Arthur's New Found Freedom - Chapter Eighty One

Arthur was granted to ride on his horse with a little more freedom to ride into the close town markets. He took this chance to try to find his family, knowing it was most likely a loss for them to be close by. If Kristen or anyone was to figure out what he was doing, they would lock him away in the castle and never let him roam freely again.

He casually road through the town streets, realizing that no one was really paying him any mind. He scanned the people as he rode by. There was no sight of his mother or his sister.

After getting a feel for freedom, he always wanted to hunt like his father used to do. Arthur, armed with his bow, roamed through the woods for a little practice.

A rabbit stood several yards away, unaware of his presents. Arthur took aim and let the arrow fly. Cutting through some brush, it missed the rabbit and stuck into the tree above where the rabbit stood. "Better luck next time," he thought to himself.

 

It felt nice to get away from it all, "If only I could just keep on riding and never return, that would be so nice," he thought to himself as he put his horse into the wind to head back to the castle.

Arthur returned to the castle, and as he dismounted his horse, he saw Willow standing there grinning at him. Arthur walked over to her and seen how she had grown into such a beautiful young lady. "I thought I would pay you a visit. My parents are here on some official business," she told him.

"So what have you been up to?" he asked as he casually leaned on the fence post. "Nothing much but lessons as usual," she replied.

"So any prospects of any marriage proposals from all those handsome princes?" he giggled. "Oh stop, I don't want to get married any time soon. I would like to keep my freedom as long as I can before some prince has my every move planned," she added. "Well, I don't want to marry anytime soon, either. I know my grandmother isn't going to waste much time before she starts making arraignments to marry me off," he said.

"Do you want to take a ride with me? I have a horse that I think you would like. I know this little spot that we can have lunch, just the two of us," he told her as he went into the castle and headed out with a sack. He placed it in the horse's saddlebags and then brought the horses out. They both mounted and headed out.

Arthur dismounted his horse and helped Willow off hers. He held out his hand to help Willow across the bridge. "This is a beautiful place," she said as she smiled at him.

Willow took his hand and made a slight curtsy. "Well, aren't you the gentleman," she joked at him. "Well, I do try my lady," he laughed.

He laid out a blanket and unpacked the stuff from the sack. It was a nice little lunch. Arthur caught Willow up on all the local gossip, and she filled him in on what had happened in hers.

"I can't tell you how much I have missed you," he told Willow. She smiled at Arthur, "Yes, I have missed you too. I have hated that we are no longer at your old castle," she replied. The sun was starting to set over the mountain tops creating a beautiful pink and blue sky. "I better get you back before they send a search party out for both of us," he told her as he started to pack up the stuff.