#anyway my bod is broken now from working extra

[eluvixns]

hi my week away was nice did u miss my stupid ass

[forever-yoongis]

My Chemistry Of Love

Ships: Yoongi x reader

Genre: Fluff and just pure, pure nonsense xD.

I shook my head from side to side and banged my hands against it as if to shake out the painful memories that dared to come back from the far corner of the brain where I had stored them, never to be recalled . Ann,you promised. I told myself. You promised to store away those memories and never bring them back. You promised not to get weak again.

My hospital, patients and even Min Yoongi seemed to be the last things on my mind then. I suddenly went short of breath and gasped as I remembered the months of suffering and acting nonchalant, and how hard it had been to keep my calm. I shook my head furiously.There's no way I was going to trust this man, especially when he's an idol who could have any girl he wanted to when he liked. "Arggh", I was frustrated with myself. Why does it always have to be me?

"Yah, why are you throwing a tantrum? People are getting scared. I heard you kicked the vase near the Section Head's chamber and broke it. What is this, belated revenge?" , Sophie looked mad but I could see the concern in her eyes as she spoke. What is she even talking bout? "Omg when did I do that??" My eyes seemed to pop out of my sockets. "Wow, you don't even remember anything. Brilliant", she started rubbing her temples, looking absolutely done with the shit, aka me. I squinted, trying to hard to recall...remember what I did on the way to m office. My eyes shot open and I gasped. Fuck, that must be it.

"O-oh. I remember now, I think. There was this nurse blocking my way talking to a patient and I really wanted to reach my chamber and so I vaguely remember pushing something--" "Not pushing. You kicked it into pieces", she glared at me. I winced. Just why is my day turning out to be so rotten?! Ugh!! "Alex just might take it the wrong way, Sophie!" I facepalmed. Trust my body reflexes to do something this stupid..."Your brain doesn't let us take revenge.. so we, your body reflexes will do it for you!! Don't you worry", I imagined the conversation that probably was going on inside me. I sighed. As it is, I'm having trouble keeping my feelings for Yoongi at bay. No, scratch that. I don't even fuckin KNOW what my feelings for him are at this point of time. And now this. Jeez, I must be a magnetic centre for all kinds of bad charms that exist on this Earth.

"Now now don't look so glum. We are still here. C'mon cheer up", Sophie gave me a wink. Woman, you actually expect me to cheer up right now. "You are the reason why I'm glum!!!", I rolled my eyes.

"Hey it's done", I saw Sophie turn to give someone a high-five. Now what? The two turned to look at me, grinning widely. "What do you mean? And what are you doing here?" I pointed at Exci who merely shrugged. "Dunno, but the work's done", she snickered. And then, pointing a finger to poke my forehead, she said,

"But you definitely owe us one for this".

So she went on to explain the apparently "fantastically flawless piece of job" she has just executed, not without mixing her lecture with sudden (slightly irrelevant, yeah) claims of how "awesome they are", which would immediately be followed by Sophie's "humble denial" of "we did the duty of best friends", then hurrying on to explain how I still owed them a lot and well...you get it. "Will you just get to the point guys?" I was already trying really hard to keep my face straight.

"Yes yes,but the proper introduction was also necessary", and so she began.

"Take it quick!!", Sophie whispered frantically. "God, what has she been eating? How the hell did she break it into so many pieces in just one kick?", she complained. "Go, go," she shoved the broken pieces into a bag and pushed it into Exci's hand.

Exci had successfully finished replacing the vase with a new one from the store-room. These hospitals, she shook her head, they have placed the same kind of vases everywhere...having like, zero sense of aesthetics. At least, it helped us with our plan.

Clutching the bag tightly, she ran off in search of the Asshol- Section Head, aka Alex. She didn't even have to try hard to find him. He was walking down the stairs casually with his hands in his coat pocket, with that signature smug that seemed to be always there on his face. She rushed towards him, as if in a hurry and ran right into him.

"Oh I'm so sorry!", she apologized dramatically. "I'll pick the pieces up. God, I've become really clumsy lately! I never really meant to throw them at you like that..it's just that I was in a hurry, and you came in my way. I got startled and I threw--" "yeah shut up please. Just look what you did to my face", he snapped. "Oh my god, yes you are badly injured and bleeding. You should really hurry to a doctor who can take those glass pieces off your bod-" "You think I don't know that already!!", he yelled angrily.

"You know what, Ann, I could hardly stop my laughter right then! I would've bursted out if I didn't leave immediately..." , Exci trailed off, chuckling.

"I apologize sincerely. I didn't mean this to happen at all. I'm really sorry that your ugl- I mean, handsome face got all ruined. You probably won't be able to show your pathetic as- I mean, dignified self for a while now. I hope that the nurse that you've been fucki- hanging around with, can treat your wounds properly. I really gotta go now," Exci couldn't help the smile that broke out on her face. But Alex was too much in pain to notice and replied with an angry mumble. " I threw the pieces in a dustbin and came running here. And that's it", she ended.

" I threw the pieces in a dustbin and came running here. And that's it", she ended.

"I really can't believe what you did--" I burst out laughing, holding my stomach. Gasping and out of breath, I looked at the two girls in front of me. They really do know exactly how to make me feel better. I shook my head.

What am I ever gonna do without you", I smiled trying hard to not burst into laughter again. "Exactly. What will you ever do without us?", Sophie repeated in a sing-song voice giggling hysterically. "But that jerk really deserved it" , Exci added seriously. "I can already imagine how the nurses are gonna react on seeing his "pretty face"--- which is pretty ugly if you ask me-- all ruined," she let out a short laugh. I moved forward to give them a hug. "Thanks a lot really", I said. "Nah nah, the school momma is actually supposed to save her kid's ass", Sophie winked at us and I laughed.

