In Chains by C. Noble (best ereader for pc .txt) 📖

remarkable ease on to the back of the white mare then vaulted on to the back of the stallion. Together they walked out of the golden stables on their white steeds and into the unknown.
The moon shone brightly on their path as Hadrian steered his horse onto a sandy path sloping downward and broke into a relaxed canter. Darcey followed him, chasing what seemed an impossible goal.
They ran beside each other, racing down the path. Eventually the sandy walkway exploded into a deserted beach. Small breakers crashed across the sand. Birds fluttered in and out of the surrounding forests. Darcey pushed her horse into the waves, and laughed out loud when it lifted its legs to jump over the oncoming waves. Hadrian watched from shore, sitting astride his horse and laughing at her.
Darcey turned her mare up to Hadrian. He broke into a canter and turned his horse in a circle before sliding off its side. His arms flown outward, he placed one foot in front of the other and bowed low.
Darcey attempted the same thing but got her cloak stuck in her right stirrup. Her left foot had already slid out of its stirrup, and she was dangling precariously without a grip on either rein or mane. Her horse ran faster and faster, terrified by her flapping cloak and its rider dangling off its side. Finally Darcey’s cloak slipped out from its trap and she came tumbling to the ground. Her horse bolted to the other end of the beach, she lay still in the sand.
Hadrian came running, terror stricken. He was running as fast as he could, but he felt like he wasn’t moving at all. Why didn’t she move? He stumbled on the sand but didn’t stop his forward motion. Recovering his stride, Hadrian jumped forward and landed on his knees, skidding forward to where Darcey’s body was strewn, still unmoving. He put one hand around her waist, drawing her on top of his lap. The other wound its way to the back of her head, his fingers woven through her wet hair.
He sat on the beach rocking her for some time. After nearly an hour, Darcey’s pristine eyelashes began to flicker ever so slightly. Hadrian’s eyes locked on hers, earnestly searching out the smallest sign of life. He held his breath as Darcey drew a shuttering breath. She opened her eyes slowly and looked around, surprised. Her eyes met his, and a small smile appeared on her face.
“Hey,” she croaked, not leaving his arms.
“Hey,” Hadrian whispered, the brightest smile he had on his face. “Darcey…I am so sorry –”
“Don’t be,” she said softly. She reached out an arm and gingerly placed it around his shoulder. “It wasn’t you’re fault. I was trying to do what you did, and I haven’t taken riding lessons yet…”
“Come on, let’s go back,” Hadrian started to rise, but Darcey didn’t even make an effort. “I’d actually rather stay here tonight.”
“We can’t. Everyone would be wondering where we are…we just can’t.” Hadrian shook his head and subtly tried to wipe the moisture from his eyes. This was not lost on Darcey, but she decided to store it away for later.
“Please? It must be nearly sunrise. Nobody would miss us yet,” Darcey was stubborn, and she wasn’t about to give up yet.
Hadrian smiled down at her. He still hadn’t moved his hands from her back and head. After her accident, he didn’t want to deny her anything. He whistled and the horses came over. Darcey winced at their approach but didn’t move away.
Darcey watched as he slowly let go of her and went to them. He took their bridles and saddles off and put them on the ground. The saddle blankets proved a great asset, as it was considerably uncomfortable to sit on the sand for hours on end. Hadrian spread the blankets out to face the beach before shooing the horses away and slumping down in one of them. Darcey crawled into the other and stared at the moon.
The sun was just rising when she woke up. While a considerable headache greeted her, she was feeling brilliant. The sand provided a soft mattress while the whistling winds, singing birds, and crashing waves created a wondrous melody.
She looked over at the sleeping figure on the next horse blanket. His unruly hair was considerably longer when not slicked back and was currently being a source of unconscious irritation to his thin eyelids. Darcey reached out a pristine hand and was in the process of brushing it from his forehead when his hand shot up and grabbed her wrist. She squealed and flipped back onto her own blanket. Hadrian wasn’t able to let go of her wrist fast enough and was catapulted onto Darcey, nearly crushing her.
Darcey smiled as Hadrian steadied himself. His arms pushed him about two feet above her. He beamed down at her as he cut the distance between them in half by dropping to his elbows. Darcey propped herself up on her forearms, taking up nearly all the space in between them.
Hadrian’s brilliant smile did not cease even as he bent to kiss her forehead. Darcey smiled back in the same radiant manner as she flung her arms carelessly around his strong, tanned neck.
“So what now?” She asked, tilting her head to the left. “Get the horses and go back to the palace, I suppose. To dull palace life…”
“Not necessarily. We could stay on the beach all day. We could go for a walk in the forest, or take a stroll in the village nearby,” Hadrian began listing off possibilities of how to spend their day.
“Why don’t we go to the town? It’s really close, I can hear shouting. It would be nice to get out.” Darcey tilted her head forward so that her forehead met Hadrian’s.
