Appaloosa

Chapter 2

We ran for miles as I did my best to create a strategy that would get me out of this horse mess and back to my kingdom which needed me now more than ever.
But by the time I'd come up with anything, we rode to the place where the man had been instructed to take me. It wasn't at all where I was expecting. It was a lush meadow with multiple paddocks about it, and dozens of horses within it--- beautiful horses. I marveled at the sight as the young man climbed off of my back. He took my reins and looked me in the face.
"I know this wasn't where I was supposed to take you, but I really don't want such a beautiful horse to be broken by such a queen." He smiled.
What? Was he helping me...?
The young man patted my neck and lead me over to another and much more handsome lad who was busy giving a palomino horse a carrot.
"Well what do we have here?" He asked, turning around to face us. "Wow..." He looked at me in awe. "What a gorgeous Appaloosa..."
Appaloosa? So that's what I looked like.
The handsome lad turned to my rider questioningly. "Where'd you get such a fine horse?"
The man at my reins started stroking my neck with one hand. "Queen Isis had 'er. She wanted me to take her back to the dark realm but... You and I both know what she'd use her for."
The stable hand nodded. "Yeah..."
My rider handed the reins to the tender.
"Here. Take good care of her, Charlie."
"I will. Thanks, Bill."
At that, "Bill" straightened his hat and left.
This other boy, "Charlie" smiled at me. "Wow. You sure are a beauty. The others'll LOVE you. Come on."
The nice man lead me over to the paddock and released me inside, stripping me of my reins and bridal. I moved my tongue a bit at the sensation of the space and turned inside as he closed the gate behind me with a final pat to my head.
A bit timidly, I turned and saw three geldings trotting toward me. I swallowed. Would I be able to communicate with them like this?
"Hey!" I flinched as a voice came from a palomino from the group. But I had to admit, her voice was soft, so I wasn't too frightened. "So you're new, huh?" I struggled to respond to the filly. "Uh... Y-yes." "You seem a little tense," a thoroughbred adjacent to the palomino chimed in. His voice was low and calm. "Did he hurt you? The dark palace guards aren't too nice." In an instant, I shook my head. "No. Actually, he was quite kind to me... His orders were to take me to the dark palace, but the dark queen's words were not acknowledged."
The three stared at me in fascination. "Wow," the third horse, the dappled grey stallion on the far left, spoke for the first time. "Actually, DOUBLE wow. First that a guy who worked for that witch would do something so nice, and second... Dang, you sure talk royally..." I began to fret. Even these horses I couldn't let know who I was--- at least, not yet. "Oh, no, no!" I whinnied, a bit flustered. "I-I don't think so..." I struggled to find something casual and peasant-like, and only came up with, "... Y'all..."
They blinked. "Okay..." The dappled horse looked at me curiously. "So, what's your name?"
"Am..." No, I couldn't tell them my name was Princess Amelia or even just "Amelia." I needed to come up with a name, and quick. "Erm, R-Rose."
"Rose?"
I swallowed. "Um... Yes. I mean, yeah."
Drat, this could be so easily seen through... But the mare gave me a horse-like smile. "Wow! That suits you! It's cute!" I tried to smile back. "Thank you." I then addressed the group. "And... Y'all... Are?"
The went from left to right. The dapple spoke first. "I'm Sirocco."

"I'm Lilly." The palomino mare grinned. And last, the horse I personally found the most beautiful, the thoroughbred bowed his head slightly, graciously, and informed me, "The name's Caesar. Nice to meet you, Rose."
Was my face flushed...? It was difficult for me to tell with so much horse fur sprouting on my muzzle.... "Um," I sputtered, "Nice to meet you, as well... Well, all of you, really." I attempted my best smile at them all. They seemed to be kind people... I hoped I might get the chance to see them again after everything returned to the way they should be--- with me as a princess, rather than a pony.