was not enough that he knew he belonged to Tanish. There were still pieces waiting to be slotted into position. And Sorran had no clue as to what those pieces might be.
Chapter 6
“Y OU HAVE not seen us, Timur, is that clear?” Tanish stared at the stable boy, his gaze unwavering.
Timur grinned. “Seen who, Your Highness?” He finished adjusting the saddle and reins, and then patted the stallion’s creamy flanks. He nodded toward Sorran, who was standing by the stable door, anxiously looking around. “Can he handle Forena?”
Tanish stroked down Forena’s nose, making little clicks as he stared into the horse’s liquid brown eyes. “He says he rides stallions all the time in Vancor, so we will take him at his word.” He smoothed the stallion’s mane. “Forena is a good horse. He will behave.” Sorran had taken one look at Forena and smiled broadly, exuding confidence. When Tanish had protested that perhaps he might wish to ride a gentler horse, Sorran’s eyes flashed. The Vancoran prince had spirit.
Timur chuckled. “He had best behave. The Maker forbid that one of our horses throws the young prince.” He flicked his head toward the black mare, already saddled up. “And you and Nerita grew up together. She loves her Prince Tanish.”
Tanish strolled across to pet the mare, who whinnied and pushed her nose into his hand. “That’s my girl,” he whispered into her ear, his face pressed against her, fingers curled in her mane. If she had been in heat, he would have chosen otherwise for Sorran. The prince’s safety was paramount in his mind.
“Then I will take my leave of you,” Timur said with a bow and left the stable, bowing to Sorran as he passed.
Sorran acknowledged him and then came fully into the stable. His eyes glowed with warmth as he gazed at the horses. “Such beautiful animals,” he said in a low tone. He stretched out his hand toward Forena, who immediately nudged it with his nose. Sorran laughed, the sound bright and joyous. “Oh, you are a beauty, aren’t you?” He regarded Tanish with a broad smile. “Thank you for this. But I must ask, do you often ride unaccompanied? Such a thing would never be countenanced in Vancor.” His smile faltered. “The times I have longed to gallop through the surrounding countryside, away from the watchful gaze of others.”
Tanish shrugged. “It is the same for me.” The times he wished to ride through the kingdom, simply to mix with the people, to hear their words, see their lives…. There was always at least one guard.
But not today. Today he had a plan.
Tanish went over to the hay pile and picked up the two robes he had laid there. He handed one to Sorran. “Put this on, and none shall pay us heed.”
Sorran examined the robe, running his hand over the soft fabric. “What a glorious color. I have rarely seen such a deep red.” He flung the robe around him and then touched the hood. “Should I wear the hood up?”
Tanish frowned as he put on his own robe. “If you were to wear the robe without it, you would indeed attract attention.”
Sorran smoothed down the fabric. “Why should no one pay us heed in these garments?
Tanish stared at him. “Because one is invisible when one wears a cashor —or as good as. Surely you know that.”
Sorran tilted his head, his confusion evident. “This is a cashor ? I do not recognize the word. Who wears such a garment?”
Tanish did not know what to think. Either this prince was a fool, or more intriguingly, he knew nothing of Seruani . Tanish was not acquainted with the customs of Vancor. Do they not have Seruani? Then he stopped himself. There would be time enough to discover more when they were out riding, away from the ears and eyes of the palace guards.
“I will speak more of this later. Come, let us be on our way, before anyone becomes aware of our absence.” He swung himself up onto Nerita’s broad back, patting her neck and shoulders.
Sorran did the same, and Forena stood
Chapter 6
“Y OU HAVE not seen us, Timur, is that clear?” Tanish stared at the stable boy, his gaze unwavering.
Timur grinned. “Seen who, Your Highness?” He finished adjusting the saddle and reins, and then patted the stallion’s creamy flanks. He nodded toward Sorran, who was standing by the stable door, anxiously looking around. “Can he handle Forena?”
Tanish stroked down Forena’s nose, making little clicks as he stared into the horse’s liquid brown eyes. “He says he rides stallions all the time in Vancor, so we will take him at his word.” He smoothed the stallion’s mane. “Forena is a good horse. He will behave.” Sorran had taken one look at Forena and smiled broadly, exuding confidence. When Tanish had protested that perhaps he might wish to ride a gentler horse, Sorran’s eyes flashed. The Vancoran prince had spirit.
Timur chuckled. “He had best behave. The Maker forbid that one of our horses throws the young prince.” He flicked his head toward the black mare, already saddled up. “And you and Nerita grew up together. She loves her Prince Tanish.”
Tanish strolled across to pet the mare, who whinnied and pushed her nose into his hand. “That’s my girl,” he whispered into her ear, his face pressed against her, fingers curled in her mane. If she had been in heat, he would have chosen otherwise for Sorran. The prince’s safety was paramount in his mind.
“Then I will take my leave of you,” Timur said with a bow and left the stable, bowing to Sorran as he passed.
Sorran acknowledged him and then came fully into the stable. His eyes glowed with warmth as he gazed at the horses. “Such beautiful animals,” he said in a low tone. He stretched out his hand toward Forena, who immediately nudged it with his nose. Sorran laughed, the sound bright and joyous. “Oh, you are a beauty, aren’t you?” He regarded Tanish with a broad smile. “Thank you for this. But I must ask, do you often ride unaccompanied? Such a thing would never be countenanced in Vancor.” His smile faltered. “The times I have longed to gallop through the surrounding countryside, away from the watchful gaze of others.”
Tanish shrugged. “It is the same for me.” The times he wished to ride through the kingdom, simply to mix with the people, to hear their words, see their lives…. There was always at least one guard.
But not today. Today he had a plan.
Tanish went over to the hay pile and picked up the two robes he had laid there. He handed one to Sorran. “Put this on, and none shall pay us heed.”
Sorran examined the robe, running his hand over the soft fabric. “What a glorious color. I have rarely seen such a deep red.” He flung the robe around him and then touched the hood. “Should I wear the hood up?”
Tanish frowned as he put on his own robe. “If you were to wear the robe without it, you would indeed attract attention.”
Sorran smoothed down the fabric. “Why should no one pay us heed in these garments?
Tanish stared at him. “Because one is invisible when one wears a cashor —or as good as. Surely you know that.”
Sorran tilted his head, his confusion evident. “This is a cashor ? I do not recognize the word. Who wears such a garment?”
Tanish did not know what to think. Either this prince was a fool, or more intriguingly, he knew nothing of Seruani . Tanish was not acquainted with the customs of Vancor. Do they not have Seruani? Then he stopped himself. There would be time enough to discover more when they were out riding, away from the ears and eyes of the palace guards.
“I will speak more of this later. Come, let us be on our way, before anyone becomes aware of our absence.” He swung himself up onto Nerita’s broad back, patting her neck and shoulders.
Sorran did the same, and Forena stood
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