Like crows,

ripping at the flesh of an infant,

they caw,

and devastate the babe to destruction,

With sharp beaks,

they gnash violently with ferocity,

Over again,

they repeatedly peck the child,

With finality,

they leave nothing but bones and blood.

A shiver shot up Madeleine’s spine as she read the poem over again, a smirk hidden at the corner of her mouth. Placing her quill down beside the parchment, she thought of what Danielle would say if she ever laid eyes on the horrific masterpiece.

Content with the morning’s work, she stretched, then stood up from the small wooden desk beside her bed and looked around. Morning sunlight poured through the large Nebrasian windows into the extravagant room.

She gazed at a nearby wall, where the large tapestry hung, depicting a striking woman with a crown on her head. The ruler had blonde hair tucked away into an ornate bun with matching jewels that decorated her shoulders and gown. Her eyes were a bright blue. Madeleine wondered who she was then noticed a name embroidered in gold letters at the bottom reading: Queen Gabrielle. She recalled King Luc’s tired, hollowed face and stared at the beautiful monarch.

A bird chirped outside her window, and she ran over to greet it, forgetting the looming tapestry. The small finch sat on the window’s ledge on the other side of the glass, staring at her before flying away.

Her room was in one of the taller towers of the castle, and everything outside appeared miniscule. The tiny houses in the nearby town were like figurines, and she imagined bright music and people dancing in a circle with what she imagined harvest decorations looked like. The sun peeked just over the hills and more songbirds began to sing. The scene was so peaceful, her eyes began to feel heavy.

A quick movement caught her eye, and she blinked as a small figure horse with a toy rider darted across the landscape. The pair charged straight for the stables on the east side of her gazing spot, so she had to strain slightly to see the wooden building.

The horse slowed, and the rider dismounted. She squinted, pushing her face against the glass. The man was wearing a light blue faded shirt and gray breeches with tall riding boots. He untacked his horse and disappeared with the animal into the large building.

She wished desperately for him to return so as to spy on him longer, but he did not. Sighing, she came away to sit on her bed.

A knock came at the door and her four ladies-in-waiting came sweeping in. She stood and held her arms out as they prepared her for the day.

“Did Your Majesty sleep well?” the amber-skinned maid asked.

“Yes, quite well, Arielle.” Madeleine stared straight ahead as she answered. “I would like to go riding today with the princes. Do you think the king would allow it?”

“I would not know, Ma’am, but this morning you are attending breakfast with the king and the princes. Perhaps you could mention the ride to him then?” Arielle helped her into buckled shoes.

“Yes, I think I will. If they cannot, will you ride with me, Arielle?”

The servant blinked. “It is improper for a lady-in-waiting to partake in such—”

“Yes, yes,” she interrupted, sighing. “It would be inappropriate to play with the princess or do anything improper.”

Arielle gave her a small smile. “It will be nice to have other royalty your age to play with, Princess. I believe those princes may be the solution to your boredom.”

Madeleine looked at her for a moment, her eyes large and full of loneliness. Quickly regaining her composure, the usual hazy, bored acceptance returned to her expression as Madeleine held her position while the other women worked skirts over her head and fastened her stays.

♛♚♛

The princess gaped at the dining room. Enormous red and gold curtains draped over stained-glass windows and the chairs were beaded with jewels and gemstones.

A vast fireplace with figures carved into stone sat directly at the end of a grand table and looking up, she saw that even the ceiling was covered in ornate designs. A golden chandelier dangled from the top, shining on the tapestries that hung on the walls.

After getting used to her surroundings, she gazed curiously at the blond boy with dark circles under his eyes sitting opposite her.

Prince Adrian peeked at her once, scowled, and didn’t glance her way again. He had sharp blue eyes, the same eyes that the blonde woman from the tapestry had, and ivory skin. He had messy hair, and his jaw was defined for a boy of only fifteen.

His brother, Antoine, showed his teeth in a friendly gesture when he caught her staring and grabbed a piece of venison from the center of the table.

