Chapter 2 – The night shift
That had felt like a never-ending day. After her encounter with Nicole, Waverly had joined her father to watch the first round of the tournament. Luckily, some of the oldest suitors were immediately eliminated, but it was not like the remaining contestants were much better. Everyone’s favorite, Lord Hardy, was a good-looking young man of about Waverly’s age, which made the princess root for him as well. But even though he was strong and really good at riding a horse, he was all but smart and educated. At least that was the impression he gave Waverly that evening as she listened to him having a conversation with the other men in the dining room. That almost made the princess wish sir Robinson would win the tournament and marry her. Said sir was a middle-aged man, but he had such polite manners and he was always so kind when he addressed her in conversation. Plus, she would never tire of listening to the stories of his many travels around the realm. He had seen pretty much everything there was to see, and could speak eight languages at best. He even owned a library that might have been bigger than the one they had there in Purgatory. He would have been the perfect match if only he were younger.
“What about the blonde one?” Waverly was brought back from her thoughts by Chrissy’s voice.
After a three-hour-long dinner, she and her handmaids had retired to her room. Obviously, Chrissy and Stephanie had wasted no time in getting into their usual blabbering. The two were now talking about their favorite contestants as Waverly was sitting by the window not really paying attention to the conversation.
“Ew, no! That man could be my grandpa. I was talking about Lord Reynard.”
“Oh, the one with hair for days and beautiful ocean eyes? I think I may have fallen in love with him…” Stephanie said in a dreaming tone.
“Don’t be ridiculous, you’ve only seen him one.”
“They call it love at first sight for a reason…”
“What are you, seven? Love at first sight only exists in fairytales, Steph.” Chrissy mocked her.
“That’s not true… it’s a real thing. Right, Waves?”
When in public, the two young women would use all the courtesies in need, but when it was just the three of them, they still addressed Waverly in informal terms like when they were kids.
“Oh c’mon, Waves, you gotta back me up on this one? You know I’m right.”
“Steph, I’m sorry, but… Chrissy’s right. Love at first sight only happens in the books.” Waverly agreed with Chrissy, although she was not so sure the girl was actually right.
The truth was, she had stopped believing in such things as love at first sight at a very young age. But after her encounter with a certain ginger girl… well, she might have been starting to reconsider her views on the matter. Maybe love at first sight did exist after all. Wait! Was she actually pondering the idea that she might have been… no, come on, that was ridiculous. She had only just met her.
Her trail of thoughts was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a carrier pigeon who had landed right outside her window. Her friends watched her curiously as she opened the window and took the piece of paper from the bird’s claw. They got closer as she closed the window and proceeded to unroll the note, but Waverly made sure they couldn’t read the message on it. She had come to learn from experience that, sometimes, keeping secrets from them was for the best. Those girls were just too nosy.
I’m on night shift, wanna keep me company?
I’ll be under the oak tree by the stables.
Nicole.
Waverly couldn’t help but smile her brightest smile as she read the note. It was crazy. She had only known this woman for a few hours, and she already felt so drawn to her. She could almost feel butterflies in her stomach just at the idea of getting to spend more time with Nicole. But first, she needed an excuse to leave her room.
“What’s gotten you all smiling there?” Chrissy asked when she folded the note and put it down.
“OMG! Is it a special message from a special someone?” Stephanie exclaimed all excited.
“Did one of the lords send you a love note?”
“He was totally eating you with his eyes this afternoon.”
“And he’s so dreamy.”
Oh boy… she needed to stop them before they took it too far.
“It’s actually just Wynonna. She wishes me a happy birthday and says she’ll try and be home soon.” Waverly lied.
“Oh.” Both Chrissy and Stephanie said in a rather disappointed tone.
Okay, so now that the explanation for the note was done, she still needed to find a way to get out of her room without getting caught by the guards, and especially without her nosy friends finding out about Nicole. Not much because she didn’t want anyone to know she was hanging out with the stable girl. Mostly, she needed space and time to understand how she really felt about this woman, which was all very new to her. And to be completely honest, a part of her was already extremely jealous of Nicole and did not like the idea of having to share her new friend with her old ones. She had to think fast. What could have been a good excuse to have the girls leave her room? Maybe that she felt sick and… no that wasn’t going to work. When a princess is sick her handmaids are expected to tend to her not leave her. Okay, c’mon Waves, think of something else! She looked down at the note in her hand, and suddenly she got an idea.
