His Girl Knight novel Chapter 3

Eventually I have to stop my horse. I lead him through the tall grass to a small stream. We both drink our own share. While my thirst is quenched, my stomach is not satisfied. I can feel it grumble as I sadly think about the food that was packed in the carriage. Unable to do anything about it, I lie my head down on the soft grass and stare up into the sky. Through the branches, I can see hundreds of twinkling stars. They give me company and I fall asleep.

The next day goes smoothly. My stomach is still cramping from hunger, but that uncomfortable pang is extinguished as I near the village. The view of the castle always takes my breath away. I ignore the hustle and bustle around me and just stare. The grayish castle looms in the distance. It's many towers and size overwhelming. When I get closer, I look down at my clothes in dismay. The dress is torn and tattered. To my horror, I can see parts of my underclothes peeking through torn seams. Unfortunately, there's nothing I can do about it. I leave my horse behind and walk the rest of the distance so that I can take everything in.

As I approach the castle gate, one of the guards standing there asks me, "Who are you and what is your business at the castle?"

"My name is Iris Beaumont. I am the daughter of Henry Beaumont. My carriage was overthrown by bandits," I respond.

Their faces quickly changed as I stated my name. "So you're the girl who thinks she's just as good as us men," one of them says with a smirk.

"If you don't mind, the prince is expecting me," I say impatiently.

They open the gates reluctantly and a servant takes me to the place where the prince is waiting.

I enter a room with tall ceilings and chandeliers. It's even more beautiful than I imagined. But my awe quickly disappears and turns into fear as I see the prince staring at me from the other size of the room. I approach him and bow. I'm surprised. He's a lot younger and more handsome than I expected. He looks only a few years older than me despite his muscles and stature.

"Rise," he says in a stern voice.

I stand up straight and look at him. His eyes are a startling emerald green color. "My guards sent word that your carriage was overthrown by bandits. Is that correct?" He inquires.

"Yes, your highness," I reply.

"And you took a horse and ran away as fast as possible?"

"Yes, your highness."

"Coward," he says.

My face burns red with anger but I manage to control myself and bow my head silently. The doors suddenly burst open and in walks the king. I quickly drop to the ground in a deep curtsy. But he walks over to me and embraces me. Startled, I don't know what to do. I see the prince smirking at my face as I am trapped in the king's embrace. Finally he lets go and says, "Welcome!"

"Thank you, your majesty," I reply.

At this I begin to burn with anger again and shut my mouth for fear of what I might say. He shows me around the castle for a while until we finally come across my room.

"I sent some servants to give you clothes since yours were lost," he says. I simply nod my head in reply and enter the room. "Because you are a girl, you will live separately from the men," the prince continues as he follows me into the room.

"Thank you for everything," I somehow manage to say. Although, I'm still burning with anger from his previous comments.

"Dinner will be served soon. A maid will alert you when it's ready. You don't want to be late," he replies and walks out swiftly.

I look around at the small room which has one desk, a bed, and a dresser in the corner. There is one window looking out into the garden and a closet on one wall. I walk over to the dresser to change out of my tattered dress. Inside, I find many pairs of breeches, undergarments, and simple white shirts. The closet contains a few dresses and a couple of pairs of shoes.

I throw on a pair of plain black pants, a white shirt, and some new boots. Throwing my hair up into a braid, I begin to get nervous. I feel more comfortable now, but I dread leaving this room to go meet the others. What will they think of me? Will become their enemy? With these questions in mind, I walk out of the room to what awaits me.

As I walk from my room to the dining area, I realize that I'm lost. Looking around, I don't see a single person; not even a servant. I start running down a hallway. As I start to turn down another hallway, I smack into someone. I fall back into the ground with a loud thump. Groaning, I touch my head gingerly.