Unsure of title, help think of one pleas

         I wanted to run, and continue running until I found Sephiroth in his field. Then, astride his ebony back, we could fly away and never have to turn back. Father was the only thing blocking my path to the door. Well, he and Arcana. Mother and the unicorn stallion, Sheol, stood merely feet from me; her words to me were grating against my ears. I was only sixteen, how could they expect me to marry someone? Someone I didn’t even know the name of! I hated being the princess of a kingdom, there had to be nothing worse. Everyone telling you what to do, what to wear, how to act. Why couldn’t I just be me?
   
    “Isabelle Diane!” Father’s sudden outburst made Sheol throw his elegant head and snort in fright. I reopened my eyes to look at him. He and I looked nothing alike. In fact, I looked nothing like either of my parents. I had large amethyst colored eyes, a delicate button nose, and waist length, milk-chocolate colored hair. His voice boomed across the spacious room, “You will meet him, understood? Gale arrives with his family tomorrow.” His turquoise eyes held my gaze viciously. How do you fight with a king? The only one I had ever known to be able to “control” him was Mother. I nodded solemnly. Arcana butted her head against Father’s chest. His face softened, and with his hand upon her purple neck, he left my room. At least with him gone I knew I could finally relax. Mother wasn’t nearly as strict about behaving like royalty as long as we were in the privacy of our own sleeping quarters. I slipped out of my shoes and padded barefoot to lie upon my bed.
         
    “Izzy, sweetheart. Gale is a good man. You will like him. He has a gentle touch with the animals, and loves to paint just like you do. Please, just give him a chance,” Mother spoke gently as she patted my hand. Sheol could sense she was upset; he paced back and forth behind her. I offered her a smile, “Of course I will, Mother. You and Father expect me to marry him, the least I can do is give him a chance. Who knows, I may actually like him.” I lied through my teeth to her and hoped her steel gray eyes didn’t see through the smoke. I would give him a chance, but I had a gut feeling he wasn’t the one I would fall in love with. That didn’t mean he wasn’t the one I’d marry, that decision wasn’t really mine to make. As soon as the heavy wooden door was closed behind Sheol, I changed out of my dress into pants and a loose sweatshirt. Every child born into the royal family was given a foal on their thirteenth birthday. It was a tradition standing far before anyone could possibly remember. Of course, it couldn’t be expected that these were “normal” horses. Of all of the horses I had seen, Sephiroth was the most beautiful. Naturally, I’m biased since he was the foal I had been given three years ago. Seph had long straight legs, a graceful head, arched neck and cascading mane and tail. He was the picture of perfect health, and a prime example of what a prince looked like. I leapt down the private stairs in my room to his pasture. I had left him only an hour before; he had said he wanted to continue enjoying the sunshine while I washed away the mud from my own “coat.”
         
    Little one! Sephiroth’s mind broke the fog in my own. I still marveled at how easy it was to communicate with the horse that had been bonded to you. I threw my arms around his thickly muscled neck, while his coal black wings engulfed my small body just the same. His mane and tail faded from the blackest of blacks, to a sky blue. His eyes were like gentle sapphires. Many of the others in Father’s court thought it was odd that Sephiroth was predominantly black. Most horses given to the royal family were those of bright colors and from a royal family themselves. Sephiroth was different. I found him abandoned when he was only a few hours old. It took many months to nurse him back to health, then many more to convince Father to allow me to bond with a horse of unknown blood. I quickly related everything that had happened to Seph. He huffed gently and put his muzzle against my cheek. It was his way of showing affection, and always made me feel better. You’re sure your sire said they would arrive tomorrow? I sense new horses coming through the gate. I turned my head to the north, and strained to hear anything beyond my own breathing. Sephiroth bent his legs gracefully beneath him; Let’s go check it out, Little One. I rubbed my hands along his silky hair, then mounted, mindful of his wings. His movements were smooth, and he showed the poise of a well trained ballerina. Within moments, and without any jarring on Seph’s part, we were in the air hurtling towards the main gate. Far below us I could see the vivid colors of royal horses. I noticed Arcana, Sheol, and Albion immediately, but four others caught my attention. One in particular stood out. Like Arcana, this horse neither had a horn adorning its head or feathers upon its back. Father always told me to have one born without either was a rare and unusual event. I wondered how this unknown person could have come across such a sought after bond mate. Seph circled the crowd once again before the beat of wings drew our attention to the sky. Flying toward us was another horse and rider. This winged creature had a coat that perfectly matched my amethyst eyes, set off by a stunning white mane and tail. Atop her back was a young man. I held my breath, hoping he wasn’t who I thought he was.
         
