Page 59 of Quest for her Knights
“What was that about?” I ask quietly as he passes me.
“I asked if she wanted to ride with me. She said no.”
“She’s been in that damn carriage for five days,” I growl, frowning in her direction.
“I know.”
I can’t take it anymore. I clench my fists in frustration, take a deep breath, stomp over to the carriage, and yank the door open.
Elora gasps. “Arrow! What are you doing?!”
“I’m tired of this. I can’t handle your silence any longer.”
“What?” she stammers as I reach inside, grab her by the waist, and lift her out.
She doesn’t protest as I carry her over to my horse and lift her up. “Up you go.”
She hesitates but swings a leg over the saddle and settles in. Thank the gods she didn’t fight me on this.
I climb up behind her and take the reins. I don’t wrap my arm around her just yet as I don’t want to startle her.
My heels nudge Charlie’s sides, and we move forward. Draven raises an eyebrow as he gets into the front of the carriage with Blaze.
Ranger watches silently, his narrowed gaze bouncing between Elora and me before calling out,
“Arrow, you’re between me and the carriage.”
Elora stays quiet for the next hour. I let her be, at first. But eventually, I can’t take the silence anymore. I gently wrap one arm around her waist. She tenses but slowlyrelaxes into me.
“Princess, I hate seeing you so quiet and upset,” I say, keeping my voice low so the others won’t hear.
She doesn’t respond.
“You shouldn’t be embarrassed or upset about what happened.”
She stiffens again so I stroke my thumb along her waist. “I know it was unexpected for all of us. But from my perspective, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Seeing you like that? It was hot as hell. If anyone should be embarrassed, it’s me.”
“Why wouldyoube embarrassed?”
Her voice, it’s like air in my lungs again.
“Because after watching you come like that, I had to go into the woods to take care of myself.”
After a few moments of silence, she finally responds, “Oh.”
Not sure I should keep going, I switch the subject.
“Have I ever told you about my first time riding Charlie?”
“Your horse? No, why?” she asks, the edge in her voice fading.
“Well… I was so cocky about getting my own horse that I forgot to latch the saddle properly. Ended up on the ground within seconds.”
Elora laughs as I tell her the story and by the time we stop for the night, she seems much more like herself again. When we eat dinner, she doesn’t hide behind her hair and actually participates in a conversation with Blaze and I. Ranger is still brooding, and Draven is his usual quiet self around her, but it’s a start.
While she’s getting changed for bed, I start laying out blankets.
“What are you doing?” Blaze asks when he sees what I’m doing.
