Jade groomed Figaro, saddled him up, and mounted. "Easy, buddy." She cooed. She then turned, her red hair swishing at the sudden movement. She glanced at her guard before cueing Figaro forward. His eager hoof beats echoed down the aisle until they emerged in the open air. The princess took a deep breath, shot Gale a try and catch me grin, then kicked her bay. The gelding launched into a gallop, eating up the ground. "Twenty minutes, boy. That's all we've got today." She leaned over his neck, the horse's ears flicking back to listen to her speak. Jade twisted in her saddle, lifting a hand to wave at Gale. "Are you alright back there, sir?" She called, a smile on her face.

Jade grit her teeth at the tone spoken to her from the man on her horse's flank. She gave a nearly imperceptible shake of her head then relaxed in the saddle. Why does every guard make any word sound cruel? She thought to herself. She pressed her lips into a firm line as she rode. She continued pushing Figaro for a few minutes before leaning back and tugging the resistant horse to a slow trot. He tossed his head and snorted as if to throw a tantrum. Jade reached down and calmed the bay with a simple hand on his neck. She turned her head slightly toward the guard now right beside her. She looked at him for a minute before speaking. "We'll be turning around up here soon." Her voice held a certain level of authority she couldn't shake, and the joy she usually found from riding was stripped from her voice- Gale was becoming increasingly frustrating to her.

Jade cleared her throat and slowed her horse to a stop, taking in the view from the field they now stood in. A girgling brook ran through the far edge of a field of poppies, each red petal making a blanket continued by the next. Trees lined the outer edge of the meadow. After a long minute of enjoying the scenery, Jade shifted her weight and kicked one leg, causing Figaro to hip turn. His half circle was sloppy but efficient. "Ready, sir?" She asked calmly. She gave him a second to prepare before kicking Figaro's sides. The gelding dug his hooves into the ground, ears pinned, mane flying back in his riders face. "Go, buddy, go!" She cheered, her arms holding the reins close to his ears. "Keep up, slow poke!" She called over her shoulder with a growing grin.

Jade pushed Figaro faster, and he gladly ate up the ground beneath him. His ears were alert, eyes wide as the wind blew his mane and tail back. His rider kept her body bent as low over him as possible, arms extended to give him his head. She peeked under her arm to catch a glimpse of the last buck Remi threw before Gale straightened her out. Jade bit her lip and sat up a little. Figaro tossed his head in protest, fighting to stretch his neck out further. When the castle came into view, Jade gathered her reins and sat back, easing her frisky gelding to a high-stepping trot. Figaro huffed, his nostrils flaring. "Easy, bud." She laid a gentle hand on his sweaty neck and scratched him a little. She turned back to Gale. "Were you alright back there?" She slowed the gelding to a stop outside the barns then dismounted. A guard peeked around the barn door to accompany her to a trip to the breakfast table, causing her to reluctantly handed his reins to a groom.

Jade watched the sleek gelding walk in and she couldn't help but sigh. The horse was gorgeous, but she had no time to fawn over equines. Her mother was summoning her. She followed a surprisingly short guard to the dining room. She bypassed the guards at the door, grabbing the door handle before they could and swinging the heavy wood open. "Mother-" She began, but then she caught sight of the older woman holding her hand up, silencing her immediately. "Change, dear. We have visitors arriving here shortly. They should be passing the border any minute." Mother placed a calming hand on the arm of a man pacing the floor. "Quinton, relax, dear." Her voice seemed to ease the worries of the king and he dipped his head toward Jade. He spoke to his queen in a soft whisper, but Jade turned and exited the room before she could eavesdrop and be punnished. Her long strides brought her to her room in a matter of minutes. She threw the door open, ignoring her maid for a moment. "What is the occasion, Nima?" She asked. "Why are there visitors and why did Mother and father not warn me?" a hint of panic tinged her voice, causing Nima to shuffle through dresses faster. "I do not know, Your Highness, but they demanded I fit you in something more elegant." She pulled a silver gown from the rack and Jade nodded. "That will do, I suppose."

It took Nima thirty minutes to cinch Jade's corset, braid her hair, and apply a light layer of makeup. The girls stood in the mirror and gazed at the dress hugging Jade's waist then billowing to the floor. "I'm frightened, Nima. What are they going to do?" The girls hugged then pulled apart before parting ways. The princess opened her door and swallowed her nerves, determined to look and act presentable. She walked alone to the dining room and begrugingly allowed the guards to swing the doors open. "Your Magesty, if I may-" A neighboring king turned his head to look at Jade, along with her mother and father. She curtsied and made her way to her seat, her eyes glued to her mother. She sat down then looked across the table.

Prince Oston was staring at her, a faint frown on his face. What is he doing here? She turned, wide-eyed from her shock- to Queen Harlow for answers. Her mother only shook her head.

Then she secretly pointed to the worn wedding ring on her left hand.

Jade grit her teeth and kept her frustration and confusion inside throughout the meal, listening to the future hopes of a marriage between the two young royals and the unity they could provide. After the hundreth time the word "marriage" was spoken across the table, Jade set her fork down. "Father, may I step outside? I need some fresh air." The man nodded and leaned back in his chair, casually speaking to the king across from him. Jade hurredly walked toward the doors, stepping out of the room. She kicked off her heels, leaving picking them u as she jogged across the lawn toward the barns. The dress offered just enough slack for movement, but the corset was making it harder and harder for her to breathe. She dropped her shoes by Figaro's halter which she grabbed and slung over her shoulder. "Figaro!" She called and the bay immediatly kicked into a gallop, tearing across the paddock and nearly slamming into the gate. She threw his halter onto his head then opened the gate, walking him out. He was the only horse in his paddock, but she closed the gate anyway. Jade tied the end of his lead to his halter, loosened up the laces of her corset, then maaged to jump on the gelding bareback. She gripped him with her legs, using only the tilt of her feet to cue him to speed up. The two galloped down a path that the guards took occasionally. Her hands were fisted in his mane, two fingers holding the rope tight in an attempt to keep control. She guided him through the trees, slowing only when a fallen tree signaled the border of her territory. The tree had been there as long as she could remember, and she had always stopped here when she was confused, and she did the same today. She stopped Figaro, dismounting and tying his lead to a tree. She sat on the down tree in the most unladylike manner: her elbows were on her knees, her back slouched, and her head in her hands. "Marriage?" She muttered to herself. "Marriage..." She looked up at Figaro when his head shot up, ears pricked toward a break in the trees. The sound of heavy hooves made her sink behind the thick trunk of the fallen tree. Figaro whinnied and tossed his head, his legs pawing at the earth.