HI FAM! I'M ALIVE!
I started this chapter sitting by the Yellowstone River back in April after running from bison I thought were bears and I just now got around to finishing it. Between working in the park and exploring it and hiking over 100 miles, I just haven't had time, plus this chapter gave me so much trouble with transitions. It's not my best work, nor is it very long, but at least it's something!
In other news, this story reached it's one year birthday a few months ago, and I did too! I've been writing some of these characters since I was sixteen and now I'm twenty-one so idk how I feel about that.
Special thanks to my lovely reviewers: mnbvcxz-xx, Miss Kaydence, Lizcran, RunawayGirl8125, delovlies, Nameless, and all my guests! Thanks for sticking with me my dudes.
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"Whoever scheduled this date is dead to me," Wesley mumbled to no one as he trudged down the stairs, clomping in his oversized riding boots. "Dead. To. Me."
Strike One: It was the day after the Victory Ball and that event had lasted well into the early hours of the morning, so he was running on three hours of sleep.
Strike Two: There were four girls he was supposed to get to know which was kind of a lot.
Strike Three: Someone on his Selection committee thought it was a good idea to schedule a date playing polo, and Wesley had never been good around horses, that was always more Ethan's thing than his.
Oh, he could go on all day about the grievances he had against this date, but he didn't have time. He was already late because no one told he was being forced to go on a date until thirty minutes ago when his mom had barged into his room to ask why he wasn't at his date. He wasn't hungover, due to her stupid policies, but that didn't mean he wasn't tired from staying up most of the night.
So now, he was wearing some stupid sporty horseback riding clothes, hella late for a date that he couldn't even remember who it was with. He made a mental note to never talk to any of the Selection coordinators/literally everyone left over from Ethan's Selection ever again. Jerks.
The sun was annoyingly bright and even though it was early, it was already hot. Wesley groaned loudly, and made his way to the stable area, though he had some trouble because he never
went over there.
When he finally made it over there, there was a small cluster of girls that appeared to be his dates, waiting by fence that overlooked the fence paddock. None of them were talking, which already made this bad. There was Piper, with her back to him, watching the horses. She was dressed more casually than the other girls, in ratty jeans and a white tee shirt, but she looked at home here, probably as close to her old life as an exercise rider as she could get.
Ophelia greeted him with a smile, her warm brown complexion complemented with her white riding pants and lavender button-down shirt with a white vest and shiny black boots. Her voluminous hair was slicked back into a tight bun.
"Hey, sorry I'm late," Wesley said in greeting, grimacing.
Ophelia shook her head. "It's okay," she said, "it's a gorgeous day,"
The girl standing next to her, Lady Dresden, wasn't so forgiving.
She rolled her eyes, dark, intimidating and half-hidden behind her long lashes. Even though the ladies had been at the palace for a few weeks now, her frame was still ribbon thin, disguised by a brown leather jacket and black pants.
"Yeah," she began, "it's fine. We're just here for your entertainment anyway, right?"
Piper turned away from the horses, and her eyes flitted to Wesley's but as usual, the quiet girl didn't say anything. Ophelia shot Dresden a look, but no one said anything.
The last girl, Lady Valette, remained quiet and avoided eye contact. But then again, he'd never had a good history with her and her family, since the failure of the government to extract the Indian ambassador and his wife and daughter, Valette, during the rebellion in Whites.
Wesley cleared his throat. "Right then," he said. Four pairs of eyes stared blankly at him.
"Uh, shall we?" he stammered.
"What exactly are we doing?" Ophelia asked, stepping forward. "All I've gathered was something to do with horses."
"We are," he gestured vaguely out to the paddocks, "playing polo! Isn't that great!"
Piper's face lit up, and Ophelia forced a small smile.
"That sounds…exciting!" she said, looking rather nervous.
"Sport of the rich, huh?" Dresden grumbled, "Sounds expensive."
Valette looked sideways at her, tucking her thick black hair behind her ears. She crossed her arms over herself.
"It is," Valette said.
Quiet descended over the group and Wesley cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Right, well let's get started, then?"
Ophelia stepped forward until she was right next to him. "I can't wait!" she beamed, enthusiastic enough to make up for the others. That's probably what she was doing, Wesley gathered. She felt sorry for him.
He took it anyway, and lead the four girls into the stable, trying to look like he knew what he was doing. One of the grooms took pity on him and led them through the maze that was the airy stalls that made up the stables.
"Even the horses lived better than I did," Dresden muttered under her breath. Wesley ignored her and turned to Ophelia who was walking next to him.
