Born to be a slave.

49

Maria got closer to Storm and wished to pet him, when his teeth snapped just inches from her delicate fingers, making a dreadful snapping sound . Everyone jumped away, even me, while being some distance from the incident.

"What's wrong with this animal?" Maria whined.

James have returned and quietly he offered to take a lamb away.

"I will be fine, James." I said in a whisper.

"No, no, Thea. You stay here."

"I won't." I protested.

"Thea! Why don't you ride with us?"

I snapped my head around and could not believe, what Maria was saying.

"You take this black horse."

I looked up at Edmund and hoped he will say no, but he just smiled subtly.

"Thea! Get on a horse!" Maria insisted.

I looked at James. A wide grin played on his lips. He pushed me in the direction I needed to go. All I felt was a dreadful sense of nervousness. I didn't want them to see me ride Storm. I will get in trouble. Edmund will kill me, if he discovers, I have used his animal before. I glanced another time around to see a sign of anybody changing their mind, but none of the faces seem to show disagreement. James was standing next to Edmund and both seemed to be entertained with a thought seeing me ride.

"Come on, Thea! We don't have whole day!" She was getting impatient.

With shaking hands I approached Storm. Maria's eyes were glued on me, watching my every move. At the time, I was ready to pull myself up, I felt pair of hands behind me. Edmund was there, but said nothing, only from his moves I could guess, that he is there to help me mount Storm. I felt awkward, as we both stayed silent, but gazed at each other.

I got up, but didn't know what to do. Wait?

I heard Maria growl in frustration. "That damn animal is stupid." And with that Storm took of with me. She had slapped him, which made my horse flee. If I wouldn't have learned to ride, I would have fallen or injured myself. Storm was old, but the strength and energy was still plenty inside of him.

"What the hell, Maria!" I heard Edmund's voice fade.

I have managed to calm Storm and was heading back to the stables. My heart was running like a horse. What will Edmund say? I might be in trouble.

"Maria, have you thought how one of us will get to a picnic spot? We need another horse." I heard Anna say as I got back.

Edmund didn't look good. I felt my hands shake. He came to me ignoring everything that went behind him with his fiance and her friends. I felt him swiftly mounting Storm behind me, taking reins and pulling them out of my grasp. He was upset or something similar bothered him.

Edmund kicked the sides of his horse, which sent us away in fast pace. Air of my lungs got kicked out of sudden change of speed. I felt afraid and uncertain, to where this will lead. Edmund hold me strong from behind. He even didn't wait for his future wife to get ready.

We stopped in front of large oak trees, which formed a thick forest ahead. Storm was breathless and I couldn't breath too. Edmund's hand was around my waist holding me to a point of suffocation. I waited for him to release me, but he didn't. His breathing was erratic and fanned a skin on my left cheek.

"Edmund....."

"Edmund, let go..... You are hurting me..."

He did budge.

"Edmund! I can't breath...."

He loosened his arm, but didn't release me completely. I inhaled the air with deep gulps.

"I didn't want you to fall." Edmund said into my ear.

I wanted to get away from him, feeling his body so close, brought back the feelings, I have been trying to forget. He doesn't care about me, why does he acts, as if he is worried I would fall? I jumped on the ground, before he managed to do anything else and walked away, in direction of the stables.

Edmund cut my path, I had my way blocked by him and Storm's huge body. What is he planning to do? I didn't have time to evade him, when my Master got down and slowly walked in my direction, his face serious and hiding his true intentions.

"You shouldn't be here today."

"I... I didn't think you would come."

It was painful to hear, that he didn't want to see me a bit, after such a long time of separation. What did I expect? That Edmund will feel longing for me? It was only me, who felt that way. I should learn to not expect the same from him.

Under his gaze I felt small, dirty and insignificant. I was nothing.....

"....I am sorry, Master." I averted my eyes to the ground.

I felt uncomfortable. Once again, he was too close to me, that it was hard for me to stay calm.

"Edmund! Edmund!" Maria's voice and thundering of horses broke the tension between us.

Edmund was frustrated about something, that much I knew, when he stepped closer to Storm and hit him hard on his backside. His horse literally stormed away in seconds, leaving us behind in a cloud of dust.

"What have I told you?" His words came through clenched teeth. ".....master.....?" He chuckled mockingly.