I pulled away laughing with them. God, this really feels good. I really needed this thing right now, I sighed. The playful banter and laughing went on for while after that and before we realized, it was already five in the afternoon.

A nurse peeped in. "Doctor, I think it's time for you to check on the VIP. Plus, you'll need to do something for he's refusing to have anything, even his medicines. He didn't even have breakfast. Awfully grumpy since morning", the nurse added worriedly.

The chair made a scraping sound as I stood up. "Time to go for work now I guess. I need to check on my patient," I sighed. My two friends gave me a thumbs-up and waved me off. "Good luck for dealing with extra grumpiness~" she chuckled at her own words. I waved at them and started towards the door.

"Oh and Ann?" I turned around. "Believe in second chances. Don't let one betrayal prevent you from letting others in. Don't let go of chances, you never know what might happen", Exci smiled a little at me.

I smiled back wistfully and nodded my head before shutting the door to the room.

"Oh and Ann? Believe in second chances", Exci's voice kept echoing in my head mirroring the echoes of my footsteps as I walked down the silent corridor.

She was right, but how could I possibly open up again when the wounds have not healed yet? Another betrayal would break me completely. I cannot go through those months of pain and indifference again...but can I also push away the feelings that have been bottling up inside me? But he's an idol, Ann! A voice inside my head kept insisting. He probably has had thousands of such girls until now. And thousands more who are dying to be with him... He could throw anyone away just like that, not even breaking a sweat. Try being realistic. And what has he done to prove he likes you anyways? I shook my head.

You wouldn't have thought of this if Alex hadn't betrayed you. Another voice interrupted. What if he's different? Are all idols really that rotten and heartless? How well do you know them? You might be letting go of the man who could've loved you truly. Going through a heartbreak is one thing, but living the rest of your life wondering "what if I had done something different?" is even more awful.

I sighed. I was completely torn apart, unable to decide what I should do. I don't even know if he looks at me the same way..if all his flirting really meant anything. What did he do to make me fall so hard for him? I chuckled bitterly.

Suddenly, I heard voices from a nearby room. The door was cracked open. I peeped in to see a nurse bandaging Alex, who was sitting on the bed groaning in pain. A few other nurses "ooh-ed" and "ahh-ed", hovering around him while five or six of them stood at the door whispering to each other. Such jobless losers, I thought.

"Don't you have any other work to do except gossipping here?", I snapped at the nurses who stood at the door. They turned around, wide-eyed with alarm. "Dr Ann-- the Section Head got inju-" "yeah yeah I can see that", I interrupted them with a bored look on my face. "But what are YOU people here for? He doesn't need so many people looking after him. Just one nurse is enough", I said pointing to the one who was stitching up his wounds. "The ER is currently running short of staff. Leave immediately," I said. "But doct-" "If you don't wanna lose your jobs, stop slacking off", I warned. They gasped and hurried off.

I could feel Alex's eyes on me as I sighed and walked away, hands shoved inside my lab coat pockets.

As I turned to enter the VIP section, a sudden laugh escaped my throat. Serves him right. I thought. Exci really did a great job. Now he won't be able to go around showing that smug smile---which I hate so much---- for awhile. I laughed loudly that echoed off the walls of the small corridor that lead to Room no 206. Dunno why, but seeing him that injured and in pain gave me made me much more happy than I would've thought. My,my what a sadist I am, I chuckled softly. I pushed open the door. Jerks like him deserve to die in a hole-

"You seem to be in a good mood", a voice said. The laughter died in my throat as I saw Yoongi sitting on the bed in front of me. He looked sour and tired. The usual glint in his eyes was not there. The words got caught up in my throat and I suddenly didn't trust my voice to speak. Giving him a small smile, I walked towards the table kept by his aide. Indeed, he didn't take his medicines. I looked at him."The nurses told me you haven't been eating".

He let out a humourless laugh. "What am I? A child? I can choose if I want to eat or not", he retorted. I clicked my tongue in annoyance. I replied back, "Not when you're here. Your company has entrusted with your well-being. I don't want people to point fingers at me if something went wrong".

Also, I would never forgive myself if you ruined your health here. I thought. He suddenly became quiet. I looked at him suspiciously, but he avoided my gaze. "If that's only the reason why you always seemed so concerned, please don't bother from now on. I'll make sure my company doesn't blame you for anything", he replied softly. I raised an eyebrow. "Where's all that attitude coming from? And I don't get what you mean", I replied confused at his sudden mood swings. "Never mind then",he let out a dry chuckle. "I'm sorry for not being able to read you correctly," he smiled sadly at me. "You were really different for me", he added softly. He looked at me expectantly, his fists clenched at his sides.

I froze in my track. His last words kept echoing inside my head. Is this really what I think it is? But I was too afraid to hope. I brought my hand in an attempt to calm my heart that was beating erratically inside my chest. I shut my eyes. Was this really worth it? "What do you mean by 'different'?", I opened my eyes to see him looking down at his hands. "Never mind that", he shook his head, lying down and turning to the side. "Ann,believe in second chances", Exci's voice repeated in my head. I decided right then that I couldn't let go of this opportunity, couldn't let go of him. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life wondering what could've had happened if I acted differently.

