A ℓσνєℓєѕѕ ยภเ๏ภ {Echo}

[echolight4eva]

Adelaide felt her horse begin to tire but she kept urging her gently but firmly. She looked back at Nazeal with a smile and then concentrated on the road ahead.

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

Nazeal did pull closer to being side-by-side with her, but eventually he decided Stormwind had had enough. He pulled back on the reins, allowing him to slow to a trot and then a walk.

[echolight4eva]

Adelaide stopped, her hair falling on her face but she didn't care. She laughed and pulled her horse around to face him. "Well done," she said with a grin. "You are a worthy opponent."

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

Nazeal laughed. "I should hope so," he said, a bit breathless. "I've been riding since I was six."

[echolight4eva]

Adelaide nodded, impressed. "That's quite impressive, Nazeal. I, on the other hand, have been riding since I was eight."

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

"I don't imagine your parents let you ride like that very often," Nazeal replied. The Hastings seemed the type to only allow 'ladylike behavior.'

[echolight4eva]

Adelaide shook her head. "You would be correct. But my instructor taught me to jump and you need to gallop for that."

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

Nazeal pulled Stormwind to a stop and leaned forward, his arms resting across the horse's mane. "Were you good?" It seemed a silly question to him after he asked it, as he'd just seen how well she could ride.

[echolight4eva]

"I was decent," she replied. "Well, decent at just riding. But I was told that I was very good at jumping. I could jump four feet and up. But it's been a long while since I have."

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

"Why did you stop?" Nazeal asked curiously.

[echolight4eva]

Adelaide paused for a moment. "I'm not sure," she said. "I suppose it's because my marriage 'training' intensified," she continued, using air-quotes around the word training.

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

Nazeal snorted and shook his head. "Marriage training. I think your parents need parenting training." Then again, hadn't he spent his whole life being groomed for marriage, among other things? He was meant to run his house, but he had to know how to be a husband, too. Of course, his father had different views on that than him.

[echolight4eva]

Adelaide gazed at him for a moment, her eyes wide. Then she let out an amused laugh. "Perhaps they do," she said, the aftermath of her laugh continuing. "I've been waiting for somebody to say that my entire life and I never realized it," she said, shaking her head. "I just hope I can be a better parent than they were."

[Cʀʏsᴛᴀʟ]

"I think you will be," Nazeal replied. "I just hope I can be a good father." He'd never been particularly comfortable around kids.

[echolight4eva]

Adelaide nodded appreciatively. "Thank you. And I think you will do just fine. We can go and visit an orphanage or something for you to meet some of the children and get used to them." While this wasn't a very good idea in particular, as orphanages were not pleasant, Adelaide was trying to find a way for him to be more comfortable with children.