Pleasures of Wealth

[Khalid Al-Kuwari]

Khalid nearly lost himself upon seeing the stable facilities at Blue Ridge. He was used to a fortress-like compound with gold, marble, and stablehands in fine livery holding a horse already groomed and tacked waiting to be ridden. Grooming and taking care of horses was something one only did when it was too hot to ride outside and the indoor arena was blocked off for an event. Even though the barns here were luxurious by most people's standards, Khalid was used to only the best of the best.

He walked down the aisle reading the name placards. The horse's weren't arranged in perfect alphabetical order due to differences in personality, but Nasr was stabled near to the front of the barn. The green nylon halter had a brass nameplate with the horse's show name along the cheekpiece and the Kuwari name embroidered in Arabic onto the noseband. Khalid opened the stall door and slipped the halter over his horse's head before leading him out.

The bay Holsteiner was every bit the jumping machine Khalid had been promised. The horse's shoulder was above the boy's head by a good couple inches. He was groomed to perfection and the flecks of bedding were recent additions to the gelding's coat. Khalid considered giving the horse a quick brush to restore his perfect image and maybe see how the new tack looked, but he had no idea where the tack room was and the nearest stablehand was too far away. Something like this would never have happened in Qatar.

Tag: Liana Mars

[Liana Mars]

Liana found herself impatient with the process of settling into her room, especially knowing that Dyrim would be arriving at any moment. So, she did what any kid would do, slipping out of the building quietly as soon as she'd found her Ariat boots and been able to swap them for her traveling shoes. From there, it was a brief glance at the map, and then a short walk to the barn.

A glance at her Citizen watch told her her escape had been ten minutes too soon, and so she decided to find Dyrim's stall. Walking into the barn, she started looking at the other horses, frowning at the amount of stocky little western horses. Why would anyone want to ride such things, instead of a sleek jumper? Even though Dyrim was small in size, at least he didn't look like he'd been grabbed off of a mountainside and thrown into a stall.

While she was walking, she was also looking ahead, at whoever might be in the aisle, and there she spotted a boy, not too much older than her by looks, leading out a very nice-looking animal. Deciding that he looked like the kind of guy whom she would get along with, with his clothes and his horse's condition, Liana paused a couple of feet away, “Good afternoon.”

[Khalid Al-Kuwari]

Nasr pricked his ears at the sound of the other girls approach. Khalid was too busy thinking of just what to do to notice. His response was automatic as the English didn't really register in his mind.

"As-salām 'alaykum."

Khalid turned and quickly noticed his error. No Kuwari would be caught dead making a simple language error like that, so Khalid pretended it was intentional. After all, who wouldn't be impressed by a bilingual foreigner?

"To you as well."

He had to admit, the girl was definitely someone he'd be interested in. He quickly looked her over silently approving of her clothes. Obviously someone with money and probably an influential relative. Nasr lowered his head, but stood perfectly still. Even the best Arabians in Doha tended to get bored easily and refused to be endlessly patient. He held the lead rope in one hand and offered the other to Liana.

"Khalid Ahmed Al-Kuwari. Do you jump?"

For now, he could pull off the perfect businessman. For a pretty girl who wasn't just average, Khalid could show off his better side. He wondered what sort of flashy warmblood she owned. The school horses here were so mundane and boring for a private academy. The diamonds on his Bvlgari watch sparkled as the cuff of his blazer fell back a little bit on his arm. If that wasn't enough of a statement, his green tie was done in a cape knot. Against the white shirt and black blazer, the green made a statement, but it wasn't nearly so in-your-face as wearing a red tie.

[Liana Mars]

Liana raised an eyebrow at the foreign greeting, knowing she had heard it before and thus recognizing it as a greeting. However, before she could comment upon it, he had switched seamlessly to English, and Liana smiled, “Thank you.” She took the greeting as permission and spent a moment studying both boy and horse from the closer vantage point, but only found her earlier thoughts to be confirmed. Quality indeed, she found. Especially the green tie, which was a nice, confident touch.