I walked up to his bed and shook him gently. "Please have your meals. Don't take out your anger on the food just because you are upset with me. You can't go without food", I told him softly. He scoffed. " Don't you think you're thinking too high of yourself?Why on Earth will I be upset with you? You did make it clear that I was nothing but a patient. Did you ever heard a patient getting mad at his doctor?", He laughed. I sat down beside his lying figure. "Yoongi",I called him by his name. I shook him again. "Yoongi please". He went absolutely still in my hands. I removed my hands, panic seizing me as I realized he didn't probably want me to call him that. There was silence in the room except for my beating heart. I shut my eyes in despair thinking that I made a mistake again. "Say that again", he demanded, still not moving to look at my face. It was now my turn to go still. What did he just ask me to do? My heart threatened to burst out of my chest cavity by now.

"Yoongi", I whispered, fearing my voice might crack if I spoke too loud. "Come have your food because I sure as hell won't be having mine unless you finish it", I ended, looking at him. He finally turned around to look at me. With the rays of light falling on his lying figure through the window, he was by far the most beautiful thing I had seen. I seemed to lose my voice again when he softly stretched out one of his arms to hold my hand that was clenched by my side. Softly moving his thumb over my knuckles, he smiled. And for the first time today, it actually seemed to reach his eyes. "Will you feed me then?", he asked me expectantly. He fixed an intense gaze on my face as if trying to assess how genuine I had been. "Feed me Anna, that'll be the only way you can make me eat from today".

My breath hitched as I nodded my head furiously because I felt if I opened my mouth now, I'll break into tears. Finally, he showed me his gummy smile that I had come to fall in love with, and with that, he said," Come let's eat. I have been starving".

[rom-e-o]

Hello! Could I ask for another drabble from Prompt List #2? Ephraim/L’arachel prompt number 23. Thank you!

I DIDN’T FORGET. I’M SORRY. 

Fun fact, I know @my-name-is-gypsy personally, and she reached out beforehand to ask about submitting another prompt. Very sweet.

Please know that my ask box is always open for requests and that you’re never bothering me! I can’t promise I’ll do anyone’s fabulous ideas justice though.

The prompt is, “I immediately regret this.”

This was bad.

It was so, so bad.

Ephraim felt his head slip between his hands as the sounds of shuffling bedsheets and sluggish rambled swirled around him. Every sound was a bitter reminder of the events that had transpired early in the evening.

The worst part, in Ephraim’s opinion, was that the series of events leading up to the less-than-ideal situation had been mostly innocent. It had been a perfect storm of oversights and misguided attempts at camaraderie that led to Princess L’Arachel of Rausten laying fully-clothed and passed-out in his bed while he spent the evening cleaning broken glass in the parlor room.

It had started around a week ago when L’Arachel first contacted Ephraim following restoration efforts within the kingdom of Renais. She made a simple inquiry about what supplies the young man and his sister, Eirika, required. He’d responded honestly to her letter with what the kingdom needed, and as promised, the princess sent the requested supplies and extra for the kingdom’s citizens.

The incident reignited a fondness for the woman that he’d forgotten since the rush of returning home. Restoring the kingdom had taken such a toll on his mind that he’d forgotten about some of their wartime comrades. He was beyond grateful for the correspondence.

The next time he saw L’Arachel in the flesh was later that same week. Both of them were guests at Eirika and Seth’s wedding.

Upon arriving, she had greeted Ephraim’s sister with ecstatic hugs and kisses. In true L’Arachel fashion, she also came with Dozla bearing an almost embarrassing number of gifts for the newly betrothed couple and their kingdom. Grand amounts of supplies and foods were passed out to the people, and some more subtle gifts were given to the married couple, including two snow-white steeds and a rose-gold tea set that L’Arachel told her friend was best for, “romantic breakfast in bed situations.”

Considering L’Arachel’s squareness, the woman was probably being sincere in her recommendation. Eirika had laughed and Seth had blushed at the unintentional implication.

The interaction between the princess and prince had been otherwise minimal, aside from some teasing remarks about the color of Ephraim’s pale suit and some mischievous banter in-between the ceremony and the reception.

The woman was so busy making conversation and talking with all her old acquaintances that she barely touched any of the food or delicacies served at the ceremony.

From Ephraim’s perspective, it was quite impressive to watch. The thought even crossed his mind that he should ask her to offer him a few networking tips since he’d no doubt be assuming many more royal responsibilities from now on.

However, when Seth and Eirika noticeably slipped away from the ceremony to a more secluded area of the castle, he did notice a light blush on the blonde’s face. Not that he could blame her. The reason for his sister’s absence was obvious.

To avoid the awkwardness following the disappearance of the couple, he offered instead to show L’Arachel around the castle while the rest of the party began to wind down. Naturally, she obliged merrily, having grown bored with the other festivities.

The two sauntered through the modest halls arm-in-arm. Along the way, there was enough amicable chatter to create a sense of comfort between the two. Surprisingly, once the two were alone, both felt much more at ease. Ephraim didn’t need to worry about maintaining a princely persona and L’Arachel didn’t need to force any of her usual gusto.

After Ephraim had personally witnessed L’Arachel work herself into a tizzy over a bare shoulder and she assailed him with names that stunned him into silence, the two were able to show their true colors more honestly than before.

The two eventually arrived in a brightly-lit room that Ephraim has been utilizing as a personal study.

As L’Arachel took a seat on a nearby ottoman to rest her feet from walking and dancing all evening, an idea popped into his head. The prince strode out of the room briefly only to return a couple moments later with a large crystal bottle.

“My word, that’s quite the impressive goblet!” L’Arachel said as Ephraim carried the bottle through the doorway with flamboyant suaveness. “Is that cognac? You have better taste than I thought.”

“It’s orange cognac,” he said with playful eye-roll. “Please don’t worry. It only looks expensive.”

“How does it taste then?” she asked, her blonde brow lofting in sadden suspicion. “I refuse to consume swill.”

