Page 128 of The Lost Art of Revealing Hidden Truths
Perian huffed a laugh. “No, it hasn’t. But at the same time, there have been so many good parts, so many things that I’ve loved, you chief among them.”
Brannal kissed him.
With a smile, Perian admitted, “I’d go through it again for you and Renny and Kee—oh, and for all the good things: for Molun and Arvus and Prince Horsey and Nisal and Delana and Onadal and Chamis and Bennan, for that day Renny’s room ‘flooded.’ There are so many good memories, Brannal, even if there are bad ones, too.”
Brannal nodded. “I’m glad. And, uh, that does remind me that I brought a few things with me. The letters I told you about, and I packed up your things, and, uh, could we go out to thestable?”
Perian blinked at him. “Oh, do you want to see Warrior? I promise, our accommodations might not be as fancy as the castle’s, but we treat the horses right!”
“Can we take some apples and carrots?”
“Of course,” Perian agreed.
He was always ready to give horses treats, which might be why so many of them liked him.
Perian pulled on a coat, Brannal still ready in his Mage Warrior’s garb. Perian wondered if all his muscles kept him warm all the time.
They walked out to the stable, which was a short walk behind the house, and slipped inside.
“Hello, everyone!” Perian said cheerfully, because he always liked to greet all his horses.
And that, of course, was when he heard a very distinctive snorting and stamping of hooves.
He whirled to look at Brannal in shock, and then he ran to the end of the row of stalls and saw that his ears had not been deceiving him.
“Prince Horsey!” he exclaimed. “Oh, Prince Horsey, I didn’t think I was ever going to see you again! But what are you doing here?”
Brannal came up and handed over the apples and carrots which made a lot more sense now, and Perian happily fed them to Prince Horsey, who gobbled them up like he hadn’t eaten in years. Perian didn’t even need Brannal’s laughing protest to know that was a lie.
“Oats every night, I swear,” Brannal grumbled. “Generally fed to him by me, because he turned up his nose at every stable hand we encountered. I swear, the only reason he let me anywhere near him was because I swore to him that we were coming to you.”
Perian turned to him incredulously. “But how is hehere?Whyis he here?”
Brannal smiled gently at him. “Because the Prince wished to express his gratitude to you.”
Perian’s jaw dropped. “Oh, no, I couldn’t possibly—”
Brannal reached out and squeezed his hand.
“Prince Kinan wants very much for you to have Prince Horsey, Perian. He can’t ride him, and he knows how close the two of you have become. He would so much rather that you enjoy him than that he stay in the castle stables and mope.”
Perian huffed a wet sound, eyes prickling with tears again. “Oh, well. I guess I could… Maybe I can hold onto him until Kee can ride him. I could… I could do that.”
“Why don’t you write to the Prince,” Brannal suggested. “We’ve got a whole fake name set up for you in the neighboring village and everything.”
Perian blinked at him, sure that he’d misheard. “You what?”
And Brannal regaled him with the story of how his group of friends—still friends, always friends, apparently—had conspired to make it harder for anyone at the castle to realize that they were all still going to be in constant contact with him. The doctor was going to bundle and post their letters, because she frequently corresponded with colleagues around the country, and the Mage Warriors were also going to post them if they traveled. The letters could be picked up with the supplies from town. It wouldn’t be the same as actually beingthere, but it seemed he hadn’t lost all his friends after all.
Perian sniffed, blinking rapidly to try to stop the tears.
“Thank you so much.”
Brannal pulled Perian into his arms. “We all love you, dear heart. There’s nothing we won’t do for you.”
And in that moment, it really felt like that was true. They were determined to make this work, to go around Cormal and the Queen, and Perian was touched.
Prince Horsey neighed at him loudly.
