The Royal Wizard by Alianne Donnelly

scrambled to obey.
    Color stained the prince’s cheeks. “Forgive me,” he said. “I have not yet learned everyone’s names. Many of them are new to me.”
    When the hostler led two readied horses to them, Saeran nodded and gave him a coin. “Thank you, Micah. You do fast work. That is always appreciated.”
    Micah’s eyes grew wide at the praise, and he bowed away at once.
    “Now then,” Saeran said, swinging up into the saddle with ease. “Shall we?”
    Nia swallowed hard and cautiously approached the huge gray stallion. “Hello,” she said with a tentative smile. “I am Nia. Please don’t throw me off.”
    The animal snorted a laugh. Nico has neglected his duties to you, child.
    Nia’s smile turned sad. “He did the best he could.”
    “What was that?”
    “Nothing, Highness.”
    “Mount up, then,” he urged. “I intend for this to be a long ride.”
    The stallion snickered. You will come to despise chairs. Hop up then. No good to keep the princeling waiting.
    Nia did as she was told, following the horse’s directions to mount. She’d seen others do it many a time, but it was a different matter to have to do it herself. It only took her three tries to find her seat. Nia was proud of herself.
    Hold on now, he said at the same time as Saeran shouted, “Let’s go!”
    The first jolt would have had her flying through the air, had her mount, Satardust was his name, not kicked out with his hind legs to set her upright once more. Before she could even draw a full breath, they were out in the open, galloping across the frozen fields.
    Hold on with your legs and lean forward, Stardust advised. See how the princeling rides?
    Nia took a chance and looked to her left. Saeran rode beside her, moving in rhythm with his mount’s gallop. Nia mirrored his pose, grinning as the new position gave her much more balance and control.
    They rode for a long time until the wind chill made Nia’s face go numb, and her legs became so sore she didn’t know how much longer she could keep her seat. When the castle was so far in the distance they could barely see it and they approached the forest’s edge, Saeran slowed their pace and then stopped to catch his breath. His eyes were feverish, his face alight.
    He dismounted at once, lifting his face to the sky. “This kingship will be the death of me,” he muttered.
    Nia grinned and swung her leg over to dismount as well.
    Careful, Stardust urged, but it was too late. Her knee buckled and she yelped, tumbling to the ground. With her foot still caught in the stirrup, she gazed up at Stardust with her mouth hanging open. “That hurt!”
    Saeran peeked at her from behind her mount. “Nia?” He came to her and freed her foot from the stirrup, holding his hand out to help her up. When her legs still refused to support her, he laughed and slid an arm beneath her shoulders to brace her against his side. “You should have told me you do not ride.”
    “Your Highness?”
    “Yes?”
    “I am afraid I don’t ride.”
     “Thank you for telling me. Perhaps I should have a carriage prepared instead.”
    She returned his easy smile with an awkward one of her own. Her rump felt numb and her legs were wobbly. As mortifying as it was to be so helpless, it was made a thousand times worse by Saeran’s helping her. But though she could have restored her sapping strength in moments, she didn’t. It didn’t occur to her while Saeran had his arm around her and was smiling the way he was. Nia forgot she was a wizard, and his vassal. For that small moment in time, she was nothing more than Nia.
    Stardust suddenly tossed his head with a snort and paced sideways right into them. The other stallion backed away from the forest’s edge, both animals’ eyes wide. Saeran frowned. “What in Thor’s name…”
    He ascertained her balance before he released her. Grasping onto his mount’s reins, he settled the beast with a soft touch and then drew his long dagger, returning to Nia. “Handsome