“It’s leftover from Seth and Eirika’s wedding earlier,” Ephraim reminded her smartly. He gestured a gloved hand out the door and toward the dining hall where they’d celebrated hours prior. “So, it’s good enough for them.”

“Oh!” she said in realization, her brow furrowing in confusion as she stared at the rouge-tinted concoction. “I don’t remember drinking such a thing, but I suppose it doesn’t matter. I trust their taste much more than yours, so I’m sure it’s worthy of consumption! I almost feel guilty drinking it.”

“You needn’t worry, it’s a special occasion,” he reminded her with a coy smile. He went to fetch a stout brandy snifter that would amplify the aroma and flavor of the beverage. He poured a small amount and offered it to her. He then poured himself the same amount in a matching glass.

With a smile, he held the glass to the heavens.

“Cheers,” he said.

After a moment of mock musing, she smiled brightly and raised her glass overhead. “You’re right, dear prince. Cheers!”

They clinked their glasses.

Less than a couple minutes later, the glass fell from L’Arachel’s hand as she slumped over the edge of her seat.

The woman cupped her head in her gloved hand and used the other to keep herself from slipping off the ottoman. The alcohol muddied her grace fatally and caused her to slip anyway. Ephraim was as her side in an instant, abandoning his own glass on a nearby credenza.

“L’Arachel?” he asked, consumed with worry as he used his arms to keep her upright. He used his chest as leverage to reassure her head didn’t roll back.

She answered his questions as if in pain, grinding her teeth and slurring her words in exhaustion. “Goodness…that was quite a strong drink. I overestimated myself, it seems.”

“You only have a few sips,” Ephraim said, looking to the glass on the floor. It had been discarded and broken on the hardwood, and he could see that no drips of liquid had been discarded. He’d poured her the same amount he’d poured himself.

Then it dawned on him.

She hadn’t eaten anything at dinner. He’d witnessed her bod and wave between tables all night without touching any of the savories that had been served at dinner. Now that he thought about it, she’d probably spent the entire day traveling to Renais. It would have been unlikely that she would have eaten much at all.

The realization hit him like a brick across the cheek.

“L’Arachel, I’m so sorry,” the prince fumbled frantically. “Damnit, I wasn’t thinking.”

“S’okay,” L’Arachel responded with such informality that Ephraim was stunned to stillness as he tried to haul her upright. “I should have refused, but I didn’t want to. I wanted to spend time with you.”

“We didn’t have to get you drunk to do that,” he retorted. Although his tone was biting, his face was clearly a visage of worry. “You know what, now isn’t the time. We can discuss that later. How do you feel right now?”

“Dizzy,” she mumbled. Her blonde brow was furrowed in obvious discomfort. “Sleepy too. I have a headache.”

The prince slipped an arm beneath her long legs, covered only by the length of a sheer gown. He muttered a sincere apology at the intimate contact before lifting her up and carrying her out of the room. He would personally clean the mess later. At that moment, all he wanted to do was make sure he could make her feel as comfortable as possible.

Ephraim carried her down that hall on the search for an empty guest room.

Unfortunately, due to the wedding ceremony, every free room was filled with guests that were either already asleep or would be retiring shortly.

“Damnation,” he cursed under his breath as he padded the winding corridors completely luckless in his search. Finally, he decided to take her to his bedroom.

He kicked open the door as quietly as he could and rushed her onto the bed. He laid her down softly, making sure to be extra careful with her head and neck as to not cause her any more discomfort.

Once her body met the moonlight-warmed sheets, she rolled over and smiled lightly against the silken fabric. She inhaled deeply, sounding much more relaxed than before.

As he turned to leave and give her privacy, the woman groggily grabbed his wrist and tugged him back. The prince snuck a look back at her and saw her half-lidded gaze alit in the darkness. Although her lips were still, her golden eyes somehow seemed to smile back at him.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Stunned for a moment, Ephraim was thankful for the dimness of the room for concealing the blush on his face. He nodded and reached out to smooth her hair dotingly. Although he didn’t want to stay long, he did want to stay until he safely saw her fall asleep.

He tried to focus on watching her relaxing features and calming breaths, but he couldn’t help but notice something else. In the starlight that came from the window overhead, the woman looked like an angel that would be painted on the roof of an elaborate palace or chapel. She didn’t belong in his corporeal bedchamber.

It’s plainness, and his own plainness by default, paled in comparison to the gracious setting her beauty deserved.

In the morning, he’d candidly ask for her forgiveness for putting her in such a setting.

She deserved a glorious pedestal, not his private bed.

When her eyes finally fluttered shut and her breathing calmed, only then did her turn and leave the chamber.

Ephraim spent an hour or so cleaning the spilled cognac and broken glass. He also took time to dispose of the fragments accordingly. After that, he returned to the hall to assist with remaining the clean-up of the evening’s wedding festivities. Confetti had to be swept and leftover delicacies were saved for later in the castle’s kitchen area. Plates needed to be scrubbed and all the fresh lilies and hyacinths scattered about the banquet hall needed to find new homes in vases.

He also touched base with Dozla and the rest of L’Arachel’s party to let them know she was resting after the long event.

Oddly enough, nobody seemed at all fazed by the announcement. Ephraim created some last-minute accommodations for the small team in one of the castle’s many sitting rooms.

The process ate up a couple more hours.

Whenever he had a spare moment, he checked on L’Arachel to make sure she hadn’t rolled off the bed or gotten sick in the middle of the night. Every time he peeked in, she was sleeping peacefully.