“You know what, I think I’m going to write Wynonna a letter. Tell her everything about the tournament and the handsome lords I got to meet these past few days…” Waverly told her friends. Chrissy and Stephanie knew that meant she wanted to be alone.
“Oh okay…” Stephanie said sounding disappointed once again.
“Yeah, it’s pretty late actually. We’d better go to bed.” Chrissy added. “See you tomorrow at seven?”
Waverly nodded in agreement and smiled sweetly at them.
“Goodnight, Waves.” They both said as they gave her a quick hug.
Luckily, Stephanie and Chrissy had already helped her out of her silver dress and into a night gown, which she could easily take off on her own. She just needed to find a comfy dress to wear and then she was ready to go see Nicole.
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Apparently finding the right dress to wear was easier said than done. Waverly had spent a good half an hour staring at the dresses in her closet without being able to choose which one was suited for the occasion. She didn’t want it to be too fancy, but she also wanted to look good, not casual. It’s crazy how you can have a closet full of clothes and still feel like you have got nothing to wear for a special occasion. At last, she settled for a lilac dress, consisting of a short-sleeved lace top and a long skirt, whose color perfectly matched the flowers still pinned to her hair. She didn’t put any make up on, and opted for a comfy pair of sandals which were better than heels for walking on the grass. Â
When she was ready, she slipped out of her room, and got out of the castle using secret passages only she and Wynonna, and the servants, knew. When she was positive no one had seen her, she started walking towards the stables as quietly as possible. As written in the note, Waverly found Nicole sitting on a bench under the large oak tree by the stables. A big lantern was hanging from a low branch right over her head to lighten the pages of the book she was reading. The title said something about a knight, but Waverly couldn’t make it all out. Whatever it was, it must have been really interesting because Nicole was completely immersed into it and didn’t even notice her arrival. Clearing her throat, Waverly was finally able to catch the woman’s attention. Closing her book, Nicole looked up at her and greeted her with a sweet smile. Waverly returned the smile nervously, but said nothing. She didn’t really know what to do. Would it be okay if she just sat on the bench next to her? Nicole must have noticed her hesitation, because she quickly scooted over to leave more room on the bench for Waverly to sit.
“Thanks.” Waverly said in a shy tone as she sat down. “I didn’t know stable girls had night shifts.” She added after a moment.
“We do when the stables are filled with royal horses.” Nicole tried to explain, even though it was clearly just a lie. Everyone knew there was a camp by the village where all the horses and the servants of the king guests were to stay. But luckily Waverly made no remark about it, to which Nicole was extremely grateful. To be honest, she had spent all afternoon thinking about the princess trying to come up with an excuse to meet her again. Truth be told, she had seen Waverly around the castle before, and she definitely found her really attractive, but her interest in the princess grew even bigger after she finally got that chance to talk to her. What Waverly had said about feeling trapped in a life that was not hers to choose, she could really relate to that.
“May I see?” Waverly asked pointing to the book in Nicole’s hands. She didn’t really know how to start a conversation, so maybe talking about the book could help.
“The Knight of Hearts.” Waverly read out loud when Nicole showed her the cover. “Oh, I’ve never heard of it. Is it good?”
“It’s actually my favorite book. I’ve read it like a million times.” Nicole said sounding a bit embarrassed.
“Well then, I’m gonna have to borrow it sometimes.”
Waverly’s words made Nicole regain all her confidence. “Ask and it shall be yours.” She stated in very which made Waverly chuckle in amusement.
The two of them looked at each other in silence for a moment. Nicole couldn’t help but stare at Waverly, who looked even more beautiful when she smiled. Her adoring gaze surely did not go unnoticed because Waverly started blushing and quickly averted her eyes from her.
“So how did the tournament go?” Nicole asked trying to end the awkwardness of the moment.
“It was…” Waverly trailed off as she searched for the right words to describe how she felt about it. Truth was, the tournament itself wasn’t so bad, and everyone seemed to be having a really great time, it just was…
“Not your thing?” Nicole concluded for her.
Wait what?! How… that’s exactly what she was going to say, how did she do that?
“Is it that obvious?” Waverly asked trying to hide her surprise.
“Well, from the way you were talking about it earlier, it definitely didn’t sound like your kinda afternoon.”
“Yeah well… I’m not even sure I know what my kinda afternoon looks like anymore…”
“Mmm…” Nicole hummed in thought. “Well… my kind of afternoon includes a trip to the lake, with a nice book to read seated under a tree… and maybe some animals to play around with. And a bucket of snacks, obviously. I could never go anywhere without snacks. Eating is kind of my passion.” Nicole concluded with a shrug.
