Love in the Stables

Plot
Basic cliche horse related love story that no, I am not sorry for!

Chapter one
Naomi sighed. She had just escaped yet another one of Lancey's attempts to get her to have fun with her. She shuddered, before looking around.

Somehow or other she had arrived at the Royal stables. Normally she would not have given it even a second glance as she headed back to the safety and solitude of her room, but this time, something caught her eye.

Two men were leading a spindly colt to a mare. The mare looked like she wanted nothing to do with the baby, and fought against it, but the men were still trying to force a baby onto an unwilling mother.

Something about the scene reminded her of being forced on to an unwilling Gwenyth when she was little, and it sickened her.

"Stop!" She yelled, surprising both herself, and the men. She mustered up every bit of regal command she could and demanded: "What on earth do you think your doing?!"

One of the men looked at her like she was the stupidest person on earth. "This colt's mother died after having him. This mare lost her colt. We're just trying to do them a favor."

The other man shrugged. "It's what we always do."

Naomi faltered for a second, before she declared: "It isn't working this time! She obviously doesn't want him!"

"They'll both come around." The first man said.

"Why are you getting so worked up about this anyway?" The second man cut in.

"Hush Grimes and Skinner." A third voice came from the stables. She recognized him as the head groom. "Now Miss, we've got two options with this one. We force him onto the mare, or we let him die." He said gravely.

That hurt Naomi's heart. "I'll look out for him."

The head groom raised a bushy eyebrow. "Newborn foals take an awful lot of care." He warned.

"I'm willing to do whatever it takes." Naomi declared, surprising herself.

Grimes and Skinner shrugged, before moving to unload more of the horses from the trailers. The head groom tugged the mare away, leaving Naomi alone with the colt.

"What am I going to do with you?" She whispered, stroking it's nose gently.

"Yeah what are you going to do with him?" A voice jerked her out of her thoughts. It was young. She flipped her head around to face the source of the voice.

It was a boy. "No offense Lady Naomi Orcades, but your way to delicate to handle a horse. I mean, look at your outfit."

Naomi looked down at her skirt, fingered the fabric as she flushed crimson. She counted to three before regaining the regal. "You have me at a disadvantage young man. You know my name, I do not know yours."

The boy chuckled. "Artie Stonely. Speaking of names, what's the horse's?" He asked.

"Horse's name?" Naomi repeated.

"Horse needs a name. Everybody needs a name." Artie said nonchalantly.

Naomi tilted her head. "Dancer." She declared.