The Forest Princess

The Hunting Season

For her sixteenth birthday, Larimar was given a stunning new horse. It was a black stallion. She called him Onyx. She adored her new horse and soon made friends with him.

Now the princess was old enough to join the royal hunting party for the annual hunting season. She loved horse riding. Going out with the hunters on her own horse, that was something she had been looking forward to for years.

She had been in the forest many times, but only travelling through in a horse-drawn carriage. She had never been allowed to ride in the forest on horseback, even though she was an excellent rider. Queen Ruby was worried she might fall off the horse, or something else terrible might happen. Her mother always worried about her far too much.

When the hunting season started Larimar was ready. She had practised shooting clay pigeons in the palace grounds. She was a quick learner. Her hunting skills had developed fast and well, as expected. King Obsidian and Queen Ruby had been watching from the balcony and were feeling very proud of their daughter.

Larimar went out with the royal hunters every single day of the season. In the evenings she came home bubbly and full of life. Her parents had never seen her so happy. "She is going to be a great queen." King Obsidian said to his wife. "Her hunting skills are already better than mine."

"I know dear,... I mean, I'm glad to hear it, dear," Queen Ruby replied and smiled.

On the last day of the hunting season, the king wasn't feeling very well. His back was giving him trouble, and his doctor said, sitting on horseback all day hadn't done him any good. So it was decided that Larimar would join the hunting party without her father.

Queen Ruby got worried, as usual, but her husband assured her that their daughter would be absolutely fine. The royal master hunter would be responsible for taking the lead, and the Crown Princess could practice alongside him. She would have to start practising some time.

Larimar was feeling beyond excited. Her hair had grown long again and was tied in a ponytail. King Obsidian and Queen Ruby were watching the hunting party depart from the palace balcony. They were feeling a little worried, but neither of them mentioned it.

Their daughter's copperbrown ponytail was dancing up and down under her jasper-green riding cap. This was the last thing the royal parents would see of their princess for a while.