He folded his hands over mine, already woven though the mare’s white mane, and guided the horse to the nearest alley at the perimeter of the square. His commanding voice once again parted the crowd. Passing through the alley was a more difficult squeeze. Our knees bumped along the outer walls of the neighboring shops, but at length we made it through to a backstreet. Here the people were in more manageable numbers. I seized on to the hope that we would soon be free of this area altogether.
Anton brought the mare to a halt. “All northbound roads converge to the palace.”
I nodded, unsure why he was telling me this. We were on a northbound road.
“Now”—the prince eased his grip on my hands—“I’d say it’s time you showed me your skill with horses.”
My heart leapt with anticipation. Despite the auras of the curious onlookers that clamored for my attention, I inhaled deeply and centered myself against the warmth of the mare. It seemed years since I had ridden, though it couldn’t have been much more than the eight months I’d spent at the convent. The sestras couldn’t justify the expense of sheltering and feeding horses, for we had no need to travel long distances and the other Auraseers couldn’t sense an animal’s energy. My gifts were unnatural. But at the moment I didn’t care. I felt so at home astride a horse. If there were any beasts worthy of human companionship, they were these magnificent animals. Their auras seemed designed to complement ours.
I bent forward and murmured words of comfort to the mare. Beneath my fingers, her weariness was as palpable as my own. But even more pronounced was the strength of her determination. She seemed to sense we were close to our journey’s end and didn’t intend to give up until we reached our destination. Her fortitude came like muscle to my bones. “What is her name?” I asked Anton.
“Raina.” He shifted closer to me.
I softened my hold on the mare’s mane and focused on her energy, not allowing myself to glance at the backstreet city dwellers. I had to keep the fragile control over myself, which Anton had constructed for me. “You’ve been trotting for days, Raina. Would you like to go for a run?”
She whinnied, and I sat back against Anton’s chest. “Let’s run, then.” I clucked my tongue and gave Raina’s girth a sudden squeeze with my calves.
She reared. Anton’s arms tightened around me, but I felt no fright in the mare’s reaction. I couldn’t say the same for the few onlookers surrounding us. Surely just as Raina must have intended, they jumped back and cleared us a path. At once, the mare took advantage and lunged forward.
A wide smile spread across my face. We ducked under a hanging sign and raced down the twisting street. At the speed we were traveling, the emotions of the people were nothing but a blur that couldn’t threaten me, a thought I could toss to the wind. Steam rose off Raina. Her muscles worked in precision, while at the same time, abandon. I felt Anton relax behind me. He even lifted one hand from mine to rest on my waist. I found the pressure there pleasing.
I angled forward and kept my legs secure around the horse’s body. My dress was hitched up and exposed an indecent portion of my legs, regardless of my gray stockings. Throwing my shame aside, I kicked Raina’s flanks until we rode even faster. Without the weight of the sleigh or being harnessed to two other horses, she easily maneuvered around the occasional sledge cart and lessening congestion. The streets branched and intersected, but Raina kept choosing the northbound route with little nudging from me. She seemed to know where her home was. We galloped onward. Snow flew off the cobblestones in our wake.
I imagined we traveled south to Illola or east to the borders of Shengli.
I imagined I was free.
The illusion broke when we ground to a halt outside the massive palace gates. The bars were made of pure gold and fashioned into flowering vines. Together, they created a mighty barrier between the city and the home of the emperor.
A soldier, recognizing the prince, turned the heavy lock and let us pass. We cantered up a gravel road lined with manicured, snow-capped hedgerows. At least a hundred guards stood stationed outside and stared ahead, trained not to look at anyone. They wore the colors of Riaznin, red and gold, and strapped onto each man’s back was a musket, while a sheathed saber hung from his belt. My thoughts strayed to the men. My awareness expanded as I sought to know if behind their identical facades, they had identical feelings.
“Don’t think about them,” Anton said, realizing what I was doing when my head craned to study a guard we were passing. “We’re almost there.”
My eyes lifted to the palace. Up close, it looked less like a confection, more like the ominous structure it really was. A pretty cage to belie what it held within.
Something winked from the leaded glass of a window three stories off the ground, almost like the sun had bounced off a mirror or a large jewel. Anton’s body straightened behind me as he looked up. Then his arms stiffened. “I have to go,” he said, and abruptly dismounted the horse. Keeping his head low, he quickly pulled the satchel off his shoulder and passed it over to me after withdrawing his mother’s blanket. He tucked it under his arm and departed.