Medieval College Student

Chapter Nine: The First Date

Hugo walked nervously across the castle courtyard behind a servant, his brand-new outfit gleaming in the sunlight. It was an ornate getup; much nicer than the clothes he'd borrowed from Sir Andrew. 

He sported voluminous green split breeches with silver poking from beneath, and white hose. On top, he wore a silver stitched, long-sleeve jacket that buttoned in the front and was covered with a green jerkin, or a fancy, close-fitting vest. On his neck was a large white ruff along with two smaller ones wrapped around his wrists, and on his head was a green soft bonnet with a silver feather in it.

Feeling like a god, Hugo reeled in the strut, mostly with his nerves, and met the prince at the stables beside two already saddled up horses.

"Oh Hugo, you are here! And my, you look wonderful." Blue eyes trailed up and down. "Do you find the new garments to your taste?"

He stared mutely at the teal and gold outfit on Varian's body with the split doublet, puffy pants, elaborate blue soft bonnet, and the golden ruff around his neck. A gawdy necklace made of sapphires was strung from one shoulder to the other, the light catching the expensive jewels.

"Hugo?" A small giggle left Varian's lips as he reached out and touched his cheek. "Are you daydreaming again?"

"Huh?" He blinked rapidly at the ethereal being for a moment. "N-no. You just look radiant is all."

A suggestive grin hid at the corner of his mouth. "Does my beauty really enchant you so? I am glad of it." He took the hand back and instead took the reins of a white stallion. "Do you know how to ride?"

"I do." Thankfully, Hugo had dabbled in horse riding a bit, since his stepmother did own a ranch. "The black one is mine?"

"That's right." Without any assistance, Varian put one foot in the stirrup and swung his other leg up and over. Pulling up on the reins, he looked like a painting sitting in the pretty saddle in his even prettier getup. "Come then. The sun will not oblige us forever."

In contrast, Hugo needed help getting onto the horse, remembering the stirrups being much lower on all the past saddles he'd rode in. He noticed the saddle itself was much smaller and flatter than the big western ones he was used to, and there was no horn to hold onto on the front. It wouldn't take much for him to fall off.

"Follow me then," the prince said, starting his horse into a trot. He stared as Varian began posting up and down on the horse's back as he trotted, and that's when he realized something.

He'd learned to ride western style at his stepmother's ranch, but here, they all rode English, which was a more elegant, and objectively more difficult style of riding. This also meant the style he learned would look horrendous in comparison.

Varian looked back, then snorted as Hugo trotted up behind him roughly bouncing up and down in the saddle. "Oh Hugo, Darling... where is it exactly that you learned to ride?"

"Hush," he grumbled, ignoring the heat in his face. "We don't need to talk about it."

"We shall have you learned properly as long as you are living in the castle. Oh dear..." he covered his mouth, biting back a grin. "Forgive me, but you look..."

"Like a fucking idiot? Yeah, I know. I'm aware but thank you for pointing it out."

He giggled as they went deeper and deeper into the misty woods.

***

The two horses grazed nearby; their reins fastened around a tree branch as the sun rose to its height in the sky. The air was cool under the thick tree line, and Hugo was grateful for the woolen blanket underneath him.