There was a gentle knock on the door and Angelique quietly stepped in. "Are you alright, Mademoiselle?" she asked, frowning in concern.
I sighed deeply as I pushed myself upright. "Time for riding?" I checked, avoiding her question.
As according to schedule, the five of us had been stripped out of our gowns and suits in exchange for jeans and riding boots. There were three stable hands waiting at the back entrance with the monsters.
"They are beautiful!" exclaimed Tess excitedly. She had gone to a summer horse riding camp when she was little and was clearly very comfortable around the beasts. "Oh, that's not the only beautiful thing," she whispered under her breath and then quickly made her way over to a white horse who was being held by a tall, black haired, muscled stable boy. Alexander, I think.
John was also very comfortable around the horses. He was from Montana, and had grown up on a farm. He immediately approached the beasts, examining each one, petting their necks, and making clicking sounds at them.
Alex and Grace were smart and stayed a little further back with me. They had never ridden before.
I smiled and then bravely approached Jacqueline, who they had brought out for me. I quickly pulled myself up into the saddle, impressed when I did it on my first attempt.
"Wow Cat, that's so brave! How did you do that?" asked Tess, slightly too loudly.
"Would you like some help, Mademoiselle?" asked Alexander.
"Oh, thank you so much! I've never been on a horse before," said Tess.
I rolled my eyes and watched as she let him lift her into the saddle. The faker.
I looked to my right to see that Alex had, with some help from one of the other stable hands, also managed to mount one of the horses and was now sitting in what appeared to be a very uncomfortable manner in his saddle. Grace, with some help from John, was also set to go.
Alexander expertly pulled himself up onto his horse, complete with saddlebags, and marched it around to face us. "Everyone good?" he asked, in his heavily accented voice.
We nodded.
"Ok, for those who have never done this before, to get your horse to move, or go faster, simply hit them in the ribs with your heels. To turn, pull on the side of the reins which are on the side you wish to turn. To stop, pull back," he explained.
Tess put up her hand, "Will you help me? I'm a little nervous."
"You can ride with me at the front," he assured her. "Let's start slowly."
Slowly, very slowly, we made our way across the grounds. After some initial issues getting her horse to move, my mother was now doing well and was chatting with John as they rode side by side. Alex was having difficulty in the steering department. His horse was stubborn and kept wandering off away from the group. Every once in a while I would hear a string of curse words, only to look over my shoulder and see Alex trying to convince his horse to co-operate with him as they headed off in some strange direction. Tess stayed at point, continuing her charade so that she could flirt with Alexander.
We came to the meadow and all dismounted our beastly steeds, Tess sliding down Alexander's chest when he came to help her. He blushed then cleared his throat and busied himself with the saddlebags.
"I have been instructed to leave these with you," he said, handing me a large blanket and a wrapped parcel. "I will come back for you in three hours." He bowed, then mounted his horse and took off at top speed into the trees.
"Oh my," said Tess, as she fanned herself with her hand.
"Oh, please," sneered Alex, as he snatched the blanket out of my hands and rolled his eyes.
We left our horses tied to a pair of trees, happily munching on some grass, and went to join Alex on the blanket he had spread out on the grass. I sat in the center and began unwrapping the package. I pulled out a series of drinks, salads and sandwiches before frowning, my hand closing around something strange.
I pulled out a thermos with a frown, Alex's name was written in swirly letters across the lid.
"What's this?" I asked, as I threw the thermos at him.
He caught it nimbly and examined it briefly. "Oh no," he groaned.
"What's that?" Tess asked curiously, looking over Alex's shoulder.
"Kraft Dinner, probably," he muttered.
"The castle has Kraft Dinner which they made especially for you?" said John, confused as he bit into a club sandwich.
"No. I got hungry last night, so decided to go to the dining room to see if I could get a snack. No one was around so I poked my head through the door that the servers go in and out of. It turned out to be a kitchen, and there was one girl there. I asked her if I could have something to eat. She asked what I wanted and I said Kraft Dinner. She laughed at me and made me Fettucini AlCato. And no..." he cut off, waving his hand towards the thermos in front of him on the blanket.
