Chapter 20: The Autumn Retreat

When the maple leaves on the White House lawn turned red, it was time for the annual autumn retreat.

In all the years Jacob had been president, there had never been a retreat.

Jacob said the retreat was a feast for the generals, and that I could look forward to it.

What was there to look forward to? I couldn’t ride or shoot, so I suspected he was mocking me.

I told Jacob my suspicion, and he called me an idiot again.

Then I unilaterally broke off with him for the umpteenth time.

My ways of breaking off with him included, but were not limited to, rolling my eyes at him when no one else was around, stepping on his heels when walking behind him...

This day, I was eating the beef jerky Mrs. Greene made in the former First Lady’s kitchen when Mr. Nelson, who served Jacob, came to tell me Jacob was waiting for me at the stables to pick a horse.

I was about to refuse when I saw the former First Lady looking at me with loving eyes. In front of her, I couldn’t be too rude to Jacob, or her etiquette coach would lecture me for at least half a year.

There were many horses in the stable, all looking much the same, except for one that stood out for being much blacker than the rest.

I stopped in front of that jet-black horse.

Jacob came around from the other side, reached out to pet the horse, and it nuzzled his hand affectionately.

I said, "Is this your horse?"

Jacob: "Mm, do you like it?"

I reached out to pet the horse too, but it dodged me.

Jacob laughed and laughed. I said it was a suck-up among horses.

Jacob said it was a rare good horse, and that a horse that recognized its owner was a good horse.

Seeing him defend it so, I said, "What’s the matter? Are you going to give it to me?"

Jacob said, "I can give it to you, but you can’t ride it during the retreat."

I asked why. Jacob said, "Because I’m always a living target. If you die because of my horse, how wronged would I be?"

I said that made sense, so I picked a very inconspicuous brown horse.

Before the retreat, I learned to ride. Jacob was surprised.

He marveled at how mysterious family genes were.

I was very proud, and the day I learned I ran to the former First Lady to show off. She praised me for being a general’s daughter.

Then I took all the beef jerky Mrs. Greene made.

That day, the former First Lady sent lots of riding clothes to my room.

Only when we set out did I learn the former First Lady wasn’t going.

I ran to her suite to ask why not.

But Mrs. Greene stopped me at the inner room door, not letting me in.

Mrs. Greene told me the former First Lady and the late president fell in love during a retreat.

So I sensibly left.

Since Jacob would ride and the former First Lady wasn’t going, the luxury RV was mine alone.

By the time we reached the retreat grounds, I was exhausted.

I got off the RV and ran straight to Jacob.

He was talking to a few people. When he saw me approach, he dismissed them.

I asked which tent I was staying in, and he pointed it out.

I headed for the tent he pointed to.

Then I remembered something and turned back to ask, "Which tent are you in?"

He said, "The one next to yours."

I looked at him silently. He asked, "Anything else?"

I thought and said, "I’ll stay in the tent next to the next next one, so you can put guards in the one next to yours."

He said, "So promising."

Then he came up and pointed to the tents around us, saying, "That one, that one, and that one are all full of guards."

I grinned and said, "Alright, I’ll go rest now. That RV ride nearly killed me. I’m never coming again."

See, nothing to look forward to. I just sat below Jacob, watching the young generals dash into the woods at his command. Then came the long wait.

Seeing Jacob so calm, I quietly asked, "Isn’t it boring?"

He glared at me.

People returned one after another.

Finally, everyone came back on time.

A masked young general had visibly more game than the others.

I thought he must be today’s winner.

Sure enough, soon someone handed him the winner’s flag.

As I was about to get up and rest in the tent before coming out to eat and drink at night, the person next to the masked general suddenly said, "Reporting to Mr. President, all my lord’s game and the prize are given to Miss Natalie Thompson."

I froze mid-movement. Looking again at the young general, who was about my height, dressed in black and standing tall.

Because it wasn’t very close, I couldn’t see who it was, just felt she was very upright.

Jacob gave me a meaningful look and said, "Granted."

Then I was dazed as Jacob stuffed a very heavy hunting knife into my hand.

Oh, today’s prize was a very delicate hunting knife.

I quietly asked Jacob if the knife was valuable.

He glared at me again.