Phantom of the Heart Read Online Free Page B

was. Besides her, the stallion only allowed one other person close to him.
    Sterling skirted the horse and came to stand before her. Orla swallowed hard. Sterling looked incredible in an all-dark outfit. It made her look sensuous and dangerous. The green eyes were brilliant as they slowly looked her up and down.
    “That explains it,” Sterling drawled softly, her eyes now firmly fixed on Orla’s face.
    “I do not understand, milady.”
    Sterling leaned back against the horse. “Knowing what a finicky beast he is, I have been wondering who is taking such good care of him.”
    Orla blushed. “He would not allow the other grooms near him.”
    Sterling smiled. “He likes you then.”
    “He is an intimidating animal. I, too, had my reservations about entering his stall.” She watched as Sterling nuzzled the horse’s neck.
    “He knows that you are special,” Sterling murmured, as she turned away from the horse to give her a brilliant look. “You are the most wonderful human being he has met in a very long time.”
    Not sure what to answer to that, Orla lowered her eyes. A moment passed, before she looked up again. This time, she almost gasped at the look in Sterling’s eyes. She felt the look, the meaning of it, right down to her toes. It had been a week since she had caught the princess sneaking outside her window, but now, in the well-lit stable, she could not mistake the look for anything other than what it was.
    The princess wanted her.
    Maybe if she caved in and allowed the woman to do what was so blatantly visible in her eyes, this confusion, this angst, would finally come to an end. With her heart beating as if it wanted out of her chest, she walked farther into the stall, where the shadows were a bit deeper, and reached for the ties on her shirt. She was not looking at Sterling as she began unfastening the ties.
    “What are you doing?”
    She did not look up when she answered. “My duty.”
    There was a deep silence.
    “Which is what?” The words sounded strangled, as if they were pushed through a clenched throat.
    “Whatever is in this kingdom belongs to you, milady.” Orla hesitated slightly, before she pulled the shirt over her head. Looking down at herself, she inhaled deeply. She did not see anything that anyone, least of all a royal, would want. Her breasts were bound tightly with a strip of cloth, giving her a very manly chest.
    “STOP!”
    The order sounded loud in the silence, startling the stallion and making Orla jump. Sure that she had in some way offended Sterling, Orla froze. When she raised her eyes, it was to find Sterling looking at her with anguish in her eyes. It was probably a play of light from the lantern hanging at the entrance of the stall, but it almost looked like Sterling’s eyes were filled with tears.
    They stared at each other for a long, breathtaking moment, before Sterling turned and quietly left the stall.
    Orla stood in stunned silence, listening to Sterling’s fading footsteps. When the stable was quiet again, with only the occasional snort from a horse, she exhaled loudly and slowly sank to her knees. She might just be the reason they would be banished from Arnat.
     
    ***
     
    Cybralle sighed deeply as her eyes followed Sterling who called over a serving girl. She did not have to guess what Sterling’s next action would be. Since her return from wherever, a safe guess would be Orla, it was obvious that Sterling was in pain. She had shunned the top table and instead joined her warriors at a corner table. From the her raised seating, Cybralle was able to keep their guests entertained as well as keep an eye on her daughter. A staggering number of brimming tankards made their way to Sterling’s table where the din was steadily increasing. She turned to look at Mesmeria and found her wife’s gaze resting on the table where Sterling was loudly proposing a toast. Cybralle sighed when Sterling slumped back in her seat, spilling ale all over herself. It was time to