When the boy offered his hand, Liana took it, careful to add just the right amount of pressure to her handshake. No limp fish handshakes for her! “Liana Mars, and yes, I do. Hunter classes mostly, but I dabble in the others.” She smiled, “It's a pleasure to meet you, Khalid. By the question and your very stunning horse, I would assume you jump as well?” The warmblood just looked more like a jumper to her than a dressage horse.

She snuck a glance down at her Citizen Versailles watch again, before she turned back to Khalid, “My apologies. Dyrim, my mount, is actually supposed to be arriving soon, and I don't want to miss the transport. Have you been at the academy for long?” She didn't want to admit that she rode a pony, not quite yet. She knew Dyrim, and she knew that his bloodlines went back to champions, but there was still something... Childish about it. That's why she had wanted a proper horse, but none of them had felt right for her.

[Khalid Al-Kuwari]

Khalid couldn't help but give a slight grin. A handshake said a lot about a person. He could tell she had good advice in her life. He was curious as to who her father was and which company he represented. As a fellow jumper, Khalid couldn't help but like her even more. He had never seen a Hunter class outside of videos on YouTube and a bit of riding theory. Racing, jumping, and dressage were the primary disciplines in the Middle East.

"Likewise, Liana. And yes, this is Nasr. His grandsire is Contender."

He was almost relieved to know she was a fellow new student. He forced himself not to yawn despite having just spent the whole day travelling and the eight hour time difference between Doha and Kentucky. And though he wouldn't admit it, Khalid spent the whole ride to Blue Ridge worrying about Nasr and hoping nothing bad had happened. Mostly he was worried about being forced to ride some common school pony if Nasr wasn't around, but the sentiment of worry was still there.

"No, I checked in today. I'm from Doha, Qatar, so Nasr was sent here before me so I wouldn't have to wait on quarantine. How about you, where are you from?"

There was no need to mention the fact that Nasr was sent over from Germany and that horse and rider had only just met. Khalid led his horse forward a couple of steps to put him on the cross-ties in the aisle. It was getting a little tiring just holding the lead rope and Nasr looked ready to fall asleep at any moment. The horse would get a good grooming eventually, but Khalid's interest was mainly on Liana and her presently absent horse.

[Liana Mars]

Liana nodded as she heard the horse's name, although she would probably have to see it again to remember it fully. The grandsire's name was interesting, though, because she had heard that one, and she gave an approving whistle, “Nice.” Not too hard to believe, for a horse with over a hundred approved sons and many, many more mares if memory served, but still a good bloodline for all its prevalence.

As she heard that she wasn't the only new student to arrive today (discounting the brat who was trying to worm her way into Liana's family), Liana grinned, “That's good to know. At least I'm not the only one who doesn't know anyone yet.” She knew her dad had been to Qatar at least once, although she couldn't remember where or why, so didn't want to point it out just yet. “I'm from Vermont, so not quite as far travels as you.” They had had an interesting travel plan, though, with the Smiths coming to Vermont first and then all six setting out from Kentucky.

“It was a nice flight, though.” The pleasures of a private jet, although Liana wouldn't mention it unless asked. Khalid presented himself as though he might be a part of the same world as Liana's, but she didn't need to ostracize him just yet if that wasn't the case. “So how long is the flight from Doha to here? You must be exhausted.”

[Khalid Al-Kuwari]

"Seventeen or eighteen hours flying. I had a layover in Chicago, and lounge access has its perks."

For short trips in the Middle East, Khalid knew his family used the company jet. However, it wasn't suited to long haul flights, and flying on Qatar Airways with benefits was a good deal. Flights to China and America quickly added up to an easy Platinum level. Mostly the flight was dull even with gourmet meals, wifi, and plenty of films to watch. Secretly, Khalid was looking forward to seeing snow for the first time in America. His idea of winter was a hot spring in Kentucky.

"What does your father do? Mine is on the board of Al Kuwari Group, and one of my uncles is the Qatari ambassador to the United States. I'm also related to the Emir of Qatar on my mother's side."

