My eyes reverted back to the horse when I heard a whip. As its tip landed on the horse’s ass, the horse screamed in pain. It stood and swung its legs in the air, making the caretakers duck for their lives. It wouldn’t calm down. Its frantic actions got even worse. 
As I saw a horrific sight, my heart broke. Laura’s grip on me tightened and I knew we felt the same agony. 
I lightly squeezed her hand before I broke away from her. 
“Your Highness, you might get hurt!” Lord Roland blocked my path along with his servants.
I nodded him with a smile and continued to approach the horse. 
The whipping did not stop and it only agonized the horse even more. I turned to the person who held the rope, “Give me the rope, please.” 
The caretakers looked at each other, baffled and afraid. 
“There’s no need to be afraid, gentlemen. I know what I’m doing,” I said. 
They shared another worried look before the man handed the rope over, his hands shook with fear. As soon as I grabbed hold of the rope, they ran and hid behind Lord Roland. 
The horse panicked even more. But I kept my composure and didn’t fight with the horse. My hold on the rope was firm but it wasn’t hurting the champion. I raised my hand and slowly, I pulled the horse closer to my outstretched hand. I looked away, not wanting to add more to the horse’s already frantic emotion. After a few more tries, I was able to caress the horse and it relaxed. 
As the horse calmed down completely, I turned back to it. As our eyes met, a surge of electricity flowed within my body. She was still afraid but her eyes also said she was willing to trust me. 
This is the champion I’m looking for. 
“Well done, Your Highness,” Lord Roland remarked. 
I looked at them and they were all amazed. Mouths agape, their eyes widened in shock. Laura, on the other hand, smiled as we shared a similar understanding. 
“What is the name of this champion?” I asked Lord Roland. 
One of the servants entered the conversation, “Unfortunately, we haven’t given it a name yet, Your Highness. She was only rescued today. She was wandering on her own when we found her.” 
I turned to the horse one more time and at that moment, my decision was made. “I shall have this beautiful champion. And she shall be known as… Wonder,” I smiled. I rested my forehead on her face and accepted it. “How much for this lovely creature?” I asked, turning to Lord Roland. 
“To be frank, you don’t have to pay for anything, Your Highness,” Lord Roland stepped forward, still keeping his distance. He continued, “You two seemed to have a special connection. The only thing left to do would be to sign a few documents. She is, after all, from our care.” 
“You’re very kind, Lord Roland,” I nodded. 
He then turned to the servants who struggled with Wonder. “Prepare all necessary documents in my office.” 
They nodded and went on their way. 
Laura finally approached us, carrying a smile. “What did I tell you?” she started, her hands behind her. “Let the champion choose you, not the other way around.” 
Smirking, I rolled my eyes before I laid a gentle peck on her nose. I encouraged her to come forward and introduced her to Wonder. The ever-so-bold Laura reached out her hand in an attempt to stroke Wonder. Wonder happily accepted and the two immediately got along. 
As Laura enjoyed her newly-formed friendship with Wonder, I looked at her with amazement. It was a good thing that she accompanied me in finding a new champion. I remarked, “Thank you for your company. You brought good luck to me once again.” 
She chuckled. “Does this mean we’re going to have a race back home?” she smiled teasingly as she raised a brow. 
“I’m amazed at how quickly you dare me and how confident you are of yourself,” I replied as I stepped closer. “How about we have a calm trot back to the fields? I’d like for Lady to meet Wonder.” 
She nodded. 
One of the servants returned and whispered something to Lord Roland. He called my attention, which caused Laura and I to turn to his direction. “Would you be so kind to accompany me to my study?” 
I turned to Laura and reached for her hand. “Would you like to come with me?” 
She smiled as she cupped my hands between hers. “I’m not needed there. I can wait with Wonder,” she said. 
The two servants who accompanied us approached us. “Do not worry, Your Highness,” one of them spoke. “We’ll watch over the lady and Wonder.” 
I didn’t turn my attention to the servant. My grip on Laura tightened as I kept my eyes on her. Something inside of me told me not to leave her alone. But I don’t know what it is. Truth be told, there was no reason for me to be afraid in leaving her alone. 
But why do I feel this way? 
“Robert, I assure you: nothing will happen to me,” she insisted. 
My protest was cut short when Lord Roland called for me once again. Defeated, I sighed and asked, “Are you certain that you’ll wait for me?” 
Laura let out a brief giggle. “I admire your protective nature. But you’re overreacting. What’s a few minutes to sort out important documents?” She moved closer and added, “I’m not needed there. I’ll wait with Wonder and the servants.” 
Hesitant, I nodded. Caressing her soft cheek with my thumb, I gently kissed her cheek. “This won’t take long,” I said, determined. 
“Take all the time you need,” she answered. 
I turned away from her but still didn’t move. She then gave me a light push to start my walking. I then followed Lord Roland to his office. I stopped myself from looking back as I dragged myself towards the office. 
♔♔♔