Diary of a Reluctant Ruler

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Felix, Lily and Jeff had already left when I woke up the next morning.

I opened my curtains to bright sunlight, unforgiving to sleepy eyes, quickly changed into something more suitable for breakfast-purposes, and found James sitting against the wall opposite my door.

“Hey,” he said, hopping up.

“Hey,” I replied.

Good-morning-kiss? Good-morning-kiss? Good-morning-kiss?

His lips tasted of tea and toast.

“How long have you been sitting there?” I asked.

“Oo… half an hour?” James replied.

“Why?” I asked, a little flabbergasted.

“Because,” he replied.

“That’s not an answer you know,” I said.

“My reasons are secret,” James winked, “But I had my trusty book to keep me company.”

He waved a paperback copy of Regeneration by Pat Barker at me.

“War novels?” I asked him, my lip curling.

Gore did not bode well with my empty stomach.

“It’s very good,” James said, opening the door into the dining room for me.

“Thanks,” I said at the gentlemanly behaviour.

“My pleasure, milady,” he replied, “What would you like for breakfast?”

“I’ll serve myself thanks,” I said.

“I couldn’t let you do that,” James argued, holding the pair of tongs aloft.

I attempted to wrestle them off him, which was nice, because it gave me a reason to have contact with his skin, which felt, as ever, like the most beautiful fabric imaginable.

Not in a pervy way or anything folks…

“James,” I moaned, as he picked me up with one arm around my waist, and began to attempt to put eggs on a plate.

“Yes milady?” he asked.

“I don’t even like fried eggs!” I cried.

“Oh,” he answered.

I struggled out of his grip.

James surrendered the tongs and kissed me instead.

A much more desirable breakfast.

Depends what you’re comparing it with.

Something edible might rank better.

Passion got the better of us, and a few minutes later we were interrupted by a dry cough from behind us. We both looked up with the same embarrassed silence at the mousy haired, middle-aged woman who was standing with a rack-full of fresh toast in the doorway.

James cleared his throat.

“Is that for us?” he asked, “Thanks.”

He took the rack and put it on the sideboard; the woman gave me a raised-eyebrow look and left. I burst out laughing. James looked up and began to laugh as well. Kissing resumed in a matter of seconds.

An hour, two pieces of toast and one glass of orange juice later, and we were out in the horse paddock with two horses, bridles, and no saddles.

“How are we supposed to get on?” I asked, after a moment.

“Er…” James said, “I didn’t ask Mike that.”

“I guess it’s just like mounting without stirrups…” I commented.

“I’ll give you a leg up,” James said.

“Do you know how to get on without stirrups?” I asked.

“Well, no…” James replied.

“Well why don’t I help you on first then?”

“My pride might be hurt,” James sighed.

“Well, maybe it could do with a little bruising,” I laughed.

“Nah, we’ll start you off first,” James replied, “It’ll be safer if only one of us rides at a time.”

I smiled wryly, but nodded. James attacked me with a short kiss, and then laced his fingers together to give me a leg-up.

“Right,” he said when I was up, “Remember not to grip with your calves, look ahead, and sink your heels deep.”

“Right,” I replied, and nudged the horse into a walk.

It felt odd to have actual horse beneath me, rather than saddle. Annoushka and Felix’s horse had come with us, so thankfully I wasn’t attempting this with a completely unknown horse.

Odd though it may have been, it shortly became completely liberating.

Without a saddle to jumble around on top of, it was so much easier to roll with the horse, that Anna almost became another limb. Well, another several limbs. Having taken tips from Mike, the Jacinthe’s head groom, that cantering was easier than trotting, I ignored Lily’s warning and did a quick canter around the field.

“Oi!” James yelled half-heartedly, “If my mum finds out!”

“She’ll never know!” I laughed back, then gave let out my joy in a great whoop.

“Mothers know everything!” he called back.

“I hope not,” I replied, coming to a halt beside him.

“Got secrets?” James asked.

“A few,” I nodded, slipping off Anna’s back, and landing next to him with as much dignity as was physically possible.

“Any I ought to know?” he questioned.

“Not for a while,” I said, thinking about my other list.

“Does that mean you’ll tell me eventually?” he pestered.

“If you play your cards right,” I whispered.

“I thought I’d already gambled everything,” he replied.

“You only won the first round.”

“I thought love wasn’t a battle?”

“Sometimes it feels like it.”