of countless travelers were pressed into deep wheel ruts and hard packed dirt. It wound around the mountain above and stretched far into the valley below.
“Ah, here we are ,” he said as he released her arm. “Where can I take you from here, My Lady?”
Emmeline grimaced. She wasn’t ready to be confined behind marble walls and tall doors. “The day is still too young for me to return, I think. Would you mind taking me to the King’s stables? I can probably find my way to the palace from there.”
“The palace?”
Emmeline squirmed. “Um…yes.”
“I wasn’t aware you were a guest of the King’s,” he said. “We are usually informed of guests’ arrivals so we can better accommodate their needs.”
Emmeline shrugged. Most of the servants hadn’t been made aware of her presence. Her guards knew who she was, along with a few of Mahlon’s men and servants, but beyond that she wasn’t sure what everyone else was told, if anything at all.
She looked into his honest face and found that she wanted to confide in him. She wanted someone to talk to who wasn’t tainted with all the painful memories of her former home, someone outside the palace walls who wouldn’t follow her around and tell her when to eat, bathe and dress. She wanted a friend.
Stil l, she didn’t know him. How would he react when he discovered she was not just a guest to the King, but the future bride of the Crown Prince? And a witch! The servants who knew of her nuptial arrangement treated her like a delicate ornament, someone who needed careful handling and pampering. If he behaved the same way, her hope for friendship would crumble. Likewise, if he discovered she was a witch he might fear her. Unsure of what to do and uncomfortable with lying him, she told him the only truth she could.
“I haven’t been here long,” she said. “ Most of the servants haven’t been made aware of my arrival yet.”
“Well, a ll the stable servants have the day off, so you may not be able to ride today.”
“That’s fine. Just to see them will be enough.”
He smiled. “Does the lady have a fondness for horses?”
“I do.” A stab of yearning pierced Emmeline’s heart. It had been so long since she had ridden. Even to have a horse nudge her hello would give her so much comfort.
“R ight this way, then.” He gestured to the curve in the road and waited for Emmeline to step out from the trees. Setting an easy pace, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and started up the incline. A lock of brown hair fell across his forehead and Emmeline smiled as he tried, and failed, to blow it back in to place. He caught her watching him and grinned, pulling his hand from his pocket and wiping the errant hair back.
“Do you ride often?” he asked.
“I used to. I haven’t ridden since I arrived from Pamizak.” She thrust her hand out toward him as they walked. “My name is Emmeline, by the way. And you are?”
He stumbled to a halt, his mouth forming a frown. “What?” he whispered.
Emmeline dropped her ignored hand, realizing her error. With a potential war brewing, she shouldn’t have let him know she was from Pamizak. At least not until her marriage secured the peace treaty.
She gave him a sweet smile. “Forgive me,” she said. “I’m not familiar with Dolmerti’s customs as they relate to introductions. Please know that I do not harbor any ill feelings towards Dolmerti, though I am from her enemy kingdom.”
He turned his gaze toward her, his eyebrows knitting together for such a brief moment she wouldn’t have noticed had she not been searching for some indication that he wasn’t about to turn her in to the rebels. He shook his head and relaxed into a smile.
“N o, forgive my rudeness. You may call me Erick.”
He took up her arm and held it close as they continued walking, his pace a little faster. Every so often his eyebrows would furl together and then smooth just before meeting her gaze.
“Excuse me, Emm eline,” he said
“Ah, here we are ,” he said as he released her arm. “Where can I take you from here, My Lady?”
Emmeline grimaced. She wasn’t ready to be confined behind marble walls and tall doors. “The day is still too young for me to return, I think. Would you mind taking me to the King’s stables? I can probably find my way to the palace from there.”
“The palace?”
Emmeline squirmed. “Um…yes.”
“I wasn’t aware you were a guest of the King’s,” he said. “We are usually informed of guests’ arrivals so we can better accommodate their needs.”
Emmeline shrugged. Most of the servants hadn’t been made aware of her presence. Her guards knew who she was, along with a few of Mahlon’s men and servants, but beyond that she wasn’t sure what everyone else was told, if anything at all.
She looked into his honest face and found that she wanted to confide in him. She wanted someone to talk to who wasn’t tainted with all the painful memories of her former home, someone outside the palace walls who wouldn’t follow her around and tell her when to eat, bathe and dress. She wanted a friend.
Stil l, she didn’t know him. How would he react when he discovered she was not just a guest to the King, but the future bride of the Crown Prince? And a witch! The servants who knew of her nuptial arrangement treated her like a delicate ornament, someone who needed careful handling and pampering. If he behaved the same way, her hope for friendship would crumble. Likewise, if he discovered she was a witch he might fear her. Unsure of what to do and uncomfortable with lying him, she told him the only truth she could.
“I haven’t been here long,” she said. “ Most of the servants haven’t been made aware of my arrival yet.”
“Well, a ll the stable servants have the day off, so you may not be able to ride today.”
“That’s fine. Just to see them will be enough.”
He smiled. “Does the lady have a fondness for horses?”
“I do.” A stab of yearning pierced Emmeline’s heart. It had been so long since she had ridden. Even to have a horse nudge her hello would give her so much comfort.
“R ight this way, then.” He gestured to the curve in the road and waited for Emmeline to step out from the trees. Setting an easy pace, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and started up the incline. A lock of brown hair fell across his forehead and Emmeline smiled as he tried, and failed, to blow it back in to place. He caught her watching him and grinned, pulling his hand from his pocket and wiping the errant hair back.
“Do you ride often?” he asked.
“I used to. I haven’t ridden since I arrived from Pamizak.” She thrust her hand out toward him as they walked. “My name is Emmeline, by the way. And you are?”
He stumbled to a halt, his mouth forming a frown. “What?” he whispered.
Emmeline dropped her ignored hand, realizing her error. With a potential war brewing, she shouldn’t have let him know she was from Pamizak. At least not until her marriage secured the peace treaty.
She gave him a sweet smile. “Forgive me,” she said. “I’m not familiar with Dolmerti’s customs as they relate to introductions. Please know that I do not harbor any ill feelings towards Dolmerti, though I am from her enemy kingdom.”
He turned his gaze toward her, his eyebrows knitting together for such a brief moment she wouldn’t have noticed had she not been searching for some indication that he wasn’t about to turn her in to the rebels. He shook his head and relaxed into a smile.
“N o, forgive my rudeness. You may call me Erick.”
He took up her arm and held it close as they continued walking, his pace a little faster. Every so often his eyebrows would furl together and then smooth just before meeting her gaze.
“Excuse me, Emm eline,” he said
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