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First Ride — Description

A Kind of sequel to this: chill13.deviantart.com/art/Mee…

Arthur cinched the last strap, patted the horse and turned to the King with a smile. "All set."

    It had seemed to be quite a complicated procedure--saddling the horses. And it was one English activity Paramount had no desire to try for himself. It involved far too much contact with the horse. Arthur had enthusiastically demonstrated each step of the process while the King stood as far away as he could while still seeming politely interested. Paramount had been a bit surprised when Arthur gave one of the beasts a swift kick in the gut before tightening the saddle. The young soldier had explained that the horse sometimes drew in a deep breath when the saddle was being cinched so it wouldn't remain tight. That only proved to the King that not only were these creatures amazingly large and powerful but they were also cunning. And that made him even more wary.

    Arthur had finished the preperations and the moment he had come to dread had finally arrived. The young man motioned to the horse with a proud grin. "Up you go."

    Paramount approached cautiously, staring at the animal and the saddle and feeling quite overwhelmed. "How do I go about getting on?"

    "It's simple Darling. You put your foot in there."

    "No. The other foot." Arthur corrected. "You don't want to end up backwards."

    The King did as he was told, putting a foot into the stirrup and hopping up onto the animal's back. "I--I don't believe this is quite right." He had ended up with his stomach across the saddle with his feet dangling on one side and his head on the other. The horse shuffled it's feet beneath him and he very nearly leaped off.

    "It's alright." Arthur tried valliantly to keep a staight face. "Just haul one leg over. That's it."

    The King managed to get both legs astride and as he slowly and carefully sat up. A small smile slid across his face. He was actually sitting atop the largest animal any Utopian had ever seen!

    Both Sophy and Arthur climbed aboard their horses with a practiced ease that made Paramount feel quite self-conscious.

    “Now, hold the reigns between your fingers…like so.”

    Paramount followed the instructions, letting the leather straps rest between his first and middle finger. “Like this?”

    “Don’t sit so ridged.” Sophy said looking perfectly at ease on top of Jack. “The horse knows when you’re uncomfortable.”

    Paramount started a bit, glancing nervously it the massive bundle of muscle beneath him. “It does?” Elsie shifted a bit and he took in a small gasp, then looked up at Sophy with a little a small humorous smile. “And I thought I was hiding it so well.”

    They had him lead the horse in a circle a few times, showing him how to use the reigns to guide the creature. Once he grew accustomed to the idea of actually sitting on an animal’s back he was amazed at the power he now wielded, controlling this mighty beast with little more than a flick of his wrist. Even as sovereign ruler of Utopia he had never felt quite so…influential.

    “There you are! You’re doing fine. You see it’s not so difficult. You’ll be jumping hurdles in no time.”

    “Hurdles!?” Sophy exclaimed. “You are supposed to be protecting his majesty not breaking his neck!”

    “Well, I didn’t mean today. Shall we be off?”

    Riding was easier than the King had thought. Elsie did most of the work, walking along beside the other horses. He gradually became used to the motion of the animal walking beneath him, although he never could relax entirely. The six of them, three riders and their mounts, wandered through rolling green fields and soon found themselves entering a small wood.

    “I rather miss horses.” Lady Sophy sighed just a bit as they picked their way through the Autumn trees, fiery leaves falling around them. “Perhaps we can bring a few back with us. It would be lovely riding on Utopia’s shores.”

    Paramount no more that opened his mouth to reply than a bush near Elsie’s feet exploded into a fluttering mass of chirping and beating wings. The horse let out a horrifying shriek and reared back, kicking her front legs in the air. If the King hadn’t managed to grab the edge of the saddle he would have tumbled backwards. The moment Elsie’s hooves hit the ground she leaped into a gallop. The impact was bone jarring. Paramount’s foot slipped clean out of the right stirrup and he lurched sideways, one leg shooting down and the rest of his body following. He found himself clinging to the side of the beast as the world streaked by at a blinding speed, the ground only a couple feet below him, churning under thundering hooves. He tried to right himself, climb back up but with only one leg hooked over the horse and one hand gripping the saddle for dear life, the broiling mass of muscle jarring him with each stride, it was all he could do to just hold on.

    Then suddenly up ahead the ground ended. He scarcely had time to think about it before Elsie leaped and they were in the air. Paramount’s grip gave way and he fell.

    ~

    “Monty!” Sophy screamed as she and Captain Fitzbattlaxe skidded to a stop at the edge of the drop off and leaped from their horses and rushed to the edge of the embankment.

    There, in the middle of a small creek was Paramount sopping wet from head to toe and shivering.

    “Are…are you alright?” Arthur asked, scurrying down the bank.

    “Are you hurt?” Sophy followed, pulling up her skirts as she carefully picked her way down to the water.

    The King looked down at the creek and his drenched clothes…and laughed. “Has anyone a bar of soap? As long as I’m in here I might as well wash.”
......

I've had this picture in my mind for months now and have tried sketching it several times but each time it stank so bad I didn't even want to think about it again. But you know what they say! If you fall off a horse you got to climb right back on again!
This is, of course, King Paramount from Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera, Utopia Limited.

Used stock:
kuschelirmel-stock.deviantart.…
salamander-stock.deviantart.co…
khalidia.deviantart.com/art/Au…
www.deviantart.com/art/Fall-33…
chunga-stock.deviantart.com/ar… (used this for a pose reference for the horse......OKAY so I traced it! I hate drawing horses!)

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