were resting in their rooms and those staying in the village had gone there for the afternoon. The silence was beautiful after all the crowds of the morning.
Lilliana stepped outside and gazed at the brilliant sky. She walked to the stables and saw Spectrum eating a mouthful of grass at the fence where she had left him. He looked up at her expectantly, chewing his food slowly.
“It appears there’s even more going on today than normal,” Lilliana said to the horse.
He raised his eyebrows and bent to pull up another mouthful of grass. She reached her hand over to pet Spectrum’s flank. He moved a little closer to the fence.
“My father is meeting with some of his advisors and with my nanny of all people. I heard them saying something about safety and about destiny.” Lilliana twined her fingers through Spectrum’s mane. “They didn’t say my name, but I still feel like they were talking about me.”
She put her head on her arms and leaned against the fence. Father had said she should go rest in her room, but she felt anything but tired. Her heart was still excited from the crowd this morning and now her mind was racing with questions. Spectrum whinnied and looked at her.
“If only I could get away for a while, and have some time to myself, then I could sort through all these things in my mind.”
Spectrum shook his head and gestured towards his back. He pranced and tossed his head and gestured to his back again.
“A ride?”
He nodded his head.
“But I need to find my guards.”
Spectrum snorted and raised his front hooves. He shook his head again and gestured to the other side of the pasture. Lilliana followed his gesture and saw the ocean in the distance. She had only ever gone to the ocean with her father and her guards. The waves sparkled invitingly, and suddenly it seemed like all Lilliana could hear was the crashing of the surf. She closed her eyes and felt the ocean breeze on her face. Most of the castle was resting, and nobody would look for her for hours. She could go for a ride and be back before Nana came with chocolate and long before she was needed for the evening ball. After tonight she would have her Onsa and her obligations to Atlantis would be official. How long would it be before she had time to herself again? Too long.
Lilliana stood on the bottom rail of the fence and looked around. There were horses in the back of the pasture, but nobody was on this side of the castle gardens. She looked back at the castle, and knew that only her father’s rooms looked out on this side. He was busy with all of his advisors planning something for her, she just knew. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t be looking outside anytime soon.
Lilliana opened the gate and went to the stable. Spectrum followed and she had him quickly saddled and ready. Although her father refused to teach her to use a sword, he had taught her early in life to saddle her horse. Lilliana felt a little guilty as she put the bridle over Spectrum’s head. Her father trusted her almost as much as she trusted him. He would be disappointed in her for going off alone if he ever found out. Lilliana just had to be sure she was back in time. She closed her eyes and shook off the hot wave of shame she felt. Was she really supposed to just sit in her room and wait for others to decide her fate?
Lilliana led Spectrum to the steps and hopped on his back.
“Quietly now,” she whispered in his ear. “To the ocean gate.”
Spectrum needed no further direction and trotted off towards the back of the garden.
4. Freedom
Lilliana and Spectrum galloped down the white sandy beach. Gone were the guards. Gone were the servants. Gone were Sir Rhodious and the others. All they had was the sun and the clouds, the ocean and each other. Lilliana’s braids slapped against her back as she rode and the salt sprayed along her legs making them itch, but she didn’t care. She felt so free.
Spectrum’s hooves touched the ground quickly and lightly; it was as if he was trying to fly. The towering blue cliffs ahead shone in the spring sunshine. The air felt as soft as kitten’s fur against her skin and she lifted her face to the warmth of the spring sunshine. This was just what she needed today; to get away from the royal manners and the whispers of her Onsa and all the guests looking at her. Lilliana had felt scrutinized and judged by every face back at the castle, but here she could just be herself.
Lilliana slowed her horse at the inlet and they went up the creek for some fresh water. She dismounted and gazed at her horse as he lowered his head for a cool drink. She put her hand along her horse’s smooth side. He was just right for her. His mane was as pale as the rest of him and it seemed to have even more colors than his coat in the dappled shade. Lilliana ran her hands down his flank and hugged Spectrum. She had owned many horses and ridden even more in the castle stables, yet none was like this one. This horse was special.