Waverly chuckled lightly at that. It actually sounded like a great way to spend the afternoon. A little bit lonely though… She thought when she realized Nicole didn’t mention the presence of someone else with her. “Sounds like someone doesn’t like sharing her snacks with anybody.” She joked.
“Well, I wouldn’t mind sharing them with a pretty lady for sure.” Nicole said with a smirk, causing Waverly to blush again.
But this time she did not look away. Instead, she chose to play along. “Maybe we could do it sometimes. I haven’t been to the lake in forever.”
That made Nicole smile brightly. Was the princess really offering to spend an afternoon together, just the two of them? She couldn’t believe this was really happening. But before she could get too excited about it, she remembered Waverly would be married to a charming prince or lord real soon, and there was no way she could compete with that. All she had to offer was a bucket of snacks, and a book to read.
“I’m sure your prince will bring you to the lake any time you want once you’re married.”
“I’d rather go alone…”
“I’m sorry…” Nicole immediately regretted having said that when she heard the sad tone in Waverly’s voice. “I shouldn’t have brought that up, we were having a nice conversation, and…”
“It’s okay. Don’t even worry about it. Sooner or later, I’ll have to make peace with it.” Waverly sighed heavily.
Nicole couldn’t stand seeing her like that. She needed to do something to cheer her up. “But in the meantime… How would you like a midnight snack?” Nicole offered. And when Waverly looked at her confused, she continued to explain. “I know the perfect spot for a picnic under the stars. C’mon.”
Without giving Waverly time to answer or realize what was happening, Nicole grabbed her hand and pulled her to her feet. Then she started walking past the stables towards sir Nedley’s house. It was actually just a cottage built nearby, where the guardian of the stables lived. The old man had worked for the royal family ever since he was a teenager. At the beginning he was just a stable boy like the others, but with time he had gained the respect and trust of the king, Waverly’s father, who put him in charge of the stables as head and guardian.
“Wait. Are you sure we can get inside?” Waverly asked in a worried tone when Nicole moved to push the front door open.
“Of course we can. It’s my house too. Just… keep it quiet, we don’t wanna wake Nedley.”
“Hold on a sec, you live with sir Nedley?”
“Where else would I live?” Nicole sounded confused. What was so weird about her living here? She honestly couldn’t understand why the information surprised Waverly that much.
“I just thought you lived in Purgatory like all the other boys…”
Oh right. Nicole finally understood. “My family’s not from here. I had nowhere else to go. Since Chrissy has officially moved into the castle, he gave me her room.”
“Nicole, is that you?” A voice came from inside the cottage.
Shit! Nedley! What the hell was he doing awake so late? Nicole quickly motioned for Waverly to go hide around the corner before responding.
“Yeah, it’s me!” She said as she opened the front door. “I’m just here to get some sna-”
“Nicole, it’s almost midnight what the hell were you doing still out there?” Sir Nedley interjected in a very fatherlike tone.
“I’m… I…” Come on, Nicole, think! Just find a quick excuse. “Shine wasn’t feeling well so I thought I’d spend the night by his stall. Just to make sure it’s nothing serious. But don’t worry, I got it covered. You go back to sleep, and I will take care of the horse.” She reassured quickly as a worried wrinkle formed on the man’s forehead.
Sir Nedley didn’t seem very convinced, but he chose to believe her anyways. Stepping to the side, he let Nicole get in and grab the snacks she came looking for. She was back only a couple minutes later with a huge wooden bucket.
From her hiding spot, Waverly could see sir Nedley handing her a blanket as well. “Here, take this. It’s getting cold out there. We already have a sick horse, I don’t want a sick help as well.” He tried to make it sound like a professional worry, but it was clear he really cared.
“Just… call me if you need any help, okay?”
Nicole nodded and smiled gratefully at him. “Goodnight.”
“Night…” And with that the old man stepped back inside and closed the door.
With a sigh of relief, Nicole motioned for Waverly to come out of her hiding spot.
“Well, that was close…” Waverly said as she reached the redhead. “We gotta be careful. If someone sees me and tells my father…”
“Because I’m the stable girl.”
“No!” Waverly almost shouted, but then remembered Nedley could hear her. “Look, everything good that I’ve had in my life, my father’s ruined it. I just don’t wanna lose you.” She explained and her words made Nicole smile her brightest smile.
