Chapter 11: The View

A/N: Okay, loyal fans. I had a brainstorm and have been prolifically writing... hence why I am updating this at 3 am when I probably should be asleep. Anyway, I have a chapter that I can't wait to post coming up but I need to do a little filler and a little character growth so here we go again with our favorite cowboy/famer duo in their fantasy world. R&R please!

Note: Sadly Harvest Moon does not belong to me and is copyrighted to Natsume. Hanna is the only character who is mine and hopefully she is not reminiscent in any way to any character in Harvest Moon as she is not intended to be.

It should also be noted that I have only ridden a horse twice in my lifetime so everything I have in here about horses is from those measly experiences and lots and lots of internet research so if there are any problems with the way I write things and you have knowledge of this please feel free to kindly correct me noting that I am an admitted novice in knowledge of this and don't know any better if I write something that is incorrect and/or impossible. Thanks.

Chapter 10

Chelsea fussed with her braid nervously as she and Hanna made their way down to the royal stables. She didn't know why she was feeling so fidgety today. It was just one of those days… Vaughn with his violet eyes ten inches from her face flashed through her mind and she felt the blush steal up her cheeks.

She supposed that could have something to do with it.

She had never been that close to a boy before… well, at least not that she could remember. And his eyes had been so dark in the stable with only the dying sun reflecting in them. She needed to stop thinking about Master Vaughn's—Master Montgomery's eyes. Even if they looked sinful in that lighting? Even then! Stop!

Shaking her head, she turned her attention back Hanna who was walking along sedately without saying a word. The lady maid had only known her for a short time but she already seemed attuned to Chelsea's mood and when she wanted to talk. But today, there was something else.

"Hanna? Is everything alright?" she asked and Hanna looked over at her in surprise coming back from whatever daydream she had been caught up in.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Lady Chelsea. I was thinking… what did you ask, dear?" she said smiling gently.

"I was asking if you were alright. I know I was being quiet but you seem distracted today."

"Yes… well," Hanna looked at her and another smile spread across her face. "That was very well noticed Lady Chelsea. I am a bit worried. Recently there has been a large influx of castle employees coming down with the flu and in particular the Queen's chief lady maid has been feeling rather ill. We're so understaffed as it is…"

Chelsea smiled as an idea struck her. "Why don't you take over for the lady maid so she can recover then?"

Hanna looked at her as if the idea shocked. "Oh no, I couldn't. Not with you as my charge…"

Chelsea smiled puffing her chest out and walking as stately as she could. "Why, Miss Hanna, I'll have you know that I have it on great account that I am acting as a proper young lady should."

Hanna smiled again although this time with more amusement than merriment.

"I was trained by the very best after all and I'm sure if you need to I can have another younger lady-in-waiting take over your job for a few days so you can keep things running smoothly."

"I'm sure that if I leave you in the hands of younger maid, you'll scare the daisies out of her in a few days' time." Hanna replied but she stopped on the path and looked down at her.

"A few days? Miss Hanna, you slight me, I will be the model decorum of lady-dom." Chelsea said crossing a finger over her heart and holding up her hand. "I swear upon my heart."

Hanna looked at her, her eyes searching Chelsea and then she nodded. "Very well, of all your ideas I believe this one is made in good intentions and not simply to miss lessons and race around the gardens at your pleasure. I'll arrange it all when I return to the castle while you're in your lessons today then."

Her lesson… that was right. She had to face Master Vaughn and his—no, thoughts were to be kept on the straight and narrow and that was that.

"Speaking of your riding instructor… did anything untoward occur this last lesson passed… you seemed rather not yourself on the walk back to the castle."

The image of Master Vaughn's eyes shimmering in the setting sun as he pulled the straw from her hair flashed in front of her eyes and the blush stole up her cheeks but she forced herself to smile brightly. Thoughts… straight and narrow… Now! "Untoward… Miss Hanna, of course not. Master Vaughn simply showed me the finer points of horse care and bounding with one's mount." She said brightly. And that he looks darn good without a shirt on. Dang it, stop it brain… you aren't supposed to think of things like that!

