Flora began her day as she had the past few days now, forgetting where she was and waking up in a panic before realizing that yes, the last few days were real and that yes, this was her room now. With a long stretch and big yawn, Flora rolled out of bed and began her day anew.
Getting dressed in whatever clothes she could make work, Flora went to her common room to find breakfast on the table waiting for her, as well as a neatly tied package wrapped in brown paper. Spot saw the food as soon she did and made a beeline straight for it. Flora had to practically jump on him to stop him from eating her breakfast.
Pushing the excited dog aside, Flora took the platter of food and set it out of his reach on top of the fireplace while she inspected the package. It was wrapped in ordinary brown paper and string, and whatever was inside was plush enough that it didn't keep a solid form like a box would. Opening it, she found an assortment of brand new clothes. There were three pairs of neatly pressed cream colored pants, three cream colored undershirts, two midnight blue vests with golden trims, and one jacket of similar design to the vests. They were decorated in beautiful embroidery of little animals prancing along the edges of the clothes, and each shirt and jacket had the symbol of the Beast Master emblazoned on them. These clothes are much finer than much of what Leon had. Flora thought nervously, unsure of how to feel about such a gift.
Picking up the package, she found a letter hiding underneath. The letter was sealed with the King's royal emblem, and Flora's stomach flipped while her heart raced. Double checking that Spot couldn't get to the food, finding that he was sitting and staring wistfully at the platter on the fireplace, Flora cracked open the seal on the letter and read it.
To Ms. Flora Acker,
I understand my brother did not have time to arrange for any formal attire for you. It is nothing to be embarrassed for, and I gave him earful for it so don't worry. Please accept these as a gift from him, since he did pay for it. I merely arranged for it. I told Erick you'd probably need more but this should suffice for now. Enjoy your trip.
~ Lady Esther Vincorne
That was unexpected, to say the least. Did they do something this nice for Leon too? He did have a few very nice uniforms. Flora began to have a nagging feeling at the back of her mind, but she shoved it down as Spot began to whine for food. Flora picked up the plate and ate her breakfast, saving some scraps for Spot.
As part of his training, she made sure not to tolerate his whining and that he behaved quietly before being fed. He didn't quite get it at first, pawing at the leg of her pants, but with patience he settled down and she fed him. Hopefully if I get his manners in check he could at least make a nice pet. Flora thought with determination.
Putting on a set of the new clothes, Flora couldn't help but feel different. This must have cost more than she had ever seen in her life, even while working with a salary for three years. It almost felt too good to be true. Pushing aside her emotions, Flora grabbed the rope and took Spot out for the day, thoughts of the new clothes and letter still hanging in the back of her mind.
What came to the forefront of her mind was the fact that she had to leave tomorrow for the Spring Inspection. Tomorrow. She suddenly felt very unprepared and like she needed much more time to be ready. The idea of being out for two weeks after only just becoming the new Beast Master was overwhelming. Flora focused on her breathing to steady her heart as she headed out of the castle, Spot cheerily trotting beside her.
Rounding the corner and heading towards the royal stables Flora nearly ran into Dante, lost in her thoughts as she was. He was with three women, his back to her. Flora recognized Esther in the group, which meant the other two were her sisters. Esther saw her almost immediately, and gave Flora a polite smile before beckoning her over. Dante turned to face her, his easy going smile changing to what could only be described as a child being caught with their hand in the cookie jar. That's strange, what is he doing out here with the King's sisters? And why is he guilty about it? Flora didn't have to ask as Esther addressed her.
"Miss Acker, we were just talking about you." Esther had a polite expression and tone of voice, but something in her eyes made Flora wary. She could tell that she had caught the shifters in the middle of something as the two younger girls glanced between each other nervously.
The three women were dressed in floral gowns with flowing bottoms, and colors to match their eyes which were varying shades of green and blue. Flora did not know the sisters, had hardly seen them in her time here, and couldn't even recall the names of the younger two. To avoid embarrassment, Flora bowed and addressed them all with a polite statement.
"I'm honoured to have your attention, my ladies." Flora did her best to hide her nervousness by keeping tight and following the social standards to a fault. Dante snorted.