"Sounds like somebody's got a crush on you," teased Grace.
"At least she is more subtle than Tess," I joked.
"Hey," cried Tess, around a bite of butter tart. "I only have a couple of days left so I have to take advantage of what I can, when I can. Not everyone gets a boyfriend, fiancée and husband just thrown at them all in one."
"I know," I murmured, and put down my sandwich, my appetite now gone.
The limo rolled to a stop outside the amphitheater later that night, the photographers swarming closer to try and see who was inside. Subconsciously, I reached down beside me, but the hand I grabbed onto was far too petite and delicate to be the one I had been hoping for. Tess took my hand anyway, squeezing gently and smiling brightly at me.
"This is so exciting!" she said. "It's like we are at the Oscars or something, red carpet and all!"
Dinner had gone well. It was fun, like when we would all go out together back home in Santa Monica, just a little more elaborate. We were on to the second half of the night, the tricky part. Hopefully they would remember their impromptu training from earlier tonight.
I took a deep breath to calm myself, not sure if I was ready to do this alone, without Leopold here to lean on. I didn't have time to hesitate though, because suddenly M. Arsnault had opened the limo's door, and was helping everyone out and onto the red carpet.
They had been instructed to travel in pairs to make the transition from the car to the entrance easier. Tess and Alex were first. They were enjoying themselves maybe a little too much, waving and posing as they made their way down the red strip. John and Grace acted more subtle and reserved, awkward even. I was last, solo except for M. Lefevre who was shadowing me silently.
As I was the Royal representative tonight, the lights dimmed as soon as I had sat down, and the musicians filed out onto the stage. The conductor came out, bowed in my direction, and the music started.
"It's like being with a God!" Alex joked under his breath, nudging me in the ribs with an elbow. "You should make Principal Goldbloom bow down to you when we get back to school."
"This is just out of respect. You should see what happens when an actual member of the royal family goes somewhere," I told him.
"You'll just have to invite us back when you are Queen then," said Tess with a wink.
We got back late. Exhausted, I dragged myself back up to Leopold's and my tower, leaving a trail of my shoes, handbag and fascinator along the way. I slid the dress off my body as soon as I was in the bedroom, leaving it in a pool on the floor, and then crawled into Leopold's giant bed, and drifted off into a deep and dreamless sleep.
When Angelique woke me, the sun was already high in the sky, its light flooding into the room from the balcony. I yawned, not feeling at all rested.
"Mademoiselle Tess is looking for you, miss. She is waiting in your bedroom. I told her I would get you," said my maid quietly.
I guess my secret was out now then. Tess would have no problem putting the pieces together and figuring out where I had been. I pulled on one of Leopold's t-shirts, covering up the underwear I had slept in, and let Angelique lead me back to my room.
Tess was perched on my bed, dressed in
full riding gear. Her eyes ran over me when I came in, taking in my haggard appearance. I crossed my arms over my chest.
"You going riding again?" I asked, my voice coming out thick.
"Just got back actually, went out with Alexander. He is amazing, Cat, like no one I've ever met before," she gushed and then sobered.
"You miss him don't you?" she asked, looking me straight in the eye.
"So much it scares me," I replied.
Tess held out her arms, waving me closer. I immediately went to her, allowing her to hug me, to pull me down onto my bed beside her. "I just don't know what to do. I feel so lost when he's not around, but I don't know if I can do what I would need to, if I stay," I mumbled.
"Shh," Tess soothed, stroking my hair. "You need to relax, Cats. Enjoy all of this while you can. You will make the right decisions when you have to."
"I'm sorry," I sniffed, as I pushed myself upwards so that I was sitting, "You came here to tell me something."
