he was pleased when he saw the horses, some were all but rounceys but there were two jennets and a young courser as well. leaving the boy he moved to touch the beautiful horse, drawing closer he noticed it was with foal and smiled. "she is a beautiful dam, what is the foal to be used for?"

He turned his head to the Prince as he touched the young horse, a smile appearing. One of similarity came from him, which quickly grew as the Rouncy beside him nudged his hand impatiently for sweets he did not have. “One of the stable hands spoke yesterday that she is to be a hunting steed. Already she is taken with people and eager to run.”

"it will be a mare?" he nodded more to himself than anything, "when it is grown if it is a hale beast its mother could be bred in with one from my stables, the blood will be good for the line and if she breeds males you will be able to keep your own stock of coursers"

He turned back to the sweet gelding as he began to lip his bare palm, and offering a stroke along his long muzzle. "I would love to have horses of my own back at the castle, but would I be able to see them in the stables? It does not seem appropriate for a lady to ride horses"

"of course it isn't and you mayn't but i can make it so that you are able to see them though even i cannot allow you to ride without cause." he smiled softly, "of course there are always places to take one's wife if cleverness is used"

Sweetly he offered a final pat to the attention seeking rouncy before abandoning him for the Prince and courser. "I would love to have horses, especially if I could visit them. Even if I could not have the joy of riding them, as long as they would be taken care of I would be happy." Reaching out a hand, he ran a hand along the rough mane of the creature while he smiled.

"then it is settled, you will have your own when return." withdrawing from the beasts he turned to head back inside, "come wife, i am sure there is more to see"

A nostalgic happiness filled him for the remainder of the afternoon as he led the Prince through the halls. He’d been promised his own horses when they returned, and having the opportunity to explore his own home with enough time to recall old memories made him feel blessed, but he did not say as much to the one following him. “Is there anywhere else you wish to see, my Prince?” The boy questioned as he slowed at the base of the stairs. “We have a library you might be interested in seeing, or we could cease the tour and begin again tomorrow if you wish to see more.”

he had not been paying much attention to the tour for the last stretch of time and was more interested in watching his wife so he accepted the offer of a later continuation and followed as the other led him back to more familiar rooms

The evening meal could not have gone better lest it was planned. The Prince had not taken it upon himself to leave the table prematurely, and despite his disrespectful manners at the table none of the guests seemed to mind, as none of them took to speaking with the man anyways. Had he not been pleased before, the boy found himself happy when he was not requested to join his husband in his chambers, and with a smile on his face he went to bed in his own chambers

each day that they stayed was one that furthered his wife's happiness at the cost of his own and when it was finally time to go home he felt a weight lift, that final morning he was cheerful in a way that he had not been since the first day and even then it was more pleasant than that. on his way to his place he smiled at his newly awoken wife before passing him and kneeling in place

That morning, he felt reluctant to commit himself to chapel, knowing that not long after the sermon ended he would be packed away in the stuffy carriage to return to the dreadful castle he loathed so badly. Had his mood been poor enough, he found himself in his pew anyways, and as his husband showed with a wide smile, the boy scowled deeply to himself

by the end of the sermon even he could feel his wife's displeasure but he ignored it in favor of going out to walk along the balustrade at the top of the gate overlooking the duke's lands

He did not wish to follow the Prince, his insulting pleasure in the day bore too much for him in the chapel alone. Instead, he took it upon himself to spend the dwindling remainder of their time doing what he wished to. Fleeing from the church, he found himself heading towards the river

the walk was refreshing though only for a while and soon he was turning back as the chill of being so high made him wish for something heavier to wear, as he neared the door to go back inside he saw a figure pass through the gate and realized it was his wife. he went down quickly to see where the lad was going

The path in the grass and weeds still remained from before he took the place of his sister, yet he could only think of it as unused. Where the trail had once been a soft line of dirt, small patches of grass and the tiniest possible saplings has taken root. He was careful not to step upon the fragile leaves and thin trunks on his way to the water's edge, though as he approached he broke away from the path of new born plants to walk through the weeds to the tall oak. The branches were wide and strong, and the roots had spread themselves far through the dirt, killing any plants that dared to come near. He, however, was not stopped by the gnarly roots, and finding a worn spot against the side facing the river, he took a seat.