Tide Changes

Down in the stable, I felt back in my element but had to hold back from just walking around like I owned the place. The captain showed me the tack room and let me pick out gear from the wall, watching me like a hawk. I could only guess he still didn’t trust me, which I didn’t blame him since the security for my family was his entire job and the ‘Princess’ had gone missing. I was shocked at how much easier it was to lift things, I couldn’t wait to ask Jain about why my male body was this way and not a skinny lad. Not that I was complaining. I was led next to the horses used for the soldiers, none of these horses I was familiar with, but watched them for a few minutes in the paddock where they were roaming. I set the gear on the fence, aware more people had joined the group but I wasn’t worried about it as the captain didn’t really react. I leaned on the fence watching how the horses moved and finally the captain snapped. “You going to pick a horse or not?”

I chuckled softly. “That’s what I’m doing, I don’t know these animals, but by watching you can see the temperament clear enough.”

I gave in however and climbed over the fence taking nothing with me. These horses didn’t know me either so just walking up to one would have likely ended in disaster. I knew it had been a test, these horses were made to handle battle, even war, they tended to only respect the humans that they knew. The captain huffed behind me as I walked into the midst of the horses, if I chased one down they would bolt or fight me so I stood among them, the more hostile horses getting agitated with a stranger in the ring.

“You are going to get trampled in there!” One of the soldiers called out and I recognized the voice as one of my own normal guards James. I felt bad that he’d be worried about the princess version of me but I had no intention of going back. Not yet. I didn’t call back to him but one chestnut stallion who was pawing at the ground was the first to charge. I kept my side to him until the last possible moment and then with my new height and strength grabbed his neck in the last moment throwing my weight up and onto his back. I had only seconds to grip the long loose hair of his main but I managed it.

I’d spent weeks learning how to do something similar with Star and I had been much shorter then and without the strength, I had now. I laughed as the horse lifted up onto his hind legs before he did his best to buck me off. It was two good bucks before I finally got him to settle down and accept me. I heard a few cheers from the crowd when he finally sorted, still I ignored the humans and focused on the horse. It wasn’t over until all the gear was put on him. I lead him over to the fence where the captain was waiting, frowning. “You really do know your way around a horse as well as Jain.”

I laughed. “Course she taught me.”

I dismounted but kept one fist tight in the main of the horse as I slid the bridle up over the face of the horse. “He got a name?”

One of the other men leaning on the fence spoke up. “Ox, he’s as stubborn and mean as one.”

I secured the Bridle finally letting go of the horse's hair only to smooth my hand down his neck. “Good name for him.” I tied the reigns off over one of the fence posts and pulled the saddle off so I could put it on Ox. I avoided two kicks and my foot getting squished by the temperamental beast while he made me work to get him sorted. Finally, the saddle was secure and the horse while not thrilled was starting to give in to me. “Ready.”

I headed for the gate and was let out with Ox, finally I looked at the rest of the crowd, King Richard was sitting on a huge black beast with hooves nearly as large as a human’s head. I’d seen horses like that working some of the farms and Jain told me they were Clydesdales, the Giants of the horse world built for power more than speed. It was rare to see a Clydesdales without the white markings so I wondered if it was a Shire instead, but I wasn’t tempted enough to ask. Around Richard were a few men riding smaller faster horses, all of them tacked out with leather gear instead of the metal most soldiers wore. I bowed my head towards the king and received a slight nod in return. The rest of the men coming with us began to mount up and I climbed up onto Ox. The horse shifted under me, one hand went to his neck to soothe him. “Don’t worry I’ll let you run soon enough.”

When everyone was mounted I called out. “ You all mind if we make a run for it?”

Most of the heads shook no and Richard called out. “ I’d think this would be a matter of time so I’d prefer we get to it and find her as fast as possible.”

I nodded “Mind getting those gates opened Captain?”

He frowned at me. “Don’t you dare runoff.”

I shook my head. “You’ve got my Gran here Captain. I won’t be running off and risking harm to her.”

