Disclaimer: None of the characters from POTO belong to me. All other characters are of my creation and DO belong to me.

Chapter one:

The End

Dear reader, where shall I began my story? I think I should begin at the most uncommon place for a story to begin: I shall begin at the end. It was in fact the end of my story. But the beginning of another story is about to begin. The beginning of our story…..

I rolled over in bed pulling a silk pillow over my head, grumbling unintelligible remarks as the maid pulled open the blinds. The whole room was brightened as the morning sun cast it's glorious rays on the fineries of the room. And the four poster bed's lone occupant buried herself even deeper in silken sheet.

I am not a morning person.

"Why must you wake me so early?" my whiny voice was muffled by the mounds of pillows and blankets it was buried under.

"Your fathers orders miss."

There was a slight hesitation before her next words

"If I may say so miss, it's not so very early any more." Two sleep-swollen brown eyes peaked out from behind the pillow

"What time is it Jane?"

Once again the snapped question was muffled. The maid had to bite back a smile

"Two minutes to nine. Shall I help you with your corset?"

Another grumble.

"...stupid...lame...contraption..."

The maid was only able to pick out a few words. "Now Lessa, tis' not polite for a young lady to curse so. You'll never fetch a husband like that." Jane had been my nurse maid when every since I was six months old and so we were always very informal when it was just the two of us. Around my father she wouldn't dare to be so familiar with me, nor I with her, but Jane knew that I rather enjoyed our playful bantering and scolding.

"You make it sound as I were going to market to fetch a sack of potatoes. I shall never 'fetch' a husband, nor shall one 'fetch' me."

Jane only clucked her tongue and shook a doleful head.

"Now dearie, I shall fetch your clothes for today"

Giving a sleepy giggle I dragged myself away from the warmth and comfort of the soft bed as Jane went to lay out my clothes. I looked back at the tangled mass of sheets, blankets, and pillows and gave a half smile at the cocoon I had created before glancing in the full-length mirror with more than a little dismay. My bronze, curly, waist length hair was, as usual, all over the place. I considered it to be my one beauty, for it was very enchanting and I had never seen anyone with hair quite like mine. It hung in thick ringlets that appeared to have been curled with the hot iron, when in reality I had never curled or straightened my hair.

Jane would often catch me admiring it and say:

"You should go bald one day for all your vanity of it. They say the truest characters of ignorance are vanity, pride and arrogance."

I would retort:"Well then I am almost wholly ignoramus, for I have a hearty dose of all three. I daresay my vanity for my hair makes up for the rest of me being so plain." I watched the mirror observing myself with a wrinkled nose. I am too tall, too skinny, and too pale. Of course it wouldn't be bad being pale if I had creamy white skin, but the small smattering of freckles across my nose denied me that much.

Jane said I had a rather forceful chin, I was still unsure if that was good or not. My eyebrows were a little darker than my hair and too thick for my liking but if I plucked them they didn't look right, so I left them thick. If my hair is my beauty my eyes are most certainly the bain of my existence. Instead if being light blue like I so longed for, almost black was what I got, at least I had the consolation of thick and long eyelashes to accompany them. I decided not to even contemplate my nose, which in my opinion is far to big for my face.

"It's vain to study yourself in the mirror so."

Jane returned with my clothes, and I was happy to be interrupted from my not-so-nice contemplation.

"Remember your place Jane."

The words were said with a yawn and not much conviction.

As the Jane tightened my corset, she relayed a message that I really wasn't that anxious to hear. "The Master says that you are to meet him in the stables as soon as possible." I frowned and gripped the bedpost tighter. Why would Father want me there? That was the last place I really wanted to be. Three weeks ago, I would have went eagerly, grasping at any chance to be at the barn, but now... my mind flashed back to that horrible night, two weeks and three days ago.

Something had woke me. It was a smell, half asleep and unsure what it was I didn't even open my eyes. A moment later it registered. Smoke. I bolted upright but I couldn't smell it anymore so I ignored it and tried to drift back into sleep but mere moments later shouts in the hall woke me fully. I was out of bed in an instant, fastening on my robe and running to the door. I paused briefly to feel the door for warmth, Jane was just coming to my door as I flung it open. I could smell smoke more vividly now and was confused, the house appeared to be fine. "Lessa!" Jane wailed "The barn-" The rest of her words were spoken to nothing but air as I flew down the hall, the steps, and towards the front door. The distance from the house to the stables had never seemed so far to me before.

There was nothing but stark fear as I neared the barn which was already almost completely engulfed in flames. The household servants had already formed a chain, throwing bucketfuls of water into the fire. But a sensible person could have seen that it was no use. I was not sensible. I threw a quick glance around at the gathered servants. Where were the stable hands? Oh, wasn't this a perfect time for father to be away?

Suddenly a horse screamed in pain or terror.

The horses!

I lunged toward the barn but only made it a few feet before I was snatched back into strong arms. I struggled, twisted, and screamed but to no avail. Two of the gardeners had me in their grip and weren't about to let me go rushing into the flames.

Tears ran in floods down my face, the horses screams tore my heart out, and the smoke burned my eyes, but I couldn't bear to turn away.

