THE FAULT IN OUR STARS

Chapter 3

The next morning, Hestia sat by the side of her bed waiting. She yawned and stretched out as she waited for the maids and cooks to prepare breakfast.

In less than a minute, everyone rushed into her room and greeted her with breakfast. They were all aware that today was the crown Prince's engagement and were ordered to keep Hestia happy by the  count.

Hestia's face lit up instantly and quickly started piling pancakes on the tray. They had already been cut in half, so she took a piece each and carried them to her father's room. She gently knocked on the door twice then opened it to find him sitting up in his bed. He had also changed into a pair of black slacks and a white tuxedo shirt. He was already dressed up and looking at her with a smile.

"Good morning, my darling daughter." He greeted her while she handed him the pancakes that she had taken care of.

"Good morning Papa. The maids and the kitchen are going to prepare breakfast for us."

"Well let us eat together." He answered. "Please sit down."

Hestia sat on the edge of the bed and placed two pancakes on her father's plate as well. They then began to eat in silence.

"Are you leaving for the engagement party so soon?"

"I have to get there early my love. I'll make sure I return home swiftly." He told her with a smile. As soon as he finished breakfast he left in a carriage for the engagement ceremony and Hestia was left alone in the mansion.
She decided to go riding since she was  in no mood to sleep and spend the whole day indoors. So she packed a couple of books in a bag and headed outside towards the stables.
 
She stopped briefly at the entrance to speak to the stable hands and gave them orders to feed her horse. They nodded in response and went about their duties happily. Hestia walked along the gravel pathway leading to the stable gates where the horses were kept. They were all beautiful creatures, tall majestic beasts with thick muscular legs and strong hooves. They looked fierce in their own right, especially when it came to racing. Some had dark brown coats; others were lighter and had white ones. All of them appeared powerful and dangerous. They stood proud and confident, their ears perked high, eyes staring forward unwaveringly, showing the pride and determination in them that they were trained to display. One of the stallions turned and snorted lightly as she approached it, its tail switching agitatedly. She stroked the animal' forehead softly and scratched underneath his chin earning a contented sigh from the creature.

Hestia continued petting the stallion till his mane became soft and fluffy once again. When she pulled away her hand, he stepped closer to her and sniffed her clothes. He leaned in close and rubbed his head against hers. She giggled and reached for the saddle on his back. While adjusting it around her waist and shoulders, she glanced over at her favorite mare.

Her mare was white and pure like snow and was named Moon. Her coat was silky smooth and shiny like moonlight itself. Her face resembled one of the moon herself and her hair had silver glints in it. She was a very spirited mare and seemed to prefer to stay with Hestia rather than roaming the woods as she usually did. Moon loved to ride, run and jump whenever she felt like it. However, unlike most horses, she preferred to do it outside in the open air so that she didn't accidentally knock people down or trip over them. Even though she often found people annoying and sometimes thought of running off into the woods to escape the noise and activity that they provided, she never ran away from her owner. She was extremely loyal and faithful and would do almost anything for her owner.

She was a beauty to behold and had an attitude that made her stand out among her herd, despite being born with such qualities. Once again she nuzzled Hestia and whinnied softly causing her to giggle and pet her muzzle.
"Hey girl!" She whispered, "Where are your manners? Why don't you behave like a lady? You know what happened last time I saw you act like this.. I ended up tripping over you and knocking myself unconscious.. remember that time?" She chuckled slightly. "That wasn't very nice.. now was it?"