The Stables

Life, Identity

Evelyn goes to the stables and receives a message from Fenneck.

Evelyn wrapped a cloak around her shoulders and walked through the palace toward the stables. It was dark out now and as she entered the stable she noticed the guards seemed to be missing. They were probably off getting drunk or something. Evelyn entered the stable and walked over to her favorite horse. "Hey, Freya," she said as she caressed the pretty chestnut horse's mane. "How have you been?" she asked the horse, letting her spell take effect. "I'm fine," Freya told her, sounding bored. Evelyn picked up a brush and started brushing the horses mane out. "Same boring shit, huh?" Evelyn asked her. The horse nodded. "Yes. I want to go outside and run," she said sadly. "Me too," Evelyn said thoughtfully. "I met someone," she told the horse. "Who?" the horse asked her. "He's a tailor," Evelyn told her. "We snuck off and made love together," she confided in the beast. Freya bobbed her head thoughtfully. "What's a tailor?" she asked her in confusion. Evelyn giggled. "He makes clothes, like my dress," she explained, holding out her skirt. "Ah," the horse said. "Unfortunately," Evelyn continued. "I can't see him again," she said sadly. "I don't want him to get hurt. He was so sweet though, unlike all the other men I've met. My family is trying to marry me off to an abusive soldier or a wack-job noble from one of the most chaotic countries around. I wish I could be an animal and just... escape all this. Have my own life. Be with someone I actually like. The only person in the palace I can stand is already married and, trust me, having an affair with him would be an awful idea!" she told Freya. Evelyn heard a scuttling behind her and she jumped in fear as she saw some rats running about the stables. "Stay back!" she told them. They ran toward her though and she squealed in fear and ran to the ladder that led up to the hayloft and leaped up off the ground as the rats squealed about beneath her. "Help!" she shouted, hoping a guard would come in and kill them for her. The door to the stables burst open and she saw a halfling and a weird looking bird thing rush in. He ran up and kicked one of the rats toward the horses and Freya reared up in surprise and stompled the poor creature. The halfling turned to the other rats and shot a blast of ice magic at them, causing them to run away in fear. The halfling, who stood a little over three feet off the ground and had long curly brown hair. He was wearing a large, wide brimmed hat that he removed as he bowed to her. "Your highness?" he asked in an assuming way. "I presume your Princess Evelyn?" he asked her. She nodded cautiously. "Who the hell are you and why are you here?" she asked him. He frowned. "So much for a thanks for saving me!" he said in annoyance. She frowned at his sass. "Who the hell are you?" she asked again. He shook his head and waved off his annoyance. "I have a message for you," he said, ignoring her and handing her a napkin. Evelyn hesitantly took it and read the back of it. In Elvish it read:   Dearest Evelyn, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I know you said we shouldn't see each other again but my heart longs to hold you once more. I can't move on from this. You have stolen my heart. I need to see you again. To kiss your sweet, perfect lips and to make love to you. To feel your body pressed against mine in the throws of love. You have breathed life into me Evelyn, and I cannot bear to continue living without you. Please, darling, let me be with you again. Please tell me when and where it will be safe to find you. This halfling here will return your response to me safely. Forever yours, Fenneck Frostears.   Evelyn felt her heart start to pound in excitement as she read Fenneck's words and she felt tears brim her eyes as she realized he felt the same way she did. What if they were soulmates? What if there was something more to this? She swallowed and decided to risk trusting this little halfling and throw caution to the wind, if only just to see Fenneck one more time. She created an illusory pen that she pretended to pull from her dress pocket and she magically wrote back to Fenneck on the other side of the napkin:   Dear Fenneck, Once again you have surprised me with your sweet affections. I'll find you tomorrow evening and we can discuss whether or not this is truly something we both want. I too have been unable to stop thinking about you and my nights have been spent longing for your touch again. Our night together was one of the greatest in my entire life. I know you've risked a lot by sending this note. I can't thank you enough for your affection and admiration. You don't know how much it means to me. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. Just stay home and I'll be able to find you. Your dearest, Evelyn.   "Here," she told the mysterious halfling. "Thank you for your help," she told him. "Be safe and careful getting out of here," she warned him. He nodded. "Of course your highness," he said with another gracious bow. His weird bird made a weird honking noise to her and she looked at it curiously. "What is that thing?" she asked him. "He's a penguin!" he explained proudly. "We should really be off though," he told her. She nodded. "Indeed. Thank you, again," she told him sweetly. He nodded and exited the stables.   Evelyn looked around a bit before realizing she needed a way to get to Fenneck tomorrow. She left the stable and walked back to the palace and walked up to the balcony. She sighed in disappointment, seeing it empty and turned around and nearly jumped out of her skin seeing Ivan there. "Hi, your highness," he greeted her. "How long have you been following me?" she asked him accusingly. He shrugged. "I saw you walk in from the conference room," he told her, much to Evelyn's disgust. "So you decided to follow me from a creepy distance up into a room where we'd be alone?" she asccused him blankly. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think your intentions were a bit crude, not that they ever aren't," she said in disgust. He glared at her. "You should really learn to think before you speak," he warned her. "No well-respected man would ever marry a whore who's as stubborn as you are." She shrugged. "I'd rather be a whore than marry any man, respectable or not, who thought that was the case," she told him plainly. "Now if you'll please excuse me, marshal," she said, trying to pass around him. He reached a hand out and blocked her way back down the hall. "If you would let me speak for two seconds before trying to bite my head off you might actually realize there's a reason I followed you up here," he told her. She sighed defiantly at him and plopped her fists on her hips. "Let's hear it then," she said expectantly. He looked to the distance thoughtfully. "I have a proposal for you," he started. "You being fourth in line to the throne is not... nothing. You must understand that there was a bit of tension between your mother and uncle about your fate. That tension could very well grow into something... more than tension. Your brother and I are devising a... plan of sorts. If you were involved, it would give you more freedom over your own life. We could use your support," he told her. She raised a brow in surprise at what she was hearing. "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear a word of what you just said," she told Ivan threateningly. "I'm so not interested in any crazy idea my brother has concocted," she said before trying to walk away again. "You could marry anyone," Ivan said as she walked past him, prompting her to stop. "You could do whatever you wanted. I know you crave freedom, Evelyn. We all do," he told her. Evelyn considered this for a moment before shrugging him off. "I'm not interested in your coup. I would advise you to be more careful with who you speak to about such things," she told him. He shrugged. "Will you tell your mommy?" he teased her. She turned and squinted at him. "No," she told him. "I don't care enough to even do that." Ivan nodded. "Well, if you decide to ever be more than a pretty bartering tool... you know where to find me," he told her, staring into her soul with his cold, silver eyes. "Not interested," she assured him before walking off. "We'll see," Ivan muttered as she left his presence.