"Have you ever been horseback riding?"
She wrinkled her nose in a grimace that was pretty cute. "Is it that obvious?"
"It's okay," he said, "honestly I think I was like ten the last time I went, I don't remember anything except the pony they had for me was totally and thoroughly evil. I tried to feed him a carrot and he bit me."
Ophelia smiled, her warm smile glowing on her face. "I guess he didn't know you were a prince."
In spite of the disaster that was this date so far, Wesley smiled back. "Obviously!" he joked. "Nah, horses have always been more Ethan's thing."
"I remember watching all that on the Report when I was younger. It all seemed like a fairytale then. I still can't believe I'm actually here."
"Yeah, well most of it," he mumbled. Ophelia didn't say anything else.
Dammit.
The groom took them to one of the back paddocks where there were five horses, saddled and ready, being held by their handlers.
They sure were a lot bigger up close.
He saw Piper break into a grin, and she seemed to hold herself back.
"Lady Piper, do you approve of the date activity?" he teased. She met his eyes, and nodded vigorously.
The grooms that seemed to be everywhere led the horses up to the ladies, seemingly already assigned.
"Your Highness, you'll be riding Moe today," one of them told him, holding out the reins of a massive black horse with big white socks that emphasized his gigantic hooves.
"Oh, Moe, right. Of course," Wesley stammered. He looked around, more than a little embarrassed. Piper had already gotten on her horse, a smaller white one, but the others were still getting instructed on how to mount.
"So I'll just...uh,"
"Put your foot in the stirrup," the groom instructed.
"I know, I know!" Wesley snapped, before hefting his foot up into the stirrup in the least graceful manner. He stopped, leg stretched way too high.
"Now just swing yourself-"
"I know how how to do it."
He jumped a little and got halfway on the horse, before he found himself on the ground again. The groom was wise enough to not say anything.
He was more successful on the second try, though by then all the girls were mounted and had probably witnessed his ordeal in its entirety. He didn't dwell on his embarrassment, partly because he had realized that being on a horse was slightly terrifying, and by slightly, he meant very.
Piper, on the other hand, looked completely at ease, and the usual reservation that surrounded the quiet girl seemed to have dissipated. In the sunshine, her blonde hair was lit up with strands of almost white. The usual lines of tension in her body were relaxed as she stroked her horse's mane. She looked up, and Wesley realized he'd been staring. He quickly tried to appear preoccupied with the horse or anything else, but her big blue eyes made him linger a moment more. She flushed, and tension was back.
Yeah, the date wasn't going too well.
Thankfully, the grooms took initiative and lead the five riders, saving him from having to control the horse, which would have been a nightmare and a half. Wesley didn't know the layout of the stables before and he certainly hadn't been down here since he'd gotten back, but they ended up in an open area, a large grassy space behind the gardens, bordered on three sides by paddock fences and one by the edge of the garden, with a wall of rose bushes and a fountain that was happily spouting water.
By the time they made it there, Piper was easily riding on her own. Dresden still looked indifferent, and Valette looked marginally happier than she had been. Ophelia met his eyes as he took stock of his dates, and pressed her lips into a smile.
"It's not so bad," she said, sounding a little shaky but still managing to look excited. And really cute.
"It basically is just sitting, isn't it?" Wesley let out a bark of nervous laughter.
"That's what it boils down to, I suppose." She said. "It could be worse."
She was right. At least no one was trying to kill him, he wasn't expecting to die at any moment, not getting shot at or flying aircraft over enemy territory with nowhere to hide.
"It could be a lot worse," he agreed. Ophelia glanced at him, her dark lashes almost hiding her warm brown eyes. She smiled again, but this time it seemed more forced, almost fake.
They decided that Piper and Valette would be on one team, as Piper was obviously the only one of them that knew how to ride, and Valette had taken lessons as a child. Dresden wasn't too happy being on the same team as Wesley, but she could deal with it, he decided. Most of the first round consisted of them just trying to stay on their horses, and get them to move where they wanted to. They were nice, quiet horses but Wesley was still terrified. Even Moe's gentle nature was starting to be tested when he kept jerking the reins, and going faster than a slow stroll made him feel like he was about to fall off.
"This isn't really working," Valette stated, frowning, as usual as she watched Piper dismount yet again to fetch the ball that Ophelia had punted into the bushes. Her raven-colored hair was starting to escape from it's ponytail and she was looking rather disheveled.
"As long as the prince is enjoying himself," Dresden snarked.
