It had been three years. Three years since her mother died. Three years since she left her family and the farm. Three months since the new king took the throne. And three weeks since they've been looking for a new Beast Master. Flora mulled this over as she picked the hooves of one of the nobles' horses. A beautiful deep seal bay, the young beast was fidgety, and she struggled to keep a hold on the gelding's hoof while he moved. Dust hung in the air, illuminated by the lighting coming through the barred windows and brightening the specks into something that resembled little fairies. The only effect it had on Flora was getting in her eyes.
"Would you stop that already?" Flora grumbled, nearly stabbing the horse's inner hoof as he fidgeted once more. That would have been a disaster. A bad hoof meant the gelding couldn't walk, and if he couldn't walk then he couldn't run, and a horse that couldn't run meant he couldn't be used at the big hunt today. Flora's thoughts tumbled at the thoughts of grumpy nobles and their large hunting parties. In the three years she's worked here, she has helped with nearly every part of the hunt from saddling up the horses to training the dogs and falcons. It had taken time, of course, to work up to something as prestigious as training a falcon for the lords and nobles, which was something Flora did not take lightly.
Setting the gelding's hoof down, Flora heaved a sigh of relief that the hard part was done. The hoof clinked on the cement floor of the barn as Flora stood up and stretched, releasing the tension in the muscles of her back. I don't know why anyone would use this horse for hunting, he's too green for this. Flora thought ruefully, anticipating a struggle when it came to saddling him. She dumped the hoof pick in her wooden grooming box, setting the dust of the barn flying.
The barn itself was nice, very nice. Probably the nicest building Flora would ever get to see. From the fine oak paneling, the dark stained wood stalls with iron gates, to the detailed pictures in the cement floor, the whole building was a show of wealth. It was owned by the King, situated inside the outer walls of the castle. While his own horses were stabled elsewhere, this was where all the visiting lords and nobility kept their beasts. It was also where Flora was assigned to for the day, preparing the listed horses for their hunt. It has to be a test, she thought. Why else would I be the only one to prepare fifteen horses on my own? She didn't usually mind working alone, it was nice and quiet, but this one seemed particularly grueling. At least she was on the last horse.
Flora sighed heavily as she grabbed the gelding's tack, placing it on the saddle rack beside her. She swiftly swung the saddle blanket and pad above his back, the gelding stepping back and forth as she did so. Being tied to the aisle with the cross ties, he couldn't go far, but that didn't stop him from trying. She got the saddle on almost as easily, poking and prodding the horse to stop his bloating as she tightened the girth. The smooth black leather smelled new, the silver metal accents shining bright in the light that filtered through the barn windows. Maybe this will be easier than I thought. The thought came too soon, as just then the gelding moved again, stepping on her foot and putting his full weight into it. Flora let out a string of obscene curses as she shoved the horse off of her, moving her feet well away from where he stood.
"Well, I would say that's quite a colorful vocabulary, but I've heard worse." A gruff but not unkind voice called from the end of the barn. Flora turned to see Dante, the captain of the royal guard, leaning on the front of the entryway to the stables. He had a smirk that could easily be called a wolfish grin. That coupled with his piercing yellow eyes and dark grey and silver accented hair reminded Flora that he wasn't entirely human. It reminded her that the captain was a wolf shifter, fiercely loyal and deathly efficient. Flora frowned.
"I do not recall asking for your opinion." Flora retorted dryly, returning to tightening the girth on the gelding. She pulled on the straps as Dante pushed off the frame of the door and practically prowled down the aisle. I don't think I will ever get over how frightening the shifters were. Rumors alone were enough to make her keep her distance, despite working here for nearly three years. In that time, she had only ever gotten to know Dante, and exactly how annoying he could be. Which is why she didn't feel so bad when she glared at him from across the back of the horse. "Why are you even here? Don't you have some important royal guard stuff to be doing?" Flora asked in a flat tone. His stupid grin only grew wider.
