Learning to wake up before Frederick and figuring his schedule was incredibly difficult, as Sumia found. Somehow he had the uncanny ability to ghost out of bed without disturbing her and perform the duties he set out for himself. Maybe it's a knight thing to be so stealthy? But after several weeks, Sumia was finally able to do it under the guise of needing some fresh, early-morning air.
Sumia memorized all his movements as he made his way through the camp, picking up pebbles and speaking with the patrols and such. He always ended his morning routine at the stables, giving Sumia the perfect amount of time to enact her master plan!
She figured that trying to do some of his other duties would potentially end in embarrassing failure, Sumia deduced that there was one thing she could do and do it right. The stables were quiet in the early morning, most horses still asleep or quietly shuffling about. Frederick's horse, to no one's surprise, seemed to be just as dutiful as its rider – already awake and alert.
"You really are a magnificent one, aren't you?" Sumia whispered to the horse as she stepped inside the stall. Perhaps a combination of her natural affinity towards horses and the sheer amount of time the two spent on the battlefield, but the horse seemed to relax in her presence. She approached the horse carefully nonetheless, letting it see and sniff her hand before she began to rub its mane.
"Not to mention you are so kempt! Considering you're Frederick's, it's not too surprising," But until yesterday's grime and dirt was cleaned off, Sumia could help her love in this small, appreciative manner. With well-practiced motions, the Pegasus rider began to comb the mighty horse's mane and brush its flanks.
Compared to her own Pegasus, Frederick's horse seemed… beefier, of sorts. Even if it had wings, Sumia couldn't imagine this horse flying through the air! Glancing to the armor hanging up, it's hardly a wonder why this horse was chosen to bear Frederick. Grooming a horse wasn't that different than a Pegasus, for obvious reasons. Sumia found this work relaxing and easier to do than with her Pegasus. No wings meant that she could actually brush the entirety of the horse's flank without being battered by a mischievous mount.
Not that there was much to clean off, actually. Frederick groomed his horse in the morning, for sure, but he must also come by in the evening. There wasn't much dirt, even its hooves were relatively easy to clean. Sumia let out a long yawn as she set the brushes and tools back, patting Frederick's horse gently. What she wouldn't give to just go back and curl into bed with him!
"I thought cleaning you would take all morning," She said to the horse, "but you're so clean that I'm a little jealous for my Pegasus!" Sumia made her way to the hanging armor and looked it over. Even in the dim sunlight, there was a glint to the metal. Even as polished and clean as it was, she knew he would give it another go through before assembling it. "Since I can't be seen cleaning you for him, I should polish that armor of yours!" The horse huffed in response.
Sumia pulled up a stool and grabbed the horse's helmet, setting it in her lap. The metal felt cool in her hand and heavy in her lap. The entire armor set seemed more like an anchor in case the horse decided to take off! She grabbed a cloth and began to methodically rub and polish the helmet. Once again, Sumia let out a long yawn, glad no one else was around besides the horse. "Come on, focus, Sumia! Focus on polishing this off…"
Her pace was slower than when she worked with Frederick's horse. This armor was unfamiliar in her hands and nearly slipped off her lap a few times. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Sumia steeled herself to focus on finishing this job!
Only when she opened her eyes, the helmet was out of her lap and there was a blanket around her shoulders. She blinked up at the morning sun through the stable wall and saw Frederick affixing the armor onto his horse. "Ah, you're awake now," Frederick said, smiling down at her as he finished.
Sumia felt embarrassed and hid her face in her hands. "Gah! I can't even do something nice for you without messing it up entirely!"
"On the contrary, you saved me quite a bit of time this morning. I don't think I've ever been so proficient at grooming, I'm afraid." Sumia looked up at Frederick. "Though, I have to admit, I was rather suspicious when you were awake before me."
Sumia stood up, holding the blanket around her, now matching his smile. "Hehe, well, I guess I couldn't be as sneaky as I had hoped for. You have such a magnificent horse, by the way."
"A horse made all the more radiant with your help, my love."
Grinning ear to ear, Sumia opened the blanket and wrapped her arms around Frederick tightly. "And if you ever need help again grooming it, I could give you a few pointers!"
Frederick kissed the top of Sumia's head, holding her just as tight in response.