My Once Handsome Husband

Delaney tossed and turned all night, rarely sleeping and constantly worrying Vincent might storm into her room at any moment. Why he would come, she didn't really know, but the idea still worried her.

Finally falling into an exhausted sleep just before sunrise, she slept late into the morning, missing the bell for breakfast. When Ivy came and pulled the curtains back on her windows, letting the light shine in, she gave up on sleep and got up for the day.

The anxious young maid helped her mistress wash and dress, before pulling her hair up into an elegant knot on the crown of her head. Delaney looked herself over in the mirror, seeing the shadows under her eyes.

"Has Lord Adair already had breakfast?" she asked her maid before yawning.

"Yes, he has my Lady," Ivy nodded, "And I believe he's been in his study since. Mrs. King has left food in a warmer for you though. I imagine they have the table ready by now."

Down in the dining room, Delaney felt relief at finding herself alone for this meal. She was too tired and not prepared to face Vincent yet.

It was the first day of their marriage and she was already avoiding her husband. This did not bode well for their future, even if their marriage was only for a year.

There were two servers in the dining room as Delaney ate and she thought about sending one away but since Vincent wasn't there she didn't bother. They both seemed much more relaxed than they had been the night before.

Leaving the dining room after her meal, Delaney stood in the corridor and looked in the direction she knew lead to Vincent's study only because it had been his fathers before him. She knew she should go speak to him about their argument the night before.

Turning the opposite direction, she decided to instead go out for some fresh air. She wasn't going to walk freely into that lion's den.

Edgewood Manor had many splendid things to make it the envy of everyone in the land but one that Delaney had always found particularly wonderful was the stables. She walked out and followed the gravel drive to the side of the manor where the great stone stables rose before her.

For the first time in days, she felt a tingling of excitement. By marrying Vincent it meant the stables were also hers in a way. She looked out into the fenced pasture and saw men working a beautiful pair of palominos while nearby the same black team that had pulled their carriage the day before grazed contently.

Walking into the building itself, she was met with the familiar smell of the horses and their sweet feed. The men working there saw her and came to a halt to quickly bow to her but she waved them on.

Delaney felt at peace here as she wandered down the rows of stalls, taking time to study each fine horse that she came to. Each one was so very different.

When she came across an almost pearly white stallion whose nameplate read, "Frost" she had to stop. With his ears forward, Frost studied her with his chocolatey eyes.

"Hello handsome man," Delaney smiled as she watched him.

"Can I help you my lady?"

Delaney turned and found one of the men had come upon her and was now smiling bashfully.

"Can you take him out?" Delaney asked feeling excitement at the idea.

The man's face faltered, "Oh, Frost is Lord Adair's horse. I don't know if I should."

Delaney frowned, "Aren't they all Lord Adair's horses?"

The man blushed, "Oh well yes... but Frost is special."

"Well, as the Duchess of Edgewood, I would like you to take this horse out to the pasture so I can see him work," Delaney ended the conversation by wielding her new authority.

"Yes my Lady," the man nodded, eyes downcast, nervously moving towards the stall of the pearly white horse.

Delaney went out to the yard again and walked to the fence of the yard Frost would be brought to. She felt her heart flutter with the excitement of seeing such a stunning horse working.

When the man came out with the stallion, the afternoon light shone down on him and he seemed to almost sparkle. With a long rope between the man and the horse's bridle, she heard him cluck and watched as the horse responded by starting to walk in a slow circle around him along the fence.

With another signal, Frost moved from a walk into a trot. Delaney watched in awe as the animal made his circles, his powerful muscles moving. The long white tail and mane blew in the breeze, making the beast seem even more enchanting.

"What is going on here?"

Delaney jumped and turned to find Vincent standing close behind her, brows lowered in disapproval as he looked from her to the horse now galloping in laps behind her. The man in the field saw his master and immediately started slowing down the horse.

"Please don't be cross with him," Delaney pleaded as soon as she saw the fear on the man's face, "I asked him to take out the horse. He said he couldn't but I insisted."

Vincent's gaze dropped back to her, "You didn't think you should listen to him since you know nothing about my horse?"

Delaney frowned herself now, annoyed at his scolding. "He's a horse just like any of the others and I assume your man knows what he's doing."

"Frost isn't a horse like any of the others as you can see by his coloring," Vincent gestured to the field as the stallion walked by, "He's so iridescent looking because he was sired by a unicorn."

Delaney turned back to the horse and looked at it in wonder. She had thought it was only her tired eyes that were making Frost seem so shiny but it wasn't the case. The stallion was half unicorn.

"I've never seen such a thing," she shook her head, "I didn't know a creature like this existed!"

Vincent's annoyance eased away as he stepped up to the fence beside her, "As far as I know he's the only one unless there are others in the forests." 

"How did you find him?" Delaney questioned turning to Vincent.

"Well, I believe I told you there's a unicorn living in these forests nearby," he smiled gently as he looked past Frost and into the woods beyond, "I've known him since I was a child. One night before the war I rode out on one of my white mares and came across him again."

Delaney looked back out at Frost who now stood grazing amongst the pitch-black team making him appear even more ethereal.

"I was distracted for a time and when I looked, my mare and the unicorn were gone. She returned to the stables a few days later pregnant with Frost."

"How amazing," Delaney whispered, "He's so beautiful, I can't imagine what his father must have looked like."

Vincent smiled down at her, "Maybe on the next full moon I can take you out to meet him."

Delaney spun to him with wide eyes, "Oh Vincent would you really?"

"If you'd like."

"There's nothing I'd like more," she laughed and his smile grew.

"Alright," he nodded, "Until then though you can visit with Frost. Watch out because he's got a wild streak. Unicorns are good at evading capture and he's got their blood in his veins."

"I'll be very careful," she promised.

They both stood quietly together then, watching the horses graze in the sunshine and listening to the birds chirpping in the trees. A warm breeze blew across the field. Delaney's mind swirled imagining unicorns in the night.

"I had better get back to my work," Vincent spoke after some time.

Delaney turned and looked at him, noticing his scars looked much less red now.

"What are you working on?" she asked curiously, wondering if this could be a way back into his good graces.

"Going over reports from the orchards," he answered simply, "They're not yielding the profits I would like."

"Could I look at them?" Delaney offered even though she didn't think she would be any help. To her relief though Vincent looked amused at the suggestion.

"Alright," he grinned, causing his marks to pull back on his cheeks, "If you want to. But it isn't the most interesting work."

Delaney shrugged feeling relieved as they turned and headed back towards the manor. As they walked she was comforted to see his limp was back to being barely noticeable.

She may not have gotten much sleep but Vincent apparently had gotten enough to allow his limb to recover.

Walking along beside him, she thought over his story again of how Frost had come to be.

"Vincent?" she asked as they walked up the steps towards the doors, "What distracted you when your mare got away in the woods?"

Looking up, Delaney saw a mischievous smile break over her husband's face.

"Fairies."