"I just came to check on our favorite little beast trainer. And the King's horse of course." He added very matter-of-factly. Flora's irritation lasted for only the briefest of moments as she realized he had said the king's horse.
"The King's horse? Aren't they all held in his stables?" Flora asked, worry starting to worm its way into her heart. Maybe it really was a test, and if Dante was here then maybe she was failing at it. Maybe she was behind and they were already waiting and she had only kept them waiting while she was cleaning out hooves. Maybe-
"Yep, this little guy right here." Dante replied, patting the gelding's back. The horse flinched at the touch. "He figured it would be easier to have all the horses saddled in one place. Had the little guy brought down yesterday." He informed her, stroking the horse's flank. The gelding danced under his touch, pelt twitching with either fear or irritation. Dante gave the gelding an appreciative glance before flashing a grin at Flora again. "I hope he hasn't been too much trouble?" Dante asked, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. Flora frowned even deeper.
"No, he hasn't been too much trouble, but I would advise against using him for a hunt. He's just not ready yet." Flora tried her best to use her firm voice, one that gave important information that should not be ignored. Dante only grinned wider, the amusement on his eyes turning conspiratorial.
"I think this little guy will be just perfect." Dante said, leaning over the gelding. "And if you don't believe me, you can come see for yourself." He finished with a wink, backing away from the skittish gelding.
He turned to leave but before he could Flora called out. "What is that supposed to mean?" Her voice was more pitched than she meant it to be. Her worry bloomed into anxiety as she realized that she had to make sure this horse was perfect before she presented him to the King. The Horned King was still new, having only been in office for three months, and everyone was tip-toeing around him. Being a dragon shifter gifted with magic of the night, everyone was careful with him. No one really liked the very real possibility of becoming a pile of ash.
"You'll just have to wait and see." Dante called over his shoulder, casually walking down the aisle and out of the elegant barn. Flora gave a huff of frustration, anger and anxiety warring within her. What does he mean? Am I supposed to go on the hunt? Will he ask me to go on the hunt? Can he even do that? Her thoughts swam as she returned to tacking up the horse, grabbing his breast collar and tying it into place. The black leather shined with the silver accents, and in the center was the symbol of the royal family, a unicorn and dragon rearing towards each other. I guess I would have worried more if I had only seen this and not spoken to Dante beforehand. Or maybe not? It could easily have been any one of the surviving royal family members. Her mind fussed over the technicalities of who could and couldn't use horse tack with the royal emblem as she finished tying and buckling everything into place. By the time she got to the bridle, muscle memory had taken over while she kept her mind occupied.
This would prove to be a mistake. As Flora took the gelding off the cross ties and went to put the reins over his head, he reared. Flora cursed, jumping back as his hooves came down hard on the cement floor below him. He started prancing, but to her relief the horse did not outright bolt. Flora approached the gelding as slow and gently as she could. It seemed that the horse was not entirely broke to bridles yet. I sincerely hope the king doesn't actually plan on riding this beast. Flora thought bitterly.
Flora eased the reins over the horse's head. She then tentatively brought the bit to his mouth, holding the reins in one hand and the bit in the other. As she tried to push the metal into the gelding's mouth, he flung his head high, knocking Flora back. She made a few more attempts like this, her patience thinning with each throw of his head. On the fifth try, it seemed that the little horse had had enough. He flung his head back and Flora lost her grip on the reins. He turned tail and went right for the door of the barn. The door that Dante left open. The door that the King's horse was now running through. Flora scrambled after the gelding, panic filling her veins as she raced after the horse. The shock of the bright light outside compared to the dimness of the barn caused Flora to shield her eyes and blink several times before she was able to see the horse. Thankfully, he wasn't in any particular hurry to leave. In fact, he stopped roughly twenty feet away, munching on grass. Munching on the grass that was directly in front of the gathering lords and nobles.
