I was studying a book as I sat beside Leo in the library, trying to decipher the words I didn't know when he spoke up, "How you you feel about going on an adventure?"

Reasonably, adventures with Leo didn't hold the same appeal that they once had. My mind immediately went to being bucked off in a river, my sore backside from hours of riding, and the disgusting food that I had to shovel into my mouth just to sate my rumbling stomach. I peered over the leather cover of my book, only raising a single eyebrow.

"I promise that I am not inviting you out of ill will. I think that you will enjoy this little outing. It's nowhere near as grueling."

"I'm not sure I believe you," I sighed, tipping my head back so it could rest against the conditioned leather.

"It's much better than studying-" His brow furrowed. "Why on earth are you reading about lock picking?"

"I find it interesting that as soon as someone decides they want to keep something safe, someone else decides that they want access to it. There is no honor system. And the mechanics of it is really fascinating. I feel like I was unaware of so many advancements because of how I grew up."

"Speaking of honor systems, I sentenced the men that attacked you outside of Riverstead yesterday. They will be imprisoned for the rest of their lives, only coming out to be shackled together in a field during harvest."

I blinked, feeling stunned and flustered all at once. Of all the unexpected things for him to say this was not something I even remotely anticipated. And remembering the men, what they had done, it all made me feel a little ill. "Well that is...good I suppose."

"I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have brought it up. I just wanted you to feel comfortable leaving the palace again. It's been three days since the wedding and you haven't left."

"I have to tell you, thinking of those bland beans and how sore my body was is probably not the way to prompt me to go outside either."

The darkness left Leo features, bringing light to his expression once more. "It won't be like that, I promise. This time we will avoid the mountains. We will go north, along the coast. The men that came with Archer are here for something of a vacation so it will be all easy riding and with the king and queen coming along, there will be much better food. Not everyone enjoys the simpler things like me and my men do."

I was still skeptical of him and his intentions- who could blame me- but the idea that I would get to spend time with Willow sparked my interest. 

"What will Willow be doing there?" I asked, pretending to be uninterested as I thumbed the page.

"She loves the ride and the scenery."

"I still feel like this is a trick."

Leo smiled, completely unashamed. "You'll get to ride Pirate and once we are outside of the royal grounds, you can wear those new breeches that you fashioned."

And so it was decided that I was going. The next morning, a dozen horses were saddled and we were surrounded by soldiers I didn't recognize, all wearing Archer's crest. I would have felt a twinge of panic at the thought if Willow hadn't raced up to me, all wild hair and smiling eyes. 

"I will never get over your ability to sew. If you weren't going to  a queen, I would have you as my seamstress! This floral pattern is darling and this bow is to die for!" she squealed, touching the ribbon I had cinched around my waist. The dress wasn't ideal for riding, but I knew she would adore it.

"Huh, the pattern looks really similar to the design on our bedding," Archer commented, but then closed his mouth when he saw Leo discretely shaking his head.

Once all of the saddle bags were checked adjust and all of the pack horses were tethered to their guide horse, Leo assisted me onto Pirate's back.

"Oh, what a beautiful paint horse!" Willow squealed, gracefully pulling herself onto a much taller horse. Her flexibility and her horsemanship were enviable. 

"Paint horse?" I repeated dumbly.

"Yes, you see his markings, his spots? He's a paint. We don't have any in our stable, but I have heard wonderful things about them. He seems so good and calm," she rambled.

"We would have room in our stables if you were willing to give up so of your draft horses," Archer pointed out, then clucked to his horse. 

We all ambled forward, moving away from the stables and the palace and into the city, but I was so focused on the conversation I hardly noticed.

"Draft horses?" 

"Horses meant for pulling carts or doing heavy farm work. Plow horses," Archer explained. He nodded towards the brown beast that they had borrowed from our stable. "This is the closest she has been to the ground in a long while."