Oh, he was definitely not enjoying himself, that was for sure. His ass hurt, his pride hurt, and he was two seconds away from being trampled to death by a massive animal or at least shattering his tailbone. Or at least something like that.
Dresden glared at him from atop her horse, and he wished he was anywhere else. This stupid, stupid popularity contest. It was all a big show anyway. He hadn't missed the camera crew trying to be subtle as they filmed from a distance away.
"Maybe you should try a little harder then, Lady Valette."
The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. He kept his tone pleasant, but the barb was unmistakable.
The ambassador's daughter's mouth dropped open, and her eyebrows shot up into the air.
"Excuse me?"
Wesley didn't have a reply this time. But he didn't have to.
"You heard him. He said you should try a little harder."
It was Piper who saved him, saying the longest sentence he had ever heard her say, though just as quiet as before.
Valette's eyes turned to daggers as she turned her attention onto the blonde. She opened her mouth to make a comeback, but nothing came out.
"This is ridiculous," she managed after a moment. With only a moderate struggle, she got her horse to turn around and trot back to the barn. No one said anything.
"Well, at least now the teams are even!" Ophelia said, breaking the silence. "She was being bitchy anyway."
Dresden, who in Wesley's opinion was being bitchy too, rolled her eyes, and moved her horse over to Piper.
"The teams are better, too," she said under her breath. Wesley still heard it.
He looked at Ophelia. She smiled cheerfully at him, but it still seemed forced.
They continued playing, although most of that was them just trying to ride. Piper managed to score a goal, she was the only person who could actually ride, though she wasn't very good at the polo part. It was the lack of riding skills that allowed her to get past Wesley and score the goal. Dresden continued to be cold and angry, and Ophelia stayed amiable, even though she struggled with even getting her horse to stop snacking on the grass and move forward. She finally managed to actually hit the ball, but it soared out of bounds and into the neighboring horse paddock.
She shot a sheepish glance at Wesley. "I promise I didn't mean to do that."
"Nobody's perfect, Ophelia," he teased. "I mean, I always perfectly hit the ball every time and I'm also an expert rider in case you haven't noticed."
She laughed and Wesley pulled his horse to a stop as Piper scrambled off to go after the ball, glad for the momentary break. His ass was killing him. He laid the bat-stick thing across his lap, and slouched down in the saddle.
It was then he saw them.
They were just strolling through the gardens, without a care in the world. Evie and Sophie were both holding flowers, skipping along the pathway. Lissa was a few feet behind them. She was wearing a pretty pale pink sundress and white heels, nothing compared to the gown she had on last night at the ball. Her hair fell in soft waves around her face and despite the tiredness that was smudged under her eyes, probably due to last night, she looked-
She looked really, really happy.
And Wesley found himself longing to be there, walking next to her, to be the reason she was happy. He remembered what that peace had felt like, last night, when he held her in his arms and they pretended to be strangers.
He could never forget that. And more than anything, he didn't want that to be their only forever, even if that was impossible now.
"Prince Wesley!"
Ophelia's voice drew him back to the game, but not before he noticed Lissa look towards him. Piper had retrieved the ball, and was back on her horse. Dresden managed to hit the ball fairly hard, and it was spinning through the grass towards their goal. Ophelia was back on the opposite side, leaving only Wesley to stop Dresden.
Game-induced panic rushed through him as he realized, and he jerked hard on Moe's reins in response. His horse tossed his head into the air, ear flat against his head, and took several steps backwards.
"Hey, not that way!" Wesley protested, pulling harder on the reins. Moe snorted, and turned abruptly, now thoroughly confused about which way he was supposed to go. Wesley kicked him forward, leaning to one side as he lowered his stick to stop Dresden from scoring a goal. Moe took off with a little hop and broke into a canter that Wesley was not prepared for. He almost lost his seat, and tried to stop Moe, which his limited horse skills of course did by yanking on the reins. Moe threw his head into the air, and skidded to a stop, but it was just enough to make Wesley lose his balance.
Dresden trotted past them, and hit the ball right into the goal as Moe stopped short, sending Wesley out of the saddle, flying over his head, and landing directly into the fountain.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Wesley felt his chest contract as he tried to breathe but it didn't seem to work...
He was lying on the floor of a plane as they took off, narrowly escaping with their lives. He could hear Drake yelling, and he could see blood all over the floor and the seat around them. But he couldn't breathe.
All he heard was there horrible, raking sounds. All he felt was the cold…
And someone was giggling.
Wesley opened his eyes, and spewed water out of his mouth as he sat up. The breath had been knocked out of him, and he coughed a little as he pushed his wet hair out of his eyes.
