Stardust

Ten

*Alice*

"Coffee Aly?" I half turned towards Layla, holding a white mug in hand.

"If you could just put the beans in the cup and I will just eat them."

"Rough night?" I raised my eyebrows, walking away from the notice board we had spent years covering with memories, photos of old team members and pranks and competitions and the newest addition, a prince covered in shit looking like he was about to blow his lid. That had to be my favourite on the whole board. Better than dumping freezing water on Cassian 2 days after he'd handed his notice in. Better than the dye in the shampoo I'd given Jamie to try out 6 months ago. Even now the tips of his hair still look a little pink. He wore a riding hat everywhere whilst it faded and it just made the whole thing funnier. No. Prince Stefan being knocked down a few pegs last week was the highlight of my time here so far.

"You know when you're just tossing and turning all night and can't stop thinking?" I pulled a chair out grabbing one of Eden's muffin's from the cake stand in the middle of the table. They'd be gone by 10am. That woman should be a chef I swear to god.

"Oh, I hate those." Willow sunk into the spot beside me. "I bet your boyfriend was getting well annoyed." I smiled, taking a bite of the muffin.

"Yeah, well I'm sure he'll get over it." I shrugged.

"Does he know about Prince Asswipe's demand that you sleep with him?"

"Oh my god yeah I forgot to ask. How did that go down?"

"I mean, I can't tell him who we're working with can I? He doesn't normally care about those kind of things anyway. It's him I'm going home to." We all sipped on our coffee, the tick of the clock on the wall reminding me that time was indeed passing and I wasn't stuck in this moment forever.

"He seems really chill. Like the little you tell us about him." I gave them raised eyebrows as a response. I hate giving anything away about this. It kind of just slipped out not long after I started working here when Jamie wanted to take me home and now it's a little out of hand. I haven't given the imaginary man a name, no appearance information, just that he's there. Everything else is what's come out of people's mouths like him being annoyed I couldn't sleep last night.

"I wonder if Stefan is going to show up again."

"Yeah. You gave him a hard time Aly."

"Hey, he asked for it. He said he wouldn't be complaining and wanted to work like anyone else on the farm. I offered to run his barrow up. I told him he could stop whenever and come back up here. He's the one who stuck it out. I don't know why everyone keeps making out like I forced the guy to do it. It's not like I made him do anything we don't do on a daily basis. I didn't make him saddle up one of the yearlings. Didn't make him clean out their shoes, didn't even make him brush the horses down."

"You made him clean Apollo's mane."

"Yeah well he deserved that for calling me a lesbian just because I won't sleep with him." The girls snickered. "I'm still shocked he lasted as long as he did. I doubt he'll be back though. Not for that anyway. Maybe visits in his prim little designer suit with his body guards tagging along to check on Rio."

"No but it is a stunning horse."

"Oh, I know." I nodded quickly, finishing my coffee quickly. I needed it in an IV this morning I swear. I had to wake up properly before I go down there. "He's got an attitude though. Well suited to his owner."

"The horse or the Prince?"

"The prince."

"GOOD MORNING LADIES." I rolled my eyes, immediately putting my forehead on the table.

"It's not even 6am Jamie."

"Well, wakey wakey Al. The sun is coming up, the horses are demanding food and you need to eat."

"I literally just had a muffin."

"Hm." I took the case, screwed it up and tossed it at him. "Dad wants you to stay for dinner tonight."

"Me?"

"No, the other Alice he loves more than his own son sometimes." I rolled my eyes. Dramatic much? Mark doesn't like me that much. I'm an absolute nuisance. He's had to break so many laws for me to be here. "Mum's making some chicken and pasta thing."

"Sounds appetizing."

"My job isn't to sell the meal Alice. It's to tell you you're to stay for dinner." I nodded, knowing for a fact I wouldn't get out of it. Eden would get talking to me and then before you know it, dinner will be on the table and I might as well stay. "Good. Now, important shit. Prince Stefan's going to be here in about 20 minutes to help out again." I blanked out. Staring at Jamie as he kept talking. Mouth moving but no sound was reaching my ears.

He's coming back?

Why?

I don't get it. The guy ended up covered in literal shit. He doesn't need to learn to do all this. He has stable hands to do the work for him. He could be laid up in bed warm and relaxed, having peeled grapes fed to him by some woman in a golden bikini whilst he's fanned with a giant array of feathers like the god he thinks he is.

"Alice."

"Hm? Sorry, half asleep. The royal jackass is coming back?"

"Yes." Jamie rubbed his head. "If he could leave here not covered in shit today, that'd be great."

"Not my responsibility."

"Actually, it is." My eyes turned to saucers, staring at the overly smug man now leaning back against the wall, tossing a red apple in the air. "He's requested you show him the ropes properly."

"Absolutely not."

"Alice, he's the second son of the king. He gets what he wants."

"Well, he can want something else. I've got too much to do."

"So let him ease the workload."

"Ease the work load? It took him half an hour per fucking stall!"

"So, teaching him to go faster."

"I'm not a fucking coach Jamie!" He looked at the two girls who quickly rose from their seats, disappearing from the break room without saying a word. "I'm not doing it."

"Al-"

"No."

"Alice it's one day."

"This is the 4th time. The 4th day he's thrown me out. I've got to start on his horse today. I can't do it when he's here, watching over me. I'm gonna end up taking a hoof to a bone."

"Alice, you know I can't stop him being here if he wants to be. It's in the contract that they can come down and help care for their animal if they please. I know most people don't take it but they're- he's paying a lot of money to have Rio here and if he wants to come and shovel shit whilst he's doing it, we're not going to turn down the extra pair of hands. He knows how to ride. Put him on Duke, you ride Apollo and take Rio on a trek to tire him out and show him how he should be behaving. No different to any other visitor and new horse."

"If he falls off I'm not being held responsible."

"You wouldn't be."

"And if he starts complaining I'm sending him straight to you and you can handle him."

"I can deal with that." I stared at him as he put the apple on the table and pushed it towards me. "Don't skip lunch today."

"I was busy enough before but now I've got double the work so no can do." I stood up, taking a bite of the apple and moving to the door.

"Alice-"

"See yah later alligator."