"Draft horses have better personalities," Willow defended. "Jester, my first horse, has been amazing and I think it's because he's a draft. I don't need a fancy sport horse. I'm not racing anyone through the woods or going to battle. I just like nice slow walks and braiding manes."

Archer groaned and turned to Leo. "I can buy her the most beautiful, most athletic horse in the country, and she would leave it in a stall all day so she can play with horses that have hooves the size of her face."

From there on Leo and Archer dove into a heated conversation about horse breeds. It seemed that the pair, though civil and reasonable, were never meant to be friends. Leo was firm that Arabians were the best horse, saying that they were fast and bred for war. Archer protested, adamant that he had a perfect breed that was brought over for him from another country I had never heard of.

After a while, Willow and I ignored them and chatted about my wedding. She told me how much fun my sisters were and insisted that she get to see them again. She rambled on and on about my dress and my hair and my make up, but I came up blank when I tried to recall what she was wearing or even what she said to me. Thankfully, it didn't matter because she talked enough for the both of us.

I almost didn't notice when reached the outskirts of the city, plodding through the farmer's fields. But my grip tightened on the reins that I barely needed to hold. Pirate's ears flickered back, sensing my unease. Were the men out here now? Were they leering at me from the fields, cursing me for ruining their plans?

Willow noticed immediately. I should have known the werewolf queen would be well informed. "I heard about the sentencing."

I said nothing, trying to refocus my attention on the road beneath heavy hooves.

"Archer was angry. Those men were attacking our people. He wanted to be the one to deliver the sentencing. But he told me that Leo refused. He thought that Archer wouldn't punish them harshly enough. They argued about it and I've never seen Leo so angry, he was red in the face and I feared that one of them would snap and lunge. But we understand now, we know that Leo had to be the one to roll out the punishment because it was personal. And seeing how furious he was, I know that those men will never come to harm you again."

Perhaps she was right. But even so, removing three evil men from the world did not remove the rest of them. They were a ink spot, spreading disaster as they went. Still, I did my best to give her a smile.

She saw right through the tight cheeks and gleaming teeth. "Even though Archer and Leo are completely different men, I know that Leo is good at his core. And you are his wife. He will care for you."

"I can care for myself just as well," I stated, but the words felt like a lie in my mouth. How had I cared for myself, lying in the swamp and sobbing?

Willow was brilliant enough to move the conversation along to something else. She told me about her beloved kitten that she was just devastated to leave at home. She told me about her flowers and I asked her if any of them had any purposes beyond just beauty which caused her to relay enough information to fill a book.

The path forked, one of the trails heading up a steep incline, the other sloping downwards. Thankfully, Leo and Archer chose the easier path and Willow and I trailed behind, leaning back as the horses descended.

It took some time and to be honest, I was getting sore already, but the trail gradually shifted from packed dirt and exposed rocks to fine sand. I could hear the cry of sea birds and the sound of waves crashing against the shoreline. Maybe it wasn't the majesty of the mountains, but I found the thunder of the water just as impressive. 

And I had missed it. Breathing in that salty air felt like coming home.

"Hey," Leo whispered, slowing his horse down so he could be beside me for the first time on the trip.

"I thought you had forgotten all about me, too busy arguing with Archer," I teased. 

"I could never forget about you," he shot back. He opened his arms up by his sides, dropping his reins. "So, what do you think? Was this as painful as going through the mountains?"

"This is it?" I asked, swiveling to study the expansive beach and the jagged cliffs behind us. "You aren't going to make me cross a river or scale a boulder?"

"I said it was a vacation, didn't I? Tonight, we set up tents, we eat bread that was baked this morning, sweet meats, and fresh vegetables. Tomorrow, we laze around in the sun, ride horses, talk about days past. How does that sound?"

Despite all of the fears still coiled in my belly, I grinned. "Wonderful."

~~~Question of the Day~~~

If you had a completely free 24 hours, how would you spend it?

I would read for a few hours, clean for a few, go for a nice nature walk, and spend some time in the garden.