the back garden, her knees
e bushes to hide her movements as she sprin
ack door. The air inside smelled
on a stool near the front
purebred black stallion in the third stall.
heavy leather saddle and stra
e and hauled herself up. She swung her leg over
thighs tightly agai
t out a sharp w
out of the sta
ard the commotion. They spun around, raising the
the leather riding crop and brought
ful front legs leaving the ground. The
he cobblestone streets outside the es
shing wooden carts and pedestrians carrying baskets screamed and s
hair, sending long, dark strands whipping around her face. She flattened
on. The golden, domed roofs of th
massive oak logs lost control. The draft horses panicked,
ns with all her strength, desperatel
n its hind legs, letting out a
hor her, the violent, upward jerk d
ched off the
h the air in a
estone street. She rolled violently, her sh
ing pain erupted f
had been grabbed and twi
e around the fallen noblewoman, murmuring in shock
skin split. The metallic taste of fresh blood flooded
ay the hands r
at against the rough sto
earing, agonizing pain shot up her leg. Her knee
the back of her riding shirt.
, her eyes were feral.
l in the palace clock
Dong
p. Daryl w
rd. Every single step caused the broken bones in her ankle to gr
reached out and snatched a thick, sturd
ned his mouth
riding habit. With a violent yank, she tore it free, ripping the fabric, and threw the expensive pie
ed in street grime and her own blood. She looked like a beggar, but the s
, the massive, black iron gat
avily armored convoy of carriages, each bearin
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