III. The Impact of Her

I turned my head and there stood Laura.

She wore a white top with long, loosened sleeves. She paired it with a long brown skirt but kept her working boots. Her long, dark brown wavy curls hung freely down her shoulders.

This was her. This was Laura.

I immediately walked towards her as I stared at her entire being. My grin grew wider as I was unable to contain my joy. “You look radiant, Laura. As you always do,” I complimented her. I leaned in to kiss her on her lips but she softly pushed me away.

“Robert, please,” Laura murmured as she looked around in a panic. “People can see us.”

I stepped back with a smirk and a raised brow. “I didn’t know that you care so much about what other people will think. Why does it matter if they see?” I asked.

Laura sighed as she stepped closer to me. “I think it is only proper that you understand this,” she started, “But unbeknownst to you, you are highly respected here. Ever since you made your presence known in Bullingar, the people here hold you in high regards. Should they catch you being affectionate with me, they may think that you have a horrible preference in women,” she explained.

Laura added, “A young, rich man, philandering with a lowly woman? How scandalous.”

Amused, I stared at her and smiled. I never understood why but I always found her adorable whenever she was worried.

“Laura,” I slowly held her hands and caressed them with my thumbs, “I don’t care if they saw what I was about to do. Why must you see yourself in such a low manner? You may not be of noble birth or a wealthy background. But I hold you in the same standards that I have for my mother and sister. There is nothing for you to worry about.”

I stepped even closer as I closed the gap between us. I moved some of the hair from her face and added, “You have to promise that you will never speak bad of yourself anymore. Do you understand?”

Laura was about to argue against my word. But, evidently, she resigned to a nod and a smile. She then whistled and Leo came from behind her. Laura immediately held onto Leo’s reins as he stood beside her. “How are we going to settle this? Perhaps you can ride Leo and I will walk,” she smirked as she teased me.

I rolled my eyes at her remark. “Oh, Laura,” I pulled her by the waist, which caught her off-guard, “It seems that you didn’t learn anything from the moment we met.” I carried her and winked. Without a word, I hoisted her up to Leo and I followed. I secured her within my arms and whispered, “Hold on.”

With a light kick on Leo’s side, we made our way to the champion seller back in the Immortal Realm.

“I offer my deepest condolences upon your loss, Your Highness,” Lord Cyrus, the champion seller, said as we walked through his stables. “When I heard the passing of Lady, I was incredibly heartbroken for you.”

I smiled cordially. “Thank you, Lord Cyrus,” I replied as I squeezed Laura’s hand as she walked behind me.

Lord Martin has maintained his reputation as the most trusted horse keeper in our kingdom. He has consistently provided well-mannered and healthy champions to anyone who wanted one. Lady came from his stables, which was where I knew exactly where to go when I decided to have a new horse.

“What sort of champion are you searching for, Your Highness?” his voice became a bit enthusiastic, probably an attempt to lighten the mood. He continued, “I suppose that you are looking for something that is a bit bolder.”

“With all honesty, I haven’t thought about it yet,” I replied as my lips formed into a firm line. “Lady was my companion for the longest time. Never did I imagine that I would be here today in search of a new champion. No other horse can ever replace the bond that we shared,” I continued.

I added, “However, I also do not want a horse that is a replica of Lady. Loyalty and a deep connection is all I need, aside from a healthy stature. And the champion must be able to hold their own.”

Lord Cyrus nodded. “It can take a lot of time and consideration in choosing a new horse, Your Highness. But, with many choices laid before you,” he proudly pointed at all the horses, “I am certain that you will be able to find the perfect match.”

We then stopped in the middle of the room. As my eyes scanned my surroundings, not one horse caught my attention. When Lady was bestowed upon me, we connected in an instant. I never looked at another horse because she was more than adequate as a companion. But to be in the position of choosing a new champion, I never knew that it would be this difficult.

I was about to be consumed by my thoughts when Laura stood closer to me. She remained by my side and around the corner of my eye, she was looking. I turned to her and she smiled as soon as our eyes met. Laura tightened her hold on my hand and grabbed onto my arm with her other.

I took a deep breath before I returned to Lord Cyrus. “If it isn’t too much to ask, I would like to have a moment to think. As you mentioned, there are a lot of things to consider,” I requested.

“Please, Your Highness,” Lord Cyrus bowed, “Take all the time that you need.” He called the two servants that accompanied us and left the room.

I turned to Laura as soon as they were out of sight. “What do you think?” I asked.

