Chapter 8: The Ride
I went to go get my “riding” dress, I never wore it. I always wore shorts and a top because it was always just John, Shea, and me. I would only wear the dress on those rare occasions that someone from the palace would ride with me. I went to my closet and grabbed it. I thought about it. There were only those three dresses in there, plus the one I’m wearing. The next one was the fanciest one I had, it was a light blue with lace around the collar and sleeves. It buttoned down in the back, from my neck to the small of my back. The last dress was a simple black one, I have only worn this a few times. It is my least favorite dress, it is depressing. It had a lot of tooling underneath to make it poufy. In the drawers beside my bed is the breaches, but I just remembered that there was no top that I could wear with it. How could I go riding without a top to those shorts? I’ll just have to wear my dress I thought grimly. I looked down at my grey traveling dress. I really wouldn’t need to change if I didn’t use the riding dress today, I could use it tomorrow. I really didn’t want to wear the depressing dress anytime soon, and I didn’t really mind the fancy dress, It’s just that I’m not used to it. So I decided to just ride in what I’m wearing.
I opened the door. Nobody was out there so I could go by myself. While I was walking through the halls to get outside. I passed a few portraits. I thought to myself that another time I will have to stop and look at them. They looked interesting. It was so quiet, I didn’t even see anybody in the halls. Our kingdom was more country than this one, there was always chatter, of course there were rooms that you could go to if you wanted some quiet. I think my mother’s idea about the quiet rooms was to have me learn to sew and other “Ladyish” things. I really wasn’t sure where I was going, or even where the stables would be. I assumed in the back plains. while wondering around I saw a boy, he was dirty looking.
I smiled, finally something that looks somewhat like home. “Hello?” It came out sounding like a question.
He looked around, and then squinted his eyes at me, then he broke into a smile, “Oh please, don’t tell me that you are the bumpkin from the lousy kingdom that is about to drop dead soon.” He sneered at me.
I wasn’t sure if he meant I was about to “drop dead soon” or if he was referring to my kingdom that was starving. Either way that hurt, it shouldn’t I mean who was he to insult me, Princess Elizabeth-Marie Annilies Depore? But no matter what, or who I was, it still hurt. I realized I was too stunned to talk, so it took me a few seconds to think of what to say. But before I could say it, he said, “What did I use too big of words for a simple country folk like you?”
I glared at him, “I beg you pardon,” I said in my most sophisticated voice I could muster up at the moment. “I don’t believe you have any knowledge of my kingdom, or the people in it. Who are you to say that we aren’t here to save you?” It was such a lie. We were on the verge of ‘dropping dead’, but who did he think he was trifling with the future queen, and current princess of both kingdoms?
He smirked “Well, just look at you.” he snickered. Oh I was about to punch him in the nose. “Hey Paul, get over here.” he called to someone over my shoulder.
“What?” another dirtyish boy came out he looked about a year older than me, around the same age as the first rude boy. Compared to him, the Prince and his brother seemed to be perfect little angles.
“This is the new bride to be.” he said with a snooty attitude.
“Well,” he looked at me, I was aware of my traveling dress, that as I remembered was even shabbier than the poorest of the people of this kingdom. “Aren’t you lucky?” He said in a sarcastic voice.
