ROYAL ROCK(55)

One report concerned the Secret Police breaking into a tenement house on the poorer side of town and terrorizing the citizens. There had been reports that a terrorist was hiding in their building, but eventually they figured out there were no terrorists there. People claimed the SP broke furniture, screamed at people, and threatened violence, though no claims of any actual violence were verified.

All in all, things were getting darker and darker, and Trip was getting more and more busy. He sent me notes and texts, but that was the extent of our contact over those few days. I knew he wanted to speak more, but he just couldn’t take the time away from his important duties.

He was the king after all. He had a duty to his people to rule them and to help them during this awful time.

I felt like I was in the way. I felt completely useless and unnecessary, just a distraction to him, though he never once said that.

Three days of not seeing him passed, and I found myself sitting in my room early in the morning, frustrated and a little bored. I sipped some coffee and looked out the window, wondering what I was going to do all day. I could try relaxing, but I’d been relaxing already.

I wanted something else.

As I sighed to myself, there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” I called out.

Trip opened the door and smirked at me. “Hey there,” he said. “Long time no see.”

“Trip.” I stood up. “Hey. How are you?”

“Better now.” He stepped into my room and shut the door. “Sorry that I haven’t been able to see you. Country is going mad, apparently.”

“I know. I’ve been following the news.”

“Yes, well, don’t believe everything you’re reading.”

“I’m not.”

“Good.”

I noticed that he was holding something behind his back. I cocked my head at him. “What do you have there?”

He laughed. “I thought you might like to try something.”

I felt a thrill run through me. “I’m up for anything.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” he replied, stepping toward me.

“It’s true.”

“I don’t think you can handle what I really want.”

I bit my lip. “Try me.”

“I will.” He moved his hands out front, and he was holding a strange-looking black helmet. “But not right now. Instead, have you ever ridden a horse?”

I laughed, shaking my head. “No way. Never.”

“How about you try it?”

“Are you serious?”

“Very serious. Come on, I love riding.”

“I don’t know how.”

He smiled. “I’ll show you. We have this old horse named Jacques. He’ll be perfect.”

“I can’t. Really, Trip, I just don’t know.”

He walked over to me. “I promise it’ll be fine. You trust me?”

I sighed and nodded. “I trust you.”

“Come on. Let’s go.”

I stood up and he handed me the helmet. I held it up, inspecting it. “You want me to wear this?”

“You’ll look cute.” He opened the door and I followed him out into the hall.

“I don’t know about that,” I said.

“You can pull it off. I have faith in you.”

We walked through the house and out the back door. He led me down to the stables where Al and George were standing beside two horses.

They were gorgeous, big and broad. Trip walked up to the one Al was holding, a big black thing that snorted as he approached. Trip touched his flank and calmed him down.

“This is Destroyer,” he said.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “That’s a horrible name.”

“I know,” he admitted, smiling. “I named him when I was much younger. Isn’t that right, boy?”

Destroyer snorted.

My horse was smaller than Destroyer. Jacques was a beautiful white-gray color with dark spots along his body. I walked up to him tentatively, and George gave me a reassuring smile, which was unusual for security guys. I reached out and touched Jacques, and he moved his face to nuzzle my hand.

I laughed. “He’s nice,” I said.

“That’s why I picked him. He’ll do most of the work.” Trip got up onto the back of Destroyer and moved him slightly.

George helped me up onto Jacques. I strapped on my helmet, hating that I was actually wearing it, but as soon as I was up on top of the horse, I realized how high I really was. If I fell, I could get seriously injured.

George walked me through the basics. He showed me how to use my feet to tell Jacques to go, how to use the reigns to steer him, and other basic horse-handling things. Meanwhile, Trip rode Destroyer around the paddock slowly, talking to him the whole time.