"This one," He pointed his thumb towards Esther. "Hardly counts as a lady." He said with a smirk. The youngest of the three giggled, and Esther smacked him over the head, earning a louder laugh from both the sisters. "Ouch!" Dante rubbed the back of his head, and for once it seemed like he wasn't faking the look of pain. Flora hid a laugh behind her hand, pretending to cough instead.
"As I was saying," Esther turned her attention back to Flora. "We were discussing you and the Spring Inspection coming up tomorrow. I'm sorry to hear you're going alone with my brother tomorrow, I hope he doesn't bore you to death." Esther's smile made Flora feel like she wasn't actually sorry at all, and from the look on Dante's face - which mirrored Esther's - Flora had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Alone? Not even a single guard?" Flora winced at the waver in her voice, not wishing to come off as scared in front of a group of predators. It was easy to forget a shifter's nature until it was too late.
"Unfortunately I will not be joining you Flower, but I know how much you'll miss me" Dante winked at Flora and gave her a smirk that had her eyes rolling. Esther smacked him upside the head again, and he had the good sense to stop talking. The youngest sister giggled again but the middle one elbowed her, either out of politeness or from hiding something Flora couldn't tell.
"It was decided that, with everything going on in the kingdom, it would be easier to travel incognito." Esther replied, eyeing Dante as if she could stare him into silence. It seemed to work. "I'm sure you'll be fine." Esther said with sincerity, gently placing a hand on Flora's shoulder. Despite her sure it's and the approving nods from her sisters, Flora did not feel the same. Something nagged at her about this, but didn't want to risk offending the three women. With a polite goodbye Flora left the group to… well whatever it was they were doing, and made her way to the horse barn.
Today was another day to observe the horse training, and this time Flora had to make the round for all of the horses. It would take up most if not all of her day. She hoped it would take long enough to get her out of milking the cows again.
Keeping Spot close to her side, Flora entered the arena in the royal stable. Albert, the human stable master for the royal stables, already had two horses out on the lunge lines held by a couple of the farm hands. Flora called out to him and Albert walked across the arena, stopping at the gate and leaning on it. He looked down on her with more than a little disdain. Being older and more skilled than her, many expected Albert to become the next Beast Master. Flora swallowed nervously, straightening her back and doing her best to look confident. Albert only seemed to look at her with more disdain.
"I'm here to check on the training of the horses." Flora struggled to hide the waver in her voice. Albert rolled his eyes, either from hearing her unsteadiness or not wanting to deal with her at all, Flora didn't know. It was probably both.
"C'mon I'll show ya." Albert opened the gate and motioned for Flora to follow him. Unsure of why he was leaving the arena, Flora took a tentative look back at the horses in training before following Albert.
Heading down the aisle, Flora saw several horses poke their heads out in interest, including Condor. Flora gave him an affectionate pat before continuing down the hall to the office at the end. Albert went in without so much as a word and Flora followed him inside, Spot politely sticking to her side.
"Here's the log book. Got everything inside." Albert tossed a large worn leather journal on the table closest to her. The office wasn't very large, and consisted of a table on the left and back wall with a small hearth on the right wall. Small shelves hung above both desks and were lined with books and candles. Only one small lamp graced the room on the wall next to the door.
Flora looked at the journal in confusion. "This is great and all," Flora started, flipping through the latest journal entries on the horses of the barn - their physical condition, age, diet, training progress and so on. "But shouldn't I actually see how they're doing?" Flora looked up at Albert with a quizzical expression. He gave her a deep frown before responding.
"This is how Master Blaire inspects the horses." Albert said with finality. Not was, but is, as if he didn't recognize Flora's new title. Anxiety prickled at her fingers as Flora decided on how to handle this. Flora straightened her pasture before speaking.
"I would like to see at least three of the younger horses and their current training." Flora did her best to make no room for argument. Standing straight and looking Albert right in the eye as she made the statement a command. She earned a glare from Albert before he took the journal back and shelved it.
"Fine." Was his only response as he left the office. Following Albert to the arena Flora couldn't shake the uneasy feeling she had, both about the current situation with Albert and the upcoming situation with the Spring Inspection. Why can't these things be as simple as they are on paper? Flora clenched her jaw, the stress pulling her face tight.