    “Your mother said I might find you up here. Your beast is quite… different. He seems to suit what I’ve been told of you,” Sephiroth bared his teeth and snorted harshly. I felt like baring my own teeth as well, “He isn’t a beast! He is my bond mate, which may be something new to you. They aren’t just animals, they have thoughts and feelings, just like you or I. Well maybe not you, if anyone is a beast, it’s you!” Seph folded his wings and plunged toward the ground. I could feel all eyes on me as Seph gently landed next to Mother, “I hope, for your sake, that he is not Gale.” Watching her face fall, I knew I had just met my intended. I sighed, and Sephiroth stepped forward to take us up to our rooms. My ears caught the sound of hooves following us. I figured it was just Arcana coming to calm the both of us down, “Wait. Princess Isabella, will you just slow down!” There was nothing unusually remarkable about her voice. The only thing that made me turnaround was her tone, I had never had anyone speak to me like that besides Father. Thinking she could speak to me like she was above me only proved to make my anger rise to a boil yet again. I lifted my legs to spin around on Sephiroth’s broad back.
         
    “Who do you think you are to speak to me like that? I, for one, will not stand for it! You could be the king of Manse and you should still address me with a little more respect,” I usually wasn’t the kind to yell at everyone, but hearing my dear Seph referred to as a beast had pushed me over the edge.
         
    “I apologize, dear princess. Please, allow me to introduce myself. I am Sheila Baur, queen of the Manse kingdom. This beauty here is Grimoire, my bond partner. I just wanted to apologize for whatever it was my son had said to upset you so. I hope you will not hold it against him, and allow him a second chance. He has no sisters, so is unfamiliar with talking to a young lady,” Sephiroth snorted, but stopped and bent to allow me to dismount. I looked up into Sheila’s deep-set blue eyes, surrounded by curly sand-colored hair. I reached a hand up to her, to help her dismount as well, “How about we take a walk? We can get to know each other a little better and I can explain exactly what it is that has me so upset.” Her smile revealed flawless white teeth, as she jumped to the ground lightly, her blue skirts swirling about her legs. I felt unusually under dressed in my pants and sweatshirt compared to her flowing dress and made up face. As we walked out to the gardens, the horses chattering to each other behind us, she kept the mood light by asking simple questions.
         
    “So when is your day of birth, you look to be slightly younger than Lukas, he is my youngest son.”
         
    “The 345th day. So in the Season of Snow,” I silently wished Father would keep his promise and find an easier way to keep track of days. I hated just having to count days; it was so easy to get lost. Father had said he would work on a system of grouping the days into smaller groups, but he had other things pressing on his mind, like marrying off his eldest daughter.
         
    “Your father tells me that, of the family, you were the one blessed as a speaker,” every family had one child that was called a speaker. They were the only ones who could speak directly to a horse, and understand exactly what was being said in return. Often, these were the ones sent to speak with the horses in their home country; I had hoped Father would use me as an advisor between him and the horses instead of as an investment. I smiled and simply nodded. We had reached my favorite place to read or draw: the gardens. The pathways here were like a maze, making it easy to get lost among the well tended flowers and shrubs. There were statues placed here and there of all the kings and queens who had ruled the land, including Mother and Father. I would never be among these statues; I would become queen of a different kingdom and rarely see my homeland again. Sheila must have seen the overcast look come into my eyes, she held my hand and gently squeezed. Her long, pianist’s fingers held on as she gradually pulled me towards a bench, “Why don’t you tell me what it is that Gale did so wrong.” I related the scene to her, hoping she would understand my bond with the black horse standing only feet away. Her face broke into a sad smile, as she heard.
         
    “I’m afraid he is too much like his father. They both believe since they are king and prince, everything is below them. They do not understand what it is to be bonded to someone through marriage, or to a horse through the bonding ritual. I had hoped Gale would grow out of that stage, but I have been too busy to keep an eye on him like I should. I have tried so hard to get him to form a better bond with Machake, but he refuses to even groom her,” I looked at her in shock. A bonded human refusing to groom his horse! I didn’t think Gale and I could ever truly harbor feelings for each other. After all, we were complete opposites, in too many radical ways.
         
