As I looked around the room, my eyes landed on the winner of the second round. He gave me a disapproving look as if he had some kind of issue with me. Strangely, I don't remember ever meeting him before.
“Belle!” I nudged her.
“Who is that guy wearing all black and funny hat?”
Belle raised an eyebrow. "Isn't he the guy who always gets his butt kicked by you?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," I said with exaggerated innocence.
"But seriously, who is he?"
"I just told you, silly. The guy who always loses to you," Belle replied, rolling her eyes.
As the man stood up, he walked a few steps towards us, but suddenly stopped and turned back. As he passed by me, his head turned around and he stole a quick glance in my direction.
Suspicious.
I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to face the suspicious man.
"Hey there," he said in a gruff voice. My heart skipped a beat as I wondered if I had done something wrong. "Just be mindful when you're walking," he cautioned. I couldn't quite tell if his tone was meant to be threatening, but I appreciated the tip either way.
Lost in thought, I walked absentmindedly toward my horse.
Oh no!
My foot landed on something squishy and foul-smelling. Looking down, I realized with disgust that I had stepped on a giant turd.
"How did I not see that?" I muttered to myself, trying to scrape the mess off the bottom of my boot.
The smell was unbearable and I couldn't believe my luck. I carefully walked around it and tried to avoid anything else that might be lurking on the ground.
“The final round is here for all riders and their horses. We urge everyone to head towards the starting line to avoid any delays. This is the last chance to exhibit your riding abilities, so give it your best shot. Let's display our skills and give the crowd a show to remember. We look forward to seeing some fantastic performances. Don't hold back and go all out!”
With determined strides, we made our way toward the starting line for the ultimate round of the horse race. The air was thick with anticipation as each rider prepared for what would be a grueling competition. The thundering of hooves could already be heard in the distance, as the crowd cheered in excitement.
“Get ready on the line. In three, two, one -”
With the sound of the gates, the race was on. Thundering hooves and dust filled the air as horses galloped towards the finish line. I tightened my grip on the reins and leaned forward, urging Edward to go faster.
‘Thud’
My horse collided with another horse as we came around the corner. The impact nearly knocked me off balance, and I struggled to regain control of my mount. My heart raced with fear as I tried to regain control of my horse, the adrenaline surging through my veins. I looked over to see the other rider struggling to steady their horse as well. It was him. The turd guy. Was it intentional?
I glared at him, and he looked away, avoiding my gaze.
“Edward! Edward! Edward!”
The sounds of applause snapped me back to the present moment. I had gambled every penny I had on this race, so winning was crucial. I couldn't afford to lose.
Coming nearer to the finish line, I quickly whispered to Edward, "10 S Class apples and peaches for dinner."
He was visibly motivated by the thought of the delicious fruit, and with a burst of energy, he sprinted towards the finish line with all his might.
“Third round and overall winner, horse number 4, Edward!”
Finally, we crossed the finish line in the first place. The crowds erupted into a frenzy of cheers and I was overwhelmed with relief and triumph. With a broad grin on my face, I raised my fists in victory and basked in the glory of my hard-earned success.
“Neighhhhhhhh!!!”
Yes, Edward. Yes. It was your hard-earned success. I gave him a pat on his back.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
After all the excitement had died down, it was time to present the awards for the horse race.
My 10 000 Gold. I am finally rich.
“Err…. We have a special announcement to make. The Princess has announced a special upgrade to the top prize for the competition tonight, which will be worth more than 10,000 Gold, Amulet of the Eternal Sun, and Crystal of Enchantment combined. This unprecedented prize is set to honor the winner in a way that surpasses all previous rewards.”
Oh, shit.
“Therefore we would like to announce that the first price will be….”
F- this shit.
“A one-of-a-kind treasure-”
Triple shit.
“- a signed picture from none other than the Princess herself!”
“F- you, tomato head!!!!”
I swear you have nothing good under your hat.
“…..and also……A new law has been passed tonight!… ahem…” The spectator fidgeted. “Gambling is illegal on every 10th of the month. So all winning gold for tonight will be confiscated.”
I swore, by the way she was staring at me, she was doing that on purpose.
I gave a death stare to the princess, and to my surprise, I finally noticed a familiar face in the front row, mouthing something to me.
“R E B E L”
I was on the verge of giving a thumbs up, but as a smack landed behind his back, I slowly pulled back my hand.
Sweet Mother of God Persimmon.
"Persimmon..." The turd guy came up to me as I was leaving the race course. "Congratulations on winning. I heard that you’re leaving for the border. I wanted to beat you at least once, but I guess I will never get the chance again.”