“What do you mean?” Laura asked as her brows furrowed.

I sighed deeply as I held her hands. “I don’t think that this is right.”

“Tell me what’s on your mind,” Laura replied as she closed the gap between us.

I looked around again before I explained, “I’m not sure if I can do this. You may think that it’s ridiculous that I am going through all this trouble, just because of a horse. However, Lady was a big part of my life. I never thought that the day would come that I would look for her replacement.”

I continued, “I have no idea as to what to look for in a champion. I am not even sure if Lady will appreciate it if I looked for another one.” I hung my head low and sighed, “I don’t even know why I am here.” Meeting her gaze, I added, “Perhaps, I am rushing myself into this process.”

Laura smiled as she engulfed my face into her gentle touch. I closed my eyes, held onto her wrists and deepened my face into her hands. Her nose kissed mine as she said, “Let the horse choose you. Not the other way around.”

My eyes opened. “Choose me?” I asked, baffled. “How can a horse do such a thing?”

Laura lightly squeezed my face and rested her hands on my shoulders. She then explained, “Leo chose me when we became partners. We had a connection that I didn’t have with other horses. We immediately got attached to one another upon introductions. Isn’t that how you realised that Lady was your champion?”

I frowned as I tried to recall how I came to that realisation with Lady. I couldn’t even recall how I came to the conclusion that Lady would be my greatest friend. The only thing that I knew was the more time we spent together, we became the best of friends. We were never separated as horse and master.

“I believe that it was somehow similar to your experience. But do you think that is even possible?” I asked as I returned to her. “That a champion can choose its master?”

Laura retreated her hands and replied, “Grandpa Ben said it can only happen on rare occasions. But, if it does happen, the bond between horse and master will be unimaginable.” She added, “I also believe that if a person forces a horse to submit, the champion can possibly rebel.”

“But how will that happen to me?” I asked in a panic. Doubt plagued my mind as I was torn if I should listen to her advice. I never did this before. Hence, no one has given me any advice in regards to choosing a new champion. I was only taught that the master was the one with the choice, not the other way around.

However, as I stole glances at Laura, she was absolutely certain. Perhaps, this was an opportunity for me to trust her opinion.

Laura chuckled as she held onto my hand. “How about we walk along the horses?” she suggested. “Should you feel a connection, you can tell me right away.”

“And if I don’t?”

Laura caressed my stiff hand. “Then we shall return on a different day. There is no rush in finding a champion. It will take time, that is a guarantee,” she replied.

I nodded as I took in her explanation. “Let us proceed, then.” I started to walk, only to be pulled back by her.

“We may need the owner to guide us,” Laura giggled.

“Oh, of course.” I cleared my throat and called for Lord Cyrus.

Lord Cyrus immediately returned to the room. His two servants followed closely behind him. “Have you made your decision, Your Highness?” he asked as he reached us.

I glanced over to Laura for reassurance. She gave a slight nod before I returned to Lord Cyrus. “I wish to take a look at all of your horses. I want to see them all before I make a decision. If you don’t mind,” I said.

“If you wish it, Your Highness,” Lord Cyrus bowed along with his servants. “Please, this way,” he pointed forward as he moved to the side.

Laura and I walked ahead of him. Lord Cyrus walked beside us. His servants remained at the back.

Nothing but silence greeted us as we made our way through the stables.

All of the horses were quiet. The only noise that could be heard were their snorts and chewing. They seemed to be utterly unbothered.

“If I may ask, why are the horses quiet?” I enquired.

“They are all trained to be well-behaved in all circumstances. Most especially, when we have visitors,” Lord Cyrus explained with pride. He continued, “An immense amount of time was invested on each horse, just to ensure that they are both well-mannered and physically built.”

Confused, I looked at Laura and she shared the same expression as I did. I could understand the benefits of a tamed horse. But to have them silent in the presence of potential buyers seemed wrong.

“Shouldn’t they be ecstatic when visitors arrive?” I asked another.

“Most of my clients prefer that the horses are quiet. They are unable to make a decision when the horses are too unruly. Some of them didn’t want to waste time training the horses themselves. So, we took it upon ourselves to condition each champion whenever they land in our care,” Lord Cyrus explained.

A well-mannered horse would be much appreciated. But if it isn’t startled by an unknown presence, that would be a terrifying sign. It would be the perfect recipe to get killed.

The looming silence was interrupted by a loud whiny from a different room. We all ran to its direction and saw two men who struggled to tame a brown horse.