    “I think I know what you are feeling; I felt the same when I met Marcus. We learned to care for each other, though. Do not worry, it won’t be so bad,” I shook my head and stood quickly. The sun was beginning to set, “I must go get changed before supper. Mother would be frightfully upset if I showed up like this.” I called to Sephiroth, who trotted quickly to my side and dropped to his knees. He had never liked walking, so as soon as I was in position, he took to the sky. For that exact reason, I had been given a room with a large balcony that Seph could land on. He circled the large castle once, being sure to avoid the pillars and many towers, before landing at our shared space. Mother was already waiting for me inside. She always attended to me if we were to have company; she said it was to be sure I dressed appropriately. Even as a young child, I had preferred pants to dresses, but of course that was not how a princess should dress in public. She had lain out a blue silk dress that matched Sephiroth’s eyes and would set off the sapphire necklace that hung around my neck. I quickly changed into the dress and turned to inspect myself in the mirror. It was low cut in the front, showing more skin than I would have liked, and the back swooped down to just above my waist. The fabric clung to my skin, giving me more curves than I had naturally been born with. Unlike Mother, I had a straight waist and nearly no curves at all. I sighed, she had chosen this dress to show me off like a prize pig at fair. Her hands quickly swept my long hair into a messy bun, allowing a few strands to fall and frame my face. I wanted to rip everything off and wear the baggiest clothes I could possibly find. I was intended to a vile beast, why should I care if he is pleased by how I look. I stepped into the matching pair of heels to give my small frame some added height. At only sixteen hands tall, I was considered small, even for a woman. Even I had to admit, as Mother was applying black color around my eyes, I looked like a princess should. Of course, I was nothing in comparison with Mother or even my younger sister Evangeline, whom everyone called Lola. Mother smiled as she nodded in the direction of Sephiroth. He was watching into a mirror as one of our maids braided purple ribbon matching my eyes into his long mane and tail. Around his neck hung an amethyst gem attached by a light brown ribbon. It was tradition that a bonded human wear some color representing their horse, and vice versa. I had always loved the way the purple set of Seph’s mane, he looked even more handsome. His large head turned to look at me, You look like a girl, Little One! I laughed at his astonishment.
         
    “You have seen me dressed up before, Seph. This is no different than those times,” I stroked his neck lovingly, thankful that he would be by my side all night. This is very different. They are showing so much of your coat just for that nasty colt we met while flying. Why is he the one they chose for you? I still don’t understand why your people are so strange and choose who mates with whom. All I could manage was to shrug and shake my head. He was right, it wasn’t fair that I wouldn’t be allowed to pick my own husband, but that was just the way of things. That was how everything had been decided long before I was born. 
         
    “Are the two of you ready?” Mother was already standing by the open door, ready to lead us into the Hall of Ancestors, where the feast would be held. Seph “kissed” my cheek before we began following after her. The Hall of Ancestors was as the name suggested: a long hall. The walls were covered in nothing but mirrors and seven large chandeliers hung from the ceiling. Tables had been set up in the middle of the room, with bright flowers and candles placed upon them. The gold trimming shimmered in the candlelight; the flickering flame casting long shadows into corners and upon people’s faces. Naturally, as the one being shown off, I had been the last to enter. I placed a steadying hand on Seph’s shoulder as we descended the stairs, all eyes turned to watch us. I could feel many stares gliding up and down my body, Do not worry. I will protect you from them. You know your parents would be disappointed if you ran now. I took a deep breath, and held my head high. Sephiroth had read my mind, I had been thinking of turning and fleeing the room. My seat was near Father’s at the head of all the tables. I had been positioned between two of the princes from Manse, the other sat directly across from me. I noticed with delight, that Gale had been asked to sit on my right, so Sephiroth would be between he and I the whole while we were eating. The prince on my left looked to be about the same age as Gale, but looked more like their father than their mother. I tried to remember what his name was, but it wouldn’t come to me. I smiled at them all as I took my seat. Gale nudged the attendant aside to push my chair in himself; his hands brushed the back of my neck lightly. I could only imagine why he wanted to stand so close me, for it gave him a good view of what lay just beneath my necklace. I turned to the man on my left, “I don’t believe we have met. Isabella Diane, eldest daughter of Alexander and Clara.” I held out my hand for him to kiss, as was per custom. His palms were smooth, showing he hardly did any manual labor.
         
