Page 6 of The Stallion & The Tigress
“I do try,” Sahar said.Unlike Halah, allSahar had inherited from her mother besides her green eyes and theability to dance was a spine that would only bend so far.“Sometimes more successfully than others.”
Halah rolled on to her side and faced Sahar.“Your father was politic in his response to your surpriseannouncement tonight.”
“Indeed,” Sahar agreed.He had not said oneword about her riding in the races, not yet, but he would, as wouldher mother the next time they had her alone.
“He was not quite so polite with Yago theWolf though,” Halah said.“Especially when Yago escorted you backto the royal table.I thought your father’s glare would burn theWolf to cinders.”She shook her head.“What could the Wolf havemeant by doing that?He practically declared his intention to courtyou in front of not only your parents but every royal from ahundred leagues away.”
“I do not think that was his intention.”
“Oh yes it was.Your father was not the onlyman glaring pointed barbs at him for it.Your Aleksandr looked asif he would gladly tear the Wolf apart limb by limb.”
Sahar blushed for the second time this day,and she seldom blushed.“He is notmyAleksandr,” shesaid.
“You forget, I was there the first time hemet you.I saw his face.I heard his proposal.”
“Aye, when he thought me some simple-minded,easy-tempered servant girl.”
Halah flashed one of her impish grins,another trait she shared with her mother.“Who would you choose?”she asked.“If you had to choose, right here, right now, betweenthe bastard Aleksandr and the prince Yago?”
“To what?”Sahar knew perfectly well whatHalah meant.
“To marry.Quit stalling.“
Aleksandr’s square jaw, full lips and cockygrin came instantly to mind, and Sahar smiled despite herself asshe imagined that cursed shock of hair falling onto his foreheadand over his big brown eyes.She breathed in and inhaled the earthyscent of man and horse, sweat and leather that had assailed hernostrils when he had leaned close and whispered in her ear, sendinga shiver down her unbending spine.
She thought of Yago the Wolf, of his handsomeface and manners.Of how smoothly he had made room for her in theline of riders.She had been caught off guard when he offered herhis arm and escorted her back to her family’s table, and more thana little embarrassed.That must be why she could not recall anyphysical reaction to his nearness as she did with Aleksandr, for hewas surely as good looking in his way, and, as a prince, much moresuitable.Except for the fact that he was the son of her parents’hated enemies.
But Sahar had no desire to marry anyone.Notyet.Not now.
“Neither,” she said.“I intend to make my ownway.To be the first woman ever to ride in, and win, the races, tofill my own stables with the offspring of Lasair, and to be adoting auntie to all ten of your and Munir’s children.What usehave I for a husband?”
Aleksi breathed in the fresh morning airmixed with the earthy smell of horse and hitched a foot up onto thelower rail of the fence to the racing kraal.Resting both elbows onthe top rail, he and about twenty other men lined the railing towatch the princess training Lasair, a deep-chested, long-leggedbeauty of a blood bay mare with a mane and stockings as black aspitch.Dressed in a plain brown version of the wine-colored tunicand leggings she performed the Dance of Blades in last night, Saharhunched over the mare’s flexing withers, knees high and head low,the mare’s black mane billowing out around her face as they sailedacross the earthen track.
“By the gods,” he swore half under hisbreath.“It’s as if they can fly.”
Beside him an old man with a bald pate andbowed legs chuckled.“An’ what else would you ‘spect from thefirstborn of the Black Mane an’ Swan an’ last born of Storm Chaseran’ Cloud Dancer, eh?They was born and bred for each other, theywas.”
“You speak as if you know them well, oldman,” Aleksi said, and was rewarded with a beady-eyed stare.
“An’ ‘aven’t I known the princess since shewas a gleam in ‘er father’s eye,” he chided.“An’ wasn’t it me whopulled Lasair from ‘er dam’s womb an wiped the snot from ‘ernostrils so’s she could breathe ‘er first breath?”
“I do beg your pardon, sire,” Aleksi said.“Iam Aleksandr—”
“I know who you be, Maksimillian’s youngbastard.”The man grinned and touched the side of his stubbed nose.“I know everthin’ what goes on around my master’s palace.”His grinwidened, showing as many gaps as teeth.“I be the king’s stablemaster.You kin call me Ratter.”
Aleksi dipped his head to the old stablemaster.“The mare’s name, Lasair,” he said.“I am not familiar withits meaning.”
“An’ why would ye be?”Ratter answered.“Itbe the word for flame in the queen’s Northern tongue.”
“Flame,” Aleksi repeated and nodded as mareand mistress raced past, legs stretched and mane and tail flying.“It fits her, and the princess.”
“Aye, she’s a ball o’ fire, our Sahar, always‘as been, ever since the day she came into this ‘ere world,squallin’ at the top o’ ‘er lungs ‘til ‘er brother was laid in thecradle alongside ‘er.”He grinned and rubbed his bald pate.“Shewas ever a beauty too, all rosy cheeked an’ bright eyed an’ curiousas a kitten since the day she were born.”
“Kitten?”Aleksi eyed the old stable master,looking for claw marks on his leathered face.
Ratter chortled.“Don’t ever be callin’ ‘erthat,” he said.“She ‘ates bein’ called that by anyone, but ‘er oleuncle Ratter that is.”
Aleksi gave a soft snort.“Of course shedoes.”
