Chapter 40: Between Village and Queen
Buying a horse as a villager could only mean one thing—you were rich. Even the chief of the village couldn’t afford such a grand thing. It was something so huge, so luxurious, that people didn’t even dare to dream of it.
Ariana had always found horses fascinating, but never in her wildest dreams did she believe she would ever touch one. Sure, she had seen carriages pulled by them pass by, even the one she and her sister had once ridden in.
That alone told her it belonged to the rich. And yet... she was actually being given the opportunity to ride one.
She quietly took the glass of water and drank slowly as Leah spoke.
"Do not worry, my queen. A skilled horse-riding tutor will guide you."
Ariana sighed in relief. The last thing she wanted was to disgrace herself—or worse, anger the horse.
"Queen Ariana, since you just finished your meal, you’ll need to allow it to digest a little. At least take some time to get to know your tutor better before practice commences," Leah said quietly as Ariana nodded.
Ariana noted that over the past few days, she had been given tasks—her favorite of them all had been watering the plants. Through that, she had come across many flowers she never even knew existed, and the joy of tending to them gave her a quiet peace.
She couldn’t help but wonder what her next task would be after horse riding. But for now, she knew she had to focus on the present—one step at a time, trying not to be faster than her own shadow.
They both walked through the hallway in silence. After a moment, Leah finally spoke quietly, "Queen Ariana, I know it’s not my place to say this, but I’d like to thank you for what you did last time. It was handled so well by you, and I couldn’t help but say thank you."
A soft smile stretched across Ariana’s lips as she gave a gentle nod. But what Ariana didn’t know was that Olivia—the girl who had been taken to the maid council that day—was Leah’s half-cousin. And of course, in situations like that, even when it’s someone related to you by blood, you’re expected to remain professional. Even if it’s your own sister, you’re not supposed to let your emotions show—even if their head was being ripped away. That’s the rule: no feelings attached.