Page 12 of Golden Queen (Idrigard #1)

Three

The following morning, I found myself once again riding out into the godsgrass to meet a complement of riders from afar.

My cousin met us at the stables, and when he had mounted his horse and sidled up next to me, I gave him a cross look.

"Where did you..." we both said in unison.

I raised a brow and offered my palm in acquiescence. "Go ahead."

He looked slightly embarrassed. "I suddenly don't want to tell you,” he said, surprising me. There was very little that embarrassed Arkadian Lithaway.

I widened my eyes. "Tell me!" I hissed, as the column began moving toward the portcullis and gates of the inner fortress.

Arkadian sighed dramatically. "I met someone." As he said the words, his face changed, only imperceptibly...and I knew.

"Someone special," I breathed.

His mouth curved into a slow smile. It made my heart trip a little to see it. I had never known him to offer more than lust and respectful indifference when it came to women.

"Tell me," I begged, but he only smiled.

"Later," he finally agreed when I gave him another beseeching look. "Stop looking so happy," he added as we passed through the portcullis.

"I'll stop looking so happy, when you stop looking so happy."

We both rode through the city gate looking decidedly happy, and by the time we reached the hill where we could see the approaching group, I forgot about my own adventure of the previous evening.

Coming up the Godsway were at least ten Artaxian stallions.

They were tall, with thickly muscled bodies and sleek, shining coats. Their long manes and tails streamed out behind them with the long, crimson plumes that topped their rider’s helms.

My heart soared at the sight of creatures I had only ever dreamed of seeing.

They slowed as they neared us, drawing up into a long, straight line. The central horse was solid black, his coat so shiny his flanks reflected the gold of the godsgrass.

His armored rider sat straight and proud on his back, but the stallion wore no bridle, saddle, or harness of any kind.

When we had all dismounted, the Artaxians bowed low to me, even as the herald announced my uncle. Their horses all stood perfectly, eerily still behind them, huge heads held high.

They were not lathered or winded, even after galloping at full speed up the Godsway.

One of the warriors, with skin like burnished gold, stepped forward and turned to me, removing his helm. He had a head of thick slate-gray hair and a handsome, weathered face. “Your Majesty, Aelia of Windemere," he said, ignoring the regent at my side. "I am Adrio of Artax."

I stepped forward and clasped his hand—for once, also ignoring Markus, who was glaring at me with cold fury on his reddened face. "Well met, Adrio of Artax," I said, smiling widely.

The warriors all wore fine, white tunics and leggings under armor that looked like it was made from pounded copper plates. Their matching helms had arrow-shaped nose guards and were topped with bright-red horsehair plumes that fell down their backs.

Adrio was dressed the same, except that he had an elderwood seed hanging from his neck on a leather cord. The little white acorn was held in a silver wire cage to protect it.

He was the Elderguard, I realized. The King of the Horse Lords would always wear the seed around his neck to signify his role as guardian of the Elderwood Forest.

When he spoke again, his voice rang out loud enough for everyone to hear. "We have been tasked by the Elderwood to bring a message to Aelia of Windemere. But this gift is from Artax, to honor your coronation as Queen of the Godsgrass Kingdom." He held out his hand.

I heard hooves pounding across the ground.

I turned, barely comprehending the monumental words he'd said as I followed the sound.

A lone stallion trotted through the godsgrass. His head was held high, proud, his massive shoulders flexing, long hair whipping out behind him as he trotted up the hill toward me. The brilliant white of his coat was stark in the sunshine.

Mine, my heart nearly sang. Mine!

Tears pricked my eyes as I took a step toward him. He stopped in the field to my right, throwing his head up, shaking his long mane out around him. He moved gracefully, but wild, free, and beautiful as he danced in place.

Arkadian's hand came out to stop me, but I shrugged him off.

"It's fine," I said, tears spilling over to stream down my cheeks.

"He's mine." My voice broke on the last word.

I was so overcome by emotion in the presence of such a creature, by the honor of such a gift.

Surely there had never been such a beautiful horse in all the world.

Adrio and the other Artaxians put their fists to their chests and pounded on their armor. It made a rhythm in time with my footsteps through the grass as I went to him. The pounding did not stop until I reached his side.

