Chapter 4
Lorcan I was up before the sun, eager to prepare Incendio for his ride. While making my exit last night, a lady who assisted the princess informed me that her Highness wanted her horse ready in the morning. “Princess Isolde wishes to ride after breakfast.” Knowing my mother began to prepare the court their first meal at dawn, I would have to hustle if I wanted to satisfy the request of her Highness.
Incendio didn’t seem keen to awaken before the first rays had touched the earth. The horse grunted and refused to stand still as I brushed his red mane. He kept hitting his nose under my arm, knocking the brush to the ground. I swear that horse was trying to get me in a position where he could kick me with his hind legs. A trick I was not about to fall for.
“Fine!” I yelled at the beast and disappeared to peek into the basket my mother had prepared for me. It had warm buttered rolls and two apples to hold me over until lunch. I tucked one apple into my pocket and carried the second over to Incendio, holding the apple out so he could see.
“My gift to you. I’ll share my breakfast if you just sit still.” The horse stole the apple out of my hand, nearly biting off my fingers in the process. “You’re a bloody demon.” I groaned but took advantage of his distracted state as he happily munched away. My hand swooped up the brush and flew over his mane, grooming as fast as I could. When he looked polished enough, I went and got his saddle. Incendio finished with my apple, and not happy to see the saddle, began backing away grunting.
“C’mon. I don’t have much time.” I approached the horse with caution, my gaze locked on his as he snorted a tuft of visible vapor in my direction. The sun was already up. For all I knew the princess would arrive in two minutes or two hours. It was a gamble I didn’t want to take. “Look.” I pulled the second apple out of my pocket and showed it to him. “You let me put your saddle on, you get a reward.”
The horse stared at me for a second, then turned its head in a moment of submission. Letting out a sigh of relief, I stuffed the apple back into my pocket, lifted the saddle off the fence, and swung it over Incendio’s back. I ducked down to grab hold of the strap and loop it through when Incendio lifted his hind legs and kicked hard. The saddle flew off, and I fell to the floor, but not before the horse grabbed my pocket with his teeth, tearing the fabric and stealing my apple.
A giggle from the doorway informed me my humiliation did not go unnoticed. Princess Isolde walked in, her smile broad as she saw me looking rather disgraced on the floor, hay all around me. I scurried to my feet, gave her a slight bow, and hastily plucked the hay from my unruly hair.
“Princess Isolde, my apologies for not having Incendio ready yet.”
“You’ll never have him ready if you put that monstrosity upon his back.” She gestured to the saddle.
“Princess, you cannot ride bareback. I can get the saddle on Incendio. I just need more apples is all.” I laughed and patted the horse on the mane to show her we were not enemies. Incendio pulled away. Thanks for making me look like an ass, friend.
“You can feed him an entire bushel of apples; it will do you no good. That is not my saddle.” The princess pointed to the saddle on the floor. “It belongs to my mother.”
“I understand, your highness. But it is the only side saddle I have in the stables. I was told by your lady-in-waiting last night that it would be all right until a new saddle arrived for you.”
“Well Posey knows nothing about me, so I shan’t hold you at fault for her ignorance.” Her use of the word ignorance caused my ears to burn with humiliation. I knew it was not her intent, but I felt the fool. Is that how they spoke about us behind the stone walls?
“I don’t ride side saddle,” she explained. “Fitz took in my things last night. There should be a saddle with an I in gold lettering. I assure you, if you bring that saddle out, Incendio won’t give you half as many problems.” Her smile was pleasant as she took Incendio’s face in her hands and kissed him gently on the nose. The horse happily whinnied in reply. A demon with me, an angel with her. I see the horse knew how to act out our little play.
My gaze dropped down to her legs where I realized for the first time she was in fitted tan trousers beneath her green tunic dress. The material cropped short to her mid-thigh! Long, brown leather boots ran up her calf and tied at her knee. It became curious to me how a member of the royal family would obtain such clothing. I had heard stories that the women across the Salted Sea dressed like a man. I had assumed their ways were savage, and they had lost all feminine traits due to the harsh conditions they resided under. It was strange to imagine and far stranger to see, but Isolde was so beautiful, it was quite attractive. I nodded and went to the back where my horse, Ashes, was lazily grazing on some hay. Sure enough, amidst all the saddles was a dark brown one with a gold I.
Returning, Incendio turned his head in my direction, but rather than put up a fight, he looked bored with me. Just as the princess had predicted, he allowed me to put the saddle on without any complaints.
The speed at which the princess mounted her horse, without any need of assistance, only furthered my admiration of her. She had left a girl but returned as a spirited woman. Even without the weight of her crown, she carried herself with grace and nobility. Her hair fell down her back in a perfect fishtail braid, and I ran my fingers through my hair, ashamed of the disheveled state I must have appeared.
“Thank you for your help, Lorcan. I shall return in an hour, two at the most.” She kicked her horse to get him started, but I grabbed at his bridle. He tossed his head in defiance, but I held on tight. Her eyes grew wide in shock at my brash manner, but I was paralyzed with fear by the thought of what she was about to do.
“Forgive me, Your Highness.” I bowed my head but bravely looked up into her icicle eyes. “I cannot let you ride alone. I assumed you would be with an escort.”
“An escort? I rode alone in Abhainn every day. Why would the place of my birth be any different?”
“Princess, it’s not safe. Should anything happen to you, I would be to blame.”
“Ha. So it is your head you fear losing, and not mine.” Her voice whipped at my stupid choice of words with all the precision of a skilled man with a lasso.
“That’s not what I meant, my princess.” I fumbled…searching for the right words to regain an ounce of dignity. “I only meant I couldn’t live with myself if something were to happen to you.”
Isolde looked at me, her eyes narrow as she considered my words. Then, shrugging unbefitting a princess, she surprised me even further. “Fine. Saddle up then, but I will not wait all morning. Hopefully, you can read your horse quicker than you did mine.”
“I’m sorry?”
“If you don’t wish me to ride alone, then come along.” She walked her horse in a circle to keep him from growing restless.
I rested my hands on my hips and looked back at Ashes, who still munching on his hay. The offer was tempting, but not one I could ever partake of. Alone with the most beautiful, powerful girl in the kingdom. Best my mind didn’t even dwell on such an impossibility. “Princess…that would not be proper.” She cocked her head to the side and drank me in with those mystical eyes. Then she walked Incendio out of the stable and looked over her shoulder.
“Well, I suggest you come to a decision…either risk my life or my reputation.”