Chapter 21

956 28 4
                                    

Recap:

I hang up a little while later, promising to call her again at the end of the week. I smile to myself - it was nice talking to her. I really do miss my family, but atleast I've got Lexi and Dylan. Well, and Stefan of course. For now...

A Perfect Moment

It's date day - it's only our second date - officially - although if you count all our stolen time together, it'd be much much higher. But I'm happy - I like these official dates because Stefan and I don't have to hide away. He can plan whatever he wants for us and it's a proper date. Today, Courtney and Lily have left me an outfit featuring trousers! I honestly was beginning to think they didn't exist in upper class Britain. But I can't say I'm not relieved; it's a nice change that's for sure! It does leave me wondering what today's date will bring...

Stefan takes me to one of the royal stables.

It's a surprisingly short walk from the palace - maybe 20 or so minutes? The stables are massive - there must be over 300 horses here, easily. It sits at the top of a large hill with open fields, lakes and forests rolling way into the distance below. Honestly, I'm in my element. I love horses; I used to ride regularly but as I got older I had less and less time. Thinking back, the last time I rode must have been on my 15th birthday... wow.

"Stefan!" I breathe, taking in the view. "it's amazing!"

He smiles proudly. "I'm glad you like it."

The stables are split into 4 main blocks: horses for the royal guard, race horses, eventing horses and yearlings in training. Stefan lets me wander through all the isles, greeting the horses as I go. The final block is the yearlings.

As we make our way past, one catches my eye. Moving a little closer, the label on the stall reads: Snow Storm, female. She's angrily stamping her hoof on the floor, shaking her head and letting out some aggressive snorts. Clearly she's not happy - mares can often be temperamental but this one seems... agitated?

She's absolutely gorgeous though, I can't help the sharp intake of breath that escapes. Her mane is black, and her coat is dapple grey. She's slender but I can see she has some decent muscles on her. There's something about her face though, her eyes.

Looking at the info sheet, it reads:Name: Snow StormAge: 2Sire: Night StormDam: Snow Celeste Current height: 15hhExpected height: 16hh

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

Looking at the info sheet, it reads:
Name: Snow Storm
Age: 2
Sire: Night Storm
Dam: Snow Celeste
Current height: 15hh
Expected height: 16hh

"She's beautiful!" I breathe to Stefan.

"Beautiful? Yes. But boy has she got a temper. Father had high hopes for her, she was bred to perfection. Her sire is a legend in the equestrian world, placing first in the Olympics five times running. Earned his retirement that's for sure, father just keeps him as a stud now. Her dam, while not an Olympic winner, dominated the world's most prestigious races. Snow Storm here has amazing potential. But the trainers have had hardly any luck. She's broken, and when she behaves is beyond exceptional, but that only tends to last a few minutes before she's misbehaving again and not listening the rider. Honestly, we've spent so much money on her and various trainers - trying to fix her. Father is probably just going to sell her now... Not every horse makes it right?"

The Royal GamesWhere stories live. Discover now