Page 32 of The Prince's Secret Twins

Which was similar to powerful, and yet, also different. She couldn’t really define why this man was different. She just could tell that he was.

However, he was talking to her, which was more than her siblings had time to do. So Marianna’s lonely, desperate soul was torn between telling the terrifying man to go away and desperately hoping that he might stay for a moment to talk with her.

Since he was admiring the horses, she decided that he wasn’t a threat.

Correction, he was terribly threatening, but she ignored the threat. She glanced at her guards, reassured that they were close by. Plus, if her guards weren’t pushing the guy away, he must not be a threat. Maybe a palace employee?

He slipped a pair of sunglasses on and Marianna adjusted the straw hat on her head. She wished she’d thought of grabbing her sunglasses. The sun wasn’t as bright as it would be during the summer months, but it was still intense.

“I love horses,” she replied, which was true.

“Which is yours?”

She sighed and turned away from the handsome man. He couldn’t be the stable master, as she’d started to suspect. If this man worked in the stables, he would know the answer to that question.

“I don’t know how to ride,” she admitted and even she heard the longing in her tone. But because the man next to her was so tall and dynamic, she didn’t want him to think of her as pathetic. “I’ll figure it out,” Marianna replied in a stronger voice. She didn’t look at him as she said that. He was a bit too…well, everything.

“Why don’t you just get on a horse and try it out?”

She laughed and shook her head. “No, I’ll arrange to have lessons. I don’t think any of the horses in the stables would appreciate me just…getting on their backs.” She squinched up her nose. “That would be rude.”

He laughed and Marianna felt something strange in the sound. His laughter seemed…rusty. As if he didn’t laugh very often.

“I think you have the wrong impression about horses. Once you find a horse that you connect with, they enjoy going out for a ride with you. And horses are more patient and intelligent than you might think.”

She sighed longingly as she looked out at the beautiful animals. “I don’t really understand horses,” she admitted.

“What do you want to know about them?”

Marianna swiveled her head, stealing a glance at the man. He really was handsome, she thought. Turning back to look at the grazing animals, she considered his question. And before she could think better of it, she blurted out the firstquestion that popped into her mind. “What happens when a new horse is introduced to the stables? How do the other horses learn to like the newcomer?”

There was a long silence after that question and Marianna had to hold very still, not wanting this stranger, this handsome man, to realize how important the question was to her.

“A new horse should stay in his or her own pasture for a couple of weeks. There shouldn’t be any physical contact between the new horse and the herd.”

Well that was an interesting comment! “Why?”

“Because the herd needs to smell the new horse, to become familiar with them. Once they’ve all scented the new animal, only then should the new horse be allowed to enter the pasture with the other horses.”

“And what happens next? Do they all become friends? Do they just…accept the new horse? Or does the new arrival need to do something, say something, in order to be accepted?”

The man flashed a smile that Marianna caught out of the corner of her eye, but she pretended not to notice. “The king or queen of the herd will establish dominance over the new horse, or there will be a battle for the lead position. But eventually, the new horse is accepted into the herd. The newcomer will find a close friend and the herd protects the new horse from any perceived danger.”

A new man stepped closer and, startled, Marianna looked around. She suddenly realized that there were several more bodyguards nearby, as well as another strange man whispering in the tall man’s ear.

Finally, the tall guy, the man she’d thought was a stable hand, turned to fully face her. He reached out and, for some unknown reason, Marianna lifted her hand. The man raised her hand to his lips, kissing her fingers. There was a low growl from one of her guards, but Marianna was too focused on the man’s lips on her skin and the intensity of his gaze to react.

“It has been a too-brief pleasure, Princess,” and then he bowed and turned away.

Marianna watched, unable to pull her eyes away from the man. He was too handsome and too…who the hell was he?

Obviously, he was an important visitor to the palace, but she hadn’t been told of any diplomats arriving today. So, who was he?

Chapter 26

Khal stood beside Joran and Raj as they watched the pompous ass walk into the salon. Khal had chosen this room on the advice of his wife—Tasha had urged a smaller, more private setting for their initial meeting with the crown prince. But that hadn’t stopped the three brothers from standing like sentries, unconsciously bracing themselves for anything the man might do.

“His Highness, Crown Prince Amit el Sandir of Uftar,” the butler announced before stepping back.

---