Free Web NovelChapter 33: Chapter 33
By lunchtime, the unexpected happened. The news of Seton racing a fresher had spread all over campus. Everyone wanted to know who would be crazy enough to challenge the state champion to a race.
Henri hadn’t been expecting this, due to the information spreading like wildfire all over campus, there would be a huge turnout to the opening competitions.
The three monsters were the biggest anti-fans of Seton, so they pretended not to hear the gossip flying around, which was in Henri’s favor because it meant that he wouldn’t have to lie to them.
After lunch, they made their way down to the field, which was a large open space filled with various courts and tracks for the respective sport clubs active at the academy.
The Horse-racing track was already filled with bystanders who had come to watch the legendary race.
They bumped into Errol on their way there, he looked fidgety as he smiled at them. "I heard that you would be joining the Horse-racing club."
Henri was pleasantly surprised to see him. "Was that why you came to have a look?"
"Yes, Seton doesn’t like me coming to these for him." He mumbled, fiddling with his fingers. "H-Have you seen him by the way? I-I..."
"I believe we agreed that you’d never come for my races?" Seton whispered beside Errol’s ear, his voice dripping like liquid tar.
Errol flinched violently, turning around to stare up at Seton with wide eyes filled with fear. "I-I didn’t, I came to see Henri participate in the opening competitions." He defended.
Seton forgot all about him the moment Henri was mentioned. "If it isn’t his Highness, himself. I was starting to think you’d chicken out or mousy Quinn would get to you." He drawled, shoving past everyone to get right in front of Henri.
Henri remained unfazed, ignoring the expressive looks of shock on his friends’ faces. "I take it that you didn’t come here to surrender before the race." He noted calmly, enjoying the popping veins on Seton’s jaw.
Seton clicked his tongue, unused to having someone openly confront him. He reached out to take Henri’s wrist to pull him in the direction of the stables.
Henri didn’t let their hands make contact, slapping Seton’s hand away. "Again, don’t touch me." He enunciated, anger in his smokey grey eyes.
Seton stood dumbly for a few seconds before turning around to leave, he glared at Errol who visibly flinched for a few seconds too long.
Nael stepped in between them, his hazel-gold stare freezing over.
Seton’s response was a mocking scoff. "Are you coming along or not, your Highness?"
Henri stepped forward at this, walking past his friends who looked like they would like to protest his decision. His expression gave no room for that though. This was the first time they saw him angry, it wasn’t a pretty sight.
Tarquin was waiting at the stables as well as some of the Alphas Henri had seen in the club room earlier. There were also a lot of fresh-faced students who were no doubt the new applicants looking to participate in the opening competitions.
From the way everyone fell over their feet when Seton showed up, it was glaring that it was just Henri and Tarquin against the rest of the club.
"Y-You get to choose your racehorses." Tarquin stuttered over his words, flicking terrified eyes at Seton. "Pl-Please come with me." He gestured, turning around to make his way into the stables.
"Stop." Seton said in a bored tone, Quinn freezing right in place. "I’ll race with the horse I always race with, have it brought out for me."
"A-Alright." Quinn accepted, continuing his journey with Henri in tow.
Henri usually had his horses brought out for him as well but that was back in the castle, he was no different from another student here.
"I-I have some recommendations for you if you don’t mind," Tarquin said hopefully.
"I don’t mind but I should let you know that my preferences run to large horses. Show me the biggest you have in the stables." He inquired enthusiastically.
Tarquin was whiplashed by this information, he couldn’t help but look down at the Prince’s height. How did he hope to get on a large horse? "A-Are you certain?"
"Yes.’ Henry deadpanned, looking around at the braying and stomping horses.
"We-Well if you in-insist, the largest horse in the stable is all the way over here." Tarquin sped up, a little eager to show off the horse.
They bumped into a stable hand on their way there and Tarquin directed him to have Seton’s horse taken out to him.
"Here he is." Tarquin announced like a proud parent, showing off a massive grey horse standing alone behind a wooden door. "His name is Moonlight and he doesn’t ever get ridden so I occasionally let him run free in the fields." He admitted fondly.
"Why don’t you ride him?" Henri asked curiously, it was evident that Tarquin cared a great deal about the horses. freewebnoveℓ.com
"Oh, I’m not cut out for riding, I would rather care for the horses." He admitted, stepping up to the horse.
"Come closer, boy, you might get ridden today, what do you think?" He spoke in a soft voice, patting the softly snorting horse.
Henri remained quiet on the sidelines and studied the horse, there was a calm intelligence in its soft dark eyes. Henri was certain that he was about to have the best horse-riding session of his life.
"I’ll saddle him myself for you, if you can remember the way out, you can wait outside for me but first see if he’ll let you touch him." He offered, urging Henri closer.
Henri was no stranger to large horses, a bright smile lit his face up when Moonlight leaned closer to nudge his hand.
Tarquin stared for a few endless seconds, Henri looked a lot different when he smiled. Also, Moonlight was an introvert who didn’t like to be touched. This was a very good sign indeed.
