Karigan watched the mysterious man leave, wondering who he was. He seemed vaguely familiar, but she could not honestly recall his name. He intrigued her, however, for reasons she could not fully explained. She supposed the fact that he was accustomed to people trying to kill him was certainly one reason, but there was something else about him that made her want to get to know him better. She knew without a doubt that she would be in the stables just before the dinner bell the following Tuesday despite the potential danger. Not that she was overly worried about the danger. Though she had no reason to, she trusted him.

A mender bustled into the room, smiling when she saw Karigan. "Rider G'ladheon, it's good to see those pretty blue eyes. I thought young Lord Hillander looked quite a bit happier when I saw him in the hallway."

"Lord Hillander?" Surely Karigan had heard the mender incorrectly. There was no way that she had just met the youngest Lord Governor in recent history—and, many claimed, one of the most brilliant. He was not just the youngest Lord Governor either; he was the prince of Sacoridia. Admittedly, he was the younger son but he was still one of the highest born men in the land. And Karigan had criticized him for not taking the threats against his life seriously enough.

"Why yes, he's the one that brought you in two nights ago. Sounds like you saved his life." She raised an eyebrow, obviously looking for confirmation of that gossip. Karigan merely shrugged. She tutted, moving forward to check Karigan's vitals. "Well, whatever the reason, he's been beside himself with worry even though Master Mender Gracia told him yesterday you would make a full recovery."

"So I can get out of here soon?"

"Probably a couple more days. The arrow that hit you was poisoned, and that's not something we want to take lightly." The mender pressed her fingers to Karigan's wrist briefly, glancing at the clock. After a few seconds, she moved away, seeming satisfied with whatever she had discovered. Karigan simply sat in silence, still trying to reconcile all that she had learned.

As the mender had predicted, Karigan was able to leave the mending wing two days later. Her arm still throbbed when she moved it, but she was overall feeling much better than she had expected. When she reached her room, she found a number of letters from the other Riders and even a vase of flowers that claimed to be from the whole corps though Karigan suspected that the Chief Rider, Mara, was mostly responsible for its presence. Still, it was nice to see that others had been thinking of her. Having only been in the Rider Corps for six months, Karigan still sometimes felt a bit disconnected from the other Riders.

A knock at the door caught her attention just as she started to read the letters. She looked up to see Captain Mapstone standing in the open doorway. "It's good to see you back," she remarked, giving Karigan a small smile. On anyone else, Karigan would have called it sheepish, but she struggled to attribute that particular emotion to the stern captain.

"It's good to be back."

"I just wanted to say. . . I'm sorry. I should have listened to you." Karigan startled, having not expected the apology. "I was wrong, and it almost cost two lives."

"It's fine," Karigan told her once she had recovered a bit from her shock. "You were right that I didn't have enough details to really prevent anything."

"I wouldn't necessarily say that. You saved Zachary's life."

Karigan blushed slightly. "I just did what anyone else in my position would have done."

"Mmm." Captain Mapstone seemed skeptical but did not directly contradict her. "I just wanted to let you know that you have my thanks. Zachary is an old friend of mine." Karigan nodded in acceptance of the thanks, her blush deepening. "I also wanted to tell you that I talked with Mara, and we're giving you a break from message errands for a few weeks. You really haven't had a break at all since starting with the Corps, and we have a bit of a lull period coming up anyway. Plus, in talking with Master Mender Gracia, it sounds like it will be best for you to take some time to fully recover from your wounds."

"I feel fine."

Captain Mapstone raised her eyebrows skeptically. "You've been cradling your arm since I walked into the room." Quickly, Karigan dropped her arm to her side, wincing as white-hot pain shot through it. "Healing arm or no, you're taking a break, Rider. Consider it an order if that helps."

"Yes, ma'am." Karigan knew she sounded petulant, but Captain Mapstone did not comment on her tone. Instead, she stood silently in the doorway for a minute or so. Karigan could tell she had more to say, so she waited. Finally, the captain spoke.

"It would probably be best if Zachary's. . . connection to your injury does not become widely known. I don't know how much he told you, but he's in somewhat of a precarious position politically and it would not be good for rumors to spread about death threats."

"I won't say anything," Karigan promised. The older woman fixed Karigan with a searching gaze though Karigan was pleased to note the captain trusted her enough not to bother checking in with her brooch. After a few moments, the captain nodded.

"Thank you." With that, she turned and left, leaving Karigan more confused than ever about just what was going on and grateful she was not in politics.

