Kerrigan took a deep breath before pushing her way outside. The chill took her off guard. In Kinkadia, even in the morning, it would already be sticky hot. But here, it was dry and brisk. Wind rustled the trees, and birds chirped nearby. The smell of horses came to her as she closed in on the stables. It had been years since she’d ridden. It wasn’t necessary in the city. Most people went on foot. And she’d always been more interested in dragons.

“Ah, you received my request,” Wynter said as Kerrigan approached.

“I did. I thought it would be nice to get out of the mountain.”

“Well, I know just the thing.” Wynter had her hand on a chestnut horse already tacked and ready to ride. “She’s for you. This is Sienna.”

A man stepped out of the stable with a black stallion. “Your Highness, Caspian is ready for you.”

“Thank you, Jeral,” Wynter said, smiling warmly at the stable hand. Wynter passed the reins into Kerrigan’s hand and then vaulted on top of Caspian without a block or hand up.

Kerrigan gulped and stared at Sienna. She was smaller than Caspian but still much larger than she was used to, and there were no convenient places to put her feet to get up like she did with her dragon.

“Shall I assist you, miss?” Jeral asked.

“Yes, please.”

She put her boot into Jeral’s awaiting hands. He lifted her as she threw a leg over the beast. Kerrigan settled into the saddle. It wasn’t as comfortable as a dragon, but it would do. She wished that she could communicate with the horse the way she could a dragon. It felt safer.

“Good,” Wynter said, clicking her tongue at the horse and squeezing her thighs to get it moving.

Kerrigan remembered the moves and got Sienna to fall into step beside Wynter. She was glad that Wynter didn’t speak for a while, as Kerrigan needed the time to remember her lessons. She’d ridden with her father but only a pony, and it wasn’t quite the same thing.

They came upon a small creek. The horses splashed forward through it, and then Wynter finally spoke, “So, tell me about yourself.”

“About myself?” Kerrigan didn’t know what she was supposed to say. Were they still pretending like she was property? She’d rather talk about the House of Shadows than about herself. “Nothing to tell.”

“Oh, I very much doubt that.”

“Well, what do you want to know?”

Wynter’s colorless gaze was disconcerting to meet. “Everything.”

Kerrigan shrugged. “I grew up in Kinkadia and met your brother at the dragon tournament.”

“And you were working there?” she asked carefully.

In a way.

“Yes. I worked for him during the tournament.”

Also true.

“Hmm,” she mused.