willed
woman…” I grinned as she tried to hide the smile the complement
brought to her lips. “I just…”
“You’re wondering why you?”
“I’m not the only one wondering.”
“You’re a man of honor, Chael. You’ve spend
years proving yourself. You’re brave, skilled, and you care about
your fellow Knights.” She smiled. “There are many women who have
watched and are interested, Chael. You just don’t seem to notice.”
She laughed at my frown. “Some women want big, strong men. I prefer
mine to have brains over brawn. Honor trumps muscles any day in my
books.” She stood on her tip toes. “Now, does that answer your
question?”
Her lips brushed against mine and I nodded,
held her face in my hands, and pressed my lips to hers lightly.
“Sir Chael!” The sound of running footsteps
echoed through the empty hallway. I swore as Nate appeared around
the corner.
“What is it? Is Klora alright?”
“He broke out of his stall and ran off. I
tried to stop him, Sir.”
I noticed he had a large bump on his
forehead. “Katheryn, take him to a healwife.” I looked at her,
surprised with myself. “I’m sorry, princess. I didn’t mean to order
you around.”
She smiled. “I’ll take care of him. Go find
your horse. We can continue this conversation tomorrow.”
“I’m leaving tomorrow. My father and I have
an assignment.”
“Then I’ll be at the gates to see you
off.”
I nodded and started to run to the stables. A
young woman in a long dark orange dress looked up at the sound of
my footsteps.
“Sir Chael.”
I smiled. “Jasmine. Have you seen Klora? He
broke out of his stall.”
She brushed her black bangs out of her face
and grinned. “Again?”
“Again.”
She shook her head. “I haven’t seen him, but
I did hear a ruckus a couple of streets down.”
I hesitated and looked up at her. “Are you
alright? Why aren’t you at the banquet?”
She shrugged. “I was. I was going to come
talk to you, but it seems the princess was holding the majority of
your attention.”
“Jasmine, I’m not interested in the
princess.”
“Really?”
I nodded. “I’m off on an assignment tomorrow
and plan on staying gone for a long time. I’m not interested in
finding someone to be my wife.”
She frowned. “But..”
“Jasmine, I can’t go into details, but the
fact of the matter is, I will never take a wife. I’m to spend the
rest of my life with Whisk and Klora.”
Whisk rounded the corner and gave a deep
bark. I smiled and pulled her into a hug. “Go back in and take a
seat beside Mac. The man is heads over heels for you, but is too
shy to talk to you.”
Whisk watched until I released her before
giving another bark and running down the street.
“Good luck catching Klora!”
I grinned and ran after my dog. By the time I
had reached my uncle’s house, it was obvious where Whisk was
leading me. I walked the last block to catch my breath. Klora stood
by the front door. He raised his head at the sight of me and let
out a welcoming whinny. I raised an eyebrow at him.
“Don’t pretend you missed me.” I patted his
neck and led him to the backyard where he promptly started to eat
the grass. “I have to admit, you have great timing.”
He shook out his mane and blew out of his
nose as if to say, ‘well, of course’.
“Chael’s luck,” I mumbled to myself. “Of all
the knights she could have picked.” I looked toward the castle then
up to the sky. “And then I find out it’s not just her! Did you know
Jasmine was interested as well? What in the world is wrong with
them? Look at me. You think you’re funny, yeah? That must be it.” I
shook my head and turned to my horse. “I’ll just tell them I didn’t
find you.” I left him to his midnight snack and made my way to my
aunt’s kitchen where I poured myself a mug of ale. After adding a
few logs to the fire, I sat and stared into the flames.
A wife. I shook my head in disbelief. In my
eighteen years it had
woman…” I grinned as she tried to hide the smile the complement
brought to her lips. “I just…”
“You’re wondering why you?”
“I’m not the only one wondering.”
“You’re a man of honor, Chael. You’ve spend
years proving yourself. You’re brave, skilled, and you care about
your fellow Knights.” She smiled. “There are many women who have
watched and are interested, Chael. You just don’t seem to notice.”
She laughed at my frown. “Some women want big, strong men. I prefer
mine to have brains over brawn. Honor trumps muscles any day in my
books.” She stood on her tip toes. “Now, does that answer your
question?”
Her lips brushed against mine and I nodded,
held her face in my hands, and pressed my lips to hers lightly.
“Sir Chael!” The sound of running footsteps
echoed through the empty hallway. I swore as Nate appeared around
the corner.
“What is it? Is Klora alright?”
“He broke out of his stall and ran off. I
tried to stop him, Sir.”
I noticed he had a large bump on his
forehead. “Katheryn, take him to a healwife.” I looked at her,
surprised with myself. “I’m sorry, princess. I didn’t mean to order
you around.”
She smiled. “I’ll take care of him. Go find
your horse. We can continue this conversation tomorrow.”
“I’m leaving tomorrow. My father and I have
an assignment.”
“Then I’ll be at the gates to see you
off.”
I nodded and started to run to the stables. A
young woman in a long dark orange dress looked up at the sound of
my footsteps.
“Sir Chael.”
I smiled. “Jasmine. Have you seen Klora? He
broke out of his stall.”
She brushed her black bangs out of her face
and grinned. “Again?”
“Again.”
She shook her head. “I haven’t seen him, but
I did hear a ruckus a couple of streets down.”
I hesitated and looked up at her. “Are you
alright? Why aren’t you at the banquet?”
She shrugged. “I was. I was going to come
talk to you, but it seems the princess was holding the majority of
your attention.”
“Jasmine, I’m not interested in the
princess.”
“Really?”
I nodded. “I’m off on an assignment tomorrow
and plan on staying gone for a long time. I’m not interested in
finding someone to be my wife.”
She frowned. “But..”
“Jasmine, I can’t go into details, but the
fact of the matter is, I will never take a wife. I’m to spend the
rest of my life with Whisk and Klora.”
Whisk rounded the corner and gave a deep
bark. I smiled and pulled her into a hug. “Go back in and take a
seat beside Mac. The man is heads over heels for you, but is too
shy to talk to you.”
Whisk watched until I released her before
giving another bark and running down the street.
“Good luck catching Klora!”
I grinned and ran after my dog. By the time I
had reached my uncle’s house, it was obvious where Whisk was
leading me. I walked the last block to catch my breath. Klora stood
by the front door. He raised his head at the sight of me and let
out a welcoming whinny. I raised an eyebrow at him.
“Don’t pretend you missed me.” I patted his
neck and led him to the backyard where he promptly started to eat
the grass. “I have to admit, you have great timing.”
He shook out his mane and blew out of his
nose as if to say, ‘well, of course’.
“Chael’s luck,” I mumbled to myself. “Of all
the knights she could have picked.” I looked toward the castle then
up to the sky. “And then I find out it’s not just her! Did you know
Jasmine was interested as well? What in the world is wrong with
them? Look at me. You think you’re funny, yeah? That must be it.” I
shook my head and turned to my horse. “I’ll just tell them I didn’t
find you.” I left him to his midnight snack and made my way to my
aunt’s kitchen where I poured myself a mug of ale. After adding a
few logs to the fire, I sat and stared into the flames.
A wife. I shook my head in disbelief. In my
eighteen years it had
Similar Books