He pushed the memories away too, reminding himself of where he was. It was only the water that was cold. He was okay. He was alive.
Piper was standing next to the fountain, holding the lead rope of her horse and a very disgruntled looking Moe. A smile had broken through her usually silence, and she was laughing, very softly. It was the first time he had ever seen her do so.
"Oops," he said.
"Wes!"
It was a startled cry, and he turned to look where it had come from. Because none of his dates here would have called him that.
Lissa was running across the grounds, holding tightly onto Evie and Sophie on each side of her. How she could run through the grass in heels was beyond him.
"Are you okay?" she asked breathlessly, coming to a stop next to the fountain. She let go of the girls, and knelt down next to him.
"Yeah," he mumbled.
He wasn't capable of saying anything else. Because he remembered.
It seemed like a lifetime ago, and it very well could have happened to a different person. He had cheekily kissed her, hiding from the others in the gardens at Trentoworth, and then ran off through the gardens, where she had taunted him with another so she could push him into a fountain. That time, he had pulled her in after him and they had kissed some more, just silly kids hyped up on hormones or something.
There could have been a hundred people there in the palace gardens, and Wesley never would have noticed any of them in that moment. The way her green eyes were locked onto his, the warmth of her hands as she touched his arm, it was like they were the only two people in the world. He certainly wasn't going to pull her in this time.
But he wouldn't mind kissing her.
His gaze fell to her lips.. Lissa's eyes widened ever so slightly, and and he found himself leaning forward-
"Prince Wesley, what happened?" Ophelia came running up, having ditched her own horse. Lissa shot to her feet, her face flaming. She seemed to notice the other girls for the first time. Dresden was watching from close by, smirking.
"Okay, so maybe I'm not as good at riding as I thought I was," Wesley said, getting his feet under him and grabbing the side of the fountain. He stood up, sending a wave of water over the side, that splashed all over Lissa and Ophelia's shoes.
He swung one leg over the side, and ended up falling back into the water. Ophelia jumped back with a little shriek as more water flew everywhere.
"Careful, it's slippery there," Wesley sputtered, trying to maintain some of the few shreds of dignity he had left. He stood again, and Lissa grabbed his arm. Water streamed off his shirt sleeve, and her already splattered dress was getting wetter by the second. She steadied him as he stepped over the edge and got safely back onto dry land, but quickly let go, and stepped back.
"Whew. That was an adventure," he joked. Piper covered her mouth with her hand in an attempt to stifle her laughter at this point, and Ophelia grinned at him. Dresden was actually laughing now, she was enjoying it so much.
Wesley patted Moe tentatively on his neck. "Thanks for that, buddy."
"Uncle Wesley, you fell into the fountain!" Evie cried, as she and sister scampered up to him.
"You're all wet!" Sophie chimed in.
"Yeah honey, I noticed," he said, before purposely shaking his wet mop of hair so the little princesses got sprinkled. They squealed and dashed off.
Wesley turned to his dates. "You guys mind if we don't play anymore?"
"Scarred for life?" Ophelia teased.
Wesley chuckled. "Something like that."
As the girls turned their attentions back to getting on their horses, Wesley turned away for a second. He let out a long breath, and breathed in deeply through his nose.
It had been easier, this time, to push away the memories and come back to reality. But they were still there, still just behind him. His heart was racing more than it should, and if he closed his eyes, he might open them again and find himself back up north.
"Hey, Wes. It's okay."
Lissa's voice was soft behind him. He turned and saw her standing there, her face still flushed. Her shoes were soaked, and there were wet spots all over her dress.
"You handled it well," she continued, attempting a smile.
"Yeah, well I think I'll leave horseback riding to Ethan from now on."
She smiled, a sad sort of smile.
"You sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine, Lissa. Really. You don't have to keep asking me that," He raked his hand through his wet hair.
Her eyes locked on his for a few seconds longer. "You weren't fine last night. The things you told me, what you said," she took a step closer and he could smell her perfume and it was making his head spin. "Wes, you're not fine."
"I am. I am fine," he blurted out, and hurried to where Moe was waiting. As much as he wanted to, if he stayed that close to her much longer, he was pretty sure he might try to kiss her and that would be really embarrassing not to mention scandalous.
Despite what he had told her, he was never, ever going to forget her.
He didn't dare try to keep riding, instead he led Moe back to the stables, joining his three remaining dates.
It was time to take the Selection seriously. One of these girls was going to be his wife one day, and a whole lot of history with Lissa Dove wasn't going to change that the slightest.