Chapter 3
Briana woke up early the next morning and saddled her horse, Moondance, for her daily ride.
At home, Briana would usually rife through the village and surrounding woods and fields.
But, since she and her family were visiting Corus, the capital of Tortall, Briana decided to ride through the King's Forest.
Groups from the castle would often go riding and hunting in the forest and this morning was no different. As Briana approached the forest, she saw a group of people entering the forest. Among them was King Jonathan. Briana made a mental note to make more noise than usual so that the hunting party would not mistake her for their prey. 'See,' she told her mother silently, 'I can take care of myself.'
Briana passed most of the morning riding peacefully by herself under the green canopy of the King's Forest. But suddenly, a rider appeared beside her out of the brush. Briana had been making more noise than usual, so she had not heard the rider approaching. She tensed her muscles, ready to fend off an attack and turned slowly to face the rider. He was wearing a hood that obscured his face. He slowly took off his hood and Briana saw that it was...
"Prince Kourem!" Briana exclaimed, "Goddess, you scared me!"
"Really?" he asked laughing, "I usually don't have that effect on people."
With his slight build, Prince Kourem didn't look very intimidating, but Briana knew that he was one of the best knights of the realm.
"I didn't hear you coming. What were you doing, sneaking up on me like that?" Briana asked him.
"I wanted to surprise you," he said, "Besides; I didn't want anyone to notice me leaving the hunting party. They would probably come looking for me. But I had to see you," he added.
Briana felt her face blush at the last words. "And why would that be, Your Highness?" she asked
"Please, my name is Kourem. But I do not know yours," he admitted, "Imagine falling for a girl whose name I don't even know."
Uhh... W-well...," Briana took a deep breath to collect herself. Had he said he was falling for her, or was she imagining it? She took a second shot at speaking. "I am Briana of Pirate's Swoop, Your Highness. I-I mean, Kourem."
Kourem. She loved the way it rolled of her tongue. Kourem. Kourem. She could say his name all day long.
"Briana. What a beautiful name," Kourem murmured.
Briana tried to speak but her voice caught in her throat. Kourem placed his finger over her mouth and shook his head. Slowly, gently, he pressed his lips to hers.
Briana, surprised, stiffened and pulled back.
"What is it Briana?" Kourem asked, concerned, "Is something wrong?"
What are you doing? Briana asked herself. Just let him kiss you!
"Nothing," Briana said out loud, "Nothing at all." She leaned in towards him and kissed him, softly at first, and then their kisses became deeper, more passionate. Each kiss seemed sweeter than the last and time stood still. Briana had no idea how long it had been when they heard men calling.
"Oh no," breathed Kourem, "They're looking for me. I have to go."
Briana's heart sank. Why did he have to leave now? She needed to kiss him again. It felt like hours since they had broken apart. How could she survive the rest of the day without him?
He straightened up and looked at her. "Are you going to watch the jousting at the tournament tomorrow?"
"I-I was planning on attending with Lord Raoul and Lady Buri (A/N If I got that title wrong, please tell me)," Briana stammered, suddenly feeling shy.
"Then I'll see you there tomorrow." He kissed her one last time and then rode away in the direction of the voices.
Briana watched him disappear into the trees. As soon as he was gone, Briana turned Moondance towards home, eager for the next day to arrive.
After as Briana had unsaddled Moondance in the royal stables, she gave her a couple of carrots and left the stable. As she emerged into the sunshine, she saw Stephanie walking in the gardens and called out to her.
Briana joined her friend on a bench underneath a shady tree. "Let me guess," Stephanie said, "does this have anything to do with a certain prince by the name of Kourem?"
"You know me too well," Briana laughed, and looked up at the green leaves of the tree. She sighed deeply and said dreamily, "I saw him today, in the forest. He saw me riding Moondance and came over to us."
"And then?" Stephanie asked impatiently. This new, dreamy Briana didn't agree with her at all. Stephanie was usually the quiet dreamer. She hoped that Briana would snap out of it soon.
"He kissed me," Briana told her, the scene playing back in her head, "Ooohhhh, Stephanie, it was wonderful. I think I'm in love."
To Briana's surprise, her friend didn't grin at her or sigh dreamily. Instead, she looked at Briana in a concerned way. "Briana..."
"What? What is it? What's wrong? Am I doing something to upset you?" Briana spat.
"Briana... I think you should try to steer clear of him... You're just going to get your heart broken. No, wait Briana," Stephanie continued, "He has to marry someone who is good for the country, and, somehow, I don't think that that's you. Besides, you barely know him"
"I know we only jut met," Briana said, "but I feel like we've known each other forever. We just fit so well together. Like it's meant to be..."
"Briana..." Stephanie said again.
What? What is it?" Briana snapped. "You're just jealous because no man fancies you. You need to grow up, Stephanie. Let me know when you have."
With that, Briana stormed off leaving Stephanie sitting on the bench, shaking her head. Briana was the one who needed to grow up. She was always diving into things head first, thinking later. Sooner or later Briana would have to realize it, but until then, Stephanie could wait.
(A/N: I don't writ fast, so please tell me in your reviews if you want short chapters sooner, or longer chapters a bit farther apart. I'm not trying to be mean, I just want to know what people think.)
Nubia: I know they've been short, but I have been horse back riding a lot and not having much time to write!
Wieryn's daughter & alyios: Thank you so much!
Flamy ice angel: what do you mean by more details?
Pinky: OMG! I forgot all about Roald! But he comes in handy, so thanks! It's too late to do the childhood friends thing, so I think that I might have a goddess at work? Good idea? Let me know!
