CHAPTER 27 #2
“There is,” Leonardo looked at her and suddenly smiled. “On that day, come hunting with me.”
She really should rest.
Almost from the day of her coronation, she hadn’t stopped reviewing documents or holding meetings, tirelessly pushing the stone like Sisyphus.
And he really should spend some quality time with her—
Since two years ago, they hadn’t stopped moving forward.
“Leonardo, are you being coquettish?” Hedy blinked and couldn’t help but kiss him. “Say it again?”
“Your Majesty,” he replied slowly, giving a bow. “May I ask if you’d like to spend an afternoon doing absolutely nothing with me?”
“You got the title wrong,” she shook her head, acting composed. “Try again.”
“Hedy, my angel, my love...” He leaned down to kiss her lips, his voice low and gentle. “Let’s sneak out and have some fun together.”
“Alright.” She smiled brightly. “It’s a deal.”
——
However, this seemingly reasonable request was met with an absurd difficulty.
Women in this era were not allowed to ride horses openly, and even if they did, they had to sit sideways.
On one hand, this was because women only wore skirts for a long time, and riding a horse while wearing a skirt would cause the inner thighs to be chafed by the horse's mane.
On the other hand, it was considered highly inappropriate for women to openly spread their legs, and such behavior was often described as vulgar or improper.
A hundred years ago, Queen Anna of Bohemia, the Queen of England, commissioned craftsmen to design a side-saddle to allow women to ride publicly.
Even brave men riding high horses risked falling off or getting injured, and many lost their lives each year as a result.
But women, in order to gain the right to ride, had to take on even greater risks by choosing to sit sideways.
This greatly reduced their stability, and many basic equestrian skills became impossible to perform.
The fact was, even after the craftsmen designed side-saddles and stirrups with safeguards to prevent falling, Queen Anna of England still could not manage her horse in this position.
After some discussion, the nobles arranged for another man to sit in front of her and take control of the horse.
To put it bluntly, it was like doing something completely pointless.
Hedy didn’t associate horse riding with these customs. She casually instructed Dechio to arrange the schedule, then returned to reading a letter from France.
Dechio was somewhat troubled. After hesitating, he finally asked, “Are you planning... to have Mr. Leonardo sit in front of you?”
The queen focused on replying to the letter, the sound of the quill scratching against the parchment filling the air. “Why would he sit in front of me?”
“How will you control the horse, then?”
“I know how to ride, Dechio.”
“But riding sideways is really dangerous. Please be careful.”
“Sideways?” She finally looked up and asked, “Why would I need to ride sideways?”
“Because... of your skirt…” Dechio stammered, “It’s not appropriate…”
“Don’t I have pants that I could wear for riding?” Hedy asked without thinking. “Can’t a tailor make a pair of pants in three days?”
Dechio took a small step back, looking quite embarrassed. “You... plan to wear men’s pants?”
The term “men’s pants” sounded somewhat harsh.
Hedy set down her quill and directly told him what kind of clothing she needed.
She arrived in America in her early twenties and settled there for the rest of her life.
As she grew and aged, the name of another woman blossomed across Europe and America, becoming immortal—
Gabrielle Chanel.
She redefined the world’s perception of women’s fashion.
Before Chanel opened her store in the Cambon district, women had been dressing in a beautifully ornate and lavish manner for centuries.
They needed elaborate, decorated hats, skirts in bright colors, and, because of them, walked slowly.
But Chanel chose to give them the same freedom as men.
The seemingly dull and serious black became classic and rich in her designs, and women finally had pants—light, flexible, and dignified enough for them to wear.
This design seems perfectly natural to modern people, but in the old days, it was like a storm.
Despite the countless attacks and slanders, more and more women wore trousers and even shorts out on the streets, becoming freer and more independent.
And what she practiced was consistent with her own words: "The elegance of clothing is the freedom of action."
This legendary woman was quite similar to Hedy.
Rather than the great designs she created, people preferred to gossip about her past as a mistress, her ugly connection with espionage, and all the dark, disgraceful topics that could prove her fallibility.
Hedy suddenly found herself reminiscing about her Chanel No. 5.
“Riding attire—would you like one made for you as well?!” Dechio’s shocked expression was as if he had seen her take the crown from the Pope’s hands. “I—I'll get it done right away.”
