Selene was a bit perplexed by Colchis.

It was a beautiful kingdom, in its own way. The rocking cliffs and the mountains were incredibly breathtaking. She’d never seen anything like it, and the family had gone out of their way to make sure she was able to explore as much of the land as she wished. That part, she was sure, was due to Vangelis, who wanted to make sure that she had her fair share of adventure.

He was thoughtful, which was a bit unexpected. Not only did he make sure that she had a horse and someone to ride with whenever she needed it, but he’d also told his brother Silas of her love of music, which meant that he made sure that she knew her way to the music room. She was really beginning to see how her life had been so different than that Kotas family’s had. And it had nothing to do with being royal and everything to do with birth order and gender. They were a refreshing change from the house full of women, even though she missed her sisters dearly. They had such a vastly different dynamic, and yet it was easy to see that so much of one’s personality came from birth order. She was the oldest, and thus like Vangelis, was the most responsible. And like Theo, Zanon was more playful, able to let his creativity and personality bloom underneath the relaxation of the parents. And even Silas reminded of her own Nana, in his own way.

They were loud. They were opinionated. And they were welcoming and warm. For a house that had such a reputation for its harsh mentality and strength, she had seen it in a far different light.

Dressed in her riding chiton of burgundy, Selene had requested that the Princess Athanasia honor her with a meeting in the courtyard. She had taken to a far simpler dress while she was here, preferring to leave her jewels off in favor of the freedom of her hands. It didn’t feel right to be dressed so finely when half of the city was recovering from the storm.

When she had received the letter from her uncle, she couldn’t help but notice the unsettling undertones of it. Ones that she would only know as family. He was pleased that she had ended up in the house of the royal family, and he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that she knew that she was to stay with the royal family as long as she could, without seeming like a burden. It was a pressure, one that he had been sure to let her know that he trusted her to be of use to the family. The letter had brought a chill to her spine, but the gifts had seemed even more pointed.

The mare, well enough, was demure and obedient. Selene had made sure that she would be fit for a princess, even one was wild as Athanasia. The stallion, however, was rowdy and unruly, begging the prince to be the one who broke him. She couldn’t help but feel like that had been written for her, a challenge for the prince to conquer her. All her life she knew she was to be used for power, but she hadn’t expected to have to convey her own selling so openly. Still, both horses were certainly fine beasts and would do well in the Colchis stables as property of the Kotas family. The mare would produce many more fine beasts, as she was perfect for breeding, should the family wish to mix the lines. The unbroken horse alone meant that Fotios was clueless as to the prince’s injuries, and would have to stay wild a bit longer

Gods, she felt like she was the mare, just waiting to be bedded. It made her a little sick to think of.

For now, she had to remind herself, Selene had yet to present the mare to the Princess. Now, holding the reins in the courtyard, she was far more antsy than the horse next to her. She hoped that the princess would like the gift, and would make good use of it. Because she really was a fine horse, in need of a solid rider to keep her well-exercised. When she caught sight of the princess, she straightened and beamed, giving the princess a proper bow before focusing on the horse. “Princess Athanasia, thank you for meeting me.”