Little Princess

Riding

*Nymeria's P.O.V*

After dinner with the kings and queens, we retired to a lounge to talk. The subject of me riding had come up again and I had been basically ordered not to do it. I wouldn't have minded if just one of the kings or queens had said it but the fact they had all basically told me not to only made me want to do it more.

They retired to bed around nine o'clock, probably because they were old. I wasn't going to tell them that it was because they were old but I knew it was because they were old. I waited for a good half an hour before I made my way outside. Surely they had to be asleep after half an hour, there was no way they were still awake.

It was quiet and dark when I slipped out of the garden doors, nodding to the guards that stood at the doors. I abandoned my shoes near the doors, deciding to go barefoot. The grass tickled my feet as I walked, my dress fluttering in the wind. I crossed through the back of the garden, heading to the stables quickly. I winced when I stepped on some thorns and had to hobble to the stables.

I paused at the entrance of the stables and leaned against the wall. I pulled the thorns, the ones that remained in my foot, out before entering the stables. The dirt floor was cool and felt rather nice on the sores from the thorns. The stables were pitch black on the inside but I found Nyx's stall from sheer muscle memory.

I heard Nyx snort impatiently as I fiddled with the door latch, finally managing to get her stall door open. I stepped back and felt her brush against me. I felt her body until I grabbed her mane, tangling my fingers in it. I let her guide me back outside, sighing in relief when I was finally back in the light of the moon.

I gently untangle my fingers from her coarse mane, gently petting her. I watched the dust on her coat start to go in the air. I leaned against her for a moment before I stepped back. Nyx watched me out of the corner of her eyes, already used to my shenanigans. I ran towards her, jumping up and throwing a leg over her back. I managed to haul myself onto her back, fixing my dress so that I sit comfortably on her back.

My foot tapped her side and she started walking, instinctively knowing to head to the paddock. I leaned forward to pat her head. I tangled one of my hands in her mane, deciding that it needed to be washed soon. I wondered if she would let me braid it again, Nyx was always so finicky about where and when her mane could be touched.

I closed my eyes as Nyx nudged the paddock gate causing it to swing open with a soft creaking sound. Now I could properly relax and just listen to the world around me. The night air was still except for the sounds of crickets and the smell of a bonfire was in the air. It was always nice to just be able to close my eyes and let the world melt away, making it seem like Nyx and I were the only two things in existence.

I simply sat for a while, allowing Nyx to walk wherever she wanted as I listened to the crickets. It had probably been a good 30 minutes since I had started writing and nothing bad had happened. My eyes opened when the crickets suddenly went silent, the sound of wind being the only thing that left.

A loud crack of thunder rang through the air followed by a flash of light and I winced at the sound. I felt Nyx stiffen under me before she reared. I tried to hold onto her mane but it was too late and I twisted when I hit the ground, landing on one of my hands as I tried to prevent myself from slamming my face into the ground.

"Motherfucker," I cursed as I pushed myself up with my uninjured hand. I had landed on my right arm and it was definitely sore. Knowing my luck, I had probably sprained or even fractured it with how I landed. I looked up at the sky, noticing that dark clouds had gathered in the sky.

There had been no warning of a storm, it had snuck up on me. If I had known that it was going to storm, I would never have ridden Nyx tonight. She hated storms almost as much as I did. I pushed myself up with my uninjured hand, standing up and dusting myself off. I hissed as each movement made pain shoot through my injured hand.

I looked for Nyx, noticing that she went to the entrance to the paddock. I made my way to her, patting her with my uninjured hand as I led her back to the stables. It wasn't her fault that the thunder had spooked her. I made sure to close the door to her stall before going to leave the stables.

I cursed my luck as it started to pour down rain, the storm deciding to hit very hard. I sighed as I stepped into the rain, almost immediately getting soaked to the bone. I shook my head as I made my way back to the castle with a small frown on my lips.

I would definitely have to go to the infirmary at one point tomorrow, once I thought up an excuse. I winced as another crack of thunder echoed around me. I looked up right as lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the castle.

A chill ran down my spine as my eyes landed on the guest quarters part of the castle. Seeing the shape of ten people standing at the window meant trouble. If there was only one or two, I would have thought they were guards but all ten definitely meant the kings and queens.

'Definitely going to have to avoid them tomorrow,' I thought to myself as I entered the castle.