“Well, the place I told you about, it’s a secret spot. No one will find us there.” Nicole reassured her. “C’mon.” She said handing Waverly the blanket and taking her hand.
They walked hand in hand for a good twenty minutes, and for the first time, the silence did not feel awkward at all. Waverly let Nicole lead her across the garden and it felt like she was a little girl all over again, discovering new places and admiring nature’s beauty. There was something about the tall trees of the woods surrounding the garden that always terrified her. Especially in the night, when the trees cast long shadows on the grass as the moon shone bright upon them. The silence was just as terrifying as the dark because it left room for her thoughts to resonate, and sometimes they just got too loud. But not that night. Nicole’s warm hand firmly leading her through the woods made her feel safe and the redhead was the only thing on her mind.
When a sudden noise came from above them, Waverly jumped a little, but Nicole immediately reassured her with a light squeeze of her hand. “It’s probably just a squirrel.”
Waverly smiled at her, but it was quick and she didn’t look very convinced.
“C’mon. We’re almost there.” Nicole tried again, tugging at her arm lightly.
This time Waverly nodded and followed her. All of a sudden, the two of them found themselves in a beautiful opening amongst the trees. It was like a secret garden right in the middle of the woods. Nicole was right, the trees surrounding them created a sort of wall that made it impossible for people to see them there. It was the perfect hidden spot. And it was breathtaking.
“Wow…” Waverly looked around in awe.
“And you haven’t seen the best part yet. Look up.”
Waverly did as she said and found herself facing the most beautiful starry sky she had ever seen. The Milky Way ran right above their heads in thousands shades of yellow and white.
“It’s pretty magical, isn’t it?”
“It’s… wow.” That was all she managed to say. She was completely speechless in front of such beauty.
“It will look even better if you lay down.” Nicole said putting down the basket and taking the blanket from Waverly to set it onto the grass.
“M’lady.” Nicole bowed jokingly at her as invitation to sit down.
Waverly chuckled at lightly at that. “Why, thank you.” She played along as she let Nicole help her down onto the blanket.
“You like apple pie, right?” Nicole asked as she opened the basket and took out a plate with a huge slice of pie.
Nicole smiled and handed her that plate and a small fork.
“Wait, what about you?”
“Oh, there was only one slice left. It’s okay, you have it. I’ll have a glass of juice.”
“What? No, no way! We can share it.”
“You sure?” Nicole sounded a bit surprised. She genuinely did not think the princess would ever be up for sharing food with a stable girl.
“Of course! It’s your midnight snack after all, right?”
Nicole smiled at her and took out another fork from the basket as well as two glasses and a bottle of orange juice.
“Mmm. It’s delicious.” Waverly stated as she tasted the pie.
“Nedley made it this morning.” she said as she filled the glasses. “But don’t tell anyone he’s a good cook. It’s kind of his secret passion.”
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When they were done with the pie and the juice, they lay down side by side to star gaze. The air was cool, but the woolen blanket underneath them was enough to stay warm. As they looked up at the sky, they started talking about anything and everything. And so, Waverly learned that Nicole was 26, only a year younger than Wynonna, and she came from a small village in the south. She had left home at 18 and hadn’t spoken to her parents since. Apparently, her family did not take her wish to become a knight of the king’s guard very well.
“The king’s army is no place for a peasant. And even less so for a girl.” Her father had told her the day she left.
It hadn’t taken long for Nicole to find out that her father was probably right, and becoming a knight was easier said than done. But she was too proud and stubborn to go back. So for the first 5 years, she had kept on the move, heading north to pursue her dream. Working as a waitress in several taverns, she had managed to gain enough money to buy herself a wooden sword first, and then a real one. She didn’t really know how to use it properly, but owning one seemed like a great first step in the right direction. In Kork, a small city halfway up on the road to Purgatory, she had made friends with a bunch of boys, rookies in their lord’s army. She and the boys had come to an agreement: in exchange of a free drink every night, they would let Nicole come and spar with them in her free time. And so, soon enough, she had become a better swordsman than most. She had been in Kork for almost 6 months when the War of the Free Cities broke out. Seven armies battled each other for over a year, destroying every city, town and village that was on their way. Nicole’s friends and the lord’s army tried their best to defend Kork and its people, but they fell under the attack of the Storm, an army of ruthless mercenaries under the command of lord Clootie. As their name gave out, everything was torn apart on their passage.
