Chapter 7

Cat: POV

Fifteen minutes later, I was standing in the foyer in a pair of tight, white pants, a blue polo shirt, and a pair of tan riding boots. Angelique had pulled it all out of my closet. How she managed to have everything ready to go, in my size, I had no idea.

Maybe she'd taken my measurements in my sleep.

Maybe she was just very prepared and had a million sizes of emergency situation clothes ready and waiting, no matter the shape or size of the princess.

I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt.

Hopefully, this would be over quickly. I could pet the horse, take a nice slow walk around the garden, and then call it a day. Minimal talking with Prince Leopold, no opportunity for more accidental dry-humping, as little time on the actual horse as possible.

The sharp clack of heels on stone drew my attention to the top of the stairs. Leopold appeared on the landing, looking like a god of the underworld.

Or a fallen, cursed, angel.

His clothes were similar to mine, but where I felt awkward and out of place in the fancy, too tight clothing, Leopold looked perfectly at ease and far too attractive.

The black pants moulded to his muscular thighs. His biceps were on display in the short sleeved shirt. The boots gave off a sexy medieval vibe. He had his sunglasses on. His hair damp and pushed back from his face, as though he'd tried to tame it with water.

Images of the night before began to flicker through my mind. His lips on my throat, the pressure of his hips against my abdomen, the headiness of the earthy scent of his skin.

And then he opened his mouth.

"Let's get this over with."

The Prince strode by me and out the back doors of the palace.

"Couldn't agree with you more," I muttered, following after him.

There were two enormous horses waiting for us just outside the doors. A young man with blond curls stood with them. I assumed he was the horse guy. One who could teach me how to ride so I didn't need to depend on the Prince to show me.

I didn't need to give him any more reasons for snide remarks or body contract.

The bowed as we stepped out onto a stone terrace and then quickly began speaking with Leopold. Leopold laughed, smiling brightly at whatever the man said, and joined him on the grass beside the horses.

I was shocked for a minute, hearing and seeing the laughter on his face. He'd been nothing but cold, and tense, and angry since we met. But in this moment, he seemed...happy.

They had a quick exchange then Leopold nodded, and the man bowed again and then walked away. Leaving me an Leopold alone with the horses.

Perfect. My only hope at not looking like an idiot and not having to be alone with Leopold had just gone up in smoke.

What the hell was the plan now?

I stood on the steps, watching skeptically.

Leopold moved over to the bigger of the two horses, and all black one. I could hear him talking calmly, soothingly to the horse in french. He stroked it's nose, along the side of his neck. He stopped beside it and placed both hands on the saddle. Then, in one smooth motion, he lifted himself up and swung his leg over the horse so that he was seated onto.

I swallowed thickly.

Was that hot as hell? Yes.

Did he make it look impressive and easy? Yes.

Was I slightly turned on? Possibly.

Did that make me any more excited about this whole trip? No chance in hell.

"Are you coming?" Leopold said sharply.

I took a deep calming breath in before replying. "Like I said earlier. I've never ridden before. I have no idea how to get on that thing."

Leopold ran a hand through his hair, a muscle in his jaw tightening. In one swift movement, he jumped off his horse, his boots crunching loudly on the gravel path.

"Come here," he said. He held out his hand.

I didn't budge.

He wiggled his fingers.

It didn't seem like there was an easy way to get out of this. Besides...maybe it would actually be fun?

Tentatively, I walked down the steps to the path and took hold of his rough fingers.

"This is Dave," Leopold said, when we arrived at the black horse. It was even bigger now that I was standing beside it. More real and alive and...dangerous.

Sort of like the Prince.

Leopold turned to the other horse. A smaller white one, covered in grey dots. "And this is Jacquline. She won't hurt you. Here."

Leopold took our linked hands and ran them along the dotted horse's neck. My nerves began to dissipate. Something about the way he was so calm with the animals made me feel at ease.

"See?" he said softly. "Now. Are you ready? We will go slowly."

I found myself nodding. "Okay."

I gasped as his large hands took hold of my hips, his fingers pressing into my skin, and he lifted me up onto Jacqueline.

