𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 | 𝐥.𝐫.𝐡

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐗𝐗𝐕𝐈𝐈

"Come on." I ran my hand down Shadows right leg where he lifted it and I grabbed onto his hoof. "Good boy." I praised as I grabbed pick and began to clean the muddy horseshoe.

I had taken him round the castle grounds for some early exercise so for the past half hour, I had been grooming and making sure his black coat was almost spotless. He then drew his attention away from the hay net however and furiously began to rub his head against my back and I nearly flew forward.

"Shadow! Stop it!" I couldn't help but laugh at the horses playful behaviour. "Go away!"

"I see that he likes to annoy you just as much as I do." Luke suddenly laughed and I looked up to see him standing outside the stable door with Calum.

"You're actually more of a nuisance then what he is." I replied, dropping Shadows hoof now which didn't stop him from nudging his head against me. Calum then burst out into a laugh as Luke watched with a pout on his lips. "I'm joking!"

"I'm sure you're not." Calum snickered before Luke playfully punched his arm and I rolled my eyes at the pair.

"Yes, anyways... A letter arrived for you." he said holding out a folded piece of parchment so I wiped my hands on my trousers and went over. "It's from your mother."

I took it off him and slowly scanned down my mothers neat handwriting, but so far there was only mention that our borders were secure and that there was no word from Keit regarding their sudden attack. The next paragraph however made me let out a groan and I looked back up at the two men.

"Is everything alright?" Luke asked.

"Yes, it's just-" I paused as I stuffed the letter in my pocket. "It's actually my birthday in a months time so my mother is already preparing everything for the celebration." I sighed, going back over to Shadow.

"Don't you enjoy birthday celebrations?" Calum asked, leaning on the stable door now.

"It's not that I don't." I span round and waved the pick about. "But my mother is a perfectionist and sometimes it can be too overwhelming."

My mother would always make sure my birthday celebration was the most important event of the year but for this year, I was worried that Keit would find out and plan something against me.

By no means however was I thinking of inviting Edmund to my birthday, despite the fact that he invited me to his own. It was too much of a risk to myself, my people and my loved ones.

"I'm sure it'll be fantastic." Luke reassuringly said and I gave him a wide smile. "Calum, leave us please." he said after a few seconds so the man beside him nodded and rushed off opposite to Michael and Ashton. "You and I both know that you're worried about Edmund finding out." he said, opening the door and slipping inside.

"How could I not be, Luke?" I huffed picking up Shadows foot again and proceeding on picking out the mud. "My mother will be in charge of everything so I do not think she will invite them after what happened."

"I don't think she will either. It'll be a careless move." he said, crossing his arms against his chest. "Hopefully they won't turn up out of the blue."

"That's what I fear for. Word will get around very quickly and it won't take long to reach the Keit. I'm just worried for everyone's safety." I said, dropping Shadows leg and moving to the other where Luke was standing.

"It's good that you are concerned but the more you worry the worse it'll become. It'll all get to your head."

"I know that but I can't go with a clear head when I feel that people's lives are in danger." I said standing back up and wiping my forehead with the back of my hand. "Especially my own. Anything could happen at this point."