When Isabelle awoke the next morning she smiled broadly. Mimi helped her
get into her riding habit and she walked alone towards the stable. She
caught sight of Shawn standing in the closest paddock with Fancy. "Good
morning, Princess." He said bowing low.
"Oh come now," Belle said. "Didn't I tell you...." She trailed off as she caught Shawn's look of alarm.
"Ah, Princess, you look lovely this morning." Without turning Belle knew who the voice belonged to.
"Sir Philip! What brings you here?" Belle hoped he didn't notice her forced smile.
"Why you of course. I heard you were planning on a ride so I got together a nice picnic lunch in hopes of joining you. If you don't mind of course."
Do I have a choice? "Why of course. 'Twould be my pleasure. Will your servant be joining us?"
"I don't see it as necessary any longer."
"But good sir knight, I doubt my father would want me to be alone with you."
"That is true. Shawn, you shall join us."
"Yes sir." Shawn was not sure how to take what the princess had said. He walked off to tack up another horse musing all the while. He returned to find Belle and Philip standing together, conversing. Or rather he was talking and she was feigning interest. He smiled to himself and walked up to interrupt them. "Are we all set now sir?"
"Yes I believe so." Philip took Shawn's arm and led him a short distance away. "Try to stay in the back." He whispered. "And don't take your job as chaperone too seriously." Philip then mounted his own horse, leaving Belle standing beside Fancy.
Shawn walked over to help her. "Need a hand?"
"Yes, thank you. What a gentleman you are." He placed his hands on her slim waist and she felt a tingle travel through her body. Deftly, he swung her atop the horse, her minute weight no problem for his strong , workman's arms. The three took off down the trail only to spend the next half hour listening to Sir Philip regal them with his many accomplishments. He really was a great knight but the problem was he knew it, and was entirely too fond of himself.
"Are you ready to stop for lunch?" Not waiting for an answer Sir Philip pulled up his horse and dismounted, leaving Belle stranded atop Fancy. Once again Shawn came to her aide. He helped her down and stood for a second staring at her, before releasing her quickly to set up the picnic. Belle ate the food in front of her although her appetite had diminished as she watched Sir Philip eat. He only paused to shove the food into his mouth, not to chew it. It was quite barbaric and disgusting in her opinion. She caught herself staring at Shawn over his shoulder. Every once in a awhile he'd meet her eye but they look away as if he'd done something wrong. "We should ride to the stream now, I think." By now Belle had given up on even polite answers. She just nodded and walked back towards Fancy, awaiting Shawn's help to mount. The wooded trail they took now was quite beautiful and by looking at the scenery Belle found it easier to ignore the very repetitious chatter of her companion. They reached the stream which was about six feet in width and only two feet deep. "Watch this, Princess." Sir Philip backed his horse up and galloped straight towards the stream. She could only guess that he planned to jump it but clearly his mount had other ideas. The horse stopped and planted his feet firmly, while Philip flew over his head and landed face first in the stream. Immediately Shawn was off his horse and beside his master.
"He's breathing but isn't responding." Shawn pulled him out and lay him down. "Shall we wait here a bit until he wakes up?"
"Sure, can you help me down?"
Shawn did just that but this time pulled her close as she hit the ground. Her dancing blue eyes met his tumultuous brown ones and for awhile they just stared, entranced. He slipped his arms completely around her waist, melding his body with hers. "Belle..." he breathed.
"Oh come now," Belle said. "Didn't I tell you...." She trailed off as she caught Shawn's look of alarm.
"Ah, Princess, you look lovely this morning." Without turning Belle knew who the voice belonged to.
"Sir Philip! What brings you here?" Belle hoped he didn't notice her forced smile.
"Why you of course. I heard you were planning on a ride so I got together a nice picnic lunch in hopes of joining you. If you don't mind of course."
Do I have a choice? "Why of course. 'Twould be my pleasure. Will your servant be joining us?"
"I don't see it as necessary any longer."
"But good sir knight, I doubt my father would want me to be alone with you."
"That is true. Shawn, you shall join us."
"Yes sir." Shawn was not sure how to take what the princess had said. He walked off to tack up another horse musing all the while. He returned to find Belle and Philip standing together, conversing. Or rather he was talking and she was feigning interest. He smiled to himself and walked up to interrupt them. "Are we all set now sir?"
"Yes I believe so." Philip took Shawn's arm and led him a short distance away. "Try to stay in the back." He whispered. "And don't take your job as chaperone too seriously." Philip then mounted his own horse, leaving Belle standing beside Fancy.
Shawn walked over to help her. "Need a hand?"
"Yes, thank you. What a gentleman you are." He placed his hands on her slim waist and she felt a tingle travel through her body. Deftly, he swung her atop the horse, her minute weight no problem for his strong , workman's arms. The three took off down the trail only to spend the next half hour listening to Sir Philip regal them with his many accomplishments. He really was a great knight but the problem was he knew it, and was entirely too fond of himself.
"Are you ready to stop for lunch?" Not waiting for an answer Sir Philip pulled up his horse and dismounted, leaving Belle stranded atop Fancy. Once again Shawn came to her aide. He helped her down and stood for a second staring at her, before releasing her quickly to set up the picnic. Belle ate the food in front of her although her appetite had diminished as she watched Sir Philip eat. He only paused to shove the food into his mouth, not to chew it. It was quite barbaric and disgusting in her opinion. She caught herself staring at Shawn over his shoulder. Every once in a awhile he'd meet her eye but they look away as if he'd done something wrong. "We should ride to the stream now, I think." By now Belle had given up on even polite answers. She just nodded and walked back towards Fancy, awaiting Shawn's help to mount. The wooded trail they took now was quite beautiful and by looking at the scenery Belle found it easier to ignore the very repetitious chatter of her companion. They reached the stream which was about six feet in width and only two feet deep. "Watch this, Princess." Sir Philip backed his horse up and galloped straight towards the stream. She could only guess that he planned to jump it but clearly his mount had other ideas. The horse stopped and planted his feet firmly, while Philip flew over his head and landed face first in the stream. Immediately Shawn was off his horse and beside his master.
"He's breathing but isn't responding." Shawn pulled him out and lay him down. "Shall we wait here a bit until he wakes up?"
"Sure, can you help me down?"
Shawn did just that but this time pulled her close as she hit the ground. Her dancing blue eyes met his tumultuous brown ones and for awhile they just stared, entranced. He slipped his arms completely around her waist, melding his body with hers. "Belle..." he breathed.