Mute Mate: The Alpha's Obsession
Chapter 40: Between Village and Queen

Chapter 40: Between Village and Queen

Buying a horse as a villager could only mean one thing—you were rich. Even the chief of the village couldn’t afford such a grand thing. It was something so huge, so luxurious, that people didn’t even dare to dream of it.

Ariana had always found horses fascinating, but never in her wildest dreams did she believe she would ever touch one. Sure, she had seen carriages pulled by them pass by, even the one she and her sister had once ridden in.

That alone told her it belonged to the rich. And yet... she was actually being given the opportunity to ride one.

She quietly took the glass of water and drank slowly as Leah spoke.

"Do not worry, my queen. A skilled horse-riding tutor will guide you."

Ariana sighed in relief. The last thing she wanted was to disgrace herself—or worse, anger the horse.

"Queen Ariana, since you just finished your meal, you’ll need to allow it to digest a little. At least take some time to get to know your tutor better before practice commences," Leah said quietly as Ariana nodded.

Ariana noted that over the past few days, she had been given tasks—her favorite of them all had been watering the plants. Through that, she had come across many flowers she never even knew existed, and the joy of tending to them gave her a quiet peace.

She couldn’t help but wonder what her next task would be after horse riding. But for now, she knew she had to focus on the present—one step at a time, trying not to be faster than her own shadow.

They both walked through the hallway in silence. After a moment, Leah finally spoke quietly, "Queen Ariana, I know it’s not my place to say this, but I’d like to thank you for what you did last time. It was handled so well by you, and I couldn’t help but say thank you."

A soft smile stretched across Ariana’s lips as she gave a gentle nod. But what Ariana didn’t know was that Olivia—the girl who had been taken to the maid council that day—was Leah’s half-cousin. And of course, in situations like that, even when it’s someone related to you by blood, you’re expected to remain professional. Even if it’s your own sister, you’re not supposed to let your emotions show—even if their head was being ripped away. That’s the rule: no feelings attached.

Leah had followed that rule perfectly on that day... only if Ariana knew how much her new changes meant to Leah.

They left the hallway and walked through the garden, moving toward an open path that led to a narrow, straight gate—not too high, short enough. It looked so seamlessly connected to the ground that Ariana thought they would have to climb over it. But how was she supposed to lift her gown and cross that? Thankfully, the top of the gate wasn’t pointed, and the surface looked flat enough to cross, sit over, and jump to the other side.

Just as they approached it, Ariana raised her gown, preparing to cross—only to hear:

"Lady Ariana, this way," Leah said, her tone slightly confused.

Ariana’s eyes widened as she noticed the gate had opened through a middle section. She quickly dropped her gown, her cheeks warming in embarrassment.

’Quite ladylike coming from the queen,’ she said to herself sarcastically as she tried to wash off the earlier embarrassment by keeping a poised expression. She held up her gown again as if to make it seem like she had done that to avoid the gown from sweeping through the grass.

’This is what happens when you take the law into your own hands. You should have just followed her, but no—you had to lead the way,’ she muttered to herself as Leah turned again.

"Not that way, My Queen," Leah said softly.

Ariana’s body froze as she almost walked straight into the other side, which was not the open gate. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn’t noticed where she was going.

"Oh... my," she screamed in her head as she managed a sheepish smile. But behind that smile, she was silently cursing herself. She finally stepped forward and pushed the gate open.

You couldn’t really blame her—the gates looked exactly alike, all connected.

Or was that just her way of justifying her actions?

Her gaze finally swept over the area, and her mouth fell open in awe. So caught up with the gate, she hadn’t realized what lay beyond it. The field stretched wide, and the sight before her was nothing short of majestic. She was sure it must have taken centuries to build such a grand castle. Just when she thought she was beginning to understand the place, the castle would surprise her all over again.

Across the field stood the royal stables. A few workers moved about—one carried a large bucket filled with apples, while another held grooming brushes. It was obvious these horses were treated like royalty.

Ariana continued to stare, mouth half-open, completely mesmerized.

"Queen Ariana," Leah called, her voice pulling Ariana back to the present.

Ariana’s lips snapped shut.

Leah had assumed Ariana had been following closely behind, especially as she had been explaining how the place worked and identifying the workers. She hadn’t noticed the lack of footsteps behind her—after all, they were on an open field. But when she finally turned, she saw Ariana still standing far back, staring dreamily at the stables.

Leah began to walk back toward her just as Ariana moved forward to meet her.

Could today get any more embarrassing? Ariana groaned inwardly.

Just as they reached her, Leah gave a quick bow, surprising Ariana. In a quiet, almost self-scolding voice, she said, "My apologies for not checking—my queen."

Ariana gently signed. ’You don’t have to worry. Really, it’s my fault for getting too distracted.’

Leah nodded quietly. "Your horse has been prepared on the other side of the stable," she said softly.

Ariana gave a small nod in return, and the two continued walking. As they passed, Ariana noticed a horse peeking its head out from the stable. She couldn’t help but pause, her eyes wide in awe at the creature’s elegance.

’Focus, what kind of queen acts like a village woman?’ she reminded herself silently, straightening her posture as she walked alongside Leah.

She soon realized the small gate they had come through was part of a much larger square area. The fence stretched so far that the end of it was barely visible. Even if she squinted, it still looked like it had no real ending—it simply faded into the horizon.

Then Leah spoke again, her voice gentle. "Your horse was brought in yesterday, your ladyship."

