CHAPTER FIVE

A/N: None this time, but I should be back next time.

Magdalena walked through the forest, determined to get away from the carriage wreck that was Griselda, and the perfect beauty that was Cinderella. She wished she had her horse, Nathan, but he had been sold last year by her mother—taxes had to be paid, her mother had claimed. All Magdalena knew was that Nathan had been her only friend in the world that she could really talk to. Oh, she had her girlfriends in school, but they only talked about boys and the Prince, and while she loved talking about Prince Edward, there were other things she longed to talk about, like the latest traveling carnival, and the musician Peter of Frampshire. He played a revolutionary instrument called the drum, and she longed to let herself go, playing it along side of him.

She could imagine her mother fainting at that. "Ladies-in-training do not play vulgar instruments like that," her mother would say. Magdalena used to tell Nathan about her desire, and the horse would neigh and accept the carrots she fed to him. If she showed her mother, or her older sister, her drawings of the Prince or Sir Peter, they would snatch them away, telling her to clean her charcoal soaked fingers. "Ladies-in-training always have clean hands, and if they do lower themselves to painting, they only use oils, like Da Vinci, or Michelangelo," her mother would pronounce. It was a wonder ladies-in-training did anything fun, Magdalena thought, if they didn't drum, shouting at the top of their lungs, or if they did not sketch life.

So deep in thought was Dalena that she did not notice the Prince's horse jumping over the stump she was about to cross over.

"Watch out!" She heard a male voice call. Dalena's shock was evident when she beheld Prince Edward in all of his glory on his mare. She stepped back just in time as his horse cleared the tree stump—but apparently, Edward did not. Dalena saw Edward fall promptly on his back from the saddle. She ran over to the junior ruler, crying, "Are you all right?"

Prince Edward sat up, blinking several times, shaking his head to clear the stars from it. "What…happened?" He asked slowly. He then shook his head again, as his thoughts became clearer. "Oh…now I remember."

"Are you hurt?" Magdalena asked, waving a handkerchief over his face to fan him.

"Only my pride," Edward muttered, adding, "Stupid horse." He looked in the direction his horse had taken, saying, "Great! That is the third I have lost this month!"

"Perhaps he will return when he gets hungry, or thirsty," Magdalena observed.

"Maybe," Edward agreed. As if his horse heard both of them, she returned. Magdalena crossed over to him, stroking her.

The horse neighed. Magdalena laughed a surprisingly deep, throaty sound. "What is his name?" She queried. Edward got up, rubbing his arse, saying, "Her name is Naomi. She was a present from my grandmother, Naomi."

"That makes sense," Magdalena said, laughing again.

"You find all of this amusing?" Prince Edward asked, drawing himself to his full height, which was about two inches taller than Magdalena.

"Never," Magdalena lied. Try as she might, she could not keep a straight face, and guffawed. After a moment of staring at the strange girl, Edward joined her, commenting, "I guess it was pretty funny!" He reached into his pocket, pulling out some dried apple pieces to feed to Naomi.

"Oh, may I…?" Magdalena asked. Edward nodded, handing them to her. Magdalena held out her hand. Naomi sniffed her hand, and the apple pieces, and after a quick moment, her mouth took the pieces gratefully. Dalena smiled as the horse waited expectantly for more. Prince Edward gave some more pieces to Dalena, who repeated the feeding process.

"Naomi likes you," Edward observed. "She doesn't like too many people."

"Why not?" Magdalena queried.

Prince Edward thought a moment, saying, "I don't really know…she just doesn't." His eyes drifted to the sky all of a sudden. Noting the position of the sun, the Prince climbed back on Naomi's saddle. "I am sorry; I must go. I have an appointment to keep, and if I do not make it, my mother shall not give me a moment's peace about it."

"I understand," Magdalena said reluctantly.

Prince Edward rode off; Magdalena smiled, for although she was reluctant to see the Prince go, she was happy that she had, at least, gotten to speak to him. Her friends in school would never believe her! She walked home, happy for the first time in weeks.