Pleasant Surprise | Alexandre & Annette
@bcstardking
Upon waking in the morning, Annette requested that her sable locks be firmly twisted into a demure braid to prevent them being tousled recklessly by the wind, and minimal jewelry was applied to her person. With Summer beginning to creep into the elaborately decorated halls of Tuileries, Annette simply refused to fight her desire to stray into the outdoors and welcome the french sun on her fair skin. In steady, directed strides, Annette strolled gracefully through the floral pathways of the Jardin de Tuileries. Annette’s walk closely mirrored her mother’s as she had secretly attempted to model it after hers. She could always remember the warm days of her childhood where she spent a great deal of her time fumbling around at her mother’s side while the queen seemed to float effortlessly through the Alcázar de Sevilla.
It had been quite a while since the queen put some time aside and visited the stable to lay eyes upon the rich brown mane of her horse, Debutante. Annette hardly enjoyed riding as much as her husband did, but on the days when the heat was not completely unbearable, and her time at court warranted a brief excursion, she certainly didn’t mind taking Debutante out to stretch her legs. Today, the rolling green hills and undiscovered paths would definitely do both Annette and Debutante a world of good. Accompanied by two of her ladies, Annette soon reached the structure and was greeted by a faceless servant who lead the queen to her horse.
Approaching Debutante’s stall, Annette’s dark hues lit up at the sight of her horse standing tall and alone. Resting her eyes on Debutante, she couldn’t help but wonder how long the two of them could ride together before she was inevitably found and shuffled back into the palace. Her father always warned her that focusing on the end of a good thing would ruin the experience, but she never listened. Annette had to play out every possible ending to a situation, and finally determine which one would likely occur.
Before allowing herself to stroke Debutante, lady Marguerite assisted her in slipping her fingers into her white riding gloves. With a slight turn of head, Annette noticed her ladies take a brief pause in assisting her to dip into two equal curtsies at the unexpected sight of the king. It was so early in the day that she assumed she would be riding alone. The sudden appearance of her husband quickly washed away that assumption, and she couldn’t have been more pleased. “Mon amour, I had not expected to see you here so early. Debutante and I are due for a ride together and with such fine weather I decided that today would be perfect.”