Flora silently cursed under her breath as she gathered herself and stalked towards the gelding, not wishing to spook it any further but struggled to suppress her rage and panic. Fresh spring grass softly sighed under her boots as she made her way to the horse. She tried her best to hide her embarrassment as she grabbed the reins of the horse and finally shoved the bit into place. The gelding flinched but she held firm, not wanting to risk further embarrassment. The lords and nobles were already dressed in their riding jackets and leather boots and were clearly waiting for the announcement to receive and mount their horses. Flora caught sight of Dante in the group, and could swear that he had that wolfish grin as he watched her take the horse away. Flora wished she could scowl at him, but instead she scraped and bowed, giving many apologies as she led the horse back to the stable, looking down the whole time. This is it, you'll never become the Beast Master now. The whole kingdom will hear of what an embarrassment I am. When I'm done they'll-
Flora wasn't able to finish her thought as a pair of black leather boots entered her vision, blocking her way to the barn. She dared look up and saw none other than the Horned King himself. She froze, feeling the life drain from her as she stared at him. His face set into an impassive frown, accented by the harsh lines of his strong jaw and high cheekbones. While his expression itself was neutral, Flora could see a torrent of emotions in his deep stormy blue eyes. His deep blue-black hair swung low onto his brow, nearly covering the small star shaped mark on his brow, a marker of his unicorn-shifter heritage from his father. Coupled with his midnight blue attire, he would blend in with the night, if it weren't for the horns.
Like all dragon shifters, the Horned King Erich wore his horns while human as well as dragon. Shaped like a white-tailed deer's, he sported five impressive large tines that shone in a bright gold luster, the same color as his mother's.
The King's frown deepened as Flora took a moment to collect herself. "Forgive me, Your Majesty." Flora said quietly, bowing low. "Your horse is almost ready. Please forgive my tardiness." Flora said in as submissive and flat of a tone as she could, hoping to appease the King without further insulting him. There was a pause, and Flora did not dare look up to see what a horrified expression he must have. This is it, he's going to see just how horrible you actually are and you'll never be able to work here ever again. You'll be lucky to muck the stalls or clean the dovecote at this point. Flora's anxiety twisted to a deep despair that settled like a rock in her stomach.
"You got reins on him?" The question was gentle with a small hint of curiosity. Flora dared look up at Erich, not sure how to respond. His face had remained impassive, but the expression in his eyes had softened his expression almost imperceptibly.
"Oh, well, yes, Your Majesty." Flora stammered in response, straightening a slight bit as she addressed the King. "He uh, had a little trouble with it, but I managed." Flora swallowed hard, looking down and hoped to all the gods that the King would not be angry with her.
"Good." He said at last. "You'll be riding him today." He said as if it were some small thing. What? Flora looked straight at King Erick, doing nothing to hide the shock on her face. I'll be riding this beast? Her mind spun as anxiety washed through anew. "Although, I had hoped you would have been dressed for that by now. It would seem you were not informed." King Erich glared behind her, and Flora turned to see Leon, the old Beast Master with the group of lords and nobles in the hunting party.
"It must have slipped my mind." Leon said, coughing in what seemed to be an attempt to hide his embarrassment. It was well known by now that Leon had begun to chronically forget things in his old age, and this time it may have cost Flora everything. This has to be a test, they wouldn't have me take out the youngest, greenest horse on a hunt with the local lords if it wasn't a test. Will they even take me if I'm not dressed properly? How could Leon forget something like that? Anxiety mixed with the bitter taste of anger as Flora processed all the possible repercussions of what would come next.
"No matter," the King replied, turning back to Flora. "I'm sure you'll be fine as you are." He finished, running an assessing eye over her uniform. She would be fine, sure, but her clothes were nothing compared to the livery of the lords and nobles. She wore old and worn brown leather boots, with not-so-tight fitting pants that sported a couple holes and many stains. Her shirt and jacket were old and dull, as she had dressed for working in the stables today, thinking that was all it would be. She wouldn't dare dressing in the one good outfit she had, sporting the navy blue and gold of the kingdom's colors. So yes, her clothes were serviceable and nothing more.
