Prologue~Ch. 1~Ch. 2~Ch. 3~Ch. 4~Ch. 5~Ch. 6~Ch. 7~Ch. 8~Ch. 9~Ch. 10~
Ch. 11~Ch. 12~Ch. 13~Ch. 14~Ch. 15~Ch. 16~Ch. 17~Ch. 18~Ch. 19~Ch. 20
Ch. 21~Ch. 22~Ch. 23~Ch. 24~~Ch. 25~Ch. 26~Ch. 27~Ch. 28~
Jessica drew herself up to her full height of five feet, six inches and stood with her legs braced apart, her hands fisted on her hips. She was prepared to do battle.
“You can’t be serious!”
“To wear aught else would be scandalous, my lady,” Eleanor said emphatically.
“It’s a freaking dress!”
“Tis a riding habit, my lady. ‘Tis what the other ladies wilt be wearing, though I daresay none wilst be so fine.”
“Other ladies?” Jessica said weakly.
“Aye, my lady. Tis a royal procession.”
Crap! That sounded really . . . official. Ewan wasn’t just some random hot guy, he was a prince, and people looked up to him. Could she really afford to embarrass him by showing up in pants and a jerkin? Gareth and Alexandre already thought she was pushing her luck by the clothes she preferred to wear, maybe she needed to give in just this once.
“How can wearing a dress be less scandalous than wearing pants for riding?”
“What else wouldst thee wear when riding side saddle?”
“Side saddle?” Jessica blanched.
“How else wouldst a lady ride?”
In a daze, Jessica allowed herself to be dressed in what amounted to an elaborate costume in heavy dark green cloth with silver trim. Compromising on her hair, she allowed Eleanor to braid it and then coil the braid over her head, pinning it in place.
“Thank you, Eleanor,” she said. “Now, would you be so kind as to tell his majesty I’ll just be another few minutes? I have something I must attend to . . . alone.”
Sniffing her disapproval at foreigners and their high handed manner of keeping royalty waiting, Eleanor did as she was told. The second she was out of sight, Jessica pulled out her pendent.
“Howard?” She shook the pendent as though that would wake him up. “Howard, are you there?”
“I’m here, I’m here,” he said, sounding irritable. “You just interrupted me in the middle of—”
“I don’t give a tiny rat’s ass what I interrupted you in the middle of, I’m in serious trouble here!”
“Oh for the love of . . . what did you do this time?”
“I didn’t do anything! I just need you to tell me everything you know about riding side saddle.”
There was a pregnant pause.
“Did you say side saddle?”
“Yes I said side saddle! I don’t have much time, so could you please hurry up?”
There was a snorting noise that sounded suspiciously like laughter before Howard got himself under control. “Well, if you’re lucky, they’ll use one of the earlier versions which were pretty much just a padded seat with a foot-rest and your horse will be led by another rider.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad. What if I’m not lucky?”
“Then you’ll end up in one of the more normal looking saddles where you hook your right leg around the pommel. There’ll be a horn as well for stability. And instead of a foot-rest, there’ll be a covered stirrup to put your left foot in. Oh, and you’ll be the one in charge of steering the horse.”
“This is starting to sound way too complicated,” Jessica moaned. “Maybe I should just pretend I’m sick.”
“You’ll do fine. Just remember to keep your back straight and to hold the reins evenly.”
“Okay, here goes nothing. Thanks Howard.”
“You’re welcome, Jess. Good luck.”
Jessica took a deep breath and exited the tent. Ewan and Gareth were waiting patiently just a few paces away, pages holding the bridles of three horses.
“I’m sorry I kept you waiting,” she said, eyeing the horses with trepidation.
“Nay, ‘tis we who are early,” Ewan said, dismissing her apology with a wave of his hand. “Thee art most becoming in thy riding habit.”
She almost asked becoming what before stopping herself. Instead she smiled and said simply, “Thank you.”
Ewan led her over to the horses. Her heart sank as she saw one of them was saddled in the second version Howard had described.
“I pray thee forgive our barbaric ways, my lady. There is no mounting block. If I may be so bold as to offer my services?”
Jessica had no idea what he was talking about, but nodded anyway. She let out a small gasp as he picked her up easily and placed her in the saddle. Hooking her right knee over the pommel, she searched out the stirrup with her left foot.
“Allow me, my lady,” said Gareth, coming to her rescue. He held out the covered stirrup and she slipped her foot inside, smiling her thanks at him.
Settling in the saddle with the minimum of squirming, she took the reins from the page, who was holding them out to her. Ewan and Gareth mounted their horses with a grace she’d be incapable of even if she had been wearing pants.
“Shall we join the others?” Ewan asked.
She nodded, mouth suddenly gone dry. This was it, she was going to ride this horse if it killed her. And she had a sinking feeling it probably would.
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