Chapter 7
The horse was magnificent.Toomagnificent.Devoid of markings or not, there was nothing plain about Nocturne.Short, stocky, thickly maned and athletically muscular, Bella knew this specimen to be no other breed than the one called the Prince of Horses, the Mérens.She immediately had stronger suspicions as to Albert’s true identity, but if he was not comfortable sharing details of his life, she elected to allow him to keep his silence.
For now.
“Nocturne, you are the most handsome of stallions.”
Smart beast that he was, the horse nickered agreement.Bella took the water bucket she’d purchased and looped it over the embossed saddle horn, then set Albert and his smelly wineskin carefully inside it.
“How is that?”she whispered.
He nodded.
Commotion in the back of the stable had a few lads crowding around a stall.
“What’s going on?”
“Downed horse,” one tearful youth said.
“That’s so sad.”Bella patted Nocturne’s neck and slipped closer to the gathering.“Poor thing.What’s to be done with him?”
The ostler sent Bella a dark look.“None ‘a yer concern, miss.”
She bristled at the dismissal.“A noble steed deserves a noble sendoff after a lifetime of loyal service.”
He scoffed.“We dump ‘im in da pond.”
“Thepond?”Her eyes drifted to Albert, then over to the youth who had first spoken to her.That boy’s eyes overflowed with tears.Clearly, he’d loved this horse.“That’s horrible.Bury him or cremate him.What was his name?”
“Dignité,” the lad answered, his voice wavering.
“A horse namedHonordeserves a better end than rotting in a pond.”She glanced back at Nocturne.“I shall address my grievance to the king and queen about this.”
The ostler bristled.“Wench, ye’ll do no such thing!”And he raised a hand to smack her.
Albert flung himself out of the bucket and clamped down on the ostler’s nose.The man shrieked like a little girl and swatted at his face, trying to dislodge the amphibian.
Bella recovered from the almost-attack enough to relish the sight.“Looks like you’ve irritated an inhabitant of that pond.”She reached for Albert.“Hold still, and I’ll remove it.Frog, let go,” she said firmly as she wrapped her fingers around Albert’s girth and gave a gentle tug.
The frog complied, and Bella smiled down at her unwitting rescuer before taking a cold tone with the ostler.“Now.Promise me you’ll bury that poor horse as is proper, or I’ll let this frog take a full piece of you.”She shoved Albert menacingly at the man, and Albert’s tongue flicked out like he meant business.
The man’s face reddened with anger and a hint of disgust, but he pointed at his stable hands.“Grab shovels.Start digging a hole where the other horses are buried, along the tree line behind the church.Go.”The boys scrambled for tools and raced out of the building, but not before the one lad delivered her the most grateful of looks.
The ostler pulled two horses into the aisle and fitted them with harnesses.He barked to another youth, “Bring the flat cart.We’ll haul Dignité onto it and then away.”
Bella watched until it was clear they were actually going to bury the poor horse, then she glanced down at Albert and untied Nocturne’s lead rope.She guided the horse out of the inn’s stable and onto the cobbled street and stopped.
“Thank you for that.”If Albert hadn’t intervened, she would likely have a purple eye by now.