When the gates opened fully I nudged Ox forward and was pleased when he took off like a shot. Seconds later horse poured out all around me, some to the sides and the rest behind as I lead the way and more still pouring out behind us, a small army, stranglers still coming as we neared the edge of the village. LIkely to check things along the way. I didn’t ask OX to slow until we reached the forest edge letting him work out all that energy. When we reached the edge I slowed him because I didn’t trust him as much as I did Star but I kept him at a good trot. The captain came up beside me, Richard soon joining on the other side of me. “How much further?”

Richard asked. So I pointed off to the west of where we were. “ The circle would be off that way, but the path won’t lead us there. Be faster on foot as you can’t miss the cliff but the treck won't work for the horse.”

Richard nodded. “Could she have been taken through the woods on foot to another path.”

I shifted on the saddle thinking. “Only other road for miles is far south…”

The captain piped in then. “It’s ten miles south of here, with the angle you’d be looking at ten to twenty miles from the circle to find another road.”

Richard nodded. “Unless they cut a new road or path without your knowledge.”

Even I nodded at that. “It’s possible but doubtful.”

Richard gave me an odd look. “Why?”

I rubbed the back of my neck. “ Forest is pretty active with the townsfolk, for hunting, gathering herbs, or wild plants, we’ve a berry patch in there big enough to feed half the city, Not to mention a large lake that has formed along the river for good fishing.”

The captain piped up. “He’s right. Someone would have likely noticed. The best bet would have been them going further west along the road and choosing another path further out if they wanted to change directions.”

Richard nodded. “We can’t discount it completely, however.”

“Agreed.” Was the captain’s response and I only nodded.

Richard shifted back to talk to his men and I continued on. “You aren’t very formal around the king.”

I blinked and looked over to the Captain. “Uh.. well I’ve never really been around a king before.”

The captain shook his head. “You and your Grandmother are so alike, treating them for the most part like normal people unless in the middle of a situation were it’d be seen as totally rude or unacceptable.”

I scratched the back of my neck sort of glancing off. “Sorry.”

It was mumbled and the Captain just shook his head. “Not even showing the due respect to me either.”

I sighed and turned to look at the captain. “Not sure what you want me to say, Sir. I mean I can get all formal if you really want but I’d rather just treat you like a person instead of a title since I’m not one of your men.”

He shook his head and laughed. “Just like your Grandmother.”

I really was starting to take that as a compliment. We cleared the forest without really talking anymore and made it to the stone circle. I pulled Ox up at the forest’s Edge. “Here we are. I was sleeping in the middle there to watch the sunset, never even heard anything till the horse woke me.”

Richard was the one that barked orders. “Let my trackers look around first.”

The men Richard had brought spread out after a few minutes one of them came back. “Your Majesty. The horse must have been wandering around here for hours, hoof prints everywhere, but they are lighter as if the horse was just idly wandering around. We found what we think is the girls' prints near the circle’s edge but the horse tracks cover the rest of her steps and wander aimlessly. We don’t see any change in the weight of the prints until what looks to be this man’s body gets up from the ground and climbs up on the horse to take it out of here. His weight in the ground is consistent with someone that slept in the same place for several hours. I don’t think he’s lying.”

Richard sighed. “The forest edges?”

The tracker shook his head. “Not disturbed and the road out of here shows no signs of use in the past two days. It’s like the child was plucked off into thin air.”

Richard rubbed his face and looked at the captain. “Could it be someone have planned it and waited out here for her convinced her to sneak off and leave her horse behind?”

The captain shook his head. “The Princess rarely if ever left the Castle ground, and when she did it was always mixed into a group of guards dressed as one of the younger pages with others of them mixed in as if a training ride.”

Richard sighed rubbing his face. “So we’ve nothing to tell Charles.”

I spoke up then. “We do have one thing.”

They all looked at me. “There are no signs she was harmed or killed, no signs of a struggle.”

I looked at the tracker. “Anything near the cliff edge?”