    “I’m Davis; Gale over there is my twin. And this is Lukas, he’s the baby. Aeon, would you mind taking a single step back. Thank you,” I smiled at his easy way of talking, and even more so as he reached to stroke his horse’s muzzle. Aeon and Sephiroth began speaking of the top of my head, allowing me to see Davis slightly clearer. He had the same gray eyes and tall build of his father, but his hair was a light brown. He seemed more interested in eating then in speaking, so I turned to the remaining son I had not met; Lukas. His moss green eyes met mine, holding my gaze. I could even feel his horse staring at me as well. His black hair contrasted the horse’s pure white coat, creating a great difference that I would have loved to paint.
         
    “Your horse is gorgeous, mind if I speak with her?” I had always thought it rude to speak to another man’s horse without permission. Father disagreed with me and hated that I asked. Lukas smiled, and nodded in affirmation. I turned my gaze to the small white head, and coffee-colored eyes.
         
    You are quite beautiful yourself. Though aren’t you slightly small for your breed? Her voice was soft and gentle, and I couldn’t help but smile.
         
    “Yes, I am considered small. I am small with a large bond mate,” I glanced up at Sephiroth, who was still lost in conversation.
         
    Agreed, he does seem like a giant compared to you. I hope it was you who took such care to make his coat shine. It is not right what Gale and Davis do to poor Aeon and Machake. I quickly assured her that I was nothing like them.
         
    “Seph is my best friend, I make sure he gets the best anyone can possibly give him by doing it all myself. I don’t like the way they treat their horses either, though it’s not really my place to comment,” from the corner of my eye I saw Davis’ face turn red. A snicker rose from deep in Lukas’ throat.  I smiled and laid my forehead against Sephiroth’s cheek as he “hugged” my shoulder. Supper continued in much the same manner. I spoke mostly to Sephiroth, who relayed what he and Aeon had been talking of. There had been a tragic accident in which Davis’ original bond mate had passed away, Aeon was only a replacement. To make that matter worse, Aeon and Davis were not properly bonded and never could be now. After supper, there was to be a party. I tried, without success, to convince Mother to let me retire to my rooms, but she was adamant that I stay. Sephiroth lowered himself to make it easier for me to climb on top and have a place to sit while others danced. I watched as Gale danced multiple times with a young countess, his hands wandering slowly over her lithe body. I shook my head, understanding then why he seemed so interested in earning Father’s trust.
         
    “He thinks of women as prizes to be won, it never occurs to him that others may have feelings just as he does,” I turned my head slowly in the direction of the voice. Lukas sat astride Katrane, his fingers wrapped in her colorful mane. I smiled at the sight, “And do you think differently?” He merely nodded in response, only to shift his weight as a signal to Katrane. She shoved her way through the crowd to the large doors at the other end of the long hall. I watched him leave wondering just exactly what it was that he thought. Why couldn’t they have chosen him as a mate for you? He has more grace then the other two put together. The other two may be older, but that one, he is the stallion of the group. I laughed at Seph’s way of putting things. He always managed to make me feel better.
         
    “You’re just saying that because you like Katrane, Seph. I know you better than that,” he snorted and shook his head, but I could almost feel him smiling.

