Chapter 13
Thirteen
Hugo groaned and rolled over, pressing his face deeper into his pillows. Some inconsiderate soul with a death wish was knocking on his door, and all he wanted to do was sleep.
Arriving home last night after being missing for the entire day had resulted in much hand-wringing, tears, and stern words.
And most of that was from Dorian. Now that he was away from Everand and the potential for more kisses, exhaustion consumed him.
When he’d spoken with his family, he’d kept his explanations vague, mentioning something about escaping some bandits while glossing over the meeting up with Prince Everand part.
No reason to give his mother any unrealistic hopes.
He was merely friends with the prince now.
Friends who kissed.
Passionately.
Yes, friends who kissed passionately.
That sounded lovely.
But it wouldn’t lead anywhere beyond that.
Before dawn could start streaking the sky shades of yellow and pink, Hugo had climbed into bed and sworn he wasn’t leaving it until lunch.
Except someone was trying to drag him out of bed much sooner.
The knocking stopped at last, but it changed into someone shaking his shoulder.
“Hugo,” Augustine hissed. “Hugo, you’ve gotta get up.”
“Why?” he demanded in a half whine, half moan.
“There’s someone at the door.”
Hugo made an indecipherable grunt and turned into his pillows. He pulled his blankets up over his head, hoping that his youngest brother would take the hint.
“Okay, I guess I’ll go tell Mother that the Royal Huntsman is at the door—”
The blankets flew off Hugo, and he bolted upright. “What?” he barked.
“The Royal Huntsman is at the door,” Augustine repeated, his grin growing. “Why do I feel like there are some important bits left out of your story regarding your disappearance?”
“Not now,” Hugo growled. He shoved his feet into a pair of worn slippers and snatched his robe.
It wasn’t the best way to greet anyone from the palace, but he couldn’t afford to keep the man waiting another second.
After a last warning look at Augustine—which did absolutely nothing to rein in his brother’s enthusiasm—Hugo raced down the stairs while mentally muttering a prayer for his mother to be still abed at this early hour.
Just as his brother had stated, he found a robust man with a bushy red beard streaked with white and wearing a deerstalker cap standing on their doorstep. Slung across his back was a rifle, and several other men and about ten hounds were gathered behind him on the lane leading to their house.
“Sorry to wake the household,” the man greeted. “You’re Mr. Hugo Baker?”
“Yes, and you are…”
“Colby Waverly, Master Huntsman for the royal family.”
Hugo gulped. Augustine was right. The Royal Huntsman was on their doorstep, and he’d brought with him an entire hunting party. It was too early for his fatigued brain to deal with this.
“How can I help you, Mr. Waverly?”
“When His Highness returned to the palace late last night, he came straight away to see me. He left the order that I bring a hunting party to your home by dawn and not leave until we’ve taken care of the fox who’s been raiding your chickens.
I just wanted to stop by before we entered the woods near your home to inform you we’re on the job.
Don’t worry. We’ll get that fox and check the woods to make sure there’s nothing else in the area to terrorize your barnyard. ”
“Oh, I…that’s terribly nice of you, but you don’t need to go to so much trouble,” Hugo stammered.
“It’s no trouble at all. We’re more than happy to help the man who saved our prince’s life and rescued him from those villains,” Colby stated with a wide grin. His weathered face cracked with dozens of lines streaking from the corners of his eyes and around his mouth as he smiled.
Heat rushed to Hugo’s cheeks to hear Colby say such things, but it was the little squeak that came from Augustine behind him that made his stomach sink.
“That. Yes. Um…I didn’t do all that much. His Highness is being far too generous.”
Colby snatched his hat off his head and held it. “It’s not only His Highness. I spoke with several of the guards after the prince returned. They spoke of how you expertly handled Demon in your escape while the prince was shooting those fiends with your rifle. They said it was spectacular.”
“Demon?” Hugo repeated, his voice squeezed tight.
“Aye,” Colby said, his accent thickening in his excitement. “Demon is His Highness’s horse. Broke him personally. That horse is fiercely loyal to the prince and stubborn. Won’t let anyone ride him, let alone control.”
“Oh dear,” Hugo mumbled, but Colby didn’t seem to hear him.
“It’d be a real honor if you’d let me shake your hand.”
“Of course! Yes!” Hugo stuck out his hand, and Colby grasped it with both of his, pumping it several times in his excitement. His palm and fingers were rough from years of hard work and exposure to the elements, but Hugo could only smile at the man’s enthusiasm.
