Page 21 of Stealing a Kilted Heart

“What is this?”

Fia stared at the horse in front of her, a large, black beast whose fur shone under the morning sun. It was a calm creature, standing still where Laird Stuart had guided it, in an empty part of the back of the castle, which was usually reserved for training the men. Now, though, it was empty, save for the two of them and the horse.

“This is a horse,” said Knox, rather unhelpfully. “Surely, ye ken what a horse looks like, Miss MacKenzie.”

Fia had to resist the urge to roll her eyes at him. Naturally, she knew what a horse was; what she didn’t know was why that horse was there and why a servant had rushed to her while she was in the healer’s cottage, claiming the laird had requested her presence immediately. She had left her chores unfinished, rushing through the castle grounds with her hands dusted with powders and her fingernails caked with remnants of the pastes she was preparing, only to find Knox waiting for her there along with the horse.

“I ken what a horse is,” she assured him. “Why have ye brought the horse here? Or rather, why have ye brought me here?”

“Tae teach ye, o’ course,” said Laird Stuart, so casually that Fia couldn’t help but wonder if they had arranged this at some point in the past few days and she had simply forgotten about it. But no, it couldn’t be; Fia would have never agreed to this.

“That is very kind o’ ye,” she said, keeping her responses diplomatic in the face of terror. “But I dinnae think it is necessary. I’m sure ye have many more important things tae dae other than teach me how tae ride a horse.”

“I have naethin’ else tae dae today,” said Laird Stuart, much to Fia’s chagrin. Why did he have to be so insistent? Why did he even show this much interest in whether she learned how to ride a horse or not?

She couldn’t say no to the laird, no matter how much the thought of getting on horseback terrified her. At least they were in an enclosed space, she thought, and there was nowhere the horse could run off on its own, with her unable to control it.

Maybe this is the right time fer me tae learn. Maybe it willnae be so bad.

Still, she stared at the beast in apprehension, and she was certain that the horse could sense it. It knew her fear; it knew she wanted nothing to do with it and it would soon exact its revenge.

With a determined inhale, Fia approached Laird Stuart and the horse, looking at the mare a little warily.

“It’s alright,” Knox assured her. “Here, ye can touch her.”

As he took her hand, Fia flinched at first, but then let him guide her to the horse’s mane, her fingers combing through the soft hairs. The horse neighed, shaking its head, and Fia was quick to pull back, much to Laird Stuart’s amusement.

“She willnae hurt ye,” he said. “She only wishes tae greet ye.”

Fia let out an awkward chuckle, desperately hoping Knox was right. She petted the horse’s flank gently, following Knox’s lead, and soon, she wasn’t that frightened of the creature.

And yet, she couldn’t say that she wouldn’t be frightened once she was on the saddle.

As she rounded the horse, Fia came to stand by its side, taking Laird Stuart’s hand to let him help her up onto the saddle. Once there, she did her best to appear calm at least, even if her heart was beating so fast that she feared it would jump straight out of her chest. However, even to her, her panic was clear. Her fingers clutched the reins too tightly, knuckles going white under the pressure, and her thighs tensed as she desperately tried to remain seated on the saddle, even as the horse made no effort to move.

“Ye see? That isnae that bad, now, is it? Now try to take a few steps,” Knox pushed Fia.

She felt unsteady, unmoored, her feet aching to stand back on solid ground, but she stared resolutely forward and tried to guide the horse on.

It didn’t move. Fia tried again, gently commanding it, but once again, the horse remained motionless, munching on a bit of grass it had found by its hooves. Next to her, she heard the laird suppress a chuckle and she turned to him with despair in her gaze, not knowing what to do.

Gently, Laird Stuart took the reins from Fia’s hands and began to lead the horse around the training area slowly, making sure to glance up at her to see if she was doing well.

“Hold on tae the saddle,” he told her, and Fia’s hands immediately reached for the front end, fingers curling securely around it. “An’ relax. Ye’ll fall off if ye’re so stiff.”

She tried, she truly did. It was easier said than done, though, and with every step the horse took, she found it even more difficult to relax. Everything felt unsteady. Fia feared that the moment she would move a single muscle she would tumble off the saddle and hit the ground, and then, if she was unlucky enough, it would also be the moment when the horse would decide to step on her.

“Miss MacKenzie, relax,” Laird Stuart repeated, reaching up to tap her knee gently. The touch was so unexpected that Fia almost jumped off the saddle, and the sudden movement only served to scare her even more, her thighs tensing harder. “I willnae let ye fall. Dinnae fash.”

Laird Stuart spoke so warmly, so sincerely that Fia couldn’t help but trust him. Ever so slowly, she began to relax, letting her body adjust to the natural rhythm of the horse’s gait until she was comfortable enough to release the death grip she had on the saddle. She straightened her back and began to get used to the feeling of it.

Now that she was more comfortable, more attuned to the rhythm of the horse’s gait, she found the ride, if not exactly entertaining, then at least pleasant. There was something calming about riding, something almost meditative in the steady movements of its body, and soon, she cracked a small smile, glancing at Laird Stuart, only to find him already looking at her.

It wasn’t until a little later that she stiffened again, when Laird Stuart said, “Should we head out?”

“Head out?” Fia asked, her eyes widening in terror. “Out where, me laird?”

Laird Stuart chuckled, his shoulders shaking ever so slightly. “Out. Tae the woods. Perhaps we can pass by Duror.”