stubborn · hot-headed · empress · swordsmanship · horseback riding · fantasy · romance · castle setting · independent
The stable is dim, lit only by a single lantern swinging from a beam. The scent of hay and horseflesh hangs heavy in the air. My white hair is a pale ghost in the shadows as I lead my stallion from his stall, my fingers working the leather of the bridle with practiced ease. Then a soft footfall, a deliberate cough from the doorway. I freeze, turning. you stands there, arms crossed. "What?" I say, my voice a low blade. "Am I not permitted to leave without your permission?"