Abigail wished that she had a time machine. She would have left the castle without the horses, would not have allowed Ben to leave without supervision, and would not have accepted her godfather's request.
"Abigail? Are you all right? If you do not want the berries I can get you something else."
Abi looked to Nate with a smile playing on her face. Sara and Ben were talking over by the oak tree, and Ben grasped Sara's hand tightly. The couple were sharing breakfast, while the rest of them were eating altogether, talking about strategies to keep Ben undercover.
Nate, being the only good cook, had gone through his saddlebag and pulled out berries. Nate had handed them all out and scolded everyone when they inhaled them.
"I'm quite all right Nate. Thank you again for the berries. I just might need some cool, fresh water."
"Ah, well, about that. Sara needed everybody's water to clean out Ben's cuts and bruises. In short, there is no clean water on any of us."
Abigail nodded, knowing that unclean water could infect cuts. "Nate, can you get my horse? I want to look for a freshwater river."
"Princess, there is no way you are leaving unattended after you fainted. I will come with you. I know clean water when I see it."
"We have a deal. I'm afraid that I can not identify clean water. I just wanted to get away."
Nate nodded and went to collect Dez, and Abigail saddled up Joy.
They began the journey in awkward silence, or at least until Nathan broke it. "Did you see Ben's face when he realized that Sara was the one looking after him?"
Abi laughed. "Yes. It was an incredible moment. Did you see the flicker of recognition on his face and the way he grabbed her hand?"
Nate now too laughed. "Yes, indeed. I think the cutest moment so far was the way she stroked his cheek and murmured apologies."
"That's what she was saying?"
"Yes. I was close enough to hear it all. You passed out before any of this. How did you know about the hand?"
Abi shrugged. "I guess I was semi-conscious. I could see enough, but then I fainted again."
"Matt didn't mention any semi-consciousness."
"He must not have noticed it."
Nate shook his head and continued on. "Abigail, everybody was worried about you. What really happened?"
"I do not like to see a lot of blood. It makes me squirm inwardly. Ben was bleeding way too much for me to handle."
Nate nodded and stopped Dez. They were nearing a stream, and by the way Nathan looked at it, it was clean.
"Abigail, this is a clear stream."
"That's nice. Nathan, do you have any sisters?"
"What? Oh yeah. I have two. Selena and Tris. Selena is a year younger, and Tris is two years older. I think I told you this before."
"Really? What are they like?"
"Selena's nice enough. Tris is really gentle. Mama always wanted daughters. I heard her telling Father that she always wanted a houseful of daughters, and she had no need for a son. Father said that he had wanted a son more than anything, and he also said that having me was more than he could hope. Mama started to argue, but then she realized I was there. It was sad, really. She apologized and told me that her two girls and myself were perfect for both Father and me. She did not know she was expecting another baby at that point in time."
"Wow, Nathan. Do any of your friends know the whole story?"
"No. I love my sisters, and Mama does not show favourites. I think Tris is her favourite child, even though my older sister gets a lot more work." Nate smiled, but Abigail could tell that family favouritism worried him a lot. He was definitely his father's favourite, but his mother had only wanted daughters. That must have been a blow.
They filled up all the canteens and headed back. Abi and Nate came back to find everybody teasing Sara and Ben, who were both beet red.
"What happened over here?"
Matt turned towards his friend and only acknowledged him. "Nate, we found Sara and Ben holding hands and speaking as if only they could hear each other. It was cute really."
Abigail could not take any more of his taunting. "Stop taunting them! Sara just got reunited with Ben after hearing he got stoned! Ben just found Sara too! Would you not dislike it if someone was teasing you about your girl?
Matt's face hardened. "No, I wouldn't. Peasants, as you call us, have teased me about Taylor and me for years."
Billy piped up. "Yeah well, you two are a perfect couple."
"Billy, I swear I am going to-"
Abigail couldn't take any more of it. She ran in front of Billy just as Matt threw a punch. His eyes burned with hatred, and when his fist collided with Abi's cheekbone, her eyes flared in response. Matt's eyes took on surprise, and apology, in which Abigail ignored.
"Abigail! I am so sorry!" Matt exclaimed. Abi slapped his arm and walked away.
"Abigail! Wait up! Thanks for saving me there. If you hadn't, I would've been beaten until something broke for sure. Matt does have a small temper." Billy ran up to her until they were walking side by side. Abi nor acknowledged or spoke to him.
"Abi! I saw what Matt did! Are you sure you're all right?" Alissa held out an ice block wrapped in a towel and pressed it gently against her cheek. Abigail took the offering and held it until her cheek froze.
"Thank you, Alissa. I think I am finished. I think I'm going to walk."
"Miss! You can not go for a walk. We started packing when you and Nathan left for the water. We are ready to keep going."
Abigail nodded and collected Joy. Her mare was eating and looked upset to be interrupted.
"Come on you silly mare. There will be more grass at the next rest stop."
Abi pulled on the mare's harness, and she relented.
~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~
Minutes after his little incident, Matt was beating himself up. He should not have lost his temper like that. I should have never gone to punch Billy, or Abigail would not have a swollen cheekbone. The thing that Matt hated the most was the way she looked at him after he threw the punch. She looked like she would like nothing more than to punch him back, and Abigail threw daggers with her eyes, making Matt want to cower and hide.
