AZALEA

Thursday morning. We would be taking our horse riding lessons and the Crown Prince would accompany us with our instructor, Sir Drake. I was dressed in white shirt, leather pants, black leather boots and gloved hands. My red curls were tied into a high ponytail.

My maids guided me to the horse stable where the Prince Dion and Sir Drake were waiting. The weather was nice and the sky was clear and blue.

Lady Candice also arrived together with me, wearing a dark blue shirt, leather pants and boots. Her black hair was also tied into a high ponytail. Her sharp and high cheekbones were exposed so somehow, she looked regal.

Lady Jaera was also waiting with Lady Shirdine. Lady Shirdine had the most innocent face and she greeted us with a smile when we arrived. Lady Jaera's gaze was focused on the Crown Prince that she was not able to acknowledge our presence. Lady Jaera was wearing a green shirt while Lady Shirdine preferred yellow.

"Good morning, ladies," Prince Dion smiled at all of us. We quickly curtsied to pay our respect.

"At ease. It's a nice day for horse riding," he said. "Sir Drake will give you instructions if you're not yet familiar of riding a horse."

"Good morning, ladies. I will be your instructor for your horse riding lessons. For now, we must pick a horse for you to ride," Sir Drake said with a respectful smile. The caretaker of the horses gave us one apple each. "Just give this apple to the horse you've chosen so that they will acknowledge you as its master."

We walked inside the stable to pick our horses. "Some horses here have bad temperament and they won't let you ride them so easily. But some are nice, obedient and easy to ride." Sir Drake pointed the horses which were obedient.

When I looked around, I noticed some horses were huge and scary. They were probably war horses. Some horses were innocent looking and were not too big. These horses were suitable for ladies to ride. Lady Candice and Lady Jaera seemed familiar with horse riding so they immediately picked a horse. They both selected elegant white horses which could be found at the end of the stable.

Lady Shirdine was hesitating to choose. Sir Drake gave some advice so she could pick a horse easily. She chose a brown horse which obediently ate the apple she offered. I wandered inside the stable and checked the horses. I stopped in front of a black horse with an elegant and long black mane. The horse looked strong and it stared straight into my eyes. I smiled. I felt like we already made a connection so I offered an apple which it ate without making a fuss.

The Crown Prince stood next to me. "This is a good horse."

I frowned. I didn't want his attention. Especially when all the candidates were present. I didn't say anything to avoid a conversation. The servants freed the selected horses and guided them outside the stable.

"Now that you've chosen the horses, we will be heading to the horse tracks. It will better if you can ride a horse, especially if the palace hosts a hunting competition or if a war suddenly breaks out. Since one of you will be the future Crown Princess and Queen, we must also ensure your safety," Sir Drake explained when we gathered outside.

"Now, please mount on your horses," he continued. Lady Candice and Lady Jaera mounted their horses elegantly. They didn't even need a hand. They probably received some private tutoring. Lady Shirdine was helped by the Crown Prince because she couldn't ride the horse. Prince Dion was gentle with Lady Shirdine and it seemed the two ladies who mounted their horses first were a little regretful.

Prince Dion turned to me with a small smile. "Need some help?"

I shook my head. I also didn't need anyone's help. Although I was into dresses, I learned some basic skills about horse riding. I mounted my horse with ease and stroked its head. "Good boy."

Sir Drake followed behind us while riding his black horse.

When everyone was already good, Prince Dion mounted on his horse. The Crown Prince's black horse was a huge breed. It was a war horse and it looked unfriendly. It felt like it would kick anyone standing behind it.

Sir Drake guided us to the wide horse track, covered by green grasses which was trimmed neatly. Some servants were holding the reins of our horses to avoid accidents and guided the horse. Sir Drake gave some tips and instructions about horse riding and how to ride horses safely. The servants just let go when Sir Drake instructed them to.

We strolled around the tracks with the Crown Prince in the middle. Sir Drake was following behind us. We didn't have to meet the Crown Prince today as scheduled because of this horse riding lesson. I didn't have to spend my teatime with him and we had another class this afternoon.

"How is your visit outside the palace, Your Royal Highness? We heard you're out yesterday," Lady Candice opened the conversation with a soft smile. She was the nearest to Prince Dion. Lady Shirdine was having a hard time so I decided to stay near her if she needed assistance. Lady Jaera's horse was also walking beside the Crown Prince.

Prince Dion nodded. "I visited some place outside the palace's walls. Some needs attention, especially the irrigation system and the storage for the harvested crops. And it will be winter soon so everyone's preparing for the possible scarcity and food shortage. We need to manage the food consumption for this coming winter."

"I hope you didn't encounter any problems, Your Royal Highness," Lady Jaera commented with a concerned smile.

Prince Dion smiled mysteriously. "Well, not really. We didn't encounter anything big. Though this kingdom has a lot of states and provinces, we would assign some people to take care of it."

