Possessing Bella Ch. 19

Authors Note: Thank you once again to everyone who leaves comments and feedback on my writing, it is much appreciated. Thank you very much to Aisielynn who continues to my second set of eyes, she is a great friend to help me out so much. This chapter was written along with the previous chapter so it is a bit earlier than my usual postings. I hope yu enjoy it. ~ellie

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Bella walked into the breakfast banquet in an emerald green ball gown, which seemed so odd at this time of day. Even though she had seen the preparations over the last few days, she wasn't prepared for the amount of guests in attendance. Rob approached her looking handsome with his long dark hair tied back and a tuxedo replacing his usual jeans and biker leathers.

"You're looking beautiful, little brat," he said quietly with a boyish grin. "Samuel, I believe some friends of yours are waiting to see you and your pony." He looked back over his shoulder to where Stephen stood with Mark and Tali.

"I believe they may be more interested in my pony than me, but I can't fault them for that," Samuel said easily and walked Bella toward them.

Rob chuckled; he could not help but like the man. He felt sorry for him because he believed that he could not make the girl on his arm happy in the long term. It was a sad fact that he had not realised what she wanted and needed from a prospective master until this weekend. Rob could see after his revelation the day before that he had boxed himself into a relationship with her that may never recover enough to be a contender for her true submission. He could also see how close Stephen was to losing her and, if he kept compromising for her, he would certainly lose her for good.

As was a tradition, the masters and ponies that were competing sat in a large horseshoe formation with the novice contenders at the ends of the tables. The guest tables dotted in and around the formation. As custom dictated they were introduced and, at her turn, Bella stood quietly as her name was announced. She could see both Stephen and Rob from where she sat, and it bothered her that Stephen had not spoken to her as yet.

The banquet seemed to go on forever with official speeches by the ruling body of the Horse Masters Society. They outlined some minor rule changes and introduced the judges for the events. Bella was grateful that she didn't recognise any of them. It took the girl next to Bella to point out that this was by far the most prestigious event held by the society and that some foreign Masters always came to judge events here to ensure impartiality.

"If you ask me they just come to add to their stables," she added in a whisper.

"Have you competed at a show before?" Bella was confused. She had assumed that the other novices she would compete against were competing for their first time too.

"Uh huh, twice now," she nodded. "I am hoping this time my master will let me move up a class." She smiled and nudged Bella with her shoulder, "Don't look so worried, no one expects first timers to do very well, you'll be fine. Just relax and enjoy all the attention."

"Is it so obvious that this is my first time?" Bella asked, her anxiousness clear in her voice.

"Only because I haven't seen you at one of these before, and I tend to watch to see which girls go up a class and which stay or get taken overseas by the judges. One day I am gonna sit beside Star Dust up there at the head of the table," she looked toward where Dusty sat beside Jack.

"I've seen them training," Bella confided, liking the open young woman. "I think they are telepathic," she said in an amazed voice. "I can't wait to see them perform in the show."

"You know, Waleed, the judge on the left up there, has been trying to buy Star Dust from Jack for years now," the young girl confided.

"You don't call him Master Jack?" Bella asked curiously.

"He's not my Master," she laughed. "If he came over and spoke to me I would address him as Master but no need while we are whispering like this. Anyway, Waleed isn't so bad except for that whole buying and selling of slaves, thing. He's not pushy or too hands-on," she seemed to be considering the table of judges. "Ivan the terrible, the one with the beard, tends to be a bit too familiar. He might have been an octopus in his last life, he seems to have his hands everywhere when inspecting the ponies," she giggled girlishly.

"Thanks for the warning," Bella grimaced.

"I don't know the local judge. He apparently used to judge a lot, but hasn't done much while I have been competing. They say he is fair, though," she continued to whisper. Bella immediately recognised Hunter, but did not let on that she knew anything more than a first-time novice might. Secretly she was happy that Hunter had not returned to his self-imposed exile on his island. It meant that he was healing, and Bella hoped that meant Flora was doing well too. She felt a momentary pang of guilt that she had not visited the girl over the holidays, but Samuel's voice cut into her thoughts.

