Horse Charmer (21 page)

He drawled out her title, making her roll her eyes like she always did. She almost gave him her usual retort, but held back.

"What if I want you to stay?"

"By your command."

"Would you want to stay?" She looked toward the main corral. They were hidden by the shadow of the barn from prying eyes, but she could see a portion of the yard from where she stood. "Everything around here is about to get a lot more complicated."

"Going to war does that."

She glanced back at him. "You think it'll come to that?"

"You declared war on King Erich. If you wanted to avoid it you shouldn't have confronted him."

"I didn't confront him in front of all and sundry."

"What're you saying?"

"No side wins when two kingdoms clash." Cassia had plenty of time on the journey back to think about the meaning behind her father's last words. She finally understood what he meant about putting the kingdom and her people before herself.

"There'll be losses," Luki acknowledged.

"But we can't ignore what he did." Her anger surged against her new found knowledge.

"No one's asking you to."

"It'll be asked once I get summoned by the advisors." They'd summon her soon and she still didn't know for sure if he had feelings for her as she had for him. "Do you wish to go?"

"Releasing me from my duty?"

"If that is what you wish. I know you're loyal to me, but what if I don't want your loyalty?"

Luki frowned down at her.

"What if what I want from you is," she sucked the word back. What if he didn't love her? She couldn't quite force herself to say the word. "Something I have no right to ask you considering our stations."

His eyes flashed with annoyance. "Due to our positions, any feelings I have for you outside of loyalty are inappropriate and impossible."

"Not as impossible as the feelings I have toward you."

His expression became even more intense. "What are those feelings?"

"Why do I have to be the one that speaks of it?" It seemed like such a huge thing to just say the words. To admit even to herself that what she felt toward Luki was much more than a simple infatuation.

He smiled taking the pressure off her response. "Because I could be thrown in the stocks for taking so much upon myself," he paused, his grin firmly in place. "What I feel toward you is much more than a subject toward his princess. You have captured my heart. Thoughts of you occupy my mind whenever I am awake and I dream of you when I sleep."

Cassia reminded herself to breath at his blatant declaration.

He stepped closer. "The question is how does my princess feel?"

"I'm not a poet like you." She hesitated uncertain how to express her own feelings. "I don't know how to describe what I feel for you. I've never had feelings like this for anyone, but you. When you touch me," she dropped her eyes in embarrassment, "I want you to keep touching me and…"

"And?" Luki's voice was gruff.

Cassia kept her eyes on his boots, but forced the words out. "I want you to kiss me."

"All you have to do is ask."

She jerked her gaze back to his face. "Will you kiss me?"

Luki smiled and moved closer. Close enough she could feel his heat against her body. She held her breath as his hand cupped her chin. His lips pressed firmly against hers. Her heart thumped and fluttered in her chest. A hot sensation washed from her lips through her body.

He pulled back a little and searched her face. Seeming to find what he was looking for, he wrapped his other arm around her waist to pull her up against him and kissed her again.

Cassia trembled against him.

Before she realized her intention, she went up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck to bring him closer to her. His lips parted hers and his tongue swept into her mouth.

Someone cleared their throat and they leaped apart. Cassia spun around to glare at Maconahay.

He raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything about what he'd just witnessed. "The advisors have asked for your presence."

Cassia groaned softly. As much as she'd thought about it, she still hadn't gotten her story straight in her head. It was one thing to tell Luki about her father's ghost, but quite another to tell those serious-faced people. Her dread at what was to come took away all the warm and soothing feelings that had been cruising through her body. Cassia started to follow Maconahay and noticed Gordain behind him.

"He followed me down when he found out I was fetching you." Maconahay's tone held a note of apology.

Cassia squeezed Luki's hand and stepped away trying not to let herself get embarrassed about getting caught in an embrace by her guard and little brother.

Gordain didn't rush forward to hug her as the younger boys had, but held himself apart. He'd been the one stuck at the castle while everything had happened far away from him.

"I wanted to see for myself that you were all right," Gordain said formally.

"I'm well," she said tentatively, trying to determine the best way to reassure her brother. Though he wasn't showing it, she knew he'd been worried for her. "What about you?"

Gordain shrugged. Maconahay jerked his chin toward the castle and Cassia got the message.

"Walk with me?" She fell into step beside Gordain and pulled her thoughts away from Luki, but she couldn't help glancing once more behind her before they walked out of sight. He winked at her in encouragement.

"You weren't kidnapped?" Gordain blurted out.

"No, I wasn't. I'm sorry for the deception and for any worry I caused you."

He kicked at a rock just before they stepped through the castle door. "No one will tell me anything."

Cassia's lips twitched. She'd often felt the same way when she'd been his age, but then when they had told her something, she hadn't wanted to be bothered with it. Her father's study loomed ahead. "How about if I promise to answer any questions you might have?"

Gordain crossed his arms, but nodded. "What happened?"

"You don't ask easy questions." Cassia stopped at the door. "Short answer. The treaty King Erich brought us was a forgery. I couldn't go through with the wedding, but didn't have enough evidence to confront King Erich. I left to seek guidance from father's advisors. Things got a little complicated. Some of those complications are waiting for me in there."

Gordain listened to her explanation with narrowed eyes. He looked at the door and turned back to her. "You'll tell me later."

"I promise."

