The Secrets of the Throne (sequel to The Girl behind the Throne) - ON HOLD

Chapter 9.

They both answered the unanimous “Nope” at the same time, popping the p at the end.

“Just missing being around horses and stuff, I used to be pretty good with them”. She said with a smile, missing the smell of horse and even being drooled on.

“Why didn’t you say so”? Sebastian said standing up, throwing the controllers at Sel who scowled angrily. “You know I’m a polo player right? And Tess and Jamie have stables here you know?” He said checking his reflection in the mirror.

“You’re checking your reflection to go to the stables?” Echo snorted disbelievingly.

“Actually it’s for Sam”. Sebastian said in a matter of fact tone.

“Funny that, I thought Sam’s name was Sam, not Amelia”. Echo said snorting.

“Who’s Amelia?” Freya asked, trying to think if she had heard that name before. No, she was fairly certain she hadn’t.

“The ice queen Sebastian’s obsessed with, she’s the head stable girl. Her mother was an Olympic equestrian rider”. Echo said with a smug smile.

“She will be screaming my name in a couple of weeks I guarantee it”. Sebastian said, a little tetchily than before.

“Care to put a bit of money on it cousin?” Sel asked with a sly smile that made Freya feel slightly nauseous.

“You know it”. Sebastian said with a grin making the nausea hit her even more.

“You know guys; I think I’ll stay here. There’s a brilliant documentary on breastfeeding chimpanzees...” Tristan started to say causing Echo to call him off.

“Save it, you’re coming”. She said simple causing Tristan to pale like a week old lemon. She turned to the puzzled Freya when she noticed her expression. “Tristy is a shitty horse rider, he can’t seem to stay on long enough to make them move, and when the odd miraculous time that they do move, they leave him behind on the floor”.

“I’m not shit, it’s just horses aren’t as big of a deal in New York as they are here, I mean it’s illegal to bring a stallion into the city, that’s telling you something”. Tristan said looking angry at the chicken motions Echo was making as she fluttered around in a circle.

“Yeah, well you’re not in Kansas anymore Dorothy”. Echo said with a grin as she leaned across Freya to grab a scared looking Tristan’s hand.

The sound of a car driving away from the palace brought Harry to the front door, there was the weekly processed and checked letters from the public that Tess liked to sign personally waiting on the step.

Harry caught himself smiling as he thought of his employer, she truly was like Jamie’s counterpart, while Jamie had lost the naivety of youth making him seem straight forward almost frighteningly so, Tess was like a mixture between a kitten and a lioness, soft and gentle with an automatic mothering side to her, but yet her almost feral beauty both inside and out made her fight for what she believed in and those she loved.

Never in the twenty five years that he had worked in the palace as the king’s personal assistant had the house been so friendly and comforting. Charity, the head of the household was like a member of the family, as was he himself. They had been so happy when he and Charity had fallen in love, and their son Evan was free to roam the house playing with Prince Rupert while they worked.

It truly was like a job from heaven.

Sighing he grabbed the bag, frowning as he remembered how Colin the guard usually stopped to chat and catch a glimpse of Tess, a woman he hero worshipped. He must be sick, he reasoned as he grabbed the bag seeing a parcel on top.