CHAPTER 154: YOU VEX ME

As they reached the stables, the heavy scent of hay and fresh earth filled the air, mingling with the crisp breeze that tugged at Charlotte’s loose strands of hair.

"Why have you gone quiet now?" Charlotte asked, glancing sideways at Viktor, who walked beside her with his hands clasped behind his back.

"I’m thinking," he replied.

"Dangerous habit," she teased.

He arched a brow. "Only when you’re around."

Charlotte smirked, nudging his shoulder playfully. "I’ll take that as a compliment."

The stableman nodded in greeting as they approached, already preparing the horses. Viktor moved toward a tall black stallion tied near the prince’s own, while Charlotte, with a confident toss of her hair, approached a chestnut mare with a brown streak down its nose.

"You’re taking that one?" Viktor asked, eyeing the horse with skepticism. "She’s got a lot of spirit. High energy."

"She’s perfect," Charlotte replied, patting the mare’s side. "What, you don’t think I can handle her?"

"I think she’s faster than you are," he said, flashing a sly grin.

Charlotte swung into the saddle with practiced ease. "Care to test that theory?"

Viktor mounted his stallion, settling in with effortless grace. "Name the finish line."

"The small lake at the edge of the field."

"Best of luck, Lucy."

"I should wish you the same, Viktor."

Before he could respond, Charlotte dug her heels into the mare’s side and shot forward, leaving him in a cloud of dust with only the sound of her mocking laugh echoing behind her.

"Unbelievable, no wonder she wins the race." Viktor muttered, clicking his tongue as he spurred his horse forward.

They tore through the fields, the wind whipping past them, trees blurring at the edges of their vision. Charlotte leaned low against her horse’s neck, her long hair streaming behind her. The thunder of hooves shook the ground beneath them as grass blurred underfoot and the race tightened, neck and neck.

Charlotte urged her horse faster, laughter bubbling from her lips as Viktor matched her stride for stride.

"You’re holding back!" Charlotte called over the wind.

"I’m letting you have a head start," Viktor shouted back, grinning.

"That doesn’t seem fair, give me your best!" she challenged.

"If you say so," he replied, swinging the reins and urging his horse forward. In a burst of speed, he created a good distance between them.

Charlotte narrowed her eyes and spurred her horse faster, quickly closing the gap. But just as she gained momentum, a rabbit darted out from the brush. Her mare let out a sharp whinny, rearing in alarm. The reins slipped from Charlotte’s grip as she clung to the saddle, eyes wide with panic.

"Lucy!" Viktor yelled, slowing his horse as she struggled for control. The mare bucked again, and Charlotte was thrown.

Without thinking, Viktor leapt from his horse and ran toward her, catching her mid-fall. But the force carried them both down the grassy slope, rolling together in a chaotic blur.

They landed at the bottom in a tangled heap, Viktor’s arms wrapped tightly around her, his chest pressed to hers. The world stilled.

Charlotte blinked up at him, his face inches from hers, strands of blonde hair falling over his eyes. His breath warmed her cheek. Both of them were too shocked to speak. The silence between them was thick and electric.

Then Viktor blinked twice, cleared his throat and shifted away, getting back on his feet while brushing grass and leaves from his clothes.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, offering his hand.

Charlotte took it, her palm warm in his. "No," she replied, breathless but steady. "Just... embarrassed."

He helped her to her feet, and for a moment they stood too close, brushing off leaves and twigs. His hand lingered on her shoulder a second longer than it needed to, sweeping away the last of the leaves.

"Forgive me... I didn’t mean to fall on you," Viktor said, avoiding her gaze.

Charlotte smiled, her voice soft. "You couldn’t control it."

They exchanged a glance, tension flickered again between them, but this time it was gentler. Less wild and more aware.

"Are you alright? That was quite a jump. You could have injured yourself," Charlotte said, recalling how he had leapt off his horse to catch her.

"I’m alright. It’s not the first time I have leapt from a moving horse," Viktor replied, brushing dirt from his coat to keep his hands busy.

"Even so, it was still dangerous. You could have fallen or worse, broken something," she said, pushing strands of hair behind her ears.

Viktor smiled. "Is that concern I hear, Lucy? I could almost swear, I remembered you say you cared not for me."

Charlotte rolled her eyes and gave him a weak punch on the chest. Viktor rubbed the spot with mock groan. "Shut up, Viktor. You vex me." She turned and began climbing the hill again.

"You shouldn’t..."

Before he could finish, Charlotte took a wrong step and stumbled backward but Viktor caught her just in time before she fell to the ground again.

She pressed a hand against his chest to steady herself taking a step away from him. "Don’t you dare say a word," she warned, pointing a finger at him.

Viktor raised his hands in surrender, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Then he looked toward the top of the hill. "Come on. We should head back this way, it’s much safer."

They climbed the slope side by side. At the top, Charlotte’s horse stood nervously pawing at the ground but calmed as she approached. Viktor’s stallion remained composed, watching them.

Viktor mounted his horse and watched as she did the same, more cautiously this time. As they rode back toward the palace, the silence between them wasn’t exactly comfortable, but it wasn’t cold either.

She didn’t need to know how much it had shaken him to see her fall. Or how tightly his heart had clenched at the sight, how terrified he had been that she might get hurt badly. She didn’t need to know he was still thinking about their fall.