Katryna Bower held a firm grip on the horn of her saddle with one hand and the reins in the other. Her palms were slick with sweat.

Boom boom.

Boom boom.

Her heartbeat was like an earthquake from within her chest. Her brown eyes grew wide as she willed for her anxiety to settle. She knew she was safe, but felt like she was in great peril.

Katryna had never been a confident horse rider, despite growing up with her mare Tulip. Riding for several weeks straight was not easy for anybody, let alone when riding made them nervous.

Katryna always remembered her instructor’s tips when it came to riding- “Trust her, and she will trust you… Balance your weight on Tulip’s centre of gravity and you will never fall off… Hold tight and never let go.” But she could never forget when she was little when her brother’s friend, Devon had gone on the wrong end of a stallion and ended up having his face kicked in.

The lessons she had undertaken as a child helped Katryna to learn the physicalities of horse riding, sure. But there was always something so terrifying about putting her life in the hands of a huge, powerful animal.

Tulip paced along the dirt road in a gentle trot, her golden mane blowing in the wind. It was almost as if she could sense her rider’s fear and made sure to keep steady.

That’s why I love you, gorgeous, Katryna acknowledged in her head, stroking the animal’s neck.

Tulip was a beauty to behold- all Camridian Aurous Mares were. Strong legs, a trusting nature, and most notably their long, flowing manes of sunlight.

Katryna exhaled deeply, trying to settle the butterflies in her stomach. Focus on your breathing.

The sun was hot on her back.

All she wanted to do was stop and make camp for the day. But night-time was a fair way off, and Katryna had responsibilities to attend to. She knew there wasn’t much choice in the matter.

She was needed back at Ravenrock, as soon as duly possible.

“…You must return home at once, Kat. Mother is dead, and now father is dying. We need you here…” the letter from her younger brother Finn had read. The letter was hiding away, folded up in the side pocket of her rider’s jacket. Far enough away to be out of sight, so she would not obsess over the horrible words contained within. But just close enough for her to reach if the torment in her mind forced her to take one last look.

Katryna and her company had been riding for several weeks from Redwatch. The distance to get back home, however, did nothing to quell Katryna’s despair and anticipation.

It was a road she never thought she would have to ride down again.

“Are you alright, m’lady?” a soft voice from behind asked.

Katryna looked into the sparkling blue eyes of her handmaiden, Trish. The woman wore a crimson-red, embroidered dress with dark leather boots and was sitting comfortably atop her horse. Her silky, golden hair blew in the breeze.

Katryna had always admired Trish’s striking features but would grimace and avert her eyes each time she saw the long scar running down the side of the handmaiden’s face.

Katryna smiled at Trish to try and ease her concerns. It was an “I’m alright but not really” sort of smile. The two were close, good friends even, and Katryna knew that Trish would only worry if she told her the truth.

I’m worried sick. My mother is dead. My father is dying. What will become of my House? What of my family? They loathe me, and I them. The riding is making me sick. All I want to do is get off this damn horse and run away.

“I’m fine,” Katryna murmured.

“You’re as pale as a ghost.”

Katryna tied back her long, brown hair into a ponytail to relieve some of the overbearing heat. “I’ll be alright. The heat is killing me, is all.”

Trish nodded, suspecting otherwise. Katryna would talk about her anxieties when she was ready, Trish knew that.

Katryna and Trish led the company; behind them were three guards in mail armour and two other servants.

They were taking the Spring Mile, a long stretch of dirt road through Camridia lined by huge green cypress trees. “The Mile”, as the locals called it, was much longer than a mile in length. Katryna had never understood why it was named so.

It ran from west to east across Camridia, ending at the capital, Ravenrock.

The Spring Mile, while not all that populated, had inns and farmhouses scattered along its length. Katryna’s company saw one every half hour or so.

They would pass farmers on their carriages, pulled by a myriad of livestock. Horses, cows, donkeys. The peasants’ carts were full of fresh vegetables and barrels of grain and wines for trade. Camridia was a lush, fertile land that grew plentiful resources.

The company had witnessed the odd traveller here and there. One old man they rode past had a walking stick, a great long beard, and a white monkey on his shoulder! Katryna was pleasantly surprised- she had never seen a monkey before.

