The Horseman

The Horseman ~ Chapter 7

Tristan in the image above ^

~

I lunged at him and hugged his broad shoulders, leaning into the crook of his shoulder to inhale the familiar scent of cedar and pinewood.

"What are you doing here, Tristan?"

"I could say the same for you. Villagers aren't allowed to wander the streets of Lydel, remember?"

I loosened my hold and pushed him back until he was at arm's length.

"Keep your voice down! The travelers will hang us up by our ankles if they hear you."

"You're no fun."

He tilted his head sideways and looked at me from head to toe. The playful expression on his face changed into a serious one.

"Is the Horseman treating you well?"

"Yes, he is not as bad as everyone makes him out to be." Tristan let out a scoff at my words. Maybe I was naive, but Horseman hadn't been as cruel as the tales spread about him.

"Oh, I beg to differ. First, he ruins our land and kidnaps you to live in his shiny castle while everyone in the village rots."

"I had to go, Tristan. The council decided a sacrifice would save everyone, forcing my father to make the deal. I can keep everyone safe, especially my mother."

"Nothing has changed. The lands are still suffering." Tristan's eyes softened into deep pools of frosted blue as tears gathered at his waterline. 

"It's not possible..." I couldn't believe what Tristan was saying. If nothing was improving in the village, why was I still in captivity?

"Is my mother alright?" A wave of nausea passed over me, and I swallowed the hard lump in my throat.

Tristan slowly nodded, and I released the breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Yes, your mother is fine. She seems to be getting better each day."

He may not have saved the village yet, but at least he kept one end of the deal.

"Don't trust him, Esme; he's keeping things from you. He's dangerous and has magic far more powerful than we know."

A part of me didn't want to believe Tristan, but I knew part of what he said was true. The Horseman may have saved my family, but that didn't mean he was trustworthy.

"I still can't believe what the council did to you, forcing you to be a sacrifice and live with that monster." I had never seen this side of Tristan. He was usually playful and flirty, not bitter or resentful. The Horseman must really leave a sour taste in his mouth.

"I'm safe, Tristan. Don't worry about me." His eyes locked with mine, and a flash of longing danced in them, if only for a moment.

"I've missed you, Esme." He touched a brown lock of hair stuck to my cheek and pushed it behind my ear.

"Why are you here, Tristan?" There was a reason he had deflected my earlier question; he was in Lydel for a reason, but I didn't know why.

Before he could respond, a blow to the head knocked him to the floor. Horseman stood above him, the handle of his sword raised high in the air, which was sure to leave a mark on Tristan's temple.

"Tristan!" I ran to an unconscious Tristan, slightly shaking his body to wake him up, but it was pointless.

"I waited for you."

Horseman seemed calm for someone who had just sucker-punched an innocent boy.

"I couldn't find my way to the dock."

"Well, it seems you kept yourself occupied with your long-lost lover."

I had gotten used to Horseman's spiteful comments so much that I didn't even blink when he spoke them out loud.

"Did you have to knock him out?" I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at Horseman.

"Don't look at me like that. At least now he won't follow us." Horseman nudged Tristan's leg with his boot and sighed in relief that he wasn't waking yet.

"Did you get the magic?"

"Would I ever disappoint?" He held up the glass vial and shook the blue contents.

"Let's not waste more time here; we have my family to save."

"You're in a bossy mood." Horseman turned to walk down the alley, but I grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Wait, what about Tristan? We can't just leave him here in the alley."

"We can either let him wake here, or I can let him wake in the castle dungeons. The choice is yours."

The Horseman pushed off my hand and carried on walking toward the docks.

If my fate didn't lie in his hands, I'd have shoved his sword where the sun never shines and fled to the village with Tristan. But that was just wishful thinking.

~

When we arrived home, I was confined to my room while Horseman started the spell. I was never one for patience, and waiting for him to save my parents, and Ingrid felt like torture.

Would the magic work?

To distract myself, I grabbed the piles of dresses that Frederic had delivered to the castle and tried each of them on.

The first dress was gold with a corset back and frills surrounding the skirt and bodice. Not my usual style, although Lydel had a way of making the most unattractive dresses become fashionable. The second dress was sky blue with satin sleeves and a trail of buttons that started at the top and finished at the waistline. It would have been the perfect dress if not for the ruffles of material I kept tripping over as I walked around the room.

I looked in the mirror and gasped at the beauty of the third dress. It was the color of stone-cut emeralds, the same shade as Horseman's eyes.

No!
I could have cursed myself for even thinking that.

"Stop it, Esme!" I buried my head in my hands and shook my head, trying to release the parasite that Horseman was from my mind.

"What are you doing?" I looked over in the direction of the voice and saw Horseman looking right at me.

"Trying on my dresses."

He strode over to me, his boots clicking against the wooden floorboards.

"Ah, becoming a true Lydelon, are you?"

"Never."

"The spell is done." He looked exhausted, with dark circles circulating his under eyes; the three hours of spellcasting must have really drained his energy.

"They are safe?"

"Yes."

I wrapped my arms around Horseman's torso and cradled my head into his chest as happy tears rolled down my face and onto his shirt.
I wasn't sure if it was the one moment of happiness I'd had since arriving here or if it was just stupidity that possessed me to kiss Horseman.

I leaned closer and pressed my warm lips against his own. I shocked myself by kissing Horseman, but what surprised me more was when he kissed me back.

~

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