“What sort of collection does the Nebrasian library possess?” Queen Nicole asked enthusiastically, hand under her chin.

Her mother, who was wearing a beautiful yellow dress with a crisp white Medici collar behind her head, sat across from King Luc, leaning towards him.

The king sighed, staring at his plate. “Oh, there are books from all over Elderian. Science, history, fiction…Gabrielle would spend all her time there because she loved reading ever so much—” He stopped, clutching his fork rigidly.

The queen looked around quickly, a look of slight panic on her face. “Er, did I mention that venison is my favorite?”

“It is Prince Adrian’s as well,” King Luc said, his expression changing. “I remember he would request we serve venison every night. He’d eat several plates of it.” This memory seemed to lift some of the sad lines on his face.

Adrian sat stiffly, not looking at anyone, barely touching his food.

Silence filled the dining hall. Madeleine stewed for a while, finally mustering up the courage to speak. Her voice squeaked a little as the first few words came out.

“Your Majesty,” she addressed the king who looked up at her in slight surprise. “Would it be alright if I went riding with the princes today, perhaps after breakfast?”

Adrian’s blue eyes blinked up at her.

“Yes, yes of course,” King Luc replied dismissively. “Adrian and Tony will go with you right after breakfast.”

A groan escaped Adrian’s mouth.

“I don’t have the heart to ride anymore,” the king went on to say, “so I think the queen and I shall continue our idle chat after you leave, before I must attend my meetings.”

The queen grimaced when she heard this while Madeleine smiled brightly in contrast.

Antoine was the only other person excited about the recent change of events and he sputtered a little when he spoke, a drumstick clutched in one of his hands. “I’ll do the honor of riding the magnificent Foudre! Oh, and Adi,” he addressed his brother with his drumstick, and Adrian frowned at the nickname, “you can ride old Jacqueline since you rode Foudre last time. Ha!”

The eldest made a face but said nothing.

“Who will I ride, Prince Antoine?” she asked.

“Please, call me Tony,” the young boy replied, his face beaming. “You can ride Marionette. She’s a stunningly beautiful roan with a gorgeous white mane and tail. She also tends to poop the least when you’re riding her.” He winked, causing her to giggle.

Adrian rolled his eyes and looked down at his hands in a huffed silence.

“Do you ride often, um, Tony?” She awkwardly stumbled over the nickname.

“I may or may not be a horse-riding expert.” He brushed curls out of his eyes. “Just ask Prince Adi.”

“Shut up, Tony,” Adrian cut in darkly. The blond prince folded his arms and put his head into them on the table.

The princess stared at the fair, messy hair, not sure what to make of the older prince.

Antoine leaned towards her, his hand cupped over his mouth. “You’ll get used to him. He’s actually a nice brother.”

She did not respond, continuing to blink at the blond.

After the meal, Madeleine rushed to her room to get ready for the morning ride, later meeting the princes in front of two great oak doors leading outside.

She wore a bright-red riding frock with a white, velvet cape draped around her shoulders, and crimson gloves made of a thin leather covered her hands. A thin hat with a feather in it was pinned to her head.

Antoine grinned at her when she arrived, while Adrian’s face hardened.

Once outside, the two princes led her off the paved trail and into tall, thick grass that in some places towered over Antoine, completely swallowing him up. She could barely see the enormous stable over the top of the endless stretches of golden brown, struggling to get her skirt untangled as the princes trudged ahead.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Antoine insisted this path was more exciting. “There’s snake holes and little animals scurrying about and best of all, sometimes there’s lost treasures!” He bent down and picked up a rusted coin. “Ah-ha!” He had a little skip in his step as he walked, putting the coin in his pocket.

To her surprise, Adrian was no longer annoyed, in fact, he stomped after Antoine in an almost pleasant manner. She stared at the back of his head, wondering what he had been like before his mother died.

The boys disappeared into the stables and Madeleine quickly followed after them. The building was filled with rows upon rows of stalls with horses stamping and whinnying.