“An excellent choice, my dear. That is why I have worn the clothes of your people. But leave the horses. Dijoubwe is an island. They can’t get far, and everyone knows that white horses belong to the royal family.” Hadrian gingerly got up, trying to avoid hurting her.
He bent to scoop her up, but she beat him to it by standing up on her own. She grinned at his expression, so hard to place but adorable nonetheless. She flicked his hood over his beautiful purple eyes so that only his architectural nose, perfect mouth, and marble carved jaw line were visible.
Hadrian cupped her oval shaped face in his hands, appraising her. He slid his hands down her neck to the hood of her cloak and pulled it carefully over her head so that nothing above her nose was showing. He gently took up her hand, threaded his fingers in hers and started up the path to the small village nearby.
The pair were inconspicuous in the little town, even for their fine silk robes. Everyone was too preoccupied with their chatter and work to notice a couple of teens strolling along. Weavers were folding fresh linens and silks, leatherworkers were letting their work dry in the sun, bakers setting their goods out to cool and to entice buyers near.
Hadrian bought two small cakes from one such baker and had just finished his when he asked: “What’s on your mind?”
Darcey brushed the powder from the cake off her fingers before replying. “I was just…just thinking.”
“About what?”
“About…you know. Us,” Darcey was embarrassed to continue.
“What about us?” Hadrian asked gently.
“Well, I mean, in a year, we’re going to need to make some decisions. About where we’re going to live and stuff, right?”
“Yeah, I guess so,” the uncomfortable tone of his voice evident. “We could talk about that, if you want.”
“I don’t know. I mean, it’s kind of a private thing, isn’t it?” Darcey would much rather have talked about such a subject on the beach, or in her bedroom back at the palace. She voiced these thoughts and he agreed. It took almost three hours, but they eventually snuck into Darcey’s bedroom and barricaded themselves in.
Hadrian stole a look into the hall to ensure that nobody was watching before drawing the thick silk curtains that floated above them shut. He then promptly turned and bounced onto the bed where sat his fiancée.
“So my dear, what do you want to talk about that could not be said in the village?” Hadrian queried, looking down at her hands. Something seemed to bother him, but she could not place it. Shaking it off, she replied: “I just want to know where we’ll be living when we’re…you know, married. I mean, we live on two different islands. We can’t just join them together.”
“Ah, yes. Well, we would split the time evenly. Either we would switch every month, six months, or year. I personally would prefer every six months, because that gives us a decent amount of time with our people but does not exhaust us with travel.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Darcey stared up to her delicately curled ceiling with its intricate patterns carved into stone.
“Was there anything else, or have we gone to the trouble of locking ourselves away from the world to find out future living arrangements?” Hadrian looked amused, his eyes twinkling.
“I’m just a little scared, I guess. For sixteen years I’ve been a nobody. A month ago I found out that I was a princess, and here I am engaged to a prince I’ve just met and going to be married in a year,” Darcey got up and walked to her balcony doors. Pushing them open, she stepped out onto the cool stone patio. She leaned against the thick, exquisitely carved stone banister and watched as several servants walked by with the white horses that she had abandoned on the beach. The wind blew in the palms. Waves crashed across a far off beach, parrots and other tropical birds flew from tree to tree. This really was paradise, and she was the queen of it all.
Hadrian walked up quietly behind her. He put his hands over hers and leaned over her. He took a deep breath, and Darcey could feel his chest on her back.
“Listen to me,” Hadrian smiled. “Everything will work out.”
“If you say so,” Darcey turned around in his arms and touched his forehead to hers. “This year is going to go by slowly.”
“What, eager to get it over with, or excited to be married?” Hadrian laughed quietly, as though both were true.
“I don’t mind attending balls and stuff, but I’d just rather be done with it. The wedding, I mean,” Darcey blinked and started to shrink down against the railing. Hadrian caught her and pulled her back up.
“If you’d really rather get it over with…I might know a way how.” Hadrian’s black-purple eyes were clouded over, veiling their emotions. Darcey studied him for a moment before she replied. “Yes, I’d really prefer it. Over, I mean. To stop the waiting and staring…”
“And that guilty feeling? Come on, I know you said that Will took it well, but you can’t bottle everything up forever. Are you sure that you want to get married sooner because it’s really what you want, or because you want to get away from Will?”
“I…it’s what I want, Hadrian. The fact that it would take me away from Will is a down side for me. Will and Mary Ann were always there, and it’s just hard imagining staying around them for another year to just cut everything off so suddenly.” A solitary tear drifted down her cheek, glistening in the sun.
Hadrian watched as it made its way down the perfect line of her chin and down her smooth neck. When it had reached the hollow point of her chest, he gently brushed it away. He watched her eyes flicker back and forth, searching his