The Choice

15

"Somebody, anybody, help me!" I called, my voice starting to get hoarse. 

My cries for help were cut short by the rustling of trees and what I presumed where footsteps. Thank God. 

"Anybody here?" A familiar voice called and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. 

Emerging from the trees was no one but Prince Carlos himself, though he looked quite different. Instead of a medal-covered suit, he wore an undershirt, the sleeves rolled off showing off his muscular forearms. I didn't miss the impressive knife that hung from his belt. 

He definitely looked surprised to see me. 

"Lady Madeline?" He asked. 

I couldn't help but roll my eyes, "Are you going to stand there and gawk or help me?" 

Prince Carlos' eyes darkened. "How can I help you if I don't even know what's wrong with you- apart from the many things we've established." 

"Excuse you," I seethed, though I was in extreme pain. 

"Could you just tell me what happened?" Prince Carlos asked, exasperatedly. 

I quickly explain how I was thrown off the horse from hell and ended up possibly breaking my ankle. 

"Was the horse dark, with a blonde streak in its mane?" Prince Carlos asked. 

I didn't see how that helped the situation, as I was still practically dying in pain, but I answered anyway. "Yes." 

"You rode Oakley, my mother's horse. No one else is supposed to ride him, I'm going to have to speak with the stable hand," Prince Carlos thought aloud. 

"How did your mother manage to ride that beast?" I asked, eyes wide. I regretted it immediately. 

But, instead of a retort or reprimand, Prince Carlos replied. "Queen Clemence had a way of calming everyone- even the wildest of beasts." 

The hint of sadness behind his green eyes couldn't go unnoticed. He quickly shook his head, as if clearing his thoughts. 

He walked towards me and examined my ankle. Surprisingly, his touch was very gentle. I watched as he looked at it, like he knew what he was doing. 

"I don't think it's broken," Prince Carlos' brows furrowed in concentration. "I can get you out of here. But I'm going to have to carry you." 

Before I could protest, another surge of pain ran through my leg and tears pricked at my eyes. I turned my head, quickly blinking them away. I would never let Prince Carlos see me cry. 

"Fine," I breathed. 

Prince Carlos helped me up gently and I put my arm around his neck. He put his strong arms under my knees and helped me up. I couldn't help but place the hand that wasn't around his neck on his hard sturdy chest. 

Prince Carlos cleared his throat uncomfortably and I rolled my eyes despite the throbbing pain as he helped me onto his horse and we rode into the forest. 

*** 

"Where have you been Carlos?" Lord Amancio's voice woke me up. I guessed I had fainted for the pain had become something I couldn't bear. 

"Lady Madeline?" Lord Amancio's eyebrows almost met his hairline. "What stitch did you get yourself into this time?" 

"Some stable hand gave her Oakley," Prince Carlos sighed. 

"Oakley? As in your mother's horse?" Lord Amancio asked. 

Prince Carlos nodded. "She hurt her ankle- it's pretty bad. We should head back to the others and get her some medical attention." 

*** 

"Jesus, Carlos, where have you been?" A voice startled me once again. I quickly realized that we had somehow found the others and I could feel the pairs of eyes staring at me, probably wondering why I was on a horse with Prince Carlos. 

To make matters worse, the voice belonged to Queen Amelia who stared at me with an eyebrow raised. I could hear the whispers and could literally sense the jealous stares from the other Ladies. If only they knew how much pain I was in. 

"She was riding Oakley, and she hurt her ankle," Prince Carlos explained. 

Queen Amelia looked like she could care less and motioned for the guards to take me to the medic. 

"Thank you," I managed to whisper, as the guards helped me off Prince Carlos' horse. He gave me a curt nod in return, his eyes lingering on my face longer than they normally did. 

I was in too much pain to return the evil stares I was getting from the other Ladies so I closed my eyes in an attempt to block out the rest of the world. 

*** 

"You haven't broken it," The stout man I assumed was the doctor finally said, after twisting, turning and prodding my ankle despite my pained protests. 

"There is something wrong with it right?" I asked.

He folded his glasses and tucked them into the breast pocket of his suit, "You appear to have sprained it. It should be back to normal in a week or two but till then, no excessive activity- and make sure you have lots of rest. I have prescribed some pain herbs that should ease the swelling." 

Great! That was just the news I needed to hear. The downside of the doctor's instructions was that I could hardly walk but on the bright side, I was exempted from all excessive activity which includes unnecessary and tiring dance lessons. 

"I should go down to the stables and give that stable hand a good earful," Lucy folded her arms across her chest. 

"I doubt he knew the horse was Queen Clemence's," I sighed. Not only was I in pain, I was extremely worn out from the day's events. 

"We'll leave you to sleep now, Lady Madeline. Good night," Imogen said as she and Lucy left the room. 

Strangely, despite being as tired as one could possibly be, I couldn't sleep. The same thoughts ran over and over through my head. If Prince Carlos was so heartless, why did he help me? Could I have been wrong about him? 

Before I could come up with a logical answer, I lulled into a deep sleep. 

Hey guys! How's September going for you? I'm almost done writing this book and I can't wait till you guys read the upcoming chapters because there's A LOT of things in store. 

Make sure you vote, comment and share. And most importantly, wear your masks. XOXO.