A Blaze in the Dark (A New Dawn #1)

Chapter 42 - Sebastian

"I couldn't—not you, anyway." She pushed him away from her, with more strength than he had anticipated. Even after all those moons with Master Paul, she was still stronger than he was. "I'll just lie and tell them I've never met you. It's more realistic."

"Fine. Then I want you to take Billy. With him by your side, the journey will be less lonely."

"Oh, Muttonhead. He belongs to Nick," she said, unconvinced of how serious he was.

He had been avoiding the stables since his arrival in Moondale. Neither Lana nor Uncle Tom had managed to convince him to join them on their weekly horse riding trips. Each time he had used his sword fighting bruises as an excuse to avoid facing the judging eyes of the white horse. With Billy gone, the stables would be another place he would walk without fearing visions of Abby clawing for her last gasp of breath.

"Nick never rides him. For all we know, Sundale is as boring to Billy as it is to you."

"But Nick loves nothing more than that horse. You can't give Billy to me without his approval." She turned her back on him and picked up her bow. Dust whirled down as she brushed her finger along the string.

"Of course I can. I'm the Crown Prince." He wasn't sure whether that argument would work on her so he added, "I know how you and Billy were back in Laneby. That horse loves anyone who pets him and feeds him apples. He needs a rider too, and Nick isn't one. I think you should take him."

"And what about Nick?"

"Let me worry about him. I'll let Oliver bake his weight in biscuits, or let Aunt Crystal buy new books for him. This is the best for Billy. He may be old, but a horse that's stuck in the stables all day long is a little sad. Nick's pampering is sending him to an early grave, Alex."

"When you're explaining it like that." She opened her closet and peered at the neatly stacked piles of clothes. "Alright, I'll take him."

For the rest of the afternoon, Sebastian helped her pack while they shared childhood memories. He volunteered to inspect her arrows. Two of them had a broken point and the feather fletching of a third was so damaged that the arrow wouldn't soar very high. When he grabbed the next arrow, a patch of dried-up moss fell out of the quiver.

"Are you trying to grow something in there?" he asked.

"Erm..." She chewed on her lips, her cheeks turning a little red. "I've heard it protects them against humidity. My mother always did that."

"Really?" He had never heard anything of the likes, not from Eleonore or from anyone else in Laneby or Sundale.

"Hmm... yeah... so leave it. I might need it at sea."

"As you wish, My Lady."

She stomped him. "Don't be a Muttonhead, My Lord."

At six o'clock sharp, he and Alex entered the dining hall. They were the last ones, but they were still on time so Aunt Crystal didn't say anything; they weren't late. Uncle Tom eyed him as he took his place.

Since Nick was at the camp, Alex hesitated before taking her own seat. Starting tomorrow there would be two empty spots at the table. It was going to be so strange.

Sebastian scooped up some mashed turnips from the bowl in front of George and picked out a juicy-looking pork chop. The rest already had food on their plates.

Uncle Tom reached for his glass of red wine, but before setting it to his lips, he said, "Sit a bit closer, Alex. I don't bite."

"You don't?" Lana snorted. "Then how do you plan on eating, Papa?"