Chapter Text
Two girls run through a stable, giggling, and holding each other’s hands. The horses are all asleep, thankfully, or they would’ve most definitely neighed so loud they’d wake up the entirety of Tir Asleen. They nearly trip over the clumps of hay on the ground as they run, giggling all the way. One of the girls, Jade, knows this stable like the back of her hand, and knows every foal, stallion and mare in here. The other girl, Kit, has never been here. Kit’s mother, Queen Sorsha, has never allowed Kit to go near the horses, saying it’s ‘too dangerous’ and that she’s ‘not old enough to ride one’. So, consequentially, Kit had begged Jade to show her the stables.
The night welcomes the two girls, drowning their footsteps in the sound of chirping crickets and obnoxious bird calls. Jade turns a sharp corner, nearly breaking the contact between their two hands, but Kit holds it tight, looking around with curiosity and wonder.
“Woah, woah, wait, Jade, slow down, I’m gonna fall!” Kit chuckles out, trailing behind her, trying to keep up with her friend’s rapid pace.
“Hold on tighter, then!” Jade retorts, laughing just as much.
They skirt the corner, nearly waking up a nearby sleeping mare, before arriving in front of a particular stall. Kit leans on the wall, catching her breath, and so does Jade.
“This,” Jade points to the stall, smiling. “Is Ballantine’s horse. He let me ride it one time.”
“No way. You got to ride a horse?” Kit’s eyes light up, and she walks over to the stall guard, standing on her tiptoes trying to peek over the wall and see the horse. Unfortunately, she’s short, even for a thirteen-year-old. The tall stall wall doesn’t let her see much.
“Her name is Cassiopeia, she’s a sweetheart.” Jade peeks over the wall, able to see the sleeping horse in all its glory, since she’s taller than Kit.
Laying on the ground, is a black mare, with white spots all over its body. It looks like the night sky, Jade thinks. That must be why Ballantine named it Cassiopeia.
“Lucky. My mom won’t even let me near a horse, she says it’s dangerous.” Kit pouts, trying as hard as she can to peek over the wall. She barely manages to, and smiles to herself when she sees the horse, the rise and fall of its stomach as it shifts in its sleep. It looks so peaceful; she thinks.
“Only if you stand behind one.”
Kit turns her head to Jade, tilting it, puzzled. “Why? Does it kick you or something?”
“Yeah, it kicks you. It goes like,” Jade haphazardly kicks the air, making a pow sound with her mouth.
Kit, instead of being disturbed, chuckles. “Does it kill you?”
“Yeah. That’s what Ballantine told me. He said- he said that one time a cadet stood behind a horse and then the horse just kicked him, and he flew back. He only shattered his hip bone. He was lucky to not have been kicked in the head or he would’ve died on the spot.” Jade tells, peeking over the stall guard and at Cassiopeia.
“What’s a cadet?”
“Oh, it’s, uh, it’s like a knight in training. You know, like the learning phase, when you’re just starting out. Like me, since I’m sort of like a cadet now.” She explains, pride swelling in her chest at that last statement.
“You’re a cadet now? Really?” Her eyebrows furrow. “I thought you were just making that up to sound cool. But, like, you’re actually a cadet? Like, Ballantine officially made you one?”
“Officially.” Jade retorts, grinning from ear to ear, proud.
“You’re kidding.” Kit’s eyes light up.
“I’m going to be a knight.” she says excitedly, turning to Kit. “What do you think? Maybe even one day, I'll join Ballantine’s troop as his best swordswoman.”
“Doesn’t the Shining Legion only accept men?” Kit asks, not wanting to dampen Jade’s excitement, but still calling it into question.
“Who knows, maybe they’ll change their standards by then.” the redhead says hopefully and gleefully.
“Then I might join too and be a knight with you. Being a princess is boring anyway.”
“Really? You don’t want to rule Tir Asleen or something like that?”
Just as Kit’s about to reply, they hear something in the distance. Hay ruffling, horses neighing awake in their stalls. They both exchange panicked glances, wide eyes gleaming in the moonlight.
“Someone’s here.” Jade whispers hurriedly.
“What do we do?”
