Chapter 71 #2
Suspicious, I focused on the sight once more, half sure I had seen it wrong.
Only I hadn’t.
Titan really was in the gardens. He was doing this half-lope thing, where he ran at a pace nowhere near his full speed. I’d seen Titan run flat out, and he was the wind itself. This was maybe a third of his speed. What was he even running around in here for?
Two stable hands were trying to catch him, but he was wily as he moved, avoiding any lasso they tried to throw over his head.
He rounded a bend in the garden, and in doing so, whoever he chased also came into sight. Bright red hair, a torn green dress…surely I was not seeing this right? I adjusted my glasses and peered harder.
Shidteus’s balls! Princess Valentina!
Titan was chasing the Princess of Ascor and apparently had been at it a while, as whole chunks of her dress’s train were missing.
I could see her ankles, that was how much of the skirt he’d torn off.
She screamed something as she ran, her mouth wide open, but at this distance, I could barely hear her voice. Which was probably just as well.
As I watched, Titan picked up speed, head snapping forward as he bit down on her skirt.
He gleefully threw his head to the side, much like a cat shaking its prey, and tore out another huge chunk in the process.
Valentina tripped, screamed some more, but somehow managed to get her feet back under her.
Titan kept harrowing her and, if I was not mistaken, driving her into a corner of the garden.
I’d seen him training with James on how to corner an opponent, and I’d swear that was what he was doing.
Damn, I loved that horse.
How, though, had this even come about? Had she gone into the stable trying some trick and Titan had taken an instant hatred to her, leading to this game of cat and mouse? I was dying to know the story.
“Your Majesty?” Judge Galbraith called from the table. “Is something amiss?”
I stood there and debated whether or not to turn a blind eye to the situation. Titan was just being a good horse, right? Trying to get rid of the nasty woman? I didn’t need to actually intervene, did I?
On the other hand, letting a foreign princess get hurt on our soil was a little…
Sighing, I gave in to my responsible side. “Hold on, please. I apparently need to call James.”
Lifting my ring to my mouth, I called clearly, “James?”
The response was very quick. “Yes, my love?”
“I have good news and bad news. The good news is, Titan has impeccable taste in people.”
He laughed. “I know.”
“The bad news is, he’s currently displaying his taste in people by chasing Valentina around the formal palace garden.”
A pause. James sounded hopeful when he asked, “Is death or serious injury imminent?”
“Sadly, no. I think Titan’s trying to corner her in the garden. He’s been biting and tearing her dress, though. I’m sure she’s terrified. And mortified.”
“Is anyone trying to catch Titan?”
“Two stable hands. With no success. He’s outsmarting them.”
“He is a very smart horse.”
“Oh, he’s incredibly clever. More than some of the people I have to work with, in fact. Really, I’m inclined to just stand here and cheer him on—”
Judge Galbraith quickly hobbled over to the window to see for himself and then let out a strangled, “Your Majesties! You cannot let the Princess of Ascor be hurt in our own palace! That’s a diplomatic nightmare!”
“—but Judge Galbraith might have a heart attack if we let Titan play much longer,” I finished dryly. “And I rather like him, so can you go get Titan? Or I suppose I could try.”
James let out a long sigh, one of duty, with no joy found within. “Unfortunately, Titan’s not going to listen to you, either. I’ll have to go get him. You said formal gardens?”
“I did.”
“All right, I’m going.”
“Take your time,” I said. “Take the long route.”
James laughed and ended the call with a kiss.
Judge Galbraith just stared at me—glowered really, still miffed. “Your Majesty, I realize she’s been an embarrassment ever since her arrival—”
“This woman has tried to not only seduce James but to poison me,” I informed him flatly.
His eyes flared wide, and he barely blinked for a long moment. “I hadn’t heard about the poisoning.”
“We can’t prove it, but we do know it was her.”
“Well, shit,” he muttered.
I darted a look over my shoulder, but the ladies had moved to the other side of the room, requesting things of the runners, which gave me a very narrow moment of semiprivacy.
“Judge Galbraith, I have to tell you, we’re having a hard time getting rid of her.
We sent Lenville to Ascor to meet with her parents, and he hasn’t been able to meet with them yet.
The word I received this morning is they’re not in the capital but at their summer home, so it’s taking longer to reach them.
But keeping her here in the palace is clearly not going well. ”
He glanced out the window again and rolled his eyes. “That I can see. Now, Your Majesty, I didn’t say this…”
The best advice always followed when he said things like that. “I have no idea what you mean. You’re not saying anything right now.”
“I do like how quickly you catch on. I would suggest creating an excuse to get rid of her. If she hasn’t done anything, make sure she does do something.”
My smile turned evil. “If it’s tacit permission to act, I’ll take it.”
“No, no. I didn’t say anything, remember?”
“Of course. My mistake.”
A glance out the window verified Titan was still chasing her.
Oh, wait, he’d cornered her now between two tall hedges.
I could see his hindquarters and something of her face.
Her black eye makeup streaked down her cheeks from tears and she was screaming at the horse.
The stable hands were still either trying to get a rope on him or at least get the halter in hand, but Titan kept tossing his head, thwarting their efforts.
He wasn’t letting Valentina past him, either.
Such a good horse. I should feed him apples for being such a good baby.
A bushel of apples should be enough.