Kingdom of Sea and Stone (Crown of Coral and Pearl #2) - Mara Rutherford Page 0,38

in Roan or my feelings had waned. But maybe it was easier to let him believe that than try to explain that I wasn’t sure yet what I wanted, that his vision of our future together might not match mine.

I helped Zadie brush out her long, dark hair, which hung in shining waves to the small of her back, and laced her into the corset of her new dress. It wasn’t nearly as fine as the gowns I’d worn at New Castle, the silks and taffetas and rich velvets that had felt more like shiny cages than clothing. But aside from the pink gown she’d worn for the choosing ceremony, it was the finest garment she’d ever owned, and she looked lovely.

I was not in the mood for corsets and lace. I chose a pair of black leather leggings and a black tunic with embroidery along the cuffs and collar, as well as the fur vest from Roan. Zadie helped me fashion my hair into a braided crown.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather wear that?” She glanced wistfully at the gown Talin had purchased for me. It was simple, like Zadie’s, made of moss-green velvet, with only a bit of delicate lace at the cuffs and collar.

But while Zadie’s thoughts were on Sami, I knew that we had a battle ahead in convincing the Galethians to join our cause. This wasn’t the time for delicacy.

Roan came for us at nightfall, as promised, and we followed him on horseback through Leesbrook until the shops began to dwindle and the bustling crowds thinned. The houses were larger and freestanding, with lush pastures surrounding them. A herd of beautiful black-and-white horses with flowing manes and shaggy fetlocks galloped along the road, following us.

“Who lives out here?” I asked Roan, who had once again found his place beside me. He had changed into a sleeveless leather jacket with buckles down the front over a clean tunic.

“Trainers, instructors, and veterinarians, mostly. They need larger facilities to accommodate the horses.”

“I see.” I wasn’t sure I did, and I definitely didn’t know what a veterinarian was, but I didn’t like admitting my ignorance to Roan. “Why are horses so important to Galethians?” I asked after a few moments of silence, my curiosity getting the better of me.

He shrugged. “The Varenians who escaped all those generations ago never would have made it here without the stolen horses. And they couldn’t have cultivated this land without them, either. The reason Galeth was easy to take was because no one wanted it. The soil was rocky, the mountains difficult to cross, the valleys vast, and the winters harsh. Without our horses, life would have been unsustainable.”

“But surely once you’d tamed the land, you could have given up the horses. Or at least not maintained such a reliance on them.”

He was riding Duster bareback, and he leaned back until he was lying on the horse’s wide rump, staring up at the stars. The shaggy horse didn’t even flinch. Roan had explained that they only used saddles on their horses when necessary—on rough terrain, for example, when a rider needed better control, or to help carry gear. “I don’t see this as a reliance, Nor. Duster is my partner. I take care of him, and he takes care of me. I would no sooner ‘give him up’ than you would give up your sister.”

“You’re comparing my sister to a horse?” I asked, though I wasn’t really offended. I could see he genuinely loved Duster.

“Well, she’s much prettier than a horse.” He rose to a sitting position without using his arms for balance or support. His abdomen must be solid muscle, I mused, then blushed at the image. “But I don’t have any siblings, so perhaps it’s not a fair comparison.”

“No brothers or sisters?”

“No. None that made it past infancy, anyhow.”

His self-assuredness made more sense, knowing he’d never had a sibling to put him in his place. “And your parents?”

“They’re still in the east. I haven’t seen them in years, but we write every now and then. Yours?”

“Ceren came to our village as we made our escape. I thought he would follow me and leave our people alone, but he appeared to be taking them prisoner. I can only assume my parents are at New Castle. As soon as we get Sami back, I’m going to find them.”

I hadn’t realized I intended to go directly to New Castle until I said it out loud. But I knew in my heart it was right.