back from her.

"I think we should reschedule this meeting, I'm really sorry but I have to go," I said quickly before I rushed from the room, my face red from embarrassment. I managed to find the way outside, I retraced the steps from yesterday when we first entered the castle.

I stepped outside, my breathing shallow as I looked around. It would have been great to have Castien there with me. I didn't know where he was, he was probably busy doing head guard things. I didn't have a clue what he did most days to be honest but it seemed important. I looked to the nearest guard, hesitantly approaching him.

"Excuse me, could you tell me where my horse would have been stabled?" I asked him, forcing myself to stand straight. Showing any sort of weakness would not be wise. I had always been told that showing any weakness would ruin my carefully crafted persona.

"She would have been stabled 'round the back. Follow those carriage tracks and it should lead you straight there," he informed me as he bowed slightly.

"Many thanks," I said as I curtsied to him before following the carriage tracks that he had pointed out. I walked alongside the tracks, regretting wearing heels. Sure they looked good but it was always a pain to wear them when you went outside. I looked around to make sure no one was around to see before I balanced on one leg to take a heel off, taking my sock off as well. I repeated that for my other heel and tucked my socks into the heels.

The grass tickled my bare feet as I walked. I held my heels in one hand and lifted my dress up slightly so that it didn't drag on the ground. I smiled at the sight of the stables that came into view. I picked up the pace, rushing into the stables with a grin. I looked around to see if anyone was in there, calling out to see if anyone was around.

When I received no response, I reached up and let my bun down, taking out the bobby pins that held a few pieces of hair in place. My hair was longer than most people thought, most assumed it went down to my mid-back but in actuality my hair fell all the way down my back, reaching to just past my butt when fully down. The only reason my hair was so long was because my grandmama had taken such good care of it throughout my childhood.

Every night she would come in and brush through my hair. Her own hair went all the way down to the floor when fully down but she hardly ever let it down. Etiquette dictated that if you were a woman, unless you were still a child, that you had to wear your hair up. Hair could only be worn down around close family once you were of age. I hadn't been aware that they still followed the same etiquette rules here but Castien had confirmed it for me this morning.

I shook my head, turning my attention to the stable stalls. I found Nyx's stall towards the back, opening the door to her stall. I dropped my heels next to her stall as she stepped out of her stall without a second thought. It wasn't uncommon for me to go barefoot to ride her so she had been trained to exit her stall once it was opened so I could mount her. I tangled my hand into her mane and pulled myself up, struggling to do it in such a long dress. I laid across her back, looking at the ground below as she walked.

Castien hated when I rode her without a saddle and without proper riding gear. I had been riding since I could walk, I wasn't any good at it but I could still ride. Nyx whinnied slightly as she walked out of the stable, finding a good place to graze. Clearly people did it often as the grass was trampled down and there were even a few riders in the distance doing it. I turned so that my back was flush against hers as she grazed, closing my eyes as the sun beat down on us.

Nyx continued to graze as I relaxed. There was nothing better than spending time in silence with my favorite horse. It was a great way to spend time relaxing after that stressful meeting. Nyx's very presence was a calming thing however she had a bad habit of dumping me off of her when she had enough of me. I had thought we were good for today but she suddenly stepped to the side, jerking slightly and letting me slide off.

I groaned as I heard her walk away, probably to put herself back into her stall. I was suddenly aware of the fact that there was a shadow over me even though it was quite a sunny day. There weren't any trees around the stable that could be doing it either. I opened my eyes, turning my head slightly to look up. I cursed my luck, internally of course, when I realized that my horse had decided to dump me on the ground in front of all five queens.