four ❧ forward dated to this morning

[maldestre]

[ When it is chilly outside, so chilly in fact that snow sticks to any and all surfaces, and you happen to be the personification of clumsy -- clearly the most logical thing to do is venture out with every intention of visiting the stable. First, however, she ventures to the castle to grab some warmer clothing for the occasion

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[excalibured]

[He was already in the stable, picking the one place he hasn't tried in previous years, to avoid running into people. So it's with mild exasperation that he greets her, before turning back resolutely to his unicorn]

Morning.

[maldestre]

[ Bad luck! She looks a tad surprised but, considering the unicorn is his, she knew he visited this place often enough. After gently patting the horse's side, she shoots him an amused look. ]

Good morning. Do you also mean to avoid them here?

[excalibured]

With success, up until this point.

[He's going to pick brushing the horse down, back up but with a bit more hurry to the action] Perhaps a ride would be best, after all.

[maldestre]

I was thinking something similar. Perhaps we would be less likely to be caught in an embarrassing situation?

[ looking amused, she mounts her horse and proceeds to usher her toward the stable's exit. ]

Would you care to join me?

[excalibured]

Presuming that we will be able to out run them, of course.

[He has doubts that they're going to be able to do that properly, and this is probably just going to lead to other kinds of disasters ]

...Yes. [Getting to know her better, is probably a better idea, here. And he'll finish brushing down his unicorn and saddle him up]

[maldestre]

We will not know until we try -- and I am always up for a challenge.

[ she lingers by the door until he saddles and mounts the unicorn then, with an almost mischievous glint in her eye, she call back to him: ]

The last to reach the forest is a rotten egg!

[ and, with that, she gallops ahead laughing all the while ]

[excalibured]

How admirable.

[Wait...What? LADY WHERE ARE YOU GOING, WHAT IS HAPPENING...WHAT IS HE STILL DOING IN THE STABLE? It takes him a second to nudge his unicorn into gear and gallop after her]

Elena!

[maldestre]

[ No reply here and she shows no sign of stopping as the pair picks up speed and heads for their destination. She's paid her loss little mind but it's only a matter of time before she falls on her face or something.

Still, she's in good spirits. Eventually, she calls back to him: ]

Come on, Arthur!

[excalibured]

[Oh god, do not fall off the horse and land in front of it. His heart can't take it, or something like that. Just...Be a good girl and glue your ass to the saddle. He's definitely catching up to her, but her head start is definitely showing. And she's....Surprisingly good at this]

Why don't you slow down?!

[maldestre]

No chance! You will have to.. Oh, no!

[ The horse leaps a fallen tree with ease as she glances over a shoulder to throw Arthur a confident wave. Unfortunately for her, as they near the forest, her fearless mount isn't slowing as quickly as planned.

Not as planned! When she pulls back on the reins as a last resort, she skids to a stop and Elena quite literally rolls off of the horse and tumbles into some leaves with some force. A typical damsel in distress might have shrieked and played up her injuries in order for the handsome prince to coddle her. But Elena, without even taking the time to see if she had hurt herself, can't help but laugh as she begins to difficult task of plucking leaves from her hair. ]

.. It seems I was far too overzealous!

[ and plop! she's just going to lay in those leaves and laugh some more. seriously, she can't remember the last time she had so much fun! ]

[excalibured]

[Watching this is kind of like getting sucker punched in the stomach. If anything happened to her, and his father or anyone else ever arrived and found out about it, there would be very large consequences to be had. And all because he didn't insist she couldn't ride her own horse with a loss like that.

Apparently lady luck is being favourable today, because instead of getting trampled by the irritable horse for such a short stop or snapping her own neck, she only tumbles into a pile of leaves that break her fall, and...inexplicably laughs ]

Overzealous?! That was you being...and idiot!

[Temper is how he deals with stress, okay? He's drawing his horse into a far more reasonable stop and hops down to head his way over] You have no grace at the best of times, and you turn about to wave?

[But he'll be reaching down with both hands to offer them and haul her to her feet]