“We’re all protective of Prince Everand.
He’s a good man. Doesn’t put on airs like so many of those nobles.
He understands how much work goes into organizing a good hunt.
He makes sure to thank my men and me individually after each one.
Sneaks down to give treats and head pats to all the hounds as well. ”
Hugo’s heart fluttered at the image of Everand sneaking to the Huntsman’s quarters to visit all the dogs. He could easily believe all that. “Yes, he’s a very good man.”
Colby released his hand, plopped his hat on his mass of curly red and white hair, and took a step back. “Well, we’ll get right on your fox problem. Don’t you worry.”
As the huntsman and his team left, Hugo waved at them, relieved they were taking their pack of exciting, barking dogs with them.
The moment he closed the door, his mother called from the top of the stairs. “Hugo, what the devil is all that racket? Who was at the door?”
Next to him, Augustine sucked in a breath and opened his mouth. Hugo was on him in a flash, slapping one hand over his lips while wrapping the opposite arm around Augustine’s bulky form to keep him from escaping. Under his tight grasp, he could feel his brother laughing with his entire body.
“It’s nothing, Mother. A local huntsman and some of his friends have offered to take care of our fox problem. He wanted to warn me they’re going to be hunting in the woods near our house. Return to bed. It’s too early to be up,” Hugo admonished.
His mother huffed and muttered. “Uncivilized, that’s what it is. It’s uncivilized to be up so early.”
Hugo continued to hold his brother until he heard his mother’s bedroom door shut. He released a heavy sigh and allowed Augustine to slip away. His sweet, loving brother let out the most evil laugh Hugo had ever heard.
“Don’t,” Hugo snapped.
“What? I haven’t done anything,” Augustine said, false innocence causing his words to lilt higher than normal.
“Yet.”
“Yet,” Augustine agreed, his smile shifting to match his laugh. “Exactly what was left out of your tale last night?”
Hugo groaned, his shoulders slumping. “Merely that I ran into Prince Everand while hunting the fox, and bandits attacked us. We escaped together. I did not save him. He was the one who was doing all the saving.”
Augustine’s eyes narrowed, and his grin shifted into a skeptical frown. “I don’t know. You have always been the best rider of all of us. I wouldn’t be surprised if you managed to tame a horse named Demon.”
“That is doubtful. I didn’t even know that was the horse’s name.
” Hugo shook his head, trying to clear it of nonsense.
“Please don’t mention this to Mother. You know how she gets.
She’ll embellish this worse than Prince Everand already has and attempt to force this into a marriage.
We all know how utterly impossible that is. ”
But Augustine didn’t immediately agree with him. His brother shifted his weight from his left foot to his right while scratching his messy blond hair. “I don’t know. This Prince Everand doesn’t sound like the stuffy type. He might be a good—”
“Do not finish that sentence,” Hugo cut him off. He pointed a finger at his brother, nearly touching the tip of his nose. “Prince Everand is royalty, and we are…” His voice faded as he failed to find a gentle enough description.
“The sons of a baker and a charwoman,” Augustine smirked. “True, but I wonder if Prince Everand would care.”
No, Ev didn’t seem the type to care.
But his mother and father would. That was all that mattered.
“Please, August, don’t tell Mother,” Hugo pleaded. All the nervous energy that had carried him out of bed fled him in the blink of an eye. He just wanted to return to his pillows and not think about the world for a day or two.
“Fine,” his brother moaned and crossed his arms over his chest. “I won’t mention it, but I think you’re selling yourself too cheaply.”
A ghost of a smile slipped across Hugo’s lips as he trudged up the stairs. Ev had told him the same thing.
He tumbled into bed and wrapped himself up in his blankets so that no part of him was visible to the outside world. It took a while to fall back to sleep, but he didn’t mind because it gave him a chance to replay each and every kiss he’d shared with the prince.
The next death seeker didn’t bother with knocking. He flung open the door and pulled at Hugo’s blankets, forcing him awake.
“Hugo, you must get up right now,” Dorian ordered.
“Why?” Hugo whined.
Why was the world so against him getting a few hours of sleep? It was a conspiracy. The universe hated when he was well rested.
“There is an official from the royal court here to read an edict from the freaking king, and you have to be present. Something about saving the prince and rewards. Mother is shouting for the smelling salts. Get up!”