The King called over some of the other farm hands and the lords who had brought pages called them for their assistance. In a matter of moments the stable was very busy as all the horses Flora had gotten ready this morning were brought out and mounted. Dante brought out his own horse, a large dapple grey mare, and was able to mount her with no assistance. Leon on the other hand, had to wait for his old palomino stallion to be brought out while one of the pages brought a mounting block to help him up.
Flora felt a little pity for the old lion-shifter. He was a legend back in the day, being gifted with animal magic. He had earned the title "The King of Beasts" as he used his magic and skill to rein in even the most stubborn of animals. Being a large predator probably also helped. Now his golden hair had silvered, with very few streaks of gold left. While mostly clean shaven, Flora could make out that his stubble had also silvered with age, and his golden amber eyes portrayed a tired sort of look.
A page in finer livery than the others lead a large seal bay mare up to the block, and King Erick mounted her with all the grace of a refined predator. It was hard not to admire just how well he held himself, handling the horse with long practiced precision.
Eventually it was her turn to mount, and as Flora stepped up to the mounting block she took a deep breath. Don't let him know you're anxious, it will only spook him. She thought to herself, recalling all the times she had trained and broke young horses to the saddle. She couldn't completely erase the bubbling in her stomach, but she was able to ease the beating of her heart as she slung into the saddle. The gelding briefly flung his head, but remained steady as Flora gently kicked him into movement. He pranced underneath her, not sure of the directions at first. Flora gently guided the horse to the line of the others, remaining in the back as she waited for her orders. This is nothing new, you've done this a hundred times already. Only this time everyone is watching. And judging. And the King is here. But it will be fine. It has to be fine. Flora set herself into a grim determination, not willing to let her early mistakes define the course of the hunt.
It was only a few moments before one of the farmhands brought out the hunting dogs. The dogs were fairly large, with long ears and drooping faces. They had white fur with brown or cream patches on their backs and faces. Their cropped tails wagged in excitement as they saw the group of hunters on horses. Flora's heart sank to her stomach. It was to be a foxhunt, the kind that Flora absolutely detested. To her it was cruel and primitive, holding nothing of true value. There was barely even a pelt left to take from the fox most of the time. Flora swallowed back her disgust, knowing that she had to do everything that was asked of her, even if she did not enjoy it.
The gelding danced under Flora, and she had to rein him in as the dogs were led to the head of the group. A page came up and with permission from the king, gave a rag of fox scent to the dogs. Before long they were off, King Erick leading the group on horse as the dogs bounded off into the countryside. Flora clung to the reins and tightened her calves as the gelding pulled into a gallop, easily keeping stride with the rest of the group. He was hard to rein in, but was more than happy to follow the fast paced group.
It wasn't long before the hounds started crying, their barks more like a strangled howl as they raced across the countryside. Flora couldn't be mad at them. She had helped train and raise so many of them, and she knew them personally. It was not their fault that the nobles and lords wanted to hunt in such a manner, so Flora gritted her teeth and raced on with the group.
The young gelding kept pace with the group, and Flora flung into her half-seat as they raced over hedgerows and fences like it was nothing. For a moment, if she closed her eyes, she could almost believe that she was flying. Then reality hit as the horse's hooves slammed into the ground and pounded behind the dogs. It wasn't long before he was racing beside Dante's grey mare, and Flora sheepishly looked over at him. She knew she should do better to rein in her horse, to keep to the back as someone of her status should. But as she looked at Dante, he looked back at her with a wild grin. He was enjoying this, at least the racing part. Flora resolutely turned back and kept her attention on the horses in front of her.
Foliage whipped by as the group raced between rolling farmland and secluded wood, all the while the dogs were barking and crying. It felt like mere moments and an eternity all at once as the group raced through the countryside, hot on the heels of the hounds.
