The Lost Princess
Chapter 11
That night, the moon was full and its borrowed light provided safety to anyone who decided to have a walk under its guidance. The world was already silent because most of the noise makers were already deep in their slumber.
In the palace, a deafening silence was palpable. Though the soldiers were performing their duty of guarding the place, they were too well-trained to engage in nonsense talks, so the stillness of the night was undisturbed.
But through these all, a single soul could be seen crossing the grounds towards the stables. The figure quietly entered the stables and proceeded to the farthest stall --- the one that contained the untamed, snowy white mare.
Upon the cloaked figure's arrival, instead of causing a commotion, the wild mare just whickered softly because she had sensed that the newcomer was of kindred spirit.
The figure caressed the mare's nose affectionately and in turn, the mare nuzzled the newcomer, making the newcomer's hood slip off from her head.
Long, silky auburn hair was revealed when the hood fell away.
"So naughty, Snow." A female voice teased the mare. The mare whickered in response.
Then, the female picked up a brush from somewhere, opened the stall gate, went in and proceeded to brush the mare's silvery coat, talking to her softly.
"It's late." A feminine voice startled the girl who was brushing the mare.
She was so focused on the mare that she failed to notice someone's arrival.
"Uh…yeah…I know." The girl stammered, blushing at being caught.
The new arrival chuckled softly at the girl's obvious panicky reaction.
"Don't worry. Being out at night is no crime, my lady." The woman told the younger girl, the light of the moon revealing a gentle smile on the woman's lips.
At the woman's smile, the girl continued what she was doing. The woman found a stool and sat near them.
"You like horses." It was more of a statement than a question but the girl found herself answering,
"Yeah… How'd you know?"
"Well…Aside from your being here in the middle of the night… I noticed that you get along with Snow when almost all of the grooms had been bitten and thrown off by her… to the extent that no one wanted to get near her again. She's got a wild spirit, Snow does." The woman explained affectionately and serenely.
"Snow must be lonely if no one wants to go near her again…" the younger girl stated, putting her arms around the mare's neck in comfort, "and she's not a wild one…she's got a gentle spirit…" the girl countered in defense of her friend.
While the girl was saying those words, the clouds that covered the full moon had parted, allowing enough light to enter the stables through is windows, making the girl's face visible. She just smiled at the girl's statement.
"Your love of horses must run in the family." The woman commented, watching the girl's reaction carefully, especially her eyes. Her eyes were somewhat disconcerting because she felt a sense o familiarity in it.
"I think not." The girl replied, rather sadly.
"My mother loathes horses and my father barely tolerates them." The girl narrated.
"How about your siblings?" the woman inquired, finally understanding the sadness in the girl's tone. It really is difficult to have a family that didn't share one's interests.
"I don't have any." The woman sensed the loneliness in the girl's tone.
~How lonely her life must be.~ she thought, her gentle heart going to the girl.
"But I'm sure despite your parents' dislike of horses, they still encourage you with your interest." The woman tried to hide the pain she felt for the lonely girl. No wonder she steals a few moments to spend time with the horse.
"At first, they just let me be, thinking my interest in horses would wane in time… but it didn't, instead, it grew into more than mere interest… it grew into a passion. But they didn't know that…" the girl paused, surprised that she was being honest with someone she barely knew.
But she just wanted to unload her feelings because she had been carrying it inside for almost an eternity and though she narrated these things once a long time ago to someone --- her best friend --- but she found that it was more satisfying to share it to someone older… and a female.
She had nothing against her best friend who'd been so understanding but she needed a mother-image, she admitted to herself, 'cause she had never confided such serious matters to her own mother for fear of being criticized.
"Then…" the woman's quiet and understanding voice pulled her out of the painful memory she was reliving.
"When I was eight…an accident happened. I was thrown off from my pony --- though it wasn't my pony's fault 'cause there was a snake on the grass and she got scared and buckled. Anyway, since then, father forbid me to ride and approach any horses, whether tamed or not. I know they were just worried about me but what they did hurt me so much. It was as if they were asking me not to breath. It was my passion… my life… but they took it all away from me." Her emerald eyes were shimmering with unshed tears, the pain there so clear that it reached the woman's heart.
Before the tears could fall, the girl burrowed her face on the mare's neck, her arms around Snow's neck. As if sensing her misery and sadness, Snow whickered in worry, nuzzling her exposed ear, as if trying to cheer her up.
The woman felt weird at the sight. The mare's actions were uncannily like a human friend. But through it all, she didn't talk, she just waited for the girl to regain her composure.
After a few moments, the girl managed to regain her shattered wits 'cause she had withdrawn her face from the mare's neck and gave her an embarrassed and wet smile.
"Don't be embarrassed. Everyone's entitled to have such moments." The woman told her with an understanding smile.
"I'm just surprised that I managed to confide in you --- a total stranger --- when I couldn't seem to do it with my parents." The girl explained sheepishly.
XXX
Yel looked at the departing girl with a worried expression.
"May our Lord guide you, Lady Sakura." She murmured quietly.
"You've been there for so long, wife." The unmistakable voice of her husband commented. She sensed rather than saw him beside her.
"It's so weird." She murmured, looking up at her husband's gentle hazel gaze.
"Why?" Hiroshi inquired, enclosing his wife within his strong but gentle arms.
"I saw Nadeshiko looking at me through that young lady's gaze." She whispered, placing her heard on her husband's unyielding and warm chest.
"Impossible." This was delivered quietly and Yel agreed but she couldn't shake away the strange feeling she had when she was talking to Sakura and besides, Sakura and Nadeshiko shared the same passion --- horses.
"Maybe you just missed Nadeshiko too much…" her husband suggested after cupping her face lovingly and looking at her chocolate eyes fondly.
"I hope you're right. I really do hope so…" she murmured before her husband's lips descended in hers and they shared a passionate kiss, a kiss that hadn't lost its power to make her love her husband more… even after many years.
