Chapter 9
Nicole
A trumpet sounded a tune. I sat up, ignoring how my body tingled for more kisses, and scanned the area to see who was there.
I saw no one, so I stood up. In the distance, I could see a man with a trumpet on a brown horse, flanked on both sides by riders in full blue and gold military uniforms.
Ryder stood and smoothed his pants like they might have wrinkles. The afternoon sun was setting. I raised my eyebrows and asked, “Are we being summoned?”
He placed his hand on the small of my back though his shoulders tightened. “Seems so. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy dinner.”
As I walked along with him, I checked that my own clothes weren’t dirty anywhere. Then I settled into our pace as I asked, “Is it more sandwiches? When I imagined royal life, it was lines of buffet options wit