"Thank you," I replied, feeling a bit surprised by his sudden appearance. "And yes, I am leaving for the border soon. But who knows, maybe we'll meet again someday and you'll get your chance to beat me." I offered a small smile and extended my hand.
"Thank you, and..." He handed me a bouquet of roses. "All the best for your journey.”
As I took a whiff of the beautiful roses, I noticed that his face was turning red as he stared at me.
“Now that you've had your hair cut, you look oddly familiar. It's as if we've met before, outside of the race course.
“Kindergarten…. primary school…”
“Wait a minute, you're that kid from the playground!" I exclaimed, recognizing him from my childhood. "We used to play together all the time!"
"Yeah, and you also..." he hesitated, looking down at the ground as he spoke, "promised me...that you would marry me someday." He finished speaking with a sheepish grin that didn't match his deep voice and muscular body. He seemed slightly nervous, and his fingers fidgeted restlessly as he spoke, as if he was unsure of what to do with his hands.
Oh, my gosh. Did I really promise to marry him?
I swear I made that promise to like 10 boys when I was a kid. Was I secretly setting up a harem without even realizing it? Ugh, amateur mistake. Now I’m going to have to come up with some sort of “It’s not you, it’s me” excuse to get out of this.
The silent was awkward between us. I realized that I had no idea what to say. How do you respond to someone who claims you promised to marry them when you were both five years old? Just as I was about to stammer out some sort of excuse, a commotion from the crowd caught my attention.
"Persimmon! Over here!" A voice called out from the stands. I turned to see a familiar face waving excitedly at me.
“I’m sorry, I have to go, uh - over there.”
“Oh, yes. I’m sorry for holding you up. And one more, Persimmon…” As he ran his fingers through his hair and adjusted his glasses, my brain took a vacation from listening and instead zoomed in on his dreamy face. I swear, even his nose hairs seemed perfectly symmetrical.. “"Be careful………. you……… friend with.”
I watched him sauntered off the race course and my mind suddenly screamed, “Oh shoot, I forgot to get his name!”
And what was he saying again? Be careful with …what?
----------------------------------------
As I collapsed onto my bed, I can't help but felt a bit like a horse myself - tired, sweaty, and ready for a giant bowl of oats. Unfortunately, I'm broke as a joke.
‘Knock knock knock’
“Go away!”
‘Knock knock knock’
“I’m already asleep!”
‘Knock knock knock’
I groaned as the knocking persisted, shuffling over to the door in my pajamas. But the visitor was persistent as if they didn't understand basic human concepts like 'sleep.' Another round of knocks had me throwing open the door, only to be faced with...nobody.
Luckily, I didn't forget to check the floor.
A bouquet and a basket of food were sitting there obediently on the floor.
Was it my brother? Father? Mother?
As I picked up the items, I laughed to myself. Who needs a secret admirer when you have a family to shower you with love!
I put the bouquet on the table and rummaged through the basket. Cookies from my favorite bakery, a loaf of bread from my other favorite bakeries, shepherd's pie from my favorite restaurant, and some persimmons,
They were all my favorite foods. When I left the city, I was like a food orphan, wondering if I'd ever lay my tongue on those succulent delights again.
I sat on the bed, staring out of the window as I ate a little bit of everything to fill the never-ending poorness inside of me.
As I reached the bottom of the basket, my lips curved upwards as I touched something hard and familiar.
I shut that window tight, no way I'm gonna let some princess come crashing down the Inn's walls. I peeked around like a paranoid squirrel, checking left, right, up and down, just to make sure she wasn't gonna surprise me. Then I locked that baby up like my life depended on it.
Sneakily, I slyly pulled out each gold piece and cautiously placed them on the bed. I couldn't afford to make a peep - my heart pounding with each movement.
100 GOLD COINS.
I’m rich. Not filthy rich, but at least slightly above the poverty line. An average person earned roughly 10 Gold monthly, so if I were tight with my gold, I don’t have to worry about sleeping with bears in the wilderness or using the bushes as my bathroom until I reached Strawberry Field.
Methodically, I divided the gleaming gold into several portions, ensuring that each was kept securely and separately. Some I stashed inside my trusty backpack, while others found their place in my pocket or nestled under the folds of my robe. And still, more were hidden cautiously beneath the brim of my hat.
All comfortable and nestled in bed, I patted myself on the back for being so responsible. My pillow was extra fluffy, my sheets were silky smooth, and my bladder was empty. Perfection.
As I closed my eyes, thoughts of a carrot and apple paradise filled my mind. I frolicked through fields of crunchy goodness, chasing after the juiciest of fruits. Oh, how I longed to sink my teeth into those sweet treats. And, just like that, sleep took me away. Oh, the joys of being a horse!
Sorry for that, you just caught a glimpse of a horse dreaming in his sleep.