Chapter 14

• "I wondered how Sunrise could lose to that warhorse of yours," the king said. Storm was bred for strength. He could move full armor at great speed across the battlefield, weight that would crush Sunrise. Unarmored, he did not have Sunrise's light, supple nature.
• "Do you fault me for taking an advantage, your Highness?" I asked.
• "No. Not at all," the king answered with humor, "I know my daughter - take your victories when you can. They will be few." To that I laughed. It earned me another kick under the table. I then saw Angelica jerk a bit. Alia was smiling at me. I do believed she kicked Angelica for me. The conversation turned to horse breeding and training. It was a pleasant dinner, all told. My strange family was getting used to itself. My mother and father content, or at least tolerant of the situation.