Page 76 of The Princess's Chosen

"Mm. You mean befriend him?" Cosmo asked.

"I don't mind Daniel and his horse—" Owen cut off, breath catching in his chest and lips turning down with sorrow. "Oh, Bryony. Sweetheart." I blinked at him, and he shook his head. "Your gelding. He didn't make it out in time."

My hands fisted in my skirt at the reminder, its own separate pain and a vicious reminder of how close I'd been to losingOwen.

"I know. I'm so sorry, Owen. You did everything—too much even," I said. My hands were greedy for his skin, wanting to hold onto him, keep touching just so I could be sure he was here with me, but my hands were still full of that angry tension and I was afraid I would hurt him.

The door creaked open, and Cosmo smiled at the entrance.

"Ah, good. You're looking better," Aric greeted. "Now, why can't I say the same for my princess?"

I rolled my eyes and ducked my head, but Cosmo grinned and gave me up. "She's refused to stop playing nurse. The bath is cold."

"Then I will warm it," Aric said.

I braved a look over my shoulder, pressing my lips together and trying to stay firm under Aric's glower. "I'm fine."

"Owen will be too, princess. You need a warm bath and a good sleep."

"Aric—"

"I'm building the fire up. You can pull the screen back and watch how well Cos and I care for your hero, but I'm putting you in that bath, and I think I'll have you drink some kind of poisonous brew of Bertha's too," Aric said, striding forward.

I stiffened, well aware that Aric was not above tossing me over his shoulder in this case.

"He means a soothing tea," Cosmo murmured. "I think."

"Please, Mistress. And then come to bed," Owen croaked. His eyes were wide, and he'd grown increasingly pitiful over the past minute, playing into Aric's commands. "I'll sleep better with you at my side."

"Oh, honestly," I huffed, standing up and wincing as I tried to reach back for the buttons of my dress.

"No, let me," Aric said, hurrying. "Your muscles will still need some mending, in spite of the magic. Just as Owen's lungs need to clear."

I sagged, but I didn't fight as Aric started to undo my dress, while Cosmo helped Owen with the drink. Owen had been in and out of sleep since we'd gotten him back inside the palace, and I hadn't had the chance to do more than ask how he was feeling for most of the night. Now the questions that had been pushed away in the flurry of panic rose up again.

"You heard them," I said. "The horses."

Aric's fingers paused and then picked up again, one hand soothing up and down my spine as he exposed it. "You're too chilled still," he muttered.

I was busy watching Owen, who met my eyes and shrugged weakly. "Not…not heard. I felt them. Only when they were alarmed. And then when they were in pain," he said, words aching either from the smoke or his own depth of feeling for the horses.

"Owen…have you always beenfeelingthe animals you care for?" I asked.

It was like I'd found a puzzle piece that didn't match but fit perfectly inside a design I'd thought was already finished.

Owen didn't look bothered by my question, just gave it the same careful thought he would with anything I asked of him. "Yeah, I suppose so. It's there if you look at them. You learn to match the feeling with the ways they move and the sounds they make."

Aric's touch had stopped entirely, his own warmth keeping me from shivering in the open room. Cosmo stared at Owen, and I suspected his thoughts were turning the same way mine had started to as I saw Owen running down the hall before anyone in the palace knew of the fire.

"But you weren't looking at them," Cosmo breathed.

"Yeah, but those were big feelings. From all of them," Owen said, frowning as if that ought to be obvious.

"Fucking stars above," Aric whispered, and then he began to laugh, a warm chuckle.

I turned to look at him, peeling off my dress and smiling that Owen managed to hold Aric's attention better than my bare skin did. "Have you heard of something like this?" I asked.

"I don't… No, I don't think so," Aric said, almost gleeful. "Owen. have you always known what animals are feeling, or only since you've started having sex with Bryony?"

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