“Father got me a horse as well, but I named him Ass,” Gale said, placing the helmet on my head carefully.
“Ass?” I asked as I adjusted my ponytail to make sure it fit.
He grinned and nodded. “I did it solely so I could yell to the stable hand, ‘Please bring me Ass,’ Or tell my mother, ‘I’m going to ride Ass today.’”
I laughed. “Oh, why do I have feeling your father was not happy about that?”
His blue-green eyes gleamed mischievously. “That was the point.”
“So, what you are telling me is that you’ve always been a handful?” I shook my head, grabbing onto the saddle to help myself up.
“Exactly,” he replied, his hand on my hips as he helped me onto the horse though I didn’t need it.
“And handsy,” I muttered.
“What was that?”
“Nothing,” I lied, taking hold of the reins. “Where are we riding to?”
“It’s your birthday. Wherever you want.” He got onto the other horse beside me.
“Fine, try to keep up, Your Highness.” I winked before kicking off. The feel of the wind on my face, the blur of green as I sped past, and the sound of the hummingbirds above us was like a symphony all made to feel too magical to be real.
“You have to do better than that, Cinderella!” he yelled as he raced in front of me.
Ugh, that nickname. Ugh, him. Ugh, me for grinning so damn much.
“I win!” She smiled so wide you would have thought she had won the Royal Ascot. It was funny how one moment she looked breathtakingly sinful and the next unbelievably innocent.
I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off her ever since she overtook me. Each time she laughed or smiled or giggled, my heart swelled a bit more with pride. I hadn’t slept. The moment I had remembered it was her birthday, I had run out of the room like a madman and forced Iskandar, Wolfgang, and her mother up just to plan something, which was completely limited by the fact that I wasn’t allowed to be seen anywhere. We’d all but been trapped inside for most of my time here, and although I did enjoy those moments, I also wanted to do something—something more than a restaurant. Something more than any other guy would normally do for her. I wanted her day to be amazing.
“Gale?”
“Hmm...I mean, yes?”
“You’re staring,” she said as she and the horse now walked side by side with me and mine.
“You’re worthy of staring at.”
“Oh, the lines are back.”
Normally, they were lines, but with Odette, they were feeling more and more like reality. I wanted to know more about her, everything about her—everything.
“What happened to your horse Maple?”
“I sold him.”
“Why?”
She shrugged. “I was immature? My dad grew busy with work, and I got upset at never seeing him or Maple because I only ever went with my dad. So, I called my dad and told him I was going to sell Maple. What I really meant was, ‘Dad, you aren’t spending time with me, and I’m upset.’”
“You wanted him to tell you not to sell him.”
She nodded. “He said to make sure I got a good price for him.”
“Ouch.”
“And I did, still thinking he’d regret it or call to change his mind. I was waiting for that point in the movies where there is an epiphany, and they fix the issue.”
“And it never came.”
“Nope.” She exhaled slowly and smiled a little. “What happened to Ass?”
I chuckled. “I went riding one day, and there was an accident. Both he and I fell and broke our leg.”
She gasped.
“Is that intake for me or Ass?”
“Ass! I know you made it out all right.”
“Excuse you. I was very seriously injured. The doctors were called, my mother wept...it was a lot.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, poor little prince. The horse, Gale?”
I pouted, but it did not last as I answered, “Ass made a full recovery and now lives peacefully in a horse sanctuary, being hand-fed apples and oats by people like you.”
“At least he got a happy ending and is no longer being used by a prince to anger his parents,” she said.
“Ass loved me—oh, very odd sentence,” I replied.
“You...wow.” She gasped. Her gaze moved away from me and onto the private dark and sandy beach up ahead of us. The water was a deep, stormy blue, and it rolled in gently with the breeze. In the distance were mountains that reminded me of Ersovia. “This is beautiful. How did you know of this place?”
The internet. “Don’t spoil the magic,” I replied, hopping off my horse and helping her down from hers. “Especially when it’s not finished yet.”
“What do you mean?”
I grinned, taking her hand into mine and leading her onto the beach.
“Gale, the horses!”
“Don’t worry about it. They will be here when we come back.”
“Back? Back from where?”
“There.” I pointed to the white sailing boat by a large thick tree.
“You know how to sail?” she asked skeptically.
“What can I say? I am a prince of many traits,” I replied, spinning her into my arms. “Come, brunch is on board!”
“Gale, you didn’t have to do all of this!”
“No. But I wanted to.” I really wanted to.
He did know how to sail, and he looked completely magnificent as he did so—the wind blowing through his hair as he stood with his jacket off and sleeves rolled up, holding on to the wheel as if he were the king of the sea. He would let me touch nothing. I was seated like a queen behind him, stuffing my face with bagels, fruits, and juice as he took me away. It was so surreal and perfect that I needed a picture.
Taking my phone, I sat up a bit straighter, leaning forward to where he was.
“Make sure to get my good side!” he called out, catching me.
“And which is that?”
“Good question,” he said in a serious tone, glancing back at me. “I am perfect, so I guess every side is good.”
“Way to be humble.” I groaned, tossing down my phone.
He laughed, leaving the wheel. Coming back over to me, he lifted my phone up before sitting down.
“Royals are not supposed to take selfies, but since you asked for my good side—”
“I did not ask!” I said as he hugged me to him.
“I will make an exception,” he continued on as if I didn’t have his face beside my face.
It was worse looking at myself in the camera, seeing how—how happy I was, grinning like a fool. What happened to me rejecting him? What happened to me wanting him to go back home? What happened to me?
“Three...two...one...” I smiled, and he turned his head, kissing my cheek as he took the picture. “Happy birthday, Odette,” he whispered in my ear, making me shiver.
“You’re really making it hard not to start falling for you,” I whispered back, trying not to look at him. Instead, I reached for my phone.
“So are you.”
I looked at him, and he was staring back at me.
I think we would have just stared at each other if not for the drop of water that fell from the sky and hit his cheek—then another that hit my nose.