Beyond The Realms

Chapter 39

I'm nervous.

Today is the first time I will get to see the people of my kingdom.
For so long I have only been a princess in title today I will get to see the reality that had bestowed this great honor and burden on me.

Will the people be disappointed to see me ?

Will they accept me as their Princess ?

Such questions have plagued my mind the entire night.It was in the wee hours of the morning that I have decided to give up on even the attempts to sleep.

I descended to the stables , lately my most favourite place in the entire fort after the library .

My beautiful pet , Kuvvet is already awake and neighs excitedly from behind the closed wooden doors of his unit a slow smile comes over my face as I realise how far we had come from the first time we met .

" You aren't afraid of me anymore , Are you ? " I say leading him out of his enclosure.
The other horses are awake but remain calm as I feed him.

Kuvvet bites into edge of my sleeve tearing it away as he gobbles his apple .
I narrow my eyes at him" Bad unicorn" I say gently incapable of staying angry at him for longer than a second.

This has become his habit and I suspect he does this just to mess with me .

Yup , the unicorn's got a naughty side .

He neighs happily unaffected by my scolding as he brushes is his head against my arm.

" Trouble sleeping ?" Calls a familiar voice .

The very person I have been sort of trying to avoid since yesterday.

" I didn't expect to see you down in the stables so early in the morning " Khsjc says.

His behavior yesterday had surprised me too much I don't know how to react around him.

I think of him as a friend but.....the way he had looked at me and spoke to me yesterday left me feeling that maybe he thought of me as someone more than a friend. It left me feeling awkward as hell.

But today he seems like his usual self.He isn't looking at me or talking to me in a manner other than how friends usually do as he moves towards the other enclosure in the stable and saddles a white horse " I couldn't get much sleep either so I thought may be I should prepare Dhorka here for his journey today "

Dhorka is one of the fastest horses in the royal stables.

I decided that if Khsjc is being normal with me it will only be fair if I be normal with him too.

That way our friendship which I really value wouldn't be affected .

" It's all good " I say
" But where are the stable boys or the groom ? Shouldn't they be doing this for you ?"

" It's their job " he nods " But it's so early in the morning they are all asleep " Done saddling his steed he moves out of the encloser
" Besides I like doing my own things "

He picks out an apple from the gunny bag in the corner and tosses it towards Kuvvet , my ever greedy pet moves his body so quickly shoving me out of the way I would have fallen as a graceless heap on the ground had not Khsjc's arm darted out and wrap around my waist and instinctively I grab on to him.

At the precise moment the stable door at the opens and Prince Ruslan enters on his tall brown steed .

My bones seem to liquefy as Prince Ruslan 's eyes land on us.
Me literally in Khsjc 's arms and our bodies pressed close.

I quickly move myself away from Khajc and he too withdraws his arm from my waist ,but it is too late .

A flash of something too quick to read passes in Prince Ruslan's eyes but the next instant his face is the usual emotionless mask and so are his violet eyes .

Getting past both of us he silently rides his horse towards the enclosure but the air inside the stable suddenly feels really stifling.

Maybe Khsjc feels the strange awkwardness in the air and in an attempt to diffuse it asks in a conversational tone
" Did you go out for a morning ride to enjoy the scenery , Your highness ?"

" There isn't any good scenery around here to enjoy " Prince Ruslan's tone is inscruitable as it always is but it has a frigid edge.

Without a backward glance he walks out of the stables. The sound of his boots echoing .

I resist the urge to let out a frustrated scream.
Why does everyone have to wake up so early today ?

And why does 'He' of all people had to see me and Khsjc like this ?

I don't even want to ponder over what he thinks of us now .

•
•
•

Four days and six provinces .....

That's how far we have traveled for now
and I , With my own eyes have seen the conditions in which my people live.

The struggle they go through to survive on daily bases .The hardwork they put in and the harshness they face every day. Yet , It is surprising how providing blankets to the cold or food to the hungry and a gentle touch to the suffering can make people see hope.

When you speak to them in language of kindness and sympathy the anger and weariness drops giving way to understanding .

But I'm not naïve enough to believe that my journey would always continue to be this peaceful .

For all I know this could be the silence before the storm .

And when it did arrive ,it was terrible and fierce in it's might !

_

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Khsjc or Amelia ?

Ruslan or Amelia ?

* Dramatic voice *
One ship will have to sail the other shall drown .

Thanks to your previous comments I already know whose ship you are onboard with ; )

Keep voting and commenting to let me know what you would like to read in the story !!