“They slaughtered everyone…” Nicole sat up as a lump formed in her throat. “Men, women… even the children.” She continued, fighting back the tears.
“My God…” Waverly looked at her in shock as she sat up as well.
“I somehow got myself onto a horse and fled. I roamed around the woods for days, heading north and hoping the trees would hide me from those monsters.”
“Oh Nicole…” Waverly grabbed her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.
“I don’t exactly know how I got to the next town. One night I was sleeping under a tree, and the next day I woke up into a warm stall next to my horse. Somebody must’ve saved me and brought me there, but the guardian of the stables swore he had seen nothing.”
For the past couple of years, she had worked as a stable girl for the Cullies, a rich family who ruled over the town of Tombstone. As creepy as its name was, the town was actually a very peaceful place to live. The whole town was surrounded by tall wall, and built on the top of a hill. Isolated as it was, it had never feared an attack from any near cities. And its lords had always been fair and peaceful rulers who had never engaged into a war. Nicole was happily welcomed into their home and was always treated with great respect by everybody. Peasant or noble, it didn’t matter at Tombstone, everyone was free. So servants weren’t really servants. Most of the time they were just orphans or poor people working for the Cullies in exchange of a place to stay. They were like a big family, and Nicole loved it there. Gregory, the guardian, was like a grandfather to all the stable boys and stable girls. Ha taught them how to take care of the horse and each other, and gave them life advice all the time. In his seventy-six years on this earth, he had seen all and done all, and everyone, from the lords to the servants, loved to hear his infinite stories. Unfortunately, last winter he got really sick. He still made it through, stubborn as always, but by the time the hot season came, his body was just too weak to recover. The old man passed on a warm summer night, but before he died, he gave each of his kids a letter and a gift. No one had secrets with him, which meant he knew exactly what each one of them really needed. And so, Nicole was given a young chestnut mare, strong and full of energy.
You got the sword, kiddo, but you can’t be a knight without a horse. Take good care of my Flicka, she’s yours now. And there’s one more thing: I got a nephew in Purgatory, his name is Randy. He’s waiting for you at the king’s castle. This is your chance to get where you wanted, kid, don’t let it go to waste. You’re an extraordinary woman, Nicole, and I know it in my heart that you’ll make a great knight. You just gotta believe it too. Remember: no dream is too big.
May your name sound high in the infinity of the sky.
Until we meet again.
That was the letter he had left her. Flicka was a young chestnut mare, beautiful and strong and full of energy. She was exactly the kind of horse a knight would want to ride onto. And so, about a month ago Nicole had arrived in Purgatory, where sir Nedley had welcomed her with open arms. Life at the king’s castle was very different from the one she had gotten used to in Tombstone. It didn’t take long for her to realize that the Earps were nothing like the Cullies, and that sir Nedley was going to be the only friend she had. At least until that day.
“I’m really glad I met you.” Nicole told Waverly when she was done with her story. She almost regretted saying that, but Waverly quickly gave her a reassuring smile and squeezed her hand lightly.
“And I’m really glad you found me.”
They remained like that, smiling and staring at each other for a moment, but when Nicole tried to lean in, Waverly turned and looked away. She wanted to kiss her, really, but she wasn’t ready. Not yet. They had just met; this was crazy. How could she have been so drawn to her already?
“Sorry…” Nicole apologized and cursed herself for pushing it too far too quick.
“We should probably head back now. The tournament starts at 9 tomorrow, I’d better try and get some sleep.” Waverly said trying to get out of this situation.
“Right, yeah, of course. I… I’d better get back to stables. Just in case Nedley comes to check on me.”
With that they both got up and started gathering everything up. Once they were packed and ready, Nicole walked Waverly back to the castle.
“So, hum…” Waverly stopped and turned to look at Nicole once they got in front of the side door she had used to sneak out.
“I’ll… I’ll see you tomorrow?” Nicole asked hesitantly. She was really hoping she hadn’t fuck everything up.
“Yeah.” Waverly nodded with a small smile, which was immediately returned by Nicole.
Waverly couldn’t help but notice a little worry wrinkle on Nicole’s forehead. She had to let her know it was okay. That what happened tonight didn’t ruin anything. After a moment of hesitation, she leaned forward and gave Nicole a quick kiss on the cheek.
“Goodnight.” She said sweetly when she leaned back.
“Night.” Nicole said beaming and blushing a little.
And with Waverly walked into the castle while Nicole turned to head back to the stables.
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Chapter 1 - Waverly’s birthday
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