FLORIAN

Beloved Anthea had gone inside the strange house. Florian did not like this. He spoke to Marius and dared to even ask the herd stallion where the Now King was, and if they thought Beloved Anthea and the Now King would be safe.

Constantine would only say that there was much in the village that was strange.

But Marius told Florian much more. They were safe, he assured Florian. All of them. The people did not like the horses, but they had welcomed the medicine that the Now King had brought. They gave him permission to stay in the Big House of this place, and showed him something inside that made him want to stay.

Marius did not know why Florian did not remember this. Marius himself had sent the message shortly after they arrived. Florian hadn’t replied to Marius’s message, but Marius humbly suggested that perhaps he and his Beloved were simply too caught up in caring for each other.

Florian had not stopped to think of it, but now that he heard the humility and even jealousy in Marius’s voice he did, and he was sorry for Marius. Before the Now King had begun to ride the herd stallion, Marius had been his mount. They had been deeply connected, and never had a day passed when the human king-to-be and Marius did not ride out together. But now that the Soon King had become the Now King and taken up his place on Constantine’s back, Marius was with him mostly to carry fodder or other supplies.

Marius had not lost any status among the herd; he was still favored by the Now King, but he felt a loss inside. Florian was ashamed to realize he had not thought about Marius’s loss of a rider. Perhaps Beloved Anthea should say something to the Now King. Florian could speak to the Now King, but it wouldn’t be proper of him, especially since Marius had not done so himself.

Instead Florian asked Marius what he meant that he had sent a message. They had heard nothing. Florian had cried out to Marius and Constantine as well, and gotten no reply, which is why they had come.

Constantine turned to them then.

It is the stones, the herd stallion said. They guard this place. Too well.