The Untold Story of Prince Charming (Book 2 of Cinderella Series)

Chapter 5

I followed her into the barn and stared at the scene before me. If it had been something different, where I didn't feel as guilty for taking away this female's best friend, then I would have laughed.

Two men were knocked to the ground, where one of them was clutching his manhood, and the other was in a wheelbarrow filled with manure. Both men looked to be in pain, and I could tell that they were both uncomfortable and pitied them before I turned my attention to the stallion that my father had bought.

He stood at about 16.9 hands high, which was on the taller side for Thoroughbreds. His rare blue roan coat, which I figured gave him the name "Blue's Clues," was darker than normal because he was nervous. He didn't pay any attention to us but ate from a bale of hay.

One of the men, the man in the manure wheelbarrow, got up and started to walk over to Ella. "Idiot horse," he muttered in an accent that I was familiar with. He clutched at his ribs and grimaced, and I had a feeling that some of them were bruised.

There was some manure on his face, but he ignored it, for his gaze was on the dazed female he walked to. "You go get him, Lass," he said. "He will listen to you." He grabbed the mare's reins from her while someone coughed, but I didn't know who or why.

"You have manure on your face," she muttered numbly while she wiped the piece of manure off of it.

The male placed his hand over hers and stared at her with blue eyes filled with compassion and care. He said something to her in which all she did was shake her head. He cared about her, I could tell. He cared about her as if she was his daughter, and from what I had noticed, her stepmother didn't treat her right, and that annoyed me to no end.

However, I couldn't say anything because my father had a grip on my shoulder and squeezed it in warning. He knew what I was thinking but didn't allow me to step in to help her.

"Watch over Patches," she said. Her voice shook, and I cringed because it had hurt me to see her like this. She loved that horse, her best friend, but no one seemed to care about that except for me and that male, who took the reins from her and gestured for her to get the horse.

The horse lifted his head when she walked over to him but not close enough to grab the lead rope that hung off his halter. He whickered in greeting before he turned his attention back to the bale of hay. His ears were pointed in her direction, and I could tell that he was paying attention to her.

"Are you going to stay over there?" she asked, studying the stallion. She waited and placed her hands into her pockets, but he made no move towards her. "All right. I guess that you don't want treats." The female turned around and started to walk away, earning the stallion's attention.

"Wha-" my dad went but stopped talking when he started to run towards her. He watched the stallion trot to the female and nudge her, but the female ignored it before he nudged her again and started to chew on her hair.

Ella turned around and looked at the blue roan horse. "What?" she asked. "Are you upset that I didn't stop those mean old nasties from putting those ugly wrapping gear on you?" She scratched in a spot that the stallion seemed to love while he nudged her pocket for the treats. "Ya, ya, you big baby," she said, feeding something to him before she grabbed the lead rope.

There was a bond between them, and we would be blind if we couldn't see it. He needed her as much as she needed him, but I had no idea how I could tell anyone they needed each other.

"Come on, Boy," she said, gently tugging on the lead rope. She started to walk towards the trailer, and the stallion followed her. When Ella walked into the trailer, the stallion followed her into it.

As soon as she got out, the stallion started to whinny for her. He banged against the trailer, and I cringed in pity. Again, he whinnied, but she didn't come back. Instead, she handed me the lead rope before she ran out of the stable.

"Ella!" her stepmother screamed, and I cringed at her shrill voice. "Get back here before you are in trouble!" She turned to look at my father and smiled "apologetically," and it took all of my self-control not to roll my eyes at her. "I am sorry about her," she said. "The girl doesn't listen."

I bit my lip to keep myself from saying anything and felt my father tighten his grip on my shoulder. All I wanted to do was go after her to talk and see if there was anything I could do to make her feel better.

"It is ok," my dad said. "Dean is the same way. It is all about having teenagers." He cleared his throat and winced when Blue whinnied again and kicked the inside of the trailer, making it rock back and forth. "We should get going. Excuse us." He led me to the passenger side of the truck as if he knew that I wouldn't go there myself.

I turned one last time to look at one of them and mouthed, 'tell her that I am sorry,' praying that he would do it. I had no idea why I felt so guilty, but I did. I guess having stuff taken away from someone did that.

It meant that they were more understanding of other people and their hidden needs. And at that moment, I was more understanding of her than my father and her stepmother included.

Maybe one day, I could show her how sorry that I was.

I just hoped that she would allow me.