Page 55 of Frost Bound

“About as good as she reacted when I tried to help her mount the horse.” He ran a hand over his thick braid, remembering how she kicked at him. “At least the pretending will be over after today. Then we can go our separate ways.”

Olwen looked at him in surprise. “Do you really think it will be that easy? Surely, you’ve spent enough time with thatvallesto know she has fire that she keeps dampened. One wrong move and you could burn the palace down to ash.”

The door to the inn opened and Eyri spilled out, followed by the princess. She shut the door behind them, and Neve blinked slowly as he observed Dahlia shiver and reach for her hood, only to cough harshly. His cousin helped lift the hood over thevalles’ head, and she smiled up at him gratefully.

A string pulled taut in his chest. He rubbed the ache and then dropped his hand when Flyka appeared to his left.

“Are you ready,lae reillov?” she asked in Loriian. “For the ceremony?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

He followed as Eyri led the princess to her mount and then moved away. She stared at therukhal, her mouth slightly opening.

“There’s no saddle,” she muttered to herself. He curbed a smile when she planted her hands on her hips and squinted up at the beastie. “You can do this.”

He moved a little closer, running his hand along Cessa’s back.

Nova twisted his neck to look at thevalles. She huffed and petted his nose. “Just what am I supposed to do, my lordrukhal?”

“Nova,” Neve offered.

She blinked. “Excuse me?”

“His name is Nova.”

“Oh.” She gave the beastie a soft smile, one that was thankfully close-lipped this time.

Neve gave Cessa one last pat and then crossed his arms, ready to square off with the princess. He needed to lift her onto therukhal, as it was part of the wedding ceremony.

“We ride without saddles.”

Her jaw dropped. “No saddle?”

“None.”

“Do you have ones for children?” she asked, a touch of hope in her voice. “When we traveled through Kallere, I noticed the older children were almost my own height.”

“No.”

Her shoulders drooped.

Neve clasped his hands together. “It’s not so bad, princess. Nova is trained well. All you need is the slightest pressure and he will follow where you lead. You can hold on to his horns, and he won’t mind. Plus, he’s not as wide as the horses, so it will be easier on your short legs.”

“Short legs?” she chuckled, which turned into a wheezy cough. “I’m tall for avalles, as you say.”

He frowned. Neve didn’t like the sound of that cough. Was there something wrong with her lungs? “What is wrong with you?” he demanded. “Are you sick?”

She flinched. “It’s nothing. Just the cold air.”

Her words seemed like a lie, but why would she hide an illness?

Perhaps it is what kept her hidden away in Astera?

Neve took a step closer, eating up the space between them. He stared down into her alien eyes, trying not to shudder at how the green and brown circle in the middle seemed to rove about without thought. “If you will permit me, I will help you mount.”

She held her breath as she looked around him for someone else, but his Haunt had already mounted and moved away.

She exhaled heavily, and nodded.

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