By the time dawn peeked over the horizon, he’d used a nearby washroom to clean his teeth and wash his face and hair. He still needed to shave, but that could wait for a few more hours. When people asked why he was still wearing his suit from the night before, he said it was because the festivities had kept him too busy to change. People mourned the prince’s efforts and told him to relax and get some sleep.

If only it was that easy.

The next time he returned to check on her, the sun was streaming through the windows over the bed. Dawn had officially broken hours before, but he’s been too busy to notice.

In his humble bed, he saw her sitting up and looking out the open window at the gardens below. She’d untied her hair and removed the bulkier parts of her outfit, now donned only in her dress.

He paused only for a moment to admire the sight before clearing his throat to make his presence known.

L’Arachel quickly looked over to meet his gaze.

He braced himself for the onslaught of verbal lashings and perhaps incoming projectile of any personal trinkets that might be within grabbing distance for her to hurl at him.

Nothing of the sort occurred.

In fact, there was only a second of silence before he noticed her inhale apprehensively. The sound was strident in the otherwise silent bedroom.

“Ah, hello Ephraim,” she said slowly. The woman spoke slowly and with a more hushed tone as if she had a headache. Or perhaps she didn’t want anyone else to hear that she was in his bedroom.

Either way, he gently closed the door behind him to conceal them before slowly walking to the bedside to greet her.

“Are you awake?”

“Obviously,” she retorted in her typical, haughty fashion. However, as soon as the word left her mouth, she seemed to bristle and avert her gaze. “I’m sorry. That was unnecessarily rude of me.”

“You don’t need to be sorry,” Ephraim said patiently. Her brash attitude hardly bothered him. What he cared more about was that she was feeling okay. “You were in pretty bad shape. Do you remember everything?”

L’Arachel moaned and scrubbed her aching forehead with the palm of her had. “I do, fortunately and unfortunately. My behavior was so undignified. I should have known better.”

The prince laughed a little bit in an attempt to lighten the mood. “Well, at least you remember everything. I was prepared for a well-deserved beating.”

She shot him a confused glance. “Hm? You didn’t do anything wrong. Well, you didn’t do any more harm than I did. I should have known better, but alas, the offer was so tempting! Without your help, I’d be rolling in a carriage in agony toward home. At least I didn’t get drunk.”

Ephraim snapped his eyes back up and blinked his eyes gracelessly as he absorbed her words.

“Wait, you didn’t?” he asked in shock. Last night’s event played repeatedly in his head as he tried to determine what alternative scenario could have possibly occurred.

“Then what happened?” he asked more loudly than before, more confused than anything else.

She shushed him and proceeded to explain.

“Well…I was already feeling faint from not eating all day,” she sighed, patting her stomach. “The trip from Rausten is long, you know. I wanted to badly to catch-up with everyone at the wedding that the evening just got away from me! I was so famished that anything would do. Even a neat cognac sounded refreshing at that point.”

In the middle of explaining, she suddenly paused and flashed him a vaguely annoyed glance. “Wait a moment. Did you think I got inebriated after a few sips of alcohol?”

“Well, it didn’t sound implausible,” Ephraim rushed to say in his meager defense. “Especially because of, you know, every reason you just described. I wasn’t going to judge.”

The exasperated sound she made was loud enough to wake the whole hall.

“Thankfully, dear Ephraim, I only drank enough to be severely uncomfortable,” she explained, rubbing her temples. “But me, intoxicated? Not at all. I resent the sentiment wholeheartedly! I remember everything and, upon waking this morning in your…bed, I felt quite embarrassed by my behavior.”

He supposed that what she was saying was probably true. After all, who would know better than her if she was drunk or not? L’Arachel was many things, but she wasn’t irresponsible with her safety or well-being.

“Well, I suppose this was the ideal outcome,” Ephraim finally proposed. Before she could say anything, he held up his hand defensively and quickly added, “Well, it would have been better if none of this happened at all, but I’m just glad you’re okay.”

L’Arachel paused as something subtle changed in her expression. It was hard for the prince to pinpoint, but her visage appeared to be a delicate mixture of confusion and relief.

“Oh, well,” she stammered, lost for words. She cleared her throat quickly and said, “If that is your measure of success, then I suppose it’s true that things worked out well.”

The prince couldn’t resist chuckling at her stuffiness.

“Well, the problem isn’t completely solved,” he said, standing up and offering her a hand. “You need food. It’s unacceptable that you haven’t eaten. I don’t like the idea of you going home famished.”

His words brought a slight blush to her cheeks, but it paled in comparison to her attractive smirk.

“Well, Lady L’Arachel is never one to deny an invitation!” she proudly said, her usual enthusiasm slowly returning as she got up and stretched. “Oh, I also need a change of clothes. If I walk out in this, people might form unsavory ideas.”

She had a good point. Especially following his sister’s wedding now was hardly the time or place to be stirring rumors.

“I’ll be right back with some food and water,” he said, nodding for her to stay in bed if she desired. “As for the clothes, I’ll try. If nothing else, we can dine together in here and I’ll run out to the market and grab something.”

“Oh?” she asked curiously, her golden eyes lingering on his form in the doorway. “Are you requesting for my audience in your bed again?”

“As long as you accept my invitation,” he said tilting his head impishly at her suggestion. He couldn’t help but obviously tease her in return.

She sat back in the bed for a moment, staring upward in mock contemplation. After a few seconds of thoughtful humming, she finally conceded with a breathy sigh. “I suppose that will be fine. A nice brunch sounds lovely, even if this isn’t the way I wanted to spend my first time in your…”

She stopped mid-sentence and snapped her mouth shut. “Ah, never mind! Go forth, my dear. Fetch us some food, but please, only water to drink.”

