It’s not that we don’t trust you,” Royce said as Hadrian prepared the
bow. “It’s just that we’ve learned over the years that honor among
nobles is usually inversely proportionate to their rank. As a result, we
prefer to rely on more concrete methods for motivations—such as selfpreservation.
You already know we don’t want you dead, but if you
have ever been riding full tilt and had a horse buckle under you, you
understand that death is always a possibility, and broken bones are almost
a certainty.”
“There’s also the danger of missing the horse completely,” Hadrian added.
“I’m a good shot, but even the best archers have bad days. So to
answer your question—yes, you can control your own horse.