The insects were out and biting this time of year, making the most of the warm sun, light winds, and blooming flowers.

Katryna tried to admire the beautiful Summer surroundings, but she was stuck in her head. The voice of her mother played on repeat.

“Katryna, what have you done?!”

Trish rode up to Katryna so that she could talk to her more personally. She turned back to make sure the guards and servants were out of earshot.

“A skeleton walks into a tavern,” Trish began. Katryna was taken aback by how out of nowhere the joke was that she was beginning to laugh. “The skeleton orders a beer and a mop.”

There was a pause. Katryna thought about it for a moment before rolling her eyes and chuckling. “That was terrible!”

Trish smirked, “I knew you’d like that one. I have cruder jokes I could tell you, but I wouldn’t want to hurt your delicate sensibilities.”

Katryna scoffed sarcastically. “‘Delicate sensibilities’?” She paused for a moment, thinking. “A friend of mine came back from war with one leg. We still don’t know whose leg it was.”

Trish chuckled to herself, shaking her head.

“How’s that for delicate sensibilities?”

“You’ve proven me wrong, princess. Where’d you hear that one from?”

“Ralf the squire, back in Redwatch.”

“Why am I not surprised? Helped get your mind off of whatever was bothering you, didn’t I?” Trish said.

Katryna nodded, realising her handmaiden was correct.

A cluster of whetbugs buzzed through the fields and all around the group. Their knife-like shape and huge bulging eyes freaked out most Camridian girls, but Katryna eyed them with a warm sense of familiarity.

It had been years since she’d seen a whetbug.

“Are you excited to be coming home? It’s been, what, six years since we left the capital?” Trish asked.

“Excited isn’t the right word, I don’t think,” Katryna said.

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“Pardon m’lady, I didn’t mean it like that,” Trish said apologetically.

Katryna shook her head. “No, I know you didn’t. I’m sorry. I’m anxious, is all. Not sure how I feel about anything right now.”

“That’s understandable. So much has happened, and everything is so up in the air.”

“And how many times have I asked you?” Katryna snickered. “You don’t have to call me m’lady, Trish.”

Trish smirked. “I know it annoys you, that’s why I keep doing it… m’lady.”

Katryna rolled her eyes with a smile on her face. Her attempts at making her feel a little better seemed to be working. Her stomach had stopped churning.

“What about you?” Katryna asked. “You haven’t been back to Ravenrock in just as long.”

Trish exhaled deeply. “I don’t know how I feel either, I guess. Where is home for me? Ravenrock was never really my home to begin with and it isn’t my home now. Frostcliff was never really my home either, to be honest. More of a business stopover for my father’s trading ship. Then, when I came into your father’s service, Ravenrock was my new home. So, I don’t know, I’m not sure what to expect or how to feel.”

“You and me both, Trish.”

Trish had been hired to serve as a personal handmaiden, all the way from Frostcliff in the faraway kingdom of the Highlands by her father on one of his various travels. Both Trish and Katryna were quite young at the time. Fourteen, we were, I think?

“I guess…” Trish paused. “I guess, I am a little excited to see Edrick, though.”

Katryna smirked as Trish blushed.

“Edrick, hey?” Katryna chuckled. “Creator, I forgot about him!”

“It’s been so damn long though, I’m not sure if he will even remember me.”

“Of course, he’ll remember you! How could he not?” Katryna gestured to Trish, acknowledging her beauty.

“I broke his heart when I left with you for Redwatch. Told him I may not ever come back. We were just kids-”

“Oh, pig’s arse,” Katryna cursed.

“M’lady! Language!” Trish gasped amusingly. “Do you expect to address the court with such a foul mouth?”

Katryna was hit with what felt like a punch to the stomach. Nothing made her ache more than the thought of having to come under the eagle’s eyes of all the Camridian lords, ladies, courtiers, and nobles again. Nonetheless, she put the thought aside.

“Last I heard, Edrick was working for your family in Castle Bower as a servant,” Trish continued.

“Well, that’s good news then. You won’t have to travel far to see him once we get there.”

“Damn, Edrick was so good in bed, too,” Trish randomly added, clearly daydreaming. “The way he ran his fingers through my hair…”

Katryna burst out with a chuckle. “Trish!”

