It was Prince Casimir's 18th birthday. All morning, people from across the kingdom of Ekvo, and its neighboring kingdoms, and even some of the neighbors' neighbors, had showered him with gifts. Precious gems, art, weapons, clothing, each worth more than the average farmer would earn in a lifetime. But there was only one thing on Casimir's mind, and it wasn't an object the could be wrapped up with a nice bow. The young prince had his mind on something greater than gold or silk.
Now that he was an adult, he was finally allowed to oversee the daily operations of the royal stables.
After hours of talking to visitors and signing letters of gratitude to the many gift givers, Casimir managed to free himself and headed straight for the stables to discuss matters with the stable master, Aro.
He didn't get far, though, before he bumped - quite literally - into the court wizard, Sephior, who instantly prostrated himself for the prince and mumbled an apology.
"Please, rise," Casimir said with a hint of a smile. "There's no need to grovel like that." The wizard gratefully rose, wishing Casimir a happy birthday before continuing down the corridor.
Sephior was only a few years older than Casimir, the youngest court wizard in living memory. He was best described as meek, often putting the prince in mind of a rabbit. But his powers were incredible. Once, at a party, he swapped the minds of a cat and a mouse. And while it had been centuries since Ekvo was last at war, the court wizard still performed enchantments on their soldiers, enhancing their bodies and minds.
Cas had also, on more than one occasion, watched from his window as Sephior performed fertility spells on their stallions. He was sure he could ask Sephior to turn the world upside down and the wizard would find a way to do it.
As Casimir entered the stables, he stopped briefly to say hello to his own horse, a sorrel warmblood mare named Paprika. She nuzzled his hair and pushed him with her big head, begging for sugarcubes. He scratched her forelock.
"Sorry, Paprika, no treats for you today. I'm on a mission," he said, petting her soft nose one final time before beelining for the stable master.
On the way, Cas had to pass their riding horses and draft horses, as well as a couple of mules and donkeys, happily snoozing or chewing their hay. The court bred horses for all the surrounding fiefs, in exchange for loyalty and produce. Like the prince himself, the king was a horse fanatic, as was his father and his father before him. The royal family had spent centuries selectively breeding only the fines horses. Horse breeding was quite literally in Casimir's blood.
Turning a corner, down another wing of the stables, the equines were replaced by… stranger steeds.
Ekvo was home to a wealth of animals, peoples, and fantastical races. It wasn't uncommon for horse traders or political allies to offer centaurs or horsefolk to the stables. They were kept less as beasts of burden and more for amusement, though they did have their uses (if Sephior cast binding spells on them, of course). The swift centaurs made for excellent couriers and scouts, while the furry bipedal horsefolk, with their size and strength, were better manual laborers than humans and draft horses combined.
A few grooms were tending to the exotic steeds. While both were human, grooms were different from stablehands. For starters, few of them were here by choice. They slept in the stables and had no more rights than animals. Most of them were prisoners, sent here to take care of all the jobs that were deemed beneath the dignity of people. Casimir averted his gaze, trying (and failing) not to stare at the barely-clad body of a groom, currently cleaning out the sheath of a whimpering stallionman.
At the end of the wing, Cas found Aro. The stable master was busy fitting a girth to a tied-up and blind-folded centaur, angrily chomping at its bit. Aro was a big, hairy bear of a man, strong enough to wrestle uncooperative equines into harness. He towered over the prince.
"Ah, your highness." The stable master bowed deeply and, before Casimir could open his mouth, continued: "I was hoping you would stop by here today. I have something to show you."