“She can explain better after she has had some rest,” His Majesty assured him as he studied me with his soft gaze. “Have you a camp nearby, or a horse?”
I shook my head. “I don’t have anything but the clothes on my back.” I paused and looked down at myself. My clothes were covered in pitch, dirt, and needles. “Those don’t look so good, either.”
“Then we will see to your comforts at our camp,” he offered as he beckoned to his steed.
The horse stood only a few yards away, out of the way of the action but a close distance for remounting. The animal trotted over and let out a soft whinny as the king led me to the horse. Its bright blue eyes studied me with more intelligence than I expected, and it nuzzled its nose against me.
“See there, Lord Secundus,” Carus mused as he grinned at us. “Dress or no, Niveus thinks she’s good enough for his affection.”
Secundus lifted his patrician nose. “I’m sure the horse desires the grass clinging to her strange clothes.”
The horse tossed back its head and nickered. The king stroked the animal’s nose and spoke to it in a soft voice. “Patience, Niveus.”
The horse settled, and the man helped me into the saddle before climbing in behind me. I had never been on a horse in my life, and clung to the horn like it was my last defense between life and death. The king grasped the reins with his arms on either side of me and turned the steed in the direction they had come. We trotted away with the party following. I couldn’t help but look over my shoulder at where I had run.
I felt like I was leaving something behind. Perhaps it was the hope of ever returning to my city and my family.
Sorry about that dinner, Mom, I thought to myself as I tightened my grip on the horn. Tears welled in the bottoms of my eyes. But I’ll try to make it back. I promise.
The horse meandered through the forest, being mindful to avoid low branches that would have knocked us off. Or at least, knocked me off. I felt like a bowling ball precariously perched on the head of a needle. I shifted in the saddle, and the man behind me chuckled.
“You don’t have much experience with riding horses.”
I shriveled beneath his comment, and a sheepish blush accented my cheeks. “This is my first time.”
The man with the blond hair sidled up on our right side. “You must have lived an unusual life, or perhaps you have walked all of it.”
“Not so much the first, but definitely a lot of the second,” I told him.
“What’s your name?”
I twisted around to get another good look at him. “Grace. Grace Holt. What’s yours?”
Secundus trotted up to us, his face a picture of horror and disbelief. “Do you not recognize the ruler of these lands?”
“Not everyone will know me from sight if they don’t belong to the court,” the king scolded his courtier before he turned his focus back to me. “My name is Cassian Scalyvar, ruler of the lands of Vyranthia.”
“Of which you are in,” Secundus added as he looked me up and down. “How did you come to make the acquaintance of that nethral?”
I blinked at him. “A what?”
Secundus narrowed his eyes at me. “How can you not know the name of the kingdom’s most dangerous enemy?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I’m not from around here.”
Carus came up to the king’s other side and looked me over with a mischievous grin. “Where do you hail that such clothes are common among your women? I would like to meet more of them.”
“You can meet enough of them at the inn on the morrow,” the king pointed out.
His young companion sighed and shrugged. “Alas, none of those fair maidens will speak to me. I haven’t any idea why.”
“Probably because you have been a scoundrel with most of them,” Secundus retorted.
Carus tapped the side of his nose and winked at us. “One must have his fun when it can be had.”
I turned my head to the king. “So we aren’t anywhere near your capital? Or do you not have one of those?”
“I do, the ancient city of Elyra. It was founded by my forefathers four centuries ago.”
