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I grunted, slanting my groin from the prongs. “Carrying a blade doesn’t make me treasonous, Highness. The weapon’s merely for dicing through enemies who get in my way, not for skinning nosy princesses. Though, I’m impressed you noticed the knife at all. My room was dark.”
Above her, an unidentified critter scurried along a branch, inciting an avalanche of stones. My hand shot out to capture one and then toss it to the Royal, which she caught in her outstretched grasp.
The moment provided important details that she hadn’t noticed, but I had. One, the fact that she’d let go of her mare’s bridle, allowing the horse to roam freely alongside mine. And two, a hunting trap—an aged model, from what I could tell of its shape—five feet from us.
A shitty premonition crept up on me.
“I pay attention to things,” she claimed. At which point, the princess whipped out her arm, pitched the rock off to the side, and sealed our fucking fate.
The stone thwacked into the hunting trap. Its rusty hinges squealed, the teeth snapping shut with a ghastly echo.
The horses reared into action. Their spooked cries pierced through the forest as they bolted into the night.
***
“Let’s play a game,” I instigated.
“Don’t start,” the princess said, panting as we hiked beside the brook.
“You realize we’ve circled this area twice already.”
“I’m aware of that.”
“I’m bored,” I mock-whined, just to fuck with her.
This tenacious woman deserved to be punished. She had waylaid my evening, kept me from the one beloved thing I anticipated all week—every week—and gotten us stranded. Moreover, having my ears assaulted by righteous dialogue added insult to injury. And mud caked my favorite boots to the fucking ankles.
Two hours later, and we were still searching for the horses. I never used my own stallion from the court stables for these evening trips. Those stalls were under constant surveillance, guarded by cranky bastards who noticed every ant that traveled in and out, and I couldn’t risk being seen.
But whilst I had been spared the loss of my personal mount, we’d lost a pair that had been for sale, which meant the stable would lose money.
Notwithstanding, our chances of recovering the fauna were slim. I’d given up an hour ago, for it was too dark to follow their hoof prints. And as terrified as the horses had been, they could push themselves three miles out of range before the gallop sapped their energy.
The princess and I had a rigorous trek back to the court to look forward to. I’d need those hours to contemplate how to sweet-talk us out of this. Justifying why we abducted common steeds, and why we’d been out here together, would be problematic. Dammit, I could strangle this female and flog my own ass.
We trailed the brook, figuring the horses would seek water.
“Indulge me, Sweet Thorn,” I said. “I won’t take nay for an answer, not until we make our return journey or make camp. Mind you, I vote for the latter.”
Briar rounded on me, the hem of her mahogany gown slapping the dirt. “I will not give up yet.”
Up close, her forehead shimmered with sweat. Her disheveled appearance was unaccountably different from the figure that usually locked horns with me. The sight made her look approachable … alluring.
Do not go there again.
I appreciated the woman’s determination. However, I also craved a fresh diversion, mostly to keep my admiration from segueing for the hundredth time to her physical attributes.
“We’ll call a ceasefire,” I said. “I shall ask you a series of questions, and you shall stimulate me with your own inquisition. The first person to lie loses. We’re well-versed enough with each other for that.”
Dubious, she crossed her arms. “It’s a distraction.”
“You’re a Royal. I’m a juggler. That makes us accustomed to multitasking.”
With a sigh, the princess trudged through the undergrowth. Her hips swayed and did attractive things to her skirt, which in turn did cruel things to my bloodstream, which annoyed the shit out of me. The Royal had been routinely getting under my skin since the feast, and I couldn’t afford to start obsessing.
I marshalled my concentration. Her silence gave me permission to start interrogating.
Why do you hate Spring? Why do you distrust this Season? Why won’t you let anyone in? What are you afraid of?