Albert barked some orders at the farmhands who were working the horses and they went right to work. They pulled out three of the youngest horses in the stable that the King would allow under saddle - King Erick preferred his horses fully grown before being ridden - and they with Albert began basic riding maneuvers.
The entire affair only took just over an hour as Albert called them to a stop and jumped off the horse he was riding. Flora could see the restrained anger in his eyes and body as he practically prowled across the arena to face Flora once again. One might mistake him for a shifter when he walks like that. Perhaps he is and he's just hiding it. Flora thought nervously, looking for any of the tell-tale signs of the various animal shifters.
"Satisfied?" Albert growled, clearly upset with doing something the Flora considered simple protocol. Especially when it came to following the orders of her king. She matched Albert's stare with one of her own before replying.
"Perfectly." Flora turned on her heel and left the barn, Spot following her. She quickly and quietly tacked up Condor, Spot quietly waiting as if he knew she was in a bad mood. Tying Spot's rope to Condor's harness, Flora mounted and rode out at an even trot. The guard's stables were out between the inner and outer walls of the castle, and would be much faster to travel by horse.
Spot took some time to match Condor's pace, but eventually the two matched pace and the ride was easy. It felt like mere moments as the trio rode through the neatly trimmed fields of the castle grounds, the sun warming her back as Flora steered Condor out the inner wall and into the outer yards.
Birds soared in the distance, and it looked as if at least one falconer was out with the hawks. Flora was glad that things could run smoothly without her, but she knew that without the constant updating of schedules and signing of documents, things would either come to a standstill or fall into utter chaos.
When Flora arrived at the stables, she noticed that several guards were lingering around. Getting closer, she noticed there were a lot more of them than the usual group that hung around the stables. It was not unusual for those with horses to spend free time around the horses, but Flora knew that a number of the guards here did not have horses.
Jumping off Condor and untying Spot's rope, Flora tentatively approached the opening to the barn. The barn for the guards and cavalry horses was much larger than even the King's stable, housing a much larger number of horses. It was not ornately decorated like the King's or the noble's stables, and was much more practical in its design. It was, for all intents and purposes, a horse barn.
"What's going on?" Flora asked as she approached the guards at the entrance. There were several wary glances and guilty expressions before anyone answered her.
"We have mounted training today." One guard spoke up.
"And?" Flora couldn't hide her tone of irritation. Condor was getting antsy, and she needed to get him out of this crowd and into a stall. Quickly.
"Well, we came to see King Erick. He's practicing with Captain Anderson." The guard trailed off, looking away in embarrassment. So King Erick is training with Dante again, and they've made a show of it this time. Flora thought with more than a little disappointment. She still had mixed feelings about the trip tomorrow, and did not want to confront even the idea of it right now.
"If you're off duty, find somewhere else to be. I don't need you all crowding the horses." Flora called out, summoning her best impression of Leon's commanding voice. "And if you're not off duty, I better not see you in the next five seconds." Flora tried to hide her shaking hands. She wasn't used to having any commanding power, and using it felt scary and exhausting.
Guards quickly dispersed and it wasn't long before Flora was able to take Condor into the barn, Spot on her heels. Flora brought Condor into one of the visitor stalls, loosed his girth, and tied Spot just outside in the aisle. She then quickly made her way to the nearest arena, where a few guards still lingered and the loud clang of weapons came through.
Flora stopped at the gate in complete shock. The two men were practicing mounted combat with real weapons. On top of that, or because of it, they were both shirtless and riddled with bleeding cuts. Flora wasn't really sure how to feel as she watched the two practice advanced maneuvers she couldn't even think of doing.
Something else she noticed were the odd tattoos that graced King Erick's right arm. Usually hidden by his clothes, tattoos of odd and fantastical creatures danced from his shoulder down to his forearm, designed in an old and almost tribal style. Each strike of his blade caused the tattoos to appear as if they were actually moving, and for all she knew maybe they were.
Flora didn't want to interrupt, but she also didn't want to fall behind schedule. Although, I suppose I had planned on the last barn taking longer, and it couldn't hurt to watch. It is part of the horse's training after all. Flora felt hot with guilt, doing the exact thing she told the guards not to do, but at least it was kind of her job.
