No Longer Our Sea (Book 1)

8

"You're going to make me stay with her?" Galien says.

"It'll only be for a couple of minutes," Nik explains before letting go of the reins and climbing off his horse. When he reaches the floor he continues, "I'll be back," he says before heading towards the entrance.

Just like at the gate, they let him in without question or second glances. It unsettles me entirely.

If I could, I'd ask both of them about everything I've been speculating. But any small misstep or wrong word could leave me without a life. Why risk it all due to confusion?

So, I keep quiet like always. I keep my head down and don't say anything.

Galien sits beside me on his horse without the two of us saying a word to each other. It seems that just like at home, the tradition of barely speaking to me is lives on.

While we wait, my eyes wander around the surrounding courtyard and streams of never-ending people. Although they vary in classes, they are the least of my concern.

If I were in the sea, what surrounded me wouldn't matter to me. Down there, I knew every twist and turn. I knew where to go if my mother's presence became unbearable or if her temper grew out of control. The world around me had been an open sea and everything around it had been engraved into my mind. Here it is not.

I'm surrounded by a castle with stone walls in a kingdom I know little to nothing about. This castle alone could quickly become a prison if I don't know my way in and out of it.

An exit is the most important, and that's exactly what I look for first. So far, the only exit I've spotted are the very gates I entered through. From my own life surrounded by castle walls, I can guess those gates are always guarded and never left unattended.

If I were any other person, I'd be under the impression the gate is my only way out. But I know better. A castle always has more than one way out for its royalty and nobility. There's always some kind of secret passageway or a door hiding in plain sight. I'd just have to find them.

With Nik gone, his horse starts to become tense while under me. It starts to stomp its hooves into the dirt, making me start to shake with the movements it's making. Unsure of what to do, I grab at its reins to steady myself up; the animal only becomes more aggravated.

It continues to stomp and complain this time neighing and breathing out of control. I can tell it's acting up not only because it barely knows me, but also cause it senses the creature behind my disguise. If I could, I'd applaud the animal for figuring out my cover before anyone else did.

While I try to get the beast to calm down, Galien is trying his best to contain his laughter at my side.

I glare at him, "Are you going to just laugh or are you going to help?"

He shrugs and replies in his normal tone which is followed by a hint of sarcasm, "Depends," he says.

But before he finishes I cut him off, "You know it's not an achievement to see a girl get thrown to the ground by a horse."

"It would be funny," he responds and I expect him to stay put, "But your right, it's not." Following that, he climbs off his own horse and tries to calm down the one I'm seated on.

Galien takes the horse's reins and it immediately turns to him. When they lock eyes, Galien makes his efforts to soothe it by placing a hand on its face and caressing the mare.

"You're not exactly the equestrian, huh?" Galien asks.

I shake my head, "Why are you asking?" Galien looks like he's about to respond with a sarcastic remark but I make the effort to finish my unspoken words, "I thought it was obvious."