Sure, he was bragging, but no one was ever going to mistake Khalid as just a commoner. Besides, a bit of careful name dropping ensured that the people who mattered would give him due respect and hopefully be impressed. What Khalid didn't mention was just how many people were belonged to the ruling family as princes and princesses. Next to them, Al Kuwari was rather plain.

[Liana Mars]

Liana raised a well-groomed eyebrow as she heard how long the flight had been, “That's a long way to go for a school like this.” She looked around at her surroundings, “Glad you got a chance to relax in between, though. I can't imagine spending almost eighteen hours cooped up in a seat.” Even if it was a good seat, and even with the ability to walk up and down the aisles, it didn't seem like much fun.

As Khalid started naming his connections, Liana listened, making note of them as she heard them, appreciating the effort that went into what Khalid was now using either to intimidate her or to prove to her that they were on the same plane, “My father is currently focused on his philanthropic projects and is working with the management of Mars, and he's on the board of directors of Mars, Incorporated, since he's a part of the family.” It was an easy life for her dad, although he was trying to work more with the whole accounting side of things, in the hopes of getting into the management team eventually. But as a younger brother, he was still paying his dues, not that she would tell Khalid that, not the boy with connections to the Emir and the ambassador.

Another glance at her watch told her that Dyrim's transport should be arriving any moment now, “I should go and see if Dyrim's ride is here yet. Were you going to be walking Nasr around or what were you planning for the day?” Perhaps Khalid would like to join her and Dyrim as they explored the campus or even the trails, after she'd gotten a chance to groom and let Dyrim stretch out. Not a long ride, but she knew her mount, and he seemed to hate being just walked after being released from his trailer. And the truth about Dyrim's size would come out sooner or later, she wasn't going to lie when asked. She wasn't ashamed of her mount.

[Khalid Al-Kuwari]

He carefully failed to mention that his father used Nasr as a bribe to go to America. Qatar had a very good education system for the region, but Ahmed wanted his son to ride and train with the best as well as start networking. More connections would always be good for business. Swapping connections was useful for intimidating lesser people into submission, but it also established the hierarchy among the rich and influential. In Qatar, Khalid only needed to disclose his surname to get people at his beck and call. And even he knew about Mars, Incorporated.

"Nasr could use some exercise. I'm not really in the mood to do anything too strenuous today. There are a lot of trails around the school if that interests you. We can get to know each other better."

It was late at night in Doha, and Khalid had no interest in jumping while still woefully jet lagged. He unclipped Nasr from the crossties and led him back into his stall. He could take a slight rest, eat some hay and drink some water. Surely someone lower on the totem pole would be tempted to steal such a magnificent horse like Nasr, was Khalid's reasoning. So far, Liana was about as close to an equal as Khalid could see. He thought God must be looking favorably upon him to provide such a blessing. He did have high expectations for the mount of a member of the Mars family.

"So, where will the trailer be arriving?"

[Liana Mars]

Liana's smile was slow in coming, the bearer reluctant to show just how happy Khalid's acceptance had made her. “Sounds like a plan, then. Dyrim won't be up for much, but a bit of a walk along the trails will do wonders for settling him down.” Okay, maybe the gelding himself wouldn't enjoy a walk, but Liana wasn't going to let him run straight out of the trailer. As for Khalid... She didn't really know anyone else yet, but it seemed like she had managed to get in with someone who had been raised similarly to herself from the start, and that much was reassuring. At least they weren't all little hicks like Jessamine. Some people had class, that would make it worthwhile.

She followed Khalid back to Nasr's stall, taking a surreptitious glance at the plaque to get the gelding's name straight. Then, when asked where the trailer would arrive, Liana shrugged, “I think just in the parking lot out front. It's a big transport, though, we probably won't be able to miss it wherever it ends up parking.” Once Nasr's stall had been latched, Liana led the way outside, raising an eyebrow at the blue cab and white-and-blue trailer that were just pulling in, “Unless someone else shipped with them, I'm going to guess that Dyrim's in there.”