Gordain nodded stiffly and started to turn away. With a quick reverse, he lunged forward for a hug, catching Cassia by surprise. Her arms held him tight until he pulled away with a jerk and ran down the hall. She watched him in concern until he was out of sight. Taking several steadying breaths, she pulled her thoughts away from her brothers to what awaited her in her father's study.

You are not alone.

Kali's voice washed over her and Cassia smiled. No, she wasn't. Maconahay opened the door and gave her a grin of support before closing it behind her. Trying to stay composed, she nodded to her mother and the advisors who all wore identical frowns.

"We've been waiting for you," Eb said.

"It couldn't be helped." Cassia didn't stop, but moved around the desk and took her father's chair. Her chair. "Now, what are we to do about Vespera?"

"I think the more important question is what are we to do with you?" Sarahann asked, her anger cascading over Cassia. "You just accused the King of Vespera of murdering our king based on a dream."

"No, I accused the King of Vespera of murdering our king based on Rae's testimony." She stared straight at her mother not allowing the obvious anger to deter her. "You married your husband's murderer."

Donaly cleared his throat. "The issue is the validity of your accusations. According to the queen, your father's ghost told you he didn't sign the treaty and his horse is the witness to the murder. You have to understand," he shrugged, "you've put us in a difficult position of supporting you with these flimsy explanations."

"Prince Torr verified the treaty wasn't signed in the meeting." Her chest constricted. She had accepted her new role and she would not let them take it away from her. "You all witnessed his testimony."

Eb nodded reluctantly. "But he didn't witness his father killing Robet. We can't --"

"I'm not asking you to authorize a war, Eb." Cassia held up a hand. "My proclamation to Erich was ill-advised, I will consent to that, but that doesn't make what Erich did any less true."

"Vespera will crush us," Sarahann said.

She shook her head. "You've underestimated what we bring to the table, but I don't want to see a single Karahan citizen die in a war that could be prevented. I believe," she thought of the pleading expression in Torr's eyes, "Prince Torr was serious in his promise. We need to give him time."

"And what if Vespera launches an attack on us before the month's grace period you set?" Advisor Abiga broke her silence. "King Erich will not take your accusations lying down."

"We'll have to prepare." Cassia turned to Donaly, the advisor in charge of Karah's defenses. "Donaly?"

He rocked back on his heels. "We have more cavalry than Vespera which gives us an advantage, but they have more men. We'll have to increase the patrols on the borders. Perhaps," he glanced at Sarahann, "we could convince some of the islanders to stand with us if it comes to a fight. Any prolonged fighting will disrupt the trading they do through our ports."

Sarahann shook her head. "It has always been my people's policy to stay out of the politics of the mainlanders."

"We could still speak with them," Cassia said. "Convince them it would be in their best interest to join us."

"Being prepared for a war doesn't negate how we got there," Abiga said. "Erich will be able to go to all of our allies and they'll believe him over us. Who will believe you speak with horses?"

"I am a Horse Charmer. I can speak with any horse. I can command any horse to do my bidding. You all saw the result of my talent."

Abiga looked at Eb for help and he stepped forward. "What we saw isn't the issue. What the people, the other kingdoms, will believe is what we're concerned about."

Cassia hissed through her teeth. "Do you want Julyan to come down and certify on the battlement that I'm a Horse Charmer Talent?"

"The people won't understand what a Horse Charmer can do," Eb said. "I don't understand what one can do."

"Which isn't the point," Abiga added. "We don't even know if it's advisable for you to admit publicly to what you can do."

"What do you mean?" Cassia asked.

The three advisors shared an anxious look before Eb took point again. "As far as we know, no ruler of a kingdom or member of a royal family has ever been a Talent. We worry about the reaction to such an announcement. Talents are accepted in our lands, but not without some fear. Julyan's Guild has helped them integrate as the people believe the Talents answer to someone. But a Queen who is also a Talent – who will she have to answer to?"

"I answer to my people," Cassia said. "Debating my Talent won't make it go away. It isn't something you can wish away."

"No, but you could be less obvious," Sarahann said. "You're riding your horse with no tack whatsoever. And you spent every waking moment with that horse wrangler."

Cassia narrowed her eyes at the derisive note she heard in her mother's voice, but she bit back the retort on the edge of her tongue. She would not allow her mother to bait her into an argument.

"Yes, the wrangler," Eb said his voice gentling. "I know he helped you. But that doesn't change that he's a wrangler and you are the Queen of Karah."

She refused to lower her gaze at the reminder of the impossibility of a personal relationship between herself and Luki, and their blatant disapproval. What she and Luki shared was none of their business and she had no intention of discussing it with them.

"She isn't queen yet," Abiga pointed out. "Despite what we told King Erich she hasn't been coronated."

"What?" Sarahann burst out in disbelief.

Eb barely raised his eyebrow at Sarahann. "The deception was necessary."

"Then why are we here debating all of this with her?" Sarahann asked. "You and I will decide what will be done."

Cassia surged out of her seat. "You will not be making any decision for Karah." She came around the desk to confront her mother. "You married him and refused to listen to a single word of warning I confided to you."

"I did what you ran away from." Sarahann's cheeks flushed red. "I was following the spirit of the treaty."

"His signature was forged," she said between gritted teeth.

"We didn't know it was. Something had to be done. Your disappearance made a bad situation worse."

"I'm not married to Erich." Cassia shot a look at Eb. "What are we going to do about that?"

"We'll have to get the marriage annulled," Abiga interrupted.

"Go to your room." Sarahann dismissed Cassia with a wave of her hand.