Disclaimer!!! Unfortunately, I am not Kristan Britain, and I am not as awesome as her...
This takes place right after King Zachary gives Karigan the mirror in 'First Rider's Call'. It's in Zachary's PoV, just in case you get confused. Enjoy!
As I watched her race away form me, tears threatening to escape from her bright, round eyes, I felt a sense of loss. Had she not noticed my obvious infatuation with her? Had she not noticed how uncomfortable I looked whenever she came near? Maybe she had realized my feelings for her; maybe she had thought of what the gossipers of the city (and eventually the country) would say of it. I, the king -- the king who was to be married to the painstakingly beautiful Lady Estora, daughter of Lord Coutre -- was in love with a commoner! But Karigan wasn't just any commoner, oh no, she was a Green Rider!
It would have been, perhaps, less preposterous if she had still been Sub-Chief of the merchant clan, Clan G'Ladheon, but she had gone and revoked that responsibility, showing her utter will to give up everything so that she could serve her country and me.
When she had walked into the throne room, her stride full of determination, I felt as if a queen had walked into my midst, as her head was up high, her shoulders back, and servants were milling about her. Her luxurious cloak of purple and blue had been made of only the finest silk. Her servants had brought out a magnificent show of wares; wares that included the best of linens, silks, furs, and leathers. Wares that would have even the the richest of nobles dropping their jaws -- figuratively, of course – at the Clan's wealth.
But I had eyes only for one of the marvelous things that were in graced the room: Karigan. I was entranced not by the fine gifts, but for this brave, gorgeous woman; this woman who had yet again traveled across the country to give something to me. This time, though, it was not an important message. It was her service as a Green Rider. When I saw the tears in her eyes, my greatest urge was to step down from the dais and comfort her, to hold her in my arms.
That urge was overruled when my common sense reminded me of our social status. There she had been, a plain commoner, and I, a king, both trapped in our standing in the world. If it had just been the Weapons present, or even Laren, as I trusted her with my life as well as my secrets, it would have been different.
Here I was, standing on the castle wall, the one thing I loved as much, if not more, as my country running away from me. She had told me of how her gather had scrounged for money enough to afford to buy the original mirror for her mother, how he hadn't just given it to her because he fancied her. No, it was because he truly loved her.
I had wanted her to know of my feelings for her, but apparently I sent the wrong message. It'd be surprising if she ever spoke to me again, besides when it was necessary. Sighing, I leaned over against the railing, my heart feeling heavy. My vision blurred as I remembered the stinging words she had said. Karigan had though I wanted her to be my paramour! How far from the truth could she get? If it hadn't of been for our social standings, the country's support, and of course, Lord Coutre pushing me to marry Estora, I would have gone down on bent knee in front of Karigan and proposed. Alas, the world is not free of those things, so I was stuck watching my beloved from afar.
It was too late now. No, it could never have been. She, just a messenger, and I, a king… Looking out off over my city, my country, I heaved a dry, quiet sigh. I had scared my beautiful doe away, shooing her away from the pile of sweet oats I had set out of her…
Author's Note: Eh, I liked it, seeing as it's my first finished story. Well, it's more of a drabble, actually. Read and Review, my fellow Riders, or else I will bring in those stingy Light Cavalry whiney babies! RiderTwilightOban