Another Elite (Book 2 of Selection fanfics)

Chapter 3

My pants felt strange against my legs. After being at the palace for over a month, I'd grown used to the elegant dresses and skirts. Plus, the the starchy fabric of my own jeans paled in comparison to the luxurious pair from the palace.

Derek had given me a long-sleeved shirt and jacket to wear; the weather had transitioned from summer to fall. I was only wearing socks--per Derek's instructions--and my feet padded softly against the floors.

"So, are you going to tell me where we're going? I'm still not wearing shoes." I raised my brows at him.

Derek rolled his eyes, his hand closed around mine. "Are you going to do this every time we go on a date? I told you, it's a surprise."

"I ask because you never tell me what we're going to do," I frowned. "And I have no idea what we can do without shoes."

He smiled. "Shoes would ruin the surprise. Just wait a couple more minutes."

I grumbled but gave in. "All right."

He chuckled and continued leading us down the hall. I was positive he'd somehow looped us around the same hallways over and over again--the paintings that we passed had begun to look eerily similar. I wasn't sure why he was wasting time, but I didn't mind. It gave me an excuse to keep holding his hand.

Finally, we found ourselves in front of a glass door leading to an unfamiliar part of the garden. Derek stopped in front of me, blocking the view.

"I have a feeling you're going to like this." He grinned widely.

"I'd like it even more if I knew what it was."

Derek rolled his eyes but smiled again. "Alright, fine."

He walked over behind a plant and grabbed a pair of brown boots hiding behind it. "Here you go."

I looked at the pair of boots in his hands, recognizing the quality and type immediately. "You're kidding." I said in shock.

"Nope." He smiled, handing me the riding boots.

I couldn't help but squeal. I set the riding boots back down and jumped up to hug him, even daring to give him a small peck on the cheek.

He smiled, hugging me back tightly. "I'm glad you're excited."

I blushed as I pulled away, quickly putting the boots on so he couldn't see my face. "I'm more than excited. This is amazing."

"Good," he smiled and held his arm out. "Follow me."

I took it, letting him lead me out through the doors. The stables were a short distance away but I could already smell and hear the horses. My hands twitched with excitement with every step we took.

Derek led us toward the barn which was painted a deep red with white and black accents. The structure was a thousand times more magnificent than the barn back home; ours was falling apart, with chipped red and white paint.

"Let me just tell the stable-master that we're here. Go on and look." Derek motioned down the barn hall before walking towards a smaller building.

I walked ahead, passing large stacks of hay and metal tubs. Everything gleamed even without the sun touching it--nothing was rusted or broken. The floor was devoid of any stray pieces of straw or stains. There weren't piles of horse poop waiting to be cleaned up or puddles of water in back corners. In short, it wasn't my barn back home.

The horses each had individual stalls, paneled in wood and decorated with metals. There was plenty of room for each to roam around, yet there were at least fifteen horses inside. Each horse held their heads high, their manes shiny and sleek. They ranged in color from the deepest black, to pure white. They looked healthy and well fed, strong muscles rippling beneath their coats. I was reminded of Duke, proudly thinking of how strong my family and I had made him through training.