Stormy had just finished dressing herself up and was tying her long hair into a tight bun when she heard the door opened and was greeted with the sound of approaching footsteps.
Startled, she swiftly turned around only to be met with a familiar face.
With a cheerful smile plastered on her face, she got up from the chair and approached the figure.
" Mother... what happened? Why are you back this early? " She asked, sounding inquisitive as ever as she helped her mother with some of the items she was carrying.
" Well, the Queen and the Princess decided to go to bed earlier than usual, " her mother replied, while placing the rest of the items on the table. " You know it's going to be a big day tomorrow, " she added.
While she spoke, Stormy observed her carefully and realised that she was exhausted just like every other day and that made her feel miserable as usual.
She had always blamed herself for being the reason her mother was being overused in the palace.
And it hurts her so much.
Most often, she finds herself wishing they had let her die that day instead of sparing her life.
" Where are you off to dressed up like this? " Her mother's voice suddenly cut through her thoughts and she looked up just in time to see her staring at her with a creased eyebrow.
" Uh..., " Stormy hesitated for a while before finally replying, " I'm just going out for a walk, " she lied while looking down to avoid her mother's face.
She hates to tell lies to her mother but at that moment in time, she had no other choice; it was the only option.
Her mother wasn't going to let her step a foot out of the door if she actually knows where she was going.
After sometime had passed and Stormy hadn't still gotten any reply from her mother, she suddenly looked up only to be met with her scrutinising gaze.
Realising that she was doubting her, Stormy was quick to point out to her that she wasn't going to be alone and after saying a few words to her, she finally managed to persuade her.
Before she let her go however, her mother made her promised she wasn't going to go near the woods and after assuring her that she won't, Stormy hugged her excitedly and gave her a light peck on the cheeks before dashing out of the room and into the courtyard where the castle's stable was located.
As she made her way into the barn, Stormy was careful not to scare the horses off and tried as much as possible to stay quiet so as not to give herself out.
However, sensing the presence of someone in the barn with them, the horses began to panic and started rearing and snorting.
In an instant, the entire barn was filled with the thumping sounds made by the horses while they frantically move about in the stable, stomping their hooves on the ground.
Knowing that she was going to be found out soon if they continue making the noise, Stormy, who was at this moment slightly disappointed at the fact that she wasn't going to have the adventurous night she had hoped for decided to leave the barn and head back inside, however, she suddenly remembered seeing the stable boy once calming the horses down while they were behaving like that and decided to give it a try.
Suddenly, a mare in the corner of the barn caught her eye.
She was as white as snow and has a bit of pink underneath her hair coat.
As she stared closely at her, Stormy noticed that her eyes were hazel and added to the fact that she was calm even though the others were still acting in a frenzy, she found herself falling in love with her in an instant.
Before she even knew what she was doing, she was already standing in front of the horse, and was talking to her softly while caressing her gently.
To her surprise, she responded willingly to her touch and didn't show any signs aggression towards her at all.
It was just as if she had known her for quite a long time.
After a few seconds, she made a soft neighing sound and as if on cue, the rest of them also calmed down and the barn was immediately restored back to its quiet state.
Realising what had happened, Stormy was left amazed and speechless.
However, she didn't take long to dwell on the beautiful scene she had just witnessed because the horse immediately laid down and looked towards her as if inviting her to get on her back.
Nervous, Stormy began to fidget and clutched her dress firmly.
She had never ridden a horse before and had only wanted to try it out only because she had watched the princess and several others, including the royal guards ride it a lot of times.
And now that she had the chance, she was beginning to question her decision.
She wasn't as confident as she was before entering the barn.
As if sensing her fear, the horse suddenly turned to stare at her and perked her ears forward.
Realising that she is trying to reassure her, Stormy eventually let go of her fears and gently climbed onto her back.
The moment she was seated on top of the horse, she slowly got up and trotted out of the barn.
At first, she began galloping at a slow pace, making her feel much relaxed and soothed but then after a few minutes, she quickened the pace and before Stormy knew it, they were galloping faster into the night.