Chapter 13

Two weeks was an eternity of seconds but when assembled together as minutes, hours, and even days, the passage of time seemed to shuffle on at an acceptable pace to the rest of the world. Kit spent too much of that time dreaming about someone she could not have and not enough of it focusing on the task before her.

The large barn always called to her in her free moments when she was too restless to sit in the garden, so one afternoon, a week after her Clearing was over, she found herself meandering from stall to stall, petting the horses on the nose and slipping loose bits of hay to those who would chomp it from her hands. The men who ran the stable and their young helpers were used to seeing her and no longer bothered with the courtesies her station demanded. Rather, they bowed slightly or nodded their heads as they passed, bid her good day, and went about their usual tasks of mucking and feeding and other such chores Kit was glad not to be tasked with.

A large roan stallion pressed his nose against her palm, and Kit smiled at the beast. “You’re such a beautiful creature,” she said, stroking him lovingly. His coat was mostly a reddish brown though his nose had a white stripe, and he was sixteen hands high, if not taller. She imagined he could leap creeks and scurry through brambles faster than most of the others.

“He’s remarkable, isn’t he?”

Kit turned, surprised to hear anyone behind her, but then she’d been so caught up in the horse, she hadn’t been paying the rest of the barn much mind. It was the new guard, the one who had been with her the day that Eli left. She had seen him a few times since then but hadn’t had an opportunity to speak to him and realized she still didn’t know his name.

“He is,” she agreed, still stroking the horse’s nose. “Do you know if he is new? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen him before.” She looked up and down the rows of horses, many of them familiar to her. These horses were mostly used for her mother’s carriages and for fox hunts when the majority of the noble class would participate. Kit had a horse of her own, a smaller black mare by the name of Belle, but the princess didn’t ride her much anymore even though she had always enjoyed horseback riding. There just didn’t seem to be much time for such activities now that she was older.

“I believe he was acquired just a few days ago,” the guard replied. “I used to work here, in the barn, before I joined your guard, my Princess, and to my recollection, he wasn’t part of the fleet then.”

Kit turned to study him. Perhaps that was why he looked slightly familiar. She had likely seen him out here many times and never paid much attention since the creatures that inhabited the barn generally demanded her focus more so than any of the humans. “I’m afraid I don’t know your name,” Kit said, finally moving her hand from the horse’s nose so that she could turn to face him.

“I am Dullen, my Lady.” He bowed at the waist, his arm tucked across his middle. “And I am pleased to be in your service.”

“Dullen,” she repeated as he stood. She extended her hand, and he took it in his, pressing it to his lips. Kit raised her eyes at the formality but also at the tingle that went up her arm.

He was young, perhaps her age or a year older. His red hair was short, and the front stood up just a bit at the part. His eyes were green, but unlike the emerald orbs she was used to looking into, they were a bit dull, and there was nothing sparkling or shining about them. His nose was the perfect size for his face, though, without an upturn or downturn that might’ve been off putting, and the sprinkle of freckles across his cheeks was endearing to her. As she stared at him, her hand still in his, a slow smile spread from one side of his face to the other. “Is everything all right, Princess?”

Color rushed to her cheeks as Kit brought her hand back, folding her fingers and covering it with her other. “Yes, everything is fine. Thank you.” A stirring inside of her, not unlike the butterflies she’d felt before the Proem but marginally different, drew her attention, and she wondered if he could feel it, too.

“Would you like for me to go?” he asked, gesturing with his thumb back the way he’d come. “I’m not on duty right now, but when I saw you walking among the horses, I thought perhaps you’d like some company. You’ve looked rather sad these past few days, and I couldn’t help but think perhaps having someone to spend some time with might cheer you up.”

He was kind, that was obvious. Thoughtful. Those were traits Kit appreciated. Her eyes spilled over his arms, the way they filled his uniform. Though he wasn’t a large man, she imagined his biceps were strong from all the lifting working in the barn would necessitate. Her mind immediately went to another stable boy, and she thought of the way Eli’s muscles rippled whenever his arms were tight around her. “No, I don’t want you to go,” she said, her voice airy. “The idea of company sounds appealing.”

The smile had never left his face, but it widened, and he nodded, moving to brush his hand across the roan’s nose. “I’m not sure of his name, but I should find out. He really is a lovely creature.”

“Yes, he is,” she agreed, turning her attention back to the horse.

“Not as lovely as you, of course.”

Kit turned to look at him, once again feeling the heat rise in her cheeks. He was being foreword, something she wasn’t used to. But then it occurred to her, she was in her Exploration now, and everyone knew that. Was it possible Dullen was only paying attention to her because he thought she might invite him into her chambers?

She had to look away. Her eyes were wide, and fear began to creep in to mingle with the butterflies. In the past two weeks, she’d seen lots of smiling men, had lots of incidental meeting in hallways and brushing of hands against hers in the most nonchalant ways. There had been visiting nobles, artists of the court, other guardsmen, even one of the servers at dinner had winked at her, but no one had been this forward—until now.

Avinia and Isla had told her to look for men she was attracted to who also seemed willing, and Dullen seemed to fit that description. Despite the fact that he was not Eli, and that he didn’t quite seem to be a grown man, he was attractive. Perhaps even better, he seemed like a genuinely caring individual. However, Kit was not the sort to immediately invite someone she’d just met into her chambers. That wouldn’t prevent her from getting to know him, however.

“Would you care to escort me to the hay loft?” she asked, gesturing at the ladder that led to the area above the horses. She liked to sit up there and peer out the large window at the sky, breathing in the scent of hay and horseflesh. Like the garden, it was a place her mother would never roam.

“It would be my pleasure,” he replied, and he motioned toward the ladder.

Kit made her way over but realized once she started to climb that he’d be staring at her bottom the entire way up. The thought made her uncomfortable at first, but then, the idea crossed her mind that it might be fun to tease him a bit. Suddenly conscious of her own hips, she began to move differently, more fluidly, and she heard a catch in Dullen’s breath behind her and held back a wicked grin.