By the following Tuesday, Karigan was feeling much more like herself. Her arm had even stopped hurting for the most part, only giving the slightest twinge when she happened to bend it in an unexpected way. The menders in the castle truly were amazing, much better than those she had seen in Corsa or even the ones at Selium. She supposed the fact that she had saved the life of the Prince of Sacoridia probably afforded her some sort of special treatment as well.

There was still nearly two hours until the supper bell when Karigan made her way to the stables on Tuesday afternoon. She tried to tell herself it was because she wanted to warm up for a bit before meeting Lord Hillander, for she had not been riding since the night she was shot, but a part of her knew that was a lie. Condor greeted her happily when he saw her, especially when he realized she had brought an apple. She let him munch on that as she brushed him, letting the soothing motion relax her. She had just finished saddling him when someone cleared his throat behind her.

"I am glad to see you decided to come after all." Whirling around, Karigan saw Zachary Hillander standing just a few feet away, the reins of a beautiful black mare in his hands. As her eyes briefly swept over his figure, she wondered how she had not recognized him back in the hospital wing. Though she had never met him before, the auburn Hillander hair should have been a dead giveaway of his identity—few others had hair of such a color. In addition, he shared many features with his father who Karigan had met on several occasions, generally when picking up messages to deliver. However, despite his similarities to Amigast, Zachary did not resemble him quite as closely as Amilton did. Zachary's features were a bit more rounded, and his body was leaner than the stocky build of his brother and father. Though Karigan had never met her, she suspected Zachary had inherited those particular features from his mother. Personally, Karigan thought they suited him well and made him much more attractive than the other men in his family.

"Rider G'ladheon?" Zachary said, breaking her from her musing. She blushed as she realized that she had been caught ogling him. The reality of who he was caught up with her suddenly, and she gave a hasty bow. He gave her a gentle smile as he waved her off. "Please don't. I've always found the practice a bit ridiculous, and given that you saved my life, I think we have moved past such formalities." Somewhat awkwardly, Karigan straightened, still unsure of what to say. How did one interact with the Prince of Sacoridia and Lord Governor of Hillander? Fortunately, Zachary was skilled at smoothing over awkward situations. "How is your arm?"

"Nearly healed. It rarely bothers me now."

"That is excellent news. I still thought we'd take it easy today, maybe stick to the outer edges of the field. I admit to being a bit wary of venturing further myself."

"Of course." Did he really think she was going to argue with him? He gave another smile as he led the way out of the stables. They mounted and started off at a slow walk. Karigan heard the sound of more hooves behind them and glanced back to see two black-clad figures on horseback following. It took her a moment to realize who they were. She had seen her fair share of Weapons in the castle but generally, they tried to be less conspicuous. However, Karigan suspected that after the events that occurred on Zachary's last ride, they were trying to make sure no one tried anything of the sort again.

He obviously sensed her gaze, for he remarked, "You were right that I was taking too much of a gamble. A bit of time to myself was not worth my life, so I agreed to let them join me on my rides again."

"I'm sorry, m'lord. I didn't mean to criticize. I just-"

"Peace, Rider G'ladheon. I took no offense. In fact, I feel that I needed to hear exactly what you said."

"Still, I probably should have been more tactful. My aunts are always criticizing me for not thinking before I speak."

"Truthfully, it was nice to have someone treat me as an equal. Too many people treat me differently because of my position. It becomes rather tiring after awhile." They rode in silence for a few moments until Zachary broke it. "Tell me about yourself. I know you're a Green Rider who's not afraid to risk her life to save another but I don't know much more than that. Where are you from?"

"Corsa," Karigan answered, glad for the easy question. Despite normally being comfortable talking to others, Karigan felt inexplicably nervous around Zachary and was not sure why. She supposed it was likely his position—she rarely interacted with the nobility, especially not those in as high of a position as he was.

"I'm guessing you miss it."

"I do." Karigan swallowed, forcing her nerves back. There was no reason to be scared of talking with Zachary. He had been perfectly courteous to her so far and seemed genuinely interested in getting to know more about her. Besides, it was not as if he was asking for any sort of insightful conversation. "I've been so busy the last six months that I haven't had a chance to get back. My father and my aunts have written a few times but it's not the same."

"Are you close with your family then?"

"Relatively so. My mother died when I was just a baby, so my aunts helped my father raise me. Of course, I was away a good portion of the year at Selium but I still spent my summers there."

"I'm sorry about your mother."

Karigan shrugged. "Honestly, I don't remember much about her. I know it tore my da apart though. He's never remarried. Always said he was a two woman man—me and my mother."

Zachary smiled. "He sounds like quite the man."

