Page 10 of Crown of Slumber

“That’s lovely. Any children?”

“No, Your Highness.”

I nodded, unsure of what else to say. I didn’t know much about the man, but perhaps I could amend that. “When you aren’t busy, ah,envoying,what is it you like to do?”

Horace finally blinked and turned his dark gray eyes on me, his thick eyebrows knitting together in confusion. “Your Highness?”

“If you had the day off, what would you spend your time doing?”

His mustache puckered with his frown. “My wife enjoys baking.”

My eyebrows lifted. “Ah. That sounds nice. And do you enjoy baking as well?”

“Not particularly. But I do enjoy eating the food she bakes.”

I barked out a laugh. The man’s hobby waseating.“Well, give me a delicious slice of buttered bread, and I’m in heaven. I can’t blame you there, good fellow.”

I could have sworn his eyes crinkled slightly with a smile that was hidden by his mustache. But it was gone in an instant as he fixed his gaze ahead once more.

We had nearly reached the palace when my horse stiffened and snorted, tossing his snout this way and that in agitation.

“Easy, Romulus.” I patted his neck to try to soothe him. But he reared back with another snort, stomping his hooves.

My eyes narrowed as a tendril of heat coiled around me. My head snapped up and I glanced between the trees lining the road.

In the distance, something growled.

My hand went to the sword belted at my waist. “Horace?”

“I heard it, too, Your Highness.” Horace sat up straighter in his saddle. Somehow, his horse was unaffected by whatever lurked in the forest.

I sniffed the air. It smelled of some kind of sweet flower and… charcoal.

A roar echoed, but it was faint, as if from miles away. I cast my gaze skyward, and my heart lurched in my throat.

A black dragon soared above us, wings spread wide and a roar pouring from its snout. It was a roar ofdelight.It coasted back and forth, arcing through the sky.

And on its back was a woman with long, blond hair, her arms spread just like the dragon’s wings. I sat and watched for a moment, mesmerized by the sight. The woman released a whoop of excitement.

I wasn’t sure why, but I found myself grinning.

“Heavens,” Horace said, following my gaze. “That looks quite dangerous.”

I laughed again. “It looksincredible.” I couldn’t deny it. Regardless of the animosity between our kingdoms, I was in awe. I had no doubt that if I possessed dragons, I would want to do the same thing.

My horse lurched again, still in distress. I looked to the trees once more, frowning at those distant sounds. Leaves crunched. Branches twitched. And more coils of heat snaked forward, twining around me like strands of magic.

I slid off my saddle and lowered to the ground.

Horace stiffened. “Your Highness?”

“Ride on without me,” I said. “Romulus is nervous and can’t take much more of this.”

“Your Highness, I don’t think you?—”

“There are dragons nearby, Horace,” I said, leveling a meaningful look at him. “It’s what we came here for. I just want to take a look before I meet with the princess.”

Horace’s mustache seemed to curve downward in displeasure. “The queen would not like this.”

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