"Hmm, I see. Well, that does ease my mind." Miss Hanna replied and Chelsea had a sneaking suspicion that Miss Hanna didn't believe a word she said.

Thankfully the stables came into view and there wasn't much more time for talking. Slate and Eve were both already out in corral and Chelsea face lit up as she ran (not nearly as lady-like as Hanna would've liked) to greet them at the gate. Standing on the railing both horses moved over to her and happily nudge her.

She pat Slate's nose and hugged her arms around Eve who docilely allowed her rider to manhandle her with more grace then Chelsea would ever manage. "Hi, you two. I brought you both a treat today…" she said as she pulled the two carrots she had weaseled Cook into giving her this morning out of the little pouch she had started carrying on her hip for riding lesson days.

With her riding habits, it looked less weird but she was seriously thinking she might put it on under her poufy dresses for more storage. Both horses happily took their carrots, Eve more docilely than Slate of course.

"Can always tell when you've arrived, the horses go crazy." Vaughn said and Chelsea looked up to see him hauling a saddle out of the stable. "Miss Hanna, nice day out today isn't it?"

Miss Hanna smiled. "Yes, it is beautiful." She looked from Chelsea to Vaughn but neither noticed.

"I can't help it if your horse likes me more than you do." Chelsea said defensively as she hopped down off the fence.

"Bribery, that's all I have to say." Vaughn replied his eyes intent on checking his saddle for any damage or burrs. "Well, what are you waiting for? You know where your saddle is, princess?"

She smiled then. He was finally making good on those lessons she had long been promised. "Yes, Master Montgomery!" she said mock saluting him as she nimbly bounded over the gate and headed inside. Eve curiously followed after her and Vaughn shook his head.

"Well, I can see that things are running smoothly here. I'll just be on back to the castle." Miss Hanna said smiling. "Oh, and Master Montgomery, please keep my charge cleaner than the last time I picked her up. She is striving for lady-dom it appears…"

Vaughn nervously cleared his voice and tipped his hat. He felt it might be better than verbally acknowledging anything. Miss Hanna smiled and turned to walk away. He could almost swear she was humming…

"All done and ready for inspection, Master Montgomery." Chelsea said brightly poking her head into the stable where he was brushing Slate and mucking his stall.

Shaking his head, he ran a hand down Slate's nose and walked out of the stall careful to keep his exuberant stallion in his stall.

"Let's see how we did." He murmured more to himself then Chelsea.

Vaughn walked around Eve pulling at her saddle and checking her straps to be sure that they weren't too uncomfortable for the horse. Everything looked good. Next he checked the bit and the throat strap and nose strap. All looked right. Despite all appearances, Lady Chelsea was an apt pupil when she applied herself and she had listened to his direction completely.

Eve looked comfortable and as usual stood docilely by as he inspected her. She always reminded him of a fine lady playing court. It was like she deigned to be here and yet with Chelsea she had slowly warmed up and had even become infected enough with Slate's exuberance to come to the gate, slower and more docilely of course, when Chelsea appeared.

"Alright, time to get into the saddle." He said turning to look at Chelsea who smiled so wide he was afraid she might hurt herself.

"Really?" Vaughn just looked at her. What was he supposed to say? "Uh—right what am I saying you never say anything you don't mean. Okay."

Walking up to Eve, you could tell that Chelsea longed to run and jump and be wild but she had learned that while Eve tolerated her exuberance the horse preferred that she moved slower. Smiling she walked to Eve's face first and patted her gently running her fingers down her nose. "Alright, Eve. We're finally going to try this alright?"

Eve nickered pushing her nose fully into Chelsea's hand and Chelsea seemed to take it as a good sign. Placing her foot into the stirrup, Chelsea grabbed the horn of the saddle and pulled herself up and over while Vaughn held the reins and waited for her to find her balance.