Lilliana watched as Spectrum drank from the stream and she slid her feet out of her slippers and into the cold clear water of the creek. She loved the feel of the flat stones worn down over the years and the coldness of the water that made her feet turn red. Smiling, she looked back at her horse.
Spectrum was staring off towards the ocean with his ears pricked, listening. Lilliana looked that way too. She could see a bird in the distance. Maybe it was an albatross returning from a long voyage out to sea. Lilliana watched as it flew towards the cliffs and disappeared behind the trees. Spectrum shifted his feet, snorted, and continued watching the spot where the large bird had flown. He whinnied and tossed his head, then looked back her.
She dried her feet on her skirt and pushed on her shoes while her horse continued to toss his head towards the shore and look at her.
“Are you ready to go again?”
Spectrum tossed his head and chomped his bit.
“I’ll take that as a yes,”
She mounted her horse with ease and allowed Spectrum to lead.
“Where are we going?” she asked softly.
Spectrum trotted to the surf and turned towards the cliffs at a canter. You know what you want thought Lilliana as he steadily headed north with ears up and head alert. Lilliana looked up to the great blue cliffs ahead. They were made of dark granite that almost glowed in the sun. A few ragged bushes and a lonely tree held on to life on the side of the cliff. The face of the cliffs was ragged and steep with no ledges or outcrops visible, and they were as tall as two castles.
They slowed to a trot as they approached the cliff shadows that touched the edge of the sea. Spectrum pranced in place and tossed his mane. He seemed nervous. His feet could not stay still and Lilliana couldn’t turn him away. Was he interested in the great albatross?
They walked now into the foam of the ocean’s surf around the edge of the cliff. Lilliana noticed that there were large black rocks with jagged edges in the ocean that must have fallen from the bluffs. Spectrum stopped and sniffed the air. He turned his head from side to side as he looked at one of the boulders.
They went around the edge of the cliff and came into a round cove. The boulders there were menacing and the largest looked as if it was rising out of the sea to greet them… or to attack them. In the shadows the boulders rocked back and forth with the tide, trying to escape. There were colorful starfish that seemed like sentinels keeping watch over the rocks. Lilliana had seldom seen starfish of these colors and never so many at once. The starfish were gold, bronze and silver and they were cast all over the rocks, but not dried. That’s odd. Starfish didn’t usually do well without a constant supply of water all around them.
Spectrum walked into the water cautiously, sniffing one rock after another. Lilliana relaxed and enjoyed the afternoon sun as she rode her curious stallion. The boulders were slick and the slime seemed to cover both them and the starfish. The rocks appeared as if they grew out of the floor of the sea instead of being dropped into it, but they were so sharp that they couldn’t have been there long. Spectrum stopped in front of the large boulder in the middle t and whinnied. He stood alert as if waiting
for an answer. The bottom of this rock looked thinner, and at the right angle it seemed as if the rock had legs. The top of the rock had an unusual bulge, and as Lilliana tilted her head, it almost looked like a horse itself. Even a rock with legs has no voice and Spectrum heard no answer. He whinnied again and snorted through the water, pawing at the rock with his hoof. Lilliana pulled the horse gently away from the huge boulder and towards a more open area of the cove. The sun was a little lower, but there was plenty of time before the evening meal. Lilliana sighed and relaxed. The clouds on the horizon were starting to grow into tall columns of white. There would be a storm later.
Lilliana sighed and closed her eyes. Then she felt something change. There was a shadow going across her face and a chill went down her back. The ocean breeze felt cold and wet. Beneath her Lilliana felt Spectrum stiffen. He picked up his head and perked up his ears. Lilliana felt as if the sun had turned to ice. She had to look up, but at the same time she didn’t want to. Lilliana tilted her head and forced her eyes to the sky. The shadow fell over her face again and Lilliana saw what had brought the chill. Something flew high above them off the edge of the tallest cliff. It was white and silver and even from this distance it looked huge. The creature circled out over the ocean,