Page 44 of Royally Drawn

“He’s chill,” I said.

“He’s alright for a giant.” Keir patted the old man on the shoulder.

While we’d gotten up to approximately nothing, I wanted to. He was so good at taking directions as I gave them. Best of all, he looked good doing it. If you came up with a perfect hunky horse boyfriend, Keir would fit the bill. He stood where you asked him, could catch ahorse, and occasionally wiped the sweat off his brow using his shirt. This revealed a glimpse of his abs, attracting the view of any woman within a fifteen-mile radius.

“You’re going to get mucky,” Cici warned. “And it will be fine. Trust the studs on his shoes as best you can, but slow down. I pulled back because I worried about a time penalty. That tells you the course is okay. But you’re going after me now. The course will get worse with more riding and more rain.”

Cici was finally changed after being covered head-to-toe in muck. I drew a short straw today. After a beautiful ride yesterday, we were down to bad weather.

“I will take him when he returns,” the groom said.

Our cohort shared grooms. Alexandra had yet to spring for one permanently, and several Brits didn’t have one. So, I shared at competitions. I was hopeful if I did well, Alex would see a reason to get me someone permanently. Of course, I wouldn’t mind a groom like Keir. Maybe I’d luck out with someone hot? He didn’t need to be a prince.

“Thanks,” I said. “He will be a disaster.”

“Expected in the British weather, ma’am.”

We departed the stables for the warm-up. Keir nearly threw me onto my horse as if I were a cheerleader on a pyramid. I looked down at him, surprised.

“What?” He chuckled.

“That was a hell of a leg up,” I said.

“For a hell of a rider.” He patted my boot. “Kick some ass and take some names, Ingrid.”

I smiled. “I will try.”

I worked on stretches during our warm-up. We did bending exercises to round Kraken out and distract him. He knew his job in this tack and was hyped watching the other horses ready for a race. By the time we reached the starting box, he’d be a bundle of nerves. I had enough of those for both of us. Solid fences terrified riders with any sense. I didn’t have sense. Eventers were wild and reckless. Still, this was next-level. There was no way to recreate such a thing. You ripped the band-aid off and let it go. You trusted your walkthrough andyour horse’s dutiful strides. By the time we broke from there, I’d give over to it and let go of my fears.

Astrid and Parker initially waited with me, but I didn’t speak to them. When the bell tolled, we took off. Boom! Kraken was on—too excited by the first fence. We needed to pace ourselves, as Cici warned. If you finished too fast, you got a penalty. If you finished too slow, you also got a fault for that. It was a dance, and I was the most inexperienced partner.

I pulled him back slightly and headed to the bank ahead. The course was like nothing I’d seen before, and the rain didn’t help. The crowd held its breath as he made a dodgy leap—too excited. I knew I needed to get his attention. Fighting him was pointless, so time be damned, I pulled him into a circle before letting him go again. This time, Kraken slowed. He returned to me, focused not on chasing every fence in the course but on collecting like a good boy.

I spoke to him only in French, calming him. I knew there would be an issue on the table coming up. It was my least favourite obstacle to clear, and he tended to take these short. I readied my crop. I kept it on my right side to move him left. Otherwise, he’d go right and chip in like an idiot.

“Don’t rush,” I said. “Listen to me.”

My talking was probably more for me than the horse, but I would talk to him the whole course if I had to. I was white-knuckling coming into the table. I wanted to close my eyes as we flew into the air, clearing its expanse. We took off like a rocket. I couldn’t help but grin.

“Get them, girl! Get them!” Cici shouted. Despite the wild crowd, she screamed and jumped up and down with Betty. I had a cheering section. They’d go loop to the end of the course.

I was on cloud nine, checking my time. We were okay. I let him out a bit at the next gallop. He deserved it after that fence.

“Good boy. You’re doing beautiful, Kraken!”

My boy didn’t disappoint in the middle of the course. He took another bank into a timber fence like it was nothing. We soared like a plane, winding up the course at a good clip. I didn’t expect faults—surprising myself most of all. Then, we faced a simple hedge. It shouldhave been nothing, but the slippery footing caught us both off guard. We came into it like a freight train coming off the track.

Kraken was a saint, as always. He would try to save it at all costs. I only prayed we had the steam to make it out. I held my breath and felt him take off almost vertically. It would be a miracle to land on his back, I thought. I braced for impact on our dodgy landing. I felt the air between my thighs and the saddle and realised I was going clear over the pommel to land on his neck.

Kraken halted obediently. I was barely aboard, hanging onto his mane like a rag doll. I was exhausted. My arms hurt, and I wanted to give up. The judge nearby approached, ready to disqualify me. I had two options—hop off and give up or try to find some way to right myself. I could still salvage this if I didn’t meet the ground.

“Don’t give up! Stay up there!” I heard Betty’s voice.

“You got this!” Cici added. “Pull up!”

“C’mon, Ingy!” Keir shouted. “Don’t fucking lose your grip! You can do it!”

“Grab the pommel!” Cici shouted.

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