"He is."

"What does he do?"

"He's a merchant. Textiles, mostly, though he's traded most everything over the years. The plan was for me to eventually take over his business though I'm not sure exactly what will happen now. It sounds like the Rider call can be. . . rather unpredictable."

"Yes, Laren has mentioned as much. Though I've found that it seems to have an uncanny sense for when a person needs to be in the Corps and when it's time for his or her service to end. Laren, for example, would probably be lost without the Riders." Karigan echoed his grin as she tried to imagine the Captain as anything other than a Green Rider. Zachary was right—it just did not compute.

"How did you get to know her?"

His smile softened as his eyes took on a faraway look. "I used to spend a lot of time in the stables as a boy. I loved the horses—well, I love any animals, really. They don't expect anything of you except a bit of attention, and they give you unconditional love in return. Laren was still a Lieutenant at the time, and she took an interest in the quiet prince. I think she realized that I didn't have many people I could talk with though she would never admit as much. But she became a mentor of sorts, someone I could confide in or just complain to. I've always looked up to her as a big sister."

Karigan noted the melancholy tone and imagined there was more to the story than he had said, but she did not want to pry. Instead, she simply said, "She is definitely a good mentor."

"I wanted her to go to Hillander with me, actually. She refused. Said her place is here and claimed she would probably just get in my way."

"The Riders definitely would have missed her."

"I know. Ultimately, that's one of the main reasons I relented."

"From everything I've heard, you've done just fine without her help."

He gave her a small smile. "Though I am glad that is the rumor spreading, it has not been all my doing. I have had a variety of other mentors and advisors."

"Still, I can't imagine running a province when I was only fifteen, no matter how much help I had," Karigan mused, forgetting her shyness for the moment. "I can barely run my own life."

Zachary chuckled, a pleasing sound. "Sometimes, I feel much the same way. Fortunately for me, I have a secretary who keeps me in line." They rode in silence for a few minutes until Zachary changed the subject again. "So if you're from Corsa, I imagine that you grew up loving the sea as well."

Karigan nodded. "It doesn't feel like home unless you can smell the salt and the fish."

"I definitely understand that feeling. It's one of the things I like least about coming to Sacor City."

"Why are you here?"

"Council meeting. We have them twice a year."

"And they make all the Lord Governors attend? Wouldn't you be better off governing your own provinces?"

Zachary laughed again. "My thoughts exactly but alas, I don't set the rules. Technically, it is permissible to send a representative though it's frowned upon unless you have a good reason. And I know my father would not consider a desire to be near the sea a good reason."

"Did you spend a lot of time in Hillander when you were a child?"

"Unfortunately, I was only able to visit twice before becoming Lord Governor. But those are some of my fondest childhood memories." With that, he launched into an amusing anecdote about a "sailing" competition he had had with some of the Hillander children—a competition where their boats were made from lumber scraps they had salvaged from the shipyard trash and old flour sacks from the kitchens. Apparently, his had capsized about ten meters from shore.

His openness and boyish excitement was infectious, and Karigan soon found herself adding her own stories, stories of long summer days paddling as far out toward the rocky outcrops in the middle of the bay that they could reach and nights spent around bonfires on the beaches. The distant dinner bell finally interrupted her during a tale of some ad hoc spelunking she had completed, and her eyes went wide as she realized just how long they had ridden. And she had done most of the talking, too, for after a few tales of his time in Hillander, Zachary seemed to run out of stories to tell. "It's getting late," she said. He glanced at the sky before sighing.

"I suppose it is. I greatly enjoyed myself tonight, however. Would it be presumptuous of me to ask if you are doing anything before the dinner bell on Thursday?"

Karigan knew what he was asking, and it caused a fluttering in her stomach that was somehow both pleasant and nerve-racking. She quickly pushed the feeling aside. "I think a ride might be nice."

His smile returned. "An excellent idea."

Karigan once more reached the stables well before the appointed meeting time on Thursday afternoon. This time, however, Zachary was not there. She dawdled a bit as she prepared Condor for the ride, her eyes continually darting to the sun and wishing that women's fashion would evolve to include watches. Finally, the castle bells sounded the fourth hour, and she set aside the comb and mounted. She still saw no sign of Zachary, so she led Condor in a slow canter around the paddock to warm up. Just as she was beginning to wonder if he had decided she was not worth his time after all, she saw his familiar figure striding across the field toward the stable. Though not quite running, he was definitely moving quickly. She approached the gate, and he obviously saw her, for he turned to meet her there. "I'm so sorry," he apologized when he was within earshot. She noted that his words were slightly breathless. "Meetings today ran much longer than expected, and there were a number of others who simply had to talk to me when they were complete."