Ariana blinked as she sighed. "What does that mean?"

Leah replied quietly, "It means the horse is yours. You’ll be the first to ride it."

Ariana nodded slowly, though she didn’t mind riding any horse at all—especially since she’d never even ridden one before, so who was she to have a choice? Still, she figured there had to be a reason for the gesture.

Or maybe... it was Zavren’s doing.

Finally, they made their way toward the stable area, which branched off into a different path—almost like a separate section divided from the main grounds. As they reached it, Ariana’s eyes widened in amazement.

Standing before her was a stunning white horse.

She didn’t even take a moment to look around. Her attention was completely captured by the horse’s beauty. Its coat gleamed as though it had been brushed carefully, the strokes flowing smoothly backward. The buckles on its back had been removed, likely for grooming or rest, and its head was lowered gently—calm, peaceful.

But the moment they entered, the horse slowly lifted its head and turned toward Ariana.

Without taking her eyes off the creature, she moved her fingers slowly, ’May I touch her?’

The way her hands moved—almost unsure. She had never touched a horse before, but something about this one drew her in. She just wanted to feel it. To connect.

"Very well, my queen. You are permitted to touch it as much as you want, as it exquisitely belongs to you," Leah replied with a gentle smile.

Moving slowly and cautiously, not wanting to startle the horse, Ariana stepped forward. She reached out, hand trembling slightly, and placed it gently on the horse’s head.

To her surprise, the horse leaned in—its neck brushing softly against her hand, as if caressing her in return.

Ariana couldn’t help but smile, her lips curving wider with warmth at the gentle gesture.

Only one name came to mind.

"Snow," she thought to herself, then turned to Leah and smiled softly.

’Her name is Snow.’

Leah nodded respectfully as Ariana’s gaze landed on a door nearby, and she pointed toward it curiously.

"Oh, that door?" Leah responded quickly. "That’s your changing room. You’ll be changing into something more suitable for the horse ride."

Her lips opened and closed, unaware of how much effort had gone into preparing this place. In truth, the area had been recently renovated—after some thought, plans were rearranged. Several workers had been assigned tasks to make the space perfect—not just for the ride, but for Ariana and her horse to bond in comfort.

What she didn’t know was that none of this was here just a few days ago. The wardrobe, the changing room, even the neat structure of the stable—it had all been arranged quietly. And behind it all was Leah. She had suggested the idea to Raven, who passed it to Zavren, who had made the final decision with a simple nonchalant nod—and he had approved it without hesitation.

A soft, satisfied smile touched Leah’s lips as she moved to the side and opened the wardrobe. She pulled out an outfit—a pair of riding breeches and neatly polished riding boots.

"This should be perfect," Leah said gently.

A soft smile graced Ariana’s lips the moment she laid eyes on the outfit—and with a soft smile, she moved toward the changing area. Opening the door, she stepped inside.

The room was simple and modest,it was thoughtfully prepared. A hanger had been placed on one side for her to hang her clothes, and a small table stood nearby, perfect for setting anything she didn’t want to drop on the floor.

She gently slipped off her gown. Thankfully, she had worn a simple floral dress—almost as if someone had anticipated today’s horse riding.

Careful not to ruin her wavy hair, she removed the dress slowly, folding it neatly before placing it on the table. Then, she turned to the riding outfit.

She slipped into the riding breeches and adjusted the fit, then put on the blouse and vest that came with it. The material was surprisingly soft—fitted, but not tight—and she admired how it made her feel strong yet graceful.

But then came the boots.

She stared at them for a second and let out a small sigh—she knew already that this would give her a headache.

She sat on the edge of the chair and tried slipping her foot in, only to wiggle awkwardly.

Her body moved slowly, both hands gripping the second boot as she tried to slip her foot in. The first one was already on—thankfully—but the second seemed to mock her with its stiffness. As she leaned forward, trying to balance herself, her forehead pressed awkwardly against the wall, hoping it would somehow support her weight.

Her breathing coming short, she adjusted her stance, freeing one hand to hold herself up while the other wrestled with the stubborn boot.

Then she heard a voice from outside.

"Lady... Queen Ariana, do you by any chance wish for some help?"

Leah’s voice came hesitantly, almost unsure. The moment the words left her mouth, she seemed to realize that there would not be any response and quickly repeated herself, more carefully this time.

"My apologies... I—I will wait. If you need anything, just knock twice and I’ll come in," she added, her tone soft and respectful.

Ariana finally managed to slip the boot on. She gave it a long, silent glare—as if blaming it for nearly toppling her to the ground and starting her day with a twisted ankle. Her knuckles were already feeling like they had swiftly passed through a hot fire.

And then, she opened the door to step out—only to freeze.

Standing just outside was a tall man with a bright smile on his lips. He had deliberately messy, dirty-blonde hair and deep black eyes that caught the light, reflecting hints of brown. He wore the same type of outfit as hers—though hers had a softer, more feminine cut.

"My Queen," he said with a respectful bow, "it is my honor to teach and serve you."

Startled, Ariana curtsied with a smile, then turned quickly to Leah, signing with urgency:

"..How will I be able to communicate with him? Will you be coming too?"

Her expression was already laced with worry.

But before Leah could answer, the man stepped forward, his smile still warm.

"My Queen," he said calmly, "you don’t have to worry. I am well acquainted with sign language—perfectly."

Ariana’s body went still, her eyes widening in pure surprise.

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