"Whoa… it's a completely different view from up here." Chelsea said holding onto the horn and looking out over the hillside. Her face almost seemed to glow as she daringly took her hands off the saddle horn and lifted both arms to the breeze that ruffled her hair gently and took a deep breath.

Clearing his throat, Vaughn tried not to concentrate on that. Clicking his tongue he started Eve forward and Chelsea lurched forward grabbing onto the horn. "Whoa." Chelsea looked down at him then. "Hey, you didn't say anything."

Vaughn didn't look up at her again. "When learning to ride, a rider has to learn to follow the lead of their horse. You may be telling her where you want to go but unless you're in tandem and balance with your horse the only place you're going to end up is face first in some mud. This isn't some game where you jump on the horse and suddenly you can ride with ease and speed. You have to learn to roll with your horse and keep your posture."

Chelsea didn't say anything to that and he looked up and saw that she was looking down at him with a strange look in her eyes.

Feeling uncomfortable he looked away again, concentrating walking Eve at a slow pace than a little quicker. Looking up he saw that Chelsea was closing her eyes feeling the roll of Eve and she corrected her balance easy enough. Easier than he had ever seen any beginning rider do before.

"Keep your posture straight, just as if you're walking with a book on your head like you princess do." He said, and Chelsea opened one eye to look at him.

"We do not… and you better be careful Master Montgomery or I'll think you have a sense of humor." She said and closed her eyes again, her hands on the horn her body rolling easily with the horse.

All was quite around them except the sound of Eve's hooves on the ground and the distant sound of the other horses' in the stable. Vaughn actually felt more relaxed at this moment then he had in a long time. It was the kind of thing he loved. Horses and quiet. Sweet merciful quiet.

Looking up from under the brim of his hat, he could see that Chelsea still had her eyes closed and he thought maybe she wasn't so bad. When she wasn't running her mouth off a thousand miles a minute she was actually really insightful. The animals loved her and she loved them back nearly as much if not more. And she respected them, which was more than he could say about some nobility he had run into in his time.

Whoever she really was outside of this moment and time, it wasn't really any of his business but as he clicked Eve up into an even canter careful not to allow the horse full reign he thought, whoever she is maybe I misjudged her.

Chelsea opened her eyes then and without a thought he slowed Eve down and halted her. The two of them were locked for a moment by their eyes only. Hers were the brightest blue, even brighter than the wide open sky behind her. It was one of the first things he noticed about her, he thought and then cleared his throat again. Fidgeting with his hat, he looked down and then back to her face.

"Right, well, I think you've got it. Ready to try handling her yourself." He said lifting the reins up and over Eve's head to her.

"Yea." She smiled, not brightly or forcefully. It was just a smile, subtle and soft. Taking the reins in her hand, she gripped them lightly not pulling back or wiping them in her hands. She just took them and waited. "So… how to tell her move?"

Vaughn fidgeted the hat again. He suddenly had the strangest urge to smile and he was pretty sure if he did he would never hear the end of it so biting down on the urge he walked to her side.

"She's trained to respond to sound and the squeeze of your legs on her side. That's why it's important you don't use your legs to grip her. For a walk…"

The two passed the rest of their lesson time in relative accord. Chelsea learned and she learned quickly and by the time Miss Hanna arrived to pick up her charge she was navigating the corral in nice lady-like strides almost as one with her mount. It was difficult for Chelsea to say goodbye but good-naturedly Hanna perched herself under a tree and waited while Chelsea stabled her horse and Vaughn went back to his real job. He had to remember that whatever he thought. Her stay was only temporary. After all, once she remember who she was she'd be running away from this place and living out her life as she should.

No one wanted to stay on this island anymore anyway. The only people who stayed stayed because they hoped or because they had no other hope left. Most days he wasn't really sure where he stood… just that he had to stay.