Ephraim was completely lost in thought for a few seconds. What had she been so close to saying? Was she about to say, “Even if this wasn’t the way I wanted to spend my first time in your bed?”

His face started to burn. No, that couldn’t be it. There was no way, he thought. She had to have been thinking about something else entirely.

“Um, right,” he fumbled, realizing there was more uncomfortable silence starting to lengthen between them. “I’ll bring back some food right now.”

Damn, how many times had he made that promise during their morning meeting? It was hard for him to pull himself away from her presence and playful banter.

As he tripped over his words, she smiled back at him radiantly. Her usual confidence had returned, but there was something different about her expression. L’Arachel had pulled her knees up to her chest to prop up her elbows. Her fingers crossed beneath her chin as she titled her face at him coyly.

When he stared too long, she prompted him again by saying in singsong, “With haste, Ephraim.”

Before he could start away, L’Arachel lightly seized his wrist. For a moment, his brain flashed back to the night before when she had thanked him for helping her to bed. He pivoted his body slowly and she placed a small, hesitant kiss on his hand. Her lips only brushed the tops of his knuckles for a moment, but the touch felt like it lasted a century.

When she pulled away, she gave him a wink.

“Thank you again,” she admitted. “Although you may not look the part…you truly are a prince. The people of Renais are lucky to have you.”

The words lit something deep inside him. The fondness he already felt for her gave way to a deeper emotion in his heart. It was as if she’d lit a cozy, warm hearth within him. At that moment, he wanted almost nothing more than to drift closer to her and return the sentiment personally.

The only thing he longed for more was her utmost comfort. That meant he needed to get some fine food and tea for them to enjoy together. He relished the thought of sitting next to her, sharing food and spending the morning chatting with her.

“I’ll…be right back,” he muttered, turning sheepish for a moment while he struggled to find his next words. Ephraim was so nervous and excited at the same time that any sense of proper vocabulary seemed to vacate him mind in favor of boyish swooning.

When no fitting words came to mind, he settled on asking her, “Um…are pastries okay? For breakfast, I mean.”

She let out a glorious laugh.

“Surprise me!” she announced merrily. Then, she punctuated her command with a more softly muttered, “Oh, and hurry back, my love.”

Ephraim’s ribs softened at the sentiment.

‘My love.’

Not ‘my dear’ or ‘dear Ephraim.’ She’d referred to him as her love.

“I believe…we have much to discuss,” she finished with a tilt of the head.

The prince nodded in agreement and dashed from the chambers in a hurry to grab the best food and drink he could find. Like she suggested, he made haste to return to his chamber as quickly as possible.

He knew they had a lot to discuss, and thanks to her kiss still burning atop his knuckles, the prince felt like he finally knew what he wanted to say.

[madrivervalleyicelandics]

Note:  click through the photos and gifs above to read the captions.

I’ve been promising for ages now that I’d make a post about the hoofcare changes we’ve made to our program in 2017, and now that the days are getting shorter I’ve had a bit more downtime to actually do it!  So here goes - it is long and I struggled with how to organize it, hopefully those of you who were interested don’t mind wading through all of this information :P

Over the past year I have transitioned every horse in my care out of metal shoes.  This was a decision that we made based on research demonstrating that the conclusiveness of metal shoes is harmful to equine joints in the longterm.  

Since making the switch, I have noticed a drastic positive change in my horses.  Some of the back tightness and stiffness in some of the horses, which I had long accommodated to saddle fit issues and had been working with a saddle fitter to fix, suddenly cleared up - every single horse’s back improved this year, with softer and better developed muscles - the good ones got better, and the ones with some issues got significantly better.  I believe that chiropractic/bodywork care is not an “extra” cost but a necessary part of maintaining equine athletes, as this is the only domesticated animal that we SIT ON and expect to perform, so I continue to have my vet check my horses regularly and work with me to determine each horse’s training program.  However, since making the switch out of metal shoes, my vet hasn’t had as much to adjust when he checks the horses.  This is the most marked change, and it’s not one that I expected.  It’s been dramatic enough that I am completely sold on going metal-free.

Another change that I have noticed is improved balance and posture (this, of course, ties into the back softness) in a way that has improved clarity of gait.  There is often this idea that horses which are pacey will be better with longer hooves and heavier shoes - this belief is the reason why we have so many shoeing regulations in our sport, to prevent people from cheating or compromising equine welfare to achieve higher scores.  However, paceyness and trottiness are both body issues - exaggerating hoof angles or shoe weight does not fix the root of the problem.  Fixing the balance of the hoof, rolling back the toe, and making the horse more comfortable through their backs and muscles has trickled down into the gaits - now, on shorter toes and composite shoes or hoof boots (which are LIGHTER than the metal shoes that most of us use in this sport), horses that had a tendency towards paceyness and trottiness have become much more supple and balanced.  Now, of course, this is along with a careful foundational dressage program and fitness program, so I’m not saying that you can throw composite shoes on your horse and all of his training issues and chronic back issues will magically be fixed - but for a horses already in a solid, compassionate program, this change has given them a serious boost.

Finally, I’ve noticed that the horses seem a little more confident and cheerful working out of metal shoes, although they were already confident and cheerful - again, it’s like the change has given them a boost.  They’ve got more cushion when their hoof hits the ground, and it’s something they reacted to immediately in a positive way.  The first time I rode each horse in the composite shoes or hoof boots, I was amazed by how different the horses felt - in a good way!  It’s a bit like riding on air, and it’s a more secure feeling because the hooves don’t slide when they hit the ground.  

So, now that I’ve opened with the benefits I’ve seen in my horses since making this change, I’ll get into the details of what I’m using, why I’m using it, etc.  

