Page 11 of A Ring to Claim Her Crown
Liro hid a smile behind his hand. ‘Out of interest...which of the three charming fellows is in the lead so far?’
‘Just three?’ she answered easily. ‘You removed yourself from the running so quickly?’
‘Darling, we both know that I am in a whole other league.’
The ghost of a smile hinted at the corners of her lips now, but she turned away from him, holding herself at that maddening distance he knew he deserved. She was being sensible, behaving rationally. He was the one who seemed unable to toe the line. He was the one who had insisted upon staying here, appointing himself some kind of unofficial royal investigator of sorts, when it was clear he was unwelcome.
Was he trying to perform a penance for having left things so badly between them? Or did his motives run deeper than that, to a place he had long refused to look at or entertain?
‘Why are you still here, Liro?’ She exhaled on a long sigh as they began moving downhill through the forest once more.
‘I’m a businessman. I’m here to hunt down a new deal.’
‘We both know that Arqaleta plays no role in your area of business.’
Liro paused, processing the fact that his hunch was right, and the royal family had not been consulted on this potentially large change to their kingdom’s economy. ‘Perhaps I’m just curious to know why a woman who remained comfortably single for the past fourteen years seems set to choose a husband based upon a week of courtship.’
‘From the way you asked that question, I gather that you already know the answer.’ Minerva shifted atop her saddle, pushing an errant strand of hair away from her face. ‘I’ve had some bad press, but I always knew that the time would come for me to marry. And I have decided to solve that problem now rather than waiting until later.’
‘So this is whatyouwant?’ he asked, needing to hear her say it with her own mouth.
‘I’m the Crown Princess. It’s what is required of me, in order to maintain the future of my kingdom, so ofcourseit is what I want.’
‘What a perfectly rehearsed response, Your Highness,’ he said, feeling irritation rise in his throat. Of course, there had to be a more pressing reason why she had decided to marry so suddenly, but she was hardly going to divulge that to him of all people.
Silence fell between them as the trail became more demanding and he found himself entranced by her skill and followed her lead. When he performed a small jump over a creek without comment, he found her waiting for him, her gaze narrowed and watchful.
‘You remembered some of my lessons, then.’
He smiled, remembering how she had forced him to practise his horsemanship once she’d figured out he was utterly terrified. His father had been a champion polo player in his youth, forcing the sport onto each of his sons. His older brothers had taken to the sport naturally, whereas Liro...had not. After a series of gruelling lessons and bad falls as a young boy, he’d instantly begun to have nightmares. His mother, a terrified rider herself, had taken to shielding him from the pressure, bringing him along with her to the library or the town fun fair when his brothers were at matches. His father hadn’t resumed his pressure after her death, instead shifting to the outright mocking and derision of his sensitive youngest son.
‘Your teaching methods were impatient but effective.’ He moved his mare alongside hers, close enough that he could smell the delicious scent of coconut from the styling oil she had always loved so much. ‘You were just as intent upon ignoring me then as you are now.’
‘Says the guy who barely spoke to me for the first four years.’
‘I barely spoke to anyone, not just you.’ He shook off the discomfort at her reminder of his youth. As he had been a skinny, awkward teen in a family of much bigger and louder men, his father and brothers had often taken enjoyment in commenting on his uselessness. Perhaps that was why, when he’d been sent to Arqaleta with the oddly specific purpose of befriending the princess, he had taken it as an opportunity to show his worth.
She was right—that first summer, he’d hardly uttered a single word in her presence. He had always struggled socially and tended towards self-isolation, but around Minerva he’d been speechless for an entirely different reason. From the first moment he’d seen her, she’d made him feel uncomfortably seen. Her wide golden-brown eyes and open, friendly manner had made him feel as though he were staring at the sun for the first time after years spent in the dark. Add the fact she’d been the most beautiful girl he had ever laid his eyes on...
‘I looked forward to coming here every summer. Being here, getting over my fear of riding, I was happy. Despite my silence.’ He surprised himself with his honesty, knowing that she could simply wave him off and go right back to ignoring him all over again. But whatever part of him that had forced him to keep his yacht moored in the harbour last night was still very much in control, and it desperately needed her to know the important part she’d played in his life.
‘Your silence was just you, Liro. Besides, I talked enough for both of us.’ Her voice trailed off and he wondered if she was thinking about all the things she’d said when she’d thought he was ignoring her. Her sadness about her father, her worries about becoming queen one day. He had listened to every word, storing away each detail and wondering how he might help. He wondered who she talked to now—probably Bea or her mother. He wondered if they let her talk things out all by herself, as she needed to, or if they jumped in with suggestions, tangling her up. Maybe that was how she had wound up in this ridiculous week of marital matchmaking with strangers.
He let her stew over whatever thoughts were piling up in her mind, understanding that he was no longer one of her confidants. He had walked away from that position the moment he’d chosen to leave Arqaleta on a ship in the dead of night, like a coward.
There was no audience here as he kept pace perfectly behind her, no one to play nice in front of. He relaxed back and allowed his horse to navigate the rocky path down the mountain, enjoying the view, the rolling hills and the smell of the sea air in the distance.
But mostly he enjoyed looking at Minerva, the sweat just barely evident on her brow as she held her reins. She rode so effortlessly, with such smooth, subtle movements of her hips and thighs... It mesmerised him.
It had been far too long since he’d last indulged in any kind of sexual gratification with anything other than his own hand. He’d thought of her last night, after that kiss... He’d brought himself to the swiftest release of his life in a brief moment of weakness, accessing the memories of the brief few weeks he’d had her in his arms he’d stored away. He was so focused upon curbing his illicit thoughts that he was not prepared when the tree line broke and the ferocious midday sun blinded him momentarily.
‘Be careful!’ Her voice called out to him from a few feet to his left, where the path took a sudden, sharp turn. He pulled the reins hard, trying to get the horse to stop. By the time his eyes adjusted and he realised that he had veered close to the edge of a rocky cliff, there was little that he could do, only pull the reins harder, feeling the horse’s hooves skid beneath him as the old girl tried to stop. He was aware of the sound of galloping and the sound of a shout before the sky tilted and he was thrown heavily backwards.
CHAPTER FOUR
THEWHOLETHINGhappened in slow motion. Minerva could do nothing but watch as Liro pulled too hard on his reins, startled by the sudden cliff drop-off that lay in front of them. The sun had blinded him momentarily but now his eyes were wide, darting towards her with realisation, right as his horse reared up and sent his body tumbling backwards towards the drop. He landed with a sickening thud upon the ground.
The horse skidded to a stop a few feet away, thankfully avoiding trampling him or more danger. But, as Minerva jumped down from her own horse, she felt real fear rise like bile in her throat. She had done this—she had brought him down this path, knowing that he was not a strong rider. She’d told him she wanted him gone, and in that moment it had felt painfully true, but that did not mean she actually wished him harm.