Antoine stopped in front of one of the horses and turned, saying, “This one’s Marionette. I’ll ask a servant to tack her up for you where she’ll be ready outside to mount.” He slipped a handful of oats into her hand and winked. “She’ll love you for this.”

He left her standing there and she realized Adrian had disappeared as well. She was not at all opposed to this however and breathed in the strong scent of hay. She closed her eyes briefly before opening them again, thinking of how she felt when she would ride at home in Andveltica when no one was around.

She gazed at Marionette, taking in her blueish-gray coat and white mane and tail. The dark animal eyes stared into hers and the small girl jumped slightly when the creature suddenly shook its head, letting out a soft whinny.

She reached up and stroked the horse’s neck, watching its jaw move up and down as it munched on the oats in her other hand. Marionette wanted more and shoved her nose against Madeleine’s hand, causing her to giggle.

“Your Highness.”

She jumped again, turning to see a handsome, older man in a light blue shirt with a pair of reins in his hand, staring at her inquisitively. He had mousy brown hair, slightly tanned arms, and a pale, white face. “Please forgive me, Princess. Prince Antoine informed me you would be riding Marionette.”

She stared at him then remembered the tiny horse-riding figure from her window and her eyes lit up. “What is your name?”

Marionette had stopped chewing and snorted at the man’s approach, asking for his affection as well.

“Justin Chevalier, the stableman, at your service.” He bowed.

“Well, Mr. Chevalier, it is nice to meet you.”

He glanced down at her right hand. “Did Prince Antoine give you those?”

She hesitated, looking at the leftover bits of oats in her palm, then nodded. “He said Marionette would love them.”

“He was right, of course. I’m sure you’ll be great friends in no time.”

She blinked at him. “Prince Antoine and I?” A faint hope once again filled her chest and her thoughts turned fondly to the young boy.

The stableman shook his head. “I was talking about Marionette, but Prince Antoine is such an amiable boy, I’m sure you will become great friends as well.”

There was a pause.

“Well then, I’ll leave you to tacking up Marionette.”

He nodded. “Very good, Your Highness. I’ll bring her out front when she’s ready.” Bowing again, the man lifted the latch on the stall and closed the wooden door behind him.

Madeleine took a step forward, then glanced over her shoulder to see Justin whispering something to Marionette while slipping a bridle over her head. The horse nuzzled his arm as he tightened the straps, and she wondered what he was saying.

Outside the stables, Adrian was already mounted on his horse, talking to Antoine. His expression was dark and after uttering a final word, he galloped off in a huff. Antoine, who was standing in the tall grass and watching his older brother ride away, stuck his tongue out. He caught sight of Madeleine watching him and grinned sheepishly.

She approached. “What was that all about? Adrian seemed rather upset.”

“Oh, he’s always like that. Always brooding and glaring. He’s just upset that we all have to ride together, so he went off on his own.”

“Oh.”

“It’s for the better though. He’s way too gloomy. I’d love to ride with you and I think this was an excellent idea!” She smiled gratefully. “It would, however, do that brother of mine some good if he were interested in girls, if you know what I mean.”

She stared at him. “No, I don’t know what you mean.”

“I mean, if he had a girl to think about and fill up his head to the brim with, he wouldn’t have any room in that skull to brood. Father isn’t much better, though...” He looked down, his words trailing off.

“He does seem very tired all the time.”

“Tired and moody. Where do you think Adrian gets it from? I don’t understand. Why would someone who is living and breathing spend all their time locked up in a room being sad about someone who’s dead? They might as well be dead themselves.”

She gasped. “Tony!”

“What? It’s true isn’t it, and just because they act that way doesn’t mean I should too.” He looked away angrily.

“I’m sure you would understand if you were a little older. Different people mourn in different ways, or so I’m told.” She cleared her throat, unsure of what she was saying. “Your mother must have been very special to you too. Maybe you just deal with your pain in a different way. I think Adrian just misses her.”

