Royal Pain in the Ass Read Online Free PDF

practically screamed as she stood up, forcing the chair back.   “ I am not your sister!   I am not like you. ”
    “You ’ re damn skippy about that. ” I retorted, rolling my eyes.  
    “ I don’ t know what you did to Daddy, but Mum and I are going to fix him and you. ”  Angelica stormed out of the dining room fuming.  
    I ran my hand through my hair.   Was I ready for this?   This was going to be an uphill battle with these two against me.   I didn ’ t know what I was getting into, but I was sure that this was going to be messy and these two were going to be out for blood.   I flopped myself into a seat and pulled my legs up to my chest in the chair.   I wrapped my arms around them and rested my head on my knees.  
    Mom, give me the strength to do this, I prayed.  
    I sat at the dining table alone and realized that this was really how it had always been.   It was always an uphill battle I chose.   I always managed to put myself behind the eight ball and sometimes I lost, but usually I found a way.   I decided if I was going to do this, I needed all the help I could get.   I got up and left.   I wandered around until I found an exit and went back down to the stables.  
    Something about horses just calmed me and made me happy.   When I was younger, Mom, being a single Mom couldn ’ t afford everything, but I found a way.   I used to volunteer at a horse ranch, and in exchange for my work, they would let me ride for free.   I did that until I got thrown and got hurt.   Mom and the ranch came to an understanding, and I wasn ’ t allowed to go back.   I snuck into the barn and the horses started prancing in place.   They didn ’ t recognize my smell, they just knew I wasn ’ t supposed to be here.  
    “ Easy there, ” I soothed.   I made my way to the first stall and a painted mare was in with her colt.   The colt was jet black and he was going to be a feisty one when he grew up.   He pranced up to the window where I was and let me pet him.   He was an affectionate little one.   I felt myself smile.   I made my way through the stables watching all of the horses and trying to get a feel for them.  
    “You ’ re not supposed to be in here. ” I froze, then spun around to see Ben leaning against to door frame, a smirk across his lips.
    “ I got lost? ” I shrugged waltzing over to him.  
    “ Lost are we?   You looked right at home. ”
    “I ’ ve always loved horses.   They ’ ve always made me feel calmer. ” I admitted.  
    “ Is something the matter? ”
    I looked at Ben and shook my head.   “ Just a lot to take in. ”
    “ Word on the grounds   is that you are Eastgate ’ s daughter. ”
     “ Is that what they ’ re saying? ”
    “Are you?”
    I shrugged.   “Maybe.”
    Ben was looking into my eyes, searching my face for something.   “ Other than your eyes, I ’ d say you ’ re a spitting image. ”
    I looked down.   “ I don’ t know what I ’ m doing here. ” I admitted and looked him in the eye.
    He shrugged.   “ The only one who can tell you that is you. ”  I nodded.   I already knew that.   “ But I can show you a little bit of what ’ s around here if you like. ”
    I looked up at Ben and smiled.   “ That would be lovely. ”
    Ben led me through his chores and he was surprisingly easy to talk to.   He told me a lot about James, and Millie, and Angelica.   He showed me a little more of the grounds, and when he was finished with his daily chores, he offered to take me around the grounds on horseback.   I happily accepted.   Somehow we ended up at the lake and were sitting on the little dock.
    “ So, you ’ ve lived on these grounds your whole life? ” I asked him.
    “ Yeah, except for the time when I was in school. ”
    “ Boarding school? ”
    “Yes,”
    “I can ’ t really imagine it.   I mean, the shenanigans that went on in Harry Potter seemed cool, but I would have missed my mom being away months at a time.