The Prince Bought Me

T W E L V E

Turns out, tending the goats was actually easier than feeding the pigs. They tried to run after me when I accidentally hit one with a stick and they almost stabbed me with their horns and it took an hour and half for me to succeed but at least I didn't slipped again right? And I'm clean! Victory is mine! The Trojan War should be ashamed.

I got so focused on tending the goats I didn't notice the time until Lucy and Annie came sauntering to us carrying a bunch of plates and a blanket. But what caught my attention was the burly man following close behind them.

George and Louis wasted no time to help them while Sage and I watched them as they prepare everything. We tried to offer help but they shooed us away.

We were having lunch on the field which I found out; they do once in a week. There were about five dishes laid on the blankets and some fruits. Sage told me that we were going to eat first before we go to the stables with Louis. George would be staying behind with Lucy.

I was studying the burly man because he looked quite different from last night. He surely changed to different clothes but he looked younger, like in his early twenties. The beard no longer on his face and he kept on avoiding my eyes. It's like I have seen him somewhere but I can't pinpoint where. I shrugged my shoulders and just let it go. I'm being paranoid.

Lunch was filled with laughter as usual. James, the burly man, was even joining the conversation but he never bothered to talk to me or even faced me. Is that rude? But I stopped bothering myself with it when Sage started removing the bones on my fish without me asking him. He was being sweet and I can't help but noticed that he was eating with his hands like us.

When we were finished, we all stood up and Sage held my hands and helped me pull myself up. Annie and the others gathered everything and strolled back into the house. Louis, Sage and me was left there trying to catch our breath before Louis led us the way to the stables.

The path was grassy as usual but the path led us farther away from the usual field and away from the house. We walked for about five minutes before we arrived at a huge stable. It was painted red like the barn and there were five horses. One was black, three were brown and the one thing that caught me the most was the white one the end.

"That's Maia." Louis said from behind me. He was standing beside Sage who was watching one of the brown horses. He approached it carefully like he was afraid the horse will go berserk. He held up his hand and was about to pat the horse's head but the horse did it for him. The horse bends its head offering it for Sage to rub.

"He has grown, huh Sage?" Louis said and that caught my attention.

"What do you mean?" I asked him and he was quite startled.

He scratched the back of his head before facing me. "What?" He even let out a chuckle before continuing. "I mean the horse is big, it is, right?"

I just nodded my head but deep down I feel like he's hiding something. I turned to watched Sage again who was patting and rubbing the horse with a smile spreading on his face.

"What's his name? Or is it a she?" I asked.

"It's a he." It was Sage who answered me this time but he didn't bother to face me. He was too busy with the horse.

"How did you know?" I asked him while taking careful steps next to him.

"I don't know Allie, maybe because he has a dick?" This time he faced me and flashed me a grinned. I kind of miss that one, honestly.

"What's his name though?"

"It's Allie." Sage tried to stifle a laugh at his answer but he didn't keep it long because he started laughing so hard until he was clutching his stomach. Tears were forming in his eyes. The horse was even making a sound that sounds exactly like laughing. Hey, the horse was probably Sage's long lost brother! They can perfectly understand each other. I remember when Sage did a pretty good job with the pigs and when he told me to drop the bucket. He can perfectly understand them. Maybe Sage was part-animal!