         
    Much later that evening, or more like early the next morning, I lay on my bed with my box of pastels and drawing pad. I managed to get the grace and elegance of Katrane’s lovely head, but something about Luke puzzled me to no end. For the life of me, I could not seem to appropriately draw his eyes. In one drawing I may have been able to successfully get the shape right, but then the light was all wrong. I had the opposite problem in the next, and the third was just dreadful to begin with. I settled for drawing Katrane in several different poses, the charcoal making my fingers and hands a rainbow of colors. Sephiroth stood sleeping by the door to the large balcony, his head hung nearly to the floor while his long tail swished lazily. He had shaken most of the ribbons out of his mane and tail, the ones he hadn’t been able to get himself I gently unthreaded for him. I knew it was going to be a long night; I couldn’t manage to get my brain to slow down. I had a million thoughts running through my head all at once. I glanced down at the drawing I had done, the colors flowing vibrantly together. I gingerly tore it from my sketch pad, and using a tack, hung it from the wall. My walls were all covered by drawings, mostly of the different horses I had met throughout the years. Of course, there were drawings of Mother and Lola too. I never drew father. Something about drawing him just didn’t seem right, plus he had never approved of me drawing. I pushed the top mattress of my bed up, to pull out my journal. I slowly flipped through the pages, pausing to read ones with particularly lovely memories. My favorite was traveling to the Kingdom of Anair. They had thought it so strange that we had unicorns and pegusi; they had large striped cats, some of which were nearly as big as a human! I had met a dear friend of mine there; she had been just as fascinated by Sephiroth as I had been by Shanook. Her cat had been white with black stripes, his back coming to Seph’s stomach. From the corner of my eye, I saw Seph stir slightly.
         
    Little One, come lay with me. Your pacing is keeping me awake. I apologized and curled between Sephiroth’s legs as he covered me gently with a silky wing. Finally, I was able to drift to sleep.

         
    I dreamt of running in the night. My skin was sleek with sweat, and my hair stuck to my head. The lungs in me burned, and it felt as if my heart was going to beat right out of my chest. I didn’t know what I was running from; all I knew was I had to keep running. I could not stop running. I felt my legs start giving underneath me, I couldn’t continue running for much longer. Finally, after a last burst of speed, I collapsed into someone’s warm arms.
         
         
    I awoke with a start when Sephiroth stood suddenly and quickly. I more felt than heard him half rear to tower above me protectively. I could not see what he was protecting me from since his wings swooped down to cover me from view. I immediately recognized the voice, “Stand aside beast. I have no need to see you.” Heat rose to my cheeks as I realize my sleeping had been interrupted by Gale. He wasn’t even supposed to be allowed in my chambers, let alone while I am sleeping! I slid aside only a few of Seph’s feathers to look; Gale stood on the balcony, his Pegasus behind him. He didn’t even have the decency to speak to Sephiroth with some respect while in my personal space. I knew then that Gale and I could never marry and expect to be happy. There had to be a way to change Father’s mind. Just had to be a way. I couldn’t marry this vile creature! I refused to do it.
         
    “I will ask you only once. Please, remove yourself from my chambers or I will call for the guards,” I stood, but kept Seph’s wings close to my body to hide it from his gaze. His eyes were cold and hard as he spoke back to me, “We are to be married within the next two weeks. You will have to become accustomed to me entering your chambers unannounced. And the animals will no longer be allowed to sleep in one’s chambers, and especially not with you curled against them. I do not want you smelling like horse.” Sephiroth and I simultaneously took a sharp breath in. Married in two weeks! This could not be happening. I forgot about Gale standing in my balcony doorway as I darted to my closet to fetch clothes. I quickly pulled on the first dress I laid my hands on and pulled my hair into a high pony tail. I had to speak with father immediately. I sprinted down the corridors that led to Father’s private study, and thought about barging in. I quickly changed my mind and rapped on the door gently.
         
    “Yes?” I slowly opened the door and stepped in. I could feel my heart racing, “Father, please listen to what I’m saying. I cannot marry Gale, choose either of the other Manse princes, but please Father. Please. I’m begging for you to reconsider. Please, just reconsider.” I was on the verge of tears when he looked up from his papers. I had a dark feeling that he wasn’t going to, that he was going to force me to marry Gale. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath.
         
    “Isabelle, if we want to unite the Manse and the Blade Griffen Kingdoms, it has to be you and Gale. I’m sorry; I understand your dislike for him. There is only one other way, but your sister is too young to marry. If she would agree to marry him, and he to marry her... Even then it would be impossible to convince King Baur, he is determined that you and Gale shall be married in 12 days time,” tears streamed down my face. My whole body shook, “Father, please. I’ll do anything. Please!” He waved his hand, ushering me out. I ran from the room, ran until I couldn’t seem to run any more. I realized where I was heading when I burst into Lola’s room. She lay on her bed completely naked. Her face was red from being hit and bruises were forming on her wrists. I stood there, shocked silent. When she opened her eyes, she seemed startled to see me.