"I feel like I'm mastering it."
"Confident, are we?"
"Optimistic," she corrected."There's a difference."
I liked that distinction.Confidence could be dangerous in inexperienced riders, but optimism suggested she was willing to learn while still believing in her ability to improve.
"Tell me more about Solmarina," she said as we continued walking."What's the royal family like there?"
Another opening to evaluate her political awareness."What do you want to know?"
"Are they good rulers?Do the people respect them?"
"The Queen is very devoted to her duties.She's made some difficult decisions over the years, but generally they've been in the country's best interests."
"That's a diplomatic way of saying she's unpopular but effective."
I glanced up at her sharply."What makes you say that?"
"The way you phrased it.'Devoted to duties' and 'difficult decisions' usually means someone who prioritizes politics over people.Which isn't necessarily bad, but it doesn't tend to win popularity contests.I worked in customer service.I know diplomatic language when I hear it."
She was more perceptive than I'd given her credit for."You're not wrong."
"What about the prince?"
Here we were again."What about him?"
"Is he like his mother?All duty and difficult decisions?"
I considered how to answer that.How did I see myself?As someone shaped by duty but not defined by it?As someone who'd learned to find meaning within the constraints of royal life by sneaking off to the stables whenever possible?
"I think he's trying to find a balance," I said finally."Between what's expected of him and what he actually wants."
"And what does he want?"
The question hung in the air between us, loaded with implications I wasn't sure she intended.What did I want?A life that was more than ceremonial obligations and political marriages.Time with my horses.Conversations like this one, where someone talked to me like I was a person rather than a title.
"I think he wants to matter," I said."To do something meaningful instead of just going through the motions of being royal."
"That doesn't sound like too much to ask."
"You'd be surprised how difficult it can be to find meaning when your entire life is planned out for you."
"Is that what you think his life is like?"
"I think most royal lives are like that to some degree."
She was quiet for a moment, processing this."That's kind of sad."
"Why?"
"Because everyone deserves the chance to choose their own path.Even princes."
The simple sincerity of her statement shocked me.When was the last time someone had expressed genuine sympathy for the challenges of royal life?Most people either envied the privilege or dismissed the difficulties entirely."Must be nice to live in a palace," they'd say, as if nice houses made up for having every aspect of your existence predetermined.
"You sound like you mean that."
"Of course I mean it.Just because someone has wealth and status doesn't mean their problems aren't real."
