Royal Masquerade

Chapter 6

Narcissus showed Astrea the horses that will be their ride for the day's trip, and she was indeed impressed with the two beautiful steed that is neighing before her, as if greeting her 'good day'.

"Oh! He's so lovely!" she exclaimed, and get very excited as she saw the snow white horse before her.

"This will be your ride, West Wind," he smiled.

She gets closer to the horse and stroke it's lovely mane. She stroke it, and the horse neigh in response of her stroking. She smiled affectionately, and kissed the horse's. Narcissus is flaring with anger and jealousy by now.

"What are you doing, Zephyr? Are you signing you own death warrant? Stop kissing my woman!" he growled telepathically to the horse.

"You're right, this is going to be fun, Your Highness. I am enjoying it very much," he said telepathically back to Narcissus who is flaring inside out. Anger and jealousy were mixed together.

"Oh, joy, I will be writing your epitaph!" he growled back at him dangerously.

"Calm down, sire. I can't help it if the queen is so affectionate... I was just pulling your legs... help he mount, then we'll be off," Zephyr said while the fuming Narcissus is still seething.

"I always knew that you somehow fell for her quite some time ago. you're enjoying her affection!" he  said in Zephyr's mind once again, still seething like a rattlesnake in Zephyr's mind.

"Sire, that's old story. She's like a sister to me now. She's yours. She was, she is, and she will always be, you know that, don't you." the white horse said in Narcissus mind as he helped Astrea to mount on him. He sense insecurity in his lord's mind.

"She's could not remember me, I doubt she would." Narcissus replied mentally.

"She's strong, it's only the matter of time that she will remember you, sire. The spell will be broken, have faith in her," Zephyr responded.

"That's what I'm worried, she and I, we both do not have forever and a day. We're running out of time" Narcissus stated solemnly, and their conversation was disrupted by the normal horse that's supposed to be his ride. It neighed impatiently, waiting to be mounted.

"Narc... are you sure you're up to this?" she asked out of the sudden as she looked at him with expressive eyes.

"Yes, sure, what makes you think I'm not, Astrea?" he asked, high on emotions as she shows her genuine concern about him.

"You look rather pale, and ill..." she said.

"Darling, I am ill, remember? Or you have forgotten?" he chuckled softly.

"Of course I do, but you're seems rather...down," she said, choosing her words carefully, not wanting to hurt his feelings for suggesting that he is not in the state of health to be riding a horse at the moment.

"You read me like a book, Rea." he whispered softly to himself as he rode his horse near to hers.

"Narc?"

"Yes, I am up to it, darling. It is you that I'm worried about. Are you as inexperienced in horseback riding as you are in making love?" he teased her and he watched her face turn into three different shade of red. He's not sure whether he had embarrassed her with his teasing or she's angry beyond expressing it.

"My name is not darling, and I am not inexperienced!" she growled and kicks 'West Wind' in it's stomach and rode off into the wide and lush meadow before them.

"I hate you, sire!You should have get her a damn horse for this! Who said she doesn't have a clue on how to ride? " Zephyr groaned mentally to Narcissus, who is trying hard to keep up with Astrea, who is riding on Zephyr in his horse form as swift as the wind.