"Don't worry about it, my story is the whole summer fling slash star struck lover's thing. It can't work out with Alexander and me. It's just fun while I'm here," explained Tess.
There was a knock on the door and Alex suddenly poked his head in, "Hey guys, can I come in for a sec?"
"Oh course, Alex, what's up?" I asked.
He looked back over his shoulder, down the hall, and then shut the door and crossed the room, joining Tess and I on the bed.
"Nessa won't leave me alone. She keeps popping up and trying to force feed me," he said exasperatedly, flopping down onto the pillows.
"You should have seen the stack of pancakes she gave him at breakfast, Cat. It probably could have fed the entire royal family for a week," Tess laughed.
"It's not funny," defended Alex. "I don't know what to do!"
"Why don't you just give in, live a little, have some fun. Cat did and look how that turned out," Tess said, waving her hand around, indicating my luxurious bedroom.
A clock chimed inside the library making me sigh and rise from the bed. "Time to get ready guys, Leopold's game starts in an hour."
"So, how does this work exactly?" John asked from beside me. We were at the field now, Felip, Beatrice, Hector, me, Alex, Tess, John and Grace, and were waiting for the game to start.
"They score by getting the ball into the other team's net. You pass it from player to player down the field. If the ball is dropped, the play is over, and it is given to the other team," Beatrice told him gently.
John frowned but nodded.
"It makes more sense once you see it," I reassured him.
The audience burst into applause as the players rode onto the field. My heart skipped a beat as my eyes found Leopold's familiar form, then stopped completely when I realized he was riding straight towards us. He slowed and dismounted Dave.
"Hello," he said smiling brightly. His eyes twinkled with excitement. He bowed slightly to his father. "They want Catherine to throw the first ball," he said, eyes boring into mine.
"What?" I blanched.
"Don't worry, you will be safe," Leopold reassured me and then waved me over to him. He grabbed hold of my waist, lifting me over the barrier and onto the turf beside him. He released all of me but my hand, leading me towards the center of the field, applause and camera flashes erupting around us.
"What do I have to do?" I asked him, trying to walk as gracefully as possible while my heels sunk into the ground with every step.
"You will go on one of the referees' horses, and throw the ball into the air to start the game, then the ref will take you back to your seat. Ok?"
I nodded.
"You have no idea how much I wish I could kiss you right now," he said suddenly under his breath.
I blushed. "I've missed you so much."
"Two more days," he said and brought my hand to his lips, kissing our linked fingers. I was surprised he did so in such a public location. "Oh, and Cat, here." He handed me his dog tags which I quickly fastened around my neck.
We arrived at center field. All of the players were dismounted, standing beside their horses. Leopold left me beside the ref and went to his allotted spot. He whistled loudly and Dave, who was still where he had left him by my parents, dutifully bounded over to stand beside his rider. The national anthem played, then the players mounted their horses.
The ref lifted me onto his horse, handed me the Canette ball, and then climbed up behind me.
"Shake hands," he said to Antoine and Leopold who were facing each other at center field. "Whenever you are ready, Mademoiselle."
I took a deep breath, and threw the ball up as hard as I could, then closed my eyes as all hell broke loose around me. I could feel the horse moving beneath me, feel the ref’s arm around me, keeping me in place on the bare back of his horse, but I kept my eyes closed until I was sure we had stopped.
"That was great, Catherine!" boomed Hector. He was right in front of me, hands extended in my direction. "Do you mind?"
I shook my head and let him lift me off the horse and back into the bleachers.
The game was intense, violent. Both teams were trying their best to win the title. Alex and John were absolutely entranced; Tess and my mother, both squeamish, were hiding their eyes. Both teams were neck and neck until the last minute, when Leopold scored the last goal. I could see the smile on his face from the opposite side of the field. He had got revenge for the last game I had seen.
We left quickly before the crowd had dispersed, led to the limos by our security guards.
"Absolutely amazing!" announced John.
"More like barbaric," said my mother.
