The Princess was in my stables.

Well, technically, it’s the courtyard beside my stables, but it’s practically the same thing.

I was in the castle, so I should have been expecting it. In fact, I wouldn’t have been surprised if it was any other member of the Royal Family. But this was her. The Princess. I hadn’t seen her up close, I had just seen her from afar.

She’d only ever passed through this courtyard, next to her father in the castle’s staff meetings. I hadn’t realised how much those glances from afar could never do her beauty justice. I clear my throat, glancing back at the bay mare that whinnied behind me. I jumped, almost forgetting that the horse was even there.

I remove the bridle, but keep my peripheral vision trained on her. She was reading under the tree in the corner, the sun peeking through the leaves and casting hundreds of shadows through her hair and over her skin. She was the only other person beside from me in the courtyard, and that somehow gave me an excuse to look at her every other glance.

I watched as she read, peaceful and undisturbed, as she turned those pages. She didn’t notice me, and I took the time to study her features as I walked to the other end of the stables to get to the food buckets.

I don’t notice the pile of manure on the floor as I walk back towards the horse. My foot slips, and I go hurtling towards the ground, and, an even bigger pile of manure, before I can stop it, have my face and body covered in horse shit. Great, just great. Really good job, Arthur, always fucking up in front of the pretty girls.

I stand, and she’s already looking up at me, her eyebrows furrowed. I wipe the shit off my face, but feel my cheeks go pink. She stands, placing her book beside the tree as she walks over to where I stand, glued to my spot. I clear my throat again.

“Lady {{user}}.” I say, bowing my head, and brushing off more of the manure.