She waited for the van to stop before she walked up, wrinkling her nose as she saw Jessamine walking up as well. Luckily, with his name being earlier in the alphabet, Dyrim was unloaded before the other girl's nag, and Liana took the gelding's lead rope once he was handed over, favoring the driver with a smile, “Thank you so much. You'll find his tack locker in the tack room to the right, number fourteen.” With that, she turned her back to the man and walked back to Khalid, ready for any comments, both about her pony or about the nag that he had been forced to travel with, “Let me walk him out for a couple minutes before I force him to stand for grooming?”

[Khalid Al-Kuwari]

Khalid decided that he could like this school and America. Here, he had the best horse and a friend. In a new and foreign sort of way, he liked American women and their ability to function without a man. His mother, while not part of the public front, was an important woman in the company and was clearly able to hold her own if necessary. Balancing a home, a family, and a job was impressive. Khalid followed Liana outside musing on the fact that he was behind a girl and not the other way around. Definitely a bonus for American females.

He saw another girl approach and pretended not to stare. Compared to Liana, she looked scruffy and poor. He stood up a little straighter and squared his shoulders to establish that he was higher up on the totem pole just in case the newcomer had any doubts. Upon seeing Dyrim being unloaded from the trailer, Khalid almost lost his composure. This lovely girl with real class and status rode a pony. A nice looking pony, to be fair, but it was a pony. He forced himself to show no emotion of surprise at the rather underwhelming mount.

"You ride a pony. That, I was not expecting. Purebred? Proven sire? How is his bascule? Good mover?"

Anything to give the pony some redeeming qualities. He still couldn't believe that someone in the Mars family rode a pony and not a proper horse. There was just something about big horses that screamed sophistication. Ponies were for children, not adults. And the other horse that was unloaded second almost made Khalid's nose wrinkle. It looked so scrappy. His initial surprise with the pony was overtaken by sheer disgust of the horse.

"Actually, your pony looks like a prince next to that...creature." He tilted his head in the direction of the mustang. "Who on earth is that poor girl with the...horse...if you can call it that."

There was no hint of sympathy in his voice even though he forced himself to retain some semblance of professionalism. This was Khalid being polite. He had a million words in English and Arabic to describe the pair, and none of them were good.

[Liana Mars]

Liana was glad when Khalid didn't laugh at Dyrim, although she knew it was only a matter of the boy's composure. Most people did, when they met her... But then again, she was only 5'3”. She would look a tad ridiculous on a giant warmblood anyway, and at least Dyrim took up her leg nicely, and they made a good pair. When she finally managed to grow more, she'd find a horse for herself. “Yes, I ride a pony. This is Dyrim, or Astarael if you want to be fancy. Definitely purebred, Connemara. He's by Greystone Ian McVai, a proven hunter in his own right. One of his half-brothers, Winter Romance, won the grand champion title in the International Hunter Futurity 4-year-old Sweepstakes at the Kentucky National Horse Show a few years back. Another half brother won the Morven Park CCI, eventing, in 2008. His damsire is Rosenaharley Laurens, who competed in the United States as a driving pony, quite successfully. One of Laurens' sons went on to compete in the World Equestrian games in 2010, also in driving.”

She patted the gelding's neck, “We just do our best. You should see him jumping, though, there's a reason he's a hunter star.” The gelding did have a nice bascule, and nice movement. She had nothing to blush about for his pedigree, either, even if most people didn't know the Connemara studs anyway. There were times where it came in handy to memorize pedigree.

She followed Khalid's gaze as she saw his expression and spotted the red roan gelding, who was dancing as Jessamine led him down the ramp, and then thankfully, luckily, away from them. Stuck for a moment between lying and a proper answer, Liana sighed, “Some kid that my dad decided to take pity on, and her nag that she found somewhere in the middle of nowhere.” Her expression nearly matched Khalid's, as she knew more about the girl, but still felt the same way, “She's nobody important, I don't even know why he bothered.” She did, but the whole idea of laying low, with what had happened, had been impressed on her.