First, some background information:

Last year, myself, Amy Goddard, and Kathy Sierra submitted a proposal to the USIHC Board (before I was elected to the BOD) requesting that composite shoes and hoof boots be allowed in sport competition.  We made this proposal in response to new (and even some older) research that demonstrates that non-metal hoof protection reduced concussion on our horses’ joints, and improves their chances at soundness and good longevity.  I had kept my horses in metal shoes for many years and had not suffered serious ill effects from it as some have (no early onset arthritis, tendon issues, hoof ailments, etc.), I think because of my focus on conditioning and strong foundational dressage work - however, I made a promise to myself and my horses that I will always be open-minded to new findings, and that I will change my ways when I see that something else may be better for my animals’ welfare.  The proposal was sent on to FEIF, the international governing body for Icelandic sport, where it was approved on an experimental period for the 2017 show season.  Almost immediately, I sought out to find a farrier that could help me transition my horses over to nonmetal hoof protection.

My search led me to Common Ground Hoofcare.  Annie and Jeremiah are EXTREMELY qualified professionals who are 100% focused on equine welfare.  They’ve dedicated themselves to a never-ending quest to further their knowledge and improve their craft, and as a result they are very open-minded and educated.  Their approach produces sound, comfortable athletes and their methods are backed up by the best and most current research we have available.  As new information becomes available, they adapt their practices to include it.  These are the kind of equestrian professionals that I like to work with.  

Best of all, THEY TRAVEL!  They can probably come to you!  They travel around the Midwest, Kentucky, etc. to offer their services and are willing to expand their territory, although they prefer to stick mainly to the East Coast.  They’re also able to recommend other trimmers and farriers that they respect, if they can’t cover your area.  I repeat, THEY CAN COME TO YOU, OR HELP YOU FIND SOMEONE WHO CAN.

The shoes approved by FEIF included the Duplo composite shoe, and the Easyboot glove and Easyboot Epic.  I chose to shoe my competition horses (and one of my boarders also chose to shoe her horse) in Duplos, straight-nailed on as opposed to glue although glueing them on is also an option (nails were my personal choice in this case).  For my other horses - our lesson horses and horses in training - we decided to leave the horses barefoot and work them in the Easyboot Epics.  Since then, I have experimented with glueing on the Duplos, and with Epona Shoes.  Below I’ll write about my experiences with composite shoes and hoof boots, broken down into the questions that people have most frequently been asking me:

Duplo Composite Shoes

The Duplo shoes are a composite shoe, made of a kind of bouncy, plastic-y material with a metal core.  As I said above, they can be glued or straight-nailed on, or a combination of glue and nails.  They come in a variety that has side-clips, and a variety that does not.  We have been using the variety that does not have side clips.

The Duplo shoes have been absolutely fantastic for the kind of riding I do with my Icelandic competition horses.  I cross-train with distance riding, and my competition horses do a 15 mile ride once per week mainly on tough, hilly, hard-packed dirt roads.  Additionally, we usually do 1-2 days per week of dressage work in the arena, one day of work per week without a rider (longeing/in-hand or ponying on the roads and trails), but the bulk of our training is conducted on the dirt roads.  I put serious miles on my horses, but take the time to condition them carefully and work them correctly using a strong foundation of classical dressage.  The Duplo shoes have been an improvement over metal shoes in every single way, for every facet of what I do with my horses.  Below are some of the things I have been asked about:

Resets - How do they hold up when you’re riding at speed on those abrasive roads the way we Icelandic riders so often like to do?  I’ll put it this way - I think I can count on one hand the amount of time my Vigri and I have gotten a reset out of a pair of metal shoes.  We ride a LOT and usually our metal shoes are useless after one 4-5 week cycle.  We have been getting at least one and sometimes TWO resets out of the Duplos.  TWO!  Because they don’t slide when they make contact with the ground the way metal shoes do, they hold up unbelievably well, even with very tough riding.

Are they slippery on grass?  NO!  Much less slippery than metal shoes!  Vigri and Spönn were both shod in Duplos when they won blue ribbons at a hunter pace this summer at GMHA, and that hunter pace was mostly on grass footing. If anything, they’re grippier than metal shoes!

Gaits - Do the Duplo shoes negatively impact the gaits (tölt and pace)?  Not for me - however because I am focused on postural rehabilitation and dressage, I do not use hoof length or shoeing tricks to enhance or patch up holes in my horse’s gaits.  So I was not concerned that the shoes would mess up their gaits.  With good dressage and a proper trim, this shouldn’t be an issue at all, regardless of whether horses are barefoot, in hoof boots, shod in composites, or shod in metal.  Gaits should come from the body, not the feet.  See above, photos of Spönn pacing in her Duplos and Vigri competing in his.  

Heelboots - can they be used with these shoes?  Yes they can!  There is a part of the shoe that covers the frog, however because the shoe is flexible it is easy to get the little triangle of the heelboot into that space if you want to use heelboots for protection.

Trim cycles - is there any difference with the Duplos?  Yes, in that the Duplo shoe is going to maintain its shape and not warp with the hoof the way a metal shoe will, this does mean that horses ought to be kept to a 4 week cycle.  Which is really the ideal schedule for a shod horse anyway - going longer results in excessive hoof length that can put strain on the tendons, ligaments, and joints.

Can they be studded for winter use?  YES, and Duplo even makes a studded variety!  I can’t wait to try them out this winter!!

