Innocent

Family

Liesel sat in her large bedroom on her fairly large bed. It was a dark brown wood with intricate designs on the different parts. There was a white curtain attached to all sides of the bed that she could let lose if she wished for privacy. She was busy with reading about Russian language, culture, and history. In a few months she would travel to Russia with her mother to marry Czarevich Alexei Romanov, son of Czar Nicholas II and heir to the Russian throne. This would help give her family larger connections for they were not from a very powerful royal family.

The room was silent except for the sound of birds chirping outside in the Prussian spring air and the rustling of pages as Liesel turned the pages of her book. That silence, however, did not last long.

The door was quickly thrust open by none other than Liesel's to older brothers Ludwig and Wilhelm the choices for the heir to the Prussian throne following their father. Ludwig had slightly shorter slicked back blonde hair and light blue eyes. Wilhelm on the other hand had reddish-brown hair that was slightly wavier than Ludwig's and that he kept down rather than slicking it back like his brother. They were both tall Prussian princes.

"Madchen, why are sitting on your bed instead of going outside to enjoy the spring of our beloved Fatherland?" Ludwig  said.

"Unlike you I have to prepare myself for marrying a boy from a different country who don't even know."

"Well surely you can spare some time from your studies and spend it with your two best older brothers in all the world," Wilhelm butted in winking as he said so.

"Well," Liesel said taking a dramatic pause. Her brothers leaned in slowly eagerly awaiting her answer. "Sure why not. I'm getting tired from studying anyway."

"Come on," her brothers said in unison while pulling her up from the bed.

"Wow. Calm yourselves. You're acting like little children," she said in a joking manner.

"I'm sorry mother. We'll make sure to behave better," Ludwig said with a face of a child who was just scolded.

Liesel rushed out of the door of her room and back wheeled until she was peeking her head in the doorway. "What's taking you two so long? You're acting like slowpokes letting a girl beat you out the door."

"Hey!" they said together.

They all ran down the halls to the stables only stopping if a servant or either of their parents or other royalty happened to come by.

Once they were in the stables Liesel tacked up her black stallion, Franz who had one white sock on his front left leg and a small star on his forehead. Her brothers saddled their mare and gelding, Sheba and Midnight. Liesel then mounted Franz riding sidesaddle until they were out of view of the palace were she then switched to riding like males rode.

Finally they ended up at an open field. Wilhelm said," I bet your stallion can't beat my gelding, Liesel and neither can your mare, Ludwig."

"I'll take that as a challenge," Liesel said grinning.

"First one to the end of the field is the winner," Ludwig added.

At that they all burst into a gallop on their mounts. Liesel loved going fast on Franz. She loved when the wind would send a cool breeze against her and just the adrenaline rush gave the sense of freedom that she didn't always get the privilege to have.

For most of the race the three members of Prussian royalty were neck and neck until the very end. Liesel helped give Franz an extra burst of speed and ended up becoming victorious brothers.

"Hey you cheated!" Friedhelm said.

"No I didn't! If anyone did it would be you," Liesel retorted.

"We should probably head back. Mother and father are probably wondering where we have gone off to," Ludwig said chuckling.

"Yes, probably."

The siblings rode their horses back to the palace and Liesel switched to riding sidesaddle in case her mother or any of her visitors came across them. She had one of the stable boys  take care of Franz and even gave him a silver coin. She quickly followed behind her brothers who were walking towards the palace.

"Hey, wait for me!"