Twelve Romances: Kings Choice

The Stables

The spongy grass was perfect for my sneaking to the gardeners cabin, it really silenced what was most likely a loud action. I held my bag tight in my arms, to keep it from shaking, and firmly ignored the pain in my back. I had definitely bruised something, that's okay though, it would be worth it once I had uncovered the secrets of this castle. I quickly sprinted across the open field skirting the fence as I went. When I reached the cabin of the sleeping giant, I kneeled down and took a moment to collect my baring. Okay. The cabin was on the direct left of the castle. If I sprinted a bit more I could probably reach the horse stalls in the back there. That was exactly where I wanted to be. In the forbidden area of this castle. I would have access to the courtyard, the grand fountain, and of course the back doors which was where the royals private living areas were. 

Well… I thought glancing up at the many floors. It was where the family area started. They also had three floors of privately owned housing. The snoring faltered for a moment. It instantly made my hair stand on edge. I glanced up into the corner of the window. It peered into the rustic looking house. It was darkened and gave nothing away. I slid down lower and crept along to the back of the cabin. The snoring continued again but, I was suspicious. Was it fake? Instead of trusting the snores I came to the windows that rattled with the sound and carefully peeked into the pane. There looking almost like a mountain in a giant bed was the man. His features hidden in the dark. He was sleeping on his back, head turned away from me. Perhaps he had sleep apnea? I wasn't gonna judge. I was just glad he appeared to be asleep.

I quickly rounded the house to the otherside. I was maybe a few hundred feet away from the horse stalls and I was certain that I could sprint there silently. I paused, eyes fixed on the prize, and waited for the giant's deafening breath out. It came and I shot forward. Bag still in hand. I ran so fast and hard I had a hard time stopping. I did but my purse shook and jangled right when the snore had stopped.

I froze again.

The pause this time was long…

…

…

…

The curtains shifted. I ran bolting into the horse stalls without a second thought. The horses paid me no mind. I grabbed a stall that appeared to be empty and lunged over it. Landing hard on my feet and stupid bag jiggling again I ducked down and hid just beyond the door. 

My heart raced in my chest as I finally looked at my immediate surroundings. There in front of me was a beautiful pure white horse. It had sapphire blue eyes and seemed to sparkle with its own light, the stall I was in literally seemed brighter than the rest of the building. I looked at it. It looked at me and then suddenly she got up on her feet standing at her full height of about 16 hands. Right about the size of a grown man. 

"Uuuh… good girl! I won't hurt you… I won't hurt anyone. I promise. I just want to see the inside of the castle. You know? I'm not here to cause any problems, e-even though it kinda looks like it." 

The horse seemed to process the word I spoke as it suddenly dipped its head twice, almost like nodding, then laid down again resting her head on my knee. I reached a hand out running it through the horse's long mane, it was so soft, I felt immediately calmer as if the horse was telling me I would be okay.

***

The large man laying in the double California sized bed may indeed be a loud sleeper but, he was also a light sleeper. As he attempted to sleep this night several disturbances caused him to wake up and look around. Finding it to be nothing he let himself fall asleep again. That is until he heard the distinctive sound of a young woman's purse jingle right next to his house. 

You see. There was a problem with that, one that Kubi Tsuru was very aware of. The royal family had no living females living in the property. Let alone any young ones that would be sneaking home from a boyfriend's or a party. While they did have young maids they didn't live at the castle anymore. Only senior staff lived on site. Especially since the royal family was a burden of one. Now, now, it could be a young girl sneaking in to see the bachelor king, you might be inclined to say. The royal bastard that still lived was a prick though and scared off any romantic interests with a winning combo of mean remarks, snide comments, his unrelentingly picky attitude towards women in general, and least of all was his most recent 'I'm so lonely' game. Yeah, the Little Miss Ice b***h of a recent King was not one with the ladies. So that left only one option. They had a little rat in the yard.

Kubi stood and wandered out from the bedroom heading to the window. He reached out to grab the curtains, messing with them for a second, why were they so dusty, he pulled back and revealed the back of the palace to himself. There in the horse stalls he saw Jacques's pure white, and bitchy, mare standing up on her rears. He immediately knew something was up and he ran to the door stopping to grab a pair of jeans and yank them on while running to the horse stalls. Not because he was angry or upset, rather because that young girl was about to get stomped to bits by that horse. She wasn't friendly in the least. Prissy little unicorn that it was.

Kubi had barely made it halfway way across the field and had just barely buttoned his pants when he saw the horse drop back down bob its head and lay back down? The f**k? No he was curious. He had to know what had caused the normally aggressive animal to just relax. Had he imagined the jingle? 

"Kubi." Came a cold and sadly familiar voice to his left. 

Kubi turned and appraised the stoic King of France. He was changed into his riding clothes. It was still a suit because the man couldn't comprehend comfortability. He only knew fancy clothes and too tight suits. His white hair had been pulled up into a high ponytail proving the point that he planned to ride now. 

"Jacques." 

The King sighed at his gardener's unyielding trove of personality and disregard for station.

"What are you going to do at the stables at this time of night?" He asked in an irate tone.

"Well, if ya must know. I think someone is in the stables messing with your AngelPriss." He offered jutting a thumb to the stalls.

Jacques looked. Saw his horse was either laying down or altogether gone, and no one could touch his horse. 

"That seems a bit unlikely. Perhaps you're getting old and it's time I replace you." Jacques said stiffly not having any interest in continuing the conversation.

… It was late. Kubi could feel the lack of sleep in his eyes and the fuzz in his brain. He was half tempted to wallop the king upside his head and that only ever lead to takashi yelling at him. So he ran a hand over his tired face. Angelwhisper seemed fine with whatever was in the stalls so it must be the least dangerous thing ever. As such he honestly didn't give a rats ass right now.

"You know what Jacques? Its too early for your ass. I'm going back to sleep! Hope they stab ya in the gut!" He said and lumbered off to his cabin. He wanted to be a douche. He could deal with the rat.

Jacques glared at the man and called to his back.

"You will use respect when speaking to me, Tsuru."

Oooh he was trying to be serious. Kubi snickered to himself. "Right, keep telling yaself that." Then the door slammed shut. 

King Jacques Anthony the third, stood there a long moment pinching the bridge of his nose. That man gave him instantaneous migraines. From his pitch, to volume, to tone, to smell… it bugged him. After he collected himself, so as to be polite to Angelwhisper, he walked into the stalls and to the second to last stall on the left.

What he saw there was odd. Angelwhisper hadn't raised to greet him.  She was still laying down. The warhorse next to her, a massive brute of a beast that was as black as night all over named Demonshout, who never greeted him and ignored everyone and everything, was leaning hard against Angels stall. His long neck craned down to look at whatever was happening in his horse's stall. Fear gripped his gut instantly. 

Had Nicholas allowed Demonshout into his horse's stall this spring? Angelwhisper normally hated that horse but in spring she went into heat and she became affectionate. If Nicholas had, his stupid horse might have mounted Angelwhisper… It had been nearly two months since he personally visited the horse. Was she in labor right now? Spawning some ugly grey stallion? He rushed over, shoved Demonshout's head away and peered down into the stall himself.

To his surprise, Kubi had been right. There was a girl in the stall with his horse.