What about Epona shoes?  I like Epona shoes fine, but not for a humid climate.  The Duplos have these bumpy, grippy patches that keep them from sliding around on the hoof.  I have tried Epona shoes on a horse here and because of the way the hoof was expanding and contracting in the humidity, and the slippery material of the shoe, the shoe ended up moving around too much and breaking up the nail holes.  I also did find the Epona shoes to be slippery on grass and on the dirt roads.  In my opinion based on my experience, the Duplo is the better choice for our climate here in the Northeast and for our terrain in the mountains of Vermont, and for the level/amount of riding I do.

Benefits - have you noticed any benefits in the 6+ months you have been using these shoes?  YES, I absolutely have.  I have been able to cut my chiropractic/bodywork bills for my horses in half.  Their muscles, backs, and joints are just happier!  I’m getting better relaxation and freedom in my horse’s movements.  At the recent competition in Kentucky (where I did have to reshoe my horses in metal just before the show because FEIF’s experimental allowance period ended in September), Dr. Gloria Verrecchio said that my Vigri was in the best shape she’d ever felt him in.  She has been giving him bodywork tuneups after the long trailer ride to Kentucky for three years now, and this year he was much softer and better developed - I attribute some of that to the Duplo shoes, as they’ve reduced concussion and stress on his joints and allowed him to relax and develop his muscles better.  I’m getting improved movement from all of my horses, who seem more comfortable and more willing to offer me a little something extra.  Spönn paces better in her Duplos than she does in metal shoes.  Overall I am highly impressed with the Duplo shoes, and the way they make my horses feel.  I hope that they get approved longterm by FEIF so that I never have to compete in metal again!

EasyBoot Epics

I resisted hoof boots for a long time because I thought they looked clunky, I worried they would fall off or mess up my horse’s gaits, etc.  The EasyBoot Epics have dispelled all of my concerns.  They are fabulous.  They are essentially the same thing as the EasyBoot Glove, except that they use a cable to close whereas on the Glove, you hammer them on or sometimes people even glue them on.  I like the EasyBoot Epics because they allow my horses to live barefoot when they aren’t working, which is the healthiest thing for a horse with healthy hooves.  Living bare allows the hoof to expand and contract as it should, and allows us to keep the horse in a very balanced trim without having to attach something to the bottom of the hoof.  The Epics fit snuggly - before I ride I clean out my horse’s hooves, and slip the Epics over their hooves.  Sometimes, they do need a knock with a mallet because you do want them to fit snuggly.  Then you just velcro the gator and snap down the cable, and you’re good to go.  Here are some of the questions I’ve received about the Easyboot Epics:

Do they change the horse’s gaits/way of going?  This was my biggest concern.  And the answer is yes - in every single one of my horses, they have improved their gaits.  I think this is because they make the horse more comfortable and confident than they are in metal shoes.  Horses with a tendency to get a bit pacey or trotty both began to offer clearer tölt.  Again with these boots, the horse’s just aren’t needing the chiropractic or bodywork they once needed.  

Can you use them only in front?  Yes you can, but that may change the balance of your horse, because then their front feet will weigh more.  For Icelandic competition, you must have them on both the fronts and backs if you are using them.

Do they stay on?  If they fit, yes - but there is a small catch.  Your horse’s boot size may change throughout a trim cycle!  That took me a little while to figure out.  Particularly on the front hooves, after a fresh trim my horses are often a size smaller than they are towards the end of the cycle.  So if your horse measures a 0 after a trim, you might want to buy a set of 1s as well to use towards the end of the cycle.  I have had boots come off when they were fitted to my horses at the end of a cycle, and I put them on after a fresh trim.  Also, if the boots get very wet, they’re more likely to come off when you’re going fast in canter or fast tempo tölt or pace, if they are even a little bit too big.  But as long as they are the correct size, you will not have problems.

How long do they last?  My farriers told me that if I’m riding regularly, to expect about 3 months from each boot.  So far that has been pretty spot on, except for horses in lighter training.  Eventually, just like shoes, they do wear out.

Does the gator rub the pasterns?  Not on any one of my horses and we have done a fair amount of distance riding using these, through water crossings and mud etc. with no issues.

Are they hard to put on?  They can be hard to put on in the beginning when they are brand new.  But they quickly get easier to put on.  There is also a learning curve, in the beginning its a bit awkward, but now I can put them on all of my horses very quickly, in about 2 minutes to get them on all 4 hooves.

Do the horses like them?  They seem to.  We only had one horse walk a bit funny when they were first put on, but she quickly adjusted.  None of the horses have acted displeased with the boots and all have improved in them so I would say that the horses do like them.

If anyone has any further questions about my experiences with composite shoes or hoof boots in this past year, feel free to ask!  It is my hope that these shoes will get approved by FEIF to be permanently included as acceptable shoeing for Icelandic sport, but even if they don’t get approved, I can say without a doubt that my horses will be wearing composites or hoof boots from now on.  If I must put metal on them for shows, I will do what I did for the KY show and shoe them in metal just before the show and pull shoes immediately after, but I hope that FEIF will see that there is no reason to ban composite shoes and hoof boots from competition, and that allowing them is a great step for equine welfare.

EDIT, November 18, 2017:

We have now studded both the Easyboot Epics and the Duplo shoes for winter use, and I have ridden in both in all gaits including canter on the icy roads and in the snowy ring.  I am very pleased with how both are working, although I am finding the Duplos slightly more stable.  I would say based on my observations so far that having the Easyboot Epics fit PERFECTLY becomes especially important when using them in winter like this, because as the boot bites into the ground, if its moving around at all on the hoof that will surely be an issue.  Ours are fitted well and have been working out nicely.  Below are two photos of a studded Duplo shoe (attached to the hoof with both glue and nails - fewer nails than would be used without glue), and one photo of a studded Easyboot Epic.

I am thrilled that I will be able to use these all winter long!!