As soon as his father gave the word, Hinata was the first one to jump from his chair and leave the Council Room. He tried to contain himself, but after he passed the big wooden doors he started running for the back exit of the south wing , heading towards the sables. He already missed Rakasa even though he had last seen her only a day before. He loved her. She was probably the creature which he cared for the most in that twisted world.

He passed servant after servant, each and everyone one of them bowing at his sight. Hinata payed no attention to them. It has been like this for his entire life. If there ever has been a moment when he felt awkward about all the attention he was getting he couldn't remember it. He had simply learned how to ignore the unimportant people. That included everyone except for his sister and his father when there was no other choice.

After he finally passed the crowded area he entered the small forest that was separating the stables from the castle. There was a cobblestone alley that was so muddy and stepped on that it was barely visible. It's purpose was to prevent people from getting lost, but Hinata didn't need it. He was able to reach the stables with his eyes closed. He had actually tried it on multiple occasions when he was running away from his tutor or was simply bored. Most of the times he would end up running into a tree, he even pocked his left eye in a branch once, but in the end he was able to go through the forest both ways without opening his eyes. He was proud of that.

When he caught sight of the stables he started running once more. It was late morning so the place was quiet. The only sounds were the heavy breaths of the gigantic animals and their occasional neighing. The wind was furiously making it's way through the cracks, whistling between the horse's legs. It was peaceful. The smell of fresh hay and leather was intoxicating. Most people complained about it, said it was gross and it made them sick. Hinata couldn't understand that. He would wear the clothes he had ridden in through the halls of the castle and everyone would crook their noses and turn their heads away, sometimes even tell him to change if they dared. He never listened. He tried not to care about their disapproval.

Hinata made his way to the back of the secondary stable and found his beloved Rakasa sticking her head out of her box. Her mane was all tangled up and full of hay and her face full of dust, not white anymore . He couldn't understand how it was possible for a creature to make such a mess of themselves in less than a day. Hinata smiled at his mare and went for the brushes. There were plenty of people whose jobs were to do just that, but Hinata never allowed it. It didn't matter if he was sick and couldn't ride. He would get out of bed and drag himself to the stables to clean Rakasa. She was more than his responsibility. She was his soulmate. He loved her. Hinata got her out and started brushing her. He started with the tips of her mane and made his way up to the roots, than moved to her sinewy neck. Before he realised he was picking the dirt from her hooves. When he was pleased with his work he got the saddle pad and placed it high on her back, than the saddle over it. He grabbed the rope he had been using for the past 2 years, got it over her head and lead her to the small ladder outside. Most riders were able to get in the saddle by themselves but Hinata was short. Very short. Yet there was no rider at the court who was able to ride without a halter. He had learned how to ride with one but later realised that a piece of metal would be painful for anyone to have in their mouths while someone was yanking at it, for a horse included. So he decided to find a new way, one which didn't put pressure on the face at all. He was using the rope to put pressure on Rakasa's neck. With his legs pushing and his body weight added he was able to gain full trust and control of his partner.

He grabbed the neckrope and moved his hips slightly forward. That was enough. Rakasa started walking and Hinata put pressure on his knees in order for her to go faster. When he couldn't see the barn anymore he pushed her to a slow trot. In no time he was galloping through the woods, jumping over the broken branches laying on the cold ground. It was the beginning of the winter so the trees were naked of their leafs, the wood looking like a cemetery of nature. The air was stinging his face but otherwise he didn't feel the cold. He was so full of exaltation and happiness he thought he could fly. He was riding at the top of the world.

After half an hour he decided it was time for a break. He found a clearing and got off Rakasa's back and went to find a lower branch on which he could put her saddle on. He liked to let his mare relax a bit and let the air dry her slightly wet back before continuing his ride. Now the only thing she was wearing was the neckrope. Hinata wasn't afraid she would run off. She never did that except for one occassion when she had got scared by a deer running past them. Hinata had had a though time getting back to the castle and at his arrival he had found her waiting outside of the stables. He didn't worry. He preferred to risk an hour of walking in order for his mare to be completely free for at least 30 minutes a day.

Hinata laid down, his back supported by a large trunk, and tried to think of nothing. He stared at the gray sky and took a deep breath once, twice, but inevitably ended up drifting towards negative thoughts. For the millionth time he asked himself what was wrong with him. And came to the same answer. He was wrong. He was broken. Since the beginning he has been broken. He had never had a chance. Hinata remembered a moment from his childhood. His mother was chasing him through the gardens while he was shouting with joy. He had eventually got tired and laid under a tree looking through the leaves hanging from the thick branches. His mother laid near him and rapped him in her arms. He could feel her smiling down at him. Then all of a sudden such sadness and despair hit him he could barely breath anymore.

Back then the intensity of that feeling had been to much for him. He had ended up with tears streaming down his face, his mother worried, but most of all, she seemed sad. She had taken him to the kitchens and asked the cook to bake a cake filled with all the honey he could find while she told him stories of brave commanders who had taken big risks to save the kingdom and fearless soldiers who had bravely died in battle. Those stories were supposed to be beautiful stories, full of adventure, but all Hinata could fell was more sadness. Now he was able to contain himself. He was able to bottle up all that nothing, all that darkness and go through each day. But there were times when he just couldn't stand, couldn't get out of bed, couldn't bath. In those days he just laid in bed with his curtains shut trying to just hold on. He also had moments when he thought he could conquer the world, when he would jump around like a child, run all around the castle, talk to people that only a day before he had ignored. Sometimes it felt like he was running towards his death.

Rakasa came to him and pushed her head in his shoulder. Hinata looked up and saw her eager to run, moving her tail and stomping her hooves on the hard ground. He got up and put her saddle back on, then mounted. He left his thoughts behind as he cantered away, but his mood was completely destroyed now that he had allowed himself to relax even for a bit.