The howling of the dogs came to a fever pitch as a small fox darted into their path. This was it, the one thing they've been trained for. The dogs went into a full on assault as they surged towards the lone fox. It was a mass of paws and fur as they raced for the small fox. The King pulled his horse back and looked to Flora. She pulled her horse back to slow down and keep pace with him. He gave her a hard look before turning back to focus on the dogs. They came to a halt as they circled the fox, and King Erich pulled his horse to a stop. Flora did the same, her gelding protesting as he danced in place, ready to keep running. King Erick turned to Flora.
"I want you to finish it." He simply said with a grim expression. He handed her a small hunting rifle, already loaded and waiting for her to use it. She took it, apprehension rippling through her with the weight of the weapon in her hand. Is this something I can really do? She thought to herself, her grip tightening on the reins as the dogs now circled the fox. The poor thing was hissing and spitting, biting at any dog that dared get too close. She pulled her gelding to a stop, and he pranced underneath her at the sudden stop. Her heart pounded in her chest as she lifted the rifle. The other lords and nobles had all pulled up, making a ring around the dogs who in turn circled the fox. It was to be a show then, and she could not risk disappointing them.
Flora took a steadying breath as she aimed the rifle, setting the butt of it against her shoulder. She knew the recoil would hurt, but she couldn't risk missing and hitting one of the dogs instead. The hounds kept barking and howling, the fox screeching and clawing as Flora took aim, and fired.
It was over in a flash, the bullet going through the animal's skull. It wasn't pretty, in fact it was anything but, what with the blood and brain matter spilling on the ground. Most of those gathered around clapped an applause, complimenting her. Leon nodded as if to say "well done," clapping his large hands in a slow rhythm. Flora briefly looked to her left to see King Erick and Dante standing next to each other, having dismounted from their horses. Dante did little to hide the disgust on his face, kicking at the lifeless body of the fox. But King Erick looked back at her, as if assessing her reaction. Flora felt sick, and the world grew muted and fuzzy as the collected lords and nobles gathered closer to congratulate her.
"You did very well with a green horse like that." Flora turned to the grizzled voice at her right. It was Leon. "Not to mention the hounds didn't tear the thing apart either. Very well done." He told her, nodding his head in approval. So her fears were true, it was a test of her training the animals as well as her handling them. She felt sick. A page rode up on a small grey pony, and brought with him several long leads to collect the dogs with. As he got to work, Erick and Dante got back onto their horses and turned them around.
"It's time we moved on to the next part of the hunt." The King announced, setting his horse into a trot. "Leon, would you be so kind as to collect the fox for us?" It was phrased like a question, but Flora knew it as the command it was. She stayed as Leon slowly got off his old stallion and collected the fox. Some of the dogs whined as they were led away with no prize to take home, but Flora knew they would be fed handsomely tonight. Flora got off her horse in time to assist Leon. He glared at her but didn't complain until he was in the saddle.
"I'm sure I could have done it myself." He huffed. "But thanks." He mumbled, and Flora would have missed it if he wasn't so bad at keeping his voice low. Flora simply smiled back at him before returning to her seal bay gelding. She hopped on, and he started before she could get her foot into the stirrups. Thankfully she did not fall off as she led her gelding to the rest of the group. They had slowed but did not stop as they headed towards the more open fields that bordered the lands of Germinium.
This was Roc territory, and it was not uncommon to see one or two of the giant eagles high in the sky as they hunted in the early morning and late evening. Rocs usually ate large herbivores like boar and deer, and Flora prayed to all the gods that they didn't have horse on the menu. They probably did.
The group of nobles pulled up to a smaller group on foot, two pages holding a cadge with four falcons each. They had been waiting for us. Flora thought guiltily. The fox hunt had taken long enough as it was, and now they were expected to go hawking? At least this one would be less painful, but it certainly took a lot longer. Flora pulled her horse to a stop and waited for what her King would say this time.
Without saying anything, King Erick dismounted his seal bay mare and stalked towards the pages with the falcons. He took a moment to look over the falcons, inspecting each one as carefully as a collector appraising an artwork. Flora's gelding stomped and swished his tail, showing his strong impatience. Flora had to carefully rein him in before the others thought that she was the one who was impatient. Already she was getting a side-eyed look from more than a few of the nobles. However, that could easily be because she was under their scrutiny for the entirety of this hunt.
