Love Hate, Hate Love

5.

{Author's Note: Welcome back, darlings. This chapter is much longer than the previous. We finally get to meet the king (owned by my good friend). Enjoy, darlings.

- SilverFlarePlays <3}

"Hehe, yes, you are a very pleasant person, sir," Linterna laughed softly.

"Well, shall we return so you can unwind at home? It has been an eventful day after all," the earl offered motioning for her to get back on his horse's back.

Linterna nodded her head in agreement and climbed onto the back of the horse with him. They rode back to her home where they said their goodbyes. Linterna was left by her front door as she watched the gentleman on his horse gallop away. Once the two were out of sight she turned herself to face the doors to her home. She pulled them open entering the eerily quiet house. She went directly into her room without trying to find where her father was.Linterna waited for another ten minutes before the low rumbling of horse hooves hitting the grass in the distance became apparent. Her ears perked up, squinting her eyes in the direction of the galloping. The earl was quickly approaching on horseback towards her location.

"Ah, Earl Crawford Beasleye, you arrived right on time it seems," she smiled up at the older gentleman and gave him a brief curtsy.

"Why, of course, you don't become a successful business man by being late, young Linterna. You have to be on time and plan for all sorts of situations ahead before they happen," he chuckled and motioned for her to climb onto the back of his horse after she finished jolting down what he had just said in a small notebook. "Come now, young one. Let us go."

She climbed onto the creature's back and held on tight to the sides of the saddle as the earl began moving the large animal towards the castle. Linterna had never noticed how closer she lived to the castle gates. She never dared approaching the large building before as she never thought she'd ever be allowed to peak inside. They arrived in less than five minutes on horseback. She could've walked there herself in about 15 minutes.

The earl got off the horse and held out his hand to assist her off. She took his hand and slid off it's back.

"I'll take her to the stables. You're welcome to follow the crowd to where the ceremony will be taking place. Although, you can go to the section of the crowd where everyone is better dressed so you aren't swept away into the peasant section, yes?" Earl Beasleye light-heartedly spoke to her while lightly patting his horse.

"Alright, sir. Will you join me eventually–?" Linterna seemed a little nervous and a little fidgety at the thought of being surrounded by hoards of unfamiliar faces alone.

"You'll be just fine, young Linterna. I'm sure you can handle yourself perfectly well. You are the daughter of Earl Garcia after all," he smiled warmly and started walking away with his stead.

She watched him walk away for a short moment before following behind a large group of well dressed people quietly. The only sound she produced is the clacking of her heels. In the sea of people she stuck out like a sore thumb. Not only was her height on par with most of the men present so she had no trouble viewing over most people's heads, but she was a walking torch against a forest of dark trees and shrubs because of her fiery orange hair.

She tried to stand to the section closest to where the new king would be crowned. She pulled out the dull red covered book, flipping to the bookmarked section about Eclius. Linterna was fully prepared to start writing down his appearance and how the entire ceremony played out. Soon it would begin and Prince Eclius would walk out into the courtyard and become King Eclius. She could only imagine how he must feel. To have an entire kingdom to look after and rule. It must be a great burden and responsibility on someone who just lost both their mother and father.