Both of the girls looked at me with dropped jaws. “You’re aqueen?”
“Reluctantly, yes.” I tried to give the duo a cheerful smile.
“Oh wow—we’re taking our picture with royalty!” the chattier one squealed.
“Smile!” the other one said.
Once they finished, they thanked me, performed a few adorably bad curtseys that were still better than anything I could do, and were on their way.
“That was fun,” I said as we turned the horses back into the parking lot, preparing to head back home. “I wish more of my role as queen involved fun stuff like this.”
“In a week you’ll be participating in a Court-wide ride,” Chase pointed out.
“Yeah, but it’s not the same.” I sighed, and my stomach took that opportune moment to rumble.
Chase glanced in the direction of my stomach. “Perhaps we ought to head home.”
“That sounds great.” I rearranged my bags, trying to balance them on my saddle, hold my latte, and grip the reins with one hand. “But while I have you alone, I wanted to ask you for a favor.”
A favor—those were dangerous words to say to a fae. Favors meant minute shifts in power, and fae were famous for being able to manipulate something small—like answering a simple question—into something as big as a blood debt if you weren’t careful.
Since Chase was a werewolf, he was the only supernatural on my staff I was comfortable talking to like this.
Chase glanced at me, his golden eyes glowing. “I am yours to command.”
“I’d like you to investigate Lord Linus,” I said. “I know you looked into him when he first came to the mansion, but I want to know more. Specifically, I want to know who he owes money to.”
Chase nodded. “His debt is a dangerous liability.”
“Exactly,” I said. “One I’d like to get settled as quickly as possible.”
“I will look into it.”
“Thanks, Chase. I appreciate it.”
“Of course.” He bowed slightly still on horseback, and his eyes lingered on Eclipse. “You know, Queen Leila, there will be one upside to next week’s ride.”
“Oh? What’s that?” I took another sip of my iced latte and almost shut my eyes in pleasure.
Chase offered me a very slight but thoroughly mischievous smile. “You’ll be riding the night mares—which most of the Court fear greatly.”
Chapter Fourteen
Leila
“Ifeel betrayed,” I said.
Today’s social event was a Court-wide ride held in the nature preserve in my backyard—which was fun. For the occasion, Indigo had stuffed me into a pair of white breeches, knee-high black boots, a floral pattern dress shirt that suspiciously reminded me of a teacup pattern, and a navy blue dress coat.
I didn’t mind the breeches and boots, but I very much minded the coat—which was unbearably hot in the summer sun—and the neck of the dress shirt was closed with a golden moon pin that was jabbing me in the throat.
Skye gathered up the reins of her calm, chestnut colored mare. “You were the one who insisted on wearing a helmet.”
“Because I have good self-preservation instincts!” I complained. “It’s not my fault the rest of my Court are more concerned with their aesthetic and like to thunder around on horses without proper protective headgear!”
I scowled as a few nobles cantered past.
They were wearing more traditional fae garb—tunics and flowing dresses, neither of which were very practical to ride in—and laughed as they held onto their bows and crossbows and had quivers of arrows strapped to their backs.