He shook his head. “Not even the horse went up to the edge, She didn’t go over.”

I nodded. “So that’s what we tell the king, the truth. We’ve got no signs she was taken by force or harmed, no sign she ended up over the cliff. If anything it looks like she ran away on her own power. She might have left the horse because it was easy to recognize, we have proof she didn’t take the road, didn’t go into the forest. If she went back down the west road we’d likely have trampled any signs, but she didn’t leave by any other way, we can check the path on the way back the forest edges.”

I shifted on the horse. “If she went back to the city we’d have no way to find her if she left from the city itself, searching the whole thing is possible but who knows how many folks have hidden rooms.”

Richard and the Captain nodded. “So she did this herself.”

I nodded. “Or had help. Either way, she did it willingly from as far as we can tell.”

Richard sighed. “It’s going to break Charles’ hear to know his child ran away from him. Why would she?”

The captain winced. “The Queen only told the princess yesterday that she was to meet her possible husband candidates.”

Richard cursed under his breath. “So she ran from an arranged marriage.. She’s what Seventeen? Did her mother not prepare her for it?”

James spoke up. “No your Majesty, the Princess had no prior warning or training on the matter other than being told how a wife should behave.” He paused a moment, then continued. “The Princess was trained by her father and brothers how to fight, and survive much like a knight would be in secret from her mother as well.”

Richard cursed again. “So we have a young girl, who can take care of herself, knows how to dress up like a young man, and act like one who suddenly gets told she has to get married to a man she doesn’t know and her whole world is going to change. No wonder she ran for fucks sake…”

I chuckled. “Explains a lot.”

Most of the men nodded and Richard continued. “Well, at least now I’m not worried about some damsel in distress. We will go back, take our time, check the path, but I need a word with Charles.”

We all nodded, I was more than happy to be done with this hunt. I looked at the captain. “You mind if I head on back before the rest of you? I’d like to spend time with my Grandmother.”

The captain looked like he was about to argue before Richard spoke up. “I’ll go with him, take two guards with me.”

The captain nodded. “As you wish your majesty, I’d like to send a few of my own back with you.”

Richard nodded. “Of course, your fastest riders, however.”

The captain nodded and assigned ridders. Soon enough we were racing back. I felt free on the horse, not as much as with Star but close enough that I enjoyed the ride. We slowed as we reached the cities edge, Richard taking up riding next to me, two of my father’s guards in front of us. “Dylan.”

I turned to look at him when he said my name, something I’d been avoiding for most of the trip because I didn’t want to be caught staring at his handsome face. “Your Majesty?”

“Your Grandmother tends to the health of the horses here, all of them from my understanding and while not holding the title is pretty much considered the stable master.”

I smirked thinking of Jain. “That would be true.”

Richard nodded. “I also understand that’s she taught you everything she knows.”

I nodded. “That’s also true your Majesty.”

“Even breeding and birthing?” He studied me as he asked the question.

I nodded. Jain had asked my father when I was fifteen if I could start helping with the birthing of the horses. He thought it was a great way to get me used to the idea of humans having children without him having to explain. And when I’d first turned sixteen Jain had taken me to my first breeding. I’d helped with ten breedings, and nearly thirty births, with only one foal, lost. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

He gave a firm nod. “You’d likely take over your grandmother here when she passes later in life.”

I considered it. “I’d thought about it, but I’d like to travel, see the world a bit first. Plenty I’ve never been able to see and return home when I’m ready.”

He grinned then. “Come work for me.”

I blinked. “What?”

He laughed. “Come work in my stable for a year, when I go off to other kingdoms on the business you come with me. Train a few of my men to be as good as you and your Grandmother.”

I considered it, looking away from him to the streets of the city that surrounded my home, looking up to the castle in the distance. “I’ll have to talk to Grandma Jain first. Family secrets and all that.”

Richard laughed, and I could finally admit the sound of his laughter stirred things in me I didn’t understand. “Of course. Come see me later when you’ve decided. I’ll be here till week's end.”