"It's fine," Karigan assured him, her mind still reeling with the implications. In her experience, Lord Governors and others in the nobility did not apologize to mere commoners. And not only had Zachary apologized—he seemed genuinely remorseful despite having obviously done his best to arrive on time if his breathlessness was any indication.

"It will take me a few minutes to get ready."

"Of course. Take all the time you need."

Despite Karigan's words, it seemed that Zachary was eager to go, for he joined her in the paddock less than ten minutes later. He insisted that she choose their route, and she picked one of her favorites through the rolling hills that bordered the castle's west side. They rode at an easy pace, allowing them to talk. As they had last time, they swapped stories though Karigan noted that the stories had begun to grow a bit more personal than the amusing but superficial anecdotes they had talked about before. She found herself explaining the confusion the call had caused her when she was only ever planning to take over her father's business, and Zachary had listened intently before offering some insightful advice on how she might consider using her Rider experience later in life. In turn, Zachary had confessed his inner turmoil when his father had insisted he take over the Lord Governorship at such a young age. "I actually considered running away," he remarked with a rueful smile. "But alas, the sense of duty drilled into me from a young age would not allow such an action."

"It's probably better in the long run. You'll have much more experience to draw on as you grow older. Few provinces have such continuous leadership," Karigan mused.

"An excellent point," Zachary agreed.

They rode long past the dinner bell. By the time they finally returned to the stables, the moon had fully risen and all the stableboys had long since left for bed. Zachary insisted that Karigan accompany him to the kitchens for food, claiming it was his fault that she had missed dinner despite her protests that they were equally to blame. With only mild trepidation, she therefore followed him out of the stables and towards a small side door in the castle. She had never been to the kitchens before, for servants always brought food to the Rider dining hall on large platters so there had never been a reason to go. However, it seemed the same could not be said about Zachary—or, at the very least, he knew the route to reach them very well, for he did not pause even once to make sure he was going the correct way. Karigan was so busy watching where they going as they walked that she had forgotten about their earlier conversation until Zachary remarked, "So, we were talking about our shared dislike of balls."

"Right. Well, I honestly don't have much experience with them. I only went to two at Selium because Estral dragged me to them, and I didn't stay long. And after the last one, well, it seems better that I stay away." Karigan blushed slightly. She had not really intended to bring up that story, but she had, once again, spoken without thinking. She had thought they could leave their conversation with a shared dislike, especially after it had been interrupted during their ride by one of the Weapons reminding Zachary of the time.

Zachary's eyebrows went up. "The last one? If you don't mind me asking, what happened?"

Karigan's blush deepened. "It wasn't exactly a shining moment for me. I. . . well, I had been seeing another boy in my class. Or, I guess more accurately, we tried courting for all of one week before we both realized that we had no interest in each other that way and were better off as friends. We broke it off amicably, and I thought that would be the end of things. We had already agreed to go to the ball before this happened, and we decided we liked each other's company well enough that we'd still do so.

Well, it didn't take long after we walked in before I realized that we were attracting attention. I wasn't really used to that—most people generally ignored me which was fine with me. Turns out, though, that he had made some enemies and they were spreading rumors about why we broke up. I didn't catch everything, but from what I heard, they speculated the break up occurred due to a lack of ability to. . . perform. Anyway, the finger pointing and hastily-covered laughs quickly got rather tiresome, so we left early. He never really spoke to me much after that either—he assured me he didn't blame me at all, but he didn't want to restart the rumor mill. I suppose it made sense but it did mean I lost one of the few people I actually enjoyed spending time with."

"I'm sorry," Zachary said, and he sounded genuinely sorry for her experience, a fact which surprised Karigan. She shrugged. "I, too, have not had the best experience with balls. My first Hillander ball, I made the mistake of dancing with the wrong noblewoman first, and I heard about it for weeks." At her raised eyebrows, Zachary gave a rueful chuckle. "Yes, that really is one of the primary concerns of the nobility. Sad, I know."

Though Karigan had only known him a short while, the stories he had told had begun to give her an inkling of his mischievous personality. "So, who did you dance with first at the second Hillander ball?" she questioned, already suspecting the direction the answer would take. He gave her a sly grin.

"Laren. She had taken a message errand for Hillander, claiming there were no other Riders available though I suspect she just missed me. Regardless, it seemed much too good an opportunity to pass up." Karigan joined him in laughter as imagined the scene that choice would have caused.