Page 140 of A Legacy of the Light

There’s no doubt in my mind that if he knew, I would be dead. King Raghnall would kill me himself knowing I could take his crown. I’m half-inclined to do it just to piss him off.

I have no intention of staying away from Tavish either, and I’m certain he has no intention of staying away from me. What’s one more secret?

“Are we clear, Elspeth?”

I grind my teeth at his use of my full name.

“Crystal, Your Majesty.”

“Then we are done here. You are dismissed.”

I rise from my chair and give the king a half bow. Enough of one that I show him respect in front of the guards by the door, but the tick along Raghnall’s jaw tells me he sees the attempt as an insult.

Exactly as I intended.

Chapter 34

The further I walk from the dining room, the angrier I get. How dare he tell me what I can and cannot do? How dare he put his own son’s life in danger just to keep us apart? What a pathetic excuse for a man.

I step out into the main courtyard and tilt my head up into the winter sun. The December wind whips at my face and hair but does nothing to cool the rage burning inside me.

It’s probably a good thing I can’t wield. I would have whipped some mist at Raghnall’s face or something if I could, and that would have landed me in some deep shit.

I need to get out of here for a while.

I take a left and follow the path through the rose garden, now pruned for the harshest weather conditions, and head toward the stables.

Mabel’s saddle hangs next to her pen. Taking it, I offer her the back of my hand and a sugar cube before letting myself in and saddling her up.

As I’m leading her by the reins out of the stables, Fraser strolls through the open stable doors with a large brush in his hand.

“Taking her out, miss?”

“Yes, along the lake. It’s a lovely day for a ride,” I reply blankly.

“Aye, it is,” he confirms. “Hold on.” He hurries over to the hooks at the end of the stables and hands me a long black cloak.

“Here.”

I take it from him, confused.

“It’s cold,” he says, smiling.

He holds Mabel while I throw the cloak around my shoulders and secure it under my chin.

“Thanks, Fraser. And will you please call me Elsie?” I ask. I have asked him before to drop the formality. Sometimes he remembers, but most the time he calls me ‘miss’ or ‘lady’.

“Sorry, Elsie. Old habits and all,” he replies.

A small smile pulls at the corner of my mouth. “Well, thanks for the cloak, Fraser. I’ll be back in a little while,” I tell him and grip Mabel’s saddle to mount.

When I’m in place, Fraser hands me the reins and he steps back as I nudge Mabel into motion.

The heavy wooden gates that Tavish and I exited through last time stand open, and Mabel carefully navigates the path. I keep her pace slow in case of any ice hidden underneath the snow that’s still clinging to the ground.

When we reach the bottom, we take the path to the left instead of the right and follow it around the shores of Ederline for a while.

We pass by where the bonfire was on the night of the ball, now covered in a layer of snow. We pass by the spot where Reyne and I had lunch on my first trip into the city, and we pass the very edges of the city. As trees line the path again, I pull up the hood of the cloak and urge Mabel into a gentle trot, enjoying the feel of the cold air on my face.