Shut Up, Cinderella

Taking the Reins

For three days they were stuck in that inn, unable to get anything done and unable to leave. Cinder offered to seek out the local shoemaker himself, but Gem refused to yield the shoe no matter how hard he pestered him. So there they were, doing nothing, letting precious time go to waste unused.

At least Gem didn't get any sicker. On the contrary, his cold was indeed a mild one, and with rest and loads of hot tea and chicken soup he got better by the day. Cinder kept watch beside his bed until he was convinced he'd be all right, then retired to his room, reading through every book he could borrow from the innkeeper. They were all bad mysteries and worse romances, but they were better than nothing, and certainly leagues better than being alone with his thoughts.

He didn't even get to talk to Oliver much. The knight, Olive again by now, spent most of the three days out and about after agreeing with Cinder that since they wouldn't use any more shortcuts, horses were in order. Of course, that left Cinder alone with Gem; but thankfully they didn't talk any more than necessary.

Then the prince was fully recovered, and it was finally time to continue the journey.

"I got us the best horses I could find," Olive explained, leading them to the inn's stables. "Don't worry about the price, Cinder. My brother will repay me as soon as we're back home."

"Like you even need that money," Gem remarked, pulling a face at her.

"What was that? You said you'd add interest?"

Olive smiled innocently, making Gem shrink back. "Stupid sister," he grumbled, pouting. "Always trying to get my money."

Two servants opened the stable doors before them, bowing low. Olive motioned to a trio of horses standing nearby. One was large and snowy white, all long limbs and dignified grace; that was obviously meant to be Gem's. Another was of a similar height but dark brown and heavier, clearly bred to carry knights with weapons and armor. The third was slightly smaller but all the more fiery, its fur and eyes shiny and black as the night.

Cinder stepped up to it. The slender animal snorted in his face, shaking its mane and stomping its hooves. He swallowed. Of course he knew how to handle a horse, even ride one, but that didn't mean he had ever been too fond of any animal larger than him.

Beside him Gem was in the middle of saddling up his horse already. "What," he asked, watching Cinder hesitate, "are you scared of horses?"

Cinder tensed and scoffed; like hell he'd admit to any of his weaknesses in front of Gem. "In your dreams."

"You are scared!" Gem went on. "Look at that, is poor wittle Cinder scared of the big angry horsey?"

Cinder turned to snap a response at him and nearly got knocked out by the black horse shaking its head.

"Traitor," he whispered to the animal, taking the equipment Olive handed to him. The horse didn't seem to like having any of it be put on its body. Several times it struggled and resisted, and it wasn't until Cinder sighed and spoke to it again that it finally calmed down.

"Look here," he said quietly. "I'd hate having this thing put on me too, but if you hold out and let me, you can move around outside all day. Deal?"

"Ew, Olly," Gem said behind his back, "the weird man's talking to a horse."

"The weird man's about to strangle you with a stirrup," Cinder said without looking away from his horse. The animal had finally decided to hold still, as if understanding his words.

"There," he said to the horse, leading it out of the stable by the reins a moment later. "Good girl."

They mounted and set out. Cinder led the way, though his struggles with the black horse still weren't finished. It was dancing this way and that, hither and thither, constantly searching for an excuse to break out and run at full speed into the fields. To his relief, Gem didn't have the easiest time with his own horse either. The great white mare was constantly trying to lower her head to stick her nose into the snow and sneak a mouthful of the grass underneath.