Felip laughed, "Yes, it is very violent, but you must admit, fun to watch."
"And Leopold plays really well," complimented Alex.
"I thought Antoine had him a few times," admitted Hector, "But then Leopold got out of it. All that practicing he did with you last week must have helped," he winked at me.
I blushed and opened my mouth to retort but was cut off.
"Catherine," called a silken voice. Our security team stopped around us, clearly recognizing the voice as well. "Cat, wait," it called again.
I turned to see Leopold running down the front steps of the clubhouse, trying to catch us before we made it to the limos. He was panting by the time he made it over to us.
"Good job, son," said Felip, shaking Leopold's hand.
"No kidding," agreed Hector, and slapped his brother on the back.
"Thanks," Leopold smiled, then he turned to me. "Cat, I need my tags back."
"Oh," I said, hand flying to the chain around my neck. "I am so sorry, I forgot."
"It's fine, I thought we could switch," said Leopold. He took his dog tags from around my neck, and replaced it with his gold medal. His fingers lingered on its blue ribbon, where it sat against my collarbone.
"Do you have any time?" I asked him hopefully.
Leopold shook his head then leaned in, placing a delicate kiss on my cheek. "Keep it safe."
"Always," I vowed, then I was pulled into the limo.
Chapter Thirteen
It was raining the next morning. The entire sky was covered in swirling gray clouds, which were illuminated every few seconds by lightning bolts as they split the sky, forking their way toward the ground. I sat at Leopold's desk, wrapped in his duvet, a cup of tea in hand, watching the raindrops shatter as they hit the balcony. There was a knock at the door and Angelique slid into the room.
"Your family is awake now if you would like to go and see them, Mademoiselle," she reported. "I can go and run a bath for you if you wish, and lay some clothes out."
A rush of cold, damp wind blew through the open French doors making me shiver. I pulled the blanket tighter around my shoulders. "No, it's fine. I don't think we will be going anywhere today. I will be alright like this," I told her. I reveled in the thought of having a day off from lessons, and from going to events.
"Very well, Mademoiselle," Angelique bowed, and then left me alone in the
room again.
I sighed, placing my mug on the corner of the desk, and then stood, letting the blanket fall off my shoulders to the ground. It was time to go and see my family, see what the plans were for today. They were leaving in the morning, so this was their last day in Solis. It was unfortunate that it was raining, as the weather didn't give them the opportunity to go out with a bang, unless you counted the thunder.
I quickly pulled on a pair of Leopold's sweatpants, something that Mme. DuBeche had failed to include in my own wardrobe, grabbed my teacup, and set off through the corridors.
"Mornin' Cats," said John, around a mouthful of croissant when I entered their living room. He was seated on one of the plush couches, wrapped in a bathrobe. My mother smiled at me from beside the food trolley that had been brought to them, as she loaded her plate up with scrambled eggs. I went over to her and poured some fresh hot water into my cup.
"So, what do you guys want to do today?" I asked, as I dunked my teabag up and down. "I was going to take you to the beach, but I don't think that would be much fun in this storm."
"I was kind of hoping to explore the castle a bit more. I want to take some pictures of the architecture and stuff," my mom said, taking a seat next to John on the couch.
I sat down across from them, next to Alex, and placed my tea on the coffee table, hugging one of the decorative pillows. "You should check out the throne room, the chapel, the concert room, or..."
"You should come and show me your favorites," my mother said, "I'd love to get you in a few of the shots. It's not every day you get photos of your royal daughter in a castle."
I smiled sadly. "I can't, at least not until later tonight. The castle is open to the public on Thursdays. We are not allowed out of the private apartments and living quarters to prevent a guest or tourist from seeing or photographing us unaware. You're free to wander though, but you would enjoy taking a tour. The guides will explain the history of the galleries, staterooms, and the ballroom. I can hook you up with the guide who knows the most about the architecture. Later, I can show you around the private rooms."
The Inherited Series Book 1: The Inherited Page 17