This request was quite absurd, but she had already reached an unparalleled position. Even though the tailor might grumble and shake his head, an entire outfit was delivered the next day.
Leonardo happened to walk in with a radio report just as she was trying on her new attire. He immediately noticed her new look.
It was clean, sharp, and had a kind of neutral elegance.
The tailored trousers accentuated her leg shape, and the waistcoat and jacket could rival any gentleman's attire.
Simple, elegant, and perfectly fitted.
He realized what she was aiming for and gave an admiring sigh. “You were missing a piece like this.”
“I’m also missing a good horse,” Hedy said, adjusting her cufflinks, raising an eyebrow with a smile. “I hope that when future historians write about me, they’ll say ‘It was she who freed women from the absurdity of riding sideways.’”
“You will,” Leonardo said, stepping back a bit to admire her tall and graceful figure. “Maybe I should paint a portrait of you now.”
“I would be delighted.”
On April 15th, people were astonished to discover that among the nobles on this hunting expedition, their queen was also present—dressed in men's clothing!
Her long, jet-black hair hung loosely over her shoulders, and she wore a sleek, lightweight riding outfit, openly riding with her legs spread apart like a man!
Even several nobles changed their expressions, subconsciously eyeing her clothes with looks of confusion.
But often, shame is something we impose on ourselves.
She sat confidently and calmly on the horse, giving orders and riding steadily with no hint of embarrassment in her expression.
When people saw her poised and confident demeanor, they felt a sense of respect for her.
—Such a thing could only be done by a queen.
The Setters and Irish Wolfhounds followed the hunter’s trail into the forest, while the nobles waited on the edge of the woods for news.
The lead hunter soon returned, with a Norwegian falcon perched on his shoulder.
“There are several deer—and wild boars!”
The queen raised her hand and blew a sharp whistle, signaling the group to spur their horses into the dense forest. More than ten hawks swooped and circled, calling loudly as the hounds and falcons worked to herd the prey.
Leonardo stood beside her, holding the reins, and motioned for her to look to the right. “There’s a deer.”
Hedy tightened her grip on the crossbow, turned her horse, and shouted, “Go!”
The two horses leaped forward, jumping over bushes to close in on their target.
A stag had already sensed the disturbance, but the sounds from all directions kept confusing its judgment.
Hedy tugged on the reins, raised her crossbow with one hand, and aimed at the prey without hesitation.
One shot!
Two shots!
Three shots!
The stag stumbled two steps, then fell heavily to the ground.
At the same time, a wild boar, being chased, came charging from the east, grunting and almost crashing into them.
Leonardo raised his flintlock rifle, aimed, and pulled the trigger in the next instant: “Bang!”
The bullet struck its skull, penetrating its spine and exploding out through its back!
The bulky prey was sent flying, rolling a few times before it gasped its last breath and closed its eyes.
It was a grand and spirited hunt.
It was summer, and the animals were well-fed, slick with fat, each one robust and full.
The nobles urged their hounds to chase and capture, even managing to catch a number of wild rabbits.
People had slowly become accustomed to the queen’s strange attire, even going so far as to compliment her, saying she looked even more beautiful than before.
After tiring herself with the hunt, Hedy gazed at the distant mountains for a moment before turning to Leonardo and saying, “How about a race?”
The prince raised a smile. “I’m an experienced rider; this wouldn’t be fair to you.”
The two of them shot forward like bolts of lightning, leaping from the grasslands to the hills, swift and rapid in their movements.
For the first time in a long while, Hedy felt this deeply relaxing sense of freedom—
The wind howled past her ears, and her long hair flowed like rolling waves.
She didn’t have to think about politics, worry about anyone’s feelings, or consider any details.
Faster! Freer!
The horses neighed and galloped with the wind, leaping over obstacles with the agility and grace of dragons.
All the scenery blurred into the background, the mountains and fields melting into a wash of green as they sped faster, like chasing the setting sun. They dashed through streams, deep forests, and across fallen branches, as if they were knights fleeing under the sunset.
They rode across the entire mountain range, only slowly returning as the dusk deepened.
From a distance, the calls of cuckoos and starlings could be faintly heard, and the fresh scent of grass and the damp dew filled the air.
They led their horses, whispering to each other, walking for a long time before seeing the lit campsite.