Chapter 29

Lyana nodded, touched. "I had to promise the king that too. Don't worry, I'll take care of myself.

But I am sure that everything will go well."

That seemed to reassure her maid at least a little.

She accompanied them outside, where King Ulric

was already waiting for them. He was just saddling his horse and Lyana was watching him very

carefully. It was definitely not the first time he had done this, his movements were far too fast and

smooth for that. "Don't you have a stable boy, Your Majesty?" She asked curiously from behind. But

King Ulric turned to her calm and unimpressed. "I always saddle my horse myself. That creates a

deeper bond with the animal."

Lyana really respected that very much. In her opinion, too, it strengthened the relationship between the animal and its rider. It seemed like the king was tough on people, but had a good heart when it came to animals. "Do I get a horse too?"

Again the king turned and looked her up and down. "In this dress? That would only lead to problems. You will ride with me." He said it as if it were the most normal thing in the world. But the very thought made her heart suddenly beat faster. She wouldn't be still afraid of him, would she?

But even if she did, there was no way she could show it to him. "That makes sense. When are we going?"

King Ulric swung himself into the saddle and extended his hand to her. "Immediately."

Lyana swallowed hard and took it. She wanted to sit behind him, but when she swung up, he suddenly grabbed her waist with the other hand and before she knew it she was sitting in front of him. Suddenly she was incredibly close to him and she had the feeling that she had forgotten how to breathe. But King Ulric didn't give her any time to get used to her current situation, instead he brought the horse into a gallop after only a short time. She was thrown against him as a result and instinctively clung to the next one that she got hold of.

Lyana liked to ride and wasn't really afraid at all. Nevertheless she closed her eyes now. Her whole body was frozen and her head was completely empty. At that moment she was no longer aware of anything. Only the warmth and smell of the king still existed in this world. It was almost like the first day. That scent of wood, as fresh as a spring day in the forest.

Wrapped in this wonderful scent and the pleasant warmth, she snuggled closer to him. Thanks to

that, she hardly noticed any more of the cold wind that rushed towards them. "We're here, little sun

princess," he said suddenly to and she tore herself out of her own little world. She opened her eyes and only now realized what she had actually done. She was clutching the king's cloak and her face pressed against his shoulder.

Horrified by her demeanor, she pushed herself off him, causing her to almost fall off the horse. King

Ulric grabbed her wrist just in time and held her back. "If you break your neck, I will no longer have any kind of pressure. So I would prefer you not to throw yourself off the horse." He pushed her away softly and then jumped off the horse. Then he grabbed her hip again and lifted her down.

When he came with one hand in the direction of her face, she winced briefly and involuntarily

clutched her neck. King Ulric did not miss this movement either. He looked at her thoughtfully, one

hand still on her hip. "I have no qualms doing that again. Especially if you irritate me. But currently

I don't have the urge to hurt you."

Lyana nodded ashamed. Of course she was aware of that. The very fact that he had lifted her down

so carefully so that she wouldn't hurt herself was a sign of that. But as much as she wanted to be the

strong one, she had just experienced how much power there was in those hands. He might not mean

to do it now, but as he said, it was all a matter of state of mind.

Now that she was letting him be, he brushed a few hairs from her face that must have come loose

from the braid and then let go of her. Lyana looked around and saw that they were standing directly

in front of the enclosure. The fence reached far into the forest. Would they even meet the wolves?

On the other hand, there had to be a way to call them.

"Let's go. A few meters further there is a small hut. You can wait for me there until I'm finished,"

King Ulric explained and opened the gate to go ahead with his horse. Lyana quickly followed,

trying not to stumble in the snow while she looked around. "That must be a huge area, you can't

even see where the fence ends."

Her companion growled in agreement. "Wolves need a large territory. If it were possible, I would tear down this damn fence myself."

She looked at him in amazement. "But wouldn't the wolves disappear?"

"That would be the least of my worries. They are extremely loyal to me. But the fence bears the

royal coat of arms. It keeps those bastards from shooting the animals." The subliminal anger in his

voice made Lyana take a step back. She didn't want to upset him any further and therefore preferred

to keep quiet. Besides, she could already see the hut he had spoken of. The house was made of real

wood and was only sparsely furnished inside. Lyana could hardly imagine that King Ulric was staying in such a dwelling. But he was so familiar with it that it had to be like that.