[Khalid Al-Kuwari]

Khalid had to admit he was impressed with the girl's ability to recite her pony's pedigree. The pony was obviously bound to be a winner by blood alone. Sure, he wasn't going to the most impressive animal around and lacked a lot of the sheer presence of a big warmblood, but the pedigree and track record were what really made a horse or pony impressive. Even better, the rider was humble about her skill and success. Khalid was better versed in Arabian bloodlines and kept up with the best studs, but he could appreciate a winning combination when he heard it.

"I can't wait to see you two compete, then. With a pedigree like that, I expect nothing less than grand champion from you two."

It wasn't flattery if it was true. The trick to delivering good compliments was to be genuine. Put a little bit of heart and emotion in the delivery to make it seem like more than idle comments. Khalid didn't even have to try to sound impressed. He relaxed a bit as Jessamine led her horse towards the other barn. He could almost feel pity for Liana for having to associate with someone so obviously beneath her standard.

"Philanthropy is good, yes, but not if it makes a person go soft. Really, it's futile to try and rescue every poor person like cats. And nag is a good word to describe that sorry creature. You should get Dyrim settled and groomed. People of our caliber need to stick together especially if there are going to be more underwhelming people with subpar mounts."

[Liana Mars]

Liana smiled at Khalid's response to her rattling off Dyrim's pedigree, glad that he had actually been interested. Some people only pretended, and then zoned out, but she could tell that he had actually been interested, at least in using it to judge Dyrim's worth, “I'd look a bit silly on a big warmblood like Nasr, though, too, you have to admit. It's like pretending to be something you're not.” She wrinkled her nose to show what she thought of that. “Thank you, though. I hope I get the chance to watch you and Nasr soon too. I wonder how often the school has shows?” The question was more rhetorical than actually expecting an answer, since Khalid would probably not know more than she did.

She watched Jessamine go, leading her horse away, and nodded in agreement to Khalid's words, “I can't agree more.” She looked away, “And her, of all people. She isn't even properly grateful, and insists on going on in her old ways, even if she could have so much better now.” She sneered, then shrugged and began to lead Dyrim into the barn, “You're right.” Of course, there was more to the story that Liana could add, but it was confusing enough for her, and she didn't need someone getting the idea that Jessamine was her father's byblow. No, better to just leave it as though there was no genetic relationship.

She brought the gelding to one of the grooming stalls and clipped him into the cross-ties before she bent to undo his shipping boots, “Now I have to go and find where the driver put his grooming kit. Which stall number is Nasr, I can grab his while I'm in there if you'd like?” Grooming tools were generally combined into a bucket of sorts, she'd be able to carry both without worries, and it would give Khalid a chance to pull his horse out again and clip him into the next cross-ties over.

[Khalid Al-Kuwari]

Not that he would openly admit it, Khalid thought Nasr might be a bit big for him as well. He was used to the dainty Arabians back home, but Nasr would be able to clear fences far beyond what any Arabian could do. For hunters in particular, a good balance between the size of the horse and rider was important in creating a particular image.

"Agreed. If you're in the market for a proper horse, Arabians come in about the same size as Dyrim. In Doha, Arabians are pretty much the only horse to ride."

It was sad that poor people given the chance to live well didn't amend their ways. Even if they were used to living a particular way, the sponsorship of a philanthropist practically ensured the end of financial hardship. Not that Khalid had any experience with that. The only complaint Khalid ever heard growing up was in regards to a fifteen million dollar shopping spree with some of his friends.

"It's somewhere in the twenties. Just look for the tack trunk with a nameplate in Arabic. It's a green bag near the top--impossible to miss. Thank you."

It didn't really solve his problem of knowing where the tack room lived, but that felt like a minor problem. Surely it couldn't be that hard to find, and the smart thing to do would be to get his own tack. Khalid turned and walked in the opposite direction to fetch his horse. Thankfully, the warmblood hadn't gotten himself any dirtier except for a bit of green slime on his mouth.