"Flora." The call jolted her out of her thoughts, and she turned to the King's commanding tone. "Stay on your horse, you will be hunting with this bird." He informed her, holding up a glove and bird for Flora to see. She gently urged her horse forward and graciously took the glove from her King.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. I won't disappoint you" Flora replied with an attempt to bow, being saddled on a horse as she was. At that, Erick gave a small hint of a smirk.
"I'm sure you won't." He replied, amusement sparkling in his eyes. Flora did her best to hide her blush as she pulled on the glove and took the bird in her hand. The leather was the same as her saddle, a black that shined the way only new leather could, its smell rich with the use of bee balm. Flora almost felt guilty as she tried out the fit of the glove. Erick then silently handed her the falcon she was to use for the hunt.
"Thank you." She replied, her voice quieter than she meant. She didn't want him to see her flustered, but she certainly hadn't expected a compliment from him after being so distant. Erick got back onto his horse before reaching down to grab his own bird. Flora realized that he had handed her a cream colored Desert Falcon, and that he held a larger muter colored Desert Falcon. It's to be a pair then, I hold the smaller male and he the larger female. Will he expect us to fly them together? Worry nagged at the back of her mind as Flora followed King Erick further out afield. Desert Falcons were one of the few species to hunt in groups, and the only one to trained as group hunters for falconry. Flora had worked with these birds before, but did not know them as intimately as she knew the horses or the dogs. This was most certainly to be her next test.
A shadow flew overhead, and Flora instinctively looked up, panic rising in her chest. She pushed it down, worried that she would cause her horse to panic. As she looked, she saw a single Roc flying overhead. It was very hard to keep her panic in check, worried that the eagle would want to make a lunch out of them. It didn't seem to care for them, as it continued to fly off into the distance. Perhaps it was a shifter just patrolling the area and not a feral out to hunt. Flora thought hopefully. It was certainly better than the other option - a giant bird picking out its potential prey.
The group pulled to a halt behind King Erick. They were silent as he surveyed the land before them. He turned to look at Flora, and motioned for her to come forward. Flora pulled up her gelding to stand next to Erick's without pulling ahead of him. It was hard, as the gelding again stamped in frustration. Flora had to pull hard to keep him in place.
"What do you think?" Erick asked, his face back to that impassive coolness that let no emotion through. Flora did not respond right away, looking around at the fields before her. The grass was tall here, and a bright green with the renewed strength of spring. It had only been a few weeks, but the weather was nice and the plants and animals flourished because of it. The mountains in the distance still held snow on their caps, and the sky was a gentle blue with a few lazy clouds floating by.
"I think that the weather is very nice, and that with the good grace of Cervina The Deer Watcher, there will be plenty of rabbits about." Flora replied, hoping that her praising the deer goddess of spring would appease him and those who were listening. Erick did not respond right away, but looked at Flora thoughtfully. She grew hot under his assessing stare.
"Yes, it is." He replied at last, looking back to the field. "We will fly the birds in a cast after the hound flushes the game." He informed her, and Flora had to turn back to the pages and see that she had missed the dog they had with them. It was another one she had trained, a young white hound with dark brown and black patches on his face and back. They really are testing everything I've done. She thought bitterly, the weight of failure and all its consequences pushing down on her like a boulder.
"Right, as you wish, Your Majesty." She replied, turning back to the king. He wasn't looking at her, but had continued observing the fields. He let out a short high whistle and the dog was off, rushing into the bushes and looking for prey. Flora prepared her falcon, un-clipping the leash that held the jesses to her glove and removing the bird's hood. Erick did the same.
