Golden, soft locks bouncing in the sun     the very image of freedom and radiance. A lie, of course. A mask for the wickedness beneath.

Lady Seraphine.

Elias was on his way to meet his trainer, Lord Carlos, in the woods for mounted swordsmanship when his life quite literally flashed before his eyes    Satan herself galloping straight at him.

She stopped just short of trampling him.

He muttered under his breath, "I was wondering why the bay's stall was open. I should've known."

But before he could take a step back, he was silenced      loudly.

"Are you actually stupid?!" She screamed. "Do you want to trampled? Who walks in front of a cantering horse?!"

Cantering? Was that what it was called? Elias frowned. Fine, cantering it is.

She snapped orders at him.

"Get off the damn horse's back, fix your hands, and follow its motion! You ride like a sack of grain! Have you ever been taught?"

He hated to admit she was right.

He hadn't been raised to ride or wield a sword. Royalty ruled from the sidelines     the mind mattered most, and power came from loyalty of subjects, not the edge of a blade.

But since being sent to Duke, Elias knew he had to learn. And as much as he hated to admit it, he wasn't riding the horse. The horse was simply letting hum manhandle it.

"Ride better, or I will personally erase you. One wrong move on my land, and you won't just disappear     you'll be gone for good. And you won't be able to shield your family from me either. Do you understand? Honestly, just die."

Her words hissed like venom, sharp enough to bite     if only she knew who she was threatening.

Kill my family, the king? What a joke. No, the real joke is that she's the reason I was cast aside   stripped of my claim and abandoned by the crown.

He hated even the thought of taking advice from her   the very person responsible for his exile and stripped claim. But she was the first to correct him. Who else would dare tell the exiled prince, soon to be Duke, that he rode like a disgrace   something that could stain the Arlowe name.

So, for the first time since their encounter began, he spoke, voice steady despite himself.

"How can I improve, My Lady?"