III. The Impact of Her

~ Twenty-Nine ~

I turned my head and there stood Laura.

She wore a white top with long, loosened sleeves. She paired it with a long brown skirt but kept her working boots. Her long, dark brown wavy curls hung freely down her shoulders.

This was her. This was Laura.

I immediately walked towards her as I stared at her entire being. My grin grew wider as I was unable to contain my joy. "You look radiant, Laura. As you always do," I complimented her. I leaned in to kiss her on her lips but she softly pushed me away.

"Robert, please," Laura murmured as she looked around in a panic. "People can see us."

I stepped back with a smirk and a raised brow. "I didn't know that you care so much about what other people will think. Why does it matter if they see?" I asked.

Laura sighed as she stepped closer to me. "I think it is only proper that you understand this," she started, "But unbeknownst to you, you are highly respected here. Ever since you made your presence known in Bullingar, the people here hold you in high regards. Should they catch you being affectionate with me, they may think that you have a horrible preference in women," she explained.

Laura added, "A young, rich man, philandering with a lowly woman? How scandalous."

Amused, I stared at her and smiled. I never understood why but I always found her adorable whenever she was worried.

"Laura," I slowly held her hands and caressed them with my thumbs, "I don't care if they saw what I was about to do. Why must you see yourself in such a low manner? You may not be of noble birth or a wealthy background. But I hold you in the same standards that I have for my mother and sister. There is nothing for you to worry about."

I stepped even closer as I closed the gap between us. I moved some of the hair from her face and added, "You have to promise that you will never speak bad of yourself anymore. Do you understand?"

Laura was about to argue against my word. But, evidently, she resigned to a nod and a smile. She then whistled and Leo came from behind her. Laura immediately held onto Leo's reins as he stood beside her. "How are we going to settle this? Perhaps you can ride Leo and I will walk," she smirked as she teased me.

I rolled my eyes at her remark. "Oh, Laura," I pulled her by the waist, which caught her off-guard, "It seems that you didn't learn anything from the moment we met." I carried her and winked. Without a word, I hoisted her up to Leo and I followed. I secured her within my arms and whispered, "Hold on."

With a light kick on Leo's side, we made our way to the champion seller back in the Immortal Realm.

~*~*~*~

"I offer my deepest condolences upon your loss, Your Highness," Lord Cyrus, the champion seller, said as we walked through his stables. "When I heard the passing of Lady, I was incredibly heartbroken for you."

I smiled cordially. "Thank you, Lord Cyrus," I replied as I squeezed Laura's hand as she walked behind me.

Lord Martin has maintained his reputation as the most trusted horse keeper in our kingdom. He has consistently provided well-mannered and healthy champions to anyone who wanted one. Lady came from his stables, which was where I knew exactly where to go when I decided to have a new horse.

"What sort of champion are you searching for, Your Highness?" his voice became a bit enthusiastic, probably an attempt to lighten the mood. He continued, "I suppose that you are looking for something that is a bit bolder."

"With all honesty, I haven't thought about it yet," I replied as my lips formed into a firm line. "Lady was my companion for the longest time. Never did I imagine that I would be here today in search of a new champion. No other horse can ever replace the bond that we shared," I continued.