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Posted on December 31, 2013 at 03:56:29 AM by tristan
| Tristan’s elbow bent as his right hand slammed into the bank. He lowered his feet to touch the lake’s bottom and turned just in time to see Tarquin catch up with him. The girls on the bank were cheering, clapping their hands together excitedly, and the prince turned to grin at them, tipping a wink in Tarquin’s direction as he did so. The older boy glowered at him, but it only made Tristan grin all the more. He slapped the surface of the water in celebration, sending a splash of water over the ankles of the spectators on the bank and directly into Tarquin’s face. The girls squealed and scrambled backwards urgently to hide behind Tarquin’s friends. Tristan was so busy laughing that he didn’t hear the sound of hooves which would have alerted him to Alethea’s arrival.
“Thanks,” he beamed, pulling himself out of the water, and climbing to his feet, “new horse?” He threw her a small questioning frown, thrown a little by her use of his title and the crisp tone to her voice. Her facial expression was as stern as her words. “I don’t think luck as much to do with it,” Tristan smirked as he picked up his trousers up off the grass and pulled them on, “he lost the joust yesterday too.” He had looked for Thea during the tournament and hadn’t seen her anyway. It was a shame, he had experienced one very dramatic near-miss in which one of the older boys had landed a hard blow on Tristan’s chest and almost unhorsed him. Then he had gone on to win the whole thing. He’d have liked her to have been there, and he was still surprised that she hadn’t turned up. None the less, Tarquin’s response made him bark with laughter again, and he looked up from towelling his hair with his shirt. “Oh, yes,” he teased, fixing his rival with a knowing look, “and yesterday you lost because your horse tripped. Maybe you do need that luck after all.” Tarquin was staring at Thea. It would have taken a blind-man not to see it and Tristan had excellent magically enhanced eyesight. He didn’t like the look in the other boy’s eyes, and his own narrowed a fraction in warning as an unpleasant hot feeling stirred in his gut. When Thea laughed and responded with veiled disbelief, Tristan felt relief and looked up at her hopefully, expecting to see a warmer expression on her face. There wasn’t one; and no sooner had he looked at her than she started riding off back towards the stables. “Excuse me, ladies,” Tristan said, offering the girls on the bank a sweeping bow, and then he turned and hurried after his friend. “Thea!” he called in an attempt to slow her down. “Alethea!” he called again to no avail. The prince was forced to quicken his pace to a run, and headed her off at the archway that lead through to the stable yard. He stood in it, blocking her path and glared up at her. “What was that all about?” he demanded, feeling a little mistreated, he had the distinct impression that she was upset with him, but had no idea why. He hadn’t seen her since his birthday party. Tristan folded his arms stubbornly across his chest, “I’m not moving until you tell me what the problem is.”  |
Replies:
- be humble, for you are made of earth - By Alethea January 5, 2014 at 11:40:29 PM
- empires fall in just one day - By tristan January 6, 2014 at 07:06:30 AM
- be humble, for you are made of earth - By Alethea January 19, 2014 at 03:08:53 AM
- empires fall in just one day - By tristan January 6, 2014 at 07:06:30 AM
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