“Are we still on that?” he asked. “I apologized.”
“No, youdid not.”
“Didn’t I?”Cyrus paused.“I meant to.”
“Still not an apology, sir,”I said. “Believe me, I am keeping track of what you say and don’t say.”
“Are you now?” he asked. “Great. Could you compile everything into a nice little book for me? I’d like to share it with my children someday.” He faked a display with his hand. “‘HowI Survived Hell with the Princess One Summer.’ Yes. Quite the ring to it.”
“You think you’re funny,” I said.
“On the contrary, I know I’m a riot,” he said. “Now. Just tell me the saying so that I may escape this cycle, please.”
“Why don’t youguessit instead?” I sneered.
“What?”
“You’re the expert on every single Oreian saying ever– old and new. It shouldn’t take you too long.”
“Princess.”He narrowed his eyes.
I didn’t bend, and he grunted. Ice did, too.
“Even the horse agrees with me,” I said.
“Thehorseis agitated,” he corrected.
“Then stop agitating her,sir.”
“Me? You’re over there, stewing in your-”
Isaac stomped, revisiting the first two or three feet she had passed. We shared a worried look, and I lowered my voice.
“If you call a wolf, you call the pack,”I said.
“…What?” he asked. “What incoherentnonsenseis that? Hey!” He called to his mare, pulling her cord. “Settle down.”
“Well, itwould’vemade more sense if you’d have let me say it when we were on the topic, but-“
“Whattopic?” he asked. “Is there a rhyme to all of this?”
I flustered. “Ugh! Please, sir. I amtryingto get there!”
He shook his head somewhere between disbelief and disappointment. “Shh. Shh. Shh.”
“Did you just shush me?” I cried.
“I shushed the horse,”he said.
“It’s just.” I huffed. “It’s beenmyexperience thatrakishfellows travel in packs, much like wolves. So, between the facts that I have gathered and-“
“Oh, Christ,”he scoffed, eliciting my gasp. “Whatfactshave you gathered?”
“If you let me finish-!”
“I-” His mount shuffled backward, threatening to march or rear. Cyrus tightened the rein, singing, “Whoaaa, eyyy. None of that.” When she calmed, heglaredin my direction.
I adopted a sweeter tone, masking the venom. “One. You are not particularlyoffendedby the Prince’s behavior!”