“Hide!” With quick thinking, Jade grabs Kit’s hand and pulls them both into an empty stall.
The two press their backs against the stall door, their legs shifting against the hay and making it ruffle. Kit clamps her hand over Jade’s mouth, and Jade does the same, knowing the other would somehow make a sound and give away their location. The sound of a pair of footsteps echoes out through the stable, most likely belonging to an adult. Best case scenario: it could be a stable worker, worst case scenario: it could be Tirna or Vos, stable workers who know Jade, and could possibly rat them both out to Ballantine and or Sorsha.
They both listen intently, hearing as the footsteps slowly fade away and go quiet. Nervously, Jade retreats her hand, and so does Kit. Slowly, the brunette peeks out through the crack of the stable door. The coast looks clear. She turns back to Jade and nods.
The redhead takes her hand, and they slowly creep out of the stall, nearly slipping on hay as they do. When they confirm nobody’s around, they clutch each other’s hands tightly and bolt it. The prospect of being caught, the danger of it all, it’s thrilling.
Being a princess and all, Kit found herself restricted from the places she wanted to go so badly. Like near ravines and abandoned ruins, those so-called dangerous places her mother would never let her go to. But Jade, she didn’t have those restrictions, having been raised by Ballantine and the knights and all. If anything, Jade was encouraged to explore dangerous places, because it would make her a better knight when the time came, that sense of adventure and bravery.
Jade looks back at Kit as they turn a corner. Just then, in that millisecond before they turn, Kit sees something that makes her little stomach drop. A figure, right in front of them.
By the time they turn, they’ve slammed into it already. Jade falls backward, which makes Kit fall by consequence. The girls look up, and to their collective horror, it’s not Vos, Tirna, or even an unknown stable worker. It’s Ballantine.
They stay there, on the ground, frozen.
“Girls.” Ballantine says, voice stern, his deep, raspy voice echoing through the stable like a gong.
· · ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── · ·
“What were you two thinking?” Sorsha scolds.
The pair stand there awkwardly, right in the middle of the dining hall. Sorsha’s voice echoes out through the room, piercing the air. Thankfully, nobody was in there to witness this, or Kit would’ve died of embarrassment.
“Sneaking out at night? And to the stables, no less! What if you had been abducted? What if you got kicked by one of the horses? What’s next, running off from the castle? Going beyond the barrier?” Sorsha continues, gesturing her arms around as she does. Jade and Kit exchange nervous glances.
“I am extremely disappointed in you, Kit.” She declares, before moving her frustrated gaze to the redhaired girl. “You as well, Jade. I thought you were more mature than Kit. I thought you’d keep her in check, not egg her on.”
Oof, that was a harsh blow. Kit finds the urge to defend both herself and Jade rising in her throat, so she retaliates.
“Mom, you never even let me near the horses, you keep saying they’re dangerous to be around, but Jade showed me them and they’re, like, super cute. And it’s not like it was Jade’s idea, I asked her!”
“Whether it was yours or her idea doesn’t matter, you’re both guilty, and you’ll both be punished for it. Kit, you’re grounded for three days.”
“Wait, why don’t I get punished for it?” Jade asks, finding the fact that Kit gets grounded for it and she walks off Scott-free rather unfair.
“Not seeing her for three days is your punishment.” Sorsha explains sternly. “If you're going to be a bad influence on my daughter, I think separating you two is reasonable.”
“Mom-” Kit begins, but Sorsha interrupts.
“Kit, don’t say another word. I don’t want to hear it, go to your room.”
“Wait-”
“Kit.” Sorsha commands.
Kit stands speechless for a moment, before she shoots a look at Jade, then storms out of the room.
· · ────── ꒰ঌ·✦·໒꒱ ────── · ·
The following day, late in the afternoon.
Kit sits on her bed broodingly, looking out the window, watching the rain rhythmically tap on the glass and pool on the windowsill. These past few hours have been absolute torture for her. Her brother Airk had tried to negotiate with their mother to lessen her sentence to just one day, but unfortunately for Kit, he’s an awful negotiator. If anything, her mom probably added an extra day just for that. She can’t blame him for trying, though. It was worth a shot.