"The girls are a bit vocal this morning," Samuel chuckled over Bella's head to the Master beside her new friend. She immediately closed her mouth and sat up paying attention to the proceedings.

"Topaz can't seem to help herself, even with a bit wedged between her teeth she can still talk," the other man chuckled. "Can't hurt to let her give your girl a few tips; it's a big one for a first showing."

Samuel had strategically placed himself beside Ryan and his filly in the hopes that a friendship would form with the two girls. He knew Bella's anxiousness could affect her performance and hoped the sweet natured Topaz would help to settle her nerves. In truth, he too was anxious. He had never attempted a showing after such a short amount of training and while confident in both his own and Bella's abilities, he also knew he would be scrutinised intensely by friend and foe alike.

"Emerald is usually a quiet filly, so I will let Topaz carry the blame," Samuel chuckled with a wink in Topaz's direction. Topaz giggled girlishly and while they remained mostly quiet, the soft whispering continued from time to time as Topaz found snippets of interesting information to relay to the nervous first timer she sat beside.

"You've been fabulous with all the tips," Bella whispered as the breakfast ended, and they prepared to move off to their allotted spaces to ready themselves for inspection and competition. Bella was glad that the novices would compete first so she would be able to relax and enjoy the spectacle of the show after she was done. "Thank you so much, Topaz," she impulsively hugged the girl, "best of luck out there."

"Good luck to you too, Emerald, just relax and enjoy it. It's your first show, so it's all just practise for next year," the girl smiled and moved off with her Master.

"Ready or not, here we come," Samuel chuckled, "That poor little filly doesn't know who you are or how good you are at everything you do." He smiled widely. "She is right about one thing, though, you should relax and enjoy it. It may be the only time you ever compete, or it could be practise for the future if you decide you want this lifestyle." He stopped short of suggesting that she might want him as a future Master. His hope for that had dwindled last night as he had observed the looks between Bella and Stephen. Samuel was aware of her during the entirety of the evening, though he was less obvious about it than Stephen as he engaged in the conversations about this special girl and her training.

Samuel took her to the allocated space that looked like a dressing room of sorts. The box with her competition tack was waiting for them, along with Dorothea.

"There have been a few nosy parkers, but I brushed them off fairly easily," Dorothea grinned. "They certainly weren't expecting to find an old lady guarding your tack."

"Anyone of interest?" Samuel asked mildly.

"That man of Binatang's that you have been training as a specialist vet for these events," she chortled. "I disliked him from the moment I met him."

"It was a favour. Jack asked me to agree to the arrangement. We've been keeping an eye on them. I haven't let him near Bella, but he has seen her training, I am not surprised he came to sabotage her tack." Bella couldn't help but gasp. It hadn't occurred to her that this would be anything but a friendly competition.

"Do not fret, my pet," Samuel petted her soothingly. "It shows just that they think you could beat their girls for the prize money. Nothing will happen I assure you, trust me." Bella nodded and stomped her foot to agree with him, but she had begun to gnaw on her lip. She hadn't considered that there was prize money at stake, money she didn't need nor want. It would be Samuel's should she succeed regardless, but she thought about Topaz and what it would mean to her.

Bella continued to worry about the idea that winning was worth sabotaging other competitors while Dorothea and Samuel undressed and dressed her again. Another young woman arrived as they made finishing touches and Bella sat quietly while the woman arranged her hair and her headgear was fitted and adjusted.

"Thank you, Hilary," Samuel said, dismissing the stylist and turned to Dorothea. "I'll just see how far the inspection has gotten." He knew Bella had some nagging worry and thought Dorothea may be best to deal with it at this point. He stepped out of the room but stayed close to the door as he looked down the corridor, spotting the judges a few doors away.

"He can sense something is worrying you," Dorothea said mildly in a questioning tone.

"I hadn't even considered prize money, or that it would be anything but a friendly competition," she continued to chew her lip.

