Nearing the stables, the Prince could hear a ruckus was already under way.  Not surprisingly, Cassiopeia was right in the middle of it.  Always the eye of the storm, he thought amusingly.  Luckily, he had heard enough as to what the argument was about.  He was also quite put out at the number of guards in the riding party.  Only one way to stop this, he thought, sighing.<br/><br/>“Do as she wishes, Leo,” Orion calmly interjected.  “But, Highness, the Queen has . . .” the lead guard stammered.  “Do as the Princess wishes, Leo.  This is not up for debate,” he reiterated.  Head bowed, Leo relented, motioning toward the majority of his men to dismount and turn their horses over to the stable hands.  “To tell you the truth, I’m not so sure we even need<i>three</i>guards,” Orion observed.  Leo shrugged in reply, as it was clear that he was one of the three tagging along.<br/><br/>Turning toward Cassiopeia, the Prince smiled and said, “Morning, Princess.  Apologies for my tardiness, and thank you for the breakfast you had sent to my room.  That was very much appreciated, though a tad surprising.”  As Leo departed to tend to his own mount, Orion winked playfully at the Princess, saying, “I see you’re making friends as usual, Highness.”  He recalled her slap from the previous evening, resisting the urge to rub that side of his face.