She hugs her knees tight to her chest, angry thoughts swirling in her head. Not only does she not get to see Jade for another full two days, but she’s locked in her room, too. She sighs. All of this just because she wanted to see some horses. She thinks her mother was being overdramatic. It’s not like she was running into the forest or anything, she was just in the stables. And with Jade no less, who’s apparently a cadet now. What was the worst that could happen?
Her deep blue eyes follow the droplets of water on the glass as they fall, keeping track of two at once to see which droplet would reach the windowsill first like it’s a race. The one she hoped would win lost in the end. Besides watching drops of water fall on her window, she can see a bit of the town from here and watches intently. Everyone’s out and about, free and lively. Things would be so much easier if she wasn’t a princess, she could just go off and explore as much as she wanted. She sighs, collapsing back onto her bed with a frustrated groan, infuriatingly bored and petty.
She fidgets with her crystal pendant while she stares at the ceiling. It was her mother’s, and Kit was given it on her tenth birthday. It’s a jade crystal, and despite it’s old age, it’s still looks glossy and shines when light hits it. It makes her think of, well, Jade. That’s why she wears it so much. But now, It’s just a reminder that she’s not allowed to see her best friend for another two whole days.
Just then, a loud creaking sound fills up the quiet room.
Kit snaps her head toward it, and she can see the door of her room slowly inching open. She looks back up at the ceiling, assuming it’s Airk.
“We won’t get mom to budge, don’t bother trying.” she says lazily, crossing her legs at the ankles and running a hand through her long brown hair.
When the door closes and she turns her head, Kit realizes that it’s not Airk, it’s Jade. Her curly red hair is done up in twin braids that cascade down her shoulders, and it brings out her brown eyes.
Kit’s bright blue eyes light up at the sight of her, and she sits up immediately. “Jade? How did- how'd you get in here?”
Jade smiles warmly. “Airk snuck me in.”
The brunette makes a beckoning gesture, urging the other to sit down on the bed beside her.
“Really? He did that?”
Jade nods as she sits down beside Kit. “So, how has your prison time been?”
“Awful.” she dramatically slams herself back against the bed. “I’ve just been trapped in here while everyone else’s living life and all and I can’t do anything about it. I feel like the princess in those stupid old tales, the ones where she gets kidnapped and trapped in a castle and has to have a knight in shining armor come save her.”
“Well, then, I’m here to save you, princess.” Jade comments, laying back right beside Kit. “From boredom. Not some rubbish monster.”
“My hero.” Kit replies sarcastically, tilting her head to look at Jade. The redhead does the same.
They hold each other’s gaze, grinning. Jade’s hair is splayed out beside her, one of her braids just beside Kit’s palm.
“I like how you did your hair today.” Kit comments.
“Thanks. What do you think?”
Kit reaches out and runs her palm against the braid, it’s elegantly done and pristine. “It’s pretty.”
A moment of comfortable silence passes by.
“D’you want me to braid up your hair?” Jade asks, propping herself up on her elbows.
Kit does the same. “Yes, definitely. We can match.”
Jade giggles, and the two girls sit up. Delicately, Jade slides her hands in Kit’s hair, sectioning her hair. She takes a second just to run her hands through her hair, for no particular reason other than it feels soft. Slowly, she begins the first braid. Kit’s hair is long, so it's fairly easy to do. The sunlight from the window pours over the brunette’s hair, making it shine like something out of a painting.
“Y’know, I wish I had shorter hair.” Kit comments after a beat of silence. Jade doesn’t lose her focus and keeps braiding.
“Really? But your hair’s so nice.”
“I just think I’d look better with it short. And it’d be easier to manage.”
“Isn’t it Tir Asleenian royalty standards to have long hair?”
“Who cares about standards? It doesn’t matter, if you think about it. Like, short hair doesn’t make you a worse ruler, does it?”
Jade finishes the braid. “No, I guess not.” She scoots over to begin the second one.
“What do you think? Would I look good with short hair?”
Jade takes a moment to answer, and by the time she does, she’s finished the braid. “You’d look good with any kind of hair.”
Kit smiles, toying with the ends of her fresh braids