Briana woke up early the next morning and saddled her horse, Moondance, for her daily ride.
At home, Briana would usually rife through the village and surrounding woods and fields.
But, since she and her family were visiting Corus, the capital of Tortall, Briana decided to ride through the King's Forest.
Groups from the castle would often go riding and hunting in the forest and this morning was no different. As Briana approached the forest, she saw a group of people entering the forest. Among them was King Jonathan. Briana made a mental note to make more noise than usual so that the hunting party would not mistake her for their prey. 'See,' she told her mother silently, 'I can take care of myself.'
Briana passed most of the morning riding peacefully by herself under the green canopy of the King's Forest. But suddenly, a rider appeared beside her out of the brush. Briana had been making more noise than usual, so she had not heard the rider approaching. She tensed her muscles, ready to fend off an attack and turned slowly to face the rider. He was wearing a hood that obscured his face. He slowly took off his hood and Briana saw that it was...
"Prince Kourem!" Briana exclaimed, "Goddess, you scared me!"
"Really?" he asked laughing, "I usually don't have that effect on people."
With his slight build, Prince Kourem didn't look very intimidating, but Briana knew that he was one of the best knights of the realm.
"I didn't hear you coming. What were you doing, sneaking up on me like that?" Briana asked him.
"I wanted to surprise you," he said, "Besides; I didn't want anyone to notice me leaving the hunting party. They would probably come looking for me. But I had to see you," he added.
Briana felt her face blush at the last words. "And why would that be, Your Highness?" she asked
"Please, my name is Kourem. But I do not know yours," he admitted, "Imagine falling for a girl whose name I don't even know."
Uhh... W-well...," Briana took a deep breath to collect herself. Had he said he was falling for her, or was she imagining it? She took a second shot at speaking. "I am Briana of Pirate's Swoop, Your Highness. I-I mean, Kourem."
Kourem. She loved the way it rolled of her tongue. Kourem. Kourem. She could say his name all day long.
"Briana. What a beautiful name," Kourem murmured.
Briana tried to speak but her voice caught in her throat. Kourem placed his finger over her mouth and shook his head. Slowly, gently, he pressed his lips to hers.
Briana, surprised, stiffened and pulled back.
"What is it Briana?" Kourem asked, concerned, "Is something wrong?"
What are you doing? Briana asked herself. Just let him kiss you!
"Nothing," Briana said out loud, "Nothing at all." She leaned in towards him and kissed him, softly at first, and then their kisses became deeper, more passionate. Each kiss seemed sweeter than the last and time stood still. Briana had no idea how long it had been when they heard men calling.
"Oh no," breathed Kourem, "They're looking for me. I have to go."
Briana's heart sank. Why did he have to leave now? She needed to kiss him again. It felt like hours since they had broken apart. How could she survive the rest of the day without him?
He straightened up and looked at her. "Are you going to watch the jousting at the tournament tomorrow?"
"I-I was planning on attending with Lord Raoul and Lady Buri (A/N If I got that title wrong, please tell me)," Briana stammered, suddenly feeling shy.
"Then I'll see you there tomorrow." He kissed her one last time and then rode away in the direction of the voices.
Briana watched him disappear into the trees. As soon as he was gone, Briana turned Moondance towards home, eager for the next day to arrive.
After as Briana had unsaddled Moondance in the royal stables, she gave her a couple of carrots and left the stable. As she emerged into the sunshine, she saw Stephanie walking in the gardens and called out to her.
Briana joined her friend on a bench underneath a shady tree. "Let me guess," Stephanie said, "does this have anything to do with a certain prince by the name of Kourem?"
"You know me too well," Briana laughed, and looked up at the green leaves of the tree. She sighed deeply and said dreamily, "I saw him today, in the forest. He saw me riding Moondance and came over to us."
"And then?" Stephanie asked impatiently. This new, dreamy Briana didn't agree with her at all. Stephanie was usually the quiet dreamer. She hoped that Briana would snap out of it soon.
"He kissed me," Briana told her, the scene playing back in her head, "Ooohhhh, Stephanie, it was wonderful. I think I'm in love."
To Briana's surprise, her friend didn't grin at her or sigh dreamily. Instead, she looked at Briana in a concerned way. "Briana..."
"What? What is it? What's wrong? Am I doing something to upset you?" Briana spat.
"Briana... I think you should try to steer clear of him... You're just going to get your heart broken. No, wait Briana," Stephanie continued, "He has to marry someone who is good for the country, and, somehow, I don't think that that's you. Besides, you barely know him"
"I know we only jut met," Briana said, "but I feel like we've known each other forever. We just fit so well together. Like it's meant to be..."
"Briana..." Stephanie said again.
What? What is it?" Briana snapped. "You're just jealous because no man fancies you. You need to grow up, Stephanie. Let me know when you have."
With that, Briana stormed off leaving Stephanie sitting on the bench, shaking her head. Briana was the one who needed to grow up. She was always diving into things head first, thinking later. Sooner or later Briana would have to realize it, but until then, Stephanie could wait.
(A/N: I don't writ fast, so please tell me in your reviews if you want short chapters sooner, or longer chapters a bit farther apart. I'm not trying to be mean, I just want to know what people think.)
Nubia: I know they've been short, but I have been horse back riding a lot and not having much time to write!
Wieryn's daughter & alyios: Thank you so much!
Flamy ice angel: what do you mean by more details?
Pinky: OMG! I forgot all about Roald! But he comes in handy, so thanks! It's too late to do the childhood friends thing, so I think that I might have a goddess at work? Good idea? Let me know!