The Unrescue

         Lady Octavia stood and brushed the dust from her skirts.  “Wretched horse,” she muttered as she watched her steed gallop back toward the livery stable they had left only moments before.  She picked up her riding crop and began the walk back to the house.  Father was going to hear about this.  How dare Lord Wheaton sell them a horse that wasn’t fit to ride.  A horse approached her from behind, and before she had time to turn she was scooped up and deposited sideways into the saddle in front of the rider.
         “Excuse me?” she exclaimed, turning to see a handsome man with deep blue eyes and thick dark hair.  “Who are you and what do you think you are doing?”
         The man grinned, revealing unbelievably white teeth.  “I am Prince Elgin, and I am rescuing you, a damsel in distress.”  With a pull of the reins he turned his white horse away from the house and kicked it into a gallop.
         “What?  Rescuing me?  I assure you, I don’t need rescuing.  Now, if you would kindly put me down, I will continue my walk back to my home.”  Octavia folded her arms across her chest and glared at him.
         “I cannot do that, my fine lady.  I must return you to my father the king so your family may be alerted as to your whereabouts.”  He stared straight ahead, grin firmly in place.  Octavia thought she saw his teeth sparkle.
         “My family knows my whereabouts, or they did until a moment ago.  I was taking that bloody new horse out for a ride until he threw me.  I could see the livery stable from where I was standing.  I did not need rescuing.”  Ire rose in her throat and she clinched her fists to keep from strangling the prince.
         “You needn’t pretend to be brave.  I could see how terrified you were after being thrown from your horse.  You were fortunate I was there to save you.”
         “I was not terrified, I was angry.  Now I am furious.  I ask of you one more time, Prince, let me off your horse.”  She grabbed the prince by his shirt and shook him.  He grinned and rode on.  "Why do you have this intense need to rescue me anyway?"
        He looked confused for a moment.  "I'm a charming prince on a white horse.  It's what I do."
         Octavia turned in the saddle looking for some way to escape, some weapon to use to beat the prince senseless.  She had dropped her riding crop when he’d grabbed her, curse her luck.  The only thing she could find were the reins.  Jerking them from the prince’s loose grip, she pulled the horse to an abrupt stop and jumped off.  She picked up her skirts and began to run toward her home.
         The prince ran up beside her.  “I do not understand why you are being so difficult.  Why will you not let me rescue you?”
         She stopped and turned on him, her anger spilling over.  “I am not a damsel in distress.”  She said every word slowly to be sure he’d understand.  “I did not need rescuing.  I was on my own property, which now I am not.  You have fully succeeded in kidnapping me, not rescuing me.  Now if you will excuse me, I would like to go home.”
         As she turned to continue down the road, Prince Elgin grabbed her arm.  The look on his face as her fist connected with his jaw was almost worth the whole ordeal.

Word Count 589