Both Dante and King Erick seemed locked in on their combat, seeing nothing but each other as they continued to fight. King Erick was vicious, and more than once Dante was caught wheeling his horse away as Erick brought down his sword. Neither of them were using magic, it was a test of steel and horse riding.
There was something in Erick's eyes that Flora couldn't quite place. It wasn't pure anger, frustration, or determination. It seemed like a combination of all three, and it left Flora scared and nervous. Dante looked the way she felt, only causing her to feel worse as Erick came down with another heavy blow.
"Alright, alright!" Dante threw his weapon aside and raised his hands, his grey mare pulling to a stop and panting from the effort of training. Flora noticed with some frustration that the horses had not been spared, bleeding from several cuts around their withers, shoulders, and necks. Training doesn't really do any good if the animals get stuck in bed rest. Flora tried hard not to let frustration take over.
King Erick pulled his horse Odysseus to a halt, the horse's sides heaving in time with Erick's chest as the two caught their breath. Dante didn't say anything but his quick glance towards Flora caused Erick to turn around. The hard lines of his face shifted from pent up frustration to shock and guilt. He quickly schooled his features before turning back to Dante and speaking to him quietly. Dante got off his horse and quickly took her out of the ring, using the gate on the other side of the arena. The guards caught on and quickly vacated.
Flora's frustration quickly turned to fear as Erick turned to face her. She felt the color drain from her face as he stalked towards her, Odysseus obediently following behind as Erick gripped the reins. He stopped at the gate and stared her down, all emotion absent as if he locked them away.
"What are you doing here?" His voice was flay, and yet somehow it felt accusatory. Flora tried not to flinch under his stare, his golden horns giving him a menacing look. Flora's heart raced, and she realized it was from more than one emotion.
"I'm scheduled for horse inspection today." She couldn't stop the waver in her voice, and King Erick's expression softened ever so slightly. Flora wanted to sympathize with him, knowing the weight of everything going on around him, but remembered that he dragged his and Dante's horses into this, and they were now both injured.
"On top of that we have Spring Inspection tomorrow! Look what you did to Odysseus! Look at yourself!" Flora couldn't hide her anger as Odysseus hung his head low, still panting from the effort of the combat. Anger flashed in Erick's eyes before he turned to look at his horse and he froze. It was as if he was only just now seeing the damage, and his whole pasture changed.
"I'm so sorry." He said quietly, gently stroking the horse's neck. He was quiet for a long moment, petting Odysseus while blood still trickled down the both of them. Turning to Flora he said "I'll get Grace and some of the other healers for the horses. Could you please help?" His eyes were filled with guilt and pain, and it was hard for Flora to say no.
"Yes, but give me a moment." She told him before heading back to see Condor. Not caring for the possible reprimand of leaving her king without permission, she quickly removed the tack from her horse and placed it on a nearby rack. I hadn't planned on staying this long. She thought with a wince, hoping things would go smoothly once the healers arrived.
Deciding to leave Spot in a safe place she headed back to the arena and found Erick had left, the gate on the other side open from his departure. Flora quickly made her way over and found both King Erick and Dante in a quiet conversation, their horses stalled and happily munching on hay. Unsure of what to do and not wanting to interrupt, she hung back while the two spoke.
A couple of stable boys and farm hands bustled around, avoiding the King and Captain as they took care of the stabled horses. Flora quietly pulled one aside. "Do you know where I could find the stable master of this barn?" She quietly asked. The young boy nodded and lead her to the office located in the middle of the barn. It was much like the one in the royal stables, stuffed with shelves, books, and desks with a small hearth on the far wall.
The stable master was not present, but Flora easily found his log book and took it to read. She was scanning the pages as she headed back down the hall to the King when she heard a woman - Flora summed it was his sister Grace - loudly berating the two men for their foolishness. Looking up from her book Flora saw that it was indeed Grace, her delicate golden horns topped with two times catching the light filtering through the barn windows. Flora also noted two other healers, an older woman and a young man, both working on the horses.
"I hope that girl gives you all the trouble you deserve tomorrow!" Grace was angrily shaking her finger at King Erick, and he meekly dropped his head in his hands in response. Whirling on Dante, Grace began to rip him a new one when she noticed Flora coming from down the aisle. "And here's the poor girl that has to put up with you two!" She exclaimed, looking up as if the gods themselves were the only ones to save her. Dante gave an embarrassed smile and wave while King Erick glumly looked up.
