The Silver Crown

28.

I perched unhappily on the back of the bay mare that the groomsman had chosen for me. It was late morning and the girls had recruited me for a ride into the city. I can't say that I was looking forward to it, although it would be nice to be in my city again. But I had never really ridden a horse before.

Well, there was one time after I took the Countess Temada's diamond brooch, but as I had been clutching the horse's mane with all of my might and was rapidly thrown off into a pile of muck, it didn't really count.

I winced just thinking about that memory. I had cracked two ribs in the fall, and had been arrested and dragged off by the city guards. I had been only twelve years of age but my emaciated state and a week in the cages had made me appear younger. The Count had allowed me to be released after ten lashes. That was when I learned that the only people one could trust were themselves. And that one could especially not trust horses. I had developed an intense hatred for horses because of that.

"Ready, Kade?" Arabelle asked. I tore my attention from the awful memory and looked distastefully down at the creature underneath me. I hadn't told them that I couldn't ride.

"I suppose," I answered. I had already tried many times to get out of riding but Arabelle was just as stubborn as I was.

"Come on!" Cynthia said, trotting her horse over to me. "You've been stuck in the palace for weeks. Just relax and try to have fun with us. It's about time we had some girl time."

I followed behind their two horses; six guards surrounded us, mounted on their own horses. Girl time, I thought. The last time I had had girl time was with Miri, and our girl time had consisted more of wandering through the streets, chatting and picking pockets like other girls would-actually I didn't know what other girls would do. Shop, maybe?

We rode down the Kings Road and through the large guild houses into the nicer part of the city. Eating houses and shops lined the cobbled road. I had often frequented this part of the city, although my home had always been in the lower city, in some den in the slums.

"Kade," Cynthia said. I turned my attention from the past to the present and realized that the younger princess and Arabelle had stopped their horses a little ways back. "Arabelle wants to look at these gloves," Cynthia explained, gesturing behind her.

I groaned and lifted the reins, which I had clenched so tightly in my fingers that the imprint of the leather edges would surely be visible on my palms if I were brave enough to let go for a second and look. I yanked sideways on the reins and the horse stopped; I had wanted the animal to turn.

I tapped my feet cautiously against her side but she still didn't budge. I was getting glares from the people walking the streets but decided that I didn't care. I was more worried about what would happen if the horse suddenly bolted or reared or decided that it would be better off without me.

"Milady," One of the guards accompanying us had dismounted. He walked over, his eyes alert and his gait perfectly balanced. He stopped by my horse's front shoulder. "Allow me," he said kindly. I nodded in relief, content to be saved just this once. The guard grabbed the reins from where they connected to the horse's bridal. The horse sweetly followed as the guard led us over to where Cynthia and Arabelle stood, their horse's reins in the hands of one of the guards, although he looked unhappy about it. Probably something about not being able to protect us as well when he was holding onto horses. I rolled my eyes. I had five knives hidden in various places on my body; I could protect us just fine.

When the guard stopped, my horse did too, and before he could tell me to get off, I was already swinging my leg over the mare's back and sliding off, my legs tangled in my skirt.