The tight jerk Jane made in tying the corset laces snapped me back to reality. The fire hadn't been an accident, someone had payed off the two stable hands to do it. I had an idea who that 'someone' was. One of their tenants who constantly drank had recently been evicted. It hadn't taken much persuading to get my father to make him leave, the man was a drunk, rarely payed his rent, and caused them more than a few troubles. He had payed the two stable hands off to soak the walls in oil and set it on fire. Thinking back on what ifs, I consider myself a very weak person. I'm not sure if I would have persuaded my father to evict that man if I had known he would hurt my horses.

Those horses had meant the world to me. All my extra time was spent there, and the four-legged creatures were my dearest friends. I hadn't been to the barn since the fire. It had been rebuilt and refurbished, but I just couldn't bring myself to go and see the empty stalls.

But what my father said was law. "Very well" I sighed. I finished dressing very slowly and sent the Jane away. I had always liked doing my own hair, it was relaxing and gave me time alone to think. My thick hair reached down to the small of my back and somehow the length didn't pull out the numerous curls. How I wished it were straight!

Skipping breakfast, as I always have, I quietly slipped out the door and, with more than a little trepidation, walked to the barn. I shivered when my skin hit the cold air, winter had come earlier than normal this year. It looked like it would turn out to be a long hard winter.

The new structure was indeed impressive and a little twinge of curiosity caught on. Once inside I could barely see in the dim interior, I inhaled the scent of fresh bedding and newly cut wood with a sort of bitter-sweet pleasure. I dearly missed my four-legged friends. When my eyes adjusted I immediately stopped dead in my tracks. Four horse-heads peeked from around four of the five stall doors. Father was standing just around the corner and turned to me, smiling. "They are for you" I continued to stand there looking like a fish with my mouth closing then opening. I realized that we would, of course, purchase more horses. It was the fact that we already had, and I had been unaware of it. And the fact that Father had said that they where for me.

"I can see I surprised you. I hope it's a pleasant surprise?" he added when I hadn't been able to reply.

I wasn't sure whether to cry or to laugh. My father rarely bought anything specially for me. I eventually managed to nod and say yes, it was a very pleasant surprise.

But just like there is a silver lining in every cloud, there is a worm in every apple.

"Of course we will be having house guests very frequently soon. I would think that they would enjoy the horses also." I hid a frown. There it was. It had always been this way. Nothing was ever bought or done by my father for me 'just because'. He was very much the business man and everything was done for an ulterior motive. I pushed those thoughts back of my mind and went to examine the horses. "Nothing but the finest stock of course. I payed a pretty penny for them but fine stock is worth every bit" Father was saying. "I don't know the names of the horses, but the stable hands do and you can find out from them."

The first stall contained a plump red roan mare that looked very friendly and I smiled. This was the obvious ladies or novice riders' mount, she had a sweet countenance and I would look forward to spending time with her. In the next two stalls were two almost identical bay geldings.

"Those are our driving pair and the best in the lot. I think they will be quite striking when harnessed to a Phaeton" My father commented. The fourth horse was an unusually colored perlino mare, she was obviously spirited and would be an enjoyable mount. I wasn't so fickle as to have already forgotten about the well loved companions I had lost in the fire, indeed I should never forget them. But I was already itching to ride the new editions to the stable.

The fifth stall held the most curiosity for me, as its occupant hadn't greeted it's new Mistress. Thinking back, I shall never knew what drew me to this horse. For she wasn't simply lacking in good manners, she did have any. When I reached the stall door I was greeted by a large black rump. "I wouldn't have taken this mare had she not been a good bargain and so nicely built. She has quite the sour attitude. I daresay she might make an excellent broodmare" I was barely listening. After a few moments of coaxing her, she turned and graced her observers with a glare.

I grimaced, if looks could kill...

The mare was solid black and strikingly beautiful, but what made her stand out and give her an almost satanic appearance was the one 'watch eye' on the right side of her face. When the mare layed her ears flat and stomped a foot Father stated "She will probably be to much of a handful for anyone."

I hid a smile. This little demon would certainly be the first one I rode.

"I wanted to introduce you to the new stable hands but I'm afraid I have meetings in town." He was looking at his pocket watch. "There are four letters on my desk that need to be answered before you spend time fooling around down here. Mrs. Sumther will be having lessons in about two hours."

I made a face behind father's back as I followed him out of the barn. I hated writing formal letters.

And I hated taking French lessons with Mrs. Sumther. I suppose it was better than the alternative, however. I had detested the thought of coming out, to be paraded at ball after ball and sold to the highest bidder, so father had made a pact with me. If I became an accomplished young lady in all the fine and genteel arts then he wouldn't force me to attend débutante balls. This meant practicing my piano more, learning how to draw -which both my tutor and father both gave up on, learning ball room dances -my training was complete in this art at least, and learning French.

I was excited about the French lessons, which I was to take with a neighbor's daughter. I had always been enchanted by words, sounds and phrases. But, at the time I had little to do with Loreena Sumther.

Loreena was the epitome of beauty. She needed to only bat her long blond eyelashes and men would fall at her feet. She was outgoing and could hold a conversation with anyone. And she made my French lessons miserable.

Loreena made it near impossible to pay attention to the lessons with her bantering and poking fun at me. So I was horrible at any sort of quiz her Aunt presented us with. I asked God for patience and He gave me ample opportunity to practice it, but I'm afraid I rarely did.

My father refused to relent until I spoke the language what he called "somewhat fluently."

So I was doomed to take my lessons with Loreena forever, it appeared.

I sighed. Oh well, one must endure the trials they are put through in life the best one can. Even if it did mean lessons with Loreena Sumther.

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