"Whether you do well or not will make no difference to lives of the girls in the competition. What will make a difference is doing your best, being the best you can be and making all those people who love you proud of what you can accomplish when you set your mind to it. Win or lose, if you do your best, no one will ever fault you, least of all for prize money." Dorothea paused, deciding how much to tell her. Bella said nothing but Dorothea could see her thinking.

"It's sad that most of the jealousy and big money is wrapped up in the buying and selling of girls," Dorothea said sadly. "It's not as bad as it seems. The girls get a percentage, and there is a time frame on the contracts. The girls take those contracts willingly, and the Masters tend to stay away from those who look like they are being coerced into such a thing. Jack ensures everything at his show is strictly above board, there isn't usually any bad business here, but it is a chance for some trainers like Binatang to show girls that they have on the market. That's the prize for them, more than the competition itself." She smiled then and gave Bella nudge, "So unless you're thinking about selling yourself to a Middle Eastern prince for a few years, you have nothing to worry about."

Bella blushed but grinned back at Dorothea, "No, I don't think I am going to do that."

"Good," Samuel said from the doorway. "Gentlemen, this way." He led three large men into the room, making it seem over-crowded. Bella straightened nervously and faced the judges.

"Small even for a show pony," Waleed murmured.

"Good things come in small packages. I can vouch for this one. If Samuel says she is ready, she is," Hunter chimed in as Ivan ran a hand over her flank.

"She's certainly a pretty pony, and your word is good enough for me," he stamped her upper arm with an approved symbol, and they left the room again.

Bella let out the breath she had been holding and looked at her arm. She had been stamped with the letters P and N. She had prepared the three earliest levels but just as Samuel had said she would not be required to do Preparatory but rather begin in the Preliminary field and move onto the Novice field.

"Would you like to watch the Preparatory field?" Samuel asked, "They will begin the show."

Bella nodded slightly, still unsteady with the weight of her head gear and stamped her foot. Samuel shook out a hooded cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders, effectively concealing her competition tack and attached a lead to her collar. They walked a short distance through the corridors to the arena area and a small alcove area that a few trainers and their ponies stood in. Topaz grinned and immediately nudged her Master so she could stand closer to Bella.

"Not many new girls this season. That makes your girl a rarity, especially as she is not in this round," Ryan murmured to Samuel as Topaz flashed Bella her glittering, almost golden coloured tack. Bella reciprocated, knowing that in the shadow of her cloak her tack would appear basic black and unadorned from that angle.

They watched five girls fumble their way through the basic movements of the preparatory routine and Bella realised why Samuel had not wanted her to compete in this field. Though she was possibly more of a beginner than these girls, she had mastered the basics and no longer fumbled over them as these girls did. She was quietly confident with her first event as well. It was the novice class that she worried about as it was the first truly competitive class, where more than a dozen girls would compete.

"Good luck," Topaz whispered, exposing her shoulder to show one letter, N. Bella smiled her thanks as Samuel lead her toward the warm up area for the next round of competition. From that point on Bella's world went by in a blur of memorised salutations and routine. She concentrated solely on Samuel and the nuances of his body language, how he held the reins and the occasional look of pleasure on his otherwise stoic expression. She had effectively shut out the crowd and any noise they made, instead focusing solely on what she knew she had to do.

After her final salute to the judges, she let the applause of the spectators seep into the bubble she had created around herself. Turning to follow Samuel, she was startled as he stopped and acknowledged the crowd, flicking the reins to indicate a salute. Bella turned to face the crowd and bent to salute them all as the applause went on. Allowing herself a quick glance directly ahead at the crowd, she saw they had stopped before Stephen, Rob and Mark. Her eyes locked with Stephen's for a brief moment, and she saw his pleasure written plainly there. The sight caused a small thrill to travel up her spine, and she gave a half smile before lowering her head again and blushing as Samuel led her from the arena.

They waited in the holding pen for their scores to arrive. There were twelve movements, each of which was scored out of ten and Bella was hoping to get one hundred or more from the judges. It was what she knew she needed to be able to continue in the novice category. Her mind was still on Stephen and the pleasure in his eyes when a score of one hundred and eighteen spun up on the board. She felt relief and once again acknowledged the crowd with a salute, seeing Stephen and Rob slap each other on the back in celebration of her accomplishment.

