Taelon could not hide his disgruntled surprise when he turned to the servant. “Yes?”
“Your horse is ready.” He bowed low and I could tell from the blush staining his sallow cheeks that he realized his mistake.
Taelon must have noticed as well because he sounded kinder when he said, “Thank you, Boothe. That will be all for now.”
Boothe nodded and bowed again before scurrying back to where he came from. As Taelon led me through the barn, I felt something swell inside me.
I found Finare a few stalls down and went over to pet her gray coat. She pranced when she saw me, throwing her head back and tossing her white mane.
“Hey, pretty girl,” I murmured to her. “Miss me?”
Taelon stepped up beside me. “She’s truly taken with you.”
“Animals love me,” I bragged.
“You mean your fox?”
I pressed a kiss to Finare’s cold nose. “And your horse.”
He chuckled and reached for my elbow, guiding me toward the center of the stables.
“I hadn’t realized it was still light outside.”
Taelon led me over to where Thief waited for us next to a step stool. His black coat gleamed in the soft light and his big eyes glittered like onyx.
“We’re farther north than most,” he explained. “Our days are longer. They say that the sun would rather gaze at its reflection in the Crystal Sea than go to sleep.”
“Aren’t you going to have Finare saddled?”
He touched my elbow until I’d stepped onto the stool. “I thought we could both ride Thief.”
“Did you?”
“Well, I am a gentleman, so of course I considered two horses.”
“Of course,” I agreed.
“But I am also a diplomat. And I concluded that it would be easier to share state secrets if we remained in closer proximity.”
“Ah,” I laughed. “You’re bribing me with state secrets now.”
He leaned in. “Shh. I cannot be found out. My reputation is at stake.”
A blush spread across my cheeks. “Alright,” I conceded. “We can ride together. For diplomacy’s sake.”
“See how easy that was? I predict a beautiful alliance between our kingdoms.”
Taelon lifted me onto Thief and I landed as gracefully as I could, settling into the worn leather saddle, despite my rather voluminous skirts. I didn’t know what to make of Taelon or his teasing. Even though I had been surrounded by men for the last eight years of my life, I hadn’t managed to learn a single thing about them.
Other than the fact that they would do practically anything for the promise of a piping hot cherry tartlet.
I wasn’t so naïve as to not recognize flirting. I just didn’t understand it. Surely, Taelon knew that we could not be together. Our betrothal must have been voided shortly after my family’s deaths. And now that we were finally at a marrying age, he had one kingdom to rule and I had another.
He handed me a cloak. “The sun is warm now, but once it dips out of view, the temperature will drop.”
“Thank you.” I draped it around my shoulders, enjoying the fur lining.
Taelon landed behind me, his thighs pressing into mine, his chest covering my back, his hands holding my waist until he adjusted.
