Rey's POV 

Knowing Ben and I might be out for awhile I made sure to pack a few things last night.

I had decided to go with a couple loaves of bread, a few cheese wedges, a variety of berries and a jar of honey.

I had placed all the items in a neatly fashion inside a woven basket I had made during my time of learning to become a proper countess daughter.

Now, I was currently trying to pick what dress to wear.

For the first time in my life I was starting to draw a blank on what to wear.

Should I wear a elegant yet simple look of deep wine red or a more dainty look of a cream dress sprinkled with daisies?

I did not want to wake Cordelia up at such an earlier hour so I had to decide on my own.

Plus, if I did ask for her aid she might get the chance to tease and make fun of my situation.

I decided, after minutes of wondering, to wear my hair in a braid with a yellow ribbon tied in.

The dress I picked was of the cream shade with small daisies sprinkled along the dress as well as a pair of brown ankle boots.

As I headed out to exit my room I swiftly grabbed my cloak being the color of a roasted chestnut hue.

My mind pondered to what had taken place last night.

I was just planning to thank him...I did not expect the outcome that came about after that.

He was so sure of me, he trusted to tell me of his broken past and my heart soften for him.

I still did not trust him fully but I could now say I no longer wanted to depart from me.

He, rather or not he knew, was slowly pulling me in to something we'd both be intertwined with sooner or later.

A pull to long for one another. I was becoming to think I wanted that as much as I was worried about it.

Again the turmoil arose in me.

Instead of struggling I thought back to what my mother had mentioned just thee other day.

I must listen to my heart and not so much my head.

I had to try earnestly and truthfully, correctly and sincerely.

I stopped walking for a moment and focused on my breathing.

The birds morning songs heard faintly through the castle walls from outside.

I again, exhaled and inhaled.

What did my heart truly want?

Nothing but midnight hair, soft dark eyes and strongly built stature entered my mind.

My heart longed for Ben.

Even if I had just only known him for a day now.

He was the first man to believe in me as others did not. And what my mother said was true.

He was the first gentleman to see me as a real living human being, a lady and not just some common girl that others took me for and even myself.

To be honest I didn't even believe in myself...nonetheless he as well as Cordelia were the ones who did.

However I still needed time to process all of this.

My feelings could just be feelings and I know for a fact this would only last for so long if I said I loved him now with out an actually reality to it.

I needed to know, in some way when I truly loved him.

My heart did yearn for him as much as a small firefly but my heart did not yet ache for him as if he was my very breath.

And further a more my feelings have been basing themselves off of Ben's gallantry and respectful manner as a gentleman only.

Truly I did want to love him I just could not forcibly put forth such feelings that I did not have yet, at least they were not strong enough.

I continued to walk on.

I wanted to know more about him. Why he always dressed in dark and almost unsaturated hues of clothing.

Why he looked at me with such tender eyes? Why he was so kind and generous toward me when all I've done to him was reject his kindness when given to me.

If he did offer his hand to me I hoped to take it the next time around.

Entering outside as I headed my way down to the stables, once I had made in through the stables gates, there was no one to be seen but horses.

I walked further into the stables to find a sleeping Ben.

It was a bit surprising to find him there, sleeping on nothing but a clean pile of hay.

Did he not enter into the castle last night to his chambers?

I did have an idea on how to wake him but was unsure of how great it's effectiveness would be.

I whistled a bit louder than I had expected as a tired Ben shot up from the ground.

His eyes were wide awake. The first thing he looked towards was me, for a few moments his eyes stayed a bit shocked but then subsided to a sleepy look as he smiled.

I felt a bit sorry for waking him so abruptly.

"My apologies. I did not know what else to do to try and wake you." I tried to hold back a smile of laughter.

"It's quite alright. I should have been up hours ago."

"Did you not go back inside after last night?"

I placed the basket I had in hand on a stack of hay, close to the entrance of the stables.

"No. I had trouble going to sleep so I stayed here instead."

I walked up to him as my shoes clicked at each step I took toward him from the cobblestone flooring.

"Here let me help you up." I offered my hand to him.

He gladly took it.

I took his hand with both of mine, aiding him to stand as he once helped me.

He patted and wiped away loose dust and dirt from his trousers and fixed his cape.

"Shall we pick a horse for you to take?"

"Shall we take Sherbet?"

"Did you happen to say Sherbet?" He gave me a quite troubling expression as if he couldn't believe what I had just said.

This made me smile.

"Yes, indeed I did. She is there, furthest to the left." I pointed as he followed to where I was pointing.

The horse was a female Lipizzan.

A horse of a few others gifted to our kingdom by one of our allies from over seas.

We both went to her stall.

"So why is it called Sherbet?"

"Because of her milky cream coat and speckled grey bottom. She was going to be named Sprinkles by one of the younger countess's but they decided it was a bit to childlike so instead they named her Sherbet."

"Why not name her a proper name as like a human is. Perhaps Bella or Lilly."

"Well in the past we did try to rename her but she only ever responds to Sherbet. It seemed pleasant to her, I assumed. She's honestly one of my favorites here."

"Is she now?" I looked Ben's way as he unlocked the gate to prepare Sherbet to ride.

"Did you not bring a horse from your arrival here?"

"Of course. I just wanted to prepare your horse for you. Mine is the black mustang, Prince. He's by the entrance."

I turned around in one swift turn to see an all black mustang, reminding me of its owner.

Ben must have really enjoyed the shade of black seeing he has even a horse this is decked out in such a shade.

"I see him. Um.. May I?" I gestured to go to him as Ben gave the nod of approval.

"Of course."

"After our morning stroll could I perhaps even groom him?"

As he could already guess, I loved horses not that I knew much about them.

"He's quite tame so you can groom him if you wish too later on."

"I'd love to." I spoke softly as I came to Prince.

He was a bit more muscular built than Sherbet was.

I lightly scratched the base of his chin as he partly closed his eyes in pleasantry of a gifted scratch.

"You've seemed to have found his soft spot. I didn't find it until a few weeks of having him. Seems your quite keen with such an animal as Prince."

"I wouldn't say that I'm very knowledgeable of such things about horses but I do love them."

I patted Prince a few times more before looking back to where Ben was.

I waited as he finished up fitting Sherbet's saddle, walking with her over toward where Prince and I were.

He handed me Sherbet as I toke her by the rein.

On our way out I grabbed the basket in hand, mounting Sherbet shortly after.

We set our horses at a trot so we could enjoy the brisk morning scene once we left the castle grounds.

——————————————

To get an idea of what the horses (Prince and Sherbet) appearances look like here are a few photos:

(Photo credit to original owners/creators)