Page 76 of The Lost Art of Seducing a Mage Warrior

There was complete silence, Perian realized after a moment. Looking around, he saw that everyone was staring at him as though there were something wrong with him.

He just stared back. It was clear Brannal had been speaking the truth and no one got through to this horse—until Perian, who was able to talk to him just fine.

One of the stable hands tried to step closer, and the horse bared his teeth and snorted warningly. She immediately stepped back.

Brannal sighed. “Could you please send a runner to the Queen and get permission for Perian to take Prince Horsey out for a ride? They appear to have made friends.”

The stable hand Brannal had addressed looked like this was the last message he wanted to relay, but he inclined his head, and said, “Of course, Summus.”

Once the stable hand had run off, Perian swiveled to look at Brannal in astonishment.

“Prince Horsey?”

Brannal’s lips tipped up, but his eyes were sad. “The Princess named him when the Prince first got him. It stuck.”

Perian turned back to… Prince Horsey.

“Do you ever just call him Prince?” he wondered.

Prince Horsey let out a shrill noise that was not happy.

“Prince Horsey,” Perian said quickly. “Got it. It’s not exactly the name I expected, but if anyone can carry it off, it’s you. Are you Prince Horsey?”

The horse neighed. He clearly recognized his name. Perian couldn’t help but run a hand through his mane.

“Oh, yes, you’re the best horse, aren’t you? The very best.”

Brannal sighed beside him, and the rest of the gawking people went back to their work.

“You don’t like to do things the easy way, do you?” he asked.

Perian laughed, assuming this was a rhetorical question.

“Of all the horses in the stables, this is the one you picked.”

“He’s wonderful,” Perian breathed. “How could I not pick him?”

“But why did he pickyou?” Brannal asked.

Perian shot him an unimpressed look.

Brannal’s eyes flickered closed and open again. “That came out wrong. It’s just that in the last six years, he has turned his nose up ateveryone. I was wondering what made you different.”

Perian shrugged. “Not a clue. I’ve been spending a lot of time with Renny. Maybe she smells a bit like her brother?”

He’d been spending a lot of time with Renny who said that her brother was with her. But Perian was pretty sure that an invisible, only-possibly-alive and not flesh-and-blood person didn’t have a smell. But was it possible thatsomethinghad… transferred to Perian?

“Has Renny ever tried to ride Prince Horsey?” Perian asked.

“Not to my knowledge,” Brannal said. “She is young and unwell.”

That was all true, but Perian still wondered if Rennydidtry to approach, would Prince Horsey be as welcoming?

It was tempting to suggest it, only if it didn’t work, if Perian was wrong and Prince Horsey did not react positively to her, it might not only put her in physical danger but could make her feel like she was losing another piece of her brother.

The stable hand came back a few minutes later and offered an inclination to Brannal and then a shorter one to Perian, who just sort of stood there in shock. The stable hand still looked like he wished to be anywhere but here.

“With the Queen’s compliments, you are welcome to ride Prince Horsey. And you’ll only be thrown into the deepest, darkest dungeon and the key thrown away if anything bad happens.”

---