She nodded and took the arm I extended to her. I didn’t have the right sort of background to escort a princess about, but no one stopped me.
While we walked the hallway, she said, “I never got the chance to properly thank you for what you did. With the engagement.”
“You’re welcome. Truly, it was my pleasure. No one should be married to him.”
“Indeed not.” She gave my arm a squeeze. “We must find time to get to know each other better. I have a feeling you’re very fun. In fact, I’m glad we met later in life. My mother would not have let me play with you.”
I laughed. “That she would not have. Will still likely frown at it.”
“Ha! Like she’s proven to have such good judgement of character. James encouraged me to make my own decisions and not let our parents do so, and I see the wisdom in his counsel. So I’m taking it. Starting with you, because James has excellent judgement of character, and if he loves you, then there’s a very good reason.”
Well. That was flattering. Also very helpful, to have her so solidly in my court. “I’d love to be friends,” I told her honestly.
“Then friends we shall be. Will you call me Helena?”
“That will get me into worlds of trouble, Your Highness, but I appreciate the offer. We can be less formal with each other, though.”
“You call James by name.”
“I can’t do anything else. He refuses to work if I try to use his title.”
Her nose wrinkled. “So, I need the right leverage to get my way is what you’re saying.”
“That’s not what I said.” It wasn’t entirely wrong, though.
“I’ll find the right leverage, then.” She tilted her head, looking cocky. “For now, I’ll let it be, and I’ll help you tonight by dragging James away.”
“I might need it. He hasn’t yet tried to sleep in the stable, but…”
She snickered again. “They’ll both calm down, they’re just giddy with each other right now.”
“Trust me, I know.”
I didn’t regret finding Titan, not one bit. He made James happy, with no stress involved or end-of-the-world complications. James desperately needed such happiness, and I felt this need drew him back to Titan, time and again.
We walked to the back of the palace, where the stables and training yards were. A few people gave a double take with us walking arm in arm, but no one stopped or questioned us. Which was telling, was it not?
My fallout concerns had been so much worse than reality. Which, really, was typically the case. What we imagined was always so much worse.
The reality was, people were intrigued by our relationship and gossiped about it, but no one really seemed to care one wayor another. It didn’t impact them personally, and they figured it was our business, so they went along with their lives. Aside from teasing from Helena, and my colleagues, no one even really remarked on it. There were a few grumblings from the nobles supporting Prince Victor, but they were easy to ignore. I was quite pleased with the way our relationship had been taken, and relieved it wasn’t an uphill battle.
James was not in the stable with Titan but instead in one of the corrals, putting Titan through his paces. The ease with which man and horse moved together was like poetry in motion. I stopped outside the railings and watched as they glided over a low fence, easily moving at a lope, perfectly in tune with each other.
“Gods above,” Helena murmured, her eyes transfixed on them. “He’s stunning. I’ve never seen a destrier of that size!”
“He’s huge,” I said with an emphatic nod. “The name Titan suits him perfectly.”
“He’s gorgeous, too. Like a hero’s mount.”
And so he was. James had ridden Titan into battle in our first life, so he had lived up to his life’s purpose then. I prayed he wouldn’t have to do it again in this life.
In a more judicious tone, Helena observed, “And I can see how six stall doors lost their lives to those massive hooves.”
I snorted. Yes, well, obvious with the stallion in sight like this.
I heard someone frantically running toward us and turned, then startled when I recognized Captain Rowan. The hell? He was flushed, like he’d sprinted the entire way here.
“Captain Rowan, what’s on fire?” I mentally braced myself, knowing it had to be bad. I’d never seen the man lose his composure before.