“I suppose so.” He breathed out, making his curls lift momentarily from his forehead.

They both grew silent, and she wondered if she had any place to lecture Antoine on such things. As she stood thinking, Justin appeared with Marionette on a lead rope.

A stable boy came up behind him, leading a jet-black horse with a white star across its forehead.

“Is that Faudre?” Madeleine asked, pointing to the black stallion, eyes wide.

Antoine nodded with a sly grin. “It sure is.”

“And poor Adrian is riding old Jaqueline.”

He laughed. “I was only joking at breakfast. You really think with all the horses we have in the royal stables Adrian would choose an old mare? Ha! He’s riding Philip.” He mounted Faudre and trotted a little ways off, abruptly ending their conversation.

The princess watched him for a moment before approaching her own horse.

Justin helped her into the saddle as she swung her legs over the left side, placing them snuggly against the side-saddle riding head. Clucking at her horse, she caught up with the curly-haired prince who had stopped a moment to wait for her.

He grinned. “What do you say we race to the edge of the grounds?”

She looked straight ahead and could barely see the wall off in the distance surrounding the castle grounds. Before she could officially agree to the race, the prince had already started his horse forward into a canter.

“Tony, wait!” Using the riding crop in her right hand, she encouraged her horse from a trot into a canter, chasing after the boy.

She couldn’t help but laugh as the powerful animal lunged forward and the wind whipped through her hair. As she clucked and tapped lightly with her cane, Marionette charged until they were going full speed ahead. She quickly passed Antoine who, in a panic, kicked his horse frantically with the backs of his heels.

As they rushed past a few trees and bushes, Madeleine entered a dream-like state where she was no longer aware of Antoine or Adrian or anything else, and all that mattered was the wind whipping through her hair and the crashing sound of hooves below her.

She did not think of her sister, the sweating sickness, or even the dreary Andveltican castle she called home. She certainly did not notice the Nebrasian wall creeping ever closer, appearing larger than ever.

Her eyes watered slightly, and the wind made her skin feel like ice. A voice in the distance yelled something, but it did not reach her. She closed her eyes for a moment, pushing her nose into the horse’s mane.

When she opened them again, her eyes widened in a panic as she realized the perimeter wall was only a few gallops away. A hand seized her reins and Marionette turned away from the daunting barrier.

Looking over in a daze, Madeleine blinked in disbelief at Adrian’s piercing blue eyes and the hand still holding her reins, redirecting her steed.

Her heart was pounding as she tried to comprehend what had just happened. With a gentle, gloved hand, Adrian handed her back her reins after both their horses had slowed to a walk.

“You know,” his voice had an unrecognizable energy to it, “the castle grounds are enormous, but for you I’m afraid, not enough so.” There was a glint in his eyes, and she stared. “Did you think the landscape would just keep going on forever, or were you planning to jump Marionette over a stone wall taller than a house?”

She blinked. The two of their horses were walking side by side now.

“If I hadn’t been jumping Philip when I heard Antoine yelling,” he continued, “I may not have made it in time. Marionette would have thrown you. Where would we be then?” He gave a small laugh. Seeing her perplexed expression he frowned. “Princess, are you alright?”

Madeleine overcame her muteness and stood up a little straighter in her saddle. “Yes, quite all right.” Her voice wavered a little. “Thank you for assisting me. I hope you’ll forgive me for my behavior.”

The peculiar smile crept back on his face. “Assisting you? Why, I saved you from a tragic accident!” He couldn’t stop grinning. “And there’s nothing to forgive.”

There was silence as they walked until Antoine appeared, galloping alongside them.

“Hello!” He called to them from atop Faudre, flashing his crazed smile. “I’m glad you were there in time to save Madeleine, Adi. Without you, she would have smashed right into that wall!” He laughed hysterically as the princess looked down in shame.

“Go away, Tony.” Adrian had returned to his solemn self, glaring at his younger brother.