"If you need anything from us, we will gladly help," Lady Candice said and offered a smile.

"That will be nice. I'm glad you're willing to help at times like this."

Well, I liked it better if I could go outside the palace and handle these things than studying.

"We must prioritize everyone's safety and comfort," Lady Jaera said.

I didn't join the conversation. They were probably covertly fighting for the Crown Prince's attention and I didn't want to intervene and join their silent war.

~~~

Friday. Today was different. Yumi and the maids assigned to me prepared my bath much earlier. They chose a suitable dress for me to meet the Queen. They diligently served me, as they scrub my pale skin and tightened my corsets and bodice. They let me wear a cobalt dress. They also helped me on my makeup and prepared my perfume – a rose-scented perfume.

"The first trial will be announced today in the throne room, with King Arthur and Queen Adriana as witnessed. The Crown Prince and the nobles will also be there, my lady," explained by Yumi.

"That's earlier than I expected," I answered in confusion.

Yumi shrugged. "Maybe they just want to secure the position as early as possible."

But then, I remembered Prince Dion's words. The king's heartglass had already accumulated multiple cracks and maybe they were already expecting for his heart to shatter soon. It was kind of cruel to have this mindset but the royal family just wanted to ensure that there will be someone to take over the crown to rule this kingdom and continue their bloodline.

I kept silent. Despite living in a grandiose palace, the royals were not living their best lives. Maybe if we had normal hearts, it would be a different story.

They clipped my red curls with jewelry and expensive pins. They let my red curls down and didn't bother to tie it up.

After the preparation, we headed to the King's palace where the throne room was located. Several maids curtsied on our way to the throne room. Lady Candice, Lady Jaera and Lady Shirdine were also on their way to the throne room. Just minutes ahead of me.

The King's palace was ornamented by gold statues and the marble pillars were polished and shiny without a speck of dust. The arches had intricated sculpted designs. When we reached the throne room, we were greeted by knights standing at the sides of its front door.

They opened the door for us and the sight of the King, Queen and Crown Prince, sitting on their respective seats, greeted us. There was a steward standing below their stage holding a rolled paper on one hand.

Nobles with positions on the court were also standing on each side. We stopped in the middle and curtsied to give the royal family respect. Queen Adrianna's cold gaze focused on the four of us.

"At ease," King Arthur said. We stood straight and faced the throne. King Arthur turned to Queen Adriana to allow her to make an announcement.

"The trials will start now. The first trial will be announced today. We just need to know the candidates well so you will undergo trials. To know your worth and how you handle every situation. We also want the people to know you," Queen Adrianna explained. "You don't have to be anxious of the result. Even if you pass or fail, the Crown Prince's decision will still be in consideration. We believe in his ability to make right and proper judgement."

I noticed how anxious the three ladies became. So the Crown Prince's decision was the ultimate factor. The trials were just for show? Or maybe, they were actually pressuring the Crown Prince to choose the rightful Crown Princess. So he could avoid selecting a Crown Princess irrationally. They were absolutely telling him to avoid choosing using his heart but his mind.

"Steward Alexander, please announce the trial," the King ordered.

Steward Alexander took a step forward.

"Announcing the first trials for the Crown Princess Candidates. The candidates must take care of different states to prepare for the winter season. You will be sent to the assigned states and two weeks will be allotted to handle the winter preparation. We already prepared your accommodation for the next weeks and you can set out tomorrow morning to visit the states. We will also allot a budget for each state. The Crown Prince will visit and check your progress each week."

I was stunned. So we won't be staying in the palace? Well, helping others was much better than staying inside the palace walls. With this trial, I won't get bored.

Steward Alexander announced the states we would visit. "Lady Candice will head to Greenwoods State. Lady Jaera is assigned to Southwoods State. Lady Shirdine is assigned to Northwoods State. And Lady Azalea will be headed to Woodcrest State."

I bit my bottom lip. I secretly smiled bitterly. Woodcrest was the poorest among these four states. It was actually considered an abandoned state because of the legends. It was where the witch was executed and killed. Guess, they didn't plan to make this easy for me. Or maybe they didn't really want me to excel on this trial.

I noticed the satisfied smile from Lady Candice and Lady Jaera. 

But it was alright. I just had to do what I could do for Woodcrest. I just had to give my best so the people residing there could survive this winter.

We curtsied. "We accept this trial."

"May the goddess of luck bless you. I wish for your success, ladies," King Arthur said.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

When I turned to the Crown Prince, he lightly smiled at me and his blue eyes seemed thrilled. He wasn't bothered at all even though he knew that the state assigned to me would give me a hard time. I also expected a lower budget for Woodcrest. Maybe he already expected this outcome. I scowled. Well, all these sufferings were all his fault after all.

***