While he explained his past, Illy couldn't help but feel as if she were a stranger intruding on someone's very personal affairs. The tales they had heard of Prince Polkos in Dasvrochi were highly inaccurate, if even a little spectacular.

"Well, back home we were told you had gone off to fight dragons...Dragons, can you believe it? Others believed you had run away with a young maiden, while some confessed they had seen you get on a boat by yourself holding a newborn babe. All very full of novelty, as I'm sure you can imagine" she said with a chuckle. That was the problem with royals, they got bored too easily and let their minds wander.

Illyria politely thanked Polkos for the spirits and conversation, and hurried away from his quarters and into her own. She opened the door to a room full of sleeping women, but knew Maleea was awake from the flickering light coming from her chamber. She entered quietly as to not wake the others.

"Where have you been? Over an hour has passed" Maleea said as she threw an ornate book mark between the pages of a shiny new book. She set it on her bedside table and rested her hands on her lap, on top of the thick wool blanket that covered her to her stomach.

"With Prince Polkos, Princess. He enquired about your likes and dislikes, and would like me to come riding with him in the morning. He is very eager to please you in every way" she said carefully. She knew one misstep and Maleea would go off into a rage.

"Very well. I am not fond of riding, you know this. You also know royalty likes to gossip. I would expect that you have enough common sense to maintain your absolute distance. I will not have rumours flying back to court and my parents." she said with a dismissive flicker of her wrist.

Illy bowed and retreated to her bed.

--------------

At 6:30 am, Illy made her way down to the stables. Amos was restless from sleeping in an unfamiliar place, and began kicking at the stall door as soon as she walked in.

"Shhh, shush my boy. You'll wake the whole estate" she said as she pet his shiny black coat. She slipped an apple from her riding coat pocket which she pushed in his eager mouth. 

She began to remove her tack from the box next to his stall, putting on his pad and saddle before adjusting his bridle. It had one single moonstone across the nose-band, set on worn black leather. A present from her father when he had arranged for a mercenary to acquire Amos for her.

She dusted him off and removed her long coat, revealing a pair of tight fitting riding trousers and a fur trimmed vest. She knew Dasvrochian girls were often criticized for choosing to ride in breeches, but she found the restricting dresses too inconvenient.