Rosa

Chapter 14: Chasing the Horse

We run all around town trying to catch the horse. When we get close to it, it runs away spooked. When we finally catch it, we are exhausted. He grabs onto the horses reins and asks me "Would you like to walk the horse back to the palace with me?"
"Sure."
We walk in silence for a while catching our breathes. He asks me "What do you do?"
"What do you mean?"
"What's your job?"
"I started as a messenger and now I occasionally deliver messages but I mainly travel and collect information around different towns for the Speaker. It's not very interesting."
"That's better than my job."
I can see out of the corner of my eyes everyone is looking at us. Is it really that interesting seeing us walking with a horse? I ask him "What's your job?"
"Well...I don't really have a job."
"What do you mean? Why don't you have a job?"
He looks over at me and smiles. He says "I'm not surprised you don't recognize me."
"Why is that?"
"I'm the Speakers secondborn son."
My mouth drops open in shock. How? That has to be why the other Elves are watching us. More specifically the upperclass Elves. The lower and middle class Elves don't get to interact with the Speaker and his family as much as the upperclass does. After I recover from the shock I ask him "Why don't you have a job? You are the secondborn. Third to the Speakers throne."
He laughs and tells me "my parents care more about teaching my older brother then they do for me. It is true that I am third to the throne but when my brother gets married and has a kid or two I get bumped down. It makes it very unlikely for me to lead unless someone kills all my family in line of the throne before me."
"So what do you do?"
"Whatever I want. You haven't heard about everything I do?"
"That you are very rebellious? Adventurous? Risk taker?"
"So that's what the Elves think of me."
"Is that bad?"
"No...it's interesting."
We walk to to palace stables and he hands the horse to one of the servants. They thank him and put they horse back in a stable. He asks me "Would you like a tour of the palace?"
"Are you sure they would let me in?"
"Why wouldn't they let you in? You would be with me."
"Well..."
"What?"
"When I was fifteen I sort...snuck into the palace...and talked with...your father."
"Wait...that was you?!"
He seems surprised. I tell him "Yeah that was me."
"I was there."
"What?"
"I helped get my father for you."
"That was you?"
"Yeah it was."
"And the boy dressed in Noble robes?"
"My older brother."
"Is he always like that?"
"Yep. He's always snobby and a huge jerk. He loves trying to boss me around. My parents are that way and they got him to be like them. So it's not his fault."
We stand here awkwardly looking at each other until he asks "So do you want a tour?"
"Sure."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I don't have anything better to do."
"What were you doing?"
"What?"
"What were you doing before I ran into you."
"Oh! I was...looking for something."
"What were you looking for?"
"Something to decorate my families house."
He seems surprised. He asks "It's not decorated?"
"No it never has been. Being messengers my parents made enough money to feed us and get by. They never bought anything they wanted. Only needs for survival."
"You could go do that now if you want."
"No. I'll go on a tour with you."
I smile at him and tell him "it's not every day when after getting ran over you get to go on a tour with the Speakers son."
He groans and says "I'm so sorry about that. I was just trying to catch the horse. I-"
I laugh and tell him "It's fine. I don't hold a grudge. And it's really funny."
He smiles and says "I guess it was funny."
We walk towards the palace and walk inside. Before the servants says anything he tells them "She's my friend. I'm showing her around."
They don't say anything and keep walking.

*Picture above is Farrow*