Page 10 of A Ring to Claim Her Crown
Minerva rode her own horse, an impressively fast and agile white stallion named Grumpy that she’d raised herself from a foal with Bea’s expert guidance. Most of their party opted for quieter horses, but she was unsurprised to see the selections of the three men who she’d begun referring to internally as ‘The Suitors’. It was an old-fashioned term and one that felt entirely apt for this week’s objective. She’d already whittled the larger crowd of eligible bachelors down to three. By the end of this week, she would be choosing one of them for marriage.
She tried not to stare as Liro opted for a politely tempered grey-speckled mare by the name of Strawberry who he proceeded to croon to in a low voice as he watched the stable hand ready her. They had all taken a moment to dress in clothes appropriate for riding apart from her, so Minerva slipped away to change in the changing rooms.
When she exited, all eyes were on her, and she fought not to squirm under the scrutiny. It was rather impossible to mount a horse without sticking out one’s behind.
But, as she watched Liro slide one booted foot into a stirrup and effortlessly haul himself into position, she herself fought not to stare. His thighs were like tree trunks in the dark jodhpurs he wore like a second skin. His sage-green polo shirt had now been covered with a perfectly tailored black riding jacket, a matching helmet sat proudly atop his head. The overall effect made him look even more gigantic and intimidating, despite him having chosen a modest mount. The three other men flanked him upon their giant black and brown stallions, and Minerva could not miss the measuring looks upon their faces as they gazed upon their competition. If only they knew that Liro was no competition at all.
I did not come for you.
Once again that tight ball in her chest throbbed but she ignored it, kicking a heel back to guide her horse forward and leading their small group along a path that wound around the palace. They reached a crossroads, and for a moment Minerva contemplated taking them on the leisurely wandering path that best showcased the striking views down to the coastline. But then she remembered the smug look upon Liro’s face when she’d seen him at breakfast and she instantly guided her horse to the right, down towards the rockier forest path.
‘Hope you can all keep up, gentlemen.’ She smiled innocently, taking off at a canter.
Liro was fast regretting his decision to return to the palace this morning. He should have stuck to his original plan and set sail the night before—in fact he wasn’t quite sure why he had stayed. And he certainly had no idea what had possessed him to attend the breakfast this morning and join this ridiculous outing of socialites.
The Frenchman was getting on his nerves. Minerva laughed again at the charming actor, giving him her full attention. What on earth could he be saying that was so funny anyway?
He adjusted himself in his seat, trying to relax the death grip of his thighs around the wide barrel of the sturdy mare’s back. He had never been a strong rider as a boy, and of course there was no real use for horse-riding skills when one lived at sea. But it appeared his new strength meant he was slightly more competent than he had once been. Still, the jostling and moving beneath him made him immeasurably nervous, a sensation that he’d rarely experienced in the past decade.
The other riders evidently noticed his discomfort, the Irishman passing a joke about him not having his sea legs. If it had been the Frenchman, perhaps he would have shown him exactly how balanced he felt; the charmer wouldn’t last a moment on one of his ships. But the other two seemed like nice guys—decent, at the very least.
Still, he had ordered a private in-depth investigation into the three men to deduce exactly what had brought them here. He could have left it there, and sent on any information to Minerva anonymously in the event that she did actually choose one of these men as her...king consort. The word left a sour taste in his mouth. There had been no reason for him to remain, and yet here he was.
From the moment Minerva had emerged from the dressing room in her skin-tight leggings and perfectly fitted black polo-shirt, Liro had been on edge. She had the perfect form for every sport, it appeared: the way she’d mounted the horse with effortless grace had made his teeth grind together. And, even as he concentrated on questioning the other men under the guise of casual conversation, his eyes never strayed from her for long.
Minerva had the perfect balance of strength and curves, her long, lean frame sitting so proudly atop her mount. Her dark hair had been wound up into a tight bun beneath her riding hat, putting the full length of her neck on display. He remembered trailing a kiss down that neck the night before, right before she had pushed him away. The scent of her had lingered upon his dress shirt long after he had returned to the yacht, and he had only barely resisted burying his face into it to find some relief.
He was not a horny teenager any longer, he was a grown man, and he was here to ensure that nothing would affect his business deal, nothing more. He needed to know exactly what was going on here between the Crown Princess’s supposed dilemma and the likely corrupt politicians in the capital. He needed to know if there was a connection between the two before he proceeded any further.
And, if you find out that there is no connection, what then?a small voice asked. What if he discovered that all was well here in this kingdom, and that the only thing threatening her happiness was his reappearance?
That thought bothered him more than it should have, leaving him scowling into the distance so much that he almost missed the sharp redirection of the party in front of him, down a rocky outcrop from the beaten path.
‘Princess, are you sure that this is the best path for our party?’ her usually eternally carefree and optimistic friend Beatriz called out, concern in her voice. ‘You know how tricky this trail can be.’
‘If anyone is not a confident rider, they are free to stay above on the easier path,’ Minerva said sweetly, throwing an unmistakable glance back towards Liro.
Ah. He had wondered when his punishment would begin. Liro fought not to smile as he raised one brow in her direction, urging his mount forward so that his horse was nose-to-nose with hers. ‘Is this little divergence from the trail all for my benefit, perchance?’
‘Don’t flatter yourself,’ she muttered, her expression still deceptively serene. ‘Still, you don’t appear to be a very strong rider. We wouldn’t want you to sustain an injury.’
‘Wouldn’t you?’ he asked.
‘Certainly not, Señor San Nicolau. This is your first trip to our beautiful kingdom, after all. There shall be no injuries or disappearances on my watch.’
It took most of his effort not to laugh at the saccharine sweetness of her voice, shocked that no one else could see the barely restrained malice in the golden-brown gaze directed upon him. If she wanted to challenge him, he would not back down. To his surprise, most of their small group of guests, including the formidable Prince Lorenz, soon decided to turn back to the smoother path, led by Beatriz. The Frenchman paused for a long moment, looking forlornly back and forth between the two parties, and then quickly came to the same decision.
‘We will meet you down at the lake,’ Minerva called to her friend, then swiftly turned and nudged her horse on at a remarkably faster pace than before.
They continued downhill, dodging tree branches and underbrush, Liro’s heartbeat increasing at every possible misstep, but quite impressed at Strawberry’s agility. He could not take credit himself, for the horse seemed to instinctively know where to step and where to slow down slightly, but his tolerance was tested significantly when the Irish man nudged himself forward, overtaking him. Seemingly gathering even more speed and bravery, the fool began to show off, overtaking Minerva and disappearing into the distance as he showed off his impressive horsemanship.
‘Isn’t he going a little fast?’ Liro called out, just close enough that she could hear him. She didn’t answer so he continued to ramble loudly, ‘I suppose we will know soon enough if we find his body at the bottom of a cliff further down.’
Silence.
‘I suppose you would rather it be me than him,’ Liro pondered loudly. ‘Wouldn’t want to sacrifice one of your eligible bachelors.’
Minerva paused her mount, looking back over her shoulder at him. ‘You talk a lot more these days. It’s quite annoying.’
