Page 74 of Crown of Iron
With my hair and makeup done in a sad attempt to mimic my sister's impeccable styling, I head for the stables. As I walk across the palace grounds, a gentle breeze catches the lacy bottom of my jacket, billowing it behind me in swirls that remind me of Kyron's shadows. I smile at the thought, tipping my head toward the sky. The sun is taking its last peek of the five kingdoms before settling below the horizon. I’m early to meet Kyron, but if I'd waited in my room any longer, my anxiety would have only heightened. Questioning what we were about to do was the last thing I wanted. Our attraction to each other is already getting the best of us. Familyand friends notice our stolen glances and the uncontrollable smiles we exchange. I'll be recognized out and about and gossip is sure to follow. I'm betrothed to one of the most popular men in town and there’s no way my dark-haired companion will be mistaken for Leif. Kyron and I could become the subject of a scandal. A future queen should care about those things, but the unleashed daydreamer inside of me doesn't give a damn.
I enter the stables and stroll down the aisle, looking for a very specific horse.
“Your Grace, may I help you with something?” a teenage boy with chestnut curls and matching eyes asks. He follows closely behind me, and as I reach the stall I'm looking for, he jumps in front of the gate. With a terrified look, he says, “Not this horse, Your Grace. Bite your head right off, he will. He’s the spawn of demons.”
I laugh, brushing the young man aside and entering the stall. “Are you being difficult again, Sammy?” Samson nuzzles his nose into my neck and snorts with joy. “Oh, I see. They’re neglecting you. No one understands how delicate your feelings are, do they?” I glance back at the gawking stable boy and ask him to fetch Samson's saddle.
As I ready Kyron's horse, I'm reminded of the nights I spent with him and Nortus at Basecamp. I considered bringing my father's horse to the palace but thought better of it. Nortus was happy to return to the fields behind our family's stable. He had served me well for the month I was away and deserved peace and wide-open spaces.
I guide Samson out of his stall and into the early evening, where I climb onto his back. I direct him to the pastures, and he sets into a gallop. The way I bounce in his saddle brings a smile to my face, and I lose myself in his carefree movements. Cool wind whips my face, filling my lungs with the crisp scent of wheat and wildflowers. The ride begs me to surrender my anxiety for what the night will bring and revel in the moment. I don't want this one night with Kyron weighed down with worry. My mission to save my father and the duties of the crown can wait until tomorrow.
When the last of the day's light fades away, I steer Samson to the front of the stables just in time to spot Kyron walking toward us. His hands are in the pockets of his black leather jacket and an amused look takes residence on his handsome face.
“Stealing my horse again, I see.” He pets the side of Samson's neck and looks up at me.
“Just borrowing him for the night. Shall we?” I remove my foot from the stirrup and slide forward on the saddle. Without any hesitation, Kyron climbs on behind me. He wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me to his chest, and I close my eyes and lean into his warmth.
“This might be the most enjoyable ride of my life,” he whispers, his lips brushing the shell of my ear and sending every inch of my skin into goosebumps.
I glance at him over my shoulder and smirk. “Behave yourself, general. We're hunting for your future wife, remember?”
He scoots closer to me. “But are we really?”
In dire need of squeezing my thighs together to subside my growing desire, I shift on the saddle. “You and I already know the answer to that.”
“I do, and I'm glad we’ll have some time to ourselves.”
I can't deny that I feel the same way. I'm eager to be alone with Kyron. I nudge Samson forward, and we rush through the trees lining the property. When we near the palace gates, I steer Samson to the dirt road, and we sprint past the guards.
It doesn't take long to reach the center of town, where many of the younger citizens gather after the shops close for the day. Different musicians have staked claim to the various corners, and in between them, artists, chefs, and tavern owners set up shop on the walkway, selling their goods. Colorful paper lanterns draped from one rooftop to another hang over the street, lighting it in hues of pink, green, and blue. Groups of people laugh, drink, and dance as if they don't have a single care in the world. And I'm excited about joining them.
After securing Samson, Kyron and I walk side by side, stopping periodically to admire a painting or watching a baker create foods which look like delicious works of art. We exchange our thoughts on the atmosphere around us, purposefully avoiding the heavy topics of our daily lives. I enjoy getting to know the general on a more simplistic level. It makes whatever is happening between us feel normal.
We turn down a narrow cobblestone walkway, where the lanterns radiate an amber glow and coupled people occupy tables for two or cozy corners. A slow, wet sound comes from the tight space between two buildings. I look down the dark alley to where a man presses a woman against the wall, her leg wrapped around his waist. I clamp my lips together and whip my attention back to our surroundings. The bold caresses of wanderinghands, faces buried in necks, and soft moans of pleasure: we're strolling the infamous Copulate Court.
This is an area that was nothing more than a rumor, a place the palace maids whisper about as they clean. I swallow down my embarrassment, hook my arm around Kyron's, and try to set a quicker pace. But his hand remains in his pocket, and he leisurely strolls along like he's basking in the sexually charged energy.
“So the armor,” I say, hoping to distract him from the questionable escapades happening around us.
He glances at me and repeats, “So, the armor.”
“You said the kingdom didn't have to worry about payment for what was already created.”
“It doesn't.”
“Did you pay for it?”
He shrugs. “I had nothing better to do with my pay. I have everything I need at camp, and have more than enough to help others, so I put the money to good use, to protect my soldiers. All of them.”
His family. He would have been just as accurate to say he spent the money to protect those he loves the most. Another admirable trait to add to a long list.
I bump him with my shoulder, when his eyes wander to a woman straddling the lap of another, and say, “It was good to see Ulric today.”
He chuckles and focuses on me again. “I bet Ulric wouldn't say the same about seeing me. I shouldn't have hit him so hard with my flame, but I had a point to prove, and he helped me prove it. I'm sure he's already over it. He never holds grudges for long.”
“Reminds me of my siblings.” A thought crosses my mind, and I debate whether to ask, but my curiosity gets the better of me. “Do you ever wonder if you have siblings or if your parents are looking for you?”
With a sigh, Kyron brings his other hand to where mine rests in the crook of his elbow and squeezes my fingers more firmly around his bicep. “I'd be lying if I said I didn't. There’s a whole side of me waiting to be filled with knowledge and understanding and a sense of true self. But I know how powerful the addiction is, and I can't imagine my biological family thinking very far beyond it.” He looks down at me with the dreaded light brown glass covering his eyes. “I'd be a very different man if I stayed in Stigian, so it's hard to take for granted what I have, even if it's not perfect.”
