Chapter 6

“What’s wrong?” Rupert asked me with a concerned look on his face.

“Uh… is there a shorter horse around?” I asked.

“It’s a pony. I don’t think you’ll want to be on a pony. It’s just a baby,” he said and raised an eyebrow as he walked closer to me with the tall horse.

“Yeah… but I haven’t ridden a horse since I was ten.”

“Great! That means we can ride together!” He smiled and grabbed my hand in his.

“Uh, sure,” I answered and stepped onto the stood and hopped onto the horse. “Oh, god,” I gasped as I looked down at everyone.

“Nervous?” Michael asked me.

“Um… yeah,” I managed to say and covered my face.

“Don’t worry, precious,” Rupert laughed and hopped onto the horse. “Just hold onto me.” I made a face but held onto his waist for dear life. “Relax there, Princess,” he laughed and placed his hand on mine. “Ready, Michael?” He asked as I turned around to look at Michael sitting on his black horse and may I say he looked quite sexy.

“Ready when you are,” Michael responded as he made the horse walk beside us. “The real question is… are you ready, Princess?” He smiled at me.

“Yeah,” I tried to smile back as I had a firm grip on Rupert.

“Don’t be scared. It’s not that bad,” he assured me and rode ahead of us.

“We’ll be following Knight Michael, love. I assure you everything will be alright,” Rupert lifted my hand and kissed it as we followed behind Michael.

“Oh my,” I whispered as I looked down. My heart was beating so fast, I thought it would explode. I have never been this high before. And if I ever was, it was in the family carriage and we’re only in there for family trips.

After about ten minutes, I felt a little sick because the horses were walking in the water. Rupert may have thought I would think this would be beautiful, but it’s actually making me sick to my stomach.

“Rupert,” I said quietly. He and Michael laughed about whatever they were laughing about and he completely ignored me. “Rupert,” I said a little louder. My firm grip was still on him, but he probably got used to it by now. We’re not that deep into the water. But if I have to jump off this horse to go spit-up somewhere, I most gladly will. “Rupert, dear,” I said a little bit louder and cringed at the word “dear.”

“Yes, dearest?” He smiled back at me.

“I’m feeling a little sick.”

“Sick? Now why is that? You hear that, Michael? She’s sick,” he laughed.

“It’s not funny,” I said.

“Sorry, love. Why are you sick?”

“Cause of this.”

“Of what?”

“The fact that we’re riding the horses in water.”

“Would you like to get out?”

“Well, yeah!” I said as I played with my fingers.

“Alright, Michael, we should be heading toward the shore now. Leah, here, is getting a little sick,” he told Michael. “Don’t worry, precious. We’ll be up there in no time,” he told me and kissed my hand.

I nodded and closed my eyes tight. Hopefully, we get to that shore soon.

“Princess, are you alright?” Michael called out. “We’re almost to shore.” At this point, I felt dizzy. I would spit-up any time now and most likely embarrass myself in front of both Rupert and Michael. “Is she alright, Rupert?” Michael asked.

Rupert looked back at me, “Leah, love, are you alright?”

I nodded as I felt the liquid churn upward toward my throat. I don’t think I’ll make it to the shore and hopefully I don’t mess up this beautiful horse. “Oh, god,” I whispered and began to loosen my grip on Rupert.

“You okay, there?” He asked. This time I didn’t answer. If I did, all of my sickness would be all on him. Is my best bet to jump and run to shore to not? Sigh. I guess I have no choice.

I let go of Rupert, turned my body away from his and plunged into the water. Not that deep, but still too much for me to run. I tried my best to run in the water and make it to shore. As soon as I did, I just let it all go. Embarrassing myself in front of Michael and Rupert. At least, it didn’t have any color and it least I did it in the water and not on the sand. Each time, I let it go, my stomach hurt so bad. My dress was drenched, my hair was close to being drenched. What a beautiful day, huh?

“Oh my,” Rupert said as he finally got to the shore and jumped off. “Love, you must feel awful,” he said and pushed my hair behind my ears.

I wiped my mouth and put my hands in the water, “yeah.” I nodded as I sat by the water.

“And look at you. Your dress is all drenched.”

“Yes, I know.”

“We should go back to the palace.”

“No. Alice will have a fit with me if I come to her drenched like this.”

“Leah, she is our only choice.”

“Not really. We can just sit out here in the sun and let me dry off. Sure, I’ll smell of sea salt all day, but who cares?” I shrugged.

“Um… I do. I wouldn’t want my precious Leah to smell of fish,” he said and made a face.

“But you would like me however I look, right?”

“No. As my gorgeous wife to be, you must look your best at all times.”

“I thought, to a man, a woman looks her best at all times whatever state she is in. Whether it be drenched and smelling of sea salt, during pregnancy or even with bed hair.”

“Well, love, it’s different for me.”

I made a face at his comment and stood up, “that’s not exactly what I wanted to hear,” I mumbled and wiped my dress of sea salt.

“Are you okay?” Michael asked as I walked over to him and folded my arms.

“Yeah,” I sighed as I looked out at the water.

“I don’t agree with anything he said.”

“Really?” I asked.

“Of course not. I believe a woman looks beautiful all the time.”

“Well, at least there’s one sane man in the world besides my father.”

“Is that a thank you or just a statement?” He laughed.

“Oh, sorry. Thank you.”

“Anytime,” he nodded with a smile on his face.

“Do I reek of sea salt?” I asked after an awkward moment of silence.

“No, not yet,” he laughed and walked toward Rupert.

“Oh my,” I sighed as I followed him to Rupert.

“Listen, love, I’m sorry if I offended you,” Rupert said and took my hands in his. I rolled my eyes and sighed. “I really am sorry,” he smiled and pulled me to him for a hug. I raised my arms to hug him for a short second, but he pulled me closer than I expected and kissed my cheek. I fake smiled and wiped my face. “Michael, do you have the time?” He asked Michael as he put his arm around my shoulders.

“Twelve p.m.,” Michael said as he looked up at the sun.

“Well, Alice didn’t plan the day correctly. She expects us to stroll the park again, watch the sunset, then come for dinner. What do you say we go some place to make up for all the time in the middle?” Rupert asked me with a smirk.

“Sure,” I shrugged and looked at the water again.

“Love, are you still upset about my previous comments? I apologize,” he said in a sympathetic voice.

“I accept your apologies,” I said as I looked down at my chest to get the sea salt off.

“Whatcha got down there?” He laughed.

“Pig!” I scoffed and pushed him away and walked ahead of him and Michael.

“What did I do now?” Rupert asked as Michael ran to get beside me.

“I’ve realized he’s a jerk,” he whispered.

“Ya think? I think he and Alice are in cahoots.”

“Ha-ha! Why do you think that?”

“She thinks so highly of him. He’s just a bum. There’s nothing special there. I’m supposed to be with someone of high authority like yourself,” I blurted out.

“Like me? Why me?” He smiled.

Shit. I said too much. “Well… ya know. My father knew I was to be with a Knight or someone of high authority. I was just using you as an example.”

“Oh, right,” he smiled again. Oh gosh. Now he has the big head…