The Stable Hand's Daughter (Title and cover subject to change)

Chapter 1

The young maiden's hands rested on my chest as she turned her face up at me, giving me a perfect view of her beautiful golden flecked brown eyes that would have been spitting fire if that were at all possible.

"Are you okay?" I asked her, letting my eyes take in her smooth alabaster skin and sumptuous pink lips that were begging to be kissed. Her lower lip trembled slightly before she forcefully stilled it. She gave a small push with her hands, but I refused to release my arms which were comfortably wrapped around her small frame.

"I can take care of myself, thank you very much" She told me acidly "Now if you don't mind letting me go." She tried to free herself again, and being the gentleman as always, I finally released my hold. She stumbled back from the force of her own shove and would have fallen back into the same manure that had caused her to slip and land in my arms just a few minutes prior if I hadn't caught her by the elbow. Once satisfied that she had regained her balance, I released her arm.

"You obviously don't know much about due etiquette when conversing with a Prince" I told her pointedly. She fumed, but obviously decided to be on the cautious side as she bowed her head and attempted a curtsy.

"I know much more than you think, your Highness" She kept her eyes on the ground as she spoke. I preferred her fiery self to the demure girl which was now standing before me. When I didn't reply, she stole a small glance before continuing. "With your permission, Highness." She curtsied again and picking up her skirts began to walk away, unruly locks of brown hair bouncing with her step.

"Just a minute." I called after her, making her freeze mid step, she took a deep breath and turned around, pointing her eyes at the ground again.

"Yes Highness?" I stepped up to her and tilted her chin up with thumb and forefinger so that she would look up at me.

"My name is Edwin, I would prefer if you would call me that from now on." Her lips quirked but she stilled them once again.

"What about due etiquette?" Her voice didn't quiver, but was steady, sweet like nectar and yet commanding at the same time.

"I'm sorry" I told her, causing her to tilt her head to the side as she studied me curiously.

"You are sorry for being a prince?" The question took me aback and i replied without thinking.

"Sometimes." Her unchecked smile revealed rows of perfectly white teeth. "That's not what I meant." I corrected myself quickly, throwing a warning glance at my squire who was patiently waiting by our horses all this time. "I meant to say that I'm sorry for being sharp with you, I didn't mean it and I'm not usually so stuck up."

"Apology accepted; though I must say that you owe none to a stable hand's daughter."

"Would you have said that at the beginning of our encounter, I would have believed you. But right now I would say that you are a lady of noble birth." Her eyes widened.

"I am not a lady, your highness" She said tartly.

"It's Edwin." I corrected her. "Then you wouldn't mind telling me your name." Her chest heaved under the loose tunic that she wore with a riding skirt. I let myself inspect her as I waited for an answer. Her clothes were simple, like that of the common castle servants, but then so were mine and I was not intending to show off my royal status today. Something told me that she too was not who she pretended to be.

"Caellyn,my name is Caellyn" She said finally, her voice catching just a little.

"Caellyn..." I tasted the name on my tongue "Its a beautiful name." I smiled at her, though it quickly fell off my face when I noticed how rigidly still she was standing. "Is something the matter?"

"No your Highness, but I do have errands that I must run"

"It's Edwin" I corrected her again. "Do you ride?"

"I do..." she seemed confused.

"Then give your list of errands to Gael" I pointed my thumb over my shoulder at the squire. "And come for a ride with me."

"I can't today." My face fell. "Perhaps tomorrow?" I shook my head.

"Tomorrow I have to depart back to my kingdom."

"Next time you visit then." She told me.

"That may not be for a year or two. Please, Caellyn? Come ride with me today..." I pleaded. In fact I was ready to bend a knee in order to persuade her. It didn't matter who she was or to whom she was born - I had yet to meet another woman as fiery and fearless as her, and I was determined to know more about her before the day was out. She seemed to consider my pleas.

"All right." She told me. "But first I have to ask permission of my father." I nodded my acknowledgement and she took a steady pace across the yard back to the door from which she had rushed earlier.

I took a deep breath and turned to my grinning squire.

"Wipe that smirk off your mouth" I told the twenty year old in what I hoped was my most menacing voice.

"I'm sorry highness." He tried to straighten his features but failed miserably. I shook my head at his use of my title. He knew better than this. But I could understand what he found so humorous about the situation.

"Sorry is what you'll be when you're running Caellyn's errands all day" I gave him a friendly slap on the shoulder and busied myself checking that the saddles were fixed correctly and that the bits weren't chafing the horses. I was checking the hind hoof of Gael's mare, when Caellyn's sweet voice by my ear startled me, making me jump.

"Sorry, I wasn't aware that you were so jittery." The humour in her voice melted my anger almost immediately.

"It's the horses that you should be worried about, my lady." I told her. She cocked her head in response.

"These horses can't be spooked even by a snake" She said smugly and patted my black stallion, before proceeding to rub his favourite spot between the ears. Night nickered softly, bending his neck to give her access. I ignored my horse's strange behaviour for the moment.

"Did your father permit you to ride with me?" Caellyn stopped ministering the horse and took a piece of parchment from her skirt pocket, handing it to Gael in one smooth motion.

"As long as the errands get done, I'm free to go." I smiled at her, feeling genuinely happy for the first time in months.

"Then you better hop on!" I told her, sending a wink at my squire. Caellyn gave a small nod and started walking out of the yard. "Where are you going?" I called after her "You can use Gael's horse."

"I ride only one horse." She told me "And she's grazing outside. You better come." She called back and I hopped on my mount to catch up with her, leaving a bewildered squire behind. Gael was a big boy, he was sure to figure out and run all the errands before our return. Meanwhile my strange new acquaintance was determined to do things her own way.