The Non British Princess

Part 53

Thankfully, Isla found a new friend, Harriet's younger sister Ainslie who was 11, only one year apart. They got along instantly and went to explore all the rooms of the palace.

Harriet's brother Liam, who was 12, met Daisy's brother Samuel who was 14 and they got along well too. Who knows where they were, but I heard whispers of nerf battles.

Elizabeth was with Harriet, Daisy, Princess Charlotte and I as we went for a girls horse riding day out into the woods.
We had all changed into more comfortable riding gear and I was in black leggings and a woolen navy blue jumper. I also swapped out my heels for sneakers.

I was trotting along on Juniper beside Harriet on her horse.

Daisy was leading down the path on her big brown horse and Charlotte was chatting with my sister behind us on their horses.

Harriet was chattering away about her siblings and I was surprised she hadn't talked about them before. Her brother and sister were much younger than her, but she acted like the perfect older sister.

I could here my sister bring up the selection topic with the princess so I tuned out Harriet and listened to them instead.

"So what do you think of the selection? Is it weird that your brothers with multiple girls?"

"Extremely. I think he's finding it difficult to come to a final decision."

"So, he has feelings for all three of them left?"

I assumed Harriet couldn't hear, since she was still rambling and didn't call me out for not listening.

"I don't know, if I'm being honest I think he's going to propose very soon." She admits and I try not to react and focus on steering Juniper in the right direction down the path.

Was he really going to propose soon? I would hate for him to marry one of the others in front of me. At least save me the pain and do it in private.

"That's exciting." Elizabeth said calmly, but I could hear the unsure waver in her voice, "Do you have any idea who he's chosen?"

I try to listen into the princesses response but Harriet is trying to talk to me at the same time.

"Isabelle? Are you even listening?"

I shake my head out and turn to my friend, "Yeah, sorry." I feel bad and try to listen to her.

"It's alright, you've probably got a lot on your mind." Harriet says and I'm glad she understands.

We enter through the path in the woods and the trail forces us to move in single file so I end up with Harriet in front of me and the princess behind me.
Most of the conversation died down and I listened to the rhythmic beating of horse hooves pounding against dirt and the rustling of the wind against the leaves.

It smelt of leather gear and hay as we rode along and no one spoke until we reached the clearing into the grass field.

"It's beautiful out here, I can't imagine living right next door to this everyday." Elizabeth says, pure awe in her voice as she pulls herself up and over off her horse.

Princess Charlotte nods as she gets off her horse too, "It is magnificent out here, so nice to clear your head." Charlotte says and moves her horse to tie it to one of the trees.

I stop Juniper and carefully hop off the back of my horse, giving her a soothing stroke along her mane.
Juniper quickly moves to be beside the other horses and it makes it easier for me to tie her to a tree.

"Isabelle, hey come over here." Harriet says quietly to me and I walk over to stand beside her.

"Yeah, what's up?" I ask and she looks at me like she's got something important to tell me.