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impatiently.
    “He’s waiting for a treat, my lady,” a stable hand said, pressing an apple into her palm.
    Still entranced by the marvellous animal, Akna could do naught but hold up the apple. The great horse bent its elegant neck, its velvety nose sniffing out the ruby-red apple. Then, with a quick snap of its white teeth, it took the apple from her palm. As it crunched the fruit, the horse held her gaze with its chocolate eyes, and Akna was amazed at the quiet intelligence she saw there. She reverently reached out to stroke his sleek neck, and the horse shook out its mane and nickered softly at her touch. Then suddenly, without warning, the stallion reared back and whinnied, stamping its hooves and backing up. Startled, Akna stumbled backward, nearly losing her footing.
    “I see the horse is like the master.”
    Recognising the voice, Akna turned around slowly. Lady Georgina stood before her, prim and proper as always in a beautifully crafted court dress. She let her icy-blue eyes trail disdainfully down Akna’s form. Despite herself, Akna felt self-conscious. While Georgina was decked out in all the finery of her station, Akna had opted for a simple sealskin dress that gently curved around her body.
    “I see you’ve reverted to your people’s poor excuse for clothing,” sniffed Georgina, her eyes flicking about. “Is that scoundrel John about?”
    “No,” Akna huffed. “He is not.”
    “Well,” Georgina said, her eyes quickly glancing around the stables, “that is just perfect, then.”
    “Lady Leake,” Akna began, her anger quietly beginning to simmer, “is there a reason you have come to the stables?”
    “Why yes,” Georgina said, her grin predatory. “I’m here to see you, in fact.”
    “Is that so?” Akna asked, raising a brow.
    “Well, actually,” Georgina said with a wicked giggle, “
we
are here to see you. Isn’t that right, my lads?”
    A pair of handsomely dressed men came around the corner of the stables, their smiles smarmy. Georgina turned her eyes to the stable hands.
    “Begone, peasants,” she said with a flick of her fingers. “This is no place for the likes of you.”
    The two young men who had been tending the horses hesitated before exchanging cautious glances.
    “Miss Akna?” one stable hand began to ask.
    “I said, begone!” Georgina demanded in an angry hiss, stamping a foot. “How dare you disobey a noblewoman such as myself. I’ll have you whipped.”
    The two peasants muttered curses under their breath and reluctantly ambled away, throwing worried glances over their shoulders as they did.
    “Well, now that we have some privacy,” Georgina said with false courtesy, “I can finally introduce you to my two friends. This is Mr. Townsend and Sir Aiken. They have been just dying to get to know you better.”
    “Have they?” Akna replied sceptically. “I’ve not seen them before at court.”
    “How could you?” Georgina tittered. “John has been monopolising your time, hasn’t he? Well, these gentlemen think that’s mightily unfair. Don’t you?”
    The two men stepped closer with matching leers, and Akna felt dread slide up the base of her spine like a cold eel.
    “Perhaps we ought to take tea on the terrace, then,” Akna suggested, bravely hiding the panic bubbling in her throat. “Then we can have a proper conversation.”
    “Oh, Akna,” Georgina said with a cold smile. “These friends of mine aren’t interested in proper conversation. Just like John isn’t.”
    “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Akna protested angrily. “Sir Frederick has been nothing but a gentleman.”
    “Liar,” Georgina said mildly. “John’s nothing but a rake. And he’s been hoarding the foreign delicacy all to himself, hasn’t he, boys?”
    “Yes, Lady Leake,” one man said, his teeth flashing with a crude grin.
    “Well, then,” Georgina said, lifting her skirts with a smug smirk and turning away. “I hope you enjoy yourselves.”
    The two