He was several hands taller than any horse I had ever seen, and he was pristinely white, as though not even a speck of dust graced his coat.

He was the precise color of my hair, I realized with unexpected joy.

Pale, milky-white, with a barely perceptible coolness that lent itself to thoughts of moonlight.

The description was somehow easier to make in regard to this noble creature than my own hair.

The horse stilled as I reached him, going completely motionless.

"Hello," I told him. He lowered his head and shoved his nose against my shoulder. I reached up and ran my hands down his long face and crooned to him. "Beautiful creature."

He pushed against me again, gently, breath huffing out in what sounded like a greeting.

I looked back, realizing no one had followed me through the godsgrass. I wondered if they were all somehow afraid of him. That made little sense. How could anyone be afraid of what must surely have been the king of all horses.

He startled me by raising his head and backing up a step. He lowered the front half of his body by extending one leg and bending the other, almost as though he was bowing to me.

When I made no move, he gave me a loud huff and a snort. I realized he was asking me to climb onto his back.

No, I corrected, he was commanding me to do it.

I obeyed, as one does when given a command by a king. I stepped to his side and grasped his mane, pulling myself up and throwing my leg across his back.

I didn't even consider the fact that everyone was watching me, or that my skirts slid up to my knees as I climbed on. I simply did not care about propriety, and I had no capacity for embarrassment in such a significant moment.

I made an attempt to hold on with my legs and by keeping my hand fisted in his long mane.

He rose and shot off like lightning across the field.

My heart thundered as my hair whipped back and my body was jostled as he gained momentum. It only took me another moment to get myself in sync with his movements, though, and then I leaned forward over his neck, rolling with his strikingly smooth gait as his hooves pounded through the grass.

He stood so tall that my legs were well above the top of the godsgrass that might have whipped across my skin and cut me at that speed.

I laughed, filled with unexpected joy, as he carried me across the low, rolling hills, going further from the city than I had ever been. I felt like my own heart was soaring somewhere above as we flew across the plains. In all my life, I had never felt so free.

We ran without slowing, but as soon as I had formed the thought in my mind that we had, perhaps, gone a little too far, the horse made a loop, heading back toward the city. I saw the castle, the wall, and the little knot of people watching me with a mix of horror and appreciation.

Adrio stood a little apart from the group, so I nudged the Artaxian stallion toward him. He responded to the light pressure of my knee, going directly where I guided him.

When we reached him, the elderguard nodded to us, smiling happily as the stallion knelt to allow me to slide off.

It felt like my cheeks might crack at any moment from the strain of the grin still plastered on my face. I reached for Adrio's hand. "Thank you, Adrio of Artax,” I said, never meaning anything more in my life. “I will forever strive to be worthy of such a gift."

Adrio smiled, squeezing my hand. His gaze seemed alive with some wisdom that I could not hope to grasp.

It was almost disquieting to look into his eyes.

"We have already found you worthy, Golden Queen, or else we would not have brought you Etreyiu, the finest stallion to ever be born on the Artaxian plains. "

"Etreyiu?" I asked as the horse in question laid his head over my shoulder and whickered softly.

Adrio laughed. "I can see he has already judged you worthy, as well."

I glanced back at the group of Artaxian warriors who were still facing Markus and the Windemerians. Even from a distance, I could see my uncle's face. He was nearly purple with rage.

I turned back to Adrio. "You said you had a message from the Elderwood." I could hardly believe the words I was saying—to be honored by the ancient forest, when I would not have believed they even knew who I was. It was overwhelming.

"Ah, yes," Adrio said, reaching down to take a leather pouch from his belt. He laid it in my hand almost reverently.

As I untied the cord around the opening, he spoke.

"These are the words of the trees, exactly as they were given to me.

We see you, Golden Queen. When the skies grow dark and the sun is stolen by the shadows that creep across the world, when the ache of your empty arms grows too heavy to bear, come to us, Aelia of Windemere. "

My hands began to shake as I fumbled with the leather tie. The honor I felt just moments before dissolved into pure dread as the words filtered into my mind.

My hands shook as I finally managed to open the pouch, I turned it over and dumped the contents into my palm.