Season 3 Young Royals (Version 1)

33. Sara i stallet

August was trying to read in his room after classes on Monday afternoon, but he remembered that Sara would be in the stables now. He'd been trying to resist the urge to go see her, but he decided he needed to speak to her, so he put down his book, put on his shoes, grabbed his coat and headed down to the stables.

Sara was sweeping out stalls. She'd agreed to take care of Indigo, Frederika's horse, and Rousseau was back in his stall, so she would also take care of him since no one else seemed to be, but she considered him August's horse now. She fed and watered him, cleaned his stall and let him out to run but she wouldn't ride him anymore.

August came in quietly, looking around to see if Sara was there. He heard the noise of sweeping in a stall and looked around the corner to see Sara deep in concentration with her head down as she pushed the broom.

"Sara." He said quietly, trying not to startle her. It didn't work however, and she jumped backwards, dropping her broom.

"What do you want, August?"she sounded exasperated.

"I just need to talk to you.... Listen, if you don't want Rousseau because he's from me, you should know I didn't get him for you as a way of apologizing or to make you feel obligated to me. I got him for you because you were sad he was sold and I knew how much you loved him.
You don't owe me anything. He's yours. I bought him after the night you came to my room upset about it, but I wanted it to be a surprise so I didn't tell you until the Jubilee. If you don't want to own him, you can just ride him and take care of him. I won't be able to. Then I can just leave him to you in my will, so then you have to take him."

He attempted a slight smile to see if she would respond to the joke or at least seem happy at the idea of inheriting Rousseau, or even the idea of August being dead.

"That way you don't owe me anything for him if that's what you're worried about." He gave another weak smile.

She didn't answer. She looked down and refused to make eye contact with him. She sighed deeply.

"I just wanted to tell you that, really, he's yours... and that I'm going to turn myself in." He waited, watching her.

Sara suddenly looked up at him and frowned, looking puzzled and studying his face as if she were trying to figure out what scam he was running this time.

"Why now? What's changed?" She was extremely skeptical that he wasn't planning something.

"Um, I...I don't want to be the backup anymore...I don't want anything to do with them." He sighed.

"With them? You mean the Royal Family?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah..."He paused for a moment, thinking of saying more, but stopped himself.

"Why not?"

"It's.. complicated." He shrugged, not wanting to talk about his father's death.

"I don't believe you." She stated very matter-of-factly. "What are you planning?" She looked at him incredulous as she shrugged her shoulders.

"No, really. I know I've always lived for all this shit: the family, the prestige, the legacy, the status...all of it, but I don't want it anymore. They're not loyal. After what I did to the Crown Prince, they defended me instead of him...it's just...insane."

"Of course. We all know that, but you wouldn't care because that worked out great for you."

"Yeah, well, there's more but I...I don't want to go into it." He made a gesture as if to wave it away or push it aside.

"Well, then, don't expect me to believe you until I see you do it." She turned back to sweeping the stall.

"Before I go..." He raised his voice to be heard over the sweeping. "Sara stopped momentarily. "I just wanted to tell you that I...I really loved you..." He furrowed his brow as if he were bracing himself for a kick. Sara turned her head toward him slightly but didn't look him in the eye.

"Ok."

"Ok." August made his way out slowly, hesitating, unsure of what to think or how to act.

Sara's eyes welled with tears and as soon as she was sure he'd gone, she lifted her hand to wipe them dry on her shirt cuff. Then she returned to sweeping.