“What? It’s true! Hung like a giant, too.”

Katryna put her finger to her smiling lips, “Ssshhh!” She peered back at her riding company to ensure they have not heard the conversation.

Trish shrugged with a smile.

The sun rose higher in the sky as the day went on. Katryna’s company made their way down the Spring Mile at a decent pace. She wanted to arrive at Ravenrock by nightfall. However, the closer they got, the more dread she felt. She wasn’t at all eager for this long-awaited homecoming.

“Katryna, what have you done?!”

By the time the sun was setting towards the horizon and the sky erupted in flaming orange, the Spring Mile was coming to an end, and dirt roads gave way to cobblestone. The area became busy with people of every social class going about their business.

The old cobblestone roads were covered with manure, straw, and mud. The smell of sea salt drifted into the air, drowning out the stench of peasant life and animal faeces, and the distant squawking of grey gulls hinted at the company closing in on their seaside destination.

Tulip suddenly let out a whinny of pain. The horse staggered, nearly throwing Katryna forwards off the saddle. Instinctively, she held her grip and stabilised herself against the sudden motion.

Tulip continued carrying on as if in distress, refusing to walk any further.

Trish leapt from her saddle and grabbed Tulips’ reins to stop her from panicking. “What is it? What happened?” Trish asked.

Katryna took in a deep breath to settle her shaken nerves before jumping down to check. “I’m not sure. She just freaked out.”

The company came to a halt on the side of the road to check on Tulip. Katryna made some gentle whispers into Tulip’s ear to settle her, stroking her smooth mane as she did. The mare continued to whinny. Katryna noticed she wasn’t putting much weight on her front leg.

“There,” Katryna said, pointing to the mare’s leg. “She must have hurt her leg or something.”

One of Katryna’s guards helped lift the horse’s leg up for the women to have a look. Sure enough, an old iron nail had pierced the bottom of the horse’s hoof.

“Oh, no,” Katryna murmured. She could imagine the pain Tulip must have been experiencing. “You poor thing.”

Trish tried touching the embedded piece of metal, but Tulip struggled.

“M’lady, we are almost within the city walls. Why don’t we find you another horse?” Trish suggested.

Katryna grimaced, looking up at the sky as twilight approached. She weighed up her options. Tulip shook her injured leg about.

“It’s no problem for us, my lady,” her guard said. “I can ride with you up to the castle and someone can stay with the mare.”

Passers-by, some on foot, others in carriages or horseback, rode around the group. Curious eyes wandered over, making Katryna feel a little uneasy.

“No,” Katryna said. “I will stay. I don’t want to leave her like this.”

Trish nodded. “She’s just a horse, Kat. Let’s find you another-”

“No,” Katryna said, shutting down the idea. “She’s not just a horse.”

Her father had gifted Tulip to Katryna on her twelfth birthday. She still remembered it vividly- it was one of the only gifts she ever received from her parents, despite coming from a wealthy family.

The twelfth birthday in Camridia is a rite of passage; it is the day a child turns into a responsible young person, the first step to becoming an adult. Parents are expected to give a valuable gift. An Aurous Mare was thus very fitting.

Katryna knew that while it was a gift for doing well in her studies, and to help ease her anxieties about riding, it was also a subtle message from her father that she needed to grow up and face her fears.

What better way to do it, then?

Katryna looked about for hanging signs on the nearby wattle and daub buildings. She spotted an iron horseshoe hanging from one post not far off. “Over there. We should be able to find a stable hand to help.

Katryna led Tulip gently towards the nearby stable. She muttered soft assurances to her mare and continued patting her broad neck. Despite the pain of her injured hoof, Tulip hopped along.

Katryna took the horse in through the open doors of the stable. Above her head were long wooden beams, supporting a tall arched roof of thatch.

A young boy, no older than fourteen, was pouring water from a bucket into a drinking trough. He glanced over as he heard the group enter.

“I’m sorry, we’re closed,” the boy said. Judging by his voice, he had not yet reached manhood. He wore a dirty leather apron and thick boots soiled by what Katryna was hoping was mud.

One of Katryna’s guards raised his voice in response. “This is the royal princess of Camridia. You will do as she asks, boy.”