They remained in the arena as the rest of the field competed. Each time a lower score was posted Samuel would pet her gently and smile softly. The final pony, a leggy brunette with the name Charcoal, who received a near perfect score of one hundred and nineteen, completed the Preliminary class. She took the first place trophy for her owner and trainer, Binatang, leaving Samuel and Bella with second place.

"Well done, my pet," Samuel spoke excitedly as they re-entered the dressing room to prepare for the next event. Bella was confused. She had done well, but she hadn't won, so she didn't understand his excitement.

"Ah good, Dorothea you are here," he turned as the old woman entered the dressing room. "Could you, as subtly as possible, go and whisper in either Jack or Hunter's ear that Preliminary one point routine automatically accrues a two-point deduction as pointed out by the ruling body this morning?"

"Ah the subtlety of levels within levels," Dorothea grinned. "It might be wise for the judges to review their scoring and the routines for the next level as well. I think I might go straight to the head of the society, he's an old friend after all, so that none of our friend's interests can be called into question."

"No need," Jack's voice sounded from the doorway where he had appeared behind Dorothea. "It would seem there were several protests made about the scoring of the preliminary round and adjustments have been made accordingly for the overall scores. It is being announced as we speak. I volunteered to inform the new winner of the change in circumstance." Jack stepped in and swooped Bella up off the ground, "Congratulations, little one!"

"That's one," Samuel told Jack with a wide smile.

"Yes, it is, but you still have a ways to go," Jack replied with a smile, "I will be cheering for you. This is one bet I will be happy to lose, good luck in the next event."

"Thanks, but we don't need luck. Bella knows her routine to perfection," Samuel said proudly. "Would you mind giving us a few moments alone, please?"

"May I escort you back, dear lady?" Jack offered Dorothea his arm formally.

"Of course, you may! How often does an old duck like me get to be escorted around by a big handsome Horse Master like you," Dorothea chuckled and took his arm. "Good luck Bella darling, not that you need it." They disappeared out of the room chatting happily.

"How are you feeling?" Samuel tilted her chin up to him so he could look into her eyes. "How are the nerves now?"

Bella smiled and stamped her foot to let him know she was fine. Smiling in return, he rubbed her legs down and spoke to her about her routine before he led her back to the competitors' waiting area. Having just competed, she would be close to last in this lineup, and they stood toward the rear of the competitors' pen, watching as the other ponies went through their routines. Bella watched carefully this time, noting the subtle differences in the routines of the other girls. She had not realised there were degrees of difficulty involved and she wondered about the degree of difficulty associated with her routine.

When her turn came, it was like time slowed down, and each movement became crystal clear in her mind before she had to execute it. She halted exactly six paces in and saluted the judges. The next move required a sashaying walk before lengthening her stride in an exaggerated walk. It all fell into place as she manoeuvred fluidly through the changes to the crosswalk, walking trot, rising trot, and canter. She went back through the manoeuvres as she moved through the patterns of curved and straight lines in her routine.

When she got to the final salute, she was exhausted. She had known it was a tough routine, but the added anxiety and pressure of the show seemed to add to the energy she spent getting through the routine. She felt the weight of the headgear press down on her and although the applause was loud, she was grateful that Samuel had not made her stop to salute the crowd this time. As they got to the edge of the arena to wait for the scores, she felt Samuel's arm settle on her lower back. Supporting her, he stood close enough to add to that support with his body without making his actions obvious.

"Stay strong, my pet, it is almost over now," Samuel murmured into her ear as he lowered his head, slightly masking his words.

Bella straightened her stance and pulled her shoulders back, realising that Samuel as always was aware of her condition and would take her to rest as soon as possible. The scores spun up on the board, and she heard the big cheer. She found it difficult to focus on the numbers with the pressure of the headgear giving her a dull ache that seemed to lodge itself behind her eyes. Smiling and saluting the crowd from her position in the competitors' pen, she tried not to wobble in the hooved heels.