Page 38 of Kiss of Ice

She did a double-take.

“You have awhatnow?”

“Come on. Before I change my mind.”

He led her to the stables behind the palace. Grooms scurried in and out of stalls carrying armloads of straw and bushels of hay. Ren’s nose flared at the familiar smell of manure and horse sweat.

“You have horses!” For a moment, she forgot herself and turned to Kam with a joyful smile, clutching at his arm in excitement.

“We have dozens,” he said drily. “But as of this morning we procured a new one. I thought you’d like to see him.”

He nodded at a groom who opened a stable door and led out a black stallion. The steed’s coat shone like oil, and his mane was brushed and plaited. Ren’s jaw dropped.

“Mistral!”

She rushed to her beloved stallion and flung her arms around its neck. Mistral nuzzled her affectionately. “How…? Why…?”

“He’s your engagement present.” Kam’s voice was gruff. He hadn’t expected her to be so overcome. Raya’s servant grapevine had worked surprisingly well. “I was told you enjoyed riding and that this was your favourite horse, so I had him brought over from your father’s castle.”

“I… I don’t know what to say.”

“You don’t need to say anything. You may ride here whenever you like.”

“Thank you.” Ren looked at him shyly. “Do you ride too?”

“Of course. I was trained to ride almost as soon as I could walk.” Some of the swagger came back into his voice. “I mastered the skill at an early age.”

“So you’re a good rider?”

“The best.”

“Well,Iwas trained to ridebeforeI could walk. And Mistral here is the fastest horse in the empire.”

“Unlikely. I have a stallion who can reach the outer boundary markers of my estate in under two hours.”

“Mistral could do it in one.”

Kam laughed.

“No horse can do it in that time, not without using the gully path. I assure you my record’s safe.”

Ren’s eyes flashed.

“Is that so? What’s the reward for breaking it?”

“It’s a moot point. No rider would be fool enough to try.”

“Is it worth a boon? A favour?”

“You’re being ridiculous. I wasn’t challenging you, I was saying it isn’t possible.”

“Mistral and I can do it. And if we do, you’ll grant me a favour.”

“You’re crazy. EvenIwould struggle to do that route at speed.”

Ren bared her teeth in a smile.

“Just for that, I’m going to do it bareback.”

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