Katryna immediately noticed the boy’s unease. He was practically quivering, averting his gaze.

Katryna turned to the guards and gestured. “Wait outside, if you wouldn’t mind.”

They bowed and went back to their mounts.

“My mare needs help,” Katryna said.

The boy dropped the bucket and walked over. “You will have to come back t’morrow, I’m afraid.”

“Please. She has a nail embedded in her hoof and she can no longer bare my weight. She can barely walk.”

“I’m sorry, m’lady, but my master has asked me to close up for the night.”

Katryna closed her eyes in disappointment. “There must be something you can do?”

“I would, but…” the boy looked unsure.

Katryna patted Tulip who was continuing to quietly whinny and shake her leg about. “Please,” Katryna said. “She’s in pain.”

The boy looked at Tulip. His eyes met hers, and he scratched the back of his head.

Katryna pulled out a sack of gold marks. “I can pay-”

The boy then approached, shaking his hands. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll take a quick look.”

Katryna smiled. “Oh, thank you so much. Your kindness will be remembered.”

The boy lifted Tulip’s leg to examine it. His tunic was stained with sweat.

“What’s your name?” Katryna asked, standing beside the boy as he washed the wound with a bucket of clean water.

“Sam, m’lady. But everybody calls me Sniff.”

Katryna cocked her head, crouching beside him to help hold Tulip and keep her calm. “Sniff? That’s an odd nickname?”

“When I was younger, I was always sick. My friends used to always call me Sniff, on account of my constant sneezing. Momma used to say I was “allergic to the whole world.””

“That’s ridiculous!”

“Actually, I quite like it.” He rubbed his red nose. Katryna could not help but smile at the welcoming way Sniff spoke. He clearly knew his way around horses too- he knew exactly what he was doing, handling Tulip with a sort of confidence that only came with experience and dedication.

“My name is Katryna, by the way. Katryna Bower.”

The boy cocked an eyebrow, registering her comment, but did not make eye contact. Did he recognise the name? What did he know about her?

Katryna changed the topic. “Have you worked here long?”

Sniff shrugged. “Few years now. Momma needs help to put food on the table for us. Master Krem takes care of me well enough. Might even become a stablemaster myself one day.”

“I am glad to hear that. You’d make an excellent stablemaster.”

A small grin spread across Sniff’s dirty face, yet he was purposefully avoiding looking at Katryna’s eyes anymore.

“Forgive me, m’lady, but why all the questions?” Sniff said.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?”

“Not at all. It’s just that… no noble has ever taken any interest in me before.”

“You are doing me a kind service. The least I can do in return is make conversation.”

“Are you really a princess?” he asked from out of nowhere. He wiped Tulip’s hoof with a cloth before applying some ointment.

Katryna thought for a moment before responding. She was never comfortable disclosing personal information. But Sniff looked as though he could be trusted. “I am.”

“Hmm… Well, you don’t look it,” Sniff said.

“How so?”

Sniff looked her up and down. “You don’t dress like one. And you’re asking for help, rather than demanding it. Most nobles don’t talk that way.”

“I’m not exactly a typical princess.”

Sniff took some pliers. “Can I ask you to gently tap her on the face? Hard enough to distract, but not so hard as to hurt her.”

Katryna nodded at the odd request. She stood up and calmingly began tapping Tulip above the nose. “Good girl,” she whispered.

Within a second, Sniff had removed the nail. Tulip barely seemed to notice, other than a quiet whinny and a shake of her sore leg.

“Alright, all done. The ointment should heal any rot before it takes,” Sniff said, patting Tulip’s leg.

Katryna was ecstatic. “Thank you so much. You have no idea how much trouble you’ve saved me.”

Sniff gave her a half bow. “S’not a problem, m’lady.”

“Here, take this. For your efforts.” Katryna handed the boy two gold marks, probably more than he’d earn in a month. His eyes went wide with astonishment.

“Oh no, I couldn’t.”

“You can, and you will. For your kindness,” Katryna said. “She means a lot to me, and you helped her when you didn’t have to. That means something and deserves a reward.”

Sniff took the marks, bowing once again, his awkwardness having disappeared. “Thank you, m’lady.”

“Thank you, Sniff.”