He was quiet for a moment, considering the question."Someone who thought he knew exactly what his life was going to look like."
"And now?"
"Now I'm not sure about anything."He smiled, but there was something complicated behind it."Except that you're going to be an excellent rider if you stop second-guessing yourself."
"Nice subject change."
"I'm told I'm very smooth."
"By whom?"
"Myself, mostly."
I laughed, and he grinned at me, and for a moment we were just two people enjoying each other's company instead of a princess-in-training and her mysterious riding instructor.
"What do you think about the prince?"I asked as we continued around the arena."You said you've worked with royal horses throughout Europe.Have you ever met him?"
Peter's expression became unreadable."I've...encountered him.Yes."
"And?What's he like?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Because I'm marrying him in less than a week and I know literally nothing about him except that he's supposedly good with horses and his grandmother thinks he's wonderful, which, let's be honest, grandmothers think everyone is wonderful."
"Not all grandmothers."
"Fine.Most grandmothers.The point is, I'm walking into this completely blind, and any information would be helpful.Is he arrogant?Mean?Does he have weird hobbies?Should I be worried?"
Peter was quiet for a long moment."He's not what you'd expect."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning he's not the arrogant, entitled prince you're probably imagining.He's...complicated.He's spent his whole life following rules and doing what's expected, and I think sometimes he wonders what it would be like to just be a normal person."
"That sounds like you know him pretty well."
"Horses tell you a lot about their riders.And he's always been good to his horses."
"That's reassuring, I guess.What else can you tell me?"
"Why don't you ask me what you really want to know?"
"What do you mean?"
"You're not really asking about his politics or his hobbies.You're asking if he's going to make your life miserable for the next six months."
He was right, and the fact that he could read me so easily was both comforting and unsettling.
"Is he?"
"I don't think so.But the better question is whether you're going to make each other happy."
"That's not really the point of political marriages, is it?"
"Maybe it should be."
There was something in the way he said it that made me wonder if we were still talking about Prince Archibald or if the conversation had shifted to something more personal.
