Hydrangea has no trouble helping me get a horse ready to go. She's reviewing my abilities. Whether she truly believes I managed the horse part of the exam doesn't matter. As she made a comment on, the Sworenyx made us a guarantee pass. Most nobles can score poorly and still enter. It's more a willingness to take the test more than anything else. Everything can be trained. The exam only compares to what would be considered expected of your life.
"You truly can ready a horse." Hydrangea double checked everything for me. "You'll always have someone with you."
"Not always." I hop on the horse easily enough.
Hydrangea glares at me. "You are supposed to always have someone with you."
I offer her a grin. There's a reason I learned how to climb out my window. I had to learn how to handle everything horse on my own so I can do so secretly. Solo travel has always been hard. And it was never long before I was caught.
"Follow my path." Hydrangea takes me out of the knights hall through a back gate. We're leaving the capital rather quick. I glance back to see a heavily guarded entrance to the knights hall. I didn't realize it lead outside. "You are unable to leave through that entrance until you are blue two or have a specific reason to."
"You can whenever."
"Yes. Although I know the concern with leaving whenever." Hydrangea has us walking casually. "By the time you are a two blue, you know how to handle any of the general concerns in the area."
"Like?" I'm used to taking trails protected by the walls. My tracer spell would go off if Hydrangea couldn't see me.
"Monsters, bandits, etc." Hydrangea shrugs. "We're safe enough."
I touch my wooden sword. It's attached to my belt like a traditional sword would be. "Am I to practice my sword use on the horse?"
"No. Swords are meant to be used when you dismount. On horseback, you'll use bow, spear, or other long range weapon." Hydrangea shifts the horse to face behind us. "They know you're out here. Your tracer spell isn't going off."
"Mom was at the halls." I say. "She has a tracer spell for me specifically."
"So the court's tracer isn't going off." Hydrangea nods. "General Accost."
"Lady Hydrangea Shoretin." The guard nods to me. "Her Majesty asked me to take a nice ride in this direction." General Accost eyes me. I look aside. "She is safely practicing. I do believe several wish to duel her. Which would be fine within the arena. They were seeing if it was possible."
"There are no classes at current, but I cannot say if someone already scheduled something." Hydrangea offers as we just ride a little along obvious trails. We're not going far. "Is there any concerns upcoming, General?"
"The knights tend to know before me unless it was directly impacting the king." The general doesn't even look to Hydrangea. "Heading the guards is nothing like covering the entire country."
"You would know if there is a concern dealing with the balls this year."
"As far as I know, there is none. I would wish all the noble trainees stay at the knights hall during."
"Should be better than watching from afar." The balcony was to show me off without anyone getting the chance to interact. My finder spell is gone now, but I am still not expected to do much more than watch from another floor. "Rather face a Swornyx than watch nobles backstab each other."
"That is not what happens, Your Highness." Accost knows me well. I know him well.
"Mhm. Definitely not." I just agree. He'll know I'm just agreeing verbally without actually agreeing.
"Mostly the balls are to set up marriage prospects." Accost explains.
"All the more reason I would rather face a Swornyx." There's no way I want to think of 'marriage prospects'. Sucks enough to know I need to keep limited connection with Jessica and Callie. Maybe I should question Mom about the contract in place. When it would enact. How do I cancel it?
I know I'll need a wife. The country would want a queen. What's the limitations there? If I truly don't want to deal with that, I'd lose my position as future king. I do know that. Xavier was created because of various reasons. If I try to skip out... "Mom and Dad..." I think of their marriage. "I wish they could be happy. They're not happy together."
"Sorry. Divorce is unlikely for anyone. It is near impossible for the royal pair." Hydrangea says. I do know that. All the more important I be wary of who I marry.
"Court proceeding for divorce is tough for the best. For the most part, all of the earning of the family from six months prior to the marriage until the filing for divorce is held up by the royal bankhouse." Accost explains. "We offer them little better than jail accommodations. Mostly because we think someone deserves jail time for the break up of the marriage. It normally takes several months while everything is reviewed. Then we decide the end result which is normally one gains everything and the other ends in jail. A rare few end differently, but that rarity is because of nuances the royals cannot participant in."
"Easier to just wish someone dead." Hydrangea glances about us. "Time to return. How did it feel riding with the sword."
"Just need to get accustomed to it. I'm used to bow."
"You'll want to sign up for training there. You'll manage well enough with a bit of practice."
"Yeah. I'll ask Ryan and Jessica to join me for it." I look to Accost. "Shall we return to Mother?"
"Her Majesty would enjoy it if you watched her exercise."
I smirk. Exercise is such a vague word in this sense. "I'm glad she came."