“Well, he’s interesting,” said Philip at last, breaking it.
I like him, said Arvin. Better than you.
“Arvin!” I cried, swatting his side. Thank goodness Philip couldn’t understand his insults. “You just like him because he complimented you so profusely.”
And don’t forget the sugar cubes, he said, entirely unashamed.
I rolled my eyes. “Well who was it who delayed his own sleep to check you were well last night?” I whispered. “That should count more than sugar.”
Perhaps you should consume some more sugar cubes. You might change your mind.
“Ugh, you’re impossible.”
You find that surprising? I’m a talking horse, remember.
Philip, still standing outside the stall, cleared his throat. “I actually came looking for you when I didn’t find you at breakfast.”
“Oh goodness! Have I missed the meal?” I groaned, imagining being hungry until midday.
“I managed to steal this for you.” He pulled a small package wrapped in clean white cloth from his pocket and handed it to me. Inside I found a large roll. “I’m afraid it was all chaos this morning, and they didn’t have the packs ready with the midday meals.”
“Perhaps I’d better save this until I get hungry, then.” I grimaced, wrapping it back up. “What’s happened in the kitchens?”
“They’ve got guards in there supervising everything that’s happening, and the cook is enraged.”
“Guards?” I stepped forward to the front of the stall. “Whatever for?”
“It turns out the viscount ate his midday meal here on the day of his death. And until the doctors can ascertain how the poison was administered, all food must be under guard. There are guards at the storerooms and accompanying all the serving maids as well. One of them had hysterics and had to be carried off to her room.”
“Hysterics? Over an escort of guards?”
He grinned reluctantly. “The maid in question might have a particular taste for dramatics.”
“No one else has died or come down ill, have they?” I asked.
He shook his head. “It was almost certainly a targeted attack, with the intended victim now deceased. But while they still have no suspect nor any idea of motive, they must be cautious. Someone out there has a deadly poison no one has ever heard of—one that the doctors have no antidote for.”
I shivered. When he put it like that, I was glad to hear the guards would be watching our food supply.
“Thank you for thinking of me,” I said. “I shall be doubly glad of that roll if no one thinks to bring me a midday meal.”
“I’ll bring it to you,” he said quickly. “Although actually the food wasn’t the main reason I was searching for you. We agreed that we would work together, and I wanted to let you know that I’m heading back to where we lost the men last night. Would you like to come?”
“That’s a good idea,” I said. “We may well find something we missed in the darkness. And I can help make sure we have the right spot. There was nothing particularly remarkable about it.”
We walked together out of the stables, discussing how we might conduct such a search. I hadn’t made it more than a few steps into the yard, however, before I heard hooves behind me. Had I remembered to latch the stall door? I couldn’t remember now.
“I guess Arvin is going to help us look as well,” I said. “Perhaps his horse senses will pick up something ours miss.”
“He is more than welcome,” Philip said. “I like how he sticks close to you. If he hadn’t been there last night…”
I wasn’t sure if I would have followed the men without Arvin with me, but I didn’t want to say that and turn Philip against the horse, so I said nothing. We were about to turn the corner of the palace, heading toward the park behind it, when Arvin suddenly stopped.
When I turned back to him, I found him staring at something all the way across the yard, near the great gates to the city.
Get on my back.
“What?” I stared at him. “You never want me to ride you, and now is hardly the time for it. Not when we have Philip with us.”
Mount up or I shall leave you behind, he neighed, his attention still across the yard.
I frowned and turned back to Philip. He had stopped several steps on and was looking quizzically back at us.
“I’m sorry, I don’t think I’ll be able to come with you,” I said, wincing at my inability to explain my sudden change of mind. “I think…I think Arvin needs some exercise. He’s very…unsettled.”
Philip’s eyes moved to the horse, who was standing stock still, facing the other direction.
Now, Giselle.
I grabbed his mane and swung onto his back. “I’m sorry,” I said to Philip. “Please let me know what you find. I’ll…” But my words were already lost as Arvin took off across the yard.
He ignored everyone in our path, people scattering left and right while I called apologies. When we reached the gate, he barely slowed, trotting out past a small line of carts bringing supplies into the palace. They appeared to be waiting their turn for a thorough search by the large team of guards manning the gates.
No one gave me a second look, however, and Arvin and I were soon trotting down Palace Way, the Nobles’ Circle stretching beside us in both directions.
Chapter 15
“Arvin,” I hissed. “What are we doing? Philip must think we’ve both lost our minds.”
Shush. Don’t distract me. You’ll see.
We wound between carts and other riders, their numbers increasing as we passed out of the Nobles’ Circle and into the Merchants’ Circle. I would have liked to see the shops we passed, or explore one of the marketplaces, tucked away off this main road, but we moved too fast to take in much of our surroundings, my attention focused on apologizing to people Arvin nearly ran down.
“Slow down.”
I can’t, he said shortly. We’ll lose her.
“Lose her? Lose who?” I scanned the streets ahead of us and after a moment picked out another rider whose movements matched ours.
The woman wore a riding habit that allowed her to ride astride, the material plain and sturdy. A matronly scarf covered her hair, although her bearing suggested she was still relatively young. Her horse was nothing remarkable, a little awkward in gait, but steady enough. In fact, nothing about her was remarkable in any way. But the longer I watched, the more certain I became that we were following her.
Before much longer, she turned off the road into the large, enclosed yard of a prosperous looking inn. A bright sign proclaimed it to be the Blue Arrow. Arvin followed without pause, although it meant closing the distance between us and our quarry.
Only once the woman was well within the walls of the inn did she turn around, allowing me a glimpse of her face. I started, clutching at Arvin’s mane to keep from sliding off in my shock. It was the princess.
“Harrison!” she exclaimed, tumbling off her horse and into the arms of a handsome man around her own age.
“Alyssa!” He embraced her back. “What are you wearing?”
I stared at them both in shock, trying to understand what I was seeing, until Alyssa spoke again.