In a matter of moments a bundle of grey brown fur dashed through the grass. Flora and Erick released their birds almost simultaneously, and the two honed in on the rabbit. The two birds swooped low and fast, gaining on the rabbit. When the rabbit dodged one way, the other falcon was there to cut it off. Erick spurred his horse, and Flora followed suit. Soon the two were racing after the birds and rabbit, keeping a healthy distance as the birds closed in. Flora turned to see that the rest of the hunting party had stayed behind to watch, a couple pulling out a small pocket telescope to watch the hunt better. The sight of it filled Flora with a mixture of apprehension, anxiety, and bitterness. This was all just a show for them. She was just a show for them, and this was one of their games.
Turning back to the hunt, Flora watched as the female falcon pulled up high, soaring well above their heads while the male kept chase. Like a bolt of lightning, the female dropped down, crashing into the rabbit with a magnificent stoop. The male was close behind, grabbing on and binding to the rabbit. Erick and Flora quickly reined in their horses as close as they could safely get to the birds. With one look from the King, Flora quickly jumped off and raced over to the birds, pulling out her small hunting knife and ensuring the rabbit was dead.
The female came back down, and together with the male the two started pulling at the rabbit. Flora swiftly gutted the animal, pulling out its entrails for the falcons to eat while taking the rabbit back to her King. The rest of the hunting party had finally reached them, and were applauding her once again. She didn't feel like she deserved any sort of applause, it was the birds who did most of the work anyway.
As she went up and presented the catch to the King, the dog came up and sat beside her. It was almost picturesque as she went down on one knee and presented the rabbit, her head bowed. She heard boots land as Erick dismounted and headed towards her. His black leather boots entered her vision, now full of dust and dirt from the hunt. He grabbed her chin between his thumb and forefinger, pulling her up to look at him. Flora did her best to hide her shock as she looked into his deep blue eyes and saw that the storm had calmed.
Quietly, as if for her ears only, he asked "Is this what you want? To become the next Beast Master?" Flora felt her face flush, unsure of how to respond. She was all too aware of his hand on her chin, and the way he looked at her made her question everything.
"Y-yes?" She stammered, unsure of exactly why he was asking. She had worked so hard, gotten so far, and seemed to have impressed everyone. Maybe it wasn't enough. Maybe she should have done more to impress him, but how could she impress a man who was so impassive, let alone a king who was so impassive?
Whatever it was, it seemed to be answer enough as he pulled away and called Leon over. A page quietly ran over to take the rabbit from Flora as the old Beast Master dismounted and made his way over to the King and her. "Leon, you have trained your apprentice well and she has proven herself worthy. Is this the one you wish to see take your place as Beast Master, so that you may retire to the castle?" King Erick asked, sounding as if he was reading a scripted part.
"I do." Leon replied. Flora's heart stuttered. This is it, it's really happening.Even after the mess I made this morning, they're really doing it. Flora swallowed down her anxiety and excitement as the King continued.
"Flora," Erick started, motioning for her to rise. She did so obediently, excitement starting to fizz over. "You have done well and worked hard to prove yourself worthy of becoming Germinium's next Beast Master, and all that the title entails." Erick continued. His face remained impassive, and his expression was closed off. Flora worried that she had done something wrong, but no one seemed upset. They were all smiling, especially Dante, who leaned forward on his grey mare with that stupid smile he always has. It was hard not to glare at him as King Erick continued his speech. "With my power, I bestow upon you the title of Beast Master. May you continue to uphold your training and skills from now until you retire or perish, and may this kingdom continue to flourish with your assistance. As your badge of office, you will be given the horse you rode today and all the tack that comes with him. May you use him well." Erick finished, holding out his hand towards Leon.
Without a word, Leon took the small but ornate silver badge that was clipped to his jacket. Leon bowed as he gave it to the King, and King Erick simply nodded in return. He then turned to flora, holding the badge in his hand.
"May I?" He asked quietly, one eyebrow upturned in a question. Flora simply nodded, too full of astonishment to reply. A hint of a smile tugged at his lips as Erick fastened the badge to her ragged farm jacket. "Then it is done." King Erick announced. "Miss Flora Acker is the new Beast Master." King Erick announced, and the group erupted into applause. And that was it, Flora was now officially the Beast Master.