Grimilde approached a stocky man with a dark beard and energetic eyes, hidden behind a pair of glasses whose silver frames reflected the afternoon sunlight.
The merchant turned quickly, immediately recognizing the graceful voice of the beautiful queen of Arran, and was astonished when he noticed his companion, equally splendid and elegant. "Your Majesty, you didn't have to bother. I would have delivered everything to the castle, but I'm delighted to see you again! I deduce that your gracious companion is indeed Her Royal Highness, the princess of Arran." Sir Henry gave a small bow to the two distinguished women, then clasped his hands together, nodding vigorously toward the ship.
"I hope you will enjoy my company for the inspection of the goods." The man winked, not afraid to act on his friendship with the queen. Obviously he would have maintained a formal dialogue and a behavior of full respect, but he was on good terms with Grimilde.
"You're always good company, my friend." The queen replied, with a smile.
Snow White watched the exchange between the two in amazement, curious to discover why they seemed so close, as if they had known each other for many years and had developed a bond of friendship. "Please, follow me..."
The princess didn't say much at the beginning of the exchange, but as soon as she saw the horses disembark from the boat and stop in the stables in the harbor, she smiled again.
"Today we have three mares and four males in great health," Henry said, approaching the horses and stroking the muzzle of first on the way. It had a reddish coat and lively, alert eyes. "This is a chestnut, isn't it beautiful? It's sturdy and hardy, energetic and sociable most of the time." Henry handed the horse a carrot, which he quickly ate, snorting in response. "Are you looking for a specific horse? Traits you appreciate more than others?"
This time the man addressed both women, and Grimilde looked at the princess beside him, approaching the horse they had been discussing earlier: "What do you say? After all, it will be up to you to choose, I promised you."
The princess blushed, holding back a surprised sound: "Really?"
"Certainly." Grimilde tilted her head, continuing to observe the beautiful girl curiously. The princess seemed surprised, as if she hadn't really expected that.
"So it's a gift?" Henry tucked in the sleeves of his shirt and continued to display his merchant charisma:
"Your Majesty, I'm truly honoured to serve you in this occasion."
His manner remained unchanged; for him, all customers deserved to be satisfied with their purchase, regardless of their social status.
Grimilde approached Snow White and placed a hand on the small of her back, inviting her to walk toward the merchant, accompanying her in the inspection. He had noticed her sudden shyness and wanted to help her feel more at ease.
Dockworkers and other merchants continued to move around them, as did locals who had gathered to chat or buy goods.
"This one's called Isabella. She has a truly unique coat, as you can see. Her blue eyes and creamy color make her truly elegant, but she's also a fast and strong animal."
Snow White looked at the mare, placing her palm close to her muzzle. Henry approached her, holding the horse's reins, but Isabella didn't resist in the slightest; on the contrary, she lowered her head to approach the princess. "A carrot easily wins her over." Henry held up the vegetable, passing it to the princess, but Isabella snatched it from him before Snow White could take it.
"Isabella's young, she doesn't know manners yet," the man joked, continuing on toward the next horses. The stable was quite large, sheltered from the sun by a sturdy, dark wooden roof. Despite the numerous animals, the smell wasn't as strong as Snow White would have expected, but it was certainly noticeable from meters away.
Henry took care of answering all her questions, joking with the princess when needed and telling anecdotes about horses. It was clear that he cared about his animals and didn't treat them like objects to be sold to the highest bidder. Snow White recognized that Grimilde was comfortable with sir Henry for exactly this reason; as much as he was a merchant, he was also sincere and genuinely helpful, unlike the usual merchants who praised the rulers ad nauseam to gain their interest and money.
"They're all very beautiful, Henry." The queen, meanwhile, had caught the attention of two nearby horses, who were interested in the carrots she was carrying and in her caresses. A black-coated horse nuzzled her palm, wanting to be petted again. "Hey..." The blonde smiled affectionately, and Snow White quietly admired her expression, noting that those gentle gestures revealed Grimilde's youth, temporarily shedding her usual impassive mask and aloofness. "Your Majesty?"
Snow White found herself calling out to the queen, jealous of the lack of attention, and motioned for her and Henry to come closer.
"Have you chosen a horse, Princess?"
"Perhaps... I'd like to know your opinion, too."
"I'd be happy to share my thoughts. Which ones caught your attention?"
"I don't deny that Isabella is pleasing to the eye and of good vigor, but even that..."
Henry watched the two women as they conversed, noting how intimate they seemed and how their gazes never parted for a second, even though they were addressing the horses, talking about them and discussing the traits and characteristics of equine offerings. The merchant placed a hand on his beard, gazing at the scene with curious eyes. He was interrupted by one of his servants who was carrying the last horse into the stable. When he did, the two women also fell silent.
The young man left the horse in the hands of his chief, whose eyes lit up at the sight of the palomino-colored animal. The merchant turned to the queen and princess with a grin: "He is very young. His coat is the color of golden ochre, and as you see"—and he gestured with his hand to indicate them—"his mane and tail are silvery white. I consider him one of my most beautiful horses, and he is a good judge of people! He only becomes tame with those who truly deserve it."
Snow White approached slowly, enchanted by the young animal's amiable appearance, which, at least so it seemed to the girl, had an intelligent gaze. The horse drew closer, though it snorted at first, taking a step back. But when the princess gently raised her hand, it stopped, moving its muzzle cautiously toward her. "Your Highness, you truly have a charisma that animals find irresistible."
"What do you mean?" the girl asked, petting the horse, and Henry continued: "I've never seen anyone approach this energetic boy so easily." The merchant looked at the animal with a grin, then shifted his gaze to the princess: "You really are as lovable as everyone says. It's no wonder that wherever the princess is, there are always amorous glances."
Finishing his sentence, he looked at the queen, who was standing aside, and when Grimilde noticed him, she couldn't help but blush, easily grasping the meaning of Henry's words. The man, unfortunately for the queen (at least at that moment), was truly intuitive about relationships and the emotions of those around him.
Furthermore, he was also aware of the royal tradition of horses being gifts to the bride or groom—not that it was uncommon to receive animals as gifts for other occasions, but being regent was a special case.
"Sir Henry?"
"Yes, Your Royal Highness?"
"Is he for sale too?"
"This horse was a gift from a friend of mine, it's special..." the merchant grew thoughtful, while the princess hesitantly moved away from the beautiful horse, thinking she couldn't take it with her. The latter took a step forward to follow her.
"For that very reason, I will be thrilled to leave him in your precious hands, Your Royal Highness." He said, grinning.
The princess happily thanked him and continued to wander around the stable, feeding and petting the animals there.
Meanwhile, Grimilde took the merchant aside and shared her thoughts: "I have a favour to ask, Henry."