"So what's the plan?" I said, fumbling with the reins, trying not to look at him.

Leopold hauld himself up onto his horse again. This time I let myself admire the pull and flex in the muscles of his back and arms.

"We'll go to the rose garden," he said, when he was seated in the saddle.

"Perfect. Now...how do I make this thing start?"

Leopold gave me a quick tutorial on how to steer the horse, and then we were off, lumbering across the green lawn.

I used the opportunity to take in my surroundings. We were at the back of the palace, in a green field. There was a treeline about a hundred meters away. As we took a left turn around the building, ornate gardens came into view. There were a few dozen people walking through them leisurely, some in sun hats, some with cameras. Security guards were posted at even intervals between them.

"What's going on?" I asked Leopold.

"The Palace is open for tourists at certain times," he said without turning around.

So that was why Princess Lupa had suggested we take a ride. The tourists could snap a few pictures of Prince Leopold and I looking all cute together.

I tried to sit a little straighter. Tried to imitate the up and down motion the Prince made while riding, realizing that people were watching us.

Now would not be the time to fall off a horse. It would make for a very embarrassing first day as an almost princess. And with Prince Leopold's reputation, they would probably say that he's pushed me off.

To be honest, form my experience of him so far...it was quite possible he would push me off.

I looked at Leopold's hands. The Prince's knuckles had been cleaned up, but the bruises and cuts were still visible.

We were growing closer and closer to the rose garden and people now. I noticed his grip tighten on the reins.

"Attention," he said softly and looked up to see that we were, in fact, beginning to attract attention.

A woman had spotted us and was pointing in our direction. In unison, the rest of the crowd turned to face us. They moved like sheep to the edge of the garden closest to us, all raising the cameras and phones.

The security guards posted at even intervals in the garden all stood a little straighter, on alert.

I kicked my heels gently into my horse, trying to catch up to the Prince. It wasn't going to make for a very good photo op if I was a few metres behind him. Jacqueline snorted, and quickened her pace.

The cameras started going off like crazy, the people calling out to us asI pulled up beside the Prince and Dave. My horse's ears flicked down and she suddenly shook her head. My hand shot back down to grab hold of the saddle as the movement made me unsteady.

"You good, Jax?" I asked the horse, praying the answer was yes.

I noticed the Prince glance over his shoulder at us. "Let's stop here for a moment."

He turned Dave around, coming back towards me.

The crowd grew louder. The flashes multiplied. The people probably thought we were leaving. That they wouldn't get the chance to see us closer.

Jacqueline whinnied beneath me, growing more and more unsettled.

Then, all of a sudden, my horse bolted.

"AHHHHHH!" I screamed at the top of my lungs as the horse ran. The reins dropped from my hands and I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around her neck, my fingers through her hair, grabbing anything I could to stop from falling off.

"Stop!" I called desperately to the horse. "Nein! Detener!"

She didn't stop though, didn't even change direction.

We galloped at top speed across the grass towards the woods. The tree line was getting closer and closer at an uncomfortable rate.

I knew I shouldn't have agreed to come. That the horse ridding had been a terrible idea. I hadn't even had the chance to try to help the Prince, and how I was going to get thrown head first into a tree.

I screwed my eyes shut, heart pounding wildly in my chest, waiting for impact.

Suddenly, I heard a deep voice over the wind that rushed through my ears. "Take my hand."

I opened my eyes to find Leopold beside me, his face furious. He and Dave sprinted at top speed only an arms length away.

What the hell was he doing?!

How on earth had he caught up to us?

He held his arm out, over the space between the horses. My eyes grew wide.

Was he crazy?

There was no way in hell I was gonna let go of this horse. We were going like a billion miles an hour.

Plus what was the plan here? He was just gonna swing me onto Dave?

Nuh-uh. Not happening.

"Cat!" Leopold shouted, his voice deep and commanding. "Take my hand now."

I glanced forward, we were seconds away from the trees.

Seeing no better option, I stuck out my hand, and prayed that Leopold wouldn't let me fall.