"Matthew, we are leaving." Abigail only spoke curt words to him now, and she handed Romeo's reins to him. Abigail stalked away, head held high.
"What'd you do to this one Matt?" Ben was limping over, leaning heavily on Sara.
"Oh Ben, Matthew only made to hit Billy and accidentally hit Miss Abigail instead."
Ben's face flickered from anger, sadness and worry. "Sara, will you take me over to Abigail?"
"No Ben. We have to leave right away. I know you do not like riding, but we have to get to the village so that I can properly fix your wounds."
Ben looked like he'd argue, but instead, he caught sight of Sara's expression, and he stopped himself. Matt had the impression that Ben knew his wounds would get worse, but he just did not want to admit to it.
"Ben! Can you get Matthew's horse?"
Matt sighed. Abigail was back to formalities. "What did I do to make you unhappy?"
"I have no idea! Wait, never mind. You going to hit Billy and not stopping when you realized it was me!"
"I said I was sorry! There is no stopping momentum when it gets going!"
Abigail's voice softened. "You could have always checked on me."
"I was not the one shooting daggers from my eyes!"
Matt heard Abigail's soft laugh, and then it grew louder. "Shooting daggers? Me? When my father was around, and I tried to glare at him, he would break down laughing. He said my glare was too gentle. You just proved him wrong!"
"I do not care what Everett thinks of your glare. For me, it was plain terrifying."
Abigail laughed harder. "Matt, maybe you should compare notes with my father."
"I will be glad to."
Alissa, Billy, Nate, Sara and Ben were laughing nearby.
"What?"
"You, compare notes with Lukas Everett?" Ben managed to choke out before dissolving into laughter. Abigail was the one who sobered first.
"We have got to get going if we are to be there soon."
Nate smiled and nodded at Abigail. Nate mounted Dez, and the mare flickered her ears towards him. Matt watched as Nate scratched Dez's neck, and the mare nickered.
Matt mounted Romeo, and his horse snorted. Matt knew that Romeo held no respect for his master and that Abigail probably did not care at all. Maybe she chose Romeo for him because she knew that the horse would not care for Matt.
"Abigail, what do I do with this horse? He hates me."
~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~
Abigail laughed when Matt asked her about Romeo. Romeo was usually a gentle horse who held respect for all his riders. Apparently, in Romeo's eyes, Matt was an exception.
"What? Romeo hates me! What can I do?"
"How about you try being nicer. Hate is a strong word, Matt. Never use it unless it is true. Romeo does not hate you. He strongly dislikes you."
Matt snorted. "As if."
"Last time I checked Matt, you were not a horse."
He laughed, and Abigail found his laugh to sound more human than a yell or snarl. Nate urged Chief on, and everybody else followed with his or her horse.
By midnight, all the horses were asleep, and Abigail knew enough to set up her cot and lay down.
"Miss Abi?" Alissa was standing over her. "I do not think I can take much more of this. It was much easier to walk so that we would only have to water ourselves and stop when we tired. It is so inhuman to ask the horses to do all this."
"I know Alissa. Joy seems so happy to take me, and so do all the other horses. Casey seems to definitely like you now."
Alissa nodded and set her cot next to Abigail's. Abi noticed that Sara and Ben were off on another walk.
"Where is Sara?"
"She told me that Ben was thinking of proposing. I have no clue where they could have gone. Sara is due to check your throat and Matthew's leg again."
Abigail knew that her throat would get sore if untreated, and she thought she saw a little limp in Matt's leg earlier.
"Miss Abigail! Alissa!" Sara came running through the woods, Ben in tow. She let go of his hand and continued her run to the other girls. When she got there, Sara wiggled her left hand at them. "Ben proposed!"
Abigail looked at the ring in wonder. It was certainly beautiful, and Abi wondered where Ben had got it from. Alissa saved her from asking.
"Where did he get the ring?"
"Ben told me that it was his grandmother's and that his mother only wears her wedding band. It was supposed to be for Ben's sister, Mara, but his mother made an exception. My mother-in-law-to-be allowed Ben to take her engagement ring and use it for me!"
"Wow. What is it made from?" Abigail wondered.
"It is made out of sapphire, silver and a little gold. See the little etchings of flowers around the band itself? The carvings are lined with gold, and it's quite beautiful."
Ben walked up behind Sara and grabbed her waist, pulling her into his arms. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck. Nate made gagging motions behind the couple's back.
"Congratulations you two. Ben, where did your grandmother get the ring?" Abi prompted.
"She got it as a gift from His Highness's father. Which would be Abigail's great-uncle."
"Wait, they were engaged?"
"To be married. Yes. My grandmother left him for my grandfather, and he allowed her to keep the ring. His Highness's father married another woman a year after my grandmother left him."
Abigail gasped. "That is so sad! Why on earth did she leave him?"
"Apparently your great-uncle kept giving her gifts, and she got fed up."
Abigail felt insulted. Some woman had broken her great-uncle's heart. Her relative's heart was badly sewn back together, meaning that his heart was never the same.
"Let's not talk about such sad things on the day on an engagement," stated Alissa.
Abigail nodded and felt all the hatred welling up inside her melt into compassion for Sara and Ben.