“Aww, but I just got here, besides, Madeleine doesn’t mind, right?”

She looked at him with a smile. “I don’t mind.”

“So there.” Antoine puffed out his chest and raised his chin to the sky.

A long silence crept over them then. After a long while, despite Antoine’s previous protests, he finally breathed out a large sigh, saying, “I change my mind, you guys are boring. I’m going to jump Faudre. Watch me, won’t you, Madi?” He trotted away without hearing her answer.

The young girl and the blond-haired prince continued at the same slow pace, watching him leave.

Adrian looked over at her. “Are you sure you’re alright? You were so distracted back there...what were you thinking about?”

She fidgeted with her reins for a moment before answering. “I-I wasn’t thinking about anything. I just sort of let go, I suppose. I don’t know what came over me.”

He blinked. “Was it sort of like entering another world?”

“What?”

“Just now, you were completely unconscious of your surroundings, sort of like entering another place, like a dream or somewhere in your subconscious.”

She was unconsciously pulling up on her reins. “Yeah, that’s probably because,” she hesitated, “I-I’ve been trying to forget about my sister.” The knot was in her throat again and she bit her cheek to keep the tears from appearing. She had never brought up Courtney to anyone before, much less shown that the news upset her. His imploring look seemed to beg her to continue.

She swallowed before saying, “She contracted sweating sickness, and you know, is the reason I had to come here. I can’t stop thinking about what will happen to her, and if I’ll ever see her again.”

“I go to that world too, Madeleine.” She searched his face, her lip trembling; his eyes were kind and understanding. “Whenever I think of my mother, I have no sense of my surroundings and no awareness of real life sometimes. I’ll sit and stare for hours, wondering if I can ever move on.”

She looked at her reins. “I can’t imagine losing one of my parents, even if they do ignore me all the time, just like everyone else.” She was biting her cheek again. “At least you have Anto—er, Tony. He actually plays with you and talks to you, and he’s happy all the time.”

“He’s always cheerful, yes, but I know he hurts inside.”

She could see the young boy riding in the distance, hopping small, white fences that had been put up in a circuit.

There was a pause.

“Courtney was so sick last I saw her,” Madeleine finally said. “What’s even the point in having hope?”

Adrian pulled up on his horse suddenly, and she thought he looked angry. “Don’t say that. She still has a chance.” She met his gaze and those eyes pierced into hers, causing her own to well up. “You’ll drive yourself insane thinking about what could happen. You must believe she will be alright.”

Something came loose inside her, and she had to look away. Her voice was thin and weak. “How can I? I wonder sometimes,” her throat was dry, “if my sister is already dead and the messenger is just taking a while getting here.” She burst into tears, letting go of her reins to cover her face in embarrassment.

Adrian stared for only a moment before he dismounted his horse and took both their horse’s reins. “Why don’t we walk the rest of the way,” he said gently. “You had quite a shock just now and walking it off may do you good. Come on.”

She slid off the horse as he helped her down and she stood there helplessly, tears streaming down her face. He pulled her into a gentle hug, and she gripped the front of his shirt as she sobbed.

“Don’t worry, Princess,” he said softly. “You aren’t alone here.”

“I’m not?” She looked up, wiping her eyes.

“We’re friends, aren’t we?” She stared at him, open-mouthed. “And if you’re interested, there’s a play later today that you must attend. Tony and I will join you.”

Her eyes sparkled. “Oh, that sounds wonderful.”

They returned to the stables soon after and Antoine soon caught up with them.

“We’ll see you there later, okay?” Adrian said, leading his horse away.

“Yeah, see you, Madi!” Antoine called.

“See you.”

Madeleine gave her reins to Justin, who took the roan. She was then escorted by her maids, who reported that lunch was in an hour and the princess needed to look presentable.

As she walked toward the castle, she glanced back at the brothers who seemed to be talking civilly again as they walked side by side with their horses in hand. A small grin spread over her face, and a warmth tugged at her heart.