AN: Hi everyone! Ok, couple things to sort out to make all of our lives easier and hopefully, will let me update faster. 1)I am open to all forms of inspiration, and if you have ideas on anything I should write about, PM or review and tell me. Even if it involves writing song-fics and one-shots, I will at least consider it and work on it if I have writers block. 2) I am going to refer to this story in my other ANs as ADKP, and A Goodnight Kiss as AGK. Please don't get mad at me for not spelling it out, but it annoys me. 3) If you guys want to share some of the music you like, PM or review me and tell me the song and artist so I won't get confused. 4) I am also working on Hurt, originally published by ViridianLight, and you can check out both hers and my chapters on my profile via link under My Stories, which is below the long list of quotes in funny shapes. And... that's all for now, until I think of something else to put on here. So... Drink Chai, Live Life, Love Fax.

Fly On,
Stardust

/*^*/ I am a lovely line break. Love me. I love you. :) /*^*/

We had been riding all day, and most everyone was tired, sore, and dusty. Most of the horses were sweaty and panting, their normally gleaming coats soaked and dulled with sweat, and coated in a fine layer of dirt. Those that were were fat and out of shape, as were many of the horses in the Kings Regimen. Nudge and Angel were in their coach, pulled by four white horses, and naturally, they were complaining; about the weater, the slow speed, their make-up, their hair getting frizzy, it made me glad I wasn't like them.

Firestorm, unlike the slugs of the regimen, was hyper, her firey coat still shining under the midday sun. She was tossing her head, showing off her beautiful mane and arching neck. In addition to her, I noticed Fang's horse didn't have even a speck of dust on his metticulously groomed coat. His head was lowered in a classy manner, the deep green captians' banners hanging off of his reins complimenting his striking obsidian coat. He was in front, Firestorm and I in the middle, surrounded by gaurds, and right behind us was the coach carrying Nudge and Angel. Firestorm was getting antsy, and to be honest, so was I. So, I clicked my tongue and directed her to the front of the guard, pulling back to a steady trot alongside Mr. Macho himself.

"Enjoying yourself yet?" I asked him.

He looked at me out of the corner of his eye, and I could've sworn I saw a little flash of amusement in there. "Sure," he muttered, "It's a lot more refreshing than what I did at home. There, it was extremely boring. I only had one friend, and I couldn't talk to him often."

Now, I was interested, "Who was your friend?"

He sighed, relenting, "His name was Aland*, he was the son of a duke who lived near our land. He came with his parents to the court often, so, as busy as I was, I didn't see him as much as I wanted to."

I wanted to know more about the secret life of this enigma of a knight, he was at the very least, an extremely intruiging person to talk to, if you could get him to respond. "What were you so busy doing?"

"I worked in the palace, doing odd jobs. I sometimes filed all of the documents to be sent to the court, rushed the shipping records to the treasury, basically anything that would keep me busy."

"Did you ever have any free time?"

Now, in my opinion, he was becoming a bit more relaxed in sharing his life story with me. He wasn't so reluctant to answer, and was a bit more forthcoming in his honesty.

"If I did, I was always out working with the horses or training with the weapons. Mother and Father were always fearful that I would get hurt, but I wanted to be a knight more than anything, so I didn't let anything stop me."

"Why didn't they approve of you being a knight?"

"Mostly because I had so many things I was expected to do, they thought that me traveling would disrupt everything. And I guess, in a way, it did."

I could understand that. My parents weren't exactly happy about my not being one of the defenseless princesses that would marry a guy the minute she layed eyes on him, so long as he had money and looks. If that were true about me, I would've been married off long ago, trapped in some dark, depressing castle, trying to get a hold of my fourteen children and preparing a feast for visting representatives of other kingdoms.

"I can understand why you went against your parents. Sometimes they have to learn that you are your own person and that they can't control you."

His face turned bitter, "And where did you hear that, O' smart one?"

I shifted, causing Firestorm's ears to flick back and forth, adjusting to this new stance. I looked him straight in the eyes, and said, "My parents have been trying to control me since the day I was born. They wanted me to be the perfect daughter, sweet, charming, and open to people. But I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of their pitiful child-raising techniques actually working on me. I have turned on them at every opportunity, firing insults, embarassing them, showing them up. Just because they raised me to be perfect, doesn't mean that I don't have a mind of my own that I am not afraid to use, and I am going to drive that into their thick, pig-headed brains until they are screaming and begging for mecry."

He didn't really seem disturbed or frightened by my little tantrum, in fact, he seemed more amused than anything. We both noticed at the same time that the rest of the guard was watching us, tense and alert. I was really going to have to teach them to watch what is going both inside and outside our little caravan.

"Alright, Princess," he said with mock formality, "You should go back to your place. We don't want your guards getting nervous now, would we?"

First I looked at our little band, who were sweaty, dusty, and tired. Then at the Sun; which was now a good bit lower in the sky, shillouteing the mountians we were riding toward.

"Ride for another hour, then find a clearing to stay the night. That sum light is going to fade fast the minute it goes over the mountians."

"Aye, Princess." And with that, I turned Firestorm around and settled back into my place. The incredibly boring middle, where nothing ever happens and there is no one to talk to. But at least I get to ride my own horse.

/*^*/ I am a sad line. Feel sorry for me. I am sad. /*^*/

*Aland means 'bright as the sun'. I am going to have a twist in the next chapter or two, and Fang will get yet another name. Jeez, how many layers does this boy have? Anyhow, R&R, tell me what you think. Oh, and say that you feel sorry for the sad line break, andI will make him feel happy... next chapter. Drink Chai, Live Life, Love Fax.