For one second, half a second, her deep brown eyes flicked upward and caught mine. Something between us connected and a rage unlike anything I’d ever felt rose up inside of me.
I’d pounded on the roof the carriage for my driver to stop and I tore across the field and laid her owner out with one punch letting him know staying down was in his best interest and coming after me wasn’t.
I took her, holding her lead out the open door of the slow-moving carriage soothing her with my voice until we arrived at the next village. There we’d stopped, staying four days for her to rest, feed and get some sound veterinary care.
I named her Vela, after the constellation that shone in the southern sky that first night unsure if she would make it through until morning.
She made it that night, with me tending to her in the stall myself and when she was bright eyed again, we’d forged forward, and we’ve been together ever since.
She trusted me with her life, and I trusted her with mine.
My friendship with Vela was one of the closest relationships I’d ever had until I met Valeria. The irony that I’d taken Vela without permission the same as I’d taken Valeria was not lost on me.
Daniel appeared from the open back door of the stable with a bow of his head greeting me.
“My lord, I—”
“Daniel,” I started cutting him off. “I’ve told you not to call me that. And for fuck’s sake, take one of the bedrooms in the house, man. There are enough of them.” I shook my head at the sight of him in his working clothes so early. “I assume it’s you that cleared the driveway already this morning? There’s no need when I’m at home, I’m perfectly capable.”
He chuckled. “I like it out here. Besides, the stable’s cottage is as comfortable as any cottage in the village” He met my eyes.
“Seriously, take a bedroom. Take a whole fucking suite of them. You deserve it.” I clapped him on the shoulder.
“I’m not sure what I’ve done to deserve all you’ve done for me let alone a suite of bedrooms in a manor such as this.”
I grunted. “What have you not done?”
He shrugged. “Not sure. Just, want to say thank you, I guess. I spent years stealing food from pig troughs before you. Why you took to me that first time we met…” He swallowed and I started to interrupt him but sometimes a man needs to say what he needs to say. “And, whatever you did to save me from the magistrate. Everything. Just thank you.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You done?” I half mocked. “We done braiding each other’s hair and working on our needlepoint?”
His half smile told me he understood. “Done.”
“Good.” I looked back toward the front of the manor. “I have a task for you.”
“Anything to do with the young lady?”
I narrowed my eyes.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to be out of line. When you brought Vela back last night, I watched you run back toward the house. Wondered why, then I saw her standing there...” He shrugged. “Being in such a rush, I wondered if something was amiss, my Lord—” He tried to clip the last word but old habits and all.
“Fucking spies among my friends,” I said with a laugh, shaking my head. “I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, as that was why I hired you in the first place. And if you don’t stop calling me Lord, we’re going to have problems. And, yes, as a matter of fact it does have something to do with the young lady. She’s very important and it’s no exaggeration to say that she may well currently be in mortal danger. I have to leave, and I have to leave her here. But I want you to take care of her. Once she wakes, anything she wants—anything at all—you get for her. But Daniel, you must not reveal that she’s here to anyone else. I mean it. Anybody at all comes here, the top priority is to keep her presence a secret. You have my permission to use deadly force if you have to, and we’ll deal with the consequences when I get back.”
He nodded. “You know I have your back. Today and always.”
“Good man. Now I’m going to saddle up, I have a long ride ahead of me.”
“Very well.” Daniel nodded, his hand pinching the brim of his cap. The sight of his fingers reminding me…
“One more thing.” I said reaching into the front pocket of my trousers. “Won this in a game. Have no use for it.”
I placed the ring I won from Petre into Daniel’s open palm.
“I can’t accept this.” His eyes wide.
“Of course you can. And you will. You’re doing me a favor. The sight of it makes me sick.”