Aurelius stopped walking and stared at her. Ember's ears flicked back like the horse had understood perfectly and taken offense.
"The horse's fault," Aurelius repeated slowly.
"Yes."
He laughed, shaking his head. "That was all you. Every bit of it."
"Prove it," she challenged. "Prove it wasn't the horse being difficult."
His eyebrows rose. "You want me to prove that you're just bad at riding?"
"I want you to prove that Ember isn't being stubborn on purpose."
Aurelius looked at her for a long moment, clearly trying to figure out if she was serious. Then he grinned. "Alright. But if I ride her perfectly, you owe me a kiss."
"Fine," she said, ignoring the second part entirely.
She watched carefully as he approached Ember, talking to the horse in a low, soothing voice she couldn't qu
