A Stolen Crown Read Free Page B

her.
    “Horse?” she asked, remembering some of the things she had learned about Kandaran cuisine. "This is horse meat?"
    “It's safe to eat. It has been frozen in the snow all this time,” Aaron assured her.
    Ariana spit out the meat, disgusted.
    "I can't eat this!"
    "We're almost out of food," Aaron told her. "It's better than starving. Besides, the Kandarans supposedly eat this all the time. It's a traditional dish."
    Ariana was skeptical. She had always thought the idea of eating horse was barbaric, no surprise from the Kandarans, but no matter how appalling the idea was, she could not take her eyes off the plate. When Aaron picked up a piece and started eating, it was almost more than she could bear.
    "The Kandarans are a barbaric people," Ariana said. "And their traditions leave much to be desired."
    Aaron had only read about eating horsemeat. No one he had ever heard of had actually eaten a horse before, though he knew from having read about Kandaran customs that it was served for special dinners. He had heard people around Ashford joke about eating a horse, a popular thing to say when one was really hungry, and he certainly was hungry. His teeth worked the sinewy meat and he found that it did not taste that bad at all.
    "Well, it's food," Aaron said. "It might not be fancy, but there's nothing wrong with it."
    Ariana took a deep breath. It had to be done. They were both starving.
    “You tell no one of this. It would not do for it to be known that the Crown Princess of Maramyr eats horsemeat. And next time, please tell me, or should I say, warn me first what it is we are eating," she told him. She gave him a cross look, then set about cramming more of the delicious meat into her mouth, surprised at how good it tasted. Aaron emptied the rest of the skillet onto the plate and added a few more pieces to cook and then sat down next to her.
    They gorged themselves on their equine feast until they both lay back against the large wagon cushion, unable to eat another bite. Aaron gazed contentedly at the stone roof of the cavern and Ariana stared at him. She could see that behind the new beard that he had grown, his face had indeed become gaunt. Now that she was over the shock of it, Ariana wondered why she had not thought of the horses but was glad it had occurred to him. There was no pretention to him at all, and Ariana was not used to that. If Aaron was hungry, he would find food. If something was wrong, he would try to fix it; if she was upset, he would ask what he could do to make her feel better. He had no other motives for the things that he did and, even though they had been alone, and sharing a bed for some time now, Aaron had not made any type of advance toward her. Not that he did not respond to her in certain obvious ways; it was hard not to notice such things in such close proximity, but he had always been a perfect gentleman toward her, more so than many of the so-called nobles she had met as a young woman at court.
    While Ariana's mind wandered over her many thoughts, Aaron relaxed and simply enjoyed the feeling of being full, a sensation he had not felt in many weeks. It was not good for them to be as thin as they were, especially in the cold of winter and was a little worried that Ariana might be upset with him over the dinner he had prepared, but he was glad she had gotten over her prudishness and at least eaten something. Aaron was a little surprised when, a few moments later, Ariana threw her arms around him and squeezed him in a great hug.
    They had slept in the same blankets for weeks but the Princess had not been so forwardly affectionately toward him, except for when he had been sick, but that was different. Still, Aaron was happy that she was so pleased and he gently put his arm around her and she squeezed him a little tighter. After a moment, she relaxed and looked up at him. Her eyes flickered for a moment from their natural green to the darker smoke of magic and Aaron felt a small pressure in his