"Excuse me," She called to the handsome man as she approached the odd-looking pair. She stopped a few paces away and glared at him, noticing his features were more chiseled and defined in the sunlight.
He stood a bit taller as if he owned the town...
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Roaming. There was no other word to describe it. Without a lead or a clue to as where her horse had run off to, they wandered around the southern woods. For hours, they sat atop Gaston's horse and trotted through the dense trees. The sun was beginning to set, and with a sigh she spoke, "There is no point in searching," She called roughly, adding, "He's gone."
He could tell that Darcy was growing irritable as they continued to ride forward, "Allow me to show you where we were first meant to go, then we can return to the village for the evening," He called to her in a softer tone, his voice pulling at her heart as she watched the trees passing.
Altering the path, he approached the nearby meadow. There was a sea of green grass and a beautiful mountain view, "You can see the castle from here!" Darcy exclaimed with a hidden smile, her worries disappearing for a moment as she hopped from the moving horse. Bracing herself on the ground, she caught her balance and ran forward, "It's beautiful." She said as her eyes scanned the magnificent view.
"Breathtaking, isn't it?" He asked from beside his horse, seeming as though he did not care about the beautiful scenery. His eyes locked on hers as she glanced back at him, "Do you like it?"
"I just want to run," She let out a sigh as she looked over the endless sea of green beneath her feet.
"I'm sure a woman as beautiful as you would strive for much more than this small village can provide," Gaston seemed to scoff as his eyes turned to look down at his horse.
She sighed after a moment, catching his attention, "I've never lived anything more than a simple life." Her eyes moved to linger on the castle before speaking once more, asking, "The Queen, what was she like when she lived in the village?" She turned to see Gaston freeze, his features become tense almost immediately after her question was complete.
He was hesitant to speak, but he forced himself, saying, "She was much like you," He shifted uncomfortably, continuing, "Beautiful," He said quickly, adding, "Different."
"I'm sure the men in this village spent an awful amount of energy on her," She said with a hesitant chuckle, turning back to look at the castle, adding with a sigh, "She seems to really despise them."
"I'm sure," Gaston huffed, his eyes fueled with insecurity as he faced the ground.
"We should return to the village," Darcy suggested as her eyes moved to see the sun beginning to disappear behind the mountains, "Jacks is probably long gone by now."
"I'm sure he is somewhere," Gaston said to her as he turned to mount his horse, offering his hand to her. She sat behind him uncomfortably, her arms hesitantly wrapped around his torso. She sat quietly, all her worries returning to her mind as they moved through the trees in a different direction than they arrived.
"The stables are that way," Darcy mentioned, glancing to the right as they moved around the small village.
"Who said we were returning to the stables?" Gaston asked her, a smirk on his lips.