Flora noted that as the two men pulled on clean shirts, Dante had not even a trace of most of the cuts, save for a scar on his brow. On the other hand, while King Erick's wounds had all been closed, they were still an angry red indicative of a fresh wound. His sister looked on in dismay, but said nothing.
"I'm fine." Erick's voice was rough, and Flora reconsidered being present at that moment.
"Don't do that." Grace shot him a withering look.
"I don't have to, I know that look." He shot back, which was undercut by his wincing as he pulled a jacket on. Grace only shook her head in frustration before leaving, giving Flora an apologetic glance as she passed. Erick watched her leave with an emotion that Flora couldn't read. Then he turned to her.
Flora felt herself stiffen as he walked over to her, his movement hindered by the cuts that were still healing. He paused in front of her, and the two stood there for a moment, Erick saying nothing but seeing everything. Flora felt like prey being sized up under his gaze.
"Do you still want to go tomorrow?" Erick asked quietly enough the Flora knew he intended for a private conversation, or as private as they could get in a barn. "You can say no." He told her, and the sincerity in his eyes made Flora believe it.
"I don't want to. To say no, that is. I want to go." Flora lifted her chin and did her best to hide the waver in her voice. She met his gaze with what she hoped was determination. He didn't say anything, only looked at her. She could almost see the thoughts running through his head as emotions came and went behind his eyes. Eventually he dipped his head, and left the barn.
Flora went about the rest of her day with a cloud over her head. Her thoughts swam with emotions as she thought about everything that tomorrow entailed. She had been able to oversee all three horse barns and even go back to the castle where she had some time to herself. Well, sort of. She had gathered several notes and papers on her calling-card stand by the door, and had read through them. It mostly contained the usual reports from the various barn and stable masters, as well as a few from the farm hands who doubled as wandering veterinarians for the kingdom. By all means everything was running smoothly in her domain, so why did she still feel like a storm was on the horizon?
Flora mulled this over as she made her way to the cow barn once again. At this point, Irene probably expects me to keep doing this job. I doubt she's still looking for someone when I keep showing up. Flora gritted her teeth and carried on, using the milking duty as a distraction from her own thoughts. Unfortunately for her, it only made things worse.
Neither of the girls seemed too keen on talking this evening, likely from the reprimanding they received by the hands - or really mouth - of Irene. For once, Flora would have liked to listen to their idle chatter.
Flora's mind kept racing through the many thoughts and anxieties she bore for tomorrow. She found her thoughts kept trailing back to one thing, the fact that she would be completely alone with the King for two weeks. Alone. With him. Something fizzed in her stomach as her heart jumped and then raced. Her emotions began to clamor for dominance, and the whole thing left her feeling sick and dizzy.
It took a moment for Flora to realize someone was standing over her, lost in her thoughts as she was. She quickly looked up and was startled to find Irene standing over her, a look of frustrated discontent written across her face. She snorted at Flora's shock.
"Have ya' found someone to milk my cows yet?" Irene crossed her arms over her chest, and at the moment Flora very much did not want to say 'no.' She only numbly shook her head and waited for the wrath this woman was sure to unleash. Irene sighed through her nose and closed her eyes before responding.
"Then I will find someone." She said resolutely, and Flora believed that was that so she returned to her job. "I'm not done with you girl!" Flora flinched and meekly turned back to face Irene. "I'm sure you've figured out how hard being a Beast Master is by now. Don't go making it harder by messing with that boy king of ours, understand?" Irene's tone was not one to be played with, and Flora vigorously nodded in reply, too dumbstruck to say anything. I suppose I cemented that in myself. She thought with an internal moan. Irene seemed appeased by Flora's response, giving one tight nod before leaving. Flora sighed and continued to finish her work for the evening.
Quietly packing up to go, Flora made her way back to her rooms where she tucked herself in bed. She had missed dinner, and grabbed just a small roll of bread before retiring to her rooms. Curling up in her bed, Flora found sleep hard to reach, and before long the sun was rising and it was time for her to go to the Spring Inspection.