Conquering the Emperor

Chapter 135: Choosing a Companion

“Yes...I do remember that...” I replied, recalling the time Ren had introduced me to the various layers of his palace walls.

“Before I teach you how to ride, you’ll need a horse of your own first,” Ren explained.

“Oh...that makes sense,” I replied as I nodded. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

“Of course, it does,” Ren muttered as he got on his horse and reached out a hand towards me.

I remembered the time when he wouldn’t help me up on this horse. That seemed so long ago now too and just look at how much things have changed between us. I smiled a little and took his hand. He helped pull me up onto the horse and I was sitting in front of Ren.

“Thank you...” I whispered.

“You’re welcomed, My Lady,” Ren replied as he held the reins with one hand.

I could feel his other arm around my waist as he held me against his warm body. It’s been a long while since I’ve ridden a horse with Ren like this. Riding with him made me feel safe and secure. I wasn’t scared at all; however, I was sure that riding alone on horseback would feel very different.

...

When we arrived at Ren’s stables, we were greeted by one of his men. Ren helped me dismount and began telling me about his stables, which was where I was supposed to pick my own horse. The thought of having a horse of my own excited me. Actually, there are not many things that I own in this life and having a horse sounded amazing.

“This is Hans, he’s the guy in charge of my stables. Han this is Lady White Lotus,” Ren introduced us.

“It is an honor to serve you, My Lady,” Han said as he bowed politely to me.

“Thank you...” I said softly.

“I want to teach her how to ride but first she needs a horse,” Ren said to Hans.

“I see, crown prince. Please follow me this way. It’s better to show you and the lady can see for herself as well,” Han said as he gestured for us to follow him to the stables.

The stables were much larger inside than I thought and there were so many horses. The whole place smelled of horses and grass; it was a smell that I wasn’t used to.

“Sorry for the mess, My Lady. We...umm...never really get any woman visitors here...” Hans said apologetically.

“Oh no...that’s ok...” I replied honestly.

I didn’t know that there were this many horses in this part of Ren’s palace and I was just being shown one stable while there were countless of them. Horse breeding was clearly a serious business here.

“Umm...how am I supposed to choose my horse?” I asked, a little shyly.

“Hans can explain that,” Ren replied.

“Oh yes, umm...first you have to choose a horse that is healthy and has a good build. Horses are like people, so they have different personalities. You need to choose a horse that has the right personality, of course, that depends on the use of the horse that you have in mind...” Hans explained.

We walked along the stable and there were horses on both sides of us. I could understand what Hans was saying but I wasn’t sure how to see those qualities in a horse. I mean, how can you tell if a horse is loyal or friendly or hardworking, for example?

“How compatible the horse is to you is probably one of the most important factors to consider,” Han continued.

“Basically, if the horse likes you, the majority of the battle has already been won,” Ren said as he squeezed my hand a little in his.

“I sort of get it but how can I tell?” I asked.

“You won’t be able to tell unless you try,” Hans replied with a small laugh.

“Try? How?” I asked, curious.

“You get close and spend time with the horse. You feed it, you try to pet it and then you try to ride it,” Han said as he reached out a hand and petted the head of one of the horses.

“Oh...I see...” I whispered.

That sounded simple enough, but I was sure that reality was very different. I mean, right now, I didn’t even have the confidence to reach out my hand and pet the horse. They were such large beasts, and they were scary. Do they bite?

“The crown prince’s horse is the perfect horse, not because he’s loyal and has one of the best build and bloodline. Well, that too, but he’s the perfect horse for the crown prince because that horse is very compatible with the crown prince and he loves his master a lot too,” Hans said, beaming proudly.

“Hans bred my horse for me. He also trained it for battle,” Ren explained for my sake.

“Oh...I see...” I said with my eyes wide in appreciation.

“Umm...should I get a female horse?” I asked. I guess I would prefer to get a girl and then maybe we can be good friends.

“It doesn’t matter,” Hans replied bluntly.

“Really?” I asked, curiously.

“Correct. As long as the beast is compatible and likes you, the gender of the animal doesn’t matter much,” Han said, and Ren nodded in agreement.

“Maybe Hans can help you preselect some candidates for you? Then you can get to know them and then decide?” Ren suggested.

“Ok. That would be great,” I readily agreed.

Hans smiled before bowing and taking his leave to go prepare the horses. I wondered which horses he would choose for me.

“I hope I get a cute one...” I said, wistfully.

“Horses are supposed to be strong and trustworthy. If you’re looking for a cute animal, I can get you a rabbit later,” Ren said before pulling me into a hug.

“That might be nice too...” I whispered against his chest.

I loved when he held me in his arms like this. Wrapping my arms around his body, I began hugging him back. I wished that these peaceful days with Ren would last forever.

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“What about these?” Hans said as he proudly presented four horses to us.

We were now outside on the grass field and Han’s men had walked in four horses that he had preselected for me to choose from. I couldn’t tell the difference between the horses at all except for their outward appearance such as their size and